I like the overall trend.
Obviously, the trappings are less well spell-out than those in the RAW. I'm not sure whether you were planning to add additional bulk, but I do think the list would benefit from it.
I'm not sure about the changes stemming from your removal of Burglary. Some of them seem counter-intuitive to me (such as sleight-of-hand stunt options being listed in Rhetoric where I would have moved them instead to Stealth).
I think my understanding of those changes would benefit if you were to describe here how the tasks formerly associated with Burglary would be carried out under your revised list.
The list in Your Story is half rules chapter, half skill list. This one is basically all skill list. The idea when I started this was to provide a quick cheat sheet for quick rules checks.
Ideally, it'd be paired with a revised Playing The Game chapter that explains everything.
As for Burglary, it didn't actually include sleight of hand. Deceit did, which is why that trapping is under Rhetoric now. In retrospect, Stealth might have been a better choice.
Burglary did three things: noticed security flaws, complemented other skills sometimes, and picked locks. The first can be done with Investigation, the second is unnecessary, and the third now requires a stunt. (Though maybe Craftsmanship ought to be able to do that.)
I'd like to participate in this discussion but, like Ophidimancer, I'd need to go over the various Threads and re-writes.
My only comment so far is regarding negative weapon ratings. Shouldn't something like "happily married" be used as an Aspect or declaration for the defender? Obviously, the negative weapon rating gives a better (dis)advantage over the course of a more drawn-out fight engagement, but it still seems a bit weird to me.
Maybe.
The idea of negative weapon ratings was to expand the possible range of social attacks. They let people make attacks that, under the normal rules, you'd have to flatly disallow.
There is a worry here about the possibility that people will game their character concepts to exploit these rules, but I think the revision made that less likely by judging ratings based on absolute reasonable-ness.
Instead, I would suggest it be armor rating given to the defender based on their own perception of the situation at-hand. I would also only allow the weapon rating if the attacker has appropriate knowledge of the situation at hand.
Armour, negative weapon rating, same difference. I figured the latter was easier and more intuitive.
The information thing is a mistake on my part. The intention is that something only counts if the target knows about it.
That gives me an idea:
What if, before combat begins, each side makes "global declarations". They could be things like the modifiers listed in your examples. Stuff like "Happily Married" or "Totally Gay" or "Not Actually A Murderer" or "Never Heard The Rumors". Rather than simply getting tags on them, which are fleeting, whichever side has more of them that apply gets a greater bonus to attack/defense for the duration. It means things that should continue to be relevant do, while other declarations/events during the combat are about as effective as they normally would be. This way, if different factions in combat have different levels of knowledge about a situation, they get different weapon/armor ratings relative to the other actors in combat.
You could value them at +/- 1 rather than the normal, full +2 tags would get, since they "hang around."
Eh, I don't like it.
The best thing about the Aspect system is that there's no such thing as a powerful Aspect. You're changing that, and yet you're making all Aspects provide the same bonus even if it's not reasonable.
And it seems complicated. Really, I can't see the benefit to tracking various things that'd give bonuses and penalties instead of just picking a number that seems reasonable. Simple judgement calls are better than complex ones.
What program do I need to read the file, it doesn't seem to be working for me.
Didn't see that coming, .odt is supposed to be compatible with everything. Whatever, here's an ugly copy-paste of the text.
Alertness
Avoiding Surprise
Use Alertness to not be caught off guard when you're ambushed or otherwise surprised.
Initiative
In physical conflicts, you act before anyone with a lower Alertness than you.
Passive Perception
Use Alertness to notice things you aren't specifically looking for.
Amiability
A Shoulder To Cry On
Use Amiability to help other people with their emotional issues, and to justify recovery from mental consequences.
First Impressions
Use Amiability to establish a first impression as an honourable, kind, or otherwise good person.
Persuasion
Use Amiability to make people like you and want to do things to help you, and to talk people into doing the right thing. This is generally a mental attack or maneuver.
Reading People
Use Amiability to extract information from people, either by reading their mannerisms or by talking it out of them.
Social Defence
Use Amiability to defend against mental attacks and maneuvers intended to extract information from you or make you believe things and reputation attacks and maneuvers intended to make you look like a bad person.
