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Skills
Midian
uses a free-form skill system. This means
that your character will have as much or as little detail on skills as is
necessary—your skills and backgrounds/experiences should look something like a
medieval version of a résumé. In other
words, the fighter needs only list “first-aid,” whereas the healer would list “set
broken bones,” “apply field dressing,” and “apply pressure dressing.” A real-world example would be someone
applying for a job in data-entry would list “3 years experience in C++”
on her résumé; but if that same person were applying for a job in sales, she
would only need to put “computer experience.”
There is no limit (except what the
Game Master states) to specialization—in either direction. Your specialization can be as focused that
it only applies to a specific sword using a certain swing at night or as
generalized as just ‘hurting stuff.’
For apprenticeship skills, each level of the skill counts as one degree
of specialization. If the Game Master
decides that a skill check is necessary for an apprenticeship skill, consider
each level equal to 2-5 proficiency levels; assign an attribute for the check
if needed.
For
increased specialization in a proficiency, add +3 to the roll and –5 for the
general skill. This works both
ways—i.e. if you are specifically skilled in “lifting” (a subset of “sleight-of-hand”
allowing you to pocket something unnoticed) then you get a +3 to all rolls for
shop-lifting something, but a minus 5 for all rolls involving making a coin
appear from someone’s ear. Another
example: if you have the glyph
writing skill and want to carve an engraving in armour (as a sort of “generic
make pretty things” skill) you would be at –5 to do so unless you also
possessed the appropriate skills for armour engraving. Apprentice-journeyman-master skills typically
do not involve rolling. For these
skills, one level difference applies for specialization. Yet another example of what I’m talking
about: if you possess the skill of “gem-cutting”
(subset of “jeweller”) at the apprentice level, you would be effectively
a journeyman jeweller when it comes to cutting and appraising stones, but a
talented journeyman-cutter is only as good as an apprentice when it involves
actually setting the stone into a bracelet.
If you are trying to use a skill that you do not possess; say, swinging
a sword, then the –5 rule applies—with possible additional penalties (for
example the –3 modifier to use an unfamiliar ranged weapon, which brings the
total to-hit penalty to use a longbow untrained to –8). This assumes that the Game Master even lets
you try. An unskilled runner can still
attempt to run, but if you’ve no magical training then you will not even know
where to begin to draw a protection circle.
A quick check of the math shows that this still gives even the biggest
idiot a roughly 50/50 chance to club an unarmoured target with a big stick.
Anyone
may learn any skill, provided he or she has someone to act as a teacher. The Game Master has final say as to
availability of someone with the skill willing and able to teach your
character. You may be highly restricted
as to your choice at character generation, but there is nothing that says—for
example—that a wizard cannot learn how to use a longbow. The warrior may learn necromancy; the thief
may learn psionic skills—even without having any psychic traits; the wizard may
wear armour.
Skills
fall into 4 categories with 3 types each.
The categories are: technical
(knowing, making, doing), social (interacting with others), martial
(killing & breaking stuff), and mystic (magical or unusual). The types of skills are: proficiencies (measured in skill
levels), apprentice (then later journeyman & master), and basic
(no differing degree of skill—you know it or you don’t). Lore skills are a sub-set of (usually
apprentice) skills dealing with the memory retention of obscure facts. The list of skills is broken up by type
(apprentice skills, basic, and proficiencies).
The
base number to try to roll for most skill checks is 11 or better (rolled on a
D20). Some skills will have a different
target number or do not require a roll at all (such as speaking your native
language). For proficiencies, add the
skill level to the check; most basic or apprentice skills do not usually
require a skill check—your GM will determine the result of the outcome if
success is in doubt. Attempting
something for which you have no skill is at least a –5 penalty to the skill
check, if it is at all possible. That
is, you have only an attribute modifier (if any) to assist on the skill
check—if the GM allows an attempt at all.
The hours
listed is the base time needed to learn the skill. Details for learning skills can be found in the Advancement
chapter.
Some
skills (usually apprentice skills) will count as double or more for purposes of
creating a starting character; this will be listed with the skill.
The
maximum starting level a proficiency may be is 3 (skill cost equal to 3
skills). The maximum starting level for
an apprentice skill is journeyman (costs 2 skills to increase to this level).
Double
difficulty to learn means that the normal chance to learn the skill (based on
Knowledge) is cut in half. Half the
chance, twice as hard—get it?
Skill
suites are a collection of skills that are learned together. They may represent a generalized basic skill
(such as "fixin' stuff") or a collection of related abilities (like
"18-weapon style"). Skill
suites usually require multiple skill choices to learn. In other words, a skill suite may count as 3
or more skill selections at character creation (but may have 5 different
skills).
In
this system, skills are stackable. For
example, if you have the armorer skill, the engraving specialization, & the
trait eye for art, then all apply to engraving armour. Another example: melee weapon skill stacks with the signature combat skill with
all bonuses applying.
At
the Game Master's discretion, if you have complimentary skills—such as Animal
Lore, Tracking, and Recognize Tracks—then you can make several skill checks
with the amount that the roll was successful by being a bonus to the other
skill(s). Optionally all of the skill
levels may be added together and a single roll made. This speeds things up a bit, but is less realistic. Apprentice skills add to proficiencies at +2
per level (apprentice adds +2, journeyman adds +4, master adds +6). The Game Master has the choice of which
option to use (if any).
Another
form of stacking skills—while learning them at least—is the skill suite. Skill suites are related skills that either,
have the same knowledge shared between them, or are connected by
occupation. Sample skill suites:
Artist: Calligraphy, Cartography,
Drawing, Engraving, Forgery, Painting, 7 skills & 1500 hours—reduced to 4
skills & 1300 hours
Clerical:
Administration, Literacy, Mathematics, 3 skills & 2100 hours—reduced
to 2 skills & 1800 hours
Courier: Eavesdropping, Heraldry,
Horsemanship: Basic, Land Navigation,
Packing, 5 skills & 1280 hours—reduced to 3 skills & 1000 hours
Holistic Healing: Described
below under Proficiencies
Master Scribe: Clerical
Suite, Arcane Symbols, Bookbinding, Calligraphy, Drawing, Forgery, Lunaruen,
Runes, Speed Reading, The Art of the Deal, 10 skills & 3820 hours—reduced
to 6 skills & 3000 hours
Political Science:
Administration, Appropriate history skill, Boasting, Bullshit,
Conversational Dominance, Diplomacy, Etiquette, Heraldry, Operations, Public
Speaking, 10 skills & 2200 hours—reduced to 7 skills & 1800 hours
Apprenticeships Basic skills Proficiencies
These skills are measured in terms
of general competency. You start out as
an apprentice, with only basic knowledge and experience. As you progress (or if you spend 2 additional
skill slots at character creation), you become a journeyman. Your skill has increased to a professional
level and you can perform routine tasks under your skill with little effort and
with a good chance for success. A
master of a skill has progressed to the highest level. You are capable of making ‘masterpieces’
with great effort. Routine tasks can
now be done with little thought or effort, and ones that are more difficult are
accomplished with greater ease. The
only skill that you start out with at the master level (unless granted by class
or Game Master favour) is your skill at speaking your native language.
Social
Apprentice
200 hours
All the world's a stage...so where
does the audience sit? In addition to
drama, comedy, or tragedy, this skill helps when you are pretending to be someone
other than who you are. This skill also
covers voice projection and blocking (getting between the director and his
bong). An interesting use of this skill
is using innuendo and in-jokes (like that last one) to convey messages to
certain people. You must succeed in a
Grace check (+3 per skill level) to successfully send the message. Conversely, someone else who may be privy to
some of the information being sent (i.e. they're in on some of the jokes) can
make a successful Common Sense check to understand the message.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
600 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Being a farmer is much more
difficult than many people think. This
skill covers the planting, growing, harvesting, and storage of crops as well as
basic field maintenance. This skill
does not cover raising animals—that is Animal
Husbandry.
Apprentice
600 hours
Requires: Chemistry
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This is the knowledge of the most
basic forms of alchemy. You know proper
lab procedures, and proper ways to mix, prepare, distil, and extract. You can combine arcane ingredients in ways
impossible to normal chemistry. This
skill also allows you to identify unknown substances: bizarre blue metals, acids,
potions, poisons, etc. You need a lab
to use this skill properly (about 500 Guilder worth of beakers, bottles,
burners, and other equipment). Not
having an adequate lab makes your job much more difficult—even impossible for
some tasks.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
400 hours
This is basic knowledge of how the
body works and its internal structures.
Magical creatures (such as Elves or Goblins) will still have basic
functioning systems similar to normal animals.
Technical
Apprentice
600 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Being a farmer is much more
difficult than many people think. This
skill covers: raising, breeding, and
slaughtering of domesticated animals.
It also includes minor veterinary care.
Animal Training (animal type)
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
Similar to the Teaching skill, but this works for beasts. This skill also shares similarities to
weapon proficiencies in that you need to specialize in one type of animal. Additional animal types may be taught if you
study the animals' behaviour for 100 hours (can be tested down). You receive a +20% bonus to learn additional
types of animals. Typical animals that
can be trained are: dogs, horses,
monkeys/apes, and parrots (or other talking birds). What kinds of tricks an animal may learn—and how well they learn
them—depends on what kind of animal it is.
For example, dogs can learn to fetch, guard or attack; whereas teaching
a parrot to do anything but speak or whistle is quite difficult. Teaching a cat to do anything it doesn't
want to do is an exercise in futility.
Mystic
Apprentice
200 hours
With this skill you can interpret
the glyphs and magical marks that you come across. An apprentice can decipher only the more commonly used symbols,
whereas a master knows all but the oldest and most unusual or cryptic
wards. This skill does not allow you to
create magic simply by writing on something with mystic symbols, but does allow
you to correctly understand and use those that you do know how to incorporate
into another ritual. This skill could
be used, for example, to tell what was summoned from a magic circle that you
discovered in a cave (and maybe what went wrong). Understanding arcane symbols is essential to creating your own
spells, wards, or circles.
Technical
Apprentice
1200 hours
Requires: Literacy; journeyman Mathematics; Drawing;
and either Carpentry, Mechanical Engineering, or Stonemasonry
With
this skill, you can design buildings or other large structures. This skill also helps you to find weaknesses
of a structure or hidden areas within it.
Not having accurate plans of the building that you want to destroy or
explore is more difficult and requires that you make them up yourself based on
available empirical evidence.
Technical
Apprentice
800 hours
Requires: Blacksmith
Counts as
two skills at character creation
Leatherworking is needed instead for
leather armour and sewing for quilted armours.
Either is quite handy for padding and straps. This skill also allows you to refit, repair, and modify
armour. Many armourers are also
weaponsmiths and blacksmiths.
Mystic
Apprentice
300 hours
You have the ability to see
auras. As an apprentice, you only
perceive a faint outline, getting a general idea to major colours and
strength—after great concentration. At
the journeyman level, you may pick up general characteristics of auras with
little effort, and greater detail with more concentration (colour patterns,
shape, etc.). You also have a greater
understanding of what someone’s aura indicates: whether they are sick, non-human, possessed, etc. At this level, the amount of information you
pick up about someone’s emotional state increases from general terms—calm or
upset, to more specific emotions:
happy, angry, scared. The master
level of this skill imparts more understanding and detail. General aura traits may be picked up
effortlessly, and this skill may be used automatically upon meeting someone if
you desire. Your degree of emotional
sensitivity increases to where you can tell if someone is angry with the person
who just walked into the room, for example.
Note that use of this skill is noticeable in that you must stare intently
at the person you are trying to read; even at the master level, you must focus
to determine anything other than the most basic information. You may use this skill as a lie-detector;
someone’s aura may flare-up when they lie.
Higher levels of this skill impart improved ability to determine whether
or not someone is telling the truth.
The Game Master may assign fatigue points for use of this skill. 1 point per 5 minutes concentration is
suggested.
Social
Apprentice
180 hours
The science of getting
drunk mixed with the artistry of getting someone else drunk in style. You know how to mix, pour, and serve
drinks. You also gain a great deal of
patience. One of the benefits of this
skill is your experience listening to drunken slurring enables you to
understand your comrade when he tries to tell you that his jaw has been
broken.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
You are skilled in weaving materials
together to make a variety of baskets.
Plant fibres are usually best for this.
This skill also allows you to make rattan items.
Social
Apprentice
60 hours
This demoralizing shout charges you
up for a fight. This skill was first
developed by the Killian for their warriors.
An apprentice's battle cry (or war cry, or kiya) can be used in an
ambush to gain an extra round of surprise.
A journeyman's shouting in battle pumps him up to where he also gains +3
to initiative on the first round (only).
The master's fearsome cries eliminate fatigue and combat penalties for a
full minute—but drain her afterward.
The master's battle cry reinstates all penalties and fatigue after the
minute is up, and add 2 more points of fatigue. In addition, those that have a reputation of 10 or more can
actually inspire fear in their foes.
Once per fight, the famous warrior may stun her foes for 2 rounds with
the infamous battle cry. The stun
effect does stack with surprise rounds (4 total) if used in the first round of
an ambush.
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This is the ability to work a forge
to produce useful metal items.
Specialized tasks such as jewellery, weapons, or armour, require
additional skills. This skill is a
prerequisite for many skills involving working with metal.
