Skill Cards

Unarmed fighting, slapstick combat, pies to the face

Brawl damage is almost always non-lethal and recovers at the end of the scene (see Chapter Eight, Elasticity). Bruisers and Loose Cannons rely on it more than any other combat skill.

Frying pans, mallets, props wielded as weapons

The distinction from Brawl is the object. A fist is Brawl; a fist holding a frying pan is Melee.

Thrown anvils, cartoon firearms, slingshots, dynamite

Short-range thrown weapons use Agility by default; heavier or distance thrown items may use Might at GM discretion.

Running, climbing, lifting, raw exertion

Cartoon chases almost always use Athletics for both pursuer and quarry. When a task could go either way, use Athletics for raw effort and Coordination for finesse.

Balance, tumbling, acrobatics, dodging

The difference between falling and falling stylishly is a Coordination check; a fall taken deliberately belongs to Pratfall instead (see Cartoon Skills, In Depth).

Alertness, nerve, preparedness, resisting surprise

Readiness resists surprise, fear, intimidation, despair, and sudden mental pressure: anything that tests whether the toon keeps their nerve before the gag lands. Where Perception notices the threat, Readiness keeps the toon steady against it.

Tracking, wilderness sense, animal handling, staying alive off-lot

Survival is the skill for knowing when the painted desert is about to become a real desert for exactly one scene.

Lockpicking, sleight of hand, planted props, covert manipulation

Escaping bonds and disabling simple traps fall under Subterfuge. It handles the physical side of trickery; lying and false faces belong to Deception.

Tiptoeing, hiding behind lampposts, the silent approach

Cartoon stealth has its own visual grammar: silent footsteps exaggerated to comical height, hiding behind a lamppost while entirely visible, whistling innocently. The GM is encouraged to ask for a Stealth check any time a character moves silently in a scene, even if the check is trivial.

Enduring pain, staying on your feet, the will not to faint

Resilience covers ignoring Strain and resisting effects that target the body indirectly. Toons cannot truly die (Chapter Two), so it mostly determines how many rounds of abuse you can absorb before Wiped Out.

Building gadgets, props, traps, disguises, explosives

The Prop Department catalog in Chapter Six is effectively a list of things Craft produces.

Studio history, comedy theory, who worked with whom, when

Any historical or reference question about cartoon-industry matters defaults to Lore.

Cartoon first aid, smelling salts, fake diagnoses, recovery gags

Medicine keeps a toon functional after a bad scene; the care itself is always the joke version, bandages wrapped around everything except the injury.

Noticing what is there, and what should be

Perception often serves as a saving throw against Cartoon Physics: a high Perception check may let you realize you have run off the cliff before gravity remembers.

Toon science, impossible engineering theory, laboratory logic

Craft builds the gadget; Science explains why it should work, even when it absolutely should not.

Studio-lot gossip, backdoor deals, the rumor economy

The line against Lore is recency: Lore is what is recorded, Streetwise is what is current on the lots this week.

Winning friends, courting audiences, the warm approach

When the approach turns to lying, use Deception; when it turns transactional, use Negotiation.

Lying, disguises, misdirection, the cold approach

Fourth-wall aware characters may use Deception against the narration itself (see Chapter Eight); most groups rule this requires Fourth-Wall support.

Threats, pressure, menace, dominance, cold authority

Intimidation is linked to Willpower by default: the frightening toon is usually the one who refuses to blink first.

Directing an ensemble, commanding, bossing the set

Leadership is Willpower-linked rather than Charisma-linked because leading an ensemble of unruly toons takes stubbornness more than charm.

Contracts, renewals, residuals, studio lawyers

Bribery falls under Negotiation. It is the skill of choice when the scene is set in the executive tower rather than on the soundstage.

All cartoon vehicles: jalopies, rockets, anvil-sleds, rolling bombs

One skill covers every vehicle in the setting, up to and including the back of a giant mechanical ostrich. See Chapter Seven for vehicle statistics and chase rules.

Designing bits, setups, payoffs, the architecture of a scene

Controlled falls, landing marks, taking the hit with grace

Audience awareness, addressing the camera, screen navigation

Singing, dancing, acting, the on-camera craft