Skill Generation

Skills

The word "skill" has been used throughout, but it should be taken very loosely. A skill can be anything your character can do better than others around him. Your character might have a super-sharp katana that can cut tanks in half, thus making him more deadly in combat. This raises his Katana "skill" to four. When using that weapon, his Skill target is a four. Alternatively, Trinity's residual self-image is a smoking hot babe in leather pants. She takes this as a Mastery level skill, giving her a five target for any social rolls wherever this might have an effect.

In both cases (and as for other "intrinsic" abilities), this isn't so much a skill as shaping of your identity within the Matrix. Hence the skill isn't downloaded, but it is treated the same in the rules.

The GM may decide that your skill of choice is too narrow, or too wide. Use the examples below as a guide. If the skill is very narrow, the GM may allow you to buy two levels for the price of one (so Mastery costs 1 point, and Godlike costs 2). Likewise, if it is very wide, the GM may require each level to cost double. In general however, players should stick to skills of an appropriate width, and not buggerize around making the GM's job harder when they could be playing.

Example:

Unable to settle the argument over Wynona, the player decides instead to model his ability as simply improved skill with just one gun. He takes the skill "Wynona" at Expert level. Then he argues with his GM that because it is only with one weapon, he should be able to take it at Mastery level for the same cost. The GM, not wanting the crying to start again, allows this, but with the caveat that Wynona has only two rounds worth of bullets, after which the player has to reload. The player rolls his eyes and says he can't be bothered keeping track of that, and simply takes Wynona at Expert.

Meanwhile, another player wants to be the ultimate face man, who can be anybody, talk anyone into anything, and seduce anyone they want. After mocking them for a bit, the GM says that this skill of "Face" is wide enough to cost double. The player starts to get a little pouty. The GM scowls and says if people don't shut up and finish their characters he's going to go home and watch anime instead. The players, being clever types, take the hint and put their heads down.

Characters should always consider having either Kung Fu or Gun Fu as these are the most frequently used skills (Kung Fu also includes Melee weapons). Some other possible skills might be:

• Acrobatics
• Drive
• Hacker
• Repair/Tech/Electronics
• Leadership
• Presence
• Intrusion
• Perception
• Con Artist
• Demolitions
• Endurance
• Doctor
• City Knowledge (where the Exits are, which clubs are good to hide in, etc.)
• Comic Relief
• Katana
• Smoking Hot Babe
• Raise Homing Pigeons
• Flower Arranging