Skills
Academics
Gathering and applying knowledge.
Specialties
Science: The physical world.
History: The past.
Theology: The gods.
Psychology: The mind.
Admin
Dealing with bureaucracies, government, and the paperwork side of business.
Advocate
Speaking or writing to influence an audience.
Specialties
Law: Wielding the sword of justice to gain convictions or acquittals.
Preaching: Spreading the holy word to save the souls of the fallen.
Politics: Convincing the voting public of the virtues of your righteous cause.
Animals
Caring for farm and draft animals.
Specialties
Handling: Riding and leading draft animals such as horses, mules, and oxen.
Husbandry: Breeding and caring for farm animals.
Veterinary: Providing medical treatment for animals.
Art
Creation and appreciation of works of art.
Specialties
Music: Playing a musical instrument or singing.
Performing: Acting, dancing, or other on-stage entertainment.
Visual Art: Drawing or painting images.
Writing: Creating narrative works of prose or poetry.
Artillery
Loading and firing cannons, howitzers, and mortars.
Athletics
Training and practice in physical activities.
Specialties
Dexterity: Climbing, sprinting, throwing, and jumping.
Endurance: Long-distance running, marching, and swimming.
Strength: Lifting weights, wrestling, tossing heavy objects.
Broker
Buying, selling, and trading goods and services.
Carouse
Making people comfortable with humor, stories, and drinking in social situations.
Culture
Understanding the characteristics of a subgroup of people.
Specialties
Underworld: The sordid culture of the criminal and disreputable.
Native: One of the Native American peoples. Apache, Quechan (Yuma), and O'odham (Pima) are indigenous to the Hell's Furnace region.
Deception
Lying and the use of disguises and sleight of hand in order to fool people.
Draw
Bringing a firearm into use expeditiously.
Drive
Operating a wagon or stagecoach and driving its team.
Engineering
Building, maintaining, and operating equipment and construction projects.
Specialties
Steam: Operating and maintaining steam-powered engines and equipment including locomotives.
Civil: Constructing dams, bridges, and buildings.
Explosives
Using explosives for demolition, mining, and opening otherwise locked containers.
Farming
Growing vegetable and grain crops.
Gambling
Playing or running games of skill and chance.
Firearms
Using black powder weapons to poke holes in distant targets.
Specialties
Handgun: Operating revolvers, derringers, and pepperbox guns.
Long Arm: Operating rifles, carbines, and shotguns.
Investigate
Observing and analyzing evidence to form conclusions. Useful for problem solving of many sorts.
Jack-of-All-Trades
Competency at a variety of skills. Jack-of-All-Trades reduces the unskilled penalty by one for every level up to three.
Language
Speaking and writing in a language other than English. Spanish, Western Apache, Quechan (Yuma), and O'odham (Pima) are commonly spoken in Hell's Furnace. Those who previously lived elsewhere may speak other languages.
Leadership
Directing and inspiring people, particularly in stressful circumstances.
Liaison
Establishing mutual understanding and cooperation.
Medicine
Dealing with wounds, injuries, and illnesses. At low skill levels, this allows basic first aid. At higher levels, this is covers surgery and the formulation of medicines.
Melee
Fighting at close range.
Specialties
Unarmed: Using natural weapons such as hands, feet, elbows, and teeth.
Blade: Using pointed or edged weapons.
Bludgeon: Using clubs and other heavy weapons.
Navigation
Using maps, compasses, and the sky to guide a cross-country course. Also for creating maps.
Persuade
Fast-talking, bluffing, and wheedling. Rhetoric need not apply.
Recon
Tracking and searching of animals and people. Also scouting obstacles and opposition.
Stealth
Sneaking and skulking.
Survival
Finding food and shelter in the outdoors. This includes trapping and fishing as well as basic hunting.
Tactics
Planning small and medium unit operations for attack and defense.
Trade
Making and selling useful items and services. (Note, there are many possible Trade specialties. Only a few are listed here.)
Specialties
Chef: Cooking food.
Blacksmith: Making items out of iron or other metals.
Carpenter: Making furniture and other wooden objects.
Cooper: Making barrels and buckets.
Farrier: Shoeing horses.
Painted Lady: Making whoopie.
Tailor: Sewing clothes.
Trapper: Catching animals for their fur.
Wainwright: Building wagons.