[hider=Skills]

[u][b]SKILLS[/b][/u]

Skills are your character's talents. While your skills are partially dependent on your attributes, they're also somewhat independent of them: as I've stated before, this RP's stat system will be holistic at times. If I feel your character deserves skills that aren't necessarily reflected by their Attributes, I'll change it-but these cases will be RARE. I will assign your Skill values. If you have a serious problem with them, I'm open to discussion, but for the most part, I'm not going to be changing skills around too much. Again, your character should not be good at everything, and that's okay. This RP is meant to be team-based, and having to rely on your fellow RP'ers is not going to be that bad. Probably.

Your skills are determined from your attributes,but these are also flexible. If, say, your character is a tough, 6'6, 400 pound hoss, and you're using a big machine gun, I may use Strength and Dexterity to determine your marksmanship instead of Dexterity and Wisdom. So on and so forth. This is on a case-by-case basis, but the attributes aren't necessarily set in stone. Furthermore, I know there are skills that aren't listed here. Like, say...cooking. These more obscure skills will be determined on an as-needed basis, so don't worry about it. Now, your Attributes may not necessarily affect the values. For instance, Dexterity and Intelligence both affect Operating and Explosives. If your character has a 5 in both of those, but was a civilian pilot their whole life before coming to the Dreads, then their Explosives stat is still going to be pretty low. Again, the stat system's fluid. Don't try and game it, because even I'm not following it that well. I'll take into account your character's bio and such in addition to their attributes. If your character has one arm, I don't care how high their Strength is, their Unarmed is probably a little lower.

[b]MELEE SKILLS[/b]
[i]Because shooting commies just isn’t as much fun.[/i]
Melee Combat, Finesse (Con+Dex): Melee Combat based off grace and precision. If you were, say, using a butterfly knife, then your combat would be determined by this.
Melee Combat, Brute (Con+Str): Melee Combat based off haymakers and raw force. If you were using a two by four, then your combat would be determined by this.
Unarmed Combat, Finesse (Dex+Con): Unarmed Combat in the style of martial arts and quickness. Some 80 year old karate guru would fight like this.
Unarmed Combat, Brute (Str+Con): Unarmed Combat in the style of punching the fuck out of things. Andre The Giant would fight like this.

[b]WARFIGHTER SKILLS[/b]
[i]Because you played too many violent video games.[/i]

Marksmanship (Dex+Wis) From gunslinging to sniping, this is the measure of how skilled a shot you are.
Explosives (Dex+Int) The use of explosive devices, from land mines to rocket launchers. Explosives can, if you're desperate, be jury rigged from household materials. PM me if you wanna know how!!!
Tactics (Int+Wis) The devising of strategies and ways to gain the upper hand in combat. Also, helps you kick ass at Risk.
Operating (Dex+int) Your ability to operate military vehicles, whether it's an APC, helicopter, or that claw thing you scoop up toys with.

[b]NON-COMBAT SKILLS[/b]
[i]Because God made you smart enough to stay away from people who want to kill you.[/i]

Medicine: (Int+Wis) Everything ranging from applying band-aids to brain surgery. Hope that your squadmates lean more towards "brain surgery"
Sneaking (Dex+Con) Moving quietly and going about unnoticed. Higher level Sneakers may be able to utilize cardboard boxes as camouflage.
Mechanics (Int+Dex) Proficiency with repairing mechanical devices. Jumpstarting cars or hotwiring tanks fall under this category.
Camouflage (Con+Int) Ability to paint yourself pretty colors and not get noticed. Like Peeta!
Survival (Int+Wis) Ability to harness the nature around you for the purposes of not dying. Identifying poisonous plants, starting fires, Boy Scout stuff.

[b]INTERPERSONAL SKILLS[/b]
 [i]Because in the RP full of badass mercenaries, you wanted to be the HR guy.[/i]

Persuasion: (Cha+Int) A measure of how good a smoothtalker you are.
Intimidation (Str+Con) For when you're not in the mood to beat somebody's ass, but you need them to do something anyways.
Lying (Cha+Int) This is what determines how well your character can juggle.
Regulation (Cha+Wis) This is what helps you calm others and keep them collected. Also, the Lying thing was supposed to be a joke, I dunno if it was good or not.
Leadership (Cha+Wis) Your ability to inspire faith in others. Those with Higher Leadership will boost the morale of those around them.

