Fallout: Skills

Skills are learned abilities of your character. The skill level shows how good your character is at that skill. Skill levels can be increased by allocating skill points earned from gaining levels.

Skill                     Description                              Stat                            Starting Value
Animalism           Handle Animals                      Perception                 (PE + AG)
Armorsmith         Craft Armor                             Perception                 (PE) + (AG)
Athletics              Jump,Swim,Climb                   Strength                    (ST + AG) + 5
Barter                  Haggling                                  Charisma                    (CH * 2) 
Big Guns             Oversized Weapons               Stregnth                     (ST) + (PE) + (AG)
Charm                 Influence others                      Charisma                   (CH * 2) + 5
Computer Sci.    Hacking/CPU Knowledge       Intelligence               (IN) + (PE)
Deception           Ability to Lie                            Charisma                   (CH * 2)
Detection            See the hidden                       Perception                 (PE * 2)
Doctor                 Use of Meds/Drugs                Intelligence                (IN) + (PE)
Electronics          Craft Electronics                     Intelligence                (IN) + (PE)
Energy Weaps    Use of En. Weaps.                  Perception                (PE * 2) + 5  
Explosive/Trap   Find/Use Trap/Explosives       Perception                (PE) + (AG)
Gambling            Talent at Gambling                 Luck                           (LK *2) + 5
Herbalism           Craft using plants                   Intelligence               (IN) + (AG) + (PE)
Intimidation        Threatning Pressence            Charisma                   (CH *2) +5
Investigation      Find/Gather Information         Charisma                   (CH) + (IN) + (PE)
Leadership         Inspire followers                     Charisma                   (CH) + (IN)
Lockpick             Proficiency picking locks        Perception                (PE) +  (AG) + 5 
Melee Weaps    Effectivemess melee weaps   Strength                    (ST) + (AG)
Nature Sci.        Information on Animals            Intelligence              (IN * 2) + 5
Pilot                   Effectiveness with Vehicles     Agility                        (AG) + (PE)
Repair                Restore Equpiment                  Intelligence               (IN * 2) 
Robotics            Knowledge about Robots       Intelligence               (IN * 2)
Small Guns       Effectiveness with firearms      Perception                (PE * 2) + 5
Sneak                Move Undetected                    Agility                        (AG * 2)
Steal                  Take stuff thats not yours        Agility                        (AG * 2) + 5 
Survival             Endure harsh enviroments       Endurance                (EN) + (IN) + 5
Throwing           Toss items                                Stregnth                    (ST) + (AG)
Unarmed           Unarmed Fighting                    Stregnth                    (ST) + (AG) 
Weaponsmith    Craft Weapons                         Perception                (PE) + (AG)
Wilderness Lore Knowledge of Wilderness      Intelligence              (IN) + (PE) + 5

Starting Hit Point Maximum           (15 + ST) + (EN * 2)
Hit Points Upon Level Up                    (3 + 1/2 EN)

Mechanics

For most skills, the success of an action governed by one is determined by either directly checking skill level against a threshold or with a skill roll. 

Skill Roll

A skill roll (also called "skill check") emulates the way skill checks are done in traditional pen-and-paper RPGs.

A random number from 1 to 100 is rolled. If it is lower or equal to the skill level, the action is a success. So, for an unmodified check, skill level is effectively a chance of success for a relevant action.

A check can have a modifier that the skill level is adjusted by for the purpose of the check. So a positive modifier makes the action easier while a negative one - harder. Modifiers for checks associated with specific object or logic (like a dialogue option) are set explicitly. A few skills can also generate critical successes and critical failures. 

Modified Checks

When something gives you a + or - it affects the threshold of the check required to succeed or fail. This is most commonly seen with combat skill checks. 

Example:

Your small guns skill is a 45 and you wish to attack a creature with a pistol. Normally you would roll a d100 and if you roll between 1 and 45 its considered a success. If you gain a modifier from any source such as a +5 to hit, your threshold now becomes 50 for that check making it easier to succeed. If you get a -5 to hit your new threshold becomes a 40 making the check much harder to succeed.

Crafting and Repair

Most skill checks are quick and only take an action to perform, while others that revolve around crafting and repair take 1 hour of downtime or half as much for consumable items to perform. Whenever you use a skill to craft or repair an item it requires the appropriate workbence and 1 hour of downtime to complete. At the end of the 1 hour you can make a skill check, on a success you craft/repair the item. On a failure you don't lose any materials but you must spend the 1 hour of downtime again to attempt another skill check. 

Hacking

Hacking is used on terminals that are locked. The difficulty is Novice, Advanced, Expert and Master. You can make 4 attempts before locking you out completely. Anyone can attempt to hack as long as they have an Intelligence of 3, but you must have perks to Hack higher level encryption. Make a Computer Science check, on a success you hack into the terminal.

Contested Skill Checks

Somethines skill checks need to be contested to determine an outcome such as a Detection Check vs a Sneak Check. To do this, each rolls their skill checks. if one succeeds and the other fails then the one who succeeds wins the skill check. If both skill checks succeed or fail then the one who comes closest to succeeding or succeeds by the greatest amount wins the contested skill check.

Failing to Throw

When you fail a throwing check roll a 1d8 with a 1 being North of the target and 8 being North West. The object being thrown lands 1ft in that direction for every 1 point you failed by.