Culture

This broad skill represents a character’’s ability to understand and

interact with cultures that are different from his own. Areas of

knowledge covered by the skill include the customs, philosophy, and

way of life of a particular culture, as well as a basic familiarity

with major historical figures, events, and trends important to that

culture.

In the use of the broad skill, a character applies what he knows about

cultural trends and studies to make an educated guess about how to

interact with a member of another culture. The broad skill provides at

least a working knowledge of what to do when dealing with any alien

culture.

When Culture or any of its specialty skills is used in an interactive

context with one or more other characters, it is considered an

encounter skill (see the sidebar). A Critical Failure result on a

skill check indicates that the character has thoroughly insulted the

individual or group he’’s trying to deal with. Other skill check

results change the target’’s attitude as shown on **TABLE P25:

ENCOUNTER SKILL EFFECTS**. The greater the degree of success, the more

endearing and flattering the character appears to the member(s) of the

culture he’’s dealing with.

The complexity of the ideas that are being communicated during a use

of the Culture skill (or the use of one of its specialty skills) may

provide a modifier to the skill check:

▶ Simple concepts—basic messages such as exchanging names, conveying friendly intentions, and offering help—give a -1 bonus to the skill check.

▶ Everyday concepts—information that is somewhat more difficult to convey, such as explaining one’’s place of origin or occupation—provide no modifier.

▶ Complex concepts—describing what the character expects to gain from this contact, or conveying a threat or an opportunity that the character wants to make known—provide a penalty of at least +1 and possibly more, if the Gamemaster rules that the concept being conveyed is exceedingly complicated or esoteric.

Culture Situation Modifiers

| Condition | Modifier |

| :— | :— |

| Simple concepts | -1 |

| Everyday concepts | 0 |

| Complex concepts | +1 |

| Etiquette ranks 3-5 | -1 |

| Etiquette ranks 6-8 | -2 |

| Etiquette ranks 9-11 | -3 |

| Etiquette rank 12 | -4 |

Etiquette

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Diplomacy

This specialty skill allows a character to improve his ability to

reach agreements and understandings with representatives of

different nations, cultures, subcultures and species.

In general, diplomacy will come into play when a character wants

to reach an accord with a member of a different culture. The skill

can only be used on a particular target if the character has at

least rank 1 in the specific Culture—etiquette skill that pertains

to the target’’s culture.

Interaction and its specialty skills are usually used for

interpersonal dealings between members of the same culture, but

the Gamemaster may decide that Culture—diplomacy is also useful in

such cases. (If so, it’’s not necessary for a character to have the

etiquette skill that pertains to his or her culture in order to

use diplomacy on other members of that culture.)

Depending on the nature of the issue to be resolved, the diplomacy

skill check may be a single dice roll, or it may be a complex

skill check requiring an extended period of time to complete.

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First Encounter

This specialty skill represents a character’’s training in the

theories and protocols of making first contact with a previously

unknown culture. With this skill, a character can assess the

mental, physical, and technological capabilities of an unfamiliar

species, begin the process of establishing communications and

learning each other’’s language, and make a preliminary study of

the strangers’’ cultural and societal habits.

A first encounter skill check is always a complex chore, and may

take days, weeks, or even months to successfully complete. The

Gamemaster will assign the number of successes necessary to

complete the skill check based on the extent of difference between

the two cultures involved. Also, the Gamemaster will determine the

initial attitude of the target creature(s) toward the character,

and may inform the character of changes in that attitude that take

place while the complex skill check is under way.

Upon the successful completion of the first encounter skill check,

the character immediately gains rank 1 in the Knowledge—language

and Culture—etiquette skills that relate to the formerly unknown

culture.

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