Tag Skills & Cutie Marks

To determine the number of ranks your character has in a skill at character creation, follow the formula given below.

Remember: You cannot have a starting rank of less than 5 in a skill (barring Touched by the Sun). Even if you have an attribute score of 1 in both Luck and the governing attribute, your base score for the governed skills is still 5. The rank your character has in a skill is not the same value as their MFD 1 value for that skill. To find their MFD 1 value, add their rank in the skill to the MFD ½ value for the governing attribute.

For example, let’s say Lil Pip has an endurance score of 5 and luck attribute score of 5. Her base unarmed skill thus has a starting rank of 2 + (2*5) + (5/2), which rounds downward to give her a base rank of 14. If you end up with a fraction as your end result while doing this calculation, round down.

In addition to rank bonuses or detractions granted by race, traits and hindrances, all characters may select 3 skills at character creation to which they may apply an immediate 15 ranks each. Characters may not double or triple tag skills, but if they want to select less than three that’s their choice. These three skills are your tag skills, and represent the fields that your character specializes in. They also play a part in creating your character’s cutie mark.

Pay attention here, GMs and players!The three tag skills you select for your future or current wastelander can play a big part in determining what their cutie mark is. They don’t have to be the only influencing factor, but in most characters expect to see their cutie mark correspond to at least one of their tag skills. Lil Pip’s Pipbuck mark, for example, has to do with her science skill, (because it’s a computer), her small guns skill (because of SATS), and her sneak skill (because of the ability of Pipbucks to interface with stealthbucks). These are fairly obviously her tag skills because of how often she relies on them throughout her story. If you have problems selecting your cutie mark based on your desired tag skills for your character, talk with your GM about it and try to come up with ideas. Unless you have the Young hindrance, there’s a slim chance that you’ll be wandering around the Equestrian Wasteland with a blank flank.

Players who don’t want their tag skills to have such a high impact on their cutie mark should talk with their GM about it and work something out, if the GM is alright with it. Remember that no means no, kiddos--especially when it’s told to you by your game master!

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 898