Extraordinary skills

This page is part of the character rules.

Extraordinary skills are special 'educations' for lack of a better word, that a character either starts with due to his class or that are earned through special adventures. Many extraordinary skills resemble certain perks. In contrast to the perks, however, extraordinary skills don't come all three or 4 experience levels. If a player character has earned a certain extraordinary skill, is of course judged by the master. Furthermore further extraordinary skills can be added to this list (after talking it over with the master, of course).

A list of our suggestion follows (organized roughly by theme):

With many of the following extraordinary skills, no exact rules are given. Just a description. If a player wants to, for example, play the Valiant Little Tailor and for whatever reason design a new ball gown during his adventure, he should talk to the master on how they do that. Many other extraordinary skills only count for a part of a skill or certain items. If the needed part of a skill is not found below or if you add a new gun that would perfectly fit in with the infantry weapons, feel free to add that to the game..

Combat:

Boxing: Characters that learned boxing have advantages in fist fights and know further techniques, the details of which can be found in the combat rules. (The special technique “wrecking ball” must be learned in New Reno however).

Cowboy: A character that is a cowboy not only knows the advantages of a fast horse between their legs and a stetson on their head: he (or, her though in that case it would probably be 'cowgal') knows how to use a proper gun, not those weird recoil operated metric stuff that never works anyway. With the following authentic cowboy guns, a cowboy receives +10 on the hit chance: Sawn off shotgun, Peacemaker, Ruger Redhawk .454 Casull Revolver, Smith & Wesson M 29 .44 Magnum Revolver, Winchester Pistol, Revolver rifle, Winchester Model 73, Winchester Model 86, Winchester Model 95, Winchester Widowmaker, Dynamite stick, Gatling Cannon.

Energy weapons: A comprehensive schooling in weapons that rely on laser-, plasma- or pulse technology and that allows to use service such weapons safely.

Grunt: Nothing is as wonderful as crawling wet through the mud or storming a bunker! Thanks to the tender, loving instruction of his drill sergeant, this character knows his way with typical infantry weapons and gets a +10 bonus on the chance to hit with the following weapons: Colt 6520 10 mm Pistol, Colt Government 1911 A1, IMI Desert Eagle, M35 Browning High-Power, Heckler & Koch MP 5, STEN, M3 Grease Gun, Thompson M 1928 „Tommy Gun“, Garand M1, Mauser K98k, Remington Hunting-Shotgun, Browning Auto 5, SKS, AK 112, AR 15, Heckler & Koch G3, M 14 Battle Rifle, Ruger Mini 14, Frag grenade, B.A.R...

Judo: Characters that learned Judo have advantages in unarmed combat and know further techniques (the special techniques “judo roll”, “mutant massacre” or “brahmin-tackle” still have to be learned from fitting instructors).

Kung Fu: Characters that have learned Kung Fu enjoy special advantages when striking or kicking and know further techniques, the details of which can found at the combat rules section. (The special techniques “Dragon technique” and “the Twirling Cobra” must still be learned in San Francisco).

Knife fighting: Maybe you took an example of Jim Bowie and want to conquer the Wastes the way he conquered the West or you just came by your expertise a different way – no matter how, this character gets a +10 on the hit chance with any knife. This only applies to melee weapons of the type "knife".

With sticks and stones: The Great War was dominated by nukes. Now a lot of people think more primitive weapons are all the rage. When fighting with bows and arrows as well as with combat stick (that is all melee weapons of the type "truncheon", and yes, even when throwing rocks (NOT grenades) you get +15 on the hit chance..

Sword fighting: There is nothing quite like demanding satisfaction on the field of honor. This character receives, thanks to a great instruction in their use, a +10 on the hit chance with swords.This applies to all melee weapons of the types: "Short sword" and "Long sword"

SF²: Science Fiction meets the Special Forces! This character has had a military instruction in a highly technological army, like the Brotherhood of Steel. For that reason they get +5 on the hit chance with all energy weapons (including pulse and plasma grenades).

Stick fighting: You were thoroughly trained in breaking other people's bones with blunt sticks. With truncheons and weapons of that type (Kali sticks, Club, steel pipe and telescope-baton as well as baseball bats) you receive +7 on the hit chance.

Domina (or Dominus): However you came to all the training, you’re a lot better with a whip than all of your fellows. All whips you use have a bonus of +8 on the hit chance. This applies to all melee weapons of the type "whip".

Languages:

Wǒ shuō zhōngguó: Translation: “I speak Chinese“. This character is fluent in Chinese and is therefore more likely to get by well in San Francisco.

Ablo Espagñol: Translation: “I speak Spanish“. This character is fluent in Spanish is able to get by much better in the direction of former Mexico (or with people that come from there).

Sign language for the deaf: This character knows the most often used version of the sign language for the deaf in the wasteland and can talk about the most complex of issues using just his hands.

