 August 12, 2016 - 3:41pm | Biosocial PSA New Skill: Business You have been trained to be one of the captains of industry who can set financial and sales goals for a company or organization. An analyst is more educated to look at overall business and economic systems to make financial forecasts. Analyze Business System Success Rate: ½ LOG + 10% per level This sub-skill is used to identify and assess the inner workings of a business, including management, communications, worker attitudes, etc. Business consultation also falls under this heading. Successful application of this skill allows a character to recommend changes that can increase monthly net profits by 1d10 percent per skill level (roll each month for the benefit, but keep in mind changing market forces might alter revenue too). Benefits gained through a successful skill check last for six months. This special ability can only be applied to a business successfully once every six months. Analyze Social System Success Rate: ½ LOG + 10% per level This sub-skill allows the user to analyze any sort of social system: social strata, religious organization, cult, sub-culture, native social unit, etc. This skill adds a +10 percent bonus to Personality checks and other skills in situations where the character has successfully analyzed a social system. Economics Success Rate: ½ LOG + 10% per level This sub-skill gives the character an understanding of economics, micro and macro. This skill is essential to those who wish a business to flourish and grow. This skill can also be used to modify the results of investment growth (+10 percent bonus to rolls). See “SF4: Mission to Alcazzar” for an example of an investments table. Etiquette Success Rate: Automatic (LOG or PER) This sub-skill makes an individual proficient in all the social niceties associated with Frontier life. Dining out at an elegant restaurant, entertaining amongst the well-to-do, knowing what conversation to engage in in social circles and being up on the latest fashions are all within the range of the character’s experience. A skill check is required only when the character is thrust into an unusual situation (first contact with an alien species, being invited into a fairly secretive society, etc.). Characters with this skill gain a +10 percent to PER checks in the above-mentioned social situations. Finance Success Rate: ½ LOG + 10% per level This sub-skill selection gives the character a chance to know the past and present history of mega-corps, their subsidiaries and holdings, to be able to read and prepare financial records and credit ratings, to know how to manipulate credit and financial investments. If the character does not know the information himself, he knows where he can do research to find out, though this can do research to find out, though this can sometimes take months of study. This information includes knowledge of mega-crop bigwigs, underlings and what private company policies exist. Management Success Rate: ½ PER/LDR + 10% per level This sub-skill gives the character the ability to manage others in some sort of business structure. It also gives the individual in-depth knowledge of management practices and theories. A character with this skill gains a +10 percent bonus to certain ability or skill checks (such as persuasion, PER checks, etc.) when dealing with individuals in a business environment. Society Success Rate: ½ PER/LDR + 10% per level This sub-skill selection gives the character a chance to know the social elite on a federation, planetary, or local scale. The society skill includes knowledge of the rich and famous (including celebrities), what their status in society is, where they are located, what their interests and backgrounds are, social graces and maneuvering and major social activities. Joe Cabadas |
 August 11, 2016 - 2:53pm | This would make a great short article for the Frontier Explorer. We did an animal handling skill in an early issue, this could be done just like that. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
August 11, 2016 - 2:53pm | And it would make a great skill for a PC in the right kind of game, especially if you got into a trading game with their own ship. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
August 11, 2016 - 3:05pm | This would make a great short article for the Frontier Explorer. We did an animal handling skill in an early issue, this could be done just like that. OK. I will submit it. Joe Cabadas |
 August 11, 2016 - 5:39pm | Call it business skill, it's presented with subskills. If you had a number of separate skills (3 or more) then make it a PSA. It just doesn't work to have a skill area with only one skill. Haggling and I think appraisal were introduced in the ifshna species description. Both would qualify for inclusion in an actual PSA. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