Martial
Apprentice
200 hours
This skill enables you to make the
most of your edged weapons. You can
sharpen a blade to a razor-edge. Each
level of this skill gives a blade +1 to damage. Sharpening the blade takes 5 minutes for each +1. The blades will need to be resharpened
periodically, depending on use. An edge
this fine will last for only one or two battles when you strike hard armour. This skill also includes the Weapon
Maintenance skill.
Martial
Apprentice
300 hours
This is the skill of navigating and
fighting in the dark. You learn how to
use your other senses as well as how to respond to faint visual clues. As an apprentice, you can fight in melee
combat with minimal light such as a cloudy, moonless night. As a journeyman, you can operate in total
darkness or use ranged weapons in minimal light. As a master, you work as well without light as you do during the
day (except read; just try reading without light sometime—your computer monitor
doesn't count).
Mystic
Apprentice
180 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
By sacrificing a single hit point a
weapon may be increased by +1 to hit, parry, damage or initiative (choose one
at the time of the ‘blessing’). At
journeyman level, 2 bonuses may be selected per hit point spent and you can now
spend more than one hit point to gain higher bonuses. When the master level is achieved, all bonuses are gained per hit
point spent. The bonus lasts for the
duration of that combat. This ritual
takes only one round to perform.
Martial
Apprentice
100 hours
You know how to slam your body into
someone for maximum effect and minimal damage to yourself. An apprentice smashes his shoulder into someone
doing 1D4 + Strength bonus points of damage.
A journeyman is able to knock someone down by using the mass of his body
to shove his opponent onto the ground.
If the opponent outweighs the journeyman by at least double weight,
there is an opposed Strength challenge.
If the journeyman wins, both fall to the ground with the journeyman on
top. Being knocked down in this fashion
prevents any actions this round, and puts you at the end of the initiative
order for the next (don't bother to roll).
In other words, the journeyman knocks the opponent down, gets to attack
you if he has additional actions, and gets to attack you again before you can
do anything. Being on the ground causes
a minimum -4 penalty to all actions and some tasks will be impossible. The master has a few additional
options: he can knock someone back 1D4
feet plus his character level, push them back by moving with them up to the
maximum distance from his speed, or he can knock someone down while remaining
standing.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
You are skilled in sorting pages and
gluing them together along with a cover to create a book. You also know how to manufacture covers and
which materials are best for paper, glue, spine, and cover.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
400 hours
This is the study of plants. This is scientific knowledge and is not
quite the same as Herbalism—which is
the practical application. Having both
skills would give you a bonus of +3 per skill level of Botany to your Herbalism checks.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
You know how to create and string
bows and possibly crossbows (may choose as a journeyman unless
specialized). You can manufacture bows
from a single piece of wood or as a composite material (much more difficult,
but more effective). Knowledge of this
skill divides the time needed to learn Fletcher
in half.
Technical
Apprentice
120 hours
This skill is often taught along
with a martial art. Any true martial
artist must first know how to land before learning how to throw someone. This is the ability to fall properly without
undue injury. An apprentice learns proper
landing and receives a retest when failing a saving throw against crushing damage
when falling even if thrown, such as by the one-finger ability (a successful
save reduces damage by half). A fall
for a journeyman is considered to be half the actual distance for purposes of
the saving throw or damage. The master
automatically takes half damage before the saving throw, and if she can reach a
wall or other vertical surface while falling, she makes a Wits check every 20
feet—if successful, that 20 foot stretch does not count as falling
distance. In addition, masters always
land on their feet. For the master,
rappelling without a rope can be such fun.
These rules only apply for normal falling damage; falling on spikes or
into molten lava will still hurt very much.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
200 hours
This is the study of the Empire's
dominant control over its many conquered lands. This is a history of battles fought with words and wealth as much
as with might and metal. The enlightened
rule of the Emperor extends across many peoples, languages, and cultures.
Technical
Apprentice
100 hours
Requires: Literacy
You
can make fancy writing used for posted proclamations or for heraldry. This is the old way of using different
fonts. Things look much more impressive
when done in calligraphy. This skill is
necessary for the specialized characters used in Kame script found in the
Killian Empire.
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This is the skill of working with
wood. You know the properties of
various woods, how to harvest and cure wood, and of course how to turn wood
into finished items. This skill also
covers knowledge of covering/treatment chemicals such as varnish or paint.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Apprentice—make hasty maps that
someone can follow accurately.
Journeyman—can make hasty maps on the move (such as on horseback) of a
large area, or more accurate maps of a smaller area with time. Master—can make accurate maps of a large
area on the move or can make moderate-area maps with photo-realism.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Preparing a meal requires an ability
to measure, mix proportions, properly time, and present the meal. This skill includes a basic knowledge of
thermodynamics—temperature and time. It
also includes knowledge of the cooking styles that you are familiar with. Additional styles (Bizantine style, Dwarven
style, Emeril style—Bam!) may be learned with a little effort and
practice.
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Requires: appropriate craft skill for material type
This specialized skill includes
woodworking, metallurgy, and design.
You are able to create one type of musical instrument (percussion,
brass, woodwind, stringed) as an apprentice, and gain knowledge of the other
types as a journeyman. Masterpiece
musical instruments are of exceptional quality tone and beauty.
Social
Apprentice
200 hours
each
These two skills involve keeping off
of your dancing partners toes and not making a too much of a fool of yourself,
as well as knowledge of different dancing styles, either formal stylised
dancing or just moving to the beat and looking good; depending on which skill
taken.
Social
Apprentice
600 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Double
learning difficulty
You can read one of the languages
that are no longer in use. You cannot
speak the language, as there are none alive who remember it (unless your Game
Master is enough of a sod to allow you to play a 5000 year old Elf or
Vampire). The cultures that spoke these
languages may have left behind artefacts, carvings, or texts that still are
legible.
These languages are:
A-oc—an ancient race that lived in what is now the Killian
Empire, exterminated by the Killian
Yuan—the old form of Killian, now found only in the most
ancient manuscripts, its spoken form was believed to be quite different to
modern speech
Tarkin—not
exactly an ancient language, as the Tarkin recently became extinct (wiped out
by the Old Empire), but their native language was pitched higher than other
races could hear, found throughout the Kingdom of Formour
DHTML—an ancient technomantic language no longer usable
Scathach—a Human language belonging to a country destroyed
by the Bizantine Empire early in its history, the Scathach were supposedly the
aggressors and numerically superior to the fledgling Bizant army.
Gothic—not dead but dying, the few Goths that still speak
their native tongue usually use Anglan or Bizantine script
Gleer Marks—this was believed to be used for battle signals
and trail markings by the Old Empire; the accuracy of modern translations is in
doubt as they may include innocuous scratches on stone walls and scars on old
trees
Nocturne—mostly found in ancient necromantic texts, the
pronunciation of this language has been uncovered, but no one uses this for
conversation; related to Gothic
Kobold—since their integration into Elven society millennia
ago, the Kobolds have lost their language; now found only in the most ancient
caverns in the Elven lands; related to Gobbley
Ogrenon—a study in tragedy, these peaceful giants (9 ft
tall) were already dying out when Humans arrived in Midian, they just couldn't
(or wouldn't) compete with the new species, even the Elves considered the
Ogrenon shy and reclusive, related to Gobley
Olde Anglan—this ancient form is far removed in
pronunciation, grammar, and alphabet from modern Anglan; it is now quite
incomprehensible to modern speakers
Nordikkite—named for the island in the Great Sea, the former
inhabitants had mysteriously vanished by the time Bizantine explorers
discovered the island, no one knows what the Nordikkites were like, only their
written language and a few magic artefacts remain,
Draconic—the reputed language of Dragons; artefacts with
this script written on them are attributed to creation by the Dragons; no one
has ever heard them speak this language, nor can anyone convince the Dragons to
do so; if this is their language, the Dragons aren't saying
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Double
learning difficulty
With
this skill, you can identify what is wrong with someone who is not well. Apprentices can run through the basics: responsiveness, breathing, bleeding, shock,
fractures, burns, and head injuries. A
journeyman can identify other internal problems such as identifying poisons,
diseases, or injuries. A master can
identify even obscure illnesses with accuracy, and can tell when someone has
more than one problem rather than identifying a single one from the
symptoms. This skill doesn't cover the
best way to heal someone, just what the problem is.
Martial
Apprentice
120 hours
You have
had additional training in this swordplay manoeuvre. An apprentice receives a +4 on disarm attempts (as both attacker
and defender). The journeyman can
choose the general direction that the blade falls if she is successful: left, right, straight down, far away (triple
distance), over the loser’s head, or over her own. The master may determine exactly where the blade lands. She can add in her total character level to
the roll to determine how far the weapon can travel. A master can even make the blade land in her own hands or in the
hands of a comrade (they must make an Agility check to catch it, however).
Martial
Apprentice
300 hours
Requires: any other hand-to-hand skill
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Double
learning difficulty
The dragon punch is named for its
appearance; the palms of both hands are open and brought close to the chest,
wrists together, facing out. The hands
are thrust outwardly (still touching at the wrist) focusing kinetic energy at
your enemy. Being an apprentice enables
your dragon punches to push back an opponent a number of feet equal to the
amount by which the roll is successful.
As an apprentice, your dragon punches:
push back an opponent twice as far, do a minimum of one point of damage (after
damage reduction), and cause 1 point of armour damage to both armour class and
damage reduction. The master gets the
above bonuses, except that he or she need not even touch the enemy—this is now
a ranged attack that travels as far as the master has total character levels in
feet. For this skill, a hit occurs any
time that you connect, even if you don't get past armour—armour class bonuses
for toughness don't count but dodge-type ones do. For example, if your enemy gets +2 to armour class from a shield,
+1 due to naturally thick hide, and +1 from Agility, only the Agility bonus
counts—you still hit and can push even if you didn't hit hard enough to punch
through the armour. Those struck by
this attack get a saving throw vs. crushing blows (equal to the attackers
Willpower) to avoid being knocked down, but being knocked back is
unavoidable. Striking an object (such
as the ground if knocked down) causes falling damage for the distance travelled
(and merits a second save vs. crushing blows for half damage).
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
This skill covers more than just
making pretty pictures; it also allows someone to draft designs or to portray
something with reasonable accuracy. You
can also make pretty pictures.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
200 hours
Dwarves keep careful records of
history (and genealogy) and document even minor details in eternal stone for
future generations. There are no great
nations or wars of conquest in Dwarven histories—these are the stories of the
people who forged history, not just the events that unfolded through their
actions.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
200 hours
There are times before the Dwarves
started keeping their runic histories. These
times predate Humans in the land of Dwarf, Elf, and Hobgoblin. The oldest stories are from the dawn of time
and begin with the world in darkness.
Dwarves learn their own legends only as entertaining stories and do not
consider them accurate. While most
Dwarves can relate a myth or two, the legends are considered children’s
fables—anything not literally 'written in stone' is not taken to be
factual.
Social
Apprentice
200 hours
Using this skill allows you to
listen in on other's conversations. You
have practiced selective hearing; and you can try to pick up specific
information, or just listen for the good stuff. An apprentice needs to be undisturbed, but still may filter out
unneeded background noise. A journeyman
can pretend to be involved in another task—such as talking with someone or
drinking. A master eavesdropper may
actually engage in other tasks—he can respond to the person he is talking with
while scanning the crowd for information, for example. A master may even sing and play an
instrument while trying to find someone talking about the Duke's attempted
assassination.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
200 hours
This is the oral traditions and
stories of many centuries (and even millennia) from the eyes and ears of the
Elves that lived in those ancient times.
What the study of Elven history lacks in the ability to look back with
hindsight to see trends, it more than makes up for with the fact that your
teacher may have first hand knowledge of events centuries past.
Engraving
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
This skill allows you to carve
designs into metal, stone, or wood. You
can engrave without excess damage either to the surface or to structural
integrity. Permanent magic runes may be
carved into something if you have the knowledge or if someone directs you (just
replicating the design is not enough).
You also know how to enamel items either to enhance the design (adding
colour to the imprint) or to protect the surface.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
300 hours
This is the knowledge of the classic
(and often quite long) stories. Having
this skill means you have a head full of fables, myths, and histories. Ancient epics often contain some kernel of
wisdom or moral, and occasionally have insight to contemporary issues (such as
where treasure may be hidden).
Technical
Apprentice
100 hours
each
You know how, where, and when to
fish. Deep-sea fishing is substantially
different from fishing in a river or lake and is a separate skill. These skills also include maintaining the
necessary equipment.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Although technically this only
refers to the person who puts the feathers on arrows, this skill covers how to
make all components of an arrow or bolt.
Crafting a metal arrowhead also requires knowledge of how to work a
forge. Although you can learn how to
create arrowheads out of other materials, they are not nearly as
effective.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
200 hours
This is the study of Humanity's rise
from barbarism in a distant land, through the warring Faction period where the
land was divided amongst many lords, to the present powerful dominance over the
land.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
Recognizing stones, precious &
otherwise. Can make a professional
estimate of the value of a gemstone.
Included in the jeweller skill.
-or-
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This skill complements the Jeweller
skill in that you can create jewellery with both. You can design, mould, fit, or appraise jewellery and precious
metals. You can customize, engrave
designs, and craft moulds for gold, silver, or other soft metals.
