Skill Selection

One of the nice features about most Palladium Role-Playing Games is the many different ways in which players can customize their characters. Skills play a big part in that, because they let each player tailor his character to his desires and make characters of the same O.C.C. different and unique. A broad range of characters can be created for Caelestis Ulterius, and the skills reflect this.

There are 3 categories of skill:

1. O.C.C. Skills (Rrequired for that occupation)
2. Scholastic Skills (Eelective skills learned through formal education or on the job training)
3. Secondary Skills (Additional interests and hobbies. See Master Skills List for poaaible selections).

• Step One: Rolling up the character's attributes. This is important, because certain skills may compensate for a low attribute. For example:- Physical skills offer bonuses that boost low physical attributes
• Step Two: Determine Education Level and choose Scholastic Skills Programs.
• Step Three: Choosing an O.C.C. (Occupational Character Class). Each O.C.C. offers some background history and motivation behind each occupation. Use this information as a guide to selecting a character that sounds fun and then as an outline of how to play him. Pick the O.C.C. that seems most fun and appealing to you as a player. You'll notice we use the word ''fun'' quite a bit. That's because role-playing games are entertainment, and the whole idea is to have fun So pick a character that you think will be fun to play.
• Step Four: Secondary Skill Selection. Characters have a broad range of skills with a focus on those that make sense for life as a wandering adventurer, explorer or warrior. Characters also are likely to pick up two or more Physical Skills. It is important to note that Physical skill bonuses arc accumulative. It is perfectly acceptable within the confines of this game for players to pick numerous Physical skills in order to beef up their character, many providing some kind of combat bonus (to strike, parry, dodge, etc.), extra S.D.C., or a bonus to add to a physical attribute.

New Skills:

As the character advances in experience. he will also learn additional skills along the way. All new skills begin with a first level success ratio. Thus. if a 5th level character learns a new skill. that new skill is performed at first level proficiency while all his other skills are performed at 5th level proficiency. When the character reaches 6th level his new skill will be at 2nd level while all of his others will be at 6th level.

Note: The maximum success ratio for any skill is 98%. regardless of how far the character advances or what modifiers he may enjoy. Mortals are not perfect, so there is always a margin for error.

A Note on Combat Skills: Throughout a character's history, he will probably train in some form of Hand to Hand Combat. Note that only one type of Hand to Hand Combat may be selected. In cases where more than one choice is available for selection, the player must select one of them and disregard the others. Hand to Hand Combat is always part of an occupation that involves combat and adventuring, but other some characters can select Hand to Hand Combat as an Educational Skill or Secondary Skill. Although it can be crucial to have a character with at least basic combat and weapon skills, not every character needs to be a fighter or have powerhouse abilities. Some characters may be highly educated and have few to no fighting skills. Such characters will need to use their heads in combat situations and may have to rely on their comrades for protection when things get rough. Otherwise, if these men of science and intellect intend to go out in the world, they should be able to protect themselves on at least a basic level.

Weapon Proficiencies (W.P.s), Piloting and most other skills can NOT be selected more than once to improve the quality of the skill or to get extra bonuses. Not every skill may be taken more than once (in fact, most of them may only be taken one time). Only the Domestic and Technical skill categories (and the occasional other skill that states as such) can be taken twice. Taking the skill a second time does not increase the Base Skill proficiency/skill percentage unless otherwise noted. but raises the overall quality to a slick, professional level of presentation.

Note: In general, when there is a discrepancy between two separate bonuses, take the better of the two. If an O.C.C. starts off with a skill that normally has a prerequisite skill(s), assume that the character has the pre-requisite skill as part of their training. Although some skills fall under more than one category. it is the specific skill itself (NOT the category) that often determines whether or not a certain O.C.C. can learn it.