August 12, 2016 - 3:42pm | Call it business skill, it's presented with subskills. If you had a number of separate skills (3 or more) then make it a PSA. It just doesn't work to have a skill area with only one skill. Haggling and I think appraisal were introduced in the ifshna species description. Both would qualify for inclusion in an actual PSA. Sorry for the confusion, I fixed the post. Business is a skill under the Bio-Social PSA. Joe Cabadas |
August 13, 2016 - 6:06am | I feel business is not a good fit for the sciences PSA. Which is harder? A medical degree or a business degree? Perhaps it's time to organize a fourth alpha dawn skill area. IIRC I wrote a spy PSA in SFman and to make it a proper PSA I worked hard to have 3 skills. I also worked on an artist PSA or skill. New stuff like this gets proposed on a ad hoc basis perhaps a little organization will benefit the community. It seems to me that all of these various skills and PSAs all should be at the Tech PSA cost. They can be grouped together, maybe. Or we can say everything in this "NPC" group is handled in X manner. For example if a NPC took business it's his skill and PSA it the only thing he gets at in PSA rate and even though artist and spy are here here does get artist or spy at in PSA rate. We codify the way fan created and odd ball PSAs and skills are handled pointing the way for others to follow. Edit: and animal handling PSA I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
August 13, 2016 - 6:23am | While sitting here I just thought up a yazirian tradition skill in theory it's really a military PSA skill but must be bought at Tech PSA rate. Edit: all Yazirians can automatically take this skill and pay in PSa rates on the tech pSA table. It allows for use of kahdan sword and zamra. Study of sword will enable the ability to pick up other melee weapon and use effectively zamra is a specialized add on (must learn thrown weapons for grenades and etc. ) Another subskill: tradition and history 50%+10%/level to know details of yaz history and tradition. Works for historical details of Fo1 faith not necessarily theological details (unless referee needs it too). +5%/level bonus to battle rage when battling life enemy Well versed in yazirian honor code. Add +5%/level to LDR/PER checks when dealing with Yazirians due to the respect they will have for the stature they perceive I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
August 13, 2016 - 8:39am | I feel business is not a good fit for the sciences PSA. Which is harder? A medical degree or a business degree? Perhaps it's time to organize a fourth alpha dawn skill area. IIRC I wrote a spy PSA in SFman and to make it a proper PSA I worked hard to have 3 skills. I also worked on an artist PSA or skill. New stuff like this gets proposed on a ad hoc basis perhaps a little organization will benefit the community. It seems to me that all of these various skills and PSAs all should be at the Tech PSA cost. They can be grouped together, maybe. Or we can say everything in this "NPC" group is handled in X manner. For example if a NPC took business it's his skill and PSA it the only thing he gets at in PSA rate and even though artist and spy are here here does get artist or spy at in PSA rate. We codify the way fan created and odd ball PSAs and skills are handled pointing the way for others to follow. Edit: and animal handling PSA Since the Business Skill has so many sub-skills, including finance and economics -- I think we'd agree those can be just as hard as the hard sciences -- the Bio-Social PSA seemed to be the best fit. And, I suppose it could be open to PCs and not just NPCs. Joe Cabadas |
August 13, 2016 - 8:42am | While sitting here I just thought up a yazirian tradition skill in theory it's really a military PSA skill but must be bought at Tech PSA rate. Edit: all Yazirians can automatically take this skill and pay in PSa rates on the tech pSA table. It allows for use of kahdan sword and zamra. Study of sword will enable the ability to pick up other melee weapon and use effectively zamra is a specialized add on (must learn thrown weapons for grenades and etc. ) Another subskill: tradition and history 50%+10%/level to know details of yaz history and tradition. Works for historical details of Fo1 faith not necessarily theological details (unless referee needs it too). +5%/level bonus to battle rage when battling life enemy Well versed in yazirian honor code. Add +5%/level to LDR/PER checks when dealing with Yazirians due to the respect they will have for the stature they perceive Not bad. Though wouldn't sword skills be under melee and the zamara under thrown weapons... Be careful, too many skills and it starts resembling Zebs... or Zebulon Sunset! Joe Cabadas |