Ranger tactical sign language: Since it's always a pain in the ass to loudly discuss the details of the coming attack, while sneaking up on the enemy, the NCR Rangers have developed their own sign language for tactical purposes. Characters that know this language can use it to exchange details about a tactical situation without uttering a single sound.

Other language: This character knows another language that is not listed above. Be it the language of his tribe or maybe latin for a very well educated character or maybe the European language of his ancestors.

Sheet music: However it was learned, this character knows how to, as musicians would say, sight read.

Traveling and living in the Wasteland:

Home on the Road: The same as I <3 *This City*, but for certain ways. Those that often travel between two points in the wasteland, know their route especially well and can walk (or drive or ride) it a bit faster – further more, they know, from personal experience all dangers on the route and where to set up their tents and where to get fresh, clean water etc.

Wanderlust: This character loves long marches or rides, maybe even drives. Either way, he really has bees up his backside and refuses to stay at any one place longer than is absolutely necessary. While he doesn't know any single town or city well, and hasn't traveled most routes more than once or twice, he has learned a lot about traveling. Tests on body control when applied to marching get a bonus of half. And there is a further bonus for all tests that have to do with marching, camping or survival in the wasteland.

Crafts:

Electrician: Electrical power is a wonderful, versatile thing. So much that is otherwise done through brute strength can be done by just a few cables and electrical engines. And you can build it all. All tests that have to do with electrical power (for example laying conduits, building something that uses electricity or most tests on repairing(electronics)) get a bonus of 25 points.

Bondage artist: Maybe your character is a cowboy or a slave hunter or maybe it's just a sexual thing, no matter the reason: They are twice as good at tying up living beings than most others. Applies to tests on knots.

Houdini Junior: Maybe they are an escape artist or just experienced in getting into sticky situations (or have fun with special kinds of sex): this character knows how to get out of restraints and ropes. All tests on things like that are reduced by half.

Leather tanning: Great, so you hunted a dozen golden geckos and took their skins: but wouldn't it be even greater if you yourself could create that wonderful gecko leather, that all love to wear? With this extraordinary skill a character knows how to utilize a few tools to create proper leather.

Plastics expert: A plastics expert knows about the creation and processing of all kinds of plastics stuff: no matter if he wants to isolate a wire with rubber or form a complex piece out of hard plastics, all tests on crafting, repairing(mechanics) and repairing(electronics) that have to do specifically with plastics are reduced by half.

Butchering: The skill to completely gut an animal and to utilize pretty much every piece, from the skin to the bones to the tasty meat. Or, as they teach the children of many a wild tribe: To pacify the spirit of the slain animal, you may never squander any part of it!

Smith: A smith knows his ways of working metal: it does not really matter if he plans to smith a complex, intricate part of machinery or a steel beam for a building. Tests on crafting, repairing(mechanics) and repairing(electronics) that deal specifically with metal are reduced by half.

Tailoring: With tailoring we do not mean to use needle and thread to more or less sow shut that damn hole in your pants or add a patch to your shirt, but to create, out of cloth and with needle and thread (and maybe some other tools like scissors and a sewing machine) a complete piece of clothing.

Carpenter: A carpenter knows their wood very well, no matter if they wants to build something small or a large piece of furniture out of it. Tests on Tests on crafting and repairing(mechanics) that deal specifically with wood are reduced by half.

Association with people:

Surgeon: Tests on the skill doctor that deal with surgeries of any kind are reduced by half. Reattaching the cut off finger? Treat a gun shot wound? Diagnose and correctly splint the compound fractured leg? No problem at all for a surgeon.

Field medic: You know your treatments for gun shot wounds much better than you know different wounds: you get a bonus of 25 points on first aid whenever you treat a gun shot wound.

Internist: Tests on the skill doctor that do not concern themselves with surgeries, but with everything else that is wrong with a body, are reduced by half for an internist. Lowering a fever? Treat radiation damage? Correctly identify a poisoning and administer the correct anti dote? No problem at all for an internist.

Motivational speaker: Whether you heat up the crowd in one of New Reno's great casinos, before the comedian steps up, or you lead the congregation in praise to the lord (or the unexploded nuclear device, the wasteland knows all manners of religion), or if you as an officer inspire your troops before leading them in battle: you can motivate crowds. All tests on persuade/convince are reduced by 15 points, when you're not addressing single persons but crowds.

Emergency room medic: You've seen it all: children that fell from trees, craftsmen that cut off fingers, drunks that fell down the stairs, all of that is old news for you: apply a bandage and send 'em home. With every wound that is not created by a gun shot, you gain 25 points on your first aid skill.

Bargain hunter: You know all the tricks of those cutthroats that call themselves “honest traders” and you know where and how to get everything on the cheap. The buying price of your wares is 10% below what you'd get following the normal bartering rules. (That means you first apply the normal rules, then deduct 10%).

