Eye For Bugs

Skill

Image
Description	Everyone knows a bit about insects and other "bugs", but they're truly fascinating creatures. Even in the sprawl of Metroplex, hundreds of species survive and thrive, living alongside humans in relative harmony. Now, none of that will prevent people from being terrified of them, but even the scariest bug has a tale to tell.
Effects	Opens your eyes to the world of bugs and lets you build cages

Sources

Encyclopedia of Bugs

Uses

This skill can be toggled to (de)activate it from your character sheet. Using the skill gives:

You kind of feel like bugs are crawling all over you… maybe finding some of the real ones will help?

And then:

(If skill is toggled off)
You aren't looking for these right now.
Start!

(If skill is toggled on)
You're keeping your eyes open.
Close Them

Choosing to start results in:

You review what you know about bugs, resolving to check under every damp rock and in every shadowed corner.
(And, on the first time)
With some cabling, you're pretty sure you could make a cage yourself, but it's probably easier to find someone to sell you some online.

You've learned a new simple recipe: Bug Cage - Laboriously shape some Frayed Cabling (1 Energy)

And, the next time you visit the Net:

Bugs in the System
You faintly remembering hearing something about a site to buy bug stuff. It takes a few searches, but you track it down.

You've gained access to a new site: Bug Emporium

Choosing to close your eyes results in:

Bugs are pretty great, but there's a time and a place. That time isn't right now.

Encounters

When the skill is engaged you occasionally get noncombat encounters to catch a bug. These encounters do not cost energy.

These bugs can be encountered sober or Etheric:

Image	Intro Text	Item	Type	Effects
	A cricket hops here and there, stopping as it gets further from you to cheerfully chirp.	caught cricket	Usable	Released Cricket: +2 Etheric Defense +2 Will
	A dull moth flutters about, landing every so often as though it's tired.	caught moth	Usable	Released Moth +2 Ranged Defense +2 Perception
	(Indoors only?) A fly buzzes around endlessly. Normally it would just annoy you, but out looking for bugs it can be a challenge.	caught fly	Usable	Released Fly: +2 Melee Defense +2 Reflexes
	(Indoors only?) You see enough cockroaches in Southside, but this one is far enough from everything you might actually be able to catch it.	caught cockroach	Usable	Released Roach: +2 Fire Defense +2 Strength
	(Outdoors only?) Slugs aren't known for their speed, but the one here seems to be doing its best.	caught slug	Usable	Released Slug: +3 Stealth Defense
	(Only with a fishing pole equipped in a zone where fishing is possible?) After some digging around, you find a worm. Even the Bug Encyclopedia barely considers them among their ranks, but they make good bait.	bait worm	Usable	Bait Worm: +1 Fishing +1 Chance of Fishing Up Actual Fish
	(Outdoors only?) A little digging around beneath rocks reveals a large grub, twitching disgustingly as it tries to get away from you.	edible grub	Food

Note: Released Bug Effects are mutually exclusive. Using another Caught bug converts all energy of that effect to the new effect, and adds the normal 30 turns of the new effect.

These bugs can only be encountered if you are non-Etheric:

Image	Intro Text	Item	Type	Effects
	A beautiful butterfly flitters past. Only one way to respond to that! Try to catch it!	tired butterfly	Furniture	+1 Evasion Power
	A shiny beetle scuttles across your path, looking somewhat confused.	fiery beetle	Furniture	+1 Fire Power
	A beautiful spider waits in the corner, retreating into the deeper recesses of its web as you approach.	beautiful spider	Furniture	+1 Stealth Power

These bugs can only be encountered if you are Etheric:

Image	Intro Text	Item	Type	Effects
	A massive wasp that looks like it's been cast from metal buzzes around, as though daring you to catch it. It jabs at you repeatedly with its stinger, making it hard to get close. or with sufficient Melee Defense?: But the idea of being stung doesn't really bother you.	metallic wasp	Misc	Salvages to ingots and Metal Sting
	A large beetle crawls across your path. As you try to identify it, its shell opens to reveal a staring human eye. The eye twitches and turns, seeming to inspect you. or, with sunglasses??? As though the eye has seen you, it begins shuffling off with surprising speed.	eye beetle	Usable	Grants Encased Gaze
	A spider the size of your hand scurries across the ground, insantly grabbing your attention. There aren't spiders that size in Metroplex, outside of Midgard's drones. On closer inspection, there certainly <aren't or shouldn't be> spiders with fingers instead of legs either.	finger spider	Usable	Grants Skittering Hand
	You stumble onto a massive bug with a face-like pattern on its back. The false face leers at you as the bug scuttles away.	mask bug	Hats	+4 Etheric Power +2 Melee Power (Grants Insect Visage)
	Stick insects can be found in the sparse forests around Metroplex, but they're supposed to be a few inches long. The thing here is… five feet, maybe even longer. It'll be a challenge to catch.	spear bug	Weapons	+6 Melee Power +2 Melee Defense (Grants Living Spear)
	There are some bugs you're familiar with called shield bugs, but this seems like a more literal interpretation. You've found a bug large enough you're confident you could use it to block a sword if you just got it to sit still long enough.	shield bug	Offhand	+4 Melee Defense +2 Etheric Power (Grants Chitin Barrier)

While Underwater, all(?) the above messages are replaced by:

Something struggles at the surface of the water, attracting your attention.