[b]FLUID SKILLS[/b]
[i]Because, like, everything changes, man.[/i]

These stats are named “Fluid Skills” because they are in constant flux. Different factors or events may change these stats-your attributes will affect how resistant to change they are. Someone with a high Constitution will lose Stamina more slowly-someone with a high Wisdom will keep their Morale higher for longer. 

Willpower (Wis): A measurement of how determined your character is. Strong resolve, morale, and tenacity will affect this. Things like torture might bring this down a little. Willpower is also a reflection of your character’s mental fatigue. After taking a grueling, six hour exam, this stat may be lowered.
Morale (Wis): A measurement of how motivated your character is. Rallying pep talks and liquor will boost this, while getting shot down by hot chicks and torture will lower this. Morale determines your efficacy as a soldier and resistance to psychological warfare.
Stamina (Con): Stamina is a measure of how exhausted your character is. As your Stamina drops (10 being fully refreshed, 1 being totally burned out), your physical capabilities will suffer. Those with low Constitutions should avoid prolonged strenuous activity, and extended fighting may cause your Stamina to drop, resulting in bad things (for example, shaky arms while firing).
Health (Con): A measure of overall wellness. Things like bullets, knives, and falling off tall places will bring your Health down. The lower your Health, the more crippling effects you'll receive. These are normally only able to be removed through medical care, so don't be a dick to the medic. If you suffer a severe wound, you may suffer from nasty things like internal bleeding. If this happens, your Health will continue to drop until you're treated. Otherwise, you'll die and stuff. Try and avoid that.[/hider]

[hider=Specializations]

[u][b]SPECIALIZATIONS[/b][/u]

Okay so if you're upset about not getting to pick your own skills or whatever, I'll let you choose one field for your character to specialize in. This will be a Skill, with a subset of said skill. For example, let's say your character is a sniper. Your Specialization could be "Marksmanship: Bolt Action Rifles". This field will need to be quite specific. This will be your one, super-awesome-tastic field. The benefits of this I haven't figured out quite yet-it may be a solid boost to all your Checks, or maybe a situational thing. Who knows. Regardless, decide what your character's one best trait is, and list it as this.[/hider]

[hider=Fate Points]

[u][b]FATE POINTS[/b][/u]

Now, we're not going to be using the Fate system, mainly because I don't really know what it is. However, there is a system we'll be blatantly plagiarizing: Fate Points. Every character will have ONE Fate Point. These points can be used to appeal to me for a different outcome. For example, let's say you're a dumbass and you run out into the thick of a firefight right as the RP starts. Normally, your ass would look like hamburger meat as a result. However, you decide that in order to avoid dying in the first page of the RP, you're going to use your one Fate Point. This can be used for a moment that, otherwise, would only be possible through Fate or Destiny or Divine Intervention. Maybe you come out of that firefight totally unscathed. Or someone holds a gun to your head, pulls the trigger, aaaand it jams. Now, bear in mind this can only be used ONCE, and I'm averse to hearing the specifics of the situation. I'd rather hear: "I would like to use my Fate Point to save my character from dying right here". I'm open to general ideas, but don't get carried away. This is going to balance out the fact that this RP will otherwise not be very merciful on your characters-you're going to need to stay close and work as a unit. We're fighting dangerous enemies, and the risk of your character being killed is pretty high. Play cautiously and use your Fate Point only as a last resort. There's no way to earn more.[/hider]

[hider=The Stat System]

[u][b]THE STAT SYSTEM[/b][/u]

“But, Shade, how does it even work?”

Hey! You waited for me to finish. Good on you. There’s hope for you yet. Now, I’m not big on math and I worked this out, so if you’re not fond of numbers, don’t worry. If any of this starts confusing you, please don’t let that deter you from this RP-I will be handling all of this. You will RP like you normally would, with me throwing wrenches into your best laid plans throughout.

