Categories and Skills

Referenced from: Rolemaster - School of Hard Knocks #5808
Categories and Skills
1.0 Introduction This section is designed to be used by Gamemasters and Players to more precisely define the capabilities of the characters in their fantasy settings. The Categories and skills section contains detailed rules and tables for all of the skills listed. In addition, there are options for skill development and skill resolution. Each skill category and skill has been dissected. Numerous examples are provided, especially for non-combat skills. This section is provided as a compilation of the rules and definitions of all skills provided by all reference books listed in the bibliography. Difficulty Levels The difficulty level of a maneuver determines the penalty assigned to the maneuver roll. Throughout this section, difficulty levels are also used for many other purposes.
Difficulty Modifier Routine +30 Easy + 20 Light +10 Medium 0 Hard -10 Very Hard -20 Extremely Hard -30 Sheer Folly -50 Absurd -70
2.0 Skill Resolution In many cases, a single skill or person is insufficient to complete a task. In these cases, the following guidelines can be used by the Gamemaster to facilitate sequential or simultaneous skill resolution.
2.1 Specialized Static Maneuver Tables Each of the specialized static maneuver tables has two additional parameters for each result: a “time multiplier” and a special modifier for subsequent related maneuvers. General modifiers common to all skills within the category may be found near the bottom of each static maneuver table, while modifiers specific to each skill may be found with the definition of that skill. On many static maneuver tables there is room for the GM to write down his own general modifiers. Occasions wil arise where a specialized static maneuver table for a skill category may not produce appropriate results for a particular application of a skill. In this circumstance, the Gm should modify the results to his liking, of use the General Static maneuver Table T-#.#.
Key to the Static Maneuver Tables If the initial unmodified roll is 66 or 100, the special optional entries for those values may be used instead of the modified result. Note that any modifier specified in the text of a result is not cumulative (i.e. an individual can only have one such modifier at a given time for a particular skill.) Each result has a code associated with it: ##%, #.#)(, ##-->
##% - This indicates the extent to which a maneuver was successful. If partial or extra success is inappropriate, the GM should simply take 100% or higher success and anything lower as a failure.
##)( - This indicates a multiplier to the amount of time the taask would take to accomplish. The GM should determine how long a “standard” successful maneuver would take, and may, at his discretion, apply this multiplier to that time to determine the speed with which a character accomplishes a task.
##--> - This gives a modifier to a subsequent related action on the part of a character. Note that this modifier may only be applied to an activity that is both immediate and integrally related to the maneuver that yielded this result. For example, a mage makes a static maneuver using his Research skill to study the teachings of a famous mathematician, and receives a Subsequent Action modifier of +30. He then makes an Advanced Math static maneuver to utilize roll. This modifier is cumulative with any modifier specified in the text of the result. Note: The GM may determine that this modifier is inappropriate to a particular subsequent action, whereupon it should be ignored.
2.2 Uncoordinated Efforts An uncoordinated effort occurs whenever a group of people are working together towards a common goal, but there is no clear master craftsman or organizer. Examples of such a situation might include a group (or pair) of people rowing a boat, or a group of spell casters all working towards the same ritual. In this situation, the average bonus for the applicable skill should be determined. A single maneuver roll is made, and the average skill bonus is applied as a modifier. Group Bonus for a UnCoordinated Maneuver = Average of the Skill Bonus of the Group Whereas the average bonus might be significantly smaller than that of the best participant, by pooling one’s efforts, tasks can be accomplished in a fraction of the time it would normally take to complete the task. The following formula indicates how many times faster the task will be accomplished than normal.
(Max + 1 - N) x(N)/(Max) Max indicates the maximum number of people that could work together (normally twice the number that could comfortably work together). N indicates the number of people currently working together. Note that if Max is very large, then the number is roughly equal to N. Example: In a given kitchen, only 4 people can work together due to space constraints. 3 cooks are working on preparing dinner. Dinner could be made in 60 minutes. These cooks can complete the task (4+1-3)x(3)/(4)=1.5 times faster than normal, or 40 minutes. If they could find additional space so that up to 6 cooks could possibly work together, then the dinner would be finished in 30 minutes.