O.C.C. Attribute Requirements: Most O.C.C.s have one or more attribute requirements such as an average to high I.Q., P.P. (Physical Prowess) and/or other attributes. The character must meet or exceed these attribute requirements or he can NOT select that occupation. Note: G.M.s may allow a player who is close to meeting the minimum physical attribute requirements (one or two points oft) to take the O.C.C. on the condition that the character selects a Physical skill that will boost his attribute to meet or exceed the minimum requirement. Don't worry if a character doesn't meet the requirement, there are plenty of other O.C.C.s to choose from. In fact, the requirements are designed to help focus and encourage particular selections where the high (or low) attributes are put to best use.

Scholastic Skills:

These elective skills can only be learned as part of educational or on the job training (as secondary skills) They are acquired through on the job training and automatically occur with the advancement, development and mastery of the character's chosen occupation. The more one works at his job, the more skilled he becomes at his initial skill set, and the more he can apply that knowledge to other things. The cool thing about Scholastic Skills is that the player selects the ones that he thinks are most useful and fun for his character They may he skills that complement existing ones, or new, hut related areas of knowledge. Scholastic Skills either have a direct or indirect impact on the character's ability to do his job and expand his area of expertise.

The exact number of Scholastic Skills is indicated on the Education Level Table in the Education Section. Many of the skill categories that are available will indicate specific restrictions (if any) and possible skill bonuses as applicable to that occupation. The skill bonuses are indicated in parentheses. The skills that best relate to one's O.C.C. have the highest bonuses. Skills without a bonus indicated are available for consideration, but have the least to do with the work.

The list by skill category is a guide as to what skills someone in that O.C.C. is likely to consider picking. At first level, the character gets the Base Skill percentage plus any O.C.C. bonus (the number in parentheses, if any) and any possible I.Q. bonus. The skill increase per level of experience starts at second level.

O.C.C. Skills:

An Occupational Character Class (O.C.C.) provides a set of skills required to do the job. These arc O.C.C. Skills. Everyone who takes that O.C.C. automatically gets these skills. The bonus indicated in parentheses applies to that one particular skill. The skills that are, generally, important, valuable or crucial to one's occupation have the highest bonuses. Add the O.C.C. bonus (the number in parentheses) to the Base Skill percentage of that specific skill to determine the level of proficiency the character starts off with. As the character grows in experience, his level of expertise in that skill also increases. Each skill description indicates the amount of improvement with each level of advancement as: + 5% (or 4% or 2% percent or whatever the case may be) per level ofexperience.

Occupational skills represent training that come with one's chosen occupation and are required to do the job. Even in our own, modern world, the majority of our primary skills, the ones we use every day, arc usually related to our work.

Secondary Skills:

Secondary Skills are areas of knowledge that the character has picked up on his own through learned experience, observation and personal studies. They may be related to the character's occupation or reflect completely different interests and hobbies. Secondary Skills usually are self-taught and do not command the same degree of expertise as Occupational and Scholastic Skills. For Example: If a character took the Art skill as an Scholastic Skill, he would have the ability of a professional artist. If that same character takes Art as a Secondary Skill however, his ability is that of a talented amateur. Even if a Secondary Skill artist had a higher chance of success than an O.C.C. Related Skill artist, the O.C.C. based artist's work always looks better. That is the essential difference between Scholastic Skills and Secondary Skills.

Secondary Skills to Start: The number of Secondary Skills available at first level is indicated under the O.C.C. descripition. It is presumed that the character has already learned them and they start at first level proficiency. Unless stated otherwise, all characters start level one with a few Secondary Skills under their belts. Additional Secondary Skills become available to the character at the rate of 1 per Level starting at Second Level. These skills developed later in life are presumed to be something the character has been studying, learning and practicing on the side and the character starts using that skill at first level proficiency.

The Base Skill level is denoted in each skill description. Bonuses received by one's O.C.C. are added to that base skill. This is a one time skill bonus. Characters may also have an I.Q. attribute bonus (or penalty) or other skill bonuses that are added to the base skill level as a one time bonus.

As the character advances in level of experience, his chances of performing skills successfully (his success ratio) will increase. This is not so much a bonus as a designation of increased mastery of one's abilities with time and experience. The amount that the skill level increases is also noted in each skill description.