SKILLS

 

Warhammer 40k uses the same skills as those listed in the GURPS basic set and Compendium I.  Unique skills that are 40k only are listed below. Mystical or magical skills/advantages/disadvantages are available only to certain Chaos Servants and Techno-mages. 

Language - Ecclesiarchy                                                                                                           The Ecclesiarchal language is written on religious text and is read at sermons in the name of the Emperor. With this skill a character can read this ancient language.

Consume Drugs                                                                                                                       Drugs are common place in the Warhammer 40k universe. Drugs are sometimes sold openly and it might be the case that the PCs will come across them sooner or later. With this skill a character is able to take a certain amount of drugs without getting....let's say 'too high' and any side effects being more lenient on him. See the Consume Alcohol skill in WFRP.

Customise                                                                                                                                      This skill has many possibilities and only experienced or technically-minded characters can harness this. Customise can be used in a variety of ways: to build a combination weapon (combi-weapon), to fix a weapon to a vehicle, or to radically change a vehicle or spacecraft for better performance. In order to build a combi-weapon a character must first have the Specialist Weapon skill of both weapons to be combined. To fix a weapon to a vehicle, or similar machine, a character must also have Mechanics or Engineering. The same goes for a spacecraft where a character would have to have the Pilot skill along with Mechanics or Engineering. The GM will have to use his judgement for doing these modifications.

Custom Knowledge                                                                                                                  Cultures vary tremendously from system to system and there are countless in the Imperium. A character with this skill has studied these customs with great interest and can react accordingly. The GM will have to rule when this skill can come into action, such as strange handshakes or eating rituals. This skill can be a matter of life of death as not knowing a strange custom might cause great offence!

Drug Dealing                                                                                                                                 The character is skilled at selling all kinds of substances, mostly illegal, for inflated prices thus making a good profit. Of course, the character must have drugs to sell in the first place to do this. To use this skill a Fellowship test must be passed to persuade the customer that his 'product' is worth buying - then it's up to the GM to decide how much money is made.

Drugs Manufacture                                                                                                                        This is the only way to live for an awful lot of people not directly involved with the established powers. With this skill a character knows how to make certain drugs and knows what needs to be done in the process of accomplishing this. Often a character with this skill makes drugs for people with a dependency whilst other drugs actually help people. On a successful Int test a character is able to manufacture drugs into a powder or tablet form. How much is produced depends on the herbs and chemicals available.

Psychic Awareness                                                                                                                   Psykers who get close to psychic objects become very sensitive to them. If a psyker stays still for a complete game turn he will be aware of the presence and rough direction of any other psychic using characters or creatures within 100 metres. The character's concentration must be absolute, he must not talk, move or fight, etc.

Psychic Sense                                                                                                                               As all proper psykers can sense a psychic presence, this skill is for those that are sensitive to psychic energy, or their work requires that they are to be so. All humans, Ratlings and even Squats, have a latent psychic presence but 99 per cent of the time it isn't enough for true psychic powers. However, there are some careers that require an individual to enhance their mind enough so that they can have a psychic awareness that is almost as good as a psyker's. With this skill a character can sense for psychic energy in objects or people by a simple touch. The character won't be able to tell what ability, if any, a psychic object has or what level a psyker is, only that such things have psychic energy in them.

Theology - Ecclesiarch                                                                                                              The Ecclesiarch is the religious cult of the Emperor and its practise is wide spread throughout Imperial worlds. It is vitally important that when new star systems are found any intelligent life there must be converted to the cult of Ecclesiarch.