Mechwarrior Third Edition provides four unique skill fields that are designed to allow a player or gamemaster to tailor characters to fit any profile imaginable. Essentially, these four broad catagories act to cover all skills not previously listed. They can also present a different level of understanding or type of study for a specific skill. Lastly, they are a required part of the character building process, so that no character ends up as a two dimensional killing machine, but rather a fully fleshed out person with hobbies and pasttimes. Unfortunately, finding something that is both unique and suitable for the character in mind is sometimes difficult. The following lists should help jumpstart the creativity of the player or gamemaster.
Interests represent hobbies, primarily. Although this skill may overlap other skills, it tends to represent a narrow scope of interest, or an amateur approach to a skill or a field. It can also be used to determine a character's level of interest or obsession as well as their actual knowledge or ability.
Example: Joe has Communications/Conventional +3, while Willie has Interest/Ham Radios +3. Joe will be well versed in a wide range of professional communications equipment and operations, while Willie will be far more knowledgable about the construction, procedures, and jargon used in amatuer radio operations. Also, while Joe may feel no particular draw to communications equipment, Willie will wish to fiddle with his radio equipment whenever he can.
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Sports Holovid shows Duelists Amateur and Ham Radio Amateur Astronomy Aquariums Beachcombing Bell Ringing Birding Books Bubbles Candlemaking Cloud Watching Collecting Crafts Dolls Electronics Games Gardening Genealogy Handwriting Analysis Homebrewing Jet Engines Juggling |
Kites Knotting Lock Picking Magic Models Photography Pottery Puppetry Pyrotechnics Railway Enthusiasts Rockets Rocks, Gems, and Minerals Scrapbooking Smokeless Tobacco Smoking Soapmaking String Figures Textiles Tombstone Rubbing Treasure Hunting Urban Exploration Winemaking Writing |
Most jobs consist of a specific set of skills that are required for a position, however most also consist of a set of intangibles that are necessary for the day to day operations in that field. Career skills cover job experience and knowing the ins and outs of the "biz" as opposed to simple technical knowledge.
Example: Joe has just gotten his commercial driver's license, Drive +3, and thinks he's ready to get a job as a trucker. Willie has Career/Trucking +3 and Drive +2. While Joe may be the better driver, Willie knows how to plan routes, find places to rest, what local traffic laws are likely to be, and the best places to pick up trucking rumors. Willie needs to take Joe under his wing before he does something stupid...
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Accounting Administrative and Office Support Advertising and Marketing Aeronautics and Aerospace Agriculture Airlines Animation Archaeology Architecture Arts and Design Automotive Aviation Biotechnology Books Casino Chemical Engineering Chemistry Civil Engineering Commercial Fishing Communications and Media Services Computers Construction Cruise Lines Dentistry Earth Science Education Electrical Engineering Electronics Energy Engineering Entertainment Environment Finance and Investment Fire Protection Food Service Forestry Geology and Geophysics Graphic Design Health Hospitality Industry Human Resources Journalism Law Law Enforcement |
Library and Information Science Management Consulting Manufacturing Maritime Material Science Mathematics Mechanical Engineering Mental Health Military Mining and Mineral Exploration Movies and Television Museums, Galleries, and Center News and Media Nonprofit Nursing Outdoors Packaging Pharmacy Philosophy Physical Therapy Physicians Physics Printing Publishing Pulp and Paper Purchasing and Supply Real Estate Religion Retail Management Science Sex Work Social Science Sports Telecommunications Theater Transportation Trucking Government Veterinary Medicine Wireless Telecommunications Writing and Editing |
Artistic expression is an area that greatly overlaps Interests, since quite often people pick up an art form as a hobby, however, most hobbyists are not true artists. This skill represents a unique mix of talent and skill that go into a dedicated study of an art form.
Example: Willie has Interest/Writing +3 and Joe has Art/Creative Writing +3. Willie enjoys writing, does it often in his spare time, and is fairly good at it. Joe understands the certain concepts of language structure and meter that can best express the ideas he wishes to convey while capturing the interest of his reader, and so has a refined talent for it.
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Architecture Dance Music Composition Music Performance Illustration Sculpture Writing Painting Theater Choreography Poetry |
Weaving Film Making Costuming Lighting Scene Design Makeup Drawing Graphics Ceramics Photography |
This skill represents the drier side of knowledge. It emphasises technical knowledge and study over field experience. Often, an academic skill complements a career skill, representing a skilled worker. Other times, it can be coupled with an art, indicating more theory and less skill in performance.
Example: Willie is an artist, Art/Painting +3 and Joe is an art critic, Academics/Paintings +3. Joe examines Willie's art, making note of his use of shading, perspective, and colors. He also comments on the similarities between Willie's art and the works produced during the Lyran Realist Renaissance. However, Joe couldn't paint his way out of a paper bag.
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Philosophy Psychology Theology Anthropology Archaeology Law Literature Agriculture Biology Astronomy Geography Linguistics Mythology Political Science |
Sociology Statistics Art History Drama Theory Regional Studies History Studies Religious Studies Language Studies Creative Writing Professional Writing Anthropology Criminology Cultural Studies Media Studies |
It's important when using these skills not to abuse them. The wider the field of the skill, the less specific the knowledge, while a very narrow field of study can produce some highly obscure facts. Also, take care in using these skills to reinforce existing skills. While it may be fun as a plot device to allow a kid with Interest/MechSim Games to pilot an Agromech, it would be an abuse of the system to allow a mechwarrior with the same skill to derive any significant bonus from that skill. At a certain point, the skills cease to provide an increase in knowledge, but rather the ability to look at similar skills from a different perspective. Use these skills to add depth, they may come in handy at a suprising time.