The professor who has studied every science, the swordsman who can fight with any blade… cinematic fiction is full of heroes who know a little bit about everything in one broad area. The time required to list every last skill such a hero might need, and the difficulty of figuring out which skills to take (and which to use), might discourage many gamers from playing cinematic experts. Such broad expertise doesn't exist in real life, but it is all part of the fun in cinematic games!
A solution to this problem is 'wildcard skills' or 'bang skills': skills that cover extremely broad categories of ability. The names of these skills end in an exclamation point in order to distinguish them from normal skills; e.g. 'Science!' is the skill of 'all science.' Wildcard skills include and replace all specific skills within their area. For instance, a hero could attempt a Science! roll whenever the adventure calls for a roll against Chemistry, Physics, or another science skill.
Wildcard skills do not replace talents; while a Talent boosts a particular range of skills, a Wildcard skill is meant to be what you roll against for anything within its range. While Detective! doesn't normally lend itself to Politics, for example, it would if you were trying to figure out which senators gain from the death of a particular congressman. The relevant question in this case isn't, “What skill would you normally use?” as much as it is, “Is what you're doing covered by the Wildcard skill?”
Wildcard skills that cover mainly intellectual pursuits are IQ-based, while those that pertain chiefly to physical actions are DX-based. Such skills have no default; to use them, you must spend points on them. Buy wildcard skills as Very Hard skills, but at triple the usual point cost. For instance, it would normally cost 8 points to buy an IQ/Very Hard skill at IQ level, so Science! skill at IQ level would cost 24 points.
The GM might choose to limit wildcard skills to those with a suitable Unusual Background - perhaps 'Cinematic Hero.' This Unusual Background should never be available to sidekicks and random thugs! To give each hero a well-defined dramatic niche, the GM might wish to limit PCs to one or two wildcard skills apiece (preferably those that emerge naturally from their character stories).
For an example of how it applies, let's look at Gun! versus buying Guns (Pistol). On the one hand, if all you want to do is fire a gun, you might ask yourself:
“Why buy Gun! skill? It's way more efficient to just raise your favorite specialty, like Pistol, up to a ridiculously high level and default all the other guns off of that. A DX 14 character can buy Guns (Pistol)-21, which gives him the other Guns skills at 19 or 17, for the price of Gun!-14. And Gun! doesn't even let you make any shots you couldn't make with Pistol skill already!”
All 100% true, of course. If your only concern is the ability to fire a gun, then you're far, far better off taking Guns (Pistol). However, here's a partial list of the things you can do with Gun! skill, none of which would be covered in any way by Guns (Pistol):
… and you can shoot people, too. That is why you pay over three times as much for a Wildcard skill. Not for impossible abilities, but for an unlimited number of appropriate possible ones.
Some examples:
Detective! (IQ). Replaces Criminology, Detect Lies, Electronics Operation (Security and Surveillance), Forensics, Interrogation, Law, Observation, Research, Savoir-Faire (Police), Search, Shadowing, Streetwise, etc.
Gun! (DX). Replaces all specialties of Beam Weapons, Gunner, Guns, and Liquid Projector, as well as all related Fast-Draw skills. Make an IQ-based roll for Armoury pertaining to these weapons.
Science! (IQ). Replaces Astronomy, Bioengineering, Biology, Chemistry, Engineer, Geology, Mathematics, Metallurgy, Meteorology, Naturalist, Paleontology, Physics, Psychology, etc.
Sword! (DX). Replaces Broadsword, Force Sword, Jitte/Sai, Knife, Main-Gauche, Rapier, Saber, Shortsword, Smallsword, and Two-Handed Sword, as well as related Fast-Draw skills. Use in place of such skills as Acrobatics and Jumping for physical stunts while fighting.
Doctor! (IQ). Diagnosis, Electronic Operation (Medical), First Aid, Physician, Pharmacy, Surgery, Veterinary.
Pilot! (DX). Piloting, Navigation (Air), Navigation (Space), Navigation (Hyperspace).
Driver! (DX). Driving, Navigation (Land).
Seaman! (DX). Shiphandling, Submarine, Navigation (Sea).
Bruiser! (DX). Brawling, Boxing, Judo, Karate, Sumo-Wrestling, Wrestling.
Schmoozer! (IQ). Acting, Carousing, Connoisseur, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire (any appropriate), Sex Appeal, Streetwise
Artist! (IQ). Artist, Makeup, Heraldry.
