In Abide Asteria, all interactions are governed by the cards and the skills your character possesses. At its simplest, you declare an action, determine the skill that action most likely relates to, and play a card. That card is your level of success. Most actions require beating a certain number based on the difficulty of the task, so naturally you will want to use more than a single card, and that is where skills and techniques come in.
Skills come in six levels: Natural Block, Untrained, Trained, Advanced Training, Skilled, and Elite. Each level of skill has a Skill Point cost to unlock and an associated technique. Most skills start at Untrained; the exception to this is Magic Skills, which start at Natural Block. Natural Blocked skills function as the explanation above, except 5 is subtracted from any play made and has no technique. You can block skills Untrained skills to gain additional starting SP, but you cannot ever unlock the skills you blocked, so weight your choices carefully. The point costs can be found in the side chart. Note that you pay the total cost, rather than the listed number. For example, if you are Skilled in Piloting, you only pay 25 more SP to reach Elite Piloting.
In addition, some skill levels only unlock as your character levels. Skilled is the first unlock at level 3; once that level is reached, any and all skills can become Skilled, assuming you have the SP to purchase it. Elite is far more limited though. You can only have one Elite skill per unlock, which come at levels 6, 10, and 15. This means you will only ever have three skills maximum at Elite level. This is because its associated technique is so powerful.
Skill costs.
Natural Block: -3
Untrained: 0
Trained: 5
Advanced Training: 12
Skilled: 25
Elite: 50
(Naturally blocked skills give 3 additional points at character creation for each taken. These cannot be repurchased later. Natural Block subtracts 5 from any play and will have no technique bonus.)
Techniques
Techniques are best thought of as card chains – they allow you to place down additional cards if you meet a certain criterion; usually, this criterion is matching the suit of cards associated with the skill you are attempting. Outside of items, this is the only way to increase your level of success at an action. A quick guide of these will be found right before the skills deep-dive.
Natural Block is the lowest possible technique chain. It provides a negative 5 bonus to all skills with NB or Natural Block. Selecting a skill to Natural Block at character creation provides 3 additional skill points. In addition to providing a negative bonus to your skill, Natural Block is permanent and cannot be learned later. Example: If you play a 9 in a skill that is Natural Block subtract 5, making your play a 4.
Untrained lets you chain a second card. The first card played must match the skill’s suit to start the chain; the second card must also be on-suit and also be less than or equal to your character level.
Trained lets you chain up to two cards. The first card played must match the skill’s suit to start the chain; the second card must also be on-suit and less than or equal to your character level+1. The last card can be any suit, but must be less than or equal to your character level. From Trained and on, you can also flip the top card of your deck if you have no other cards left in your hand at the time, likely due to damage or some additional play (see EVA/Acrobatics below). In this case, the flipped card ignores the character level limit; it just adds to the total, whatever that card may be. Note that you can do this with the second card as well, though to continue the chain in this case requires it to follow the rules: in this case, to be on suit and at or below your level plus one.
Advance Trained lets you chain up to three cards. The first card played must match the skill’s suit to start the chain; the second and third cards must also be on-suit to continue the chain, but have no level requirement. The last card played, whether it’s the second card or the fourth, can be of any suit, but this ends the chain.
Skilled lets you chain up to four cards. The first card played must match the skill’s suit to start the chain; subsequent cards must also be on suit to continue the chain. The chain can end at any point a non-suit card is played. In addition, you can choose to flip off the top of the deck to try to continue the chain, even if you still have cards remaining in your hand. If it matches suit, the technique can continue, playing from hand or from deck again.
Elite lets you chain a potentially unlimited number of cards; the technique simply continues until it ends. When you train a skill to Elite level, you choose a suit of cards that is not the same suit as the skill; for example, if you chose Charisma, you would choose any suit except for Hearts. This new suit becomes the ‘elite suit’ of this skill. For all intents and purposes, elite suits count as the skill’s suit, meaning that you can start and continue the chain with either the skill’s suit or your elite suit. There is only one caveat to this; while you can flip the top of your deck at any point in the chain, just as you could with skilled, the technique only continues assuming you get the skill’s natural suit. Elite suit can only continue the technique if played from your hand.