Now, the Stat System in this RP has three components: the Check, The Roll, and the Modifier. Whenever you go to do an action in this RP-something that’s actually worth it, not like, taking a piss or something, you will have to roll for it. The difficulty of the action will be represented by the Check: a number between 1 and 20 that rates how tough it is. Cutting through butter would be a check of 1 because it’s super easy. Cutting through concrete would be a check of 20 because it’s difficult. 

So let’s say you are trying to shoot someone who is a hundred feet away, standing still. Clear conditions or whatever. This isn’t supremely difficult, so we’ll put the check at 10. 

Now, in everything you do in life, there is an element of chance. Some more obvious examples of this would be playing roulette in Vegas, or taking those painkillers from that shady-as-fuck-trenchcoated guy that stands on the corner. However, that same element exists in everything-even in something as straightforward as shooting that motionless guy (we’re gonna name him Joe for simplicity’s sake). Maybe your gun jams. Maybe you accidentally left the safety on. Maybe Joe gets an itch on his leg and leans over at just the right moment.

That’s why we’ll be rolling the die. For that impartial, uncontrollable nature of real life that’s missing in some RP’s. 

So, we’ll randomly roll a dice (with 20 sides) to determine what your value is. If your roll is equal to, or greater than, the Check, then you have successfully done whatever you were trying (SUCKS TO BE YOU JOE). If you have a roll that is lower than the Check, then you will not successfully do whatever it is you were trying to do (YOUR LUCKY DAY, JOE). 

“But, Shade!” you protest. “I’m noticing a glaring flaw in all of this! It isn’t pure chance! Surely skill plays into this as well! Wouldn’t a trained Navy SEAL Sniper have a better chance of shooting Joe than, say, Hellen Keller?”

Indeed you would! That’s where the Modifier comes in. Your Modifier affects your original roll, taking into account your skills and attributes. This is where your character’s stats, attributes, and such will come into play. So, let’s say you only roll an 8, even though you need a 10 to shoot Joe. Well, if your character has nothing that would help them make the shot, they’ll miss. But, if you’re a trained marksman, your modifiers may bump that up high enough to make it work. Whoop Whoop! 

Of course, this can cut both ways-in some rare circumstances, you’ll suffer penalties to these stats. Say your 6’9, 400 pound bodybuilder is trying to sneak somewhere. While he may have crazy bonuses to punching people and being swole, he may not be as skilled in moving around quietly or gracefully. This, however, is a natural tradeoff of the system-don’t sweat this.

I know this is a lot to take in, but there’s a few things left. Just as there’s an element of chance involved in whether or not you manage to do something, there’s also an element of chance in how successful you are.

Let me explain that. Let’s say that Joe is standing right next to a wall. And instead of you being a hundred feet away, you’re ten feet away. The check is still at 10. In some situations, you’ll have more possible outcomes than just “Success” or “Failure”. Just like in real life, things can go catastrophically wrong-or unpredictably well for you. Some examples.

[i]You roll a 0.[/i]. Critical Failure. The bullet misses Joe, hitting the wall behind him and ricocheting back to hit one of your teammates. Way to go, Annie Oakley.

[i]You roll a 9.[/i] Failure. The bullet misses Joe and goes through the wall. Out of sight, out of mind!

[i]You roll a 10.[/i] Success. The bullet hits Joe. What the fuck man? Joe was cool.

[i]You roll a 20.[/i] Critical Success. The bullet passes through Joe’s eye socket and out the wall on the other side. Joe, as it turns out, was standing guard next to a fuel depot. The room explodes, somehow not harming you, but taking out several enemies on the other side of the door. 

Now, these sorts of different turnouts won’t always happen. More than likely, it’ll be in high-intensity situations, or in situations that have the capability to go horribly, hilariously wrong, or ridiculously well for you. Like, say, trying to shoot a terrorist who’s using a human shield. Or trying to use that robot claw to pick out the stuffed animal you want but there are a bunch of stupid ones next to it you might get. You get the idea.

As for the actual numbers, this is it. Those who think STEM sucks, feel free to skip on until you stop seeing numbers.