Athletics
Moving
Use Athletics to run, swim, climb, cycle and otherwise move yourself.
Acrobatics
Use Athletics for jumping, maintaining your balance, surviving falls, doing the splits, and other gymnastic stuff.
Dodging
Use Athletics to get out of the way of things that can hurt you. It can be used to defend against any physical attack, except for the ones that Endurance is used to defend against.
Coercion
Intimidation
Use Coercion to threaten people, to scare people, and to make people do things or extract information from them through sheer force of personality.
First Impressions
Use Coercion to appear impressive or frightening. This can be used to establish a first impression or to discourage people from giving you any trouble.
Mental Initiative
In mental conflicts, you act before anyone with a lower Coercion than you. Supernatural effects that create mental conflicts often bypass this trapping, so it's mostly useful in arguments.
Provocation
Use Coercion to make people angry. This is generally a mental maneuver or attack.
Shut Up
Use Coercion to defend against mental attacks and maneuvers intended to make you do things or extract information from you.
Contacts
Knowing People
Use Contacts to find or coincidentally run into people you know.
Rumours
Use Contacts to spread information to the general public. This is the primary method of making reputation attacks, and can also be used for maneuvers and non-conflict actions.
Gathering Information
Use Contacts to acquire information from the surrounding population.
Getting The Tip Off
When something happens, the GM may call for you to roll Contacts in an attempt to be told about it.
Conviction
Determination
Use Conviction to defend against mental attacks and maneuvers intended to undermine your faith or to make you act against your principles.
Faith
Conviction represents the power of your faith. Use it to call upon the power of your will, to brandish crosses at vampires, and to do other similar things.
Mental Toughness
Use Conviction to determine the length of your mental stress track.
Craftsmanship
Analysis
Use Craftsmanship as a knowledge and perception skill when dealing with the way things are designed and built.
Construction
Use Craftsmanship to build stuff.
Deconstruction
Use Craftsmanship to sabotage, take apart, disable, and otherwise mess with inanimate objects. With a stunt, this trapping can be used to pick locks.
Reconstruction
Use Craftsmanship to repair damaged or ill-maintained objects.
Discipline
Concentration
Use Discipline to concentrate. In distracting situations, your other skills may be modified or restricted by your Discipline.
Self-Control
Use Discipline to keep your desires and emotions under control.
Mental Defence
Use Discipline to defend against all mental attacks and maneuvers except those intended to make you believe things.
Driving
Navigation
Use Driving to find your way around.
Operate Vehicle
Use Driving to pilot anything from a aircraft carrier to a motorcycle to a zeppelin.
Vehicle Knowledge
Use Driving to know things about vehicles and their uses, as well as to perform basic vehicle maintenance.
Endurance
Persistence
Use Endurance to do without rest, air, food, and other things that your body needs.
Resistance
Use Endurance to defend against poisons, diseases, dangerous temperatures, and any other physical dangers not covered by Athletics.
Toughness
Use Endurance to determine the length of your physical stress track.
Investigation
Examination
Use Investigation to notice or find things that you're specifically looking for.
Pattern Recognition
Use Investigation to notice patterns, to identify forgeries, and to verify the accuracy of information.
Spying
Use Investigation to eavesdrop, perform surveillance, and otherwise spy on people.
Leadership
Bureaucracy
Use Leadership to organize groups and navigate red tape.
Command
Use Leadership to lead a group effectively.
Organizational Initiative
In a reputation conflict, you go before anyone with a lower Leadership than you.
Reputation
Use Leadership to manage your reputation, and to determine the length your reputation stress track.
Political Defence
Use Leadership to defend against reputation attacks and maneuvers.
Lore
Mystical Knowledge
Use Lore to know things about the supernatural. This can be useful for Declarations.
Mystical Research
Use Lore to find mystical information through research and experimental work.
Rituals
Use Lore to perform common rituals. Common rituals are magical spells that can be used by anyone, but barring stunts or the acquisition of ancient tomes you don't know any of them.
Sixth Sense
Use Lore to get vague impressions of what's going on when you encounter something magical.
