Proficiencies
Proficiencies represent skills, access to goods or equipment and connections with allies, amongst other things. Each proficiency starts at 0 and can go up to level 5. Where a proficiency represents a skill, the first level in each grants the +2 bonus on the Proficiency card (see Gameplay Basics for more on this), while subsequent levels grant cards which can be added into checks. Access to goods, equipment and allies work differently, these are described under their relevant listing.
Each ideology has seven proficiencies related to it. Characters may purchase new proficiencies from a favoured ideology for 2xp. Proficiencies which do not come from favoured ideologies cost 5 XP if the character is not being taught, or 3 XP if they are. The character performing the teaching must dedicate an action to doing this. A single teacher may tutor up to 2 characters at once in the same proficiency, but both students must be undertaking their learning in the same downtime cycle.
Proficiency List
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Administration - Uptime Only
Your character may make a check to turn a resource that they have access to in session into two resources which can be used in downtime. The resource being administered becomes unavailable until the downtime period following the session.
Minerals and nutrients can only be administered to gain more of the same kind of resource, while energy can be administered to gain any two resources. This can be done on behalf of other characters, and can be done once per level in this proficiency. Any gains not used in the downtime are lost.Ally - Downtime Only
Your character has an ally that can support a single downtime action per cycle for a specific ideology. You must select the ideology when you take this proficiency, and it must be one that your character holds.
Each additional level represents another ally. They do not need to all have the same ideology, but they must all be supporting ideologies that your character holds as favoured.Delegate - Downtime Only
Gives your character the ability to support two additional facilities per level, in addition to the standard one.Facilitation - Downtime and Uptime
This skill can be used by a character to counter attempts at sabotage; when a sabotaging card is drawn, Facilitation can be used to prompt a redraw, though the negative card will remain in the deck. This can also be used to encourage and support meetings between third parties.Leadership - Downtime and Uptime
Your character can use this to lead military teams or coordinate base controls. Allows the ‘Base commander’ Role. Can allow one of your character’s subordinates to ignore tolls temporarily in session or downtime.
When commanding military units, each level of this proficiency above the first increases the morale level of a unit that your character is commanding by at most one.Influence - Downtime and Uptime
Can be used by a character to change the policy of a group or gain reputation with them. The more reputation your character has the more likely they are to succeed.
Support - Downtime and Uptime
Grants one card which your character can give to another character to use in the next check they make that they have an appropriate proficiency for. This may be useful in situations where the character does not have any of their own cards to contribute (or has already used them) but is still proficient in the skill.
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Broadcast – Downtime and Uptime
Send information out widely via an information distribution channel that your character has access to. This can be used to advertise, implement a technology in a society or spread rumours.Contract Law – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can create or analyse binding agreements between two or more parties with solid legal clauses.Energy – Automatic
Provides your character with two Energy goods at the start of session. These do not refresh at the start of downtime, and they can be traded in session.
Each additional level in this proficiency grants one additional Energy good.Larceny – Downtime and Uptime
This proficiency can be used for all manner of devious things such as breaking locks, taking small items, and making fraudulent deals.Invest - Uptime Only
Your character may make a check to turn a resource that they have access to in session into two resources which can be used in downtime. The resource being administered becomes unavailable until the downtime period following the session.
Minerals and nutrients can only be administered to gain more of the same kind of resource, while energy can be administered to gain any two resources. This can be done on behalf of other characters, and can be done once per level in this proficiency. Any gains not used in the downtime are lost.
Management – Downtime Only
Gives your character the ability to support two additional facilities per level, in addition to the standard one.Negotiate – Downtime and Uptime
Allows your character to make a check in order to convince another individual to accept their point of view. Characters should roleplay finding your character’s argument persuasive but can still resist it if they find an appropriate ideological reason to do so.
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Animal – Downtime Only
Your character owns/has access to ground-based native animals, and has some skill in training and caring for them. These animals can help with a variety of downtime actions in the same way as Community, Follower or Allies. They are not tied to any particular ideology, but are naturally limited in what they can help with.
Community – Downtime Only
Your character is part of a community that can support one downtime action per cycle for a specific ideology. You must select the ideology when you take this proficiency, and it must be one that your character holds.
Each additional level represents another member of the community. They do not need to all have the same ideology, but they must all be supporting ideologies that your character holds as favoured.
Expand – Downtime Only
Your character can lead a team to set up a new base or expand an existing base
Medicine – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can help recover another character’s injuries or save them from dying with a skill check.
Nutrients – Automatic
Provides your character with two Nutrients goods at the start of session. These do not refresh at the start of downtime, and they can be traded in session.
