Double post - sorry, ran out of editing time (wow, that's a short period...):
Just a note - I have discovered recently there are a few skills on the SMCoI dev point tables that don't have write ups, and a few write-ups that don't have a DP cost.
What follows is a list I have compiled myself and attempted to fix; hopefully it will save you some bother, though it took twenty years and someone else noticing it first for me to fully realise how much was skipped!
Airborne Assault: Renamed Airborne Combat (Arms Companion p69).
Armour Working: No description. Use unknown nor readily identifyable as General skill. *shrug* No idea!
Audiophile Technology: Cost as Music Technology
Audiovisuals: Cost as Play Instrument Category #1
Brain Washing: cost as Criminal Psychology
Bicycling: Cost as Driving.
Computer Tapping: Missing from the first set of SMCoI professions (Armsman onwards), extrapolated a cost from comparing cost of the second set (Investigator onwards)
1Fluid systems: Bonus for the understanding of fluid mechanics.
Cybernetics/Cybernetic Engineering: Due to proofing errors, Cybernetics should have been Cybernetic Engineering and listed in the engineering skills category with the cost of Cybernetics. Skill description is under Cybernetic Engineering.
Genetics/Genetic Engineering: Due to proofing errors, Genetics should have been Genetic Engineering and listed in the engineering skills category with the cost of Genetics. Skill description is under Genetics.
Mechanical Diagnosis: Bonus for assessing the working condition of mechanical systems and diagnosing problems. This skill does not include the use of tech or multiscanners, but does include the use of diagnostic procedures which may include the use of information obtained from a scanner.
Skydiving: cost as Flying/Gliding
Streetwise: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Stone Lore: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Structural Engineering: Missing description, use the one in SMCoII for the expanded engineering/technical skills.
Stunned Maneouver: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Subduing: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Surfing: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Surgery: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Surveillance: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Survival: Missing description in SMCoI, see RMCoII
Tax Law: Bonus for understanding and application of laws pertaining to taxes. (This skill only applies for the use and understanding of legal methods, see Tax Evasion). This skill must be developed seperately for each culture, though similar skills may apply.
Toxin Identification: Renamed Poison Lore; see Poison Lore description, RoCoII
I also have personally changed all weapons skills (and directed spells) that cost of greater than 6 to 6 (and allowed the optinal use of RMC Combat companion combat styles or much broader weapon groups), and all vehicle weapon skills greater than 8 to 8. (I also have modified spell list aquisition a bit more heavily, but essentially again for the starting level, replaced any cost of greater than 8 with
.
(I seriously considered a blanket "if greater than 8, replace with 8" across all skills, since 8 is about 20%-25% of your basic DP (though I do also allow a +25% of base DP for "background skills" which is nebulously defined as "any skill that isn't in your profession's primary area.")
1For reference, I arrived at: Armsman/Pilot/Explorer/Med Tech 3/9, Systems Tech/Arms Tech 3/5, Elec Tech/Engineer 2/7, Researcher/Physician 4, Criminologist 2/4, Planetolosit/Telepath/Semi Telepath 5.