Mystic
Apprentice
400 hours
Requires: Jumping IV or higher
This is the ability to leap great
distances in a single bound. An
apprentice doubles the length of her jumps.
A journeyman is able to jump as a dodge—add dodge bonuses to Jumping skill and make a skill check
against the attack roll. The master
adds her total character level to the skill level of the Jumping skill, as well as to distance travelled in feet (after the
possible division for some types of leaps and the doubling bonus from
apprentice level).
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
With this skill, you know the many
crests, flags, and symbols of the various families, armies, kingdoms, and
factions of your own country, and the major symbols of other lands. You may also craft a heraldic crest for
yourself or another, although those of master level are typically the only ones
called upon to do this.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Requires: Horsemanship: Basic
This
is horse riding for those that live on the backs of their mounts. This includes the skill in grooming and
caring for your horse, as well as training in riding it into battle. At apprentice level, you can properly care
and train a horse for battle. At
journeyman level, you can guide your horse with your knees, and train your
mount not to spook in unusual combat situations (explosions, giant monsters, etc.). At the master level, you may train your
mount for special tasks—such as carrying you back if you are injured or
unconscious, or to attack your opponents on its own.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Requires: Horsemanship: Cavalry or Knight skill at least to journeyman level
Skill includes training a
warhorse. At the apprentice level, your
horse will fight your enemies with your guidance. At the journeyman level, your horse will fight even if you are
dismounted, and will attempt to rejoin you in battle. It will also carry you from the field if you are unable to
command it. As a master expert rider,
you are truly one with your mount; you may spur your mount on as though it had
the trait Spiky Hair (it can do cool heroic stuff like jump out of
windows to rescue you).
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
Requires: Horsemanship: Basic
You know how to ride a warhorse
quite well. You are able to armour a
horse properly with barding and ride it into battle at the apprentice
level. At the journeyman level, you may
train you horse to ignore danger on the battlefield and to charge your enemy
with only pressure from your knees to guide it. As a master of riding a horse as a knight, your horse can be
trained to recognize the standard of your kingdom and will go there in your
absence; your horse also may wear barding as though its encumbrance level were
one less. This skill doesn’t include
grooming and caring (that’s what pages & squires are for).
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This skill includes appraising,
cutting, polishing, and setting precious stones. Also included is skill with non-gemstones used for jewellery,
such as pearls. This is not the same as
Goldsmith or Silversmith skill, as no metallurgy is
included—however, those skills are worthless with respect to gemstones except
for setting. The skills are
complementary, and one who knows one skill, often knows the others.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
You know how to juggle. Knowing this skill adds +2 per skill level
to skill rolls for the Catch or Sword-Catch skills. This skill is commonly used for
entertainment purposes, but several schools of martial arts teach it to help
develop hand speed and coordination.
Martial
Apprentice
300 hours
Requires: any hand-to-hand skill
You move your hands with blinding
speed. This skill may be used with a weapon
attack, although knowledge of hand strikes is needed to build your speed. The apprentice has the impressive ability to
take all of his actions at once. In
other words, when you have double-digit initiative—and
get multiple attacks—you resolve all of your attacks on
your first action. For example—if
you had a 22 initiative; instead of attacking at 22, 12, and 2; you make all
three attack rolls on 22. The
journeyman learns a 'thousand-hand slap;' you are able to trade power for
speed. You may gain a +1 on initiative
for each 2 points of damage that you subtract from each attack—you
must state how many points you are trading before you roll initiative. The master of the lightning strike gains a
free interrupt once per battle. The
master has the option of making one additional interrupt, but loses the
benefits of this skill for the remainder of the battle.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
You know how to work with leather to
make useful goods. You know how to tan
and prepare hide, work finished leather into useful items, which types of skin
and tanning methods have which properties, and how to emboss leather. Leather armour can be made with this skill
if you also know either how to sew clothing (for proper fitting), or to create
other types of armour.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
You know how to create various
locks: keyed, combination, etc. This skill is also useful in picking
locks: each level of this skill gives you
a +3 to your lock-picking skill. Of
course, you could just dismantle the lock, but that takes more time and makes
more noise.
Mystic
Apprentice
300 hours
These
are the runes that the Elves use for their magic. Lunaruen are not by themselves inherently magical, and can be
used for information—such as in a spell scroll. These glyphs do take magic well, and will enchant an object if
you use lunaruen to write the spell on the item. One peculiar aspect of lunaruen is that they may be carved onto
even the most fragile items without harming the structure, and can be painted
on something without fading or peeling.
Magic written on an object with lunaruen will last as long as the item
itself does.
Mystic
[lore]
Apprentice
600 hours
Double
learning difficulty
This is magic basic training. It covers the principles of magic of
different traditions and helps to identify correctly performed rituals. You can specialize to be more knowledgeable in
your own areas of expertise (tradition).
This skill is useful for magical effects that would otherwise be hard to
notice by using subtler clues such as non-visual effects or remnants of the
ritual. This skill may also be used to
recognize and identify magical items.
The Game Master must decide how much information to give you.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
300 hours
At the apprentice level, this skill
covers basic problem solving such as addition, division, etc. At the journeyman level or higher, equations
that are more difficult become clearer; you now can work algebra &
geometry. A master mathematician
actually knows what an arc tangent or inverse cosine are as well as how to use
them. A master mathematician
specialized in non-linear dynamics can even design a game engine that works
well for play as well as being reasonably accurate.
Mystic
[lore]
Apprentice
400 hours
This is the knowledge of how
alternate realities or planes of existence operate, and how the native
inhabitants interact with their environment.
This skill is essential for wizards who deal with summoned
entities: conjurers, elementalists,
nethermancers, etc.
Meteorology
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
You
know how to read the clouds and wind to predict the weather. You can determine upcoming trends in
precipitation and temperature. This
skill is reasonably accurate for short-term use (whether you need an umbrella today),
but becomes increasingly difficult for longer terms (should we plan the picnic
for the 1st of next month).
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
300 hours
This is the study of the battles
fought by & in your native land as well as the great historical battles
throughout your part of the world. The
tactics used in these battles can be gleaned from use of this skill.
Martial
Apprentice
200 hours
This skill involves the best use of
organization, training, strategy, terrain, and logistics to efficiently run an
army (or other organization). You know the
most efficient use of troop placement, weapons deployment, and movement to
maximize combat power. This skill also
includes how to read a map and how to give orders. You need this skill (or someone under your command with this
skill) in order to run a military campaign involving more troops than you can
personally direct.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
With this skill, you may paint
portraits, landscapes, or still-lifes with reasonable accuracy and/or
beauty. You know how to mix colours,
design a composition, and use proper brushwork. Paintings may be made either from life or from the artist’s
imagination.
Martial
Apprentice
200 hours
You are a skilled wrestler who can
keep his opponent down on the mat. An
apprentice may hold an opponent who is on the ground immobile by using his
whole body. A journeyman can free up a
single limb, and a master needs only use a singe limb to hold his opponent
helpless. The victim of this attack is
incapacitated and cannot perform any physical actions except to try and break
free (see the rules on escaping holds in the Hunting & Escaping chapter).
Each level of this skill adds +2 to the challenge for maintaining and
breaking a hold.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
300 hours
This is a mix of math and
science. Physics is the study of how
things move, the basic components of the universe, and the forces that they
exert on one another. The chief use of
this skill is that your character gets to know what you (vaguely) remember from
school about science.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
You can play at least one type of
brass instrument. These musical devices
are formed of the metal that gives them their name and are blown into to
produce music. Once you know the basics
of playing, you can learn unfamiliar instruments with minimal instruction or
practice (about 100 hours, don't need to roll to learn). The nature of these instruments makes
singing while you play impossible.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
You can play at least one type of
percussion instrument, such as drums or cymbals. Once you know the basics of playing, you can learn unfamiliar
instruments with minimal instruction or practice (about 100 hours, don't need
to roll to learn). You can sing while
you play if you have both skills at journeyman level. This skill includes rhythm and timing.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
You can play at least one type of
stringed musical instrument. Once you
know the basics of playing, you can learn unfamiliar instruments with minimal
instruction or practice (about 100 hours, don't need to roll to learn). Singing while playing simultaneously is more
difficult & should only be attempted by those who have at least journeyman
level of skill in either.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
You can play at least one type of
woodwind instrument. Woodwinds produce music
by the vibration of a reed or reeds in the mouthpiece. Once you know the basics of playing, you can
learn unfamiliar instruments with minimal instruction or practice (about 100
hours, don't need to roll to learn).
The nature of these instruments makes singing while you play
impossible.
Social
Apprentice
120 hours
You are able to combine rhyme and
meter to produce poems. You may only
create poetry for any language that you have at master level, otherwise your
poetry will be crap. This skill may be
used to write songs, especially if you have some skill at singing or playing
musical instruments.
Social
Apprentice
200 hours
Double
learning difficulty
An apprentice speaker is able to get
over his stage-fright. A journeyman
knows how to project the voice loudly and clearly—everyone within about 50
yards is able to hear. A master can
make her audience actually listen.
Runes
Mystic
Apprentice
220 hours
Runes
are the written language of the Dwarves.
They are not the only ones, however, that use them. This is a phonetically based written
language that can be used to write anything that can be spoken (thee eenglish
eekwivullunt iz rieteeng liek thiss
<translation: the English
equivalent is writing like this>).
Every sound in every known language has a phoneme in runic form. Another fascinating aspect of runes is that
it is impossible to write a falsehood using them. This is not to say that omissions, ambiguity, or bad information
on the part of the scribe is impossible; but you cannot actively lie. This is the reason that the Dwarves trust
their history as much as they do—they trust the runes more than they trust
Elven eyewitnesses to historical events.
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
At the basic level, this is more of
a repair skill. At the journeyman
level, your stitches are a little more even and you can do most alterations as
well as make simple garments. As a
master seamstress/tailor, you can craft any garment that you have the materials
for (but a pattern still helps).
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Requires: Leatherworking
Often mistakenly referred to as
'cobbling,' this is the skill of making footwear. It also includes cobbling—which is the repair of shoes.
Social
Apprentice
200 hours
You
can carry a tune without making those around you cringe. Doesn’t include knowledge of songs, just the
ability to sing well.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
400 hours
Knowledge of songs, ballads,
sonnets, etc. You can quote from memory
and have memorized a large variety of songs.
Doesn’t necessarily mean you can actually sing or play an
instrument. You can write music if the
appropriate instrument songs are also known.
The poetry skill is also helpful (but not essential) for writing lyrics.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Requires: Blacksmithing
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This skill is similar to other craft
skills (such as blacksmithing, carpentry, or jeweller), but this skill focuses
on building small objects. This is the
special creation of tiny pieces of metal or other appropriate material for use
as screws, cogs, pins, bolts, wheels, clips, and fasteners. Use of this skill is often necessary for
making the components needed for the electrical or mechanical engineering
skills, or for many technomantic devices.
Creating precision parts with only a hammer and forge is quite
difficult. Likewise, a jeweller’s tools
aren't designed for working with strong materials.
Speak
(Language)
Social
[lore]
Apprentice
400 hours
each
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
At the apprentice level, a character
knows basic phrases of the language. At
journeyman level, your skill is such that you can hold most conversations in
the language. At master level, the
character is fully fluent in the language:
knows proper grammatical rules, can think in the language, and could
even make-up words that would sound convincing to a native speaker. You automatically have this skill in your
native language at the apprentice level if you have a knowledge of 1 or higher,
journeyman level if knowledge is at least 4, and master level if 8 or
above. The ‘reverse specialization’
rule doesn’t apply to this skill; i.e. you can’t default every language in the
world to your native language (unless your name is Douglas Ramsey).
Languages include:
Anglan—the language spoken by the humans of Formour &
the Heldannnnic Confederation
Bizantine—the official (& only one of many spoken) language
of the Bizantine Empire
Dwarven—language of the dwarves
and many trolls; written form only as runes
Elven—musical language of elves & kobolds; many
travelling merchants know this language and is common in the Bizantine Empire
Gobley—spoken by goblins, hobgoblins, & many trolls; no
written form
Killian—syllibant language of the Killian Empire; two
written forms: phonetic script and
Kame—a somewhat glyph-based written form.
The Chant—guttural mishmash of different languages
& slang terms; also called cityspeak & undercommon; will vary between
cities; partial written form as graffiti
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This is the skill of working with
rock and stone. You know how to choose,
quarry, and hew stone for building or sculpture.
Martial
Apprentice
400 hours
You can hold big things in one hand
(take your mind out of the gutter). At
the apprentice level, you can hold things that you should hold in two hands with only one (claymore) without
penalty. At journeyman level, you can
hold things one-handed that require
two hands (polearms). At the master
level, you can hold ridiculous things in one hand (zaza blade). This skill doesn't apply to bows; it teaches
leverage and wrist strength, not telekinesis.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Keeping your head above water. Journeyman level allows someone to assist an
unskilled swimmer.
Technical
Apprentice
200 hours
Requires: Blade Etiquette
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
This highly specialized art is what
gives master swordsmiths their good name.
When the blade comes from the firing/folding processes, it is still
rather crude. The sword polisher hones
the edge and polishes it to its customary shiny finish. The sword polisher is the one who adds the
grip as well as decorative engraving.
