Information in the Sixth World comes cheaper than dayold soykaf. Ubiquitous Matrix access means every scrap of paydata about everyone and everything is only a datajack away. So if you want to be good, you can’t just know stuff—you have to do stuff. Turning information into action is what having a skill is all about. Shadowrun skills represent the broad application of information and techniques in a given subject. In Shadowrun, skills allow you to act in the Sixth World physically, socially, magically, technically, and so on. The way each character applies a skill can be as varied as clothing styles. Because skills are so broadly defined, players have the freedom to determine the specific learned behaviors and training their characters will accumulate over time. This type of narrow focus is known as a specialization (Specializations, p. 129).
Skills are the abilities that you learn over time. They’re grouped into three broad categories: Active, Knowledge, and Language skills. The first category governs what you do, the second what you know, and the third how you communicate with the world. During character creation, you determine your character’s initial skills in all three categories. After play begins, you can improve your skills or add more by spending the Karma you earn by shadowrunning (p. 376).
Skill ranks are independent of attributes, but they don’t work alone. The most common dice pools that you roll when you take actions comprise one skill and one attribute. You can study until you know every aspect of Spellcasting, but if you don’t have the raw Magic ability (as measured by your attribute) to apply it, you won’t be as powerful as you could be. While a skill isn’t always paired with a single attribute, each skill has a linked attribute to which the skill is most closely related. This doesn’t mean you’ll always roll a skill with its linked attribute, but you’ll see the two together a lot. A list of linked attributes and their skills appears on p. 151.
Having skills means you can things get done. Unfortunately, nothing you’ll do—fast talking past a bouncer, sleazing a NeoNET host, summoning a city spirit, just about anything—ever happens under perfect conditions. You’ll need the right skill to resolve the problem. The gamemaster will let you know which skill fits the situation, along with any modifiers to your dice pool. Choosing skills and modifiers is an imperfect science, especially when your character knows how to do something you can’t do. Null perspiration, chummer: These rules provide general guidelines on how skills and modifiers should be used.
Skill groups are a collection of skills (usually three, but sometimes four) based around a core concept. For example, the Outdoors skill group brings together Navigation, Survival, and Tracking, all the sort of skills an outdoorsman would have. You can purchase a skill group for less than it costs to take the three skills individually. Having a skill group at a certain rating is the same as having the three skills in the skill group at that rating. For example, if you’ve got Outdoors 5 and you’re trying to track a basilisk through the forests of the Salish-Shidhe Council, you’d roll as though you had Tracking 5 because it’s part of the Outdoors skill group.
Skill group advancement uses special rules. If you want to advance one skill from the group without advancing the rest, the skill group is broken and and you get each of the skills in the group at the former group rating; then you can increase one of the skills. If you want to get the skill group back (or get a new one), you must first get all of the skills in the group to the same rating. For more detailed information, see Character Advancement, p. 103.
The higher your skill rating, the better you are with that skill. Someone without the Pistols skill has watched enough trideo to understand that you point the weapon away from yourself and pull the trigger, but that doesn’t make them as good as a character with even an introductory skill level who has a decent firing stance and knows enough to check the safety before firing.
The skill Rating is a numerical value ranging from 1, representing the most rudimentary skill, to 12 (or 13 with the Aptitude quality) representing the height of sentient achievement.
When you see them written, the skill rating comes immediately after the name of the skill. Rating 5 Hacking is written as “Hacking 5” on the character sheet and in other game materials. A skill’s Rating adds to the number of dice you use to perform the action with the skill. The rules will call for the skill and an attribute to go along with it—just add the Ratings together and pick up that many dice. For example, hitting a Halloweener over the head with a metal pipe calls for Clubs + Agility—if your Agility is 3 and your Clubs skill is 4, you get 7 dice for the attack.
If you devote extra time to a subset of a skill, it’s called a specialization. If your character has the Gymnastics skill but spends a lot of time practicing parkour, you get a character that is good at Gymnastics but especially good at climbing past obstacles.
A specialization adds 2 dice to any test made for that skill when the specialization comes into play. You write the specialization in parentheses right after the skill, and then add a “(+2)” after the rating to remind you of the bonus. Characters can have multiple specializations within the same skill, but one applies at a time. For example, a character with the Blades skill who specializes in Axes and Parrying would only receive a +2 dice bonus to tests when parrying with an axe.
New characters may only take one specialization per skill at character creation (Creating a Shadowrunner, p. 62), but you can buy more later. If you want a specialization in a skill, you have to have it first (meaning a Rating of at least 1). Specializations are not allowed for skill groups.
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.
You don’t always have to default a skill when you don’t have it. Sometimes your gamemaster might allow you to use a different skill, probably with a dice pool penalty. For example, if you’re trying to use makeup to disguise your face, and you don’t have a Disguise skill, the gamemaster could let you use your Artisan skill with (say) a –3 dice pool penalty.