Musician! (IQ). Musical Composition, Musical Influence, Musical Instrument (any appropriate).
Grease Monkey! (IQ). Armoury, Mechanic, Electronics Repair, Electrician.
Thief! (DX). Climbing, Filch, Forced Entry, Holdout, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Stealth.
Knight! (DX). Riding (Horse), Savoir-Faire (High Society), Shield, Broadsword, Lance, Two-Handed Sword.
Outdoorsman! (IQ). Survival, Naturalist, Tracking, Traps, Stealth.
Spell College! (IQ). Each Spell college is a separate Bang! skill, covering all spells within that college. For example Fire College!, Enchantment College!, or Healing College!
Technician!. Engineering, Electronics Repair, Mathematics, Computer Operation, Computer Hacking, Computer Programming, Electronics Operation.
Athlete!. Acrobatics, Bicycling, Breath Control, Climbing, Diving Suit, Hiking, Jumping, Lifting, Parachuting, Running, Scuba, Skating, Skiing, Sports, Swimming.
Animal Ken!. Animal Handling, Falconry, Packing, Riding, Teamster, Veterinary.
Archery!: DX.
Robin Hood, Odysseus, Arjuna, and Orion – all amateurs compared to you. This skill covers Blowpipe, Bow, Crossbow, Sling, Spear Thrower, Thrown Weapon (Dart or Spear), Zen Archery, and related Fast-Draw skills. You can also use it in place of Artillery or Gunner (Catapult) for catapult- or bow-like weapons. Make an IQ-based roll for Armoury or Connoisseur to recognize, evaluate, or repair suitable weapons. Use Archery! in place of skills such as Acrobatics and Climbing for crossing or swinging from bow-launched climbing lines, and when shooting while dangling from high places. Use the better of this skill or your movement skill to shoot from horseback, from a vehicle, etc.
Make a Per-based skill (Observation, Scrounging, etc.) when the goal is to locate spent arrows or wellshaped sling stones, or while aiming with an appropriate weapon. Archery! also allows a Per-based roll after battle to recover and repair one used arrow, plus one arrow per point of success.
You can even wield a bow as a melee weapon without ruining it – roll against Archery! skill to treat your bow as a baton with Reach 1, for swing or thrust crushing damage. If you have an arrow ready, you may opt to stab at Reach C for thrust-1 impaling. You may parry at 3 + (DX-based skill)/2; your bow has an effective DR equal to your skill level +2.
When determining how powerful a bow you can use, rely on the higher of your ST or ST-based Archery! When making an Attack, you get your bow’s Acc bonus. When you Move and Attack, you do not get your bow’s Acc bonus but may ignore its Bulk penalty. You also ignore the Bulk penalty when in close combat, allowing you to wield a bow in C range with ease. If you have Heroic Archer, then you ignore your Bulk penalty and keep your Acc bonus.
Finally, if using Quick-Shooting Bows (Martial Arts, pp. 119-120), you roll at -3, and as long as your skill is 16 or higher, you don’t need to make a roll to Fast-Draw your arrows. If you also have Heroic Archer or Weapon Master (Bow), this drops the penalty to -1. If you have Archery!, Heroic Archer, and Weapon Master (Bow), you suffer no penalty.
Fist! DX.
From street-fighting to T’ai Chi, you know what you’re doing. Use this skill to make all unarmed attacks. This includes using weapons that can be wielded with an unarmed skill, such as brass knuckles or improvised fist loads. It replaces Boxing, Brawling, Immovable Stance, Judo, Karate, Parry Missile Weapons, Push, Sumo Wrestling, and Wrestling. You receive a bonus equal to (relative skill level + 1), minimum of +0, to your damage (every +2 to damage translates to +1/die, if better) and to the final “weight” of your attack when Parrying Heavy Weapons (p. B376). The bonus from this wildcard applies even when you bite, use fist-loads, or other natural attacks.
When using your ST score for grappling attacks, use your ST-based Fist! skill if better. You get the improved retreat bonus when parrying, but aren’t penalized for encumbrance or when parrying kicks or weapons.