This skill is unnecessary for standard weapons—which are usually quite
adequate without special polishing—but this is what turns an ordinary blade
into a deadly work of art. In the
Killian Empire, the sword polisher is at least as highly regarded than the
smith that forged the blade. No true
warrior's katana is considered complete without this process—it is said to have
no soul. This skill is necessary for
many enchantments on swords.
Social
Apprentice
300 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
With this skill, you can corrupt the
morals of others. An apprentice can
implant enticing suggestions that the victim cannot avoid thinking about. A journeyman can cause a crisis of faith, or
an ethical dilemma. Your skill is great
enough that someone must either perform the actions you suggest or suffer from
the desire to do so. The victim must
make a saving throw against mental attacks (equal to your personality) or their
morals change to whatever you desire (you cannot directly control someone this
way, however). A master tempter can
actually force someone to act in a precise way. The victim must make a saving throw vs. mental attacks (equal to
your personality) or do what you suggest.
What you tempt someone with must be something that will feel good or
gain the victim something; otherwise, they may not entertain the idea. What you suggest need not be an evil act;
but it is much more fun, for example, to watch an upstanding citizen steal
something that he could have easily purchased.
Martial
Apprentice
300 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Attacking with a rhythm then
breaking the rhythm to throw one’s opponent off guard. Apprentice level trades –2 initiative per
round for 2 rounds to gain +2 to hit every even numbered round. Journeyman level trades –1 initiative per
round to gain +1 parry & +2 to hit per round. Master level gains +2 initiative, +1 parry, & +2 to-hit each
round.
Mystic
Apprentice
800 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Double
learning difficulty
This is the ability to impart speed
to yourself or another. At the
apprentice level, you can either: have +2
initiative for yourself, add +1 for another, add +4 to your speed, or +3 to
another’s speed. At the journeyman
level, you can either: have +4
initiative for yourself, +2 to another, add +8 to your speed, or add +6 to
another’s speed. At the master level
you can, in addition to the journeyman level bonuses: interrupt another’s initiative for yourself, perform a burst of
speed that is quick enough to resemble a 3 foot teleport, or increase another’s
speed by an additional 50%.
Technical
Apprentice
400 hours
Requires: Blacksmith
Counts as
two skills at character creation
You know how to create blades and
other implements of destruction.
Crafting a usable weapon is an exacting art that must be done properly
to avoid hidden flaws. Nothing is as
embarrassing as your shiny new sword breaking on its first swing.
Technical
Apprentice
300 hours
This is the skill for using a loom,
spinning wheel, and spindle. You create
thread from raw materials and weave the thread together into cloth.
Technical
[lore]
Apprentice
400 hours
This is the science of studying
animals: their make-up, behaviours, and
organization. This is the scientific
version of Animal Lore.
The
game mechanics for these skills is simple:
either you know it, or you don’t.
You either can—or cannot—perform a task. Many magical rituals are good examples of this. Whether or not you know the spell is fairly
straightforward.
Martial
Basic
400 hours
Being able to use either hand
equally well. The penalties for
off-hand use are negated.
Mystic
Basic
80 hours
Requires: Alchemy
By combining flower parts, honey,
and other sweet smells, you make a sticky mess that attracts a horde of insects. This sickly-sweet smelling goop brings
flying & crawling bugs within 2 rounds (possibly 3 or more if during winter
in the arctic—but only then; insects are everywhere). The first round that the bugs’ attack causes 2 points of damage,
which quickly increases to 1D4+1 for the following rounds. Armour does not help against the tiny little
bastards. The victim of this attack can
do nothing other than swat and scratch at the insects unless he or she succeeds
in a Willpower check each round. Due to
the extremely distracting nature of the insects' attack, the shock penalty is
doubled. Fortunately for the victim,
this formula dries out after only 2D12 minutes after exposure to the air.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
Requires: Leg Hold
Once
you have your victim's ankle in a compromising position, you may either hold
it—which causes damage if she struggles to escape—or you can twist it to cause
a bad sprain. This causes 1D6 +
Strength damage to the ankle. The
victim suffers a -3 to dodge, and reduces her Speed by half. Needless to say, kick attacks by the victim
are out of the question unless lying on the ground.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This
involves twisting an arm around behind the victim's back. This skill grants a +4 to either your
Agility or Strength for the maintain/escape challenge. While you have the victim pinned in this
way, you may easily remove any items he is holding. If you successfully get both arms in a hold, you have a +6 in the
maintain challenge. Note that it is very
difficult to grab the second arm of a standing opponent.
Martial
Basic
60 hours
You know how to keep your armour in
good working order. This skill usually
applies to most medium armours. You can
re-link and de-rust your chain links.
You can also refit armour to fit a different person. Improper maintenance causes links to
separate and rust. If you fail in your
upkeep schedule, your armour could lose points of damage resistance and Armour
Class.
Marital
Basic
60 hours
Proper upkeep of your armour is
essential if you want it to keep you safe.
You know how to maintain and make general basic repairs to cloth or
leather armour. You can sew and patch
armour to keep it functional. Not
maintaining your armour causes it to degrade after battle—the Game Master can
reduce its Armour Class and damage desistance.
Leather must be kept oiled, and both types of material need to be
cleaned to avoid decomposition.
Martial
Basic
60 hours
By keeping your armour in good
working order, you can live to fight future battles. If you allow your armour to ruin, you may not long survive. This skill includes repairing straps and
fasteners, polishing, and cleaning.
Plates are typical of heavy armours.
This skill doesn't include refitting—you need an armorer for that
task.
Mystic
Basic
60 hours
This
ritual involves 2 people cutting themselves (doing 1 point of damage) &
pressing the wounds together, letting the blood mingle. They then swear eternal honour & loyalty
to each other. Neither person may harm
the other without first making a willpower check at a –12 penalty. Only one person (not necessarily a
participant) needs to know this ritual.
Participation need not be voluntary.
Social
Basic
200 hours
Bragging about your exploits is
considered proper social etiquette in some circles. Amongst the Dwarves, the Heldannnnic Confederation, or the warrior caste of the
Killian Empire, this skill helps to establish your place within a group (or
bar). Use of this skill helps you gain
Reputation and status as your peers become aware of what you have done. Lying about your success, or boasting that
you can accomplish something that you cannot, is considered poor form. Failure to be honest—although slight
embellishments or omissions are permissible—could cost you status or slow how
your reputation grows.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This
is a full-body hold that may be used either while standing or on the ground
without penalty (if you are trained in this skill). This skill actually represents a number of different wrestling
moves. You have a +2 to either Agility
or Strength for the maintain/escape challenge.
Martial
Basic
60 hours
This is a specialization of the Weapon
Maintenance skill. Knowing that
skill may keep your arrowheads sharp and shiny, but is worthless for
restringing a bow. With this skill, you
can keep your bows, crossbows, arrows, and bolts properly maintained.
Mystic
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Alchemy
This unique chemical formula works
on the principle that smells are more strongly connected to memory than are
other senses. Some scents, such as the
smell of fresh pears, have the ability to slap someone back to their
childhood. By using alchemical
processes, you increase the effect that those odours can have. You may use these formulae in grenade form
(vial that bursts and affects all within a room—about 23-30 feet depending on
wind), or you may apply this to your person (affects anyone within melee
range—about 5-10 feet). Those exposed
to this chemical must make a saving throw against magic (against a 14 + your
character level) to avoid the effects.
Those failing the save are overwhelmed by their memories—effectively
stunned or surprised for one round—and even those that succeed suffer from a -3
on their next initiative roll. This
only works once per encounter, as people quickly develop a resistance. For the same reason, you are immune to your
own formulae, but are still affected by another alchemist's chemical
distraction. Those with the Olfactory Flashbacks trait are at -4 to
their save.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
You have learned the fine art of
choking the living shit out of someone who desperately deserves it. We all have wanted to do this at one
time. You do 1D4 + Strength damage per
round, cut in half. This damage is done
directly to Life Points, not Hit Points.
In addition your opponent must roll for system shock at the end of each
round, or fall unconscious. Attempting
this skill without proper training does only the Strength bonus in damage, and
the damage is applied to Hit Points
Martial
Basic
100 hours
By using this skill you take no
actions other than defence for the turn and in return you get a +3 to parry
bonus, a +1 to dodge bonus, -1 weapon speed bonus, & can parry all incoming
attacks without using up an action.
Martial
Basic
180 hours
This skill allows you to combine a
weapon with hand-to-hand attacks (harder than it seems—you get too accustomed
to either/or). Use the rules for
two-weapon fighting for your weapon/body combo. Note that this is a separate skill from martial arts, hand
parries, kicks, etc. This skill merely
allows you to use those other skills with a weapon in your hand (and possibly
extra attacks/parries—see the Hunting
& Escaping chapter).
Social
Basic
800 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Knowing another culture is essential
to dealing with people from that culture.
This skill covers styles of clothing, accessories, and buildings. It also covers salutations, taboos, and
idiosyncrasies. If you know the
language (at least somewhat), then you pick up on phrases and terms peculiar to
that culture. Time spent immersed in
another social environment (i.e. in another country interacting with its
citizens) counts towards time learning this skill.
Martial
Basic
50 hours
This stance grants a +3 to all
defensive moves, but a penalty to attacks at –1, and prevents forward movement
greater than a speed of 2.
Mystic
Basic
200 hours
There are many places where you can
move from one reality to another. Gates
allow you to jump to another plane of existence. This skill allows you to recognize a gate, but doesn't include
knowledge of how to activate it. Some
gates operate simply by moving through them.
Others require that you speak a word or phrase, carry a certain item on
your person, or perform a particular ritual in order to activate the gate. Some gates will include clues to where they
lead. For example, a gate to the Plane
of Fire may have a smoky smell, or the gate may have symbols around it that
could provide information. Not all
gates will have something to indicate their destination. This skill merely allows you to recognize
them on sight, not their activation requirements or destination.
Social
Basic
120 hours
You can imitate the vocal patterns
of another language or culture. If you
also have the appropriate language skill at journeyman level, you can sound
like a native speaker—although your vocabulary and grammar will be limited
unless you are fully proficient (master).
This skill is useful if you wish to disguise yourself as being from the
culture you are imitating.
Technical
Basic
100 hours
Requires: any stealth-related skill
Ever wish you were like Batman or
the Crow? Do you just watch too many
ninja movies? Now you too can slip away
from someone once they are distracted (blinking counts). Roll for a challenge between your stealth
skill versus their Awareness (1D20 with bonuses versus 2D20 roll low—hardly
seems fair does it?). By the time
they finish their sentence; you are gone.
This skill does not work if someone is excessively focusing on
you—conversation is one thing, combat is another.
Mystic
Basic
300 hours
Requires: Disappear
This
skill allows you to vanish from sight even when the spotlights are on you. You may attempt your skill vs. Awareness
challenge at any time—even when you are grappling with someone.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Arm Hold
This advanced form of the Arm Hold is quite painful and can cause
serious problems. The joint can be
hyperflexioned (i.e. bent the wrong way) to cause 1D6 + Strength damage, and
the arm rendered useless. This reduces
your Strength and attack rolls by -3, and your Agility and Parry rolls by
-5.
Social
Basic
200 hours
This is the knowledge of courtly
graces. You know the basics of how to
address someone, the proper things to say or not say, and the protocols for
dealing with diplomats or other high-ranking officials. This skill is rather culture specific,
although much of desirable behaviour is universal. To use this skill when dealing with someone from another land you
must combine this with the Culture skill.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
Requires: Grab or any hold
You know how to grab and twist
someone's finger in a most painful manner.
If the victim unsuccessfully tries to break the hold, or you just feel
like a right bastard, you can break their finger. This causes 1D4 Hit Points of Damage (cannot cause Life Point
damage) and renders that hand useless.
Technical
Basic
100 hours
This is the ability to stabilize
someone's wounds. Anyone may slap on a
bandage to stop the additional damage from a wound, but those that know
first-aid can apply bandages quickly and more effectively. Having this skill allows you to stabilize a
dying character (zero life points or below).
The dying individual no longer suffers additional wounds. Furthermore, you can bandage up someone at
exactly 0 life points to where they can continue to fight without fear of
reopening the previous injuries (not a good idea however). It takes one round to apply first-aid, and
you need something to act as a bandage.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Horsemanship: Expert
This is riding sidesaddle—very
sidesaddle. You are able to ride a
horse on its flanks with only one hand and one foot to hold on with. This is a favoured tactic of the Hell-Riders
in the southern plains of the Bizantine Empire. You are able to make one-hand ranged attacks from under your
mount. Your mount gives you 80% cover
and concealment, as only one hand & foot are visible (unless shooting
something this round—still 70% even then).
Moving from the side to up top only requires one action (the reverse is
also true).
Martial
Basic
200 hours
Also called 2-weapon style, this
allows a fighter to use 2 weapons at a time to attack with each or to attack
with one and parry with the other without penalty.
Mystic
Basic
160 hours
Requires: Chemistry
You know how to create formulae that
cause disassociation and failed spatial awareness. The victim of this powder (skin contact) must make a saving throw
against poison at a 16 or higher to avoid the effects. Those that fail feel like they are flying as
they lose their ability to discern gravity and distance. Non-continuous objects become
disassociated. That means that the
victim cannot tell what items are touching one another; i.e. they can tell that
a person's arm belongs to the rest of their body, but cannot tell whether the
sword they are holding is in that person's hand or just floating in space. The game mechanics of this are: -4 initiative, -6 to hit, -8 to all active
defence, and they must make a Willpower check each round in order to focus
enough to do anything. This is a potent
spell (only a pinch is needed), but the effects are short-lived (1D6 rounds;
for each '6' rolled, roll another die).
