New Skill and Specializations
I have been trying to build a few new overlays over this past weekend and was having a hard time because some of the skills and specialization they needed would just take up to much Dp costs as well as making the hcracter a bit specialization heavy. For example I have tended to make such things as Camping, traping, hunting, fishing finding shelter and other field crafts individual specializations of Planetary Survival. Of course when your attempting to build a Ground Force equivalent of Special Forces it tend s to become a very long list of specializations at the cost of other needed skills. So while reading Tom Clancy's (w/ Carl Stiner) new book Shadow Warriors: Inside Special Forces I came across an thing called Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion training which taught all those skills. So I thought that is the answer I can make it a non-Specialization skill as it should cover all of the prevous Planatary suvival specializations I had used as while as give a bonus to other skills. Thus was born the SERE skill.)
Survival, Escape, Resistence and Evasion (SERE) - (Intellect or Coordination, which ever is greater)
This skill represents the host of smaller skills needed to “live of the land’ by using basic or ‘primitive’ means in finding or making shelter, starting a fire, hunting by means of simple traps & snares, basic food preparation and cooking, how to aid your possible rescue and of course how to avoid or escape from capture. The SERE Skill as well as being used as a normal skill also grants a bonus to other skills w/specializations which the player may have these are Planetary Survival (Any Specialization ) which will receive a +1 bonus for all skill tests and Behavior Modification (Resistance) which receives a +2 bonus for all skill tests. However this skill can not be used as a replacement for these skills.
Routine - Finding an edible animal or plant in a woodland environment on a Class-M world.
Moderate - Traveling in hostile territory avoiding constant hostile patrols and civilians.
Challenging - Withstanding the effects of and then escaping from a Cardassian POW camp.
Difficult - Finding an edible animal or plant in a desert environment on a Class-K world
Nearly Impossible - Set up a signal to be detected by an orbiting vessel without modern means.
Specializations: None.
(Thus now freed from the many I could now rely on needing only adding two specializations to cover navigation, I now many of use alreay use similar specializations but I wrote it out here.)
Planetary Survival (Orientation)
This specializations shows the characters ability to move overland by means of the use of a map (both printed and electronic), compass (traditional and modern), and the study of local terrain and features. Sometimes called ’land navigation’, this specializations also assumes the character can perform such abilities in various levels of darkness and/or weather.
Planetary Survival (Seamanship)
This specialization like Orientation shows that the character has the ability to navigate a small water going vessel by both traditional (Sexton) and modern (Electronic) means as well as operate that craft. It also assumes that the character has the ability to build crude rafts and other similar small watercraft for their own use. NOTE: this skill does not apply to medium or large water going craft/ships (Size 3 and up) that is covered by the Systems, Engineering (Navigation systems) and the very similar vehicle systems (Navigation) skill & specializations.
