Strength: The measure of force the individual is capable of producing. Governs the force of blows, length of throws, amount of gear able to be carried and so forth. Note, high levels of strength mean larger amounts of muscle mass and greater caloric needs. Individuals with high strength will become hungry faster and likewise, those who go without food for long periods of time will begin to lose muscle and strength.
Reflexes: The speed and accuracy with which an individual reacts. Governs attack speed and dodge chance in combat as well as accuracy of strikes and aimed shots. High levels of reflex have the effect of making characters more likely to react on instinct, causing them to act without thinking.
Brains: The overall intelligence of an individual including their capacity to learn. Governs any interaction or event in which learning or reasoning is required, such as repairing unfamiliar mechanisms or deducing the probable actions of others. High levels of brains can help make up for weakness in certain skills as an intelligent individual may be able to make correct guesses even without specific knowledge of a subject. Note, characters with high brains will require longer periods of rest then others and will suffer more without it.
Senses: The combined ability of the individual to receive data about their surrounding from any or all of their senses (in most cases, sight, smell, touch, taste,and hearing). Effects a wide variety of things including noticing ambushes and traps, seeing across great distances, scavenging for useful parts, tracking animals or people, and so on. Unfortunately, those with high senses are more susceptible to pain and other sensory effects.
Endurance: A general measure of the heartiness of the individual. Effects how long they can be active without becoming tired or hungry, how resistant they are to disease, injury or poisoning, and how much these effects may influence them. High levels of endurance increase both damage resistance and healing but can also dull senses and distort the individual's view of their own physical state.
Mechanics: Knowledge and skill in manipulating, repairing and creating mechanical systems. Everything from the clockwork of a watch to the simple motions of a lever.
Electronics: Skill with electrical systems, from clock radios to supercomputers. Governs both Hardware and software use.
Medical: General knowledge of medicine including surgical procedure, drug use and administration, anatomical knowledge and first aid. In addition, those with medical knowledge can also deliver more punishing attacks by aiming for vital areas.
Stealth: Governs covert actions, such as lock picking, moving without being seen, and attacking silently.
Unarmed: The character's ability to fight without weapons. Governs both hand to hand fighting as well as wrestling and disarming. Note: certain weapons such as brass knuckles or other devices designed to enhance a character's unarmed abilities fall under this heading.
Melee: Governs all non-ballistic type weapons from knives and swords to war hammers to vibroblades. This is a general skill and having it does not make instantly one proficient in all manner of weapons, it simply increases their ability to use unfamiliar weapons efficiently as well as increasing the speed with which they become proficient with any melee weapon. Has synergy with craft where the repair, modification or creation of melee weapons is concerned.
Firearms: The same as Melee but with regards to any sort of projectile firing device from bow and arrow to submachine gun to laser rifle.
Thrown: The distance and accuracy with which one can throw any object. Higher levels mean more distance with greater accuracy.
Survival: This skill encapsulates the character's general survival skills and knowledge including tracking of animals and men, setting up shelters, scavenging for items, climbing, swimming, basic first aid and the like. Many skills factor into its rolls and it factors into many others.
Pilot/driver: The character's ability to control machines of all types, from planes to boats to cars to personal hovercraft and mechanical exosuits.
Craft: A general skill covering anything having to do with the creation, modification or repair of objects. Covers anything which does not fall under mechanics or electronics as well as factoring into those skills. High levels of craft can be used to compensate to a degree for deficiencies in related skills.
Speech: A character's ability to persuade or communicate with others.