Skill Deep Dive
Magic ♢
Magic is not a well understood branch of study, even in the distant future. Its ability to contradict the laws of reality range from the simple like igniting local air, to bending space through sheer telekinetic might. Generally, these effects are fleeting and last only until the user’s next turn, though the damage it causes will remain – and often that damage is to nearby technology.
It’s unclear why anything that isn’t simple mechanical tech is affected by magical use, but for every point of success the ability has, a meter-diameter field of disruption occurs – both at point of origin and at point of change. Think of these as a sort of mini-EMP. At 10 points played, you not only have a disruptive field that is 10 meters wide, you also temporarily scramble tech in that field, making it unusable until the Guide’s Sign (card pulled at the start of each turn) comes up as a Clubs. At 20 points and beyond, everything in the area is fried and will need to be repaired (though Guides can choose an alternate rule where they draw a card and it is fried only on a diamond; consult with yours before considering magic use). Note that this disruption can be deadly if misused; for example, using magic near the life-support system on a spaceship. Local authorities will kindly gun you down with simple ballistics fire and drag you to a magically grounded cell to await trial or execution if you misuse your magic in such an irresponsible manner – and rumor has it worse happens if you misuse your magic in sight of Wizards who train their whole lives to show restraint in this regard.
Not everyone can master magic. In fact, it is usually something one is born into, though one can reach it through training as well. As a result, all magic skills begin at Natural Block and must be unlocked at character creation.
♢Elemental Magic
Earth, fire, wind, water – these elemental forces each play some profound impact in our lives. This magic allows you to control, manipulate, or even create these elements out of nothing. Spikes of earth rising from the ground to stab your enemies; walls of ice to protect you and your team; a light ball of flame to create a temporary light or a large one to incinerate that you find to ashes.
♢Telekinetic
The grip of magic. It allows of the creation of temporary force, usually around an object or person, which can be pushed, pulled, levitated, and more. Whether its creating a barrier to fend off attacks, punching someone with your mind, or flinging them into the stratosphere, telekinesis has quite a few uses if one is creative.
♢Magical Charge & Repair
While technology may fail in the presence of magic, magitek never does. As a result, some magically incline kit themselves in magic-imbued gear and arcane ships that function on raw magic itself; but since most magic is fleeting even when trapped inside an item, sooner or later it will need to be charged or repaired. This skill is also used in the creation of magical items (if Guide allows; see the Equipment section of his handbook).
♢Cantrips
Cantrips have limited use, but usually function as small-scale spells that serve utility purposes. For instance, a caster might create a small light in their hands, or temporarily imbue a weapon with an unnatural aim; Cantrips are not strong on their own, but they, along with Grounding, do not cause disruption to technology. This can make them useful in tight situations for the creative. Cantrips can do most anything the other magic skills can, except for Magical Charge and Grounding, but it does so at a -10 modifier.
♢Telepathy
Connecting one’s mind to another is also a powerful field of magic; with it one can read the thoughts or emotions of another, temporarily borrow skill or knowledge, or even completely dominate another individual. Most of the time, the victim can resist this effect by playing an appropriate skill (deception to hide emotion, for instance, or Engineering if that’s the skill that is being accessed), though simple communication is not usually resisted unless the recipient really doesn’t want to hear it. In the case of mind control or other such uses, the victim can resist by playing either Telepathy or CHARISMA and beating the user’s play.
♢Healing
In the future, most wounds can be healed; the biochip that exists within everyone usually can assist in healing even the most egregious of wounds, and medics (see below) can heal using a variety of technological wonders – but only magic can heal you with but a touch. For every 10 points, you can heal 1 cards of damage to someone who has taken damage. This can be up close or at range.