Check VS {[(Relevant Skill/2)+(Relevant Attribute/2)] x (Relevant Fluid Stat, Scaled)} + d20

Let me give you a few examples to illustrate how this works. You are trying to snipe someone a mile away, which, being a reasonably difficult feat, has a check of 17. Your Relevant Skill, Marksmanship, is at 8, and your Relevant Attribute, Dexterity, is at 6. Your Relevant Fluid Stat is Fatigue, which is at 7. You roll a 13.

17 VS [(4+3) x (1)] +13
17 VS 7+13
17 VS 20

You pass the check and shoot the guy successfully. Hurray for you. Now, you’re probably a bit confused about the Fluid Stat part. 7 is a baseline value for all your fluid stats. With a Morale/Health/etc of 7, your modifier (the Relevant Attributes and Stats/2) is the exact same. With a Relevant Fluid Stat (RFS from here on out) of 8, 9, or 10, your character has a superior amount of whatever that is: maybe they’re very well-rested physically, super-amped psychologically, or crazy focused on the task at hand. You get the idea. They will receive a bonus of their modifier being x1.1, x1.2, or x1.3. All figures are rounded up, also. The flipside to this is that if you’re below 7, your character is sub-par in that stat. Maybe they’re exhausted from fighting all day, broken from days of torture, etc. They will then suffer a lessened modifier: a RFS of 6 gets them x.9, 5 is x.8, all the way to x.4. Try and avoid that, mmmkay? 

So, let’s say that this time, you’re making the same shot, but you’re incredibly exhausted-on the verge of passing out, even-and your Stamina is a measly 1.

17 VS [(4+3) x (.3)]+ 13
17 VS [(2)]+13
17 VS 15

A relatively close shave, but it illustrates my point nonetheless. You miss the shot and do not kill the guy you were aiming at. Hurray for him. As you can see, Fatigue, Morale, etc, will play an important role. 

For clarification…
RFS
10 (the absolute max your character could have: incredibly well-rested, in a berserker-like fury, etc)= x1.3
9 = x1.2
8 = x1.1
7 (baseline: normal, neither good nor bad.) = x1
6 = x.9
5 = x.65
4 = x.4
3= x.3
2 = x.25.
1 = x.2
0 (at zero, your character would likely immediately fail whatever check it was, as well as suffer from some dire repercussions. a 0 in Health would be entering critical condition or outright dying; a 0 in Morale would result in a psychological breakdown; a 0 in Stamina would result in your character passing out from fatigue; a 0 in Willpower would result in your character’s admission of defeat and simply giving up, likely dragging your Morale down with it.)

[b]Hey people who don’t like numbers resume reading here [/b]

Now, some of you may be wondering how certain actions outside of this system are handled. For instance, communicating. In the RP, when you have access to the Dreadnaughts' comm network, talking will be a free action that can be done in the OOC. So, if your group turns the corner and sees a tank rolling towards them, you can just go in the OOC and hash out what you're going to do, then your next post in the IC you can sum it up pretty quickly ("Carl, the squad leader, reacted first, barking an order for everyone to play dead") instead of taking like sixty IC posts to discuss it, and trying to pad those IC posts to a paragraph with fluff. This is, IC, explained away by both the synergy of your team and the headsets in your helmets. Now, if you're in a situation where your helmet has been irreparably damaged, or maybe you're busting out of a POW camp and don't have it, this will not be the case, and you'll need to actually talk in the IC (similarly, I'll imagine that's how you want to handle more meaningful conversations in the IC). While you have access to the comms, you can also contact the lovely [b]Maria[/b] for support-or any other adviser-type characters who are at the Dreadnaughts' HQ. They'll be able to survey the battlefield through satellites, spy planes, etc, and offer their advice for what you should do. You can also coordinate efforts with other RP'ers this way-for instance, if someone's a sniper, half a mile away, you can request they pop a cap in an enemy for you. Again, this feature's only available when you have access to a helmet, or a satellite phone or whatever. [b] Teamwork and synergy will be necessary to stay alive in this RP [/b], so make sure you work out issues diplomatically as RP'ers, even if your characters are busy with their own violent brand of diplomacy. 

[/hider]