August 13, 2016 - 12:35pm | Bio-Social PSA New Skill: Diplomat/Lawyer/Politician Diplomats are professionals who negotiate trade and military treaties with other governments, help resolve conflicts and generally are supposed to act in ways that advance the interests of their home country. Politicians by their nature are practiced in the art of politics and range from entry-level political party operatives to representatives on the UPF Council of Worlds. Bluff Success Rate: ½ PER/LDR + 10% per level A bluff is loosely defined as a lie, evasion, or convincing someone that you are something or someone you are not. Any character attempting a bluff who does not have this skill uses a roll against their Personality or Leadership Score with a -30 percent modifier; the more difficult the bluff, the greater the negative modifier. A character with this skill is smoother and more confident in his bluff if the bluff is plausible. For example, an Ifshnit saying he is really a magically transformed Osakar is just plain silly. But an adventurer telling a member of a secret society that he is also a member of the society may work. The referee should modify the bluff based on other factors (unknown information, passwords, etc.). If a character has a Business Skill and successfully used Analyze Social Systems and/or Management, he receives a +10 percent bonus when attempting to use the Bluff. Only one such bonus is allowed. Diplomacy Success Rate: ½ PER/LDR + 10% per level This sub-skill allows a character proficient in it to negotiate on a grand scale (with corporations, governments, alien races, religious groups, powerful individuals, etc.). Setting up embassies, establishing treaties, negotiating trade and arbitrating a cease-fire agreement are all examples of the kinds of activities a trained diplomat can engage in. The diplomat is considered skilled in all the fundamentals of negotiating and is assumed to have researched whatever diplomatic situations she might be engaged in beforehand. A skill check is required any time a tense situation arises in the diplomatic process or any time that a character hasn’t had time to adequately prepare. This skill also provides a +10 percent modifier per level to skill checks during diplomatic interactions (Personality and Leadership checks, persuasion, etc., in the aforementioned settings). Note: if a character has the Business skill and successfully used Analyze Social Systems and/or Management, he receives a +10 percent bonus when attempting to use Diplomacy. Only one such bonus is allowed. Dramatics/Rhetoric Success Rate: ¼ PER + 10% per level The use of the Dramatics/Rhetoric is similar to that of the Persuasion sub-skill but is used to influence a group or a crowd to take a certain action. Note: if a character has the Business skill and successfully used Analyze Social Systems and/or Management, he receives a +10 percent bonus when attempting to use Dramatics. Only one such bonus is allowed. General Lore Success Rate: ½ LOG + 10% per level This skill covers in depth knowledge of any general area of knowledge (the more trivial the better!). An example of this would be sports trivia. Sports trivia experts would be familiar with all known general sporting events. Characters know not only rules and regulations, but also famous figures from the sport, histories of famous games and figures, training procedures, common illegalities concerning the sport and common strategies. Characters taking this skill can opt to have general knowledge only, or to have an in-depth knowledge of certain areas (such as sports). Politicians tend to use this skill to connect with crowds. A successful use provides a +10% bonus for future Personality or Leadership checks with individuals in that group. Law Success Rate: ½ LOG + 10% per level This sub-skill gives the character complete knowledge of the laws of the planet on which he lives. It also allows him a skill check on all civilized planets to know their laws. Characters who are members of Star Law are completely briefed on planetary laws before they are sent on a mission. If a character has a level of 2 or higher in Law, he can legally represent himself or other characters in a UPF court of law. Politics Success Rate: ½ LDR + 10% per level This sub-skill selection gives the character a chance to know the history and due process of federation and planetary politics. This includes knowledge of political leaders, their assistants and how honest they all are. It also gives knowledge of the finer arts of political maneuvering, the basics of speech making, and allows the character a skill check on local politics after he has spent at least one day on a planet. Note: if a character has the Business skill and successfully used Analyze Social Systems and/or Management, he receives a +10 percent bonus when attempting to use Politics. Only one such bonus is allowed. Underclass Success Rate: ½ PER/LDR + 10% per level This sub-skill gives a character some specialized knowledge of criminal activities, who major crime leaders are and ways to make contact with the underworld. Joe Cabadas |
