T
he vast majority of a character's actions are gov-
erned by abilities that he has learned through edu-
cation or experience. Any time he attempts an action
which has a reasonable chance of success or failure,
his skills come into play as a means of determining
the result. In some instances, the task may be so triv-
ial or the character so capable that the Came Master
may not call for a check. Other times, the task is so
outlandish that the player might choose to act differ-
ently once the odds are calculated. Ultimately, when
there is a reasonable chance of failure, the player
must depend upon his character's skills to see him
through to success.
Skill values fulfill this role in conjunction with char-
acteristics. These two values interact to directly es-
tablish the Ability and Proficiency dice used when
attempting any action. A character's innate abilities
are generally described by characteristics, while skills
require learning and practice. In this way, the intersec-
tion of education and natural ability contributes to a
character's chances of success or failure.WHAT ARE SKILLS?
Anything that a character might learn could be con-
sidered a skill. The galaxy is a vast place, however,
and not everything a person might learn has applica-
tions that fit well within a dramatic game. To reflect
this, EDCE OF THE EMPIRE includes a list of skills that are
most likely to come up in the course of dramatic ad-
ventures set within the Star Wars galaxy. The list may
not cover every imaginable situation, but it should ad-
dress those that are most likely to come up during the
course of a game session.
Skills are divided into three categories based upon
their general application and use. Knowledge skills are
entirely cerebral. They do not govern action—only un-
derstanding. Combat skills deal with how a character
may act and react in a direct physical confrontation.
Other skills may be useful during an altercation, but
combat skills can seldom be used without violence.
All skills that deal with characters taking non-combat
actions are considered General skills.SKILLS
EDCE OF THE EMPIRE-Master YodaSKILLS