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Physical Active Skills

These skills are all about actions you take with your body (besides things covered in Combat skills). You’ll find the specific rules for using each skill (or a reference for where you can find the rules) in the skill description.

Physical Skills Attribute Can Default Skill Group
Disguise Intuition Yes Stealth
Diving Body Yes None
Escape Artist Agility Yes None
Free-Fall Body Yes None
Gymnastics Agility Yes Athletics
Palming Agility No Stealth
Perception Intuition Yes None
Pistols Strength Yes Athletics
Sneaking Agility Yes Stealth
Survival Willpower Yes Outdoors
Swimming Strength Yes Athletics
Unarmed Combat Tracking Yes Outdoors


Disguise

Disguise covers non-magical forms of masking your identity, including makeup and enhancement. See Using Disguise and Impersonation, p. 136.

Default: Yes
Skill Group: Stealth
Specializations: Camouflage, Cosmetic, Theatrical, Trideo & Video

Using Disguise and Impersonation

Disguise and Impersonation are also handled using Opposed Tests. When the makeup and costuming are first applied, the character creating the disguise performs a Disguise + Intuition [Mental] Test. The number of hits rolled is the threshold for anyone trying to see through the disguise later on. Impersonation can be used to improve a disguise, or it can stand alone. A character in disguise can roll their Impersonation + Charisma [Social] and add the number of hits to the threshold for breaking the disguise. If Impersonation is being used without the benefit of a disguise (such as when vocally imitating someone), treat it as standard Opposed Test. A Disguise Kit (see Tools, p. 443) can be used to build a Disguise, using the Building & Repairing rules (p. 146). Add half the threshold of the Extended Test used to make the disguise as a dice pool bonus to your Disguise Test, to a maximum bonus of 4.

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

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

Using Escape Artist

In Shadowrun, you might just find yourself caught instead of killed. Escape Artist provides a chance to escape from most forms of confinement, including ropes, handcuffs, and other bindings. To get out of restraints, make an Escape Artist + Agility [Physical] Test against a threshold based on what you’re trying to get out of. If you succeed, you’re free after working on it for one minute (20 Combat Turns), divided by the number of net hits you get on the test. The dice pool is modified by a variety of factors, such as whether or not you’re being watched (and trying to be subtle) or if you’re carrying a set of lockpicks. These situational modifiers are on the Escape Artist Table. The gamemaster may decide that some restraints are too difficult to escape from without outside help.

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

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

Using Gymnastics

A few uses of the Gymnastics skill require special rules.
Climbing
The Gymnastics skill is applied to both assisted and unassisted climbing tasks. Assisted climbing is accomplished with specialized gear such as ropes and harnesses (see p. 448). Assisted climbing is easier and safer, but requires more preparation. Unassisted climbing may be done on the fly, because you climb without any gear. Climbing is a Complex Action, and the number of hits you get on your Gymnastics + Strength [Physical] Test determines how far you can move vertically or laterally during your climb, as noted on the Climbing Table. The more difficult the climb, the more dice pool modifiers you get, which is also noted on the Climbing Table.
Rappelling
Rappelling is a gear-aided descent at near free-fall speed. This technique requires a Free-Fall + Body [Physical] (2) Success Test. So long as you have the proper gear and training, you can brake at any point in the descent, slow your speed, and land safely. Rappelling expends a Simple Action, during which you fall at a rate of 20 meters per Combat Turn. Rappelling characters can increase the number of meters descended during that same Combat Turn by 1 for each net hit beyond the threshold on the Free-Fall Test. If you take another Simple Action in the same phase, such as firing a weapon, you get a –2 dice pool modifier to both that action and the Free-Fall Test. Stopping requires another Free-Fall Test with the same threshold. On an unsuccessful test, you don’t slow down and may take damage if you hit the ground at speed (Falling Damage, p. 172).
Climbing Failures and Glitches
A test while climbing or rappelling automatically halts your progress, and you have to make a Reaction + Strength Test to hold on. If you fail this second test, you start to fall (about 20 meters per Combat Turn). During your next Action Phase, you may attempt to stop by making a Reaction + Strength Test with a –2 dice pool modifier. Your gamemaster may allow other climbers to make a Reaction + Strength Test to grab you. Characters who are using climbing gear are allowed an additional test if they fall. Have the character who prepared the safety lines make a Free-Fall + Logic [Mental] Test against a threshold equal to half the falling character’s Body (round down). The falling character may apply Edge to this test. If successful, the safety gear catches, leaving the character dangling. If it fails, the character falls (see Falling Damage, p. 172).
Jumping
Jumping is done from a running or standing position. Running leaps get more distance than standing jumps do, if you have enough room to get up to full speed. Make a Gymnastics + Agility Test, applying any appropriate modifiers. For every hit you get on this test, you jump 1 meter on a standing jump or 2 meters for a running leap. No matter how many hits you get, you can’t jump farther than your Agility x 1.5 meters (net hits beyond this mean you did it with style). For a vertical jump, it’s the same test, but you get half a meter of altitude per hit and the maximum you can jump is 1.5 times your height.

