SR5:Active Skills

Defaulting

It is impossible to prepare for every scenario and only slightly harder to have every skill. When you perform an action without actually having the skill for the test, there’s still hope. You can default the skill, making the test using only the attribute to form the dice pool. You don’t have any tremendous talent when you default— quite the opposite in fact. Defaulting imposes a –1 dice pool modifier in addition to any other modifiers the situation demands. Unless the gamemaster feels that you’re at a complete loss when defaulting, you can use Edge to Push the Limit and better your chances.

Some skills are too technically demanding for you to default. In these cases, you don’t get to even try the test; you just fail. Pilot Ground Craft or Unarmed Combat, for example, are relatively simple skills that can be attempted without formal training, so you can default if you need to. Aeronautics Mechanic, on the other hand, is too complicated to try without some training (you could say it’s rocket science). Skills that cannot be defaulted mentioned in the skill description.

AGILITY

Archery

Archery is used to fire string-loaded projectile weapons. An archer is familiar with many different styles of bow and the multitude of arrows that can be used to maximum effect.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: No

Specializations: Bow, Crossbow, Non-Standard Ammunition, Slingshot

Automatics

The Automatics skill covers a specific subset of firearms larger than handheld pistols but smaller than rifles. This category includes submachine guns and other fully automatic carbines.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Firearms

Specializations: Assault Rifles, Cyber-Implant, Machine Pistols, Submachine Guns

Blades

Slice and dice! The Blades skill includes the use of all handheld slashing and stabbing weapons. You can use a range of edged weapons including daggers, swords, and axes.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Close Combat

Specializations: Axes, Knives, Swords, Parrying

Escape Artist

Escape Artist measures the character’s ability to escape from bindings by using body contortion and manual dexterity.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: None

Specializations: By restraint (Cuffs, Ropes, Zip Ties, etc.), Contortionism

Exotic Ranged Weapon (Specific)

Sometimes a regular gun or blade won’t do the job and you need something fancier. Or weirder. This skill must be taken once for each unusual ranged weapon you want to use. Some examples include blowguns, gyrojet pistols, flamethrowers, and lasers.

Default: No

Skill Group: None

Specializations: None

Gymnastics

Gymnastics measures your balance, general athleticism, and all-around ability to use your body.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Athletics

Specializations: Balance, Climbing, Dance, Leaping, Parkour, Rolling

Heavy Weapons

The term heavy weapon is designated for all projectile weaponry larger than an assault rifle, such as grenade launchers, machine guns, and assault cannons. This skill is exclusive to handheld and non-vehicle-mounted weaponry—if you’ve got a gun mounted on or in a vehicle, use Gunnery.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: None

Specializations: Assault Cannons, Grenade Launchers, Guided Missiles, Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers

Longarms

The Longarms skill is for firing extended-barrel weapons such as sporting rifles and sniper rifles. This grouping also includes weapons like shotguns that are designed to be braced against the shoulder.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Firearms

Specializations: Extended-Range Shots, Long-Range Shots, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles

Palming

Palming is sleight-of-hand skill that gives a character the ability to snag, hide, and pass off small objects.

Default: No

Skill Group: Stealth

Specializations: Legerdemain, Pickpocket, Pilfering

Sneaking

Need to get where you’re not supposed to be? This skill allows you to remain inconspicuous in various situations.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Stealth

Specializations: Location type (Jungle, Urban, Desert, etc.)

Unarmed Combat

Unarmed Combat covers the various self-defense and attack moves that employ the body as a primary weapon. This includes a wide array of martial arts along with the use of cybernetic implant weaponry and the fighting styles that sprung up around those implants.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Close Combat

Specializations: Blocking, Cyber Implants, Subduing Combat, or by specific Martial Art

BODY

Diving

Diving brings together a wide array of actions performed underwater. This skill can be applied when diving, swimming underwater, using complex diving equipment, and holding your breath.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: None

Specializations: By breathing apparatus (Liquid Breathing Apparatus, Mixed Gas, Oxygen Extraction, SCUBA), by condition (Arctic, Cave, Commercial, Military, etc.), Controlled Hyperventilation

Free-Fall

This skill covers any jump from height, including leaps from a third-floor window to jumps from a plane at high altitude. If it involves any kind of attempt to slow or control your fall, this covers it, so it includes skydiving with a parachute, flying a wingsuit, or descending on a line, bungee cord, or zipline.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: None

Specializations: BASE Jumping, Break-Fall, Bungee, HALO, Low Altitude, Parachute, Static Line, Wingsuit, Zipline

INTUITION

Disguise

Disguise covers non-magical forms of masking your identity, including makeup and enhancement.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Stealth

Specializations: Camouflage, Cosmetic, Theatrical, Trideo & Video

Perception

Perception refers to the ability to spot anomalies in everyday situations, making it one of the key skills a shadowrunner needs.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: None

Specializations: Hearing, Scent, Searching, Taste, Touch, Visual

STRENGTH

Running

Running, as you may guess, is about how much ground you can cover quickly.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Athletics

Specializations: Distance, Sprinting, by terrain (Desert, Urban, Wilderness, etc.)

Swimming

This skill determines the character’s ability to swim in various bodies of water. The skill level affects the distance and speed at which a character can swim.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Athletics

Specializations: Dash, Long Distance

WILLPOWER

Survival

In the desert with nothing more than a tin cup, a poncho, and an iron rod? You’ll need this skill to help you get out alive. Survival is the ability to stay alive in extreme environmental conditions for extended periods of time. The skill governs a character’s ability to perform vital outdoor tasks such as start a fire, build a shelter, scrounge for food, etc. in hostile environments.

Default: Yes

Skill Group: Outdoors

Specializations: Desert, Forest, Jungle, Mountain, Polar, Urban, or other terrain