Armed Combat
// Combat
Use of hand-held melee weapons — anything from a katana to a riot stick.
Concentrations
- Edged Weapons
- Pole Arms / Staff
- Whips / Flails
- Clubs
Skills Index
Every skill in the SR2 core book, with linked attribute, short description, and common concentrations. Source: Shadowrun, Second Edition, Skills chapter (pp. 68–77).
Each skill defaults to a primary linked attribute (shown as a coloured badge). At chargen no general skill can exceed Rating 6 unless you take a Concentration (+1 to one subset, −1 to the general) or Specialization (+2 to one specific item, −2 to the general). Skills marked B/R have a separate Build & Repair counterpart that uses the same Rating for building and fixing the gear.
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/ 40 skills
Unarmed Combat
// Combat
Martial arts and unarmed striking, holds, throws. Required for Killing Hands adept power.
Concentrations
- Subduing Combat
- Cyber-Implant Weaponry
- Martial Arts Style (specific technique)
Firearms
// Combat
All small-arms from holdouts to LMGs. The street samurai's bread and butter.
Concentrations
- Pistols
- Rifles
- SMGs
- Light Machine Guns
- Grenade Launchers
- Tasers
Gunnery
// Combat
Heavy weapons mounted on tripods, vehicles, or fixed emplacements.
Concentrations
- Assault Cannon
- Machine Guns
- Missile / Rocket Launchers
- Vehicle-Mounted Cannon
- Indirect Fire RIG2
+ Indirect Fire from Rigger 2 (FASA7906) p. 14 (rules p. 59–60) — arcing or guided shots at unseen targets, e.g. lofted missiles or over-the-horizon rockets.
Projectile Weapons
// Combat
Muscle-powered ranged weapons — bows, crossbows. Silent and magical-immune.
Concentrations
- Bows
- Crossbows
Throwing Weapons
// Combat
Anything you hurl by hand — grenades, throwing knives, shuriken.
Concentrations
- Aerodynamic (Shuriken, Airfoil Grenades)
- Non-Aerodynamic (Grenades, Knives)
- Shafted
Demolitions
// Combat
Preparing, placing, and setting commercial and plastic explosives.
Concentrations
- Commercial Explosives
- Plastic Explosives
Athletics
// Physical
General physical training — running, climbing, jumping, swimming.
Concentrations
- Running
- Climbing
- Lifting
- Jumping
- Swimming
Stealth
// Physical
Sneaking, hiding, shadowing, ambushing. Each Concentration is by environment.
Concentrations
- Urban (by aspect)
- Wilderness (by aspect)
- Farmland (by aspect)
- Vehicle Stealth RIG2
+ Vehicle Stealth from Rigger 2 (FASA7906) p. 14 — used by riggers slipping a vehicle past observation or pursuit.
Escape Artist
// Physical
Wriggling out of ropes, cuffs, jackets, and other physical restraints. Target number scales with the restraint type — from ropes (easy) up to high-security containment manacles (hard).
Source: Awakenings (FASA7120), p. 114. Tagged "(NEW SKILL)" in the supplement.
Sorcery
// Magical
Control of magical energy through spells — the casting itself, including drain.
Concentrations
- Spellcasting (by Spell Category)
- Ritual Sorcery (by Spell Category)
- Forensic Magic GRIM
+ Forensic Magic / Sample Gathering from Grimoire 2e (FASA7903) p. 35 — pulling a magical signature off old tissue or blood for ritual sorcery.
Conjuring
// Magical
Summoning, controlling, and banishing spirits. Hermetics call elementals; shamans call nature spirits.
Concentrations
- Elemental (by Type)
- Nature Spirit (by Type)
Enchanting
// Magical
The crafting side of magic — sourcing materials, refining arcana, and building foci. Talismongering can even be practised by mundanes; the deeper concentrations require a Magic Rating.
Concentrations
- Talismongering GRIM
- Alchemy GRIM
- Artificing GRIM
Source: Grimoire 2e (FASA7903), p. 26 (Talismongering / Artificing), p. 28 (Alchemy). Linked attribute shown is the conventional one — verify against your edition of Grimoire 2e if it matters at the table.
Biotech
// Technical
First aid, basic field medicine, implant maintenance. Indispensable on a team.
Concentrations
- Transplant Surgery (Headware, Bodyware, Organ Replacements)
- Organ Culture (by organ or limb)
- Replacement Construction (by organ or limb)
- Extended Care
- First Aid
Computer
// Technical
Computer tech and programming. Absolutely required to jack into cyberspace as a decker.
Concentrations
- Hardware (Mainframes, Micros, Interface Tech, Implant Tech)
- Software (Decking, Matrix Programming, Non-Matrix, Interface, Implant)
Electronics
// Technical
Comm gear, surveillance, maglocks, electronic warfare. Sister skill to Computer.
