Stellar Quest: More On Specialties...

Good Afternoon, All:

I've started compiling a list of Specialties below, to cover the basic types of activities that characters might desire to pursue in the course of their exploratory adventures on strange, new worlds as they boldly go where no one has gone before. Borrowing from a variety of sources, and trying to narrow it down a bit, I've come up with the following list for consideration:

Acrobatics
Astrogation
Athletics
Diplomacy
Endurance
Engineering
Gunnery
Heavy-G Environs
Life Sciences
Mechanics
Medicine
Perception
Physical Sciences
Pilot
Robotics
Sensors Operations
Social Sciences
Stealth
Survival
Tactics
Zero-G Environs

These are simply the basic "skill" categories that I can perceive for characters. Under the basic ability check system, all characters can attempt these actions at a base chance, and Specialties simply grant bonuses to specialized characters, so they are more likely to succeed. This way, a party can continue whether or not they have an appropriate specialist, instead of being stuck and unable to continue to pursue the remainder of the adventure for lack of a "required" skill. As I may have mentioned before, I can chalk this off to the overall comprehensive training that the Fleet gives all of its members.

Now, with psionics, it will likely be different. If you don't have a psionic specialty, you can't attempt to be psionic. An alternate approach would be to require the expenditure of psi points with the use of a psionic talent, and only allow the psionic class access to psi points. I don't know yet; the jury is still out.

What do you think? Am I forgetting something you'd like to see in your space adventuring? Have I listed something you don't think should be considered a specialty?

With Regards,
Flynn