♢Illusions
Manipulation of the senses is also effective if properly utilized. Sight is the most commonly effected, but smell, hearing, even touch and taste in the strongest illusions, can be affected. This can leave people or things completely invisible, or set up the illusion of a wall where there isn’t one, or make a very believable steak dinner. Victims of illusions can play Illusion or Perception to recognize them as such by beating the user’s play.
♢Grounding
The universal undo button, grounding is anti-magic: it reverts magical disruption and returns normalcy to normal space. The universe is super okay with this, as it is stubborn about changing due to magic; as a result, double your play’s total when using this skill to determine how effective it is. This does not remove damage already done (if that fireball turned you into barbeque, you’re still going to be flame broiled should you succeed at grounding) and it can’t be used to protect technology from your own abilities (see the exploit Magical Grounding for that) without wizard abilities, but it will ruin any magic-user’s next turn or ongoing effects.
Melee ♠
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Even in the future, conflict still occurs that cannot be solved through diplomacy. While there are many elegant and technological solutions for murdering one’s opponent, sometimes a simple rock will do if you hit someone with it hard enough. Melee is broken into three groups, two of which require equipment to function – can’t very well stab someone if you don’t have a sharp pointy implement – and one that does not.
Regardless, damage works the same way for it and all skills that can potentially harm another – you get in range and play to deal damage. That’s it. No to-hit, with the only mitigation generally being armor. More details can be found in the How to Play section at the start of this handbook.
♠Traditional Melee Weapons
Sword? Chain saw? Saw-sword? Generally, this is any physical weapon that usually does not require any particular technology to function. Swords, spears, daggers, clubs – all they ultimately require is for someone to slash or smash another. While this category is broad in terms of what implements you might use, having a favored weapon is always nice for roleplaying purposes. Note that you can use this skill in place of most checks that require strength, indicating the physical fitness required to be skilled with these physical weapons.
♠Energy Melee Weapons
Generally, these weapons consist of plasma or lasers, often in the form of a handheld device. In the case of the former, magnetic fields hold the plasma in place, while in the latter, the length technically continues forever, but the inverse square law of light assures that it is only dangerous at about melee range – other than maybe acting like a laser pointer in the eyes. Due to lacking weight, they are very maneuverable, but they also generally do not stop matter from moving through them, so try to remember that parrying is probably off the table! It also means this will not count for strength tests, as anyone can carry these with ease.
♠Unarmed & Grappling
Hand-to-hand, or claw, or tentacle, or whatever – the martial arts continue to exist into the future, and for those looking to turn the body into a weapon, this would be the skill to master. While it can deal damage and count as a strength-testing skill, it also has an additional effect: grappling is a special system.
When you grapple an opponent, for every 10 points played, you can choose a card from the opponent’s hand at random. This is similar to damage, in that the card does not refresh and cannot be used; place it face down somewhere nearby. Should the grappled opponent reach 0 cards in the hand, they are pinned and can be tied up if there’s some rope or similar on hand. On their turn, grappled opponents usually must try to grapple with you to get their stolen cards back, using the same rules – should they recover all their cards, they are free of the grapple. They can also shoot you if they have a pistol or attack with a short melee weapon, so be careful! Speaking of being careful, if someone shoots a grappled target, they receive a -5 penalty to their play, representing the care they take in not hitting the other opponent. Also, if the grappler is injured while trying to hold a grapple, they can lose their grip, represented by returning stolen cards to the owner; the grappler can prevent this by expending 5 points of cards per card they’re trying to hold from their hand. For example, a grappler is shot for 5 damage – he must lose a card for his wounding, and then also play at least a 5 or higher to hold onto the card he’s stolen from his opponent. Should he get shot and run out of cards entirely due to wounds, the grapple also ends.