The victim's skin will feel cool to the touch during their 'flight' and
for up to 10 minutes after as the drug clears through their system. Note that some people will pay good money to
have these formulae used against them.
The main ingredient is a flower that grows naturally in the Bizant
Empire, but can be cultivated in any temperate region.
Martial
Basic
400 hours
Requires
Dodge and Hand Parry
You
gently push your opponent's weapon aside slightly while moving your body in the
opposite direction. This is far more
graceful than the typical dodge—you are not simply diving out of the way. You get both bonuses (dodge and parry) and
this is pretty to watch—but frustrating as hell for your opponent.
Social
Basic
180 hours
You may act as a barber, cutting
hair and shaving. You know styling
techniques as well as how to keep a razor sharp. This skill includes basic hygiene knowledge. Because of the access to quite sharp tools
and knowledge of personal hygiene, many healers learn this skill.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
You are as adept at fighting while prone, as you are on
your feet. If you are knocked down, you
do not suffer any penalties—other than indignity or possible damage depending
on how hard you land.
Mystic
Basic
80 hours
You
know the proper mix of ingredients and methods to produce quality
gunpowder. This substance is used for
fireworks, explosives, and firearms.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This manoeuvre allows you to use
your bare hands to parry weapons. You
can parry as normal without injury from the weapon for a successful
parry—except contact-based attacks such as the fire damage from a flaming
sword.
Martial
Basic
40 hours
By quickly digging a shallow hole to
lie in, you make yourself harder to hit by ranged weapon fire. You provide yourself with 10% or better
cover. Using this skill takes only 4
rounds in most terrain, but may take considerably longer in hard ground. Each additional minute (10 rounds) spent
digging and adding front cover adds 10% to your shelter. Hard ground may take longer. This skill is useless against melee weapons
or indirect artillery (although it could provide concealment if the Game Master
allows—and if you camouflage yourself).
Martial
Basic
240 hours
This skill enables someone to wear
heavy armour properly. It covers how to
put on, wear, & fight in heavy armour for best effect without undue
penalty. Those trained in this skill
suffer no combat penalties for the use of heavy armour—except for movement
which is ½ normal & a -2 penalty to initiative, although some penalties may
apply for the use of skills requiring freedom of motion such as acrobatics, climbing,
running, or sneaking. Note that heavy
armour is not necessarily the same as heavy encumbrance. This skill may be learned in half the normal
time if you also know Medium Armour Use.
Technical
Basic
100 hours
Care, feeding, and brushing a horse
is essential for it. A poorly cared-for
horse can easily become ill.
Technical
Basic
80 hours
This is the skill of being able to
ride on the back of a horse and make it go where you want to without falling
off too often. Horses that are
untrained for combat spook easily—as will many warhorses if their riders are
similarly untrained. In other words, if
you want to do more than ride your horse into battle and dismount to fight,
then you should learn more about fighting on horseback.
Technical
Basic
400 hours
each
This is the skill of riding an
animal other than horses. Each
different animal is a separate skill (or specialization). For example, just because you can ride an
elephant you don’t automatically know how to fly on the back of a giant
bird. This skill enables you to use
other horsemanship skills with your unusual mount (as a specialization).
Technical
Basic
100 hours
When you fall down, you can push yourself
back to a standing position without using up your actions for the round. You either stand up again as soon as you are
knocked down or at the beginning or end of your actions—player's choice. You can instantly stand back up whether you
fell forwards or backwards (although using this manoeuvre from being on your
back is more impressive).
Mystical
Basic
300 hours
Psionic
Double
learning difficulty
Imagine a hot, sweaty day. You wear glasses. As you reach for something, your glasses slide off your
face. Before you have time to panic at
the thought of your glasses smashing onto the concrete, you realize that they
have safely been caught in your free hand—that just happened to be conveniently
in the right place at the right time.
This is Intuitive Reflexes in action. +2 initiative; +2 dodge; +4 parry;
Martial
Basic
100 hours
Requires: Ankle Lock
This is a difficult manoeuvre to
perfect, but causes major damage when it is.
You can cause your opponent to break his own kneecap if he
struggles. The damage and effects that
this lock can do doubles that of the Ankle
Lock (2D6 damage, -6 dodge, Speed is reduced to 1/4th).
Technical
Basic
120 hours
With this skill, you can tie knots
of various purposes in rope or cord.
Slipknots, sheepshanks, and square knots are all within your
repertoire.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Shoulder Flip
You
are skilled enough in throwing people around to attack someone with their
companion’s body. You must make 2
attack rolls--one to grapple with the first victim (a.k.a the projectile), and
the second to hit the distant victim in a ranged attack. The roll to hit the projectile does not need
to bypass their armour (fortitude bonuses to armour class do not count), as you
are simply grabbing them. The second
attack has a range modifier of 3 feet, and a maximum distance equal to 3 times
your Strength bonus. For example, if
you normally do +3 damage, you may launch someone up to 9 feet. The differences in mass between the thrower
and the projectile do not matter as this does not necessarily mean that you
pick someone up and throw them. Heavier
projectiles are simply sent skidding into their targets.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This
hold only works on an opponent who is facedown on the ground. You hold his or her leg up, which grants you
a +6 to either your Agility or Strength on the opposed challenge to hold your
victim.
Martial
Basic
160 hours
This skill enables someone to wear
light armour properly. It covers how to
put on, wear, & fight in light armour for best effect without undue
penalty. Those trained in this skill
suffer no combat penalties for the use of light armour, although some penalties
may apply for the use of skills requiring freedom of motion such as acrobatics,
climbing, running, or sneaking. Note
that light armour is not necessarily the same as light encumbrance. This skill may be learned in half the usual
time and effort if any other armour use skill is known.
Social
Basic
200 hours
While this skill was developed for
the deaf or hard of hearing, many have used it for gathering information
illicitly. With this skill, you can
tell what someone is saying without needing to actually hear his or her
speech. You must be able to clearly see
the mouth of the person you are eavesdropping on, and must know the language
spoken.
Technical
[lore]
Basic
1600 hours
for the first language, 100 hours for each additional language that you can
speak, 400 hours for each additional language that you don’t speak
Double
learning difficulty, do not need to roll to learn for additional languages
that you can speak (learns both speaking/reading at the same time) unless the
written form is very different from what you are accustomed to
This is the skill of reading and
writing a particular language. Being
able to speak the language is not required, but doubles learning time &
difficulty. Additional languages may be
learned at 1/4th difficulty & time. This is a common skill among Elves, Gaijin, & Dwarves;
however, less than half of Humans are literate and few members of other races
know how to read & write.
Illiterate characters function in society by symbol recognition (such as
a picture of a tankard above a tavern) and many people can write their own name
as well as recognize numbers. Literacy
is much more common amongst the citizens of the Bizantine Empire than it is in
Formour.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This skill enables someone to wear
medium armour properly. It covers how
to put on, wear, & fight in medium armour for best effect without undue
penalty. Those trained in this skill
suffer no combat penalties for the use of medium armour—except for movement
which is ¾ normal, although some penalties may apply for the use of skills
requiring freedom of motion such as acrobatics, climbing, running, or
sneaking. Note that medium armour is
not necessarily the same as medium encumbrance. This skill may be learned in half the normal time if Light
Armour Use is also known, and may be learned in half the time and effort if
Heavy Armour Use is known.
Mystic
Basic
400 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
It is possible to train the mind and
body to rest and relax in ways other than sleep (or passing out drunk). Although you are attempting to rid yourself
of distractions and stress, you are still alert to danger—you ignore the
chattering about the weather, but notice someone pulling a sword out, for
example. Meditation removes fatigue
points at twice the speed of sleep.
Note that while you can get by on less sleep with meditation, the skill
does not entirely replace sleep.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
Requires: Any Horsemanship skill
With this skill, you may dive from
your mount's saddle and attack an enemy within 10 feet of you. This is considered a charging attack. Landing well requires the Breakfall, Jumping, or Tumbling
skills. Bear in mind that, for the
unskilled, this distance may be far enough to cause you harm if you miss your
opponent. Knowing this skill grants you
a +2 to hit & damage, and prevents you from taking falling damage.
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This
is also called a sleeper hold. You grab
your opponent from behind with your arms around his neck. Knowledge of a proper sleeper hold allows
you to knock your victim unconscious without killing him. Your opponent must make a Stamina check at
the end of the second round—and each succeeding round--until he either breaks
free or passes out from a failed check.
Mystic
Basic
100 hours
Double
learning difficulty
This ritual allows the use of an
object associated with the deceased to summon up the spirits. The diviner may summon the spirit of one
deceased person per ritual to answer questions or to converse with those it
left behind. The proper name of the
person must be known to the caster, or someone present who was familiar with
the deceased for the ritual to work.
The object used in the ritual could be a favoured weapon, wedding ring,
portrait of the deceased (technomantic portraits work very well—perhaps lending
credence to the theory that a part of one’s soul is captured), or anything with
some significance to the dead. This
ritual takes at least 30 to 60 minutes to perform—GM determines success and
outcome. Note that this ritual relies
on the cooperation of the dead and most often does not work—and those summoned
are under no obligation to answer or to tell the truth.
Mystic
Basic
800 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation
Double
learning difficulty
This skill enables you to avoid
detection by magic. To spells,
divination, and magic items, you simply are not there. Even the best technomantic sensors can
detect only a blur—if anything at all.
This skill allows a forced-retest against detection, and if successful,
you are only faintly noticed. You seem
to be more of a system glitch than a person.
This skill operates constantly, and does not need to be used consciously
(works even in your sleep). You must
consciously choose to not use this skill when you want to be noticed. Non-detection does not help you remain
unseen; it blocks magical sensing, not actual sight.
Technical
Basic
200 hours
You
know how to properly prepare a load for travel. You can pack a rucksack, saddlebag, ship, or wagon for maximum
efficiency. If you have time to oversee
loading, or pack the load yourself, you can fit the maximum possible into your
storage space. You also reduce the
effective encumbrance by one level.
This reduction in encumbrance does not apply to weapons or armour unless
you are loading them into a wagon. This
skill does apply when the Game Master assigns an encumbrance penalty due to
your personal load (that is, the "adventurer's kit" is one of
everything plus lots of gold).
Martial
Basic
200 hours
This
involves attacking the oncoming weapon or limb & knocking it back. This involves waiting for your opponent to
strike and counts as both an attack and a parry. If you are successful in your parry, your opponent looses her
next attack.
Martial
Basic
400 hours
Requires: weapon proficiency IV
A skilled warrior is often lightning
fast, and able to strike repeatedly before her foes can strike back. This skill allows you to add your skill
level with a weapon to the initiative roll.
Rear Defence
-or-
Back Protection
Martial
Basic
300 hours
You
have trained your senses to operate beyond the standard point-focus of
binocular vision. You use your other
senses to help you notice things, and have trained your peripheral vision to
work more efficiently. In other words
you are hard to sneak up behind. You
can block and parry attacks from any angle, and no one ever gains the +2 attack
bonus when flanking you.
Mystic
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Sneaking
With this skill, you can move at
your normal speed when sneaking. This
can be combined with hiding if you also know that skill. Running while using this skill causes a -5
to the sneaking check. This skill
essentially allows you to step very carefully and may prevent some
pressure-sensitive traps from activating (never know 'till you try).
Technical
Basic
200 hours
This skill covers both sprints and
long-distance running. Any time that
you fail a speed check for moving faster, or stamina check for distance
running, then you get a retest from this skill. (Retest with an Ability—why does this game mechanic sound
hauntingly familiar? Ripped off? Nah.)
Martial
Basic
100 hours
This nasty (and visually impressive)
talent has some very specific uses and requirements. It allows you to take down more than one person at a time. If you cause more than twice someone's hit
points in damage (even if they still have life points) with a single attack,
and someone else is within reach, then you get a second attack against the other
person for half damage. Resolve this
second attack as normal except for damage (which is half). Stabbing weapons are even nastier; if you
cause more than your enemy’s Stamina in damage (regardless of whether you did
double hit point damage), then you get the extra attack. There is no theoretical limit to how many
extra attacks you can get with this skill provided all of the conditions are
met—but keep dividing damage in half (to 1/4th, 1/8th, etc.). For example, The Impaler does 20 points of
damage to the helpless peasant. She can
then make an immediate attack against his mother who was standing near him, and
if successful, rolls damage against her (cut in half). She doesn't do double grandma's hit points
in damage, but does do more than her stamina (The Impaler is using a stabbing
implement). The Impaler can then attack
one of the children for quarter-damage.
The Impaler thinks that having a lance with a razor along one edge is
really neat because of its impressive reach and damaging capability. Note that grandma is still alive, but
sandwiched between her son and grandson and sliding down the razor blade,
slowly.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Sneaking
This deadly manoeuvre allows you to
cut someone that you have snuck up behind.
You can slash your opponent's throat with a hacking weapon, such as a
dagger, for double damage and 3 wounds.
If you slay your victim in the first round, you maintain control of the
body to drop it without making a sound.
You know how to turn the head so that the death rattle does not give
your position away.
