Sense comptar les habilitats en armes, Rifts té un llistat de més de 240 habilitats. Per tant, la probabilitat de no tenir l'habilitat justa que cal en el moment adient és molt alta.
Per solucionar aquest problema ens hem de fixar en dos punts de les regles:
1) Les habilitats secundaries es defineixen com àrees de coneixement que "no requereixen del mateix grau d'expertesa que les habilitats relacionades amb les OCC" (pg. 300 RUE).
2) Realitzar una tasca no familiaritzada té una penalització del -10% al -15%.(pg 301 RUE).
Per tant, un PJ pot intentar qualsevol habilitat secundària prenen el seu nivell base i restant-li -10% (o -15% si el DJ ho creu escaient).
A continuació hi ha el llistat de les habilitats secundaries amb el seu nivell base (on s'ha de restar el penalitzador que calgui):
Communication Skills
Barter (30%)
Creative Writing (25%)
Electronic Countermeasures (30%)
Language: Native Tongue (88%)
Language: Other (50%)
Literacy: Native Language (40%)
Literacy: Other (30%)
Optic Systems (30%)
Performance (30%)
Public Speaking (30%)
Radio: Basic (45%)
Sensory Equipment (30%)
Sign Language (25%)
Sing (35%)
Domestic Skills
Brewing (25%/30%)
Cook (35%)
Dance (30%)
Fishing (40%)
Gardening (36%)
Housekeeping (35%)
Play musical instrument (35%)
Recycle (30%)
Sewing (40%)
Sing (35%)
Wardrobe & Grooming (50%)
Electrical Skills
Basic electronics (30%)
Computer repair (30%)
Horsemanship: General (40%/20%)
Horsemanship: Exotic Animals (30%/20%)
Mechanical Skills
Automotive mechanics (25%)
Basic mechanics (30%)
Animal husbandry (35%)
First aid (45%)
Military Skills
Camouflage (20%)
Recognize weapon quality (25%)
Physical Skills
Climbing (40%/30%)
Swimming (50%)
Pilot Skills
Automotive (60%)
Bicycling (44%)
Boat: Motor (55%)
Boat: Kayak (50%)
Boat: Sail Type (60%)
Hover craft (50%)
Hovercycle (70%)
Motorcycles (60%)
Rogue Skills
Gambling (Standard) (30%)
Science Skills
Astronomy & Navigation (30%)
Mathematics: Basic (45%)
Mathematics: Advanced (45%)
Technical Skills
Appraise Goods (30%)
Art (35%)
Begging (30%)
Breed Dogs (40%/20%)
Calligraphy (35%)
Computer Operation (40%)
Computer Programming (30%)
Cybernetics: Basic (25%)
Excavation (40%)
Firefighting (3 0%)
Gemology (25%)
General Repair & Maintenance (35%)
History: Pre-Rifts (32%/24%)
History: Post-Apocalypse (35%/30%)
Jury-Rig (25%)
Law (General; 35%)
Leather Working (40%)
Lore : American Indians (25%)
Lore : Cattle & Animals (30%)
Lore : D-Bee (25%)
Lore : Demons & Monsters (25%)
Lore : Faeries & Creatures of Magic (25%)
Lore : Juicers (30%)
Lore : Magic (25%)
Lore : Psychics & Psionics (25%)
Masonry (40%)
Mining (35%)
Mythology (30%)
Philosophy (30%)
Photography (35%)
Recycling (30%)
Research (40%)
Rope Works (30%)
Salvage (35%)
Ventriloquism (16%)
Whittling & Sculpting (30%)
Wilderness Skills
Carpentry (25%)
Dowsing (20%)
Fasting (40%)
Identify Plants & Fruit (25%)
Land Navigation (36%)
Preserve Food (30%)
Skin & Prepare Animal Hides (30%)
Track & Trap Animals (20%/30%)
Wilderness Survival (30%)