2.3 Coordinated Efforts When there is a distinct leader or master craftsman coordinating the efforts of a group, the effective skill bonus of the group might be much higher (or lower) than the uncoordinated circumstances. The group’s skill bonus is based on the smallest skill bonus in the group. The leader then adds one to this value for every skill rank he has in the skill, minus one for each person he is coordinating, plus the number of ranks he has in Leadership. The bonus from Leadership cannot exceed the number of people being coordinated. Group Bonus for a Coordinated Maneuver = smallest skill bonus in the group (may be modified)+ leader’s skill rank - number of group members (other than leader) + leader’s skill ranks in Leadership (limited) The leader can also assist the less skilled members of his staff. The leader can divide his skill rank bonus among any of his staff as he sees fit. This will temporarily increase their skill, possibly elevating the group’s overall bonus. Example: Glim is attempting to sow the seeds of rebellion. He and a group of friends are attempting to perform a coordinated propaganda drive. Glim has 15 ranks of Propaganda and 5 ranks of Leadership. His friends’ skill bonuses (in Propaganda) are +30, +45, +50 and +75. Glim divides his +40 skill rank bonus among his first three friends, increasing their bonuses to +55, +55, +55 and +75, respectively. The smallest skill bonus is now +55, which glim adds 15-4+4=15. The group’s overall Propaganda skill bonus for a coordinated group maneuver is +70. If we assume that Glim’s Propaganda bonus is +100, the group’s average skill bonus (for an uncoordinated group maneuver) would only be +60 = [(100+30+45+50+75)/5]. The amount of time to complete a coordinated maneuver is equivalent to that of an uncoordinated effort (see Section 2.2). Note that the leader does not count as a participant if the number of participants is larger than the number of ranks he has in Leadership.
2.4 Aided Maneuvers An aided maneuver is the converse of the coordinated maneuver. In this case a single person is attempting a maneuver, but he is being assisted by a number of people. For example, a general will often have a staff of tacticians in order to increase his Tactics bonus. The amount of time required to complete the maneuver is not reduced by the aid, but the character performing the maneuver has his skill bonus temporarily increased. The character’s skill bonus is increased by the total number of ranks of the skill possessed by his aides. This number is reduced by the number of aides, squared. It may be possible to have one’s skill bonus reduced by listening to too many assistants.
Modification for an Aided Maneuver = character’s normal skill bonus + aide’s total skill ranks - (# aides x # aides) Example: Talen is planning a raid. He asks three of his friends for assistance. They have 3, 7 and 10 ranks of Tactics, respectively. Talen’s Tactics bonus is increased by (20 - 9 = 11). If he had asked three more friends for help, each of whom had 3 ranks, his skill bonus would be modified by -7 = (3+7+10+3+3+3) - (6x6). It’s good to keep the advisory board small.
2.5 Subsequent Maneuvers A subsequent maneuver occurs whenever a given maneuver must be completed before a second maneuver can be attempted. For example, a piece of music must be composed before it can be performed. The GM should first determine the order in which the skills involved should be resolved. If the maneuvers are truly sequential, the order is obvious. If one or more of the maneuvers are occurring simultaneously, the GM must decide which skill is most significant. That skill is resolved last. Example: A figure skater is competing in ice dancing. The GM decides that a Dance maneuver is the true goal of the maneuver, but that a Skating maneuver must also be completed. To determine the success of the maneuver, the character attempts the first maneuver. If successful, the subsequent maneuver bonus (the final number on every Static Maneuver Table) is applied to the next maneuver. The GM must also determine if the preliminary maneuvers are required to complete the overall maneuver. In the prior example, a failed Skating maneuver would indicate that the Dancing maneuver also failed. However, some skills are used simply to gain the subsequent maneuver bonus (e.g. Adrenal Balance, Meditation, Advanced Math). For example, it is not necessary for a character to successfully complete an Advanced Math maneuver before attempting an Architecture maneuver, but it may be necessary before attempting an Engineering maneuver. If the character performing the preliminary maneuver is not the one performing the subsequent maneuver, any bonus resulting from the first maneuver should be reduced by half rounded down. It is possible for a number of people to pass the subsequent maneuver bonus from one to another, provided each maneuver is successful. When there are multiple skills being strung together, the overall maneuver is successful if every required maneuver results in Near Success or better. Characters can normally not re-roll Near and Partial Success when attempting a sequential maneuver.