Melee
Unarmed Combat
Use Melee to attack unarmed.
Armed Combat
Use Melee to attack with close-combat weapons.
Melee Defence
Use Melee to defend against close-combat attacks.
Melee Knowledge
Use Melee to know things about fighting styles and melee weapons, and to maintain melee weapons.
Might
Breaking Things
Use Might to break stuff.
Moving Things
Use Might to move heavy objects. Might will often modify your other physical skills when you are carrying a heavy load.
Stability
Use Might to remain standing when something tries to push you around or off your feet.
Wrestling
Use Might to grapple people.
Performance
Art Criticism
Use Performance to analyze, know things about, and perform research to learn more about all forms of art.
Creating Art
Use Performance to write music, paint paintings, compose poems, and otherwise create art.
Expressing Yourself
When making a speech, writing a letter, pretending to be someone you aren't, or otherwise performing a non-artistic action that resembles some form of art you may use Performance to complement whatever other skill you are using.
Putting On A Show
Use Performance to sing, dance, act, and otherwise perform. This generally takes the form of a maneuver to place an Aspect on the scene.
Ranged
Throwing
Use Ranged to throw stuff.
Shooting
Use Ranged to attack with guns, bows, and other ranged weapons.
Ranged Defence
Use Ranged to defend against ranged attacks. This trapping, when combined with the Melee Defence trapping, is equal to the Dodging trapping of Athletics.
Ranged Knowledge
Use Ranged to know things about, repair, and maintain ranged weapons.
Resources
Buying Stuff
Use Resources to buy stuff.
Having Stuff
Use Resources to Declare that you already own things.
Money Talks
Use Resources to make people do things by paying them. This can be a maneuver, a reputation attack, a mental attack, or a non-conflict action. In situations where wealth and power are particularly important, Resources may modify other social skills.
Rhetoric
Debating
Use Rhetoric to win debates, and to persuade people with a mixture of logic and trickery. This can be a mental attack, a maneuver, or a non-conflict action. You may also use this trapping to make reputation attacks, but only when engaged in a public debate with your target.
First Impressions
Use Rhetoric to establish whatever first impressions you want, including blatantly false ones. If you use this trapping to establish impressions that could be created with another skill, that other skill modifies Rhetoric for the first impression roll.
Lying
Use Rhetoric to make people believe what you're saying, whether it's true or not. This can be a mental attack, a maneuver, or a non-conflict action. If you have a large audience, it can also be a reputation attack.
Misdirection
Use Rhetoric to distract people and to do little things without being noticed. You can use this trapping to “ambush” someone by pretending to be friendly before attacking them. With stunts, you can use this trapping to pick pockets or perform stage magic.
Rebuttal
Use Rhetoric to defend against mental attacks and maneuvers intended to make you do something or to extract information from you, and against reputation attacks made through the use of an audience.
Scholarship
Computer Use
Use Scholarship to operate computers. Stunts are necessary for proper programming and hacking.
Knowledge
Use Scholarship to know the sort of things you'd learn in school. This can be useful for Declarations.
Languages
For every point of Scholarship you have, you may speak one additional language.
Medicine
Use Scholarship to perform first aid and to justify recovery from physical consequences. Stunts are necessary to perform surgery and other advanced medical procedures.
Research
Use Scholarship to find academic information through research and laboratory work.
Stealth
Ambush
Use Stealth to ambush people.
Disguise
Use Stealth to disguise yourself. Without a stunt, your disguises won't fool anyone who's actually checking to see if you are who you claim to be.
Hiding
Use Stealth to avoid being noticed.
Shadowing
Use Stealth to follow people discreetly.
Survival
Animal Handling
Use Survival to handle animals. Survival will often be modified by social skills or vice versa when used this way.
Camouflage
Given a few minutes to prepare cover outdoors, you may use your Survival skill to complement the Stealth skills of everyone who uses the cover you've made.
Not Dying
Use Survival to build fires, find food, find shelter, and otherwise keep yourself and others alive without modern conveniences.
Riding
Use Survival to ride animals.
Tracking
Use Survival to follow the trails left behind by other characters.