Each additional level in this proficiency grants one additional Nutrient good.
Survey – Downtime Only
Your character can examine terrain for unusual features and suitability for a new base or infrastructure.
Terraform – Downtime Only
Your character has access to a team that can make land suitable for use, enhancing base sites before they are built or improving the yield of land near to a base. This team can be loaned to others.
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Build – Downtime Only
Your character has access to a team capable of constructing a new base facility when provided with the appropriate goods.
Each level allows you to build one additional facility within a single action, for example somebody with 3 levels of build can build up to 3 facilities in a single downtime action.
Craft – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can create or upgrade inventory items when they have access to the appropriate goods.
Exploit – Downtime Only
Your character can extract all of the resources from an area. This may result in either a single large haul, or creation of a Minerals / Nutrients / Energy proficiency which represents a slow but continuous income.
The area must have been previously surveyed to confirm what resources it has available.
Factory – Downtime Only
Your character has access to workshops and production systems, and can turn minerals into other goods or upgrade an existing military unit. Additional levels beyond the first allow more transformations or upgrades to be done in a single action.
Minerals – Automatic
Your character is provided with two mineral goods at the start of session. These do not refresh at the start of downtime, and they can be traded in session.
Each additional level in this proficiency grants one additional Mineral good.
Prototype - Uptime Only
Your character can test new technological advances in the field. This allows new experimental equipment to be created in-session (with appropriate minerals and energy) which can be used to test the validity of a breakthrough prior to it being used to define a new technology.
Repair – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can attempt to fix a mechanically damaged system, infrastructure or facility, inside or outside of session. This may require the provision of appropriate goods in order to repair substantial damage.
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Armour – Downtime and Uptime
Allows your character to access armour which can be worn in uptime and/or downtime. Each level allows your character to ignore a single point of damage in a dramatic scene, this does not reset until the next session or downtime. Only one level of armour proficiency can be used in each dramatic scene. This armour will need to be upgraded by your faction over time, else it will become obsolete as weapon technology advances.
Athletics – Downtime and Uptime
Allows your character to attempt a feat of strength or agility in downtime or in session. This may include lifting or pushing heavy things, running or leaping long distances, or other non-trivial acts of physical prowess.
Command – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can use this to lead military teams or coordinate base controls. Allows the ‘Base commander’ Role. Can allow one of your character’s subordinates to ignore tolls temporarily in session or downtime.
When commanding military units, each level of this proficiency above the first increases the morale level of a unit that your character is commanding by at most one.
Defend – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can defend an infrastructure, base or facility in downtime, or cover a character in session.
Exterminate – Downtime and Uptime
Your character may use this for combat checks when fighting one or more enemies, in and out of session. Can be enhanced through the use of weapons.
Scout – Downtime Only
Your character can lead a group into open territory and find what is present there. This can be within their faction’s territory, unexplored land or land belonging to another faction.
Weapon – Downtime and Uptime
Allows your character to access weapons which can be carried in uptime and/or downtime. Each level allows your character to use the weapon as part of one combat check or spend that use of it on a successful combat check to do an extra point of damage. Use in session causes a free combat check then starts a dramatic scene (the ‘bang’ rule).
This usage does not reset until the next session or downtime. These weapons will need to be upgraded by your faction over time, else they become obsolete as armour becomes more effective.
Characters who lose/destroy their weapons may be subject to reputation loss with their faction.
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Counselling – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can bring another character back to normal from being ‘Shaken’. Each character can only receive one successful application of counselling in a session. This proficiency may help protect against traumatic consequences during downtime.
Follower – Downtime Only
Your character has one or more adherents that follow their advice. They can assist with downtime actions related to the ideology that they follow your character for. You must select the ideology when you take this proficiency, and it must be one that your character holds.
Each additional level represents another follower. They do not need to all have the same ideology, but they must all be supporting ideologies that your character holds as favoured.
Incite – Downtime and Uptime
Your character may attempt to make a person or group act on their ideologies or aversions, or attempt to magnify an existing ideology or aversion in a faction sub-group.
Inspire – Downtime and Uptime
Grants one card which your character can give to another character to use in the next check they make that they have an appropriate proficiency for. This may be useful in situations where the character does not have any of their own cards to contribute (or has already used them) but is still proficient in the skill.
Presence – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can gain the attention of the room, useful for making a point or as a distraction.
Strong-willed – Downtime and Uptime
Allows your character to make a contested check when somebody is attempting to profile / interrogate / investigate them, as well as for other mind-altering effects. With sufficient levels your character can give false readings.
Train – Downtime Only
This allows your character to increase the morale level of a military unit.
