Recall scientific laws, analyze unknown substances, jury-rig fixes from theory.
Science covers recall of physical laws and chemical theory, analysis of
unknown substances, jury-rigging a working fix from first principles,
identifying exotic and xenobiological materials, and reverse-engineering
observed phenomena. It does not build things -- that is Engineering -- and
it does not treat the sick -- that is Medicine. Science understands why
things work or fail. A hull alloy shears at cryo temperatures; a crystalline
residue on a dead man's glove is either benign or lethal; a reactor leak
can become an improvised cutting beam if you have ten minutes and the
theory to back it up.
Rules Reference
Field
Value
Armor Check Penalty
false
Key Ability
INT
Trained Only
true
Untrained Use
Recall basic facts at DC 12 only; lab work and instrument-dependent analysis auto-fail.
Key Ability
INT
Notes
Special: Requires lab or field instruments; without them, all DCs rise by 5.
Does not cover building (Engineering) or treating (Medicine).
Special: Most Science checks require access to a lab or field instruments. Without
them, all DCs rise by 5. Science does not cover building things (that is
Engineering) or treating patients (that is Medicine) -- it covers understanding
why they work or fail.
Untrained: An untrained character can recall basic facts (gravity pulls, fire burns)
at DC 12 and nothing harder. Lab work, material identification, and any
analysis requiring instruments all auto-fail without training. You cannot
fake knowing what a mass spectrometer reads.
Descriptors
dc: 12
Field
Value
dc
12
task
Recall a scientific law or theoretical principle
dc: 15
Field
Value
dc
15
task
Analyze an unknown substance in a lab
dc: 18
Field
Value
dc
18
task
Jury-rig a scientific fix from available materials
dc: 22
Field
Value
dc
22
task
Identify an exotic or xenobiological material
dc: 25
Field
Value
dc
25
task
Reverse-engineer an observed phenomenon
dc: 30
Field
Value
dc
30
task
Pull a breakthrough deduction from scattered evidence
Synergy
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
from
Engineering
threshold
5
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
from
Xenology
threshold
5
Synergies
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
ranks
5
skill
Engineering
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
ranks
5
skill
Xenology
Uses
application: Recall a scientific law or theoretical principle
Field
Value
application
Recall a scientific law or theoretical principle
dc
12
failure
You half-remember; the GM may feed you a plausible wrong answer.
success
You dredge it up clean -- formula, constants, the lot.
application: Analyze an unknown substance in a lab
Field
Value
application
Analyze an unknown substance in a lab
dc
15
failure
Inconclusive -- contaminated sample or you lack the reagents.
success
Composition identified; you know what it is and what it does.
application: Jury-rig a scientific fix from available materials
Field
Value
application
Jury-rig a scientific fix from available materials
dc
18
failure
The theory was sound but the execution was not; time and parts wasted.
success
It works for now -- a makeshift spectrometer, a crude catalyst, a one-shot sensor.
application: Identify an exotic or xenobiological material
Field
Value
application
Identify an exotic or xenobiological material
dc
22
failure
You misclassify it; treat as benign at your peril.
success
You name it, hazard class and all.
application: Reverse-engineer an observed phenomenon
Field
Value
application
Reverse-engineer an observed phenomenon
dc
25
failure
The phenomenon defies your models; you need more data or better instruments.
success
You understand the mechanism and can explain or predict it.
application: Pull a breakthrough deduction from scattered evidence
Field
Value
application
Pull a breakthrough deduction from scattered evidence
dc
30
failure
You chase a dead theory; lose 1d4 hours before you realise.
success
The pieces click; you see the pattern no one else caught.