You can always do this swapping trick to use an Active skill in place of a Knowledge skill (like using your Pistols skill at a penalty to see if you know where the closest Ares Predator V manufacturer is), but never vice versa. Knowing the history and mechanics of the modern pistol doesn’t make you a better shot.
Active skills are used to take action and affect the world. These range from combat skills used by runners to stay alive in the sprawl to the social skills used to make sure they get paid when the run is over. For a complete description of Active skills and specializations, see p. 130.
While thorough, the Shadowrun skill system does not cover every active skill a runner may find use for. New skills may be introduced by the gamemaster, providing the new skill is called for and presently unaccounted for by the system. New Active skills should not be introduced on a character-by-character basis, but only if a clear need for that skill can be established. Once these conditions are met, the gamemaster must decide what attribute to link the skill to, what skill group, if any, to join it with, and whether or not the skill can be defaulted (see Defaulting, p. 130). As a rule, new Shadowrun skills should be broad
Knowledge skills represent everything a character knows and understands about a given subject. Your character begins the game with free Knowledge skills points based on your character’s Logic and Intuition attributes. Knowledge skills help define who your character is, but they also can be used to influence legwork and roleplay. The knowledge a character gains over the course of a life in the shadows often influences how valuable they are or how well known they are to people. There are four basic types of Knowledge skills in Shadowrun: Academic, Interests, Professional, and Street. Each category presents an opportunity to shape the experiences of a character far beyond what happens on a run. Knowledge skills do not affect tests the way Active skills do. In certain cases Knowledge skills may provide the background needed to complete an action, but they typically do not provide dice for Active skill tests. Unless otherwise noted, Knowledge skills are linked to either Logic or Intuition.
You get a number of free Knowledge skill points at character creation. Skill advancement and additional Knowledge skills follow the skill advancement rules (Character Advancement, p. 103).
Knowledge skills complement your character. They create meaning and history behind the Active skills and abilities you choose. Shadowrun gives you some room to play with Knowledge skills. You’re free to take practically any Knowledge skill your can think up for your character.
Knowledge skills are meant to represent a limited set of knowledge the character could have gained in some in-game fashion. For example, a kid growing up in an Evo corporate enclave could have a skill in Corporate Culture. On the other hand, had she tried to take Culture as a Knowledge skill, it would have been way too broad to be a Knowledge skill and her gamemaster would have told her she needs to narrow it down a bit. Check out the Knowledge Skill Examples on p. 149 to get a good idea about how to hit the Knowledge skill sweet spot.
Specializations are designed to narrow a field of knowledge to a specific and limited subset. For example, the same corp kid with Corporate Culture could specialize her skill in Corporate Culture (Evo) for the specialization bonus when she’s dealing with Evo. Specializations narrow the aperture, but not so far that the Knowledge skill becomes too specific. A specialization of Corporate Culture (Evo Social Culture of the Upper-Echelon Jet Set in the 18–25 Age Bracket) would be way too specific. The goal is for the skill to speak to the unique background of the character but remain useful.
Street Knowledge is linked to Intuition. This type of Knowledge skill is about knowing the movers and shakers in an urban area, along with how things get done on the street. You know about the people who live in different neighborhoods, who to ask to get what, and where things are. The information that these skills cover tends to change rapidly, but your instincts help you keep up.
Academic knowledge is linked to Logic. This type of knowledge includes university subjects such as history, science, design, technology, magical theory, and the people and organizations with fingers in those pies. The humanities (cultures, art, philosophy, and so on) are also included in this category.
Professional Knowledge skills deal with subjects related to normal trades, professions, and occupations, things like journalism, engineering, business, and so on. You might find them helpful when doing legwork for a run, especially those in the corporate world. All Professional Knowledge skills are linked to Logic.
Strange as it might sound, you might have some hobbies outside of slinging mana and bullets. Interests are the kind of Knowledge skill that describes what you know because of what you do for fun. There are no guidelines (and no limit) to the sort of interest skills you can have. Interest Knowledge skills are linked to Intuition.