You can roll against this skill in place of any physical roll made when in combat while fighting unarmed, such as Acrobatics, Climbing, Jumping, and so on. Make an IQ-based roll for Savoir-Faire (Dojo) in social situations, for Fast-Talk to use Specious Intimidation (p. B202), Tactics for close-in unarmed fighting, etc. Make an IQ-based roll for Pressure Points or Pressure Secrets. Make a Per based roll for Body Language or Observation to figure out if someone is about to sucker punch you, or Detect Lies when someone is making a threat he can’t back up physically. Make a Will-based roll for Intimidation if you are threatening someone with your unarmed fighting skills (“I should warn you: I can kill anyone with my thumb”) or for Power Blow. You may use it instead of Forced Entry when you are attacking doors, windows, and other inanimate objects. Make an HT-based roll for Kiai.
You ignore Hurting Yourself (p. B379) completely. You’re always considered armed for the purposes of Parrying Unarmed (p. B376) just as if your limbs were strikers (p. B88), and you can damage other unarmed attackers just as if you had a weapon! You never suffer the penalty for striking or parrying with your off hand (p. B14).
Do be aware that fighting monsters barehanded does put the champion at a bit of a disadvantage.
Fake! IQ. Replaces Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, Forgery, FortuneTelling, Mimicry (Speech), Savoir-Faire, and Streetwise. Replaces Leadership for group efforts to deceive or manipulate others. In addition, at the GM’s discretion, any skill that has a default based on any attribute or secondary characteristic, and that is not restricted by prerequisite skills, can instead have a default based on Fake! if this would be higher. This default cannot exceed the relevant attribute -1 for Easy skills, -2 for Average, -3 for Hard, or -4 for Very Hard; that is, Fake! cannot be as good as actually spending a character point to learn a skill.
Negotiator! IQ.
Replaces Diplomacy, FastTalk, Interrogation, Merchant, Politics, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire, or Streetwise. Make a HT-based roll to use it for Carousing or Sex Appeal; make a Per-based roll to use it for Detect Lies.
Psychologist! IQ.
Replaces Brainwashing, Criminology, Hypnotism, Interrogation, Propaganda, and Psychology. Make a Per-based roll to use it for Body Language or Detect Lies; make a Will-based roll to use it for Mind Block.
Wildcard skills are useful for omniproficient characters. Somename who can pick up and play any instrument, or sight-read any choral work, would have the Music! skill. If he's gifted with several instruments and can pick up others easily (but does have to learn them first), that's the Musical Ability Talent.
Optionally, the GM may introduce wildcard skills that cover entire styles. Each “Style!” skill replaces all the skills of one style – including any optional skills the GM wishes to toss into the mix. If the character has the appropriate cinematic advantage (Gunslinger for Gun Fu, Trained By A Master for Martial Arts, etc), this also includes the style’s cinematic skills. Style! skills are DX-based, but they allow IQ-, HT-, Per-, and Will-based rolls for skills controlled by those scores.
A Style! skill removes the need to learn individual techniques. The stylist may roll against the maximum level allowed for any technique his style offers, using his Style! skill as the underlying skill. If a technique has no maximum, use skill+3. Techniques that aren’t part of the style but that default to the style’s core skills default to Style! at the usual penalties.
Even DX-3 level in a Style! skill grants Style Familiarity with that style and Cross-Trained with every weapon the style covers. Don’t buy these separately. The stylist may purchase his style’s Style Perks for a point apiece regardless of total points in the style. If a perk requires specialization by skill, the Style! skill is a valid specialty and the perk works with all applicable skills of the style.
Example: Double Trouble requires students to learn Acrobatics, Fast-Draw (Ammo), Fast-Draw (Pistol or SMG), and Guns (Pistol or SMG). Optional skills include Armoury (Small Arms), Connoisseur (Guns), Guns Art (Pistol or SMG), Holdout, and Jumping, any of which the GM might rule suit every stylist. Double Trouble! would replace all of these skills. With Gunslinger, it would replace Blind Fighting, Flying Leap, and Zen Marksmanship, too. A stylist with Double Trouble! could use any of his style’s techniques at its maximum level; for instance, he could try Dual-Weapon Attack at his Double Trouble! level when using paired pistols or SMGs.
A gunman with Double Trouble! gains the benefits of Style Familiarity (Double Trouble) and Cross-Trained (Pistol and SMG) without having to buy either. He may ignore limits on points in style when he takes Style Perks, buying as many as he wants for a point apiece. If he selects the Off-Hand Weapon Training perk, it’s for Double Trouble! and lets him ignore the off-hand penalty whenever he uses that skill.