Making non-combat actions:

[Judging__Eagle]

I'm seriously considering making "Caution" be a stat for FAR. Under Form->Trained->Mental->Caution. You need Caution checks to keep yourself from ignoring your environment. Of course, you can't make Empathy checks of any kind if you're constantly making Caution checks.

The current idea that I'm working with is that a basic descriptor for an action is what you roll first; any Hits there carry over to your subsequent checks to spot, listen or analyze for anything like that.

Diplomacy is part of the Empathy game; you have to give someone something they want, and Empathy lets you figure out what an other person wants.

I might however make those into sub-abilities. So

Caution gets
-Spot
-Listen
-Sense Motive
-other things

The idea is that Abilities have 3 basic tiers (1 rank [Minor] you can be something; 3 ranks [moderate] you can apply what you can be; and 6 ranks [Major] you always are something).

Each point in an ability allows a new sub-type, and no sub-type can be bought at a higher level than the Ability's actual score. [not sure on this part; I think seperating the connection will work more organically]

A creature who has a single Dice in an ability may then begin to buy sub-abilities. The total rank of an Ability is added to any sub-abilities dice pools when making checks. The cap of 10 dice in a pool is still in effect, and no base pool can ever go beyond 10. .