Ranged Weapons ♠
By far, the easiest and most common means of protecting one’s self is to be nowhere near an opponent and in a well-hidden nest plinking away at aggressive and dangerous enemies – not that this always happens, but ranged weapons are extremely common in Asteria. Most weapons fall under the following categories. Note that throwing weapons also include explosives such as grenades, as well as discus or dart-like weapons that are more low-tech.
♠Pistols
Pistols are generally defined by their smaller size and caliber. While the latter might reduce damage compared to a rifle, in terms of game mechanics, the two would deal the same damage at the same level of skill; of course, the weapons themselves might modify this. Check the Equipment section later in this handbook for more information. They have, however, shorter range than rifles and usually can be concealed. Pistols can be ballistic or energy-based.
♠Rifles
Rifle skill covers medium to large weapons, though the most common type of weapon in this category is a two-handed rifle, ballistic or energy. Some other weapons might also fall into this category, like rocket launchers. Be certain to check the weapon itself for additional rules or if you are uncertain if it falls under this skill or another.
♠Throwing
Throwing weapons can be either physical (or energy) damage-based or explosives. In the case of the former, they usually function like all other weapon skills, except you probably aren’t getting it back after throwing it without retrieving it yourself, special tech notwithstanding. The later you are definitely not retrieving, as it is in pieces. With any luck, so is your enemy.
Technology ♣
Technology is a massive category, but for the purposes of skills in Asteria, it refers to the electronic and the virtual. Almost no one, even Wizards, can escape running into it often. Whether it’s a simple wall panel to control a sliding door or an advance computer, sooner or later you’ll interact with Asteria’s tech
♣Every Day Tech (required)
Need to fiddle with a door panel in the middle of battle? Need to figure out the critical code to unlock the hacked and ready to explode terminal? Need to diagnose what’s wrong with the ship’s computer before you can even begin to fix it? You will play Every Day Tech in all these situations.
Two things you should keep in mind about this skill. First, this skill is a foundational keystone skill and must be kept at a higher level or equal to every other skill in this tree. Every Day Tech isn’t just use of that tech, but also the fundamental knowledge about how it works, and so you can’t very well repair or hack it without some idea of what it is you mean to do. The second thing to note is that this skill applies to tool use as well; for example, if you want to determine the composition of a rock, you’ll need a mass spectrometer tool. If unsure you have or need a tool to use with this skill, consult with your Guide.
(REQUIRED SKILL to proceed in this tree. No skill in “Technology” may be higher than this).
♣Hacking Tech
The darker side of technology is the convenience it brings – the social interconnectivity, the sharing of data and experiences, the storage of our more personal information and private thoughts – all for the taking if someone knows how. While white-hat hacking can be employed, such as protecting yourself against enemy hackers, finding loopholes in systems so the owners can block them, or blocking an enemy’s scan of your weapons systems, more often than not, this skill is employed in grey or even black-hat means: breaking through security doors without explosives, collecting that aforementioned data for later extortion, or leaving an ill gift on your rival’s login screen. Note you need, at minimum, hacking tools, and you might need additional pieces of tech to help hide you from detection or make your job easier.
♣Tech Repair
Even in the future, nothing works, or at least won’t until it gets fixed. When tech breaks down, whether it’s trying to access a derelict and damaged ship, a door panel injured by blaster fire, or just the third time you’ve spilled coffee on your datapad, tech repair is your skill to use. Note: you may need tools to perform repair functions.
Mechanical ♣
The pulley, the lever, the screw, the wheel and axel, the inclined plane, the wedge – these are the earliest machines native to nearly all civilizations. From them, we’ve built countless more, and machines simple and complex continue to play an important role into the future. Like technology, mechanical skills are a pretty broad and important category in Abide Asteria, from buildings, to ships, to engines and more. Note that mechanical things tend to keep functioning even when subjected to magic – a screw isn’t going to just stop working because the nearby air turned to ice. Some systems are designed with this in mind, even; a standard EVA, for instance, has a mechanical rebreather – it doesn’t require any electronics to do its job.
