Skills

Skills measure a character's knowledge and ability.

The point cost of a skill is based on the level. The higher the skill, the more difficult it is to improve.

Level Cost
0 0
1 3
2 4
3 5
4 6
5 8
6 10
7 12
8 16
9 20
Level Cost
10 25
11 30
12 40
13 50
14 60
15 80
16 100
17 120
18 160
19 200
Level Cost
20 250
21 300
22 400
23 500
24 600
25 800
26 1000
27 1200
28 1600
29 2000

Thus: to give a new character an Archer level of 6 requires 10 character points. To later raise that same character's Archer to 7 will cost 2 character points (12 for level 7, minus the 10 already spent to reach level 6), requiring 200 experience points.

The formula should be apparent if one needs to go beyond 29.

Average persons have 0 levels in most traits and 3 (skilled apprentice) to 6 (journeyman) in those related to their work. Natural talents or skilled masters may have one or two traits at level 9. Levels greater than 9 represent awesome ability.

Below is a list of skills. It is not exhaustive - it focuses on adventuring skills, leaving others to the imagination of players. The Adversary should feel free to add or drop skills to make the list fit their campaign world.

Archer is skill with bows, crossbows, and other ranged attacks.
Artisan is the ability to make and repair useful items. One can build build a house, carve some arrows, or make minor repairs to damaged weapons and armor. It is a broad trait.

Master craftsmen can create works of great beauty and utility. The Adversary may rule that a character must specialize in a particular field (such as blacksmithing, woodworking, etc) in order to realize this level of quality. Specialization trades breadth for depth.

Athlete allows one to run, swim, climb, and jump.

Most characters can run 10 spaces per action. Each level of this skill gives the character an additional space. It also allows one to swim faster than others, though the rate is halved.

Athlete is rolled to determine the progress of a race or chase, with each point of mox being one space of distance gained or lost.

Athletes may attempt to climb anything, from trees to cliffs to castle walls. The more difficult the surface (the less friction and handholds), the higher the challenge level. Ropes and grapples help. A failed roll usually means no progress, but a spectacular failure could mean a fall.

Leaping over obstacles or chasms requires a roll against a challenge level set by The Adversary.

Athletes can perform flips, cartwheels, rolls, and tumbles. A high level may let one swing on trapezes, walk tightropes, or lessen the damage taken from a fall.

This trait also represents muscle speed and reflexes. An adventurer's Dodge is based on Athlete.

Healer is the skill of primitive medicine. A healer can bind wounds, set bones, and move injured companions without doing further harm.

This profession also grants the possessor knowledge of useful plants and herbs that can be made into salves to speed healing, prevent infections, fight off diseases, or cure poisons.

Finally, a talented healer can perform primitive surgery such as lancing boils or amputating limbs.

Performer is the ability to act, sing, and dance. It covers anything related to working a crowd. A good performer can lie better than a rogue.
Ranger represents the ability to survive in the wild with minimal equipment and supplies. A master of the wilderness can live indefinitely with nothing more than a good knife and warm clothes.

This skill lets a character discover and follow tracks. Some creatures are easier to track than others. Different types of terrain increase or lessen the challenge. Some, like rivers or solid rock, are impossible to track through - the only hope is to pick up the trail on the other side of the obstacle.

Rangers can train animals to perform work or tricks and can effectively handle such domesticated creatures. At higher levels, they can befriend wild animals. A master may even calm enraged beasts.

Finally, Rangers have the ability to determine location and heading by the heavens. Master navigators may even have a sixth sense about the time of day and the direction they are facing.

Rogue is the profession of thieves and spies. It allows the skillful to gain unauthorized access to places.

A rogue can pick locks, whether ordinary keyed locks or fancier combination or puzzle locks.

One can also set or disarm small traps. This can be used to protect a locked chest with a poison dart, to protect a hallway with a cocked crossbow, or to protect a door with a levered scythe - or to disarm any such protections set by others.

Rogues know how to hide things, craft disguises, forge documents, and tell bold-faced lies. They can also perform minor "magic" tricks via sleight of hand.

They can also locate black markets and information peddlers.

Scholar is a catchall for academic skills. It represents knowledge of subjects such as astronomy, cartography, geography, heraldry, history, languages, philosophy, politics, and religion. It also lets the character write with flourish, using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and perhaps stylistic calligraphy.

Master scholars and sages are highly prized by their patrons, and a visit to one can be expensive.

Sneak is the art of silence and invisibility. To move unseen requires shadow, the darker the better. Dark clothing and soft shoes help.

A sneak can follow someone through a crowd without the subject knowing. The sneak must be inconspicuous in dress and behavior - if everyone in town wears white clothing, someone will notice a black-cloaked figure following them no matter what the sneak roll.

Finally, this trait allows one to filch keys and pick pockets.

Warrior represents prowess in close combat. Melee Offense and Parry are based on Warrior.