Concentrations
- Hardware
- Electronic Warfare
- Maglocks
- Linking between Devices
- Diagnostics
- Control Systems RIG2
+ Control Systems from Rigger 2 (FASA7906) p. 14 — remote-control rig gear and the hardware that routes a rigger's commands to drones / vehicles.
Etiquette
// Social
Knowing how to behave in a given subculture. Special: always purchased with at least one Concentration.
Concentrations
- Corporate
- Matrix
- Media
- Street
- Tribal
Interrogation
// Social
Extracting information from the unwilling — verbal pressure, or machine-aided readings.
Concentrations
- Verbal
- Machine-Aided (Lie Detectors, Voice-Stress Analysis)
Leadership
// Social
Inspiring, coordinating, and commanding others by example or rank.
Concentrations
- Corporate
- Military
- Political — with Specializations Strategy, Tactics, Morale
Negotiation
// Social
Talking your way through a deal. The Face's signature skill at the Mr. Johnson meet.
Concentrations
- Bargain
- Bribe
- Fast Talk
Instruction
// Social
Teaching others. Rolled when training a teammate in a skill or running them through Attribute improvement. On Companion's revised Skill Web it sits alongside Leadership, Interrogation, Negotiation, and Etiquette.
Source: Companion — Beyond the Shadows (FASA7905), p. 47 (rules pp. 51–53).
Bike
// Vehicle
Motorcycles, motortrikes, sidecar rigs.
Concentrations
- Two-wheeler
- Three-wheeler
- Racing
Car
// Vehicle
Motor vehicles with four or more wheels. Riggers use this often.
Concentrations
- Passenger Vehicle
- Truck
- Racing
- Remote Operation
Hovercraft
// Vehicle
All hover vehicles, regardless of size.
Concentrations
- Passenger Craft
- Transport Craft
- Racing
- Remote Operation
Motorboat
// Vehicle
Any motorized watercraft.
Concentrations
- Pleasure Craft
- Racing
- Remote Operation
Sailboat
// Vehicle
Sail-powered watercraft.
Concentrations
- Pleasure Craft
- Racing
- Remote Operation
Rotor Craft
// Vehicle
Fixed and tilt-rotor aircraft (helicopters, tiltrotors).
Concentrations
- Tilt-Rotor
- Fixed-Rotor
- Remote Operation
Winged Plane
// Vehicle
Fixed- or swing-wing aircraft — gliders, prop planes, jets.
Concentrations
- Gliders
- Jets
- Propellers
- Remote Operation
Vectored Thrust
// Vehicle
Aircraft using vectored thrust for lift — military VTOL, LAV craft.
Concentrations
- Vertical Take-Off & Landing
- LAV Craft
- Remote Operation
Biology
// Knowledge
Natural sciences — also paranormal life via the para-prefixed concentrations.
Concentrations
- Zoology
- Botany
- Medicine
- Parazoology
- Parabotany
Computer Theory
// Knowledge
Theoretical foundation of computer architecture. Backstops the Computer Active Skill.
Concentrations
- Hardware (Mainframes, Micros, Interface, Implant)
- Software (Decking, Matrix Prog., Non-Matrix, Interface, Implant)
Cybertechnology
// Knowledge
Design of implants and cybernetic control technology. Pairs with Biotech.
Concentrations
- Headware (by Specific Device)
- Bodyware (by Specific Device)
Magical Theory
// Knowledge
General theory of how magic works. Used for designing new spells.
Concentrations
- Design (Shamanic, Hermetic)
- History (by Continent)
Military Theory
// Knowledge
Combat doctrine, force composition, military history.
Concentrations
- Military History (by Continent / Period)
- Tactics (Air, Land, Sea)
- Tactics → Vehicle Tactics RIG2
+ Vehicle Tactics from Rigger 2 (FASA7906) p. 14 (rules p. 67) — specialization under Tactics for coordinated multi-vehicle / multi-drone maneuvers, especially with a BattleTac IVIS link.
Physical Sciences
// Knowledge
Engineering and the hard sciences.
Concentrations
- Engineering
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Geology
Psychology
// Knowledge
Behavioural science — analytic, predictive, profile-oriented.
Concentrations
- Individual Behaviour
- Group Behaviour
- Deviant Behaviour
Sociology
// Knowledge
Historical and observational study of human (and metahuman) societies.
Concentrations
- History
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
Languages
// Language
Each language is a Specialization of the general skill of languages. Native language is free at Intelligence + 2 (may exceed 6). Street-Lifestyle characters get a local dialect (e.g. City Speak, Tunnel Talk) free at Intelligence ÷ 2. Additional languages cost normal Skill Points. Modified rating < 1? You can stumble out a sentence but not be fluent.