♣Engineering (required)
Engineering represents the practical knowledge of machines. Need to know how the engine works and keep it functioning? The layout of a building and which beam is most supporting the roof? How hydraulics that open and close the cargo bay doors work? All engineering.
There are key details to keep in mind when using engineering. First is that it is a foundational skill – it is a fundamental keystone skill that must be kept at the same level as or higher than any other in the field, due to needing to know how something works before you can risk modifying it. Second, this skill is especially important for ship management. Engineers on spaceships direct where power is routed during Distress situations, so if you are going to be in space a lot, make sure someone on your team can do this role, or you could be, literally, powerless. More details are in the Ship Combat section of this handbook.
(REQUIRED SKILL to proceed in this tree. No skill in “Mechanical” may be higher than this).
♣Mechanical Repair
Sooner or later, something will break, whether due to age or the enemy ship that just blew a ten-foot hole in your port side. While some mitigation features may exist, sooner or later, you’re going to need to conduct actual repairs on it so you can continue using the machine in question safely, or at all. Note that you may need some tools available to complete tasks in repair – at least bring a wrench!
♣Weapon Repair
Likewise, weapons will sometimes break too. Whether you just broke your sword against someone’s skullgun or your rifle jammed and won’t fire, weapon repair will help you get your weapon back to fighting shape. No, though, you can’t repair the grenade that already exploded to explode again. Note: you may need tools to conduct these repairs.
♣Jury Rig
A giant spacefish just took a bite out of your engines, your weapon systems are down, and the captain hasn’t been served his contract-mandated toast today. Time to rig your engines to fire a massive blast of plasma to toast both the space fish and the captain’s breakfast! Jury rigging is usually used in Distress situations rather than weapon or mechanical repair, and is often more prone to breaking down again. But if you’ve got nothing else but duct tape – and you always need duct tape – you might be able to make it work long enough to get through the day.
Piloting ♡
This skill represents both the literal knowledge of how to control a flying vehicle and the skill to do so. As mentioned, it must be kept higher than or equal to all others except for Misc. for this reason – while this skill is used for most ships, specifically those with extra small to medium sized engines, the general understanding of how a ship functions in space or in atmosphere doesn’t much change. If you are planning on spending a lot of time on a ship, it’s recommended someone on your team have this skill – otherwise you’d be dead in the star ocean. More information on how ships work can be found in the Ship Combat section of this handbook.
♡Piloting (required*)
This skill represents both the literal knowledge of how to control a flying vehicle and the skill to do so. As mentioned, it must be kept higher than or equal to all others except for Misc. for this reason – while this skill is used for most ships, specifically those with extra small to medium sized engines, the general understanding of how a ship functions in space or in atmosphere doesn’t much change. If you are planning on spending a lot of time on a ship, it’s recommended someone on your team have this skill – otherwise you’d be dead in the star ocean. More information on how ships work can be found in the Ship Combat section of this handbook.
(REQUIRED SKILL to proceed in this tree. No skill in “Piloting” may be higher than this *EXCEPT “Misc Piloting”).
♡Misc Piloting
This is a broad category covering pretty much every vehicle that doesn’t fly, and a few that do. Mechs, exosuits, ground vehicles, atmosphere-bound hover vehicles: the list goes on. Because this is such a broad category and because its knowledge is not largely transferable from the keystone PILOTING skill, it can be raised independent of that skill – meaning you can max this skill out before any other in this skill tree.
While more details can be found in the Ship Combat section of this handbook, you can play this skill for any role your vehicle can handle if it can be done from the pilot seat. So if you are firing onboard guns or powering the engines to maximum, you can use this skill, or the accompanying skill if it is higher. In cases where there are multiple seats, those specified roles cannot be played with Misc. Piloting.
(Can exceed Piloting skill.)