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Dream – Downtime and Uptime
Your character may communicate with something in their dreams to gain cryptic information. They can also enter a trance in session to attempt to speak with it more directly.
Explore – Downtime Only Your character can lead a group into open territory and find what is present there. This can be within their faction’s territory, unexplored land or land belonging to another faction.
Farm – Automatic
Your character is provided with two nutrient goods at the start of session. These do not refresh at the start of downtime, and they can be traded in session.
Each additional level in this proficiency grants one additional Nutrient good.
Haven – Downtime Only
Your character has access to a secluded area of serenity where they can feel close to the planet. This enhances attempts to communicate with entities through dreams, and gives a bonus to attempts to lower tolls.
Seafaring – Downtime Only
Your character can lead a team over water to a destination, this can be combined with other proficiencies or other players actions for strong results. This proficiency also grants access to a small, non-military naval vessel.
Xenobiology – Downtime and Uptime
An understanding of native life helps your character with travelling over the planet as well as studying this life and finding ways it can help them.
Xenofungus – Downtime and Uptime
Your character has a level of understanding about Xenofungus that makes travelling though it easier. This can aid exploration/travel as well as giving early warning of attacks from native life.
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Interrogate – Downtime and Uptime
Your character may attempt to get information directly from another character, inside or outside of session.
Investigate – Downtime and Uptime
Your character may attempt to gain information about a person, group or place through observation and subtle enquiry, inside or outside of the session.
Profile – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can attempt to learn about another character’s role or beliefs. They can also potentially learn about their advantages/flaws and tolls. This requires time spent talking to the target.
Protect – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can defend an infrastructure, base or facility in downtime, or cover a character in session.
Sleight of Hand– Downtime and Uptime
Your character can covertly take or apply something to another character. This could include such things as damage, poison or evidence. By default this can do one level of damage without inciting a dramatic scene, but equipment can enhance this.
Stoic – Downtime and Uptime
Allows your character to make a contested check when somebody is attempting to profile / interrogate / investigate them, as well as for other mind-altering effects. With sufficient levels your character can give false readings.
Subdue – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can use non-lethal means to incapacitate a target. This can be used in and out of session, and in and out of dramatic scenes.
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Contact – Downtime Only
Your character has a contact in the Datalinks that can try to get them information or assist with a single downtime action each cycle that involves the datalinks.
Cyberhack – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can gain access to restricted information or systems, in or out of session.
Data Scan – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can collect and analyse information from the datalinks or other digital systems. This may also be used to defend against your character’s data being hacked.
Infiltrate – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can place themselves, their minions or pre-programmed code into a position in an organisation or system, inside or outside of session - infiltration done in session will last only for that session, while downtime infiltration can be enduring.
This can be used to give bonus levels of temporary reputation for one action or constantly give your character information about the group until discovered or removed.
Minions and/or code placed this way are limited in number by your character’s levels in this proficiency.
Propaganda – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can spread information to a group or attempt to encourage or discourage a specific ideology.
Program – Downtime and Uptime
Your character can create code to perform a task; this can manage 1 facility in downtime and automate a process in session. This may be used in combination with Infiltrate to affect things your character does not own.
Sabotage - Downtime and Uptime
Your character has a proficiency card that can be added to a skill check as a -3 card, or used in a check as a positive modifier when attempting to damage or destroy a system or object.
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Academics - Downtime and Uptime
Your character can attempt to gain information about how a technology works or facts about the world and its history.
Analyse - Downtime and Uptime
Your character can attempt to gain information about a person, group or place through observation and subtle enquiry. This can be used inside or outside of the session.
Develop – Downtime Only
Your character can attempt to implement a new technology into a society or take sufficient breakthroughs and turn them into a technology. This can also be used to upgrade equipment with appropriate resources being provided.
Document - Downtime and Uptime
Your character may publicise or secretly record information so that others can react to it or pay attention to it, potentially influencing research topics and ideological strengths.
Lab – Automatic and Downtime
Your character has access to a lab that produces one breakthrough from a chosen technology path at the start of each session. It can also be used to turn sufficient breakthroughs into a technology.
Mentor – Downtime Only
Your character may assist someone in learning a proficiency that you already have at or above the level they are looking to gain, giving the student the ‘taught’ XP discount, without you needing to spend an action teaching them. In session it also allows you to loan out your proficiency cards to others who are proficient in the skill but who may not have cards of their own to use. Each of these actions can be done a number of times equal to your character’s level in this proficiency.
Study - Downtime and Uptime
Your character can attempt to examine an item, breakthrough, artifact or other kind of evidence. On certain items this might itself generate a breakthrough, or show a breakthrough to be invalid.