Each encounter consists of:

<Image>

<Intro Text>

And then:
You wait for the perfect moment and snag it with your hand. Gotcha!

Or, with bug net equipped:
You wait for the perfect moment and snag it with your bug net. Gotcha!

Or:
You try your best to catch it, but it slips away at the last moment.

And then:
You don't have a cage to store it in, but take pride in knowing you caught it.

Or, for a metallic wasp:

Without a cage to store it in, you take pride in knowing you could have caught it… and are smart enough not to tangle with it further.

You've earned 2 XP in Will (Or 4 XP, for more difficult bugs?) [Does not add bug to your bug display, if any]

Or, if you have an empty bug cage:
You load it up into your cage.

Or, if you have an empty bug cage, for larger bugs (shield bug, spear bug, mask bug):
Although it only sort of fits in the cage, it's become strangely docile one you finally restrained it.

You found: <item>

And, if you have a Bug Display (installed?):
You snap a picture of it with your comm and upload it to your bug collection back home.

And, if you increase your skill:
You've gotten better at bughunting. Your rank is now <rank name>.

Ranks

The higher your rank in this skill, the more likely you are to catch a given bug. (Unsurprisingly, your chance of catching bugs is also increased if you have an item or effect that grants a Bug Catching bonus.)

Rank Name	Rank	Needed from last level	Total needed
Just Starting	1	1	1
Learning	2	3	4
Amateur	3	5	9
Comfortable	4	7	16
Solid	5	9	25
Good	6	11	36
Professional	7	13	49
Advanced*	8	15	64
Master*	9	17	81
Awesome*	10	19	100
Incredible*	11	21	121

* These higher skill levels were unlocked when the skill was bugged; may not be obtainable now. (Insert joke about the bug skill being bugged.)

Encountering a bug, whether you catch it successfully or not, may increase your rank. Some bugs are harder to catch than others. Encountering a bug that's too easy to catch given your rank will not allow you to get better at bughunting.

Bug	At Rank
	Didn't Catch	Caught	Didn't Gain Skill	Gained Skill
Cricket	1	1,2,3,4,5,6	1,2,3,4,5,6
Moth	1	1,2,3,4,5,6	1,2,3,4,5,6
Fly	0,1,2	1,2,3,4,5,6	2,3,4,5,6	0,1
Cockroach	0,1,2	1,2,3,4,5,6	2,3,4,5,6	0,1
Slug		1,2,3,4,5,6	2,3,4,5,6
Bait Worm	1	3	1
Grub		1,2,3,4,5,6	1,2,3,4,5,6
Beautiful Butterfly	1,2			1,2
Shiny Beetle		2,3	2	3
Beautiful Spider	2		2
Wasp/Jabs you	2	3,4,5,6	6	2,3,4,5
Wasp/Melee Defense		3,4,5,6	5,6	3,4,5
Eye Beetle/Inspects you	2	2,3,4,5	3,4,5	2
Eye Beetle/Scuttles off	2,5,6	5,6	5,6	2
Finger Spider/Aren't		3,4,5,6	4,5,6	3
Finger Spider/Shouldn't	1,2,3	3,4,5,6	5,6	1,2,3
Mask Bug		3		3
Spear Bug		4,5,6		4,5,6
Shield Bug		5	5

Avatar

If you have completed your bug display, the first time you view it with a bug net equipped gives this message:

Well, that's one hell of a collection. You think you can count yourself among the true enthusiasts now.

You've unlocked the Bug Catcher Avatar

Techniques

	Technique	Type	Attribute	Notes
	Metal Sting	Stealth	Reflexes	+damage if "inoffensive"
	Living Spear	Melee	Strength	+damage as opener
	Chitin Barrier	Evasion	Will	Enhanced following Living Spear or Insect Visage
	Insect Visage	Etheric	Will
	Encased Gaze	Etheric	Will	Requires Etheric; enhanced following Insect Visage
	Skittering Hand	Stealth	Will	Requires Etheric and/or your SP > opponents ED; enhanced following Insect Visage

Living Spear, Chitin Barrier, Insect Visage are also enhanced with their respective bugs equipped, and need those bugs equipped to enhance other techniques.