Hoi omae,
I've got feew questions about Improved Ability (Skill).
- What skills are "combat skills"? I think only Close Combat, Firearms and Exotic Weapons but what about Spellcasting?
This is an undefined delineation. So, whatever your GM says is a combat skill is a combat skill. For example, I'd personally include Athletics, since that's the skill you use to shoot people with bows as well as blow them up with grenades... By the same logic, I'd probably also include Spellcasting since killing someone with a fireball is a hard sell to be labelled "non combat" in my book...
- Can I use it with Magic based or Resonance based skills like Spellcasting or Tasking?
Despite the ambiguity on pricing, there's clearly no restriction on which skills are compatible with the power. Your GM will just have to make a judgement call on whether any of them qualify as "combat skills".
- Skill levels go up only to 12, can I have more than 12 ranks in skill with Improved Ability?
Skill levels actually only go up to 9. "Levels" of 10-12 are normally only attainable via specializations or expertises. That being said: No, the power doesn't say anything about raising the maximum value the skill may have. For contrast, see Aptitude (Skill) pg. 70, as something that raises the maximum value a skill may have.