ForeSight — Playtest Pack
*Table-ready material for a quick playtest. Build = archetype + 3–5 background factors + a quirk or two. Skills are deliberately few and broad; you specialize with Long-Term Familiarities (LTFs), each a stackable +1.*
The Folded Skill List
A score = formula + level (see Scores). Formulas use the seven attributes ST, EN, CO, IN, PC, WP, AP. Each skill also has a Limit (max level = highest constituent attribute × Limit; 1 for average formulas, 1.5 for half-average ones) and a Cost (points per level — 1–2 for ordinary skills, the broader ones costing 2; a pervasive powerset like Incantation costs 6–8, since one skill unlocks a whole toolbox). Half-average skills use half the listed average as their baseline. (Cost only matters for advancement — playtest characters are built from background-factor grants. The 1-vs-2 split below is provisional.)
Not skills — roll the attribute (everyone has these by nature, no skill needed):
- Pain Resistance — roll EN or WP (shrug off pain / avoid being stunned; physical or mental toughness, your choice).
- Stamina / exertion — roll EN (keep going; fatigue checks).
Everyone has these skills — Limit 1, Cost 1:
| Skill | Formula | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Search | (IN+PC)/2 | finding the hidden |
| Initiative | (IN+PC)/2 | acting decisively under pressure |
General skills (take with background factors):
| Skill | Formula | Lim | Cost | Covers — and what LTFs specialize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | (ST+CO)/2 | 1 | 2 | climbing, jumping, running, swimming, throwing (incl. slings), acrobatics, dance. LTF e.g. +1 throwing, then +1 knife-throwing |
| Stealth | (CO+PC)/2 | 1 | 1 | hiding, moving silently, tailing |
| Melee | (ST+CO)/2 | 1 | 2 | all close combat, armed and unarmed; LTF per style/weapon |
| Firearms | (CO+PC)/2 | 1 | 2 | guns and crossbows; LTF per weapon class |
| Archery | (CO+PC)/2 | 1 | 1 | bows (slings are Athletics) |
| Heavy Weapons | (CO+PC)/2 | 1 | 1 | crew-served weapons, launchers, explosives |
| Theory | IN (half) | 1.5 | 2 | reasoning & all science, via Fields of Knowledge; recall & noticing also lean on raw IN/PC |
| Repair | (CO+IN)/2 | 1 | 2 | all technical & assembly work — surgery, watchmaking, electronics, mechanics — via Fields |
| Charm | (AP+PC)/2 | 1 | 2 | likeability, persuasion, seduction, leadership, first impressions (the old Charisma) |
| Confidence | (AP+WP)/2 | 1 | 2 | composure under pressure, persuading, bluffing, lying convincingly, intimidation, disguise (LTF per grift) |
| Perform | (PC+AP)/2 | 1 | 1 | music, acting, oratory, the expressive arts (craft art = Repair + a Field) |
| Drive/Pilot | (CO+PC)/2 | 1 | 1 | one skill each: Cars, Bikes, Boats, Aircraft, Spacecraft; LTF per model |
| Riding | (CO+PC)/2 | 1 | 1 | animal mounts |
Folding principle: when in doubt, it's one of these skills plus an LTF and/or a Field. Don't invent a new skill — narrow an existing one.
Magic is not on this list. It's a deliberately expensive, multi-skill subsystem — historically Mana (the power-pool/gather skill), Incantation (casting as an action), and the heavier Ritual and Casting — and even with all of those costed steeply it was barely game-balanced. That cost is the price of how powerful magic is. It requires the Magical Talent background factor and is deferred to the Magic chapter; leave it out of a quick playtest unless you've prepped that chapter.
The Four Archetypes
Each is a base of 50 attribute points across the seven attributes (each 6–10). Reallocate freely; these are starting shapes, not straitjackets.
| ST | EN | CO | IN | PC | WP | AP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete | 9 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Scholar | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Socialite | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| Artist | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 8 |
Background Factors
Each is customizable and suggestive: rename it, pick its specialty, and let it imply familiarities and connections beyond the listed skills. Skills granted more than once simply add (Active Duty twice = Firearms +6). Levels are what each factor buys; attributes it grants ignore the 6–10 creation band up to the racial max.
Take 3–5. Three = rookie, four–five = competent professional.
| Background Factor | Grants (skill levels, +attributes) | Suggests (familiarities & connections) |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Athlete (once) | +3 attribute points among ST, EN, CO | effortless physicality; rude health; the body others train for |
| Gifted (once) | +3 attribute points among IN, PC, WP | quick, sharp, hard to rattle; the mind that's always a step ahead |
| Artistic (once) | +3 attribute points among CO, PC, AP | the hands to make, the eye and empathy to see, the presence to move an audience (PC carries the old empathy) |
| Trained from Childhood (once) | pick a focus: +4 its main skill, +1 LTF specialty, +1 its key attribute | a single-minded obsession; a trainer or tradition |
| Active Duty (repeatable) | Firearms +3, Melee +1, Heavy Weapons +1, Athletics +1, +1 EN | LTF (service weapon); unit, rank, chain of command |
| Apprentice | Repair +3, +1 LTF specialty | a Field at working level; your old master, the trade |
| Educated | Theory +2, Confidence +1 | two Fields; alumni, faculty, fellow students |
| School of Hard Knocks | Melee +2, +1 EN, Stealth +1 | Streetwise; the underworld; a matching scar/quirk |
| Abandoned & Self-Sufficient | Stealth +2, Search +1, +1 WP | Survival & Streetwise; resourceful, wary, alone |
| Trauma Survivor | +1 WP, +2 to one skill forged in the fire | a defining wound; a quirk; a reason |
| Mysterious Mentor (once) | +1 attribute; LTF "unique insight" (+1 BEF to one skill), or access to an otherwise-unavailable ability | a secret, a debt, a half-finished lesson |
| Mooch | Charm +2, Confidence +1 | Streetwise; a wide web of acquaintances and favors owed (both ways) |
| Dropout | +1 to two skills from the path you quit | one Field at basic; a chip on the shoulder, loose ends |
| Homeless | Stealth +1, +1 EN | Survival & Streetwise; the city's underside; the invisible network |
| Magical Talent (once) | unlocks Casting & the Mana pool; Casting +1 | a tradition, a teacher, or a dangerous secret (Divine/Mystic talents work the same way for their powers) |
Build a Character in 30 Seconds
- Pick an archetype (tweak attributes if you like).
- Pick 3–5 background factors. Name and specialize each. Add up the skill grants (duplicates stack).
- Spend any LTFs the factors gave you to narrow toward your concept.
- Take a quirk or two (free) for color.
- Name them, decide who they are and what they want. Play.
Example — "Vasquez," a competent operator. Athlete base, tweaked (CO 10, ST 9, EN 8, PC 7, IN 6, WP 6, AP 4 — she gave up looks for stamina). Factors: Active Duty ×2 (Firearms +6, Melee +2, Heavy Weapons +2, Athletics +2, +2 EN), Abandoned & Self-Sufficient (Stealth +2, Search +1, WP +1 → WP 7), Trauma Survivor (WP +1 → 8, Firearms +2 → +8 total). Firearms score = (CO 10 + PC 7)/2 + 8 = 16+. LTF: +1 carbines. Quirk: Oblivious (−2 reading people, +1 sustained focus). Five minutes, and she's ready to point at something.
Note: this pack folds aggressively for speed. If a player wants something the list doesn't name, reach for the nearest skill + an LTF or Field before inventing anything.