Example languages
- Sperethiel (Tír)
- Or'zet (Ork)
- Japanese
- City Speak (Special)
- Sioux
- Cantonese
Special Skills
// Special
A catch-all: hobbies, interests, artistic endeavours, niche street talents. Gamemaster approves the skill and assigns the linked attribute. Be creative — a starting Tattoo Artistry, Mahjong, Surveillance Photography, or Brewing is all fair game.
Examples
- Performance (Music, Acting)
- Art (Tattoo, Painting)
- Gambling
- Cooking
- Disguise
- Forgery
Build & Repair
// Special
Each "B/R" tag in this index marks an Active Skill with a corresponding Build & Repair counterpart that uses the same rating for designing, fabricating, and fixing the relevant gear. Buying a Concentration of B/R targets a type of equipment (e.g. Armed Combat B/R: Edged Weapons). If no B/R exists for a skill, defaulting needs theoretical knowledge — someone provides a blueprint, or you roll against the related Knowledge skill.
// NO MATCH. Try a different filter or clear the search.
The Skill Web
Source: SR2 core, p. 68–69 — "The Skill Web." Use this when your character lacks the skill the GM is calling for.
If you lack a skill, you can default through the Skill Web to either a related skill you do have, or to the skill's linked Attribute. Trace the shortest path from your starting node to the target node. Each circle passed on that path adds +2 to the target number.
Paths follow the direction of the arrows in the diagram on SR2 p. 69 — if the arrows point against your trace, that path is blocked. Some skills simply do not connect to others.
// THE WEB
Hover any node to highlight its direct neighbours. Click a skill, then click another to trace the shortest defaulting path between them — penalty appears below. Click empty space to reset.
Attribute hub
Skill
Selected path
Search match
/ search · Enter select · Esc clear
Edge weights here are approximations: skill→attribute = 1 circle, attribute→adjacent attribute = 2 circles. The displayed TN penalty is computed as 2 × circles per the SR2 rule. For canonical dot counts on a tricky default, consult the diagram in SR2 p. 69.
// HOW TO USE — HEURISTICS
Often the shortest path. Example: Sorcery ⇄ Conjuring (both Willpower, both magical). Typically a handful of circles → modest TN bump.
Both attached to the same Attribute, but spread across the cluster. Example: Sorcery ⇄ Military Theory. Path runs through more dots; cheaper to default to Willpower directly.
Going from one Attribute's cluster to another's typically crosses the web's spine. Usually faster to default to your own linked Attribute and accept the penalty than to chase a related skill on a foreign hub.
No related skill, or none nearby? Drop straight to the linked Attribute. Pay +2 per circle between the skill node and the Attribute hub on the diagram.
If an arrow on the web points against your trace direction, the route is closed. Try a different one or accept defaulting to Attribute instead.
A handful of skills simply don't connect to others (and some don't connect to certain Attributes). If yours doesn't, defaulting isn't an option — the GM may rule a flat "no" or allow a Karma-based fudge.
To count exact circles for a given default during play, consult the diagram in Shadowrun, Second Edition, p. 69. The structure above lists which skills cluster under which Attribute; the book's diagram is the authority on exact distances.
- Sorcery and Conjuring require a Magic Rating — mundanes cannot buy them at chargen, nor default to them.
- Etiquette always functions through a Concentration. Buying it without one is wasted points.
- Concentration ratings track the general skill: when the general changes, the Concentration moves with it.
The index above merges SR2 core (pp. 68–77) with skill / concentration additions from six 2e supplements. Each non-core addition carries a coloured source pill: AWK Awakenings, GRIM Grimoire 2e, COMP Companion, RIG2 Rigger 2.
- Awakenings — adds Escape Artist (new skill, p. 114). Voudoun "Calling the Loa" etc. are special procedures riding on existing Conjuring / Karma rules, not new skills.
- Grimoire 2e — adds Enchanting (with Talismongering / Alchemy / Artificing concentrations, p. 26–28) and a Sorcery → Forensic Magic concentration (p. 35). Initiation, metamagic, anchoring, and geasa are mechanic subsystems on top of existing magical skills.
- Companion — Beyond the Shadows — adds Instruction (new skill, p. 47).
- Rigger 2 — adds concentrations only: Gunnery → Indirect Fire, Stealth → Vehicle Stealth, Military Theory/Tactics → Vehicle Tactics, Electronics → Control Systems.
- Virtual Realities 2.0 and Cybertechnology — surveyed; no new skills or concentrations beyond what is in SR2 core. (Both expand existing rules / catalogues rather than adding new named skills.)