♡XL Pilot
Now we’re talking! Who doesn’t want to drive a capital ship? Just try not to hit the docking bay. This skill is for Large or larger engines, usually in particularly large ships. Such ships are either huge space hulk haulers or massive military rigs, so this skill might not be immediately helpful unless your campaign demands it. Still, it’s something to aspire to someday!
There is one thing that this skill does for you, though, which may make you want to pick it up sooner rather than later: multitasking. Generally, when flying a ship you will be too focused to do anything else – combat is extremely hectic in Asteria, and ships can move quite fast without the limitation of friction. However, you may need to talk on comms, aim the weapons on the ship manually, or so on – all while moving and dodging enemy fire. You’re still not getting up from your seat, but at least you have trained to process more than just staying alive in that moment.
(Unlocks multi-tasking while piloting any ship. Lock on, aim with the ship, fire, talk on the comms and pick your nose. (Task you want to accomplish must be within arm’s reach)).
♡Fighter Pilot
Bigger isn’t always better, as an ace fighter pilot knows. These are smaller ships that still pack a tremendous punch, all while being extremely difficult to hit. Fighter ships are usually kept in larger ships or attached to them, and activated only for combat situations. Most commonly, they are one-seater deals. This means the fighter pilot must also be the gunner and the engineer in addition to just steering the thing.
Much like XL piloting, this skill unlocks multitasking as described above. Consider what your team might need and where your Guide might lead you in Asteria to decide which you might want to focus on in order to make your choice which you might unlock first, or at all.
While more details can be found in the Ship Combat section of this handbook, you can play this skill for any role your vehicle can handle if it can be done from the pilot seat. So if you are firing onboard guns or powering the engines to maximum, you can use this skill, or the accompanying skill if it is higher. In cases where there are multiple seats, those specified roles cannot be played with Fighter Pilot.
(Unlocks multi-tasking while piloting any ship. Lock on, aim with the ship, fire, talk on the comms and pick your nose. (Task you want to accomplish must be within arm’s reach)).
Ship Crew Skills ♠♡♣
More than filling log reports, crew members of a ship often have to complete certain tasks or fill certain roles throughout the course of their job. Note that while there is a background named Crew Member, anyone can function in that job and take these skills. Indeed, if something goes wrong on a ship, you might not have a choice!
♣EVA
Extra-Vehicular Activity is a rather fancy way of saying, you’re alone in the cold vacuum of space with no one to hear you scream. Well, maybe not, but usually anything that is done in a space-suit is done with the EVA skill: it functions as your skill for measuring how far you can move, or the maneuvers you make to try to avoid the oncoming asteroid about to strike the ship you’re barely hanging onto, or just trying not to breath toxic gases planet-side. Basically, any time you’re in an environment with no air or gravity, you’ll probably play EVA. Just don’t forget your suit!
♠Gunner
There’s a slight difference between firing a rifle and engaging all gun batteries in a spaceship moving at combat speed, and that’s what the Gunner skill is for. Actually, this skill applies to more than just space ships – any time you’re using some sort of panel to fire something from a vehicle, moving or not, you’d want to use this skill. This would include the gun on a tank or a magnetic harpoon! There are only a few exceptions to this, usually detailed in their specific entry in the equipment or ship shop section of this handbook as a specified role, but you can always play Gunner to shoot something if it’s higher than the other skill.
♡Medic
Injuries happen – whether it’s an accident while repairing a bulkhead and someone cuts their hand, or a pirate has just shot your captain, sooner or later, someone’s going to need medical attention. While you can use this skill to help assess damage, the only way to actually heal someone is to use medical pens, or something similar. Usually, this requires a check of 10 to heal one card of damage, and 20 for two, and so on. Check the item you are using to help heal the damage for more details. The skill can also be used in combination with other skills, such as hacking, to modify genetic code for a little DIY augmenting – just keep in mind this is extremely dangerous and possibly illegal.
