Okay, so we're back with another page of the 1st edition Champions rulebook. We'll cover the character sheet, and start on the skills available for characters in the game. The Champions character sheet has always been one of the best in any RPG; it covers everything and leaves room to add more if and when it comes along. All the formulas needed to calculate figured characteristics are included, as well as all the combat stats needed to keep your character going in a fight. The best part of the sheet is the outline, which gives the player a chance to visually represent their character right on the sheet. There are eight different sheets, all identical except for the character outlines.
Next up, let's talk about skills. Skills are defined here as 'abilities that characters can learn.' Skill rolls are made by rolling 3d6 and trying to get lower than your skill score. Most rolls in the game are the same way: Roll low. Consistency is a good thing, especially for an early-80s RPG. There's a note that any modifiers to a roll affect the target number, not the roll itself. And skills can't be included in a Multipower or Elemental Control, neither of which have as of yet been defined.
So, the first skill on the list is Acrobatics. A classic of the genre; heroes from Batman to Spider-Man to Daredevil to...well, it's a very, very common skill nowadays. It costs 10 points to acquire this skill at a DEX roll level, and you can boost your skill score by 1 point for every 2 points you spend. Successful Acrobatics means your DCV is increased by 2. That's certainly handy.
Next up is Climbing. Another Spidey special. Although the skill requires handholds; you're not climbing up a glass skyscraper with this skill unless you've got some hardcore climbing gear. Still, this skill only costs 5 points to get started at a DEX-roll level, and 2 points gets you an additional +1.
Computer Programming is next, and it costs a mere 5 points to get it. But in 1981, computer programming was a lot different than it is now. No internet, for starters, unless you were working in certain government agencies or on campus somewhere. Tech was really primitive; I remember when having 64K of RAM was considered high-tech. Nowadays, anything under 64GB is considered obsolete. This one is an INT roll, obviously, and it's 2 points to gain an additional point.
Detective Work...well, that covers a lot of ground, doesn't it? This skill list isn't going to be nearly as large as it is in later editions, but it looks like we're getting the basics. So far, all of these skills would have been handy for a Batman-style vigilante. For this one, it's pretty generic and widespread. 5 points for the base skill, +2 points per additional point.
Disguise, another INT skill, is next. I would think PRE would be more useful here, but I didn't make the rules. It's a pretty effective skill, though, requiring Perception checks at -5 to penetrate the character's disguise. Of course, if they do penetrate it, the character might be in trouble.
Finally, for this page, we have Find Weakness. I remember this one being in the Powers section at one point, but I could be mistaken. Anyway, this one costs 10 points and doesn't have a base characteristic attached to it, so it's a straight 11- roll. And unlike the other skills, it costs 5 points to bump your roll up a single point. Yikes. Of course, it's that expensive because it's a hell of a useful ability to have. A successful roll halves your opponent's defenses, and you can make successive rolls. As long as you keep succeeding, that is; once you fail a roll, that's it, you can't find any further weaknesses on this opponent. And the more rolls you try, the harder it is to succeed; every roll after the first one takes a cumulative -2 penalty to each roll. Note that this skill is restricted to one particular attack form; you can't just Find Weakness in general and have all your attacks striking half your opponent's defenses. You have to tie it to one of your particular attacks, such as punching, or firing your energy blast. Finally, Find Weakness doesn't carry over; once the battle is over, so is the Find Weakness effect. Next time you fight that villain, you'll have to start Finding Weakness earlier. Oh, and the roll is modified by your range from the target, too; -1 for every 3" of distance.
And that covers this page. Six skills so far, all of them useful (and all of them suitable for Batman). We'll continue with this next time.
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