Technical
Basic
200 hours
You
know how to prepare a cast or sling, and how to push someone's bones into the
proper places. If someone with a broken
bone does not have it set properly, it will take longer to heal, and may be
crooked—causing continual pain and problems.
Martial
Basic
160 hours
By pulling someone's arm while
slamming your hip into him or her, you can flip your opponent over your
shoulder onto the ground. This does 1D6
points of damage (no strength bonus—make a save vs. crushing blows for half
damage). They are now on the ground and
must either spend an action getting up, or try to fight from the ground
(minimum penalty of -4 to all actions & some tasks are impossible).
Martial
Basic
100 hours
each
Requires: status-renowned, reputation 20+, or
character level 9 or higher
This flashy move has an initiative
penalty of –4 but has two of the following bonuses:
+3 to hit and +5 damage
Cannot be parried
-2 to-hit and a further –2 initiative penalty, but does
double damage
Does no damage, but a successful “hit” causes a specified
reaction such as severing straps in armour, leaving a mark carved in something,
or causes a fear/surprise response
Bonus weapon feature (from the equipment chapter)
appropriate to your weapon
If
you have a different bonus in mind for your character’s signature move, check
with your GM. Furthermore, the move
should be distinctive and stealing another’s signature move could be considered
dishonourable. You must give your
special move a unique name, and describe how your looks; is it an overhead wind
up, do you 'charge up,' or do you crouch down and spring skyward? If you shout the name of your move before or
during your attack, the initiative penalty is reduced by 2. "Manchu Dragon Zord! Go!"
Mystic
Basic
100 hours
This strange discipline allows one
to stand upon a point or edge of a spike or weapon without damage to either
self or footgear. Actually jumping up
& successfully landing on a blade may require a check to accomplish (such
as jumping, tumbling, or Agility check).
Technical
Basic
80 hours
Requires: Jumping & any Horsemanship skill
You are able to spring into the
saddle from the ground. This trick
works even if you are wearing heavy armour.
You also know how to train your horse to accept you performing this
stunt.
Social
Basic
100 hours
This
is simply the ability to tell a good story that will keep the listeners
entertained. Knowledge of the stories
to be told is not covered in this skill; just inflection, rhythm, pace, etc. to
keep from sounding too boring.
Mystic
Basic
80 hours
Requires: Summoning Circle
This is perhaps the simplest and
most often successful summoning, and is often taught to apprentice wizards as
an introduction to conjuring. Gneeches
often appear spontaneously during other summonings, enchantments, or magic that
affects the mind (often alerting the otherwise oblivious victim). Gneeches are tiny fast-moving motes that
only appear out of the corner of the eye.
When you turn to get a better look, they move or disappear. The ritual takes less than a minute and is a
fun conjuration for when you want to screw with someone who is drunk or
high.
Mystic
Basic
200 hours
While this skill doesn’t include the
ability to summon something specific, it does include the knowledge to make the
circle that will trap inside the summoned entity. A protection circle is considered essential in case that the
entity breaks free of the summoning circle.
If you attempt to conjure something without a circle to imprison it, not
only is it free to roam about without control, but also your summoning is less
likely to work in the first place.
Mystic
Basic
20 hours
each
Although not exactly a skill, this
is a pattern of learned behaviour that may be advantageous. Learning this 'skill' is somewhat different
than most; superstitions must be paired and the first 2 don't count against
your skill levels for a starting character.
Further superstitions are gained at the rate of 2 for each skill level. They are paired because for each
superstition that has a definite game mechanic there is one that may or may not
work—only the Game Master knows for sure.
If you want to select additional superstitions without one of them
having a game mechanic, then there is no cost at character creation and the 'must
be paired' rule does not apply. In
addition, non-game mechanic superstitions do not require time or effort to
learn: if your character won every
fight where she was wearing her purple socks, then simply make the note on the
character sheet about "lucky purple socks." Superstitions may have a basis in science (eating uncooked pork
is unclean) or completely nonsensical (shouting "tinga-linga-loo"
drives away ghosts). Some further
examples of superstitions:
Crossing under a ladder / going through a triangle is bad
luck (gains +1 to-hit against anyone you see going under a ladder)
Must wake early to greet the dawn (gets +1 to saving throws
for the day when you do this)
Won't move or even touch a dead body,
it disturbs their spirit (+2 to saving throws against disease or necromancy)
Spare the rod & spoil the child (you actually know that
this means 'teach' not 'beat;' your children get +2 to Knowledge [no you can't
take this one & say that your parents had this superstition])
Sitting hunched over the steering wheel makes traffic move
faster (we won't dignify this one with a game mechanic)
Technical
Basic
200 hours
Requires: Literacy
You read at dramatically faster
speeds and retain information better.
Light reading (a novel or article) is read at about 30 seconds per
page. Difficult or highly technical
work (such as a spell book) will take 2 to 4 times longer to read.
Martial
Basic
200 hours
This is the skill of leading, or
working in, a small unit of 2-20 troops.
You know how to identify each team member's strengths, and how to best
use those strengths. You know marching
order, hand signals, terrain, rally points, and patrol procedures. This skill is helpful for a small unit to
achieve victory in the mission.
Mystic
Basic
200 hours
Can make a magically binding
agreement. The deal can be
finalized/sealed with blood, signatures, signatures in blood, contracts, water
shared, payment rendered in advance, contracts drawn up, etc. Breaking the oath evokes a minor geas on the
offender, but more importantly, the loss of face hinders future deals.
Martial
Basic
60 hours
Included with an appropriate weapon proficiency
of level V or higher, this skill enables you to keep your weapons polished and
deadly. Without good upkeep, edges
dull, straps fray, and rust settles into metal. The Game Master may reduce bonuses or weapon features, and may
even add penalties if care slips far enough.
These
are the skills that you will be rolling the dice in order to use. These are skills that have a substantial
penalty for failure and/or are very immediate.
Skills used for combat are examples of this type of skill. These skills are listed numerically. Having Crossbow I means that you know
little more than which end is the one to point towards your target. Having Intimidation IX means that you
usually can get your way when need be.
Level I is minimally trained; level III is a talented beginner. Level V is a professional; level 7 is an
expert. Level IX is a master; levels
XI+ are stuff of legend. Non-martial
proficiencies have an attribute listed.
This attribute is used to modify the chance that the skill is used
successfully according to the chart below.
Attribute rating
|
Technical |
Social |
Mystic |
|
0 |
Impossible |
-24 |
Would be
a bad idea |
|
1 |
-12 |
-18 |
-34 |
|
2 |
-9 |
-15 |
-21 |
|
3 |
-7 |
-12 |
-13 |
|
4 |
-5 |
-9 |
-8 |
|
5 |
-4 |
-7 |
-5 |
|
6 |
-3 |
-5 |
-3 |
|
7 |
-2 |
-3 |
-2 |
|
8 |
-1 |
-2 |
-1 |
|
9 |
0 |
-1 |
0 |
|
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
11 |
0 |
+1 |
0 |
|
12 |
+1 |
+1 |
0 |
|
13 |
+1 |
+2 |
+1 |
|
14 |
+2 |
+3 |
+1 |
|
15 |
+2 |
+4 |
+1 |
|
16 |
+3 |
+5 |
+2 |
|
17 |
+3 |
+6 |
+2 |
|
18 |
+4 |
+7 |
+2 |
|
19 |
+4 |
+7 |
+3 |
|
20 |
+5 |
+8 |
+3 |
|
21 |
+5 |
+8 |
+3 |
|
22 |
+6 |
+9 |
+4 |
|
23 |
+6 |
+9 |
+4 |
|
24 |
+7 |
+9 |
+4 |
|
25 |
+7 |
+10 |
+5 |
Social
Proficiency
[personality]
200 hours
This is the skill of how to operate
& use (and abuse) "the system" of bureaucracy in large
organizations/governments. This skill
enables you to cut through red-tape, talk to people who can actually get things
accomplished (hint: not the guy in
charge), and possibly even achieve a position of authority for yourself. While not a requirement, literacy is
extremely useful for the often-overwhelming amount of paperwork involved in a
bureaucracy.
Martial
Proficiency
1200 hours
Double learning
difficulty
This
hand-to-hand martial art is a highly defensive form that is, by its own
philosophy, impossible to use for attack, only for defending. This is a form favoured by pacifists for its
protective/non-aggressive nature.
Training in this skill includes the skills: circular parry, defensive stance, hand parry, and the combo
grapple/attack (can do both at the same time with one ‘to-hit’ roll such as
roll to grab then automatically one-hand flip as one attack). Throws and pushes hit automatically if
grappling. This defensive combat skill
allows one skilled in its use to parry once per two skill levels per round
free—as with a weapon proficiency.
Skill level 1: +2 to
parry
2: hip throw—1D8
damage (no strength bonus to damage)
3: +1 to parry, +1
to dodge
4: soft push—push back 1D6 + skill level in
feet, 30% chance to cause knock-down (agility check or fall & take 1D6
damage (no strength bonus)
5: two-finger—push
back level in feet & knock down if agility check failed (1D6 damage with no
strength bonus); +1 to parry
6: +2 to parry, +2
to dodge
7: one-finger—as two
finger, but is a ranged attack—you don’t need to touch your opponent—3 inch
range, doubles every additional skill level
8: one-hand flip—1D8
damage (no strength bonus); +1 to dodge
9: circle sweep—low
foot sweep that knocks down everyone within melee range if they fail an agility
check (1D6 damage with no strength bonus), those who make the check still take
4 + Strength bonus in kicking damage; +2 to parry, +1 to dodge
10: infinite
defence—gets a parry/dodge combo for all attacks; i.e. if the parry fails, you
still get a chance to dodge, you can continue to use this combo until you run
out of actions (that is, if you get 2 attacks you could parry/dodge/parry/dodge
a single attack)
+1 to parry for each additional
level; +1 to dodge for every additional even level
Analysis
Mystic
Proficiency
[Willpower]
200 hours
Psionic
Use of this skill allows you to
predict the future. Upon a successful
skill check, you determine what the variables of a situation are, and the
likelihood that any of them will occur.
The higher you roll, the more information you gain. You must have some information about the
situation at hand in order to use this skill.
For example, if you were tracking a fugitive—and your skill result was a
12, you determine a 75% chance that he took the river to escape. If you rolled an 18, you would know that
there was: a 72% chance that he stole a
raft, 12% chance that he swam, and less than 2% chance that he is still hiding
on the docks. The more information that
you have, the greater the chance of success—if you do not know about the river,
then you are less likely to determine that the fugitive took that path.
Technical
[lore]
Proficiency
[Knowledge]
200 hours
Recognizing tracks, spoor, kills,
dens, signs, calls, etc. are all within your ability. This is practical biology.
Artillery
(weapon type)
Martial
Proficiency
400 hours
each
Sending quite large objects at
someone is fun and profitable. You are
knowledgeable in at how to aim, reload, maintain, and fire at least one type of
siege weapon as part of its crew. At
least one level of this skill by each crewmember is needed for proper operation
of the weapon. Like the other weapon
proficiency skills, these are actually several separate skills.
Artillery types include:
Ballista
Battering ram
Catapult—heavy
Catapult—light
Catapult—slinging
Stone screw
Trebuchet
Martial
Proficiency
100 hours
Also called "Dirty
Fighting," this is the unsubtle skill of targeting an opponent's tender
spots. This skill doesn't stack with a
weapon or hand-to-hand proficiency, but is instead used alongside it (as a
separate roll). A successful roll of 10
or higher causes double shock and any amount over 20 adds to damage. Using this skill is considered 'unsporting'
and many honourable warriors refuse to use it.
Others simply never leave living witnesses.
Technical
Proficiency
[Agility]
200 hours
Use of this skill allows you to walk
on a tightrope or other narrow pathway.
You need only roll 11 or higher to traverse a path that has 7 to 12 inches
of walking space, 14 or better for 2 to 6 inches, and 18 or better for one inch
or less. Movement is half speed. You cannot navigate a rope or beam angled
greater that 45º.
Bartering
Social
Proficiency
[Personality]
200 hours
Barter is the exchange of goods for commodities. Gold can be a commodity, so this skill is
used to get the most value in your purchases.
The simple way to use this skill is to make a skill check against the
other person's Willpower. Each point
you either succeed or fail by affects the price by 5%. The more involved (and more enjoyable) way
is for the Game Master to make the skill check secretly and role-play the
encounter. This skill works for both
buying and selling. If both player and
non-player characters have this skill, make an opposed skill check. Subtract the lower-rolling character's
result from the higher-rolling character's to find how to modify the
price. For example, Corwin wants to get
a better deal on his armour. He has
both milled-wheat and hard coin for the deal.
Corwin—or the Game Master—rolls against the smith's Willpower (14) and
the smith makes a skill check against Corwin's (9). The smith's total roll is a 16—7 higher than Corwin's Willpower;
Corwin only rolled a 12—he failed by 2.
The difference between the two skill checks is 9 (the smith's +7 minus
Corwin's -2), for a total modifier of +45% that Corwin has to pay for the
armour—poor bastard. Had Corwin made his roll by 2, rather than failing, the
final price would have been only (7-2=5 or 25%) one-quarter more than the base
price rather than almost half-again as much.
