I am preparing a Monte Cook's Cypher system campaign and would like to know how many skills a starting 1st-tier character would be trained in?
[RPG] How many trained skills does a 1st tier cypher character have
character-creationcypher-systemskills
Related Solutions
For a well rounded group in all four roles, and 3 different power sources (Arcane, Martial, 2 Primal):
Striker: Rogue, DEX/CHA build. Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Intimidate, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery.
Leader: Bard, CHA/INT build. Skills: Arcana, Diplomacy, History, Religion, Heal.
Controller: Druid, WIS/CON build. Skills: Endurance, Heal, Insight, Nature.
Defender: Warden, STR/WIS build. Skills: Athletics, Dungeoneering, Nature, Perception.
Result: All 17 skills covered, with some overlap on Heal (with the Druid being the true person for the Heal check, the Bard picking it up for emergencies despite not having WIS primary/secondary), and Nature (shared between Druid/Warden.) Hits all four roles. And likely has a bit of fun in the process. ;)
This quote is from Dark Heresy, which, along with Deathwatch, are the only books i own, but being the same rules system, i believe this should be the answer you seek:
Gaining Skills
When you create your character you begin with a list of starting Skills based on your home world, as well as a selection of Skills from your Career Path. These Skills represent what you have learned in your life up to the point where you chose to serve the Inquisition.
Skill Mastery
Sometimes you will have the opportunity to acquire the same Skill more than once. Each time you acquire a Skill a second or subsequent time, you gain Skill Mastery with it. Skill Mastery adds a +10 bonus to all Skill Tests made with this Skill. You can acquire the same Skill no more than three times (granting a maximum Skill Mastery of +20). This represents additional training and experience with the Skill you have gained during your career.
So, those skills which you improved further after the game has started, through talents or abilities, are Skill Masteries. But the ones you start the game with are simply skills you have the necessary training to use them.
So, you gain the ability to roll checks with no penalty with your starting skills.
But, during character creation, you can spend the initial experience points to buy those skills again and thus recieve the +10 advancement from skill mastery.
Best Answer
The answer varies based on some factors. The system does NOT provide any automatic levels of training which are universal to all characters. Instead, Training is found exclusively within abilities listed for each Character Type, Descriptor, and Focus. Not all of these offer Training, and some offer more than others. This is pretty balanced with other abilities, though.
Character Types
Each of the four Types has an option among its starting abilities for a type of Skill to be considered Trained in. These are still chosen abilities, not automatic. For Example, a Warrior may choose "Physical Skills" as one of his starting abilities, which allows him to be Trained in two skills from the list provided in the ability description on page 25.
Character Descriptors
Some of the Descriptors provide Trained status in one or more areas. These seem to always be a specific area of focus related to the descriptor. For example Doomed (page 70) provides Trained Status in three different areas, perhaps to offset the terrible drawback of being Doomed.
Character Foci
Some of the Foci provide Training in certain areas related to the specific Focus. For example, the Focus "Conducts Weird Science" (page 109) offers the Tier One ability "Scientist," which lets the character be trained in one area of scientific knowledge of his choice.
Notes
Some areas of Training are for different situations rather than discrete abilities. This can create overlap. Any time Training can apply from two different abilities, the character will be considered Specialized. For example a "Warrior who Battles Robots" might be trained in Medium Weapons, and also Trained in fighting robots. (Not at Tier One, but this is just for an example.) If he fights a robot with a medium weapon, he is Specialized.
There are no extra bonuses for a third overlapping area of Training.