An engineer is, at the heart, a power system specialist. More conventionally, an engineer is effectively someone that seems like they can fix just about anything in due time, and many are stereotypically known to tinker with random electronic and mechanical items.
Essential skills[]
These skills are the bread and butter of your character's basic occupation, in other words, your character will have likely ICly trained on these for a long time and honed the skills over years of experience.
1) Engineering- As an engineer, engineering is, well, an essential skill. This skill will likely be at good. Interestingly enough, all of the essential skills other than engineering are covered by prerequisites.
Prerequisites[]
Engineering is an advanced skill, and as such requires several prerequisites. Some of these listed may be higher for several characters.
1) Mathematics- Fair is required as a prerequisite, and is representative of an engineer's mathematical ability.
2) Physics- Fair is a prereq, and also a decent representation of an engineers understanding of physics, both on the ground and in space. Good is a prereq if your character wants to have Construction as a skill as well.
3) Chemistry- Chemistry is the study of elements and molecules. As an engineer this is useful, especially with fuel sources. Fair is a decent approximation for most engineers.
4) Electronics- While mediocre is the prerequisite level, fair or good is also very acceptable for many engineers, as they do quite a bit of work with electronics. As engineers progress in their careers, this skill is also known to increase proportionally.
5) Mechanic- Fair is the prerequisite, but it's quite reasonable to advance this skill to good as well. This is part of what gives an engineer the general reputation as an all around repair type.
Desired abilities[]
Desired skills are very much a part of either the education or daily life of the engineering, but they are not universal to the job description. An engineer is strange in that many of these skills are already acquired as prerequisites. While any engineer can benefit from these skills, these are essential for inventors.
1) Drafting- Drafting is the ability to make blueprints, and is quite important to an engineer's existence, especially if they are not employed on a ship constantly.
2) Designer- This requires mediocre Drafting first, but it serves a similar purpose, being able to render plans into two or three dimensions.
3) Construction- This requires Good Physics in addition to all the prereqs for engineering, but allows the character to build structures. A useful skill for any engineer, this is essential for inventors.
Optional abilities[]
Optional skills are, for an engineer, the specialty skills. Where a normal starship engineer does not need these, these are what make an engineer stand out as a specialist in any category.
1) Gunsmithing- If you're wanting to work with guns, this skill is essential. This allows maintenance, repair, design and construction with firearms.
2) Robotics- This is useful in building automotons, like robots. It requires a programmer to program the robot, however, if its functions are not purely mechanical based.
3) Reverse engineering- A useful skill that allows a character to deconstruct an object and figure out just what makes it tick and replicate it. This skill is useful, but has prerequisites.
Prerequisites[]
1) Metallurgy- Fair is a prerequisite for reverse engineering, and this skill is the study of metals and working with them.
2) Designer- While mentioned before, this skill must be at a level of fair for the purposes of reverse engineering.
Beyond the basics[]
Engineers spend a lot of their lives studying, but they still know more than just engineering related activities. Perhaps your character is into patterns and cryptography, or maybe spent some time in pilot training as well (this is common for engineers who eventually spend enough time on ships), as well as Zero-G maneuvers in space. Artistic pursuits and hobbies also come into play here.
Attributes[]
Finally, there are attributes. These are parts of the character that exist in everyone to some degree or another. Listed below are some potential levels of an attribute and a justification for such. As with all characters, this may vary with the character concept.
Intelligence: Good- The engineer has often spent years in education, and likely with some study of moderately complex subjects, such as mathematics, physics, and studying engineering.
Willpower: Fair- Nothing special about engineer in particular in this department.
Reaction: Fair- Nothing too spectacular about engineers in this category either.
Strength: Fair- This could be stronger, depending on the engineer, but this attribute is not needed to be successful.
Perception: Good- Being able to notice how parts work is quite important.
Charisma: Fair- Nothing particularly special, could be lower if the engineer is a recluse, for instance.
Agility: Mediocre- Like strength, there is no special reason to have much ability in this area for an engineer.
Constitution: Fair- Nothing special at all about engineers in this area.
Sample +Sheet[]
-------------------------< Engineer (Eng) - Human Male >---------------------- Sponsored by OS: Red-Eye Flight - http://ebooks.jointhesaga.com! Feature Character Experience Points: 37 ---< Attributes >------------------------------------------< Value: 20 XP >--- Intelligence: Good Perception: Good Willpower: Fair Charisma: Mediocre Reaction: Fair Agility: Mediocre Strength: Good Constitution: Fair ---< Skills >---------------------------------------------< Value: 458 XP >--- Fair Chemistry Fair Haggling Good Construction Good Mathematics Fair Dancing Good Mechanic Good Designer Good Physics Fair Drafting Good Reverse Engineering Good Electronics Superb Terran Standard Good Engineering ---< Gifts, Faults, & Quirks >----------------------------< Value: -15 XP >--- Distrust ---< Wounds >-----------------------------------------< Status: Undamaged >--- Scratch Hurt Very Hurt Incap. Nr. Death [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] -----------------------------------------------------< Skill System v2.31 >---