There are six normal abilities that describe characters and most opponents: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Perception, Presence, and Wits.

Strength describes a character’s overall athleticism, the ability to exert physical force, and the ability resist damage or fatigue. This ability is used to calculate damage in a melee combat, overcome obstacles that test endurance, and shift objects through applied leverage.

The normal skills associated with Strength are: brawling, melee, athletics, lifting, and stamina.

Dexterity describes a character’s reaction time, balance and coordination, their speed, and the ability to place objects with precision. This ability is used to dodge ranged attacks, use finesse weapons, pilot vehicles, and to navigate obstacles that require precise body control.

The normal skills associated with Dexterity are: fencing, shooting, acrobatics, stealth, and pilot.

Intelligence describes the breadth of a character’s knowledge and their ability to apply that knowledge to problem solving and procedural navigation. This ability is used repair and manipulate devices, integrate with social customs, research subjects, and treat injuries.

The normal skills associated with Intelligence are: information systems, medicine, research, repair, and cultures.

Perception describes a character’s ability to anticipate actions, gather information from their surroundings, focus the mind, and influence the perceptions of others. This ability is used for sleight of hand, recovering willpower, searching, and resisting sensory manipulation.

The normal skills associated with Perceptions are: tradecraft, operational systems, search, focus, and survival.

Presence describes the force of a character’s personality, their determination, their ability to influence others, and their ability to resist influence. This ability is used to endure hardship, inspire others, ingratiate oneself with them, and to overawe them.

The normal skills associated with Presence are: willpower, command, charm, intimidate, and pressure.

Wits describes a character’s ability to adapt and react to their environment and to the influence of others. This ability is used to deceive others, perceive their deceptions, provoke a reaction, and to lay out a convincing argument.

The normal skills associated with Wits are: insight, con, persuasion, interrogate, and provoke.