| Street Skills | Specializations |
|---|---|
| Seattle Street Gangs | Halloweeners, Ancients, Brain Eaters, 405 Hellhounds |
| UCAS Politics | Congressional, Presidential, by state, by lobby group, by political party |
| Ares Macrotechnology | Damien Knight, AresSpace, Ares Arms, Seattle Operations |
| Hong Kong Triads | Yellow Lotus, Red Dragons, Black Chrysanthemums |
| Security Companies | Lone Star, Knight Errant, Hard Corps, Seattle Sec Corps |
| Sprawl Life | Soup Kitchens, Scavenging, Street Docs, Squats |
| Academic Skills | Specializations |
|---|---|
| History | By region (American, European, Asian, etc.), by era (Ancient, Medieval, Modern) |
| Literature | Japanese, Early Twentieth Century, Genre (Sci-Fi, Poetry, Fiction, Romance) |
| Economics | Micro-economics, Macro-economics |
| Biology | Anatomy, Microbiology, Parazoology, Physiology |
| Chemistry | Industrial Chemicals, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Pharmaceuticals |
| Professional Skills | Specializations |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Commercial, Residential, by style (Baroque, Brutalist, Art Nouveau) |
| Business | Finance, Distribution, Manufacturing, Megacorp, Digital Accountancy, Small Business |
| Engineering | Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Nuclear |
| Military | Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Special Forces |
| Police Procedures | By company (Ares, Aztechnology, Wuxing), Government, Military Security Design, Magical, Matrix, Military, Physical, Private, Home |
| Interests | Specializations |
|---|---|
| Club Music | Astral Rock, Electron Wave, Goblin Rock, Powernoize, Rockabilly, Sinthcore, WizPunk |
| Matrix Games | Dawn of Atlantis III, Dragon Storm, Grand Larceny, Killing Floor, Shadowrun Online |
| Sports | Basketball, Combat Biking, Court Ball, Football, MMA, Soccer, Stickball, Urban Brawl |
| Street Drugs | BTLs, Cram, Deepweed, Novacoke, Spike, Tempo |
| Fashion | Harajuku Scene, London Scene, New York Scene, Paris Scene |
Knowledge skills are about what the character knows, even if you, the player, don’t. Check out the Knowledge Skill Table for a few guidelines on what a skill reveals. Keep in mind that general facts, such as the name of the head of a megacorp and such, is info that can be quickly found on the Matrix. Knowledge skills are not about that basic level of detail, but rather information that not everyone knows or can find so easily.
| Type of Knowledge | Threshold |
|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 1 |
| Detailed Knowledge | 2 |
| Intricate Knowledge | 4 |
| Obscure Knowledge | 6+ |
Language skills represent the languages in which the characters can speak, read, and write. The higher a character’s rating, the more fluent he is at these tasks. You can buy Language skills at the start of the game by using points from your Knowledge skill freebies. There are few situations where language skills should require a dice roll. Characters with a language skill don’t need to make tests to understand one another in every day situations. The character’s skill level serves as a benchmark for how well they can communicate in a foreign language over time. However, in critical situations where precise translation is important, a gamemaster may elect to require a Language skill test.
Soon after the Awakening, cultural languages experienced a renaissance, gaining more inner sprawl popularity as a result of social displacement. Despite the new global cultural diaspora, most people now grow up learning a form of English replete with pidgin terms cobbled from popular cultural languages.
New races also brought new languages to the table. From the complex and tonal sounds of the elven tongue Sperethiel to the guttural ork tones of Or’zet, any racial group that staked claim to a racial culture holds it together with the glue of language. Non-metahuman languages exist as well: linguists continue to struggle in cracking the code of languages such as Dragonspeak, Sasquatch, and Naga.
The late 21st century is defined by globalization and the omnipresent Matrix. Shadowrunners operate in an AROenhanced world featuring corporate-based iconography as the basis of public communication. The years that followed the Awakening reshaped the definition of literacy. By 2047 technical advances in voice recognition, linguasofts, and speech-to-text-to-speech algorithms made it possible to write a business report verbally in English, have it transcribed into German and read back aloud in Japanese, all of which make it easier for corporations to reach consumers universally in an ever-shrinking digital world.
Lingos are informal languages formed out of a mother tongue and heavy with slang, jargon, and culturally significant metaphorical language. Lingos arise out of professional and often cultural need. For example, the Cityspeak word ”wiz” came from jargon specific to the magically active. Lingos are specializations of base languages.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cityspeak | A Japanese/English pidgin spoken in Seattle |
| Creole | A French/English hybrid spoken in the CAS |
| Street | Localized jive based on a city’s street population |
| 'l33tspeak | Decker code talk |
| Milspec | Military jargon shared between soldiers/mercs |
| Corp | Technical banter shared by corporate office staff and lawyers |
| Orbital | Jargon shared by off-world colonies |
A gamemaster may elect to call for a Language Test anytime information needs to be translated hurriedly or in a tense situation. The Language Skill Table suggests thresholds for the test as well as possible modifiers. Failing a Language Test means the parties are unable to understand each other. If a glitch is rolled, some meaningful portion of the information is presumed to be understood but is actually misunderstood. The gamemaster may want to make the Language Test secretly, in order to maintain the illusion that the characters understand what is going on.
| Situation | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Universal Concept (hunger, fear, bodily function) | 1 |
| Basic Conversation (concerns of daily life) | 1 |
| Complex Subject (special/limited interest topics) | 2 |
| Intricate Subjects(almost any technical subject) | 3 |
| Obscure Subject(very technical/rare knowledge) | 4 |
| Situation | Dice Pool Modifier |
| Speaking Lingo (or a variation of a language) | -2 |
| Using AR visual display help | +1 to +4 |
When using Social skills in a foreign language, the language barrier hinders your charms. You can’t add more dice from your Social skill than you have in the language you (attempt to) speak. So if Easy Sal knows he can squeeze a few more nuyen out of Mr. Brackhaus if he can communicate clearly with the man, and Sal’s Negotiation is 6 but his German is only 3, Sal can only use 3 skill dice to worm more money out of the man.