♣Bridge Worker
The bridge is the main command center of most ships; from here, you have access to every system, and it is usually here that the captain sits and relays his orders. This skill is the sum total of all skill and knowledge related to working those systems. Most of the time, they only support the other actual stations, such as gunner or pilot, but should those become injured, the bridge can take control and continue the fight while the stations desperately repair. More information can be found in the Ship Combat section of this handbook.
Streets ♠♡
Asteria isn’t an entirely idyllic future and inevitably, some people end up on the lower rungs of society or seek shortcuts to success. Street skills represent the knowledge necessary to move quickly, keep your senses sharp, and relocate yourself and other things in secret.
♡Stealth
If discretion is the better part of valor, then stealth doesn’t have to be seen as a negative! Of course, most of the time you are going to be using it, you’re probably going to be sneaking around someone or something you don’t want to deal with or to get into a place you shouldn’t. Or stowing away on a ship because you can’t afford the cost to fly away from the system you’re in. Or trying to get away without anyone noticing what you stole. But hey, it doesn’t have to be seen as a negative!
♡Theft
There are many things in Asteria that one could potentially own, and no one has enough money to buy all of it, so – maybe just permanently borrow some of those things? This skill is used from simple pickpocketing and sleight of hand, to hot-wiring a vehicle and planning a heist. With hacking skill, you might even be able to steal a ship. Just don’t get caught!
♠Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the skill that measures your mobility. While you’re probably not dodging bullets, acrobatics is checked when you need to move quickly in battle to close a gap, or to leap over a pit with a dangerous worm beast at the bottom, or to scurry up a mountain of debris to figure out where that strange signal is coming from. Note that this skill is pre-empted by EVA if in a no air or gravity situation.
♡Perception
Your five senses, or however many senses you have, inform you of the world around you. Any time you’re trying to discern something that isn’t clear without using some sort of scanner to do it for you, you’ll be playing perception – see that thing moving just in the dark? Smell that acrid odor? Feel that alien tearing through your – Oh. Well, maybe if you had better perception, it wouldn’t have gotten the drop on you! Note that it can also be played to figure out how to reach something, like planning a route through an obstacle course.
Charisma ♡
Charisma is a measure of one’s charm or attractiveness, but it can also be a measure of some innate power of will within one’s self. Most of the time, both of these are used in some way to influence others, and in a capitalistic society, this can be a handy skill. Note that the next skill shares the name with the group of skills, and is a keystone skill.
♡Charisma (required)
The fluidity of interaction, the roguish smile, the confident and the humble somehow magically rolled into one – this skill is a measure of your raw potential at influencing others. Not only does your CHARISMA help to determine how people view you, it can often serve as an intuition that perception might not provide – a sense of how to read other people and know how genuine, or not, they are. As might be gathered from the caps, CHARISMA is a keystone skill; it must be equal to or higher than other skills in this group, as if you aren’t very likable or sure of yourself, convincing others of falsehoods or to see it your way is practically impossible.
(REQUIRED SKILL to proceed in this tree. No skill in “Charisma” may be higher than this).
♡Deception
See, you don’t want to attack our ship, since we have a Liberator distress beacon on board, and they’ll respond to that in two minutes! Sometimes a little deception can go a long way towards helping your cause. Deception is used to convince others of the reality you want them to believe. It’s often easier to play when close to the truth, and the further from it, the harder it is to pull it off. Still, it can be a useful skill to have if you want to avoid a number of situations – at least until the people you convinced find out it was a deception!
♡Diplomacy
You might have heard the phrase ‘use your words’ growing up – and in the future, many races have grown. Not all combat can be avoided, of course, but if you want to try to talk down an enemy, or convince a friend of your position, or debate with someone civilly, you’ll need to utilize this skill. Note that how difficult it is to convince someone depends on the situation and the Guide has the final say on difficulty. Some people are just stubborn, after all!
Abide Asteria 