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

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

Using Perception

Perception Tests are for any situation involving basic senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste) where you’re looking for something that isn’t obvious. Your gamemaster might call for you to make one, or you can call for a Perception Test by taking an Observe in Detail Simple Action to get a handle on what’s going down around you. Making the threshold on a Perception + Intuition [Mental] Test indicates that you’ve noticed something subtle or important (or both)—net hits determine how much detail you get. If someone is deliberately trying to hide from you, they’ll oppose your test with their own skill (Using Stealth Skills, p. 136). Perception Tests involving vision (which is most of them) use the same Visibility and Light modifiers as attacks do in combat (Environmental Modifiers, p. 173). Other modifiers are listed on the Perception Test Modifiers table. If a bunch of people are making a Perception Test and looking for the same thing, use a Teamwork Test (p. 49).

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.)

Using Running

The Running skill allows you to increase the distance you can cover in a Combat Turn by taking a Sprint Action (p. 162) in their Action Phase. You make a Running + Strength [Physical] Test. Each hit adds 1 or 2 meters to your distance for that Combat Turn, based on your metatype (see Movement, p. 161). The gamemaster may apply modifiers for various types of terrain (rocky, slippery, and so on) and other conditions. You can run non-stop for a maximum number of minutes equal to your (Body + Running) x 10. Fatigue damage begins to take effect after this point (see Fatigue Damage, p. 172).

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.)

Using Stealth Skills

Skill tests in the Stealth skill group boil down to staying hidden when someone is trying to find you. Treat this as an Opposed Test using Perception + Intuition, and apply any appropriate Perception modifiers (see p. 135). The gamemaster can decide to swap out Perception for a suitable skill from the Stealth skill group at no penalty. For example, if a Triad assassin is trying to spot you in a crowd, she could rely on her own experience at hiding and roll Sneaking + Intuition.

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

Using Survival

Surviving the elements is more dangerous in the Sixth World. Environmental decay has reached unparalleled heights. In Great Britain, for example, a perfect storm of toxic disasters and severe flooding devastated the countryside. Those forced to live on city streets fare no better. The homeless are as likely to be attacked by a swarm of devil rats as they are to be beaten by a ganger looking for a bit of fun. The Survival skill is used for braving all forms of extreme outdoor conditions—this includes urban survival, where the threats are as likely to come from other people as they are from the elements. It covers the ability to find food, water, and temporary shelter in any environment. If you’re exposed to these conditions for 24 hours or more, you’ll need to start making daily Survival + Willpower [Mental] Tests. Modifiers and thresholds for Survival Tests are provided on the Survival Test Table. If you fail the test, you don’t find the food or shelter you need and take Stun damage with a Damage Value equal to twice the threshold. The Stun damage cannot be healed until you get a good night’s sleep without having to make a Survival Test. If your Stun Condition Monitor overflows and you fall unconscious, you cannot make your Survival Tests, so you just keep taking the damage (now Physical from overflow) until you’re either rescued or dead.

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

Using Swimming

Swimming is a Complex Action. A swimming character can move a number of meters in a Combat Turn equal to the average of their Agility and Strength. You can take a Simple Action to “sprint” with a Swimming + Strength [Physical] Test, adding 1 meter per hit, or 2 meters per hit if you’re an elf or a troll. Swimming on the surface of water or under it does not affect this rate of speed. As with the Running skill, swimmers suffer from fatigue after an extended time (Fatigue Damage, p. 172).
Holding Your Breath
Sixty seconds (twenty Combat Turns) is the base time a character can hold his breath before any tests are needed. A character needing to hold his breath longer can make a Swimming + Willpower Test (with the Controlled Hyperventilation specialization coming into play if you have it). Each net hit extends the clock by 15 seconds (5 Combat Turns). Once the time expires the character must breathe or take 1 box of Stun damage at the end of each Combat Turn until they breathe (this damage cannot be resisted). Once all the stun boxes are filled, the character loses consciousness. At this point the character takes one box of physical damage at the end of each Combat Turn until rescued or dead.
Treading Water
If you’re just trying to keep afloat, you can tread water. You can tread water for a number of minutes equal to your Strength rating. At the end of this time, make a Simple Swimming + Strength [Physical] (2) Test. Success means you can keep treading water (or float, if you’re skilled at Swimming) for the same amount of time before another test; failure means you slip and take 1 box of Stun damage that you can’t resist. If you have a flotation device, double the time between tests. You can keep treading water as long as you can stay conscious.

Tracking

This skill confers the ability to detect the passage of metahumans and other game through terrain and use those clues to follow that individual. This skill also allows you to identify unmarked trails and common game paths is various environments.

Default: Yes
Skill Group: Outdoors
Specializations: Desert, Forest, Jungle, Mountain, Polar, Urban, another terrain type

Using Tracking

Tracking a person or critter requires a Tracking + Intuition [Mental] Test with a threshold based on the terrain (decided by the gamemaster using the Success Test Thresholds table, p. 45). If the target is actively obscuring their trail, tracking is handled as an Opposed Test. The tracker rolls Tracking + Intuition [Mental] against the target’s Sneak + Agility [Physical]. Any net successes on a Tracking Test can be used to gain additional information about the trail, such as the number of people using the trail, type of critters recently using it, and how old the tracks are. In urban tracking, additional hits can be used to identify local crowd movement patterns, relevant cameras, and AR clues that reveal where the target was heading and how long ago it passed by. The gamemaster may choose to apply modifiers for conditions such as weather, age of the tracks, the amount of people who’ve trampled the trail, and so on. Individuals using a tracking dog or other tracking critter may use Animal Handling as a Teamwork Test for their animal’s Tracking Test.