2.6 Maneuver Duration The amount of time needed to complete a maneuver depends on the maneuver being made and all it’s difficulty. In general, the GM determines how long it will take to complete a given maneuver, this duration is modified by results from the various Static Maneuver Tables. If the Gm is interested in a more dynamic approach, the Moving Maneuver Table can be used. The GM determines how many points must be obtained, and how often the character gets to roll. For example, picking a lock might require 600 points, but the character gets to roll every round. Constructing a house might require 300 points: the character rolls each month. The average amount of time is roughly equal to the number of points needed times the amount of time between rolls. The above example would take 6 rounds and 3 months to complete, on average. The character makes a maneuver roll, modified by his skill and all other modifiers, not including difficulty. The result should be indexed on the Moving Maneuver Table. If the result is a numeric result, the character gains that many points. Any other good result gives the character 150 points. Any bad results provide the character with no points. In some situations, the GM may even reduce the number of points gained so far if the maneuver roll is particularly bad. Any subsequent maneuver bonus or aided maneuver bonuses apply to each roll, not just the first. Once the skill is completed, the character should make a final maneuver roll and reference the result on the Static Maneuver Table. If the result is less than a Complete Success, the procedure may begin anew. Subsequent and aided maneuver bonuses would then be lost.
3.0 Skill Development Specialization This option allows a character to focus his skill proficiencies more finely. Many skills (e.g. Horticulture, Religion, etc.) allow a character either to develop a broad understanding of an entire field or to develop a more precise understanding of a sub-field. Other skills provide a character with a similarly diverse set of abilities. See the skill descriptions in Section #.# for recommended specializations for each skill (some skills have none). Specializations allows a character to select a subfield of a skill in which he is an expert. If a maneuver roll falls within the character’s specialty, he temporarily doubles the number of skill ranks he has in that skill. If the character cannot develop skill in that cate by 50%gory (e.g. Spells, Awareness-Perceptions, etc.), the character temporarily increases the number of ranks in the skill Categories and Skills by 50%. To gain a specialization, a character must sacrifice a skill rank to the specialization when purchasing skills. This does not increase the number of ranks that can be bought in a given skill, however. For example, a Ranger wants to develop a specialization in Rigid Leather. Upon attaining enough experience to purchase ranks, he purchases three ranks of Rigid Leather. Two of these ranks are devoted to attaining new ranks in Rigid Leather, the other towards specializing in AT 10. He could not purchase three ranks and sacrifice a fourth to gain a specialization because he can only develop three ranks of Rigid Leather at a time. It is not possible to specialize in a category. Suggested specializations are provided for each skill in Section 6.0. The GM should carefully consider any proposed specialization to ensure that its parameters are sufficiently narrow. If a specialization is constructed such that a small number of specializations would cover every possible circumstance, the specialization is too broad. It is strongly recommended that a character have only one specialization per combat skill (e.g., weapon skills, combat maneuvers, etc.) to prevent abuse of this option. A character may have multiple specializations on other skills. Note that once a character has a specialization, he keeps that specialization until it is replaced by another specialization. Any ranks devoted to specialization are lost; a character cannot recover the rank by losing the specialization.