Sexpert: Be it due to innate talent or a lot of experience: you know how to satisfy your partner in bed (or in a shed, in an alley or the back seat of a Brahmin cart …) What advantages (or disadvantages) this brings we leave up to the player.

Salesman of the month: You're an expert in selling your wares. Your prices are so fair, it's incredible. Not the normal definition of fair, in which both sides trade something of equal value, of course, but the definition of a successful trader: your customer makes you rich. The selling price of your wares is 10% above that which you'd get following the normal bartering rules. (That means you first apply the normal rules, then add ten percent)..

Association with plants and animals:

Gardener: Whether you learned it in Dad's small garden or somewhere else, you have a green thumb: All tests on plant cultivation or agriculture are reduced by half.

Herbal lore: Your tribe's shaman might have shown them to you or maybe you learned it out of books: you know the mutated herbs of the wasteland and know which of them have healing properties. And you know which are poisonous.

Rancher: You grew up on a ranch or had a lot of contact with horses for other reasons. The training of horses is easier for you – all training times with horses are halved. And you get a 15 points bonus on all riding tests.

Dog handler: You know that dogs have a pack mentality and you know how to make it clear to those noble beasts, that you lead the pack. You never had a problem teaching dogs new tricks and often understand them better than your fellow humans. The training of dogs goes twice as fast for you.

Stable boy (or girl): Whether you grew up on a farm or if you just spent time working in the stables of trading house: you know how to handle brahmin, even those that have a thick skull (the other is usually a lot more affable, in those cases). The training of Brahmin goes twice as fast for you.

Knowledge and Sciences:

I <3 *This City*: You grew up in *this city*, maybe you were even born there ... or maybe you just spent 4 months working there as a taxi driver: however you gained this knowledge, you know *this city* and it's streets and alleys like the backside of your hand. (Please insert the name of the specific city between the stars/asterisks for the properly educated).
Since this character knows this city so well, he receives certain bonuses (how much is left to the master, since it depends a lot on the situation) for any and all kinds of tests, that have to do with the city: geography and politics for example, to know that one needs permit A38 and that you get that at city hall and also to know where to find city hall. Persuade/convince to get the clerks there to issue the permit by offering to kill their tiresome boss in compensation. Tactics to know where on his way to work it's easiest to get to him, social adaptation not to stand out in the crowd of morning commuters and warn the department head...

Back in the days: This character might be a Ghoul that spent the last few hundred years being awake for an average of 18 hours a day and with his eyes wide open, maybe he has just read a few books that weren't NCR propaganda or ancient Vault-Tec brochures, anyway, this character knows history. At least a part of it. This character receives a bonus whenever his special knowledge of history is needed.

Suitable specializations would be for example: antiquity, middle ages, modern era, the Resource Wars and the Great War, the history of certain technologies (railroad, telegraph, nuclear bombs), the history of slavery, the history of the NCR, the history of the Brotherhood of Steel...

Biologist: This character knows his birds and bees and would make a wonderful bean counter. On every test on natural sciences that has to do with biology, they receive a ten points bonus.

Chemist: This character knows their bases and acids and more than one way to get warm air to smell funny. On every test on natural sciences that has to do with chemistry, they receive a ten points bonus.

Physicist: This character knows their forces and globed objects in vacuum and knows that you have to mind the second law – and not to prevent a rise of the machines. On every test on natural sciences that has to do with physics, they receive a ten points bonus.

Technical:

Master-User: You had a computer in your nursery – you might never have learned a lot about programming or repairing computers and all those abbreviations your nerdier friends keep using are still a closed book to you, but at least you can use a computer pretty well, as long as someone else wrote the programs for you.
You receive a bonus whenever you use a computer for something that it's meant to do (to take a look at the security footage with the security main computer? No problem. Getting it to display certain older footage in a loop, so that no one sees the pictures changing is of course, hacking and something else entirely).
The degree of reduction depends on various factors and is decided by the master (excitement, time pressure, familiarity with this system …).

Others:

Juggler: Torches and balls, tin cans and rusty senses: nothing ever hits the floor with you. Your little stunts amaze the people around you. All tests on animation are reduced by half.

...-Junkie: Instead of the three dots, please insert your poison of choice: This character has already drunk, snorted or injected so much of this stuff, that their body has grown extremely accustomed to it. A junkie can go half as long between doses and even if they do go cold turkey, the effects of that are only twice as bad – but they last twice as long. Details to be found here

Musical instrument: This character knows how to use a certain musical instrument. Since this is the preliminary end of this list and the author of these lines is getting lazy, he'll just recommend the names of each musical instrument as specialization.
Without this extraordinary skill, a high value on music is useless, even when owning the proper musical instrument. On the other hand, a high skill value would undoubtedly make it easier to learn the proper use of that instrument. Please make out the details with the master.