Bear Hug
Martial
Proficiency
120 hours
This is the unsubtle art of crushing
someone to death by brute strength. If
your attack roll succeeds (ignore fortitude bonuses to armour class like any
hold), you do your skill level plus Strength damage per round. This attack requires both hands and prevents
either combatant from using any active defence (neither of you can dodge or
parry).
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
This is the most basic hand-to-hand
fighting art. It is essentially weapon
proficiency with your fists. Base
damage with your fists for a trained pugilist is 2 points of damage plus your
strength bonus. This skill includes the
Hand Parry skill.
Social
Proficiency
[personality]
400 hours
Most games call this
"bluffing," "con-artistry," or some other crap name that
hides its true meaning. This is the
delicate social art of feeding someone a load of bullshit so deep that you need
hip-waders—and having them willingly accept it. For general lies ("That guy I walked in with is
buying."), you must roll higher than the target's Common Sense. More difficult-to-swallow statements are
more difficult to roll, as are attempts at bullshitting when someone wants to
kill you (i.e. combat). Game Master
sets the penalties. A well thought out,
logical, half-truth with supporting evidence could get a bonus. When a non-player character attempts to use
this skill, the player rolls a Common Sense check with the skill level as a
penalty. If players want to use this
against each other, a role-playing situation usually doesn't require Game
Master intervention—until someone rolls to hit.
Technical
Proficiency
[Agility]
100 hours
You have good hands. Use this skill to catch baseballs, thrown
weapons, even arrows. This skill only
applies to non-resisting objects, i.e. hurling through the air not on their own
power or still being held by someone.
Relatively easy items—thrown stick or rock—are caught without
penalty. Very easy items—a ball thrown
so that you can catch it—will have a bonus of +3 or more. Dangerous items are much more difficult to
successfully catch (without injury—just putting your hand in the way isn’t that
difficult). You suffer a –3 penalty to
mildly dangerous items—thrown axes or spears, -5 for moderately
dangerous—knives or spiked balls, -7 for fast-movers—arrows, and –10 for very
dangerous items—bullets or siege weaponry.
Catching a bullet in your teeth is at -15 to the roll. For an additional –3 both to catch and to
hit, you can throw the weapon back without using an additional action. Damage is as though you had thrown the item,
not with its additional power from a device, if any (such as a gun or
bow). Use of this skill counts as an
action, unless you have a high enough Wits to allow you to win initiative &
defence ties or have the skill Intuitive
Reflexes; in which case this would count as a parry. Using this skill (obviously, but needs to be
stated here) requires at least one hand free.
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
400 hours
This is both the scientific
knowledge of chemical interaction but also the practical application as
well. In order to manipulate chemicals
alchemically, you first need to know what they are actually supposed to
do. Many of an alchemist's potions
involve science rather than magic.
Technical
Proficiency
[Agility]
200 hours
Anyone may climb ladders, most
trees, etc. This skill allows for more
difficult and faster climbs. At 2nd
level, no tree is safe from you. At 4th
level, you may scale a rock wall, at 6th brick, and at 8th wood. At 10th level, you can climb ice. Rough surfaces reduce these benchmarks by 3
levels & wet or slippery surfaces increase them by 2.
Social
Proficiency
[Appearance]
100 hours
Interrupting can be an art
form. With this skill, you can force
others to allow you to speak. Make a
skill check against the highest Personality in the group or crowd. Each point you succeed by allows you one
round to speak without interruption—people are temporarily compelled to listen
to you.
Social
Proficiency
[Common Sense]
400 hours
Double
learning difficulty
With this skill, you notice the subtle
clues that let you know that someone is feeding you a load of b.s. If someone has the Bullshit skill, you have a penalty to your skill roll equal to the
amount that he or she succeeded. For
example, if someone rolled 3 more than your common sense on their B.S. skill check, then you have a -3 on
your Detect Lies skill check. In order to notice when someone is being
untruthful, you must be actively paying attention and trying to notice
falsehood; i.e. not ignoring them or deciding later in the day to notice if
someone was lying.
Social
Proficiency
[Personality]
300 hours
This is ass-kissing with style. While diplomacy does have its limitations (you can't diplomatically convince a slightly-drunk girl to go home with you), it does have the advantage that you have to make an effort to piss someone off when using this skill. Whereas trying to bullshit someone could leave you in a world of hurt, few would get upset at someone politely speaking with them without excess of emotion. Having a reputation for diplomacy is rarely a bad thing (except in the eyes of bad people).
Distinguished Expertise
Social
Proficiency [Knowledge]
300 hours
This is the skill that enables you to sound like you know what you are talking
about. The number that you must roll against is the listener's Common Sense. If
the victim has any knowledge of the area that you are trying to pretend hat you
know, add in double the skill levels that the listener possesses to their Common
Sense. This skill works quite well with the Bullshit skill, although they
are different. The Bullshit skill enables you to lie convincingly, the
Distinguished Expertise skill grants you illusionary knowledge. The Game Master
may allow you to add both levels together for the skill check.
Mystic
Proficiency
[Awareness]
100 hours
Finding out information or
predicting the future with the tarot.
Believed to be one of the more accurate fortune-telling methods, and has
inspired a cult following that believes each card to be an entity officiating
over what its card represents. This
ritual can take up to a half-hour or more to perform depending on the
information desired as well as needed accuracy.
Mystic
Proficiency
[Awareness]
100 hours
Using a small weight on a chain to
divine answers to questions: yes, no,
or not yet determined.
Martial
Proficiency
50 hours
This skill allows for nimbly sidestepping
blows. Each level adds +1 to
dodge. Possessing this skill doesn't
eliminate the fact that dodging still takes up an action.
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
1200 hours
Requires: Drawing, Mechanical Engineering, &
Physics
Double
learning difficulty
This technomantic skill involves
working with electricity. You know how
to build, repair, design, and assemble electronic devices. This skill is needed for any task—other than
basic operations—when working with any device involving an electrical current
or electromagnetism. This skill does
not include the craft-type skills needed for constructing the components
(blacksmithing, jeweller, etc.) but does allow you to piece them together to
form the finished product. Having a
proven blueprint to work from usually provides a bonus to the roll. Use this skill when designing an electrical
technomantic device. The Game Master
must determine the probability of success based on the plans and explanations
given to her. Designing the device
could bring serious penalties such as -1 for every component if the Game Master
hasn't had her coffee yet. If the
player actually has drawn up feasible plans for the desired item, then the Game
Master should grant a bonus instead.
Unless ancient technomantic components are found, what can be created
with local technology can be extremely limited. This skill covers the generation, storage, transport, and usage
of electricity.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
300 hours
Double learning
difficulty
This is using flexibility and
self-torture to escape from confinement.
This is not a catchall skill; it doesn't cover picking locks or other
skills in a stage magician's (or thief's) bag of tricks. This skill is used for slipping out of
manacles, ropes, nets, or straightjackets, as well as wriggling through narrow
spaces.
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
Requires: Melee Weapon: Short or Medium
This is considered a refined combat
art. Noblemen who would never dream of
entering a real battle may still practice their swordplay as a sport. Not only can this skill be used for sporting
purposes; but it is an effective fighting style as well, with strengths in
parrying speed. This is a fully
stackable weapon proficiency. Add your
level of fencing to your Melee Weapon skill (including the number of
parries). You also gain +2 to parries
on top of weapon skill. For example, if
you have the maximum allowable levels for both skills at start—level III for
proficiencies—you have +6 to hit, +8 parry, and 5 parries per round total. You may only use this skill when you are
lightly encumbered (both weapon and armour.
Field
improvisation
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
200 hours
This skill enables a character to jury-rig
needed items.
Technical
Proficiency
[Knowledge]
1200 hours
Double
learning difficulty
You know the fundamentals of
death. With a successful skill check
you can determine the time and cause of death.
Less fresh corpses are harder to diagnose, as are some types of death
(poison or disease for example). The
higher the roll, the greater the information gained (such as knowing the
murderer's height and handedness).
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
400 hours
This skill enables you to copy
documents or to create your own and hopefully be able to pass them off as
legitimate. To create a successful
forgery takes many hours—even days of solid work. Special inks, waxes, and paper may be needed. Making something without an original to copy
from is substantially more difficult (at least -10 to the roll for most
items).
Glare
Social
Proficiency
[grace]
400 hours
Double
learning difficulty
This is unspoken intimidation. You have perfected the art of scaring the
bejesus out of someone just by looking fiercely at him or her. The victim must make a save vs. mental
attack or be intimidated.
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
Any
one can attempt to grab an opponent at no penalty, but you are exceptionally
skilled at both the initial grab and maintaining your hold. This is a fully stackable proficiency that
adds its skill level to any other grappling attacks. Fortitude bonuses to armour class (such as from wearing armour or
having tough hide) do not help against a grapple attack, but this attack does
no damage by itself. This skill is
essential for a serious wrestler, and makes for wonderful grab/attack
combos.
Technical
[Knowledge]
Proficiency
300 hours
You are knowledgeable in the different
kinds of plants and what their properties are.
You can identify fungi, herbs, and other plants. You also know how to prepare teas,
poultices, extracts, and infusions for medicinal purposes. You can prepare something to help someone
double their healing with a skill check (at a number equal to the points of
damage taken +5). If you know what
illness someone suffers from, then you can prepare something to help him or her
heal as well (Game Master sets target number based on the disease or toxin).
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
200 hours
This is the art of remaining
motionless, using camouflage, & choosing the right place to hide within.
Technical
Proficiency
[Knowledge]
500 hours
Counts as
2 skills at character creation (per level)
Double
learning difficulty
This skill suite includes Diagnosis,
Dress Wounds, and Herbalism.
You are skilled in non-invasive healing techniques.
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
100 hours
Far more complicated than: go into woods, get drunk, shoot something;
hunting is the skill of actively catching game for meat. A successful hunt brings home enough food
for 1D6 people and takes 1D4 hours.
Mystic
Proficiency
[knowledge]
400 hours
This skill allows the mentalist to
relax a subject and 'suggest' a number of things to their subconscious. Anytime a suggestion is violently harmful,
strongly against their nature, or a long time passes before the suggestion is
triggered, a saving throw vs. mental attacks applies. Any amount rolled over 20 on the success roll is a penalty to the
saving throw. Time required: 2D20 minutes minus skill level.
Social
Proficiency
[Personality]
200 hours
This
skill is also called taunting, berating, or the dozens. You are able to distract your foe verbally,
often with references to his mother's size.
Every 3 full points you roll over your opponent's Willpower subtracts
one from each roll he makes—whether in combat, in a social setting, or just to
insult you back. If you fail to roll
above your foe's Willpower, he is able to ignore your pitiful attempts. Particularly clever (and public) use of this
skill could possibly result in a negative status.
Social
Proficiency
[personality]
200 hours
Bending people to your way of
thinking with thinly veiled threats.
The required target number will be determined by the GM based on the
method of intimidation used: stare-down
requires to roll higher than what the victim made his or her willpower roll by,
gross physical threats require a contest against the victim’s strength, or
subtle methods may be against the opposing personality or common sense.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
100 hours
Inclusive is: standing long jumps, running broad jumps,
high jumps, and hurdles. You can jump 5
feet plus one foot for each point you roll above 10. Failure to roll at least 10 means you did not jump far enough or
landed improperly. For standing long
jumps or running high jumps, divide the distance by 2. For standing high jumps, divide the distance
by 4.
Technical
Proficiency
[Knowledge]
300 hours
Also called orientation or map
reading, this skill allows you to find your way overland. You know how to read a map and find your way
using terrain features.
Mystic
Proficiency
[knowledge]
50 hours
Drawn in 2 lines of white chalk or
paint. 4 white candles are placed
inside each at one of the cardinal directions.
This circle should keep out most magic, psionics, & entities. Each level grants a +1 to saves while inside
if written successfully.
Technical
Proficiency
[Agility]
200 hours
In modern times, this is
"breaking & entering" and is considered wrong. In a fantasy game, this is
"adventuring" and you are considered a hero. Here are some types of locks and numbers to
beat on a skill check: skeleton key—10
(those things are a joke), typical one-tumbler—13, multi-tumbler—16, complex
lock with trips, deadfalls, and unusually shaped tumblers—22 or higher.
Social
Proficiency
[appearance]
200 hours
Usually used to enhance one’s
appearance, this skill may also be used to enhance a disguise.
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
1200 hours
Requires: Drawing, Literacy, & Mathematics
Double
learning difficulty
With this skill, you know the
principles of mechanical movement, and how those principles apply to practical
functionality. This skill is essential
when repairing, designing, assembling, or modifying mechanical devices. This skill also includes motive
engines: steam, combustion, flywheel,
spring, gravity-fed, and manually driven.
You know how to transfer force and motion in order to perform a set
task. This skill does not include the
craft-type skills needed for constructing the components (blacksmithing,
carpentry, etc.) but does allow you to piece them together to form the finished
product. Having a proven blueprint to
work from usually provides a bonus to the roll. Make a skill check (the Game Master must determine the
probability of success based on the plans and explanations given to him) when
designing a mechanical technomantic device.
Designing the device could bring serious penalties such as -1 for every
moving part if the Game Master hasn't had his coffee yet. If the player actually has drawn up feasible
plans for the desired item, then the Game Master should grant a bonus instead.
Melee
weapon (weapon type)
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
each
This is the unsubtle skill of
bashing someone with a killing instrument until they stop making funny
noises. Flex weapon skill doesn’t
crossover with non-flex for the same length.
