Editing Samsara:Abilities (section)

=ABILITIES=
Abilities include skills, special powers, social influences, patrons, and whatever else might be a modifier to contest but isn’t a personal attribute or motive.  A relevant ability will be added to the base modifier.  And yes, you could have negative abilities (Prof. Schnitzel has INT +4, but also Practical Knowledge -5.  If called upon to actually do anything with his knowledge, he has a penalty).

In a sense, abilities are modifiers on top of modifiers (attributes).  Alternately, one could consider them specializations of attributes.  Either way, they add or subtract more from the Contest roll. If one of the characters had Pugilism +2, then he would add that to his basic modifier in a fist-fight.  Motives do much the same as abilities, but are a bit more complex so let’s leave them until later.  But they can also add modifiers in relevant situations, so that if one of these chaps was fighting someone for which he had a passionate hatred, that would also add to his roll, while if he was boxing someone he loved, that would subtract from his roll.

If playing in the Classical mode, there will be a pre-set correspondence between attributes and abilities.  “Lock-picking” will always be used to modify the INT + PER roll required to get through the door.  “Drive truck” will always modify the DEX + ACU roll needed to drive.  

If playing in the Romantic mode, there will be a lot more variation.  One might try to use his “Drive truck” to identify a certain make and model, based on the idea that this ability means the characters is familiar with all trucks.  One might try to use the same ability to help bluff a guy into thinking that you work at the auto shop.  One might use the ability to help ingratiate himself with someone who likes trucks.  You get the picture.