The Pit (Of Knowledge)

Fate Core-based, with a few tweaks.

The official list of “Skills” from the original Fate Core is:

Athletics, Burglary, Contacts, Crafts, Deceive, Drive, Empathy, Fight, Investigate, Lore, Notice, Physique, Provoke, Rapport, Resources, Shoot, Stealth, Will

In addition to the cosmetic change from “Skills” to “Abilities”, the “ standard” list of abilities has been adjusted to better fit the setting and the GM's sense of balance. Some of these abilities overlap (and may or may not be redundant for many characters). Anything listed as a “natural talent” will have a score of at least zero. Learned or exotic abilities may or may not be possessed by a particular character (such as Sorcery). “Learned” skills are treated like limited “natural skills” for characters who have an Aspect or Specialty that overlaps (i.e. they get the ability at rating “0” for free), but only for those specific applications and are otherwise considered nonexistent for characters unless paid for in character points.

Custom abilities that a player can justify which don't substantially alter the balance of power or the setting will also be permitted.

Similarly, “Stunts” has been renamed to “Specialties”. The concept of “Minor Specialties” is also added as an optional way for a character to have a “non-default” but “normal” ability that applies to an Ability (such as the ability to swim, literacy, etc) when that isn't covered by an existing Aspect or full Specialty.

Alertness: Natural talent for noticing (c.f. “Notice” in the official rules) small or hidden details and ability to mentally react quickly and appropriately to external events.

Athletics: a natural talent that covers individual exhibitions of bodily speed, strength, and agility. This only applies to the ability to swim if the character has an Aspect or Specialty that suggests they should know how to.

Celestial (or Infernal) Authority: Special ability, usually only useful in combination with an appropriate Specialty representing the specific Authority the god(s) have granted to the character. It can also represent the general special interest the gods have taken in the character, however.

Dexterity: Natural talent for manual dexterity, fine manipulation of objects, or any other application of careful small-scale deftness. When appropriate, this would cover sleight-of-hand tricks, picking pockets, and may overlap with Mechanics or some Trade skills (such as Scribe work).

Investigation: Natural talent for finding things that you are looking for. This is the ability that applies when you search something (or someone) for something that you expect to find. There is some overlap with Alertness, but Alertness applies for discovering something that you were not specifically looking for instead.

Knowledge: How much the character “knows”, generally speaking. This includes but is not limited to formal education. This is a “natural talent” because everyone “learns things” in life. The specifics of what a character knows should generally adhere to their background, Aspects, and other Abilities.

Mechanics: The natural talent for assembling, disassembling, or manipulating complex objects and using tools. Overlaps somewhat with “Crafting”. If a character has an appropriate Aspect or Specialty this skill would also apply to things like lockpicking or dealing with trap apparatus.

Persuasion: The general natural talent for convincing others to agree with you. This generally includes most forms of intentional deception as well as general charisma, bargaining, intimidation, etc.

Reflexes: The natural ability to physically react quickly and appropriately to external events (dodging, diving for cover, sometimes catching thrown objects, etc.). Some overlap with Athletics (for example, catching a thrown object might be Reflexes or Athletics depending on the situation) and Alertness (shoving someone out of the way of danger would be Reflexes, shouting a warning in time would be Alertness).

Sneaking: The general natural talent for Not Being Seen (or otherwise noticed) while moving around or hiding.

Sorcery: This is a special ability, only possessed “naturally” by a select few - perhaps 10% of the general population to *any* degree, with only a tiny fraction of the population being extraordinarily “powerful” at it. A character *should* only have this ability if they have an appropriate Aspect, and ideally should have at least one Specialty to go with it. (It *is* actually possible for non-sorcerers to learn sorcery, However, people who are not natural sorcerers do not get “Sorcery” stress-boxes to absorb the stress of handling magic, and furthermore in the Celestial world it is culturally forbidden for non-sorcerers to practice it to varying degrees, depending on where they are.)

Stubbornness: This is the natural talent for withstanding mental stresses (c.f. “Will” in the original FATE Core rules). It applies when actively resisting Persuasion, torture, social stresses, distractions from mental activity, etc.

Throwing: This is the natural ability to throw, swat, or kick something such that it strikes or lands on a particular place. If the character has an appropriate Aspect or Specialty this skill will also cover any other form of ranged weaponry (e.g. bows, blowguns, hand-cannon, and some forms of magical implements).

Toughness: This is the natural talent for withstanding physical stresses (c.f. “Physique” in the original FATE Core rules), especially over extended periods of time. This includes dealing with physical injury, withstanding poisonous substances, resisting diseases, and so forth.

Trades: This is a learned ability, so not every character will necessarily have it. The Trades covers any particular professional skills involved with making things/stuff. Any Aspect or Specialty that a character has that implies an ability to maintain, repair, or making things can treat this as a “natural ability” for accounting purposes when applied specifically to those aspects of specialties (i.e. starting score of “0”), otherwise the character is assumed to have no ability. Characters *should* have at least one Aspect or Specialty that describes the kinds of things they can make (or sometimes un-make, for example disassembling a piece of furniture without harming it). Any “making things” profession may apply here - cooks, bakers, shoemakers, blacksmiths, jewelers, armorers, tailors, farriers, alchemists, etc. There is some overlap between the individual professions and with some other Abilities (such as Mechanics) and may complement others (e.g. Forgery is an application of “trade” skills, which may complement Persuasion in some cases).

Violence: The natural talent for hurting animate things and breaking inanimate ones by the application of bodily force. Includes any natural “weapons” (fists/feet/etc.) and culturally-familiar implements of destruction. Exotic weaponry may require a Specialty in order for this ability to apply.

Wealth: (Under consideration, c.f. “Resources” in the original FATE Core rules)