Welcome to the SkillZone. This article is one in an occasionally running series on one of the cornerstones of most RPGs: Skills. Skills usually have pretty cut and dry uses in roleplaying games. They are used by the player characters to perform actions and see if they are able to accomplish tasks. If your group is like my play groups, there are about 6 or 7 skills are used in almost every adventure, 3 or 4 that pop up occasionally, and about 10 that are rarely used. But one thing I’ve found is that creative, narrative use of skills that aren’t necessarily obvious in the moment is what separates good players from great players, and good games from great games. These uses generally create the best roleplaying fodder as well!
So in the SkillZone we will discuss a skill has uses not commonly thought of, and possible creative uses of skills that are too often taken for granted. For the next examination, we’ll cover another skill that’s not used enough in my games:
Vigilance
This might seem a bit odd as Vigilance is used in almost every session of Edge/Age/FaD. Vigilance is the skill one uses for (in many instances) initiative rolls. It happens all the time. But that’s where, I think, the problem lies. The books tell us something concrete to use the skill for, so that limits players’ and game masters’ imaginations into how to use the skill in other ways. I honestly can’t think of one time my players have used the skill for anything but initiative. Part of that is also my fault as I don’t build in reasonable uses for the skill into my adventures. So, let’s take a look at what Vigilance actually is, and how one might use it for things other than initiative in games.
Definition
The definition of Vigilance is: the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. It’s the PCs’ ability to notice things when concentrating on something else, or realizing a threat is imminent while the party moves forward. In other systems this might be called Perception (different in the SWRPG lines), Insight, or other names. It represents your preparedness to face a variety of challenges. It requires mental discipline and instantaneous decisions when things go wrong or happen that you don’t expect. This is a fairly specific definition, and one that seems limiting at the RPG table. The game handles part of this concept with initiative, however, there are many other ways to use this versatile skill.
Common Uses
Initiative is the no-brainer here, so we will skip that discussion. But there are more uses that can be common for this type of check. The core books suggest if a player wants to use a piece of equipment, one that needs to be prepared and readied, that a Vigilance check can be used to see if the PC remembered to ready it, or if it is even present. You can use Vigilance to determine if you notice some cover, or an escape route, or something in the room that could be used to sway the tide of a battle or tense negotiation. Advantage/Triumph on the Vigilance check can grant an extra maneuver due to a character’s focused preparation. In a couple of the paid FFG adventure books, Vigilance is used to determine if the PCs detect they’re being followed as well.
Use in Social Situations
I don’t think I’ve ever had my PCs think to use Vigilance in a social situation. They simply look at their social skills, and they also look only at skills they have ranks in. And as my PCs enjoy being completely combat focused, they have, for the most part, ignored the “initiative skills” like Vigilance. Therefore, they do not look in this direction when determining their actions in a round or situation. But Vigilance has some fantastic, narrative uses if you expand your thinking. Perhaps your PC is being interrogated and decides to make a Vigilance check to try and get a gauge on what sorts of questions or reactions the interrogator is looking for, with success resulting in upgrades in Deception checks as the interrogation goes on. Or perhaps that same PC uses Vigilance to try and find a way or time he can escape and break out of the room, perhaps noticing something in the room she can use or a moment a guard turns his back.
Maybe during negotiations for buying a certain item, PCs can use Vigilance to notice other things around his shop that might be like the same item, maybe making the price go down because he actually has a surplus. Or, perhaps the PCs notice with Vigilance that the shopkeeper is eyeballing another item the PC has, indicating that a trade might be possible. Maybe a PC could use Vigilance to determine if he notices tells during a high stakes card game, or even to tell if someone might be lying.
Use in Combat
Combat is a place where Vigilance can be used in many different contexts, leaving initiative out of the discussion. For example, if I was a Leadership-focused or “face” character, I might roll a Vigilance check to see if I can tell where and when reinforcements might arrive from. Or perhaps use the skill to notice what weapons a big boss has on him. I would also allow a PC to use Vigilance to try and anticipate what the enemy might do and be ready for it, giving him a boost die or a setback die for his enemy’s action upon success. Extra success or advantage might increase the effect as well. A sniper on overwatch can easily use Vigilance to get a jump on noticing enemies and even boosting their first shot from their position.
In a ship, Vigilance can be used to monitor sensors to notice, at the first possible moment, any threat or ship inbound towards the PC’s ship. You could use Vigilance in a dogfight to anticipate your opponent’s next move, adding to defense to hit you, or perhaps adding boost when you work to Gain the Advantage or hit your target. On a capital ship, a commander using Vigilance can boost the abilities of his crew, or perhaps a gunnery crew’s Vigilance can anticipate when a ship is going to fly through their firing arch, adding to their ability to hit that target.
So as you can see, Vigilance is a versatile skill if you want to use it for more than just initiative. Most of my PC’s ignore the initiative skills, too busy pumping skill ranks into combat skills. But if one was to dive into ranks of Vigilance, you can have ranks in a potent skill that can be used in and out of combat with a great variety of uses.
How have you used Vigilance creatively in your games?
Scott Alden
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