For example, training with a flail is very different than with a mace in
spite of the similar size & function.
The ‘reverse specialization’ rule applies to weapons, however. If you have a skill in one weapon
proficiency then you can use a similar weapon type you aren’t proficient with
at a –5 on the to-hit roll. Proficiency
in the weapon above 5th level automatically includes minor upkeep
(i.e. keeping it clean & mostly sharp).
Each level of the skill grants a +1 to hit in combat. Every two levels of skill (round up) allow
you to parry once per round without using an action.
Weapon types are:
Hand: very small,
such as knives, blackjacks, & daggers
Short: approximately
fingertip to elbow length; shortswords & clubs
Medium: the length
of the arm; longswords & battleaxes
Long: body length or
slightly longer; greatswords & staves
Polearms: anything
larger
Short-flex:
fingertip to elbow & non-rigid; nunchaku
Medium-flex: arm
length & flexible; horseman’s flails or a short length of chain
Long-flex: longer
flexible weapons; whips, footman’s flails, or length of rope; anything very
long & flexible acts more as a ranged weapon & will use that skill
(such as a lasso)
Mass-weapon:
heavier, especially at the business end; battleaxes & flails; there
is some crossover with most mass-weapons with other proficiencies, if you have
either skill, you can use the weapon
Special: some
weapons are unique in their use and will require special training in their use;
3-section staff (yes it’s a long-flex weapon, but is very difficult to use)
Technical
Proficiency
[Knowledge]
400 hours
You know how to guide a ship using a
map, sextant, and compass. You know how
to read the stars and currents to guide you.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
200 hours
Lifting wallets, cutting purse
strings, etc. This is not the same as
sleight-of–hand, but that skill adds a bonus to pickpocket rolls equal to 1/3
of the sleight-of-hand skill level. The
target number for a successful lifting is the victim’s awareness + character
level.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
100 hours
This is jumping with the assistance
of a pole. The pole must be strong
enough to support your weight and must be of the appropriate length (generally
10 feet or greater). It will ideally
also be somewhat flexible. Each point
rolled over 12 is two feet of height and distance jumped.
Mystic
Proficiency
[awareness]
600 hours
Psionic
This is the reception of impressions
from an object or location. You may
receive feelings, colours, and emotions, hear a name or word, or even see
scenes. This skill is as unreliable as
any psychic skill, but may be enhanced with other psionic skills and
traits.
Ranged
weapon (weapon type)
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
each
This handy skill lets you kill
things at a distance without undue danger to yourself. Also called missile weapons, these
proficiencies have little crossover value; i.e. knowing how to use a longbow
helps little when shooting a crossbow.
Unskilled use has an additional –3 penalty for a total –8 to-hit. Proficiency in a ranged weapon above 5th
level automatically includes basic maintenance (such as restringing a bow,
doesn’t include maintenance for technomantic items).
Weapons include:
Bow: long &
short as well as pellet bows
Crossbow: includes
rifles but doesn’t include arbalest (as it is a siege weapon)
Spear: includes
thrown javelins
Grenade: includes
balanced thrown items such as rocks or greek fire
Knife/Axe: any
unbalanced throwing weapon
Pistol: includes
hand-crossbows
Special: some
weapons are unique in their use and will require special training in their use;
atlatl (device for throwing a javelin), lariat (also called a lasso—thrown loop
on a rope)
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
100 hours
This skill enables a character to
determine what critter a particular set of footprints belongs to. Included in the tracking skill.
Technical
Proficiency
[Common Sense]
300 hours
This is the ability to find
something useful. It complements the Field
Improvisation skill nicely. A
successful roll doesn’t guarantee that you find exactly what you want, but you
may get something good enough (possibly even better if you use your
imagination).
Mystic
Proficiency
[willpower]
400 hours
In order to use this skill properly,
you need a crystal ball or gazing mirror.
Non-magical devices are useless for scrying, as is attempting to use the
magic items without this skill. Use of
scrying devices causes 1 fatigue point per 5 minutes of use.
Social
Proficiency
[Appearance]
200 hours
You can get the attention of a
member of the opposite sex (or some members of your own...) in order to get a
favour from them or to distract them. You
must successfully roll a 14 or higher on your skill check with modifiers to
Appearance applying (see the chart located in the Interaction chapter). Success on the roll means that the
individual perceives you favourably—they think they are going to get something
from you, not the other way around.
Martial
Proficiency
80 hours
This is the useful ability to keep
yourself from being hit by an oncoming weapon by placing a large object
strapped to your arm in the way. You
may block (roll just like a parry) one attack per round for each 2 levels of
shield skill. Each level of skill adds
to your block/parry roll. Alternately
you may rush or punch with a shield instead of using it for defence—however
this does use up an action. If you only
defend during a round, you can block a number of attacks equal to your skill
level. Someone unskilled still gets the
Armour Class benefits of a shield, but only can parry once per round with it at
a –6 (unless they have ambidexterity in which case the penalty is only
–3). Unskilled use of the shield uses
up one action.
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
Successful use of this skill allows
you to subtract the amount rolled over 10 to subtract from the penalties of you
moving when using a ranged weapon.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
200 hours
Also called palming. Taking an
object without being noticed, secretly changing objects around, or making
something appear or disappear in one’s hand.
Anything that doesn’t fit inside someone’s cupped hand will cause
penalties to the skill roll as determined by the GM.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
200 hours
Moving quietly & unnoticed.
Survival
(terrain)
Technical
Proficiency
[knowledge]
200 hours
each
Finding food, shelter, & water
in a particular area. Additional
terrains can be learned at half difficulty & time. Types of terrains include: arctic, desert, forest, mountain, ocean,
steppe, tropical jungle, & urban.
Martial
Proficiency
200 hours
Double
learning difficulty
This impressive feat allows you to
catch your enemies weapon as a parry (use this skill in place of the normal
parry roll—parry bonuses don't add in to this skill roll unless the Game Master
expressly allows them on a point-by-point basis). Using this skill requires one hand free for smashing and most
piercing weapons, and both hands free for anything with an edge (all hacking
weapons). As with any parry, you must
roll higher than your opponent's to-hit roll.
Intuitive Reflexes skill adds
a +2 bonus the skill roll but Catch
does not (but it does look impressive as hell when you catch everything used
against you). Smashing weapons are
harder to catch, -2 penalty. Once you
have hold of your opponent's weapon, you each make a contested Strength
challenge. You get to add in your skill
level, and whoever uses both hands gets a +4 to their effective Strength. If your opponent wins, he or she has wrested
it free from your grip. If you win,
your opponent loses the weapon. This
challenge uses up one action (more if you both tie; the contest continues for
the next round).
Technical
Proficiency
[Grace]
200 hours
This skill allows you to follow
someone without them noticing. Make a
skill check against their Awareness.
Success indicates that you were not noticed. Being in a crowd helps as much as it hinders. It is harder to pick out one person trailing
you in a crowd, but it is also harder to keep track of whom you are
following.
Martial
Proficiency
300 hours
Double
learning difficulty
This skill enables you to endure
punishment. You can ignore as many
points of shock (from damage received) as you have levels in this skill. You can also reduce fatigue on a skill check
if you get an 18 or better. You roll
for each point of fatigue separately and only get one chance to roll per
point. Don't be a wuss; learn this
skill.
Social
Proficiency
[personality]
400 hours
The use of this skill enables you to
use the amount rolled over 15 as a bonus to the your Common Sense when you are
teaching someone for testing down the time to learn a skill. You must know the skill you are teaching as
at least a journeyman or level V or higher.
Someone without this skill can still teach (provided their skill levels
are high enough), but they won't get the bonus from the teacher's Common
Sense. 1/5th of the teacher's Common
Sense (modified by this skill) is added to both the Knowledge and Common Sense
checks made by the pupil to learn the skill.
For example, Syn is teaching Damien how to corrupt the morals of others
(Temptation skill); her Common Sense is 14. Syn rolls a 23 on the skill check, and adds 8 (23 is 8 more than
15) to her effective Common Sense.
Damien gets to add one-fifth her effective Common Sense to all of his
rolls to learn Temptation (14 Common Sense plus 8 from the skill check
equals 22; 22 divided by 5 is 4.4 or 4 rounded to the nearest whole
number). Thus, Damien gets to add +4 to
his ability scores for the purposes of learning this skill. Short form:
skill check over 15—bonus to Common Sense; 1/5th Common Sense—bonus to
learn checks.
Mystic
Proficiency
[Willpower]
1600 hours
Psionic
You have the ability to move objects
with your mind. You must either be able
to see the object or know exactly where it is. This means that a bar on the other side of a door may be removed
if you know exactly where it is (i.e. the door in your home is familiar enough
to you to use this skill if you are locked out). Levels of this skill represent both the mass you can move and the
skill you have in manipulation. At 1st
level, you are able to move an object that weighs one ounce; at 2nd level, you
may lift 2 ounces; at 4th level, you can lift 8 ounces; at 5th level, you can
lift 16 ounces or one pound. For the
skill check, any amount rolled that is 10 or under does not move at all; you
must roll 15 or higher to move an object quickly or efficiently. Rolling between 11 and 14 moves an object
slowly and clumsily. You can attempt to
manipulate heavier objects by taking a point of fatigue and -1 on the skill
check for each doubling of the mass that you can normally lift. The fatigue is received at the end of each
round that you lift the increased weight.
In other words, you are trading skill for mass. If your Game Master is generous, she may
allow you to trade mass for skill. For
example, you have level IV and can normally lift 2 pounds, but you only need to
lift a coin--less than one ounce (and drop it into your pocket). If the Game Master allows it, you may trade
some of your lifting ability to ensure that the lightweight object deposits
itself into your pocket noiselessly.
The trade here would be half weight for +1 on skill. Trading mass for skill (if the Game Master
allows) costs one fatigue per round due to the increased concentration,
regardless of the weight. You can use
this talent to perform tasks that would be difficult to do with your hands,
such as separating salt from pepper.
This skill demands all of your concentration to use; if you are
distracted (say, from an arrow to the head), you may loose the object you are
manipulating—make another skill check to retain control. Note that this skill has no sensitive
ability; you cannot 'feel' with telekinesis.
For example, if you try to levitate your sword from its sheath on your
back, you will not notice that it has been stolen until you 'move it' to where
you should be able to see it. Using
psychic abilities is quick, but the need to clear your mind to concentrate on
telekinesis is not. Initiative is
rolled at your base bonus.
Technical
Proficiency
[awareness]
300 hours
Includes the recognize tracks
skill. With this skill, a tracker can
tell the where & when of a track—where the animal (or person) came from
& is going, and when it passed.
This also includes the ability to cover your own tracks.
Technical
Proficiency
[Knowledge]
200 hours
You know how mechanical traps work
(if you have been exposed to them) as well as natural traps such as
break-falls, pits, and snares. Larger
animals (like the kind that can yell for help & then report youto the authorities) are substantially more difficult
to trap.
Technical
Proficiency
[Willpower]
120 hours
You know your own gait well. With this skill, you know how to travel in a
straight line and how to count your steps to judge distance travelled. Those without this training tend to walk in
large circles without terrain features to guide them, and must guess the
distance based only on travel time.
This skill works well with the trait Direction
Sense in that if you have both of them, it is unlikely that you will get
lost—provided you have some idea of where you are going. If your skill roll fails (you need an 11 or
better), either your distance—or your direction—will be wrong. Only the Game Master knows which, and by how
much.
Technical
Proficiency
[agility]
200 hours
This is the ability to roll,
somersault, flip, dive, etc. If you combine
tumbling with dodging for the entire round then you get to add your dodge bonus
into the tumbling skill check (plus possible bonuses for evasion or total
defence). If the skill check is
successful (in this case, higher than the to-hit roll), then you not only
rolled/dove/flipped out of the way, but you did so with style.
Social
Proficiency
[Personality]
200 hours
You
are skilled in doing voices and impersonations. You can imitate another's voice.
You need not make a skill check to use your skill for comedic value, but
to fool someone you must roll higher than their Awareness. Specializations include: animal, bodily, and mechanical noises.
Technical
Proficiency
[stamina]
200 hours
This skill covers hiking and long-distance
travel. Each level adds 10% to the
distance travelled in a day and subtracts 10% of the fatigue suffered due to
travel.
Martial
Proficiency
400 hours
This hand-to-hand martial art (yes,
it is a martial art) involves making grappling attacks and maintaining
holds. This is perhaps the most common
hand-to-hand skill. Wrestling was
invented by Humans during their pre-history, but both the Dwarves and Hobgoblins
have come to love it. Training in this
skill also includes the skills Breakfall,
Grab Attack, Ground Fighting, and Pin.
Skill level 1:
Select 2 holds
2: Select 1 joint
lock
3: Headbutt: 1D4 + Strength damage & can be used
while grappling
4: +2 bonus to
maintain and escape from holds
5: +3 on Agility checks
to maintain balance
6: Breakfree: can escape from multiple holds on a
successful skill roll against an 18
7: Select either Closed Fist Style or Hand Parry
8: +2 bonus to
maintain and escape from holds
9: one-hand flip-1D8
damage (no strength bonus); +1 to dodge
10: Tag-team: can simultaneously maintain as many grabs,
holds, & locks, as logic will allow
+1 to maintain and escape from holds per additional level