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 (p. 56) 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 are given in italics on the Active Skill List (p. 151)—and it’s also 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

Exotic Ranged Weapon (Specific)

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

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

Locksmith

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