Cryptography: Skill in recognizing, designing, and cracking secret codes and messages. The character must study a code for two hours to attempt to break it successfully. A failed roll means the individual must study the code for another two hours before he can attempt to break it again. The character may attempt to break the code sooner, after only ten minutes of study, but suffers a penalty of -30%. Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Literacy.
Electronic Countermeasures (Jamming): The skill of preventing the enemy's communications from working. Armed with a radio, small guerrilla units can completely disrupt the maneuvers of large enemy groups. This skill also enables the radio operator to "follow" the enemy's attempted transmissions over jammed frequencies to their source. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.
Japan, Coalition War Campaign
Microwave Communications: Experience in the use of microwave equipment, transmitters, and receivers for communications. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.
N&SS
Laser: This skill provides the character with an in-depth knowledge of sophisticated laser communications systems and fiber optic communications. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Radio: Basic, Electrical Engineer, and Computer Operation.
Optic Systems: Provides expert training in the use of special optical enhancement equipment such as telescopic lenses, laser targeting, thermo-imagers, passive light intensifiers, infrared and ultraviolet systems, polarization, light filters, optical scanners, and related devices. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience. Adds a special one time bonus of +5% to TV/Video if both are selected.
Performance: this ability is used by actors, gladiators, pro-wrestlers, and politicians to impress and sway the public. A character with this skill knows how to do things with flair; if a skill roll is successful, it works like an attempt to charm or intimidate the audience. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.
Juicer Uprising
Public Speaking: Training in the quality of sound, tone, pitch, enunciation, clarity, and pace of speaking to the public, loudly and distinctly. Also includes the practice of good, enticing storytelling and composition of the spoken word. The percentile number indicates the overall quality and charisma of the spoken word. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per experience level.
Palladium Fantasy RPG
Radio: Basic: This is the rudimentary knowledge of the operation and maintenance of field radios and walkie-talkies, wire laying, installation, radio procedure, communication security, and visual signs/communications, as well as Morse code. Basic Skill: 35% + 5% per level of experience.
Radio: Satellite: This is an understanding in the methods and operations of satellite transmissions. Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.
Robotech, Phase World
Radio: Scramblers: This is training in the use of electronic masking, scrambling and de-scrambling equipment, and codes to help foil detection, interception, and interpretation of radio transmissions by the enemy. Base Skill: 35% + 5% per level of experience.
Sign Language: Because of the multitude of spoken languages, the universal sign language has survived. This means of communication has been widely adopted by merchants, sailors, assassins, thieves, and adventurers. For ever ten words "signed", the sender of the sign language must roll to successfully transmit his message. Likewise, the interpreter must roll to interpret every batch of 10 words. A failed roll on either part means a misunderstanding. Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.
Palladium Fantasy RPG
Surveillance Systems: This is the study and understanding of the operation, methods, and techniques in the use of surveillance systems. Includes motion detectors, simple and complex alarm systems, audio/visual recording and display equipment, recording methods, amplified sound systems, miniature listening devices (bugs, line tapping), and some optical enhancement systems.
Tailing, or following someone without their knowledge, is another form of surveillance. This also includes stake-out procedures. A failed surveillance roll indicates that the subject has spotted the tail, and is aware he is being followed/observed.
A failed roll in the use of surveillance equipment means that the equipment does not function as desired, impairing or preventing surveillance.
A failed roll when hiding listening devices means the bug does not function, and is easily discovered through the course of casual activity.
Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience. Adds a one-time bonus of +5% to Surveillance if both are known. Requires: Either Basic Electronics or Electrical Engineer; plus Computer Operation and Literacy for complex high-tech systems.
Telephone Networks: The character knows the workings of telephone networks, from the wiring of desktop telephones, phone taps, and tracing calls (3 minutes of open line is needed to trace), to the switching methods used for international communications. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.
Ninjas and Superspies
TV/Video: In-depth training in the use of video and audio recording equipment, filming, editing, dubbing, title making, duplication, and transmission. Includes the use of field equipment; i.e. portable video camera and studio equipment. Base Skill: 25% + 4% per level of experience.