Generalization This option is the converse of specialization. Many skills require that a character develop the skill for each sub-category of the skill (e.g., Weapons, Riding, Metal-crafts, etc.). This option allows characters to learn all possible versions of the skill simultaneously. Is the skill is an Occupational or Everyman skill, it becomes a regular skill. If the skill is a regular skill, it becomes a Restricted skill. Restricted skills cannot be generalized. Once a skill is generalized, it can be used regardless of the sub-category. For example, a generalization in Riding would allow a character to ride horses, elephants and warcats equally well. A skill cannot be both generalized and specialized. The GM may also decide that some generalizations do not apply to every sub-category, but rather a closely related group of sub-categories (e.g., a generalization in swords, rather than in one-handed edged weapons).

Skill Categories

The following sections provide options and general modifiers for all of the skill categories in Advent. Most of the sections eaach cover a skill category or a group of skill categories (e.g., the Awareness skill categories). However, there are two general sections:

Combat Skills - Skills from the following skill categories: Armor skill categories, Body Development, Combat Maneuvers, Martial Arts, Special Attacks, Special Defenses, and Weapon. See Section 5.4, p. 15. Power Skills - Skills from the following skill categories: Directed Spells, Power Awareness, Power Manipulation, Power Point Development, and Spells. See Section 5.10, p. 18.
5.1 Artistic Skills There are two types of artistic skills: passive andd active. The goal of an artistic maneuver is the same, regardless of the category. The artist seeks to design a work of art, an object or performance of beauty and emotion. The artist expresses himself his work to the audience (in the gallery, on stage, or in the library). The goal of an artistic maneuver is not the accumulation of wealth, although many artists would welcome fame and the accompanying wealth. Indeed, the greatness of an artist depends in large part on his audiences’s perception. The difficulty of an artistic maneuver general captures the depth or significance of the subject matter. The maneuver roll then indicates the beauty and elegance of he art. If the product of these two factors is determined, one can approximate the greatness of the result. In more specific terms, the following formula indicates how widely known a given piece of art is generally recognized. Within this radius, the art can be considered part of the local culture. Beyond this radius, the public’s familiarity with the piece of art diminishes until only serious collectors and fans are familiar with the art.
(Difficulty LevelX(Maneuver Roll-100)/20)exp.2 in miles.
An artist’s fame grows and shrinks more slowly than the fame of a specific piece or performance. Each time an artist produces a work, his sphere of fame increases by one tenth of the difference or decreases by one twentieth of the difference, as appropriate. Over time, an artist’s fame will be roughly equal to that of his works. Once the artist dies, his work may still gain fame, provided there is some way for the future generations to enjoy the work (i.e., the art is passive, not active). If the artist had more than 10 ranks in his art, his reputation’s sphere of fame will grow by a percentage equal to the number of ranks above 10, each decade. If the artist had fewer than 10 ranks, the sphere of fame will shrink by a percentage equal to the number of ranks fewer than 11, every five years. Note that an artist does not necessarily need to die for this to occur, he merely needs to stop producing work for five or more years. The amount of time required to complete an artistic maneuver depends largely on the size (or length) of the artistic piece. In general, an artist can complete a piece of art of average size (depending on the medium) in 6 months to a year. This should be modified by the difficulty of the artistic maneuver. A simple sketch might take only a few minutes to complete, whereas a complete masterpiece might require years of effort. The GM might allow the artist to roll the maneuver after spending one fourth of the time required. At this point, the artist can decide whether or not to continue.
