Awareness

This broad skill represents a character’’s powers of observation,

perception, and intuition. Skill checks are called for when the

Gamemaster needs to determine if a character notices

something—characters themselves never call for a use of this skill.

Noticing something could be as simple as providing a hint that the

character missed in the normal course of play, or help when the

character appears totally lost or confused. On a Failure, the

character doesn’’t notice a thing. Otherwise, any success provides the

character with at least a small clue. The Gamemaster can decide that

the better the level of success achieved, the more details the

character becomes aware of. Situation die modifiers are listed in the

Gamemaster Guide. Note, too, that another character’s use of certain

skills (such as Stealth and Security-protection protocols) can add

modifiers to a character’’s Awareness check.

The Awareness broad skill and its specialties are Good examples of how

the general rule on dice rolling applies to an AAA game: Dice should

only be rolled on a skill check in a situation when the Gamemaster

needs to determine if a character is capable of doing something

difficult or out of the Ordinary. More often than not, characters with

respectable scores in Awareness or its specialties will automatically

succeed when something exists that can be noticed or perceived—for

instance, it doesn’’t take a skill check to determine if a character

sees a fallen tree blocking his path. On the other hand, a skill check

may be called for to see if the character notices that the fallen tree

has a hole in its trunk where an object is concealed; or, the

Gamemaster might assume that a character who has several ranks in the

perception specialty immediately notices the hole.

Some pieces of sensor equipment may provide benefits to a character’s

Awareness skill check, as described in Chapter 9: Goods & Services.

Intuition

This specialty skill represents a character’’s natural

instincts—his ability to sense danger when no obvious signs are

evident, to avoid surprise, or to make an intuitive leap of logic

without the support of hard facts. It’’s the ability to make a best

guess in a given situation.

When no obvious signs of danger are evident, a character’s

subconscious use of this skill can enable him to avoid being

caught by surprise. (The Gamemaster calls for intuition checks;

players don’’t request them, except in the circumstances described

in the next paragraph.) Success indicates that the character isn’’t

surprised and can act in the surprise phase of the upcoming round.

(For more information about surprise situations, see page 58 of

Chapter 3: Characters in Action.)

When a character wants to make an intuitive “best guess,” the

Gamemaster may allow a player to call for an intuition skill check

on his character’s behalf. In such a case, any success yields a

beneficial result, but the greater the level of success, the more

accurate and complete the conclusion. This use of the intuition

skill to make a best guess is only permitted to characters who

have purchased the specialty skill, and it shouldn’’t be allowed

more than once or twice in an adventure.

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Perception

This specialty skill represents a character’’s alertness and powers

of observation—the character notices something either consciously

or on a subliminal level. While intuition is a feeling or

unexplainable sense, perception works on signs that can be spotted

by normal senses—a broken twig lying in a path, the click of a

gun’s safety being released, the scent of familiar perfume in a

crowded bar, a whisper in the wind. This skill can help determine

a character’s ability to spot signs of trouble, perceive the true

meaning in an authority figure’’s comment, or notice a subtle clue

poking out of a pile of leaves.

When potential danger obviously exists in a situation, a

character’’s subconscious use of this skill can help him avoid

being caught by surprise. (The Gamemaster calls for perception

checks; players don’’t request them.) Success indicates that the

character isn’’t surprised and can act in the surprise phase of the

upcoming round. (For more information about surprise situations,

see page 58 of Chapter 3: Characters in Action.)

Psionic Sense (WIL - Trained Only)

This specialty skill allows a character to detect the activation

of psionic powers, as well as the presence of psionic phenomena.

It can be used to assist in identifying the general type of

psionic power being used, the direction of its source, and the

approximate intensity of the psionic user.

Note: Only characters who are capable of using psionic powers

(such as Mindwalkers) or those who have the “Psionic Awareness”

perk can purchase and use this skill.

Detecting Psionic Powers

The Gamemaster will call for a check when a psionic power is

activated in the character’’s vicinity, similar to a check to

detect an ambush.

• Ordinary: The character senses that some psionic power was activated nearby.

• Good: If the source is within line of sight, the character can identify the user. If not, they get a general idea of the direction and distance to the source.

• Amazing: The character can detect the subtle, ongoing effects of a psionic power, such as mental manipulation or psionic illusions.

Identifying Psionic Phenomena

If the character attempts a Knowledge - Psionics check to

identify or trace the source of the specific power or phenomenon

detected, they receive a bonus based on their Psionic Sense

result:

• Ordinary: No bonus.

• Good: -1 step bonus to the Knowledge - Psionics check to identify or appropriate power to trace.

• Amazing: -3 steps bonus to the Knowledge - Psionics check to identify or appropriate power trace.

Possible powers:

• Telepathy-Contact, to communicate to the activator.

• ESP-Navcognition, to know the how to reach the location of the activator.

• ESP-Clairvoyance/Clairaudience, to see/hear the activator.

Each power is subject to its own limitations and range

Characters capable of using the Clairvoyance power can use it

to trace the source of the psionic event, applying the same bonus

to their Clairvoyance skill check (0, -1, or -3 steps).

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Psionic Sense

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