5.2 Athletic Skills The Moving Maneuver Table can be used in a number of ways. The result from the table is often a number, which can be interpreted in a number of ways. All or Nothing: An all or nothing maneuver is a maneuver that either succeeds completely, or fails utterly. Examples include attempting to lift a great weight, and attempting to stop while skiing. The player must roll a second time and add the number from the chart. If the result is over 100, the maneuver succeeds. Percentage: For these maneuvers, it is possible to succeed partially. This is definitely the case when attempting to maneuver a certain distance. Both: Some maneuvers may involve both of these options; these maneuvers are dangerous. There should be an obvious risk to the character to justify using this option. Examples might include climbing or tightrope walking. The danger of falling is very real. Athletic maneuvers require the expenditure of exhaustion points (EP’s). Each such skill description includes the exhaustion point cost of the maneuver. This indicates the number of EP’s that must be expended that round. The normal exhaustion point modifiers also apply. In additional, there is an exhaustion point modifier based on pace:
Pace Exh. Pt. Modifier Walk x1 Jog x2 Run x5 Sprint x120 Fast Sprint x360 Dash x3000
Exhaustion Modifier Chart Modification to Factor Exhaustion Points Expended Temp above 100 F x2 Temp above 120 F x4 Temp above 130 F x8 Temp below 20 F x2 Temp below -10 F x3 Temp below -30 F x5 Temp below -50 F x8 Rough Terrain x2 Mountainous Terrain x3 Sand x3 Bog x4 Hits or wounds above 25% x2 Hits or wounds above 50% x4 More than 10 hours without sleep x2 More than 15 hours without sleep* x3 Increase modifier by -1 for each additional 5 hours without resting.
For every 5 exhaustion points spent, the character’s pool by exhaustion points is reduced by one. This reflects the effects of prolonged exertion. This effect lasts until the character sleeps (or Drowses, see p. ##). The character also loses one point from his pool of exhaustion points for each hour of consciousness. Example: Acharacter with 40 exhaustion points fast sprints (6exp’s every round) for 5 rounds. This costs 30 exhaustions points. His pool of exhaustion points drops from 40 to 34; he currently has 10 exhaustion points. After resting for a few minutes, he has recovered all of his available exhaustion points. However, until he sleeps, he cannot have more than 34 exhaustion points. Most athletic skills also have a distance multiplier indicated. A character can normally maneuver a distance equal to his base movement rate each turn. The distance multiplier modifies this rate. Hence, skills like Climbing and Tightrope Walking are slow and methodical. Skills like Skiing and Flying can be quite rapid. In addition, a character can increase this rate by increasing his pace. This costs more exhaustion points and may increase the difficulty of the maneuver. Most skills are ideally performed while walking, but some (like Jumpng) require a different pace. Each pace category faster (or slower) than the ideal pace increases the difficulty by one. The amount of weight carried also increases the difficulty of a maneuver:
Wt. Penalty (before St mod.) Modification 0…………………………………………….-1 difficulty level -1 - -10………………………………………..no modifier -11 - -25……………………………………+1 difficulty level -26 - -40……………………………………+2 difficulty levels -41 - -65……………………………………+3 difficulty levels -66 - -100…………………………………..+4 difficulty levels -101 and worse……………………………+5 difficulty levels
Note that the weight penalty also modifies a character’s maximum pace. Even though this penalty can be offset by a character’s Strength, wearing armor and carrying equipment greatly reduces a character’s mobility. In addition, a character’s Moving Maneuver Penalty will modify all moving maneuvers. Athletic maneuvers must be resolved every round or every strategic turn. The maneuver is not complete until the character decides to stop maneuvering.
5.3 Awareness Skills Most Awareness skills are based on visual observation. As a result, most Awareness maneuver are modified by the lighting. Other obstructions (like Fog or Smoke) increase the difficulty of the maneuver.
Lighting Modifier Direct bright light…………-10 Indirect bright light……….+10 Medium light……………… 0 Twilight…………………-10 Torchlight or Moonlight.-25 Candlelight or Starlight.-50 No light…………………-100 (at best)
Races with excellent night vision can ignore these penalties, provided there is some source of light (like the moon). Races with dark vision (like Tonberry) can ignore these penalties within the range of their dark vision. Maneuvers that rely on other senses have the difficulty level of the maneuver modified by the background interference. There are no general modifiers. Awareness maneuvers can be performed whenever the Gm or character deem a maneuver roll to be appropriate. It usually takes a single round to complete an Awareness maneuver in a single direction (60 degree field of vision) or one minute to complete an Awareness maneuver in all directions. An Awareness maneuver might take longer if a significant area must be searched (roughly one round for every 10’x10’ area examined closely enough to notice small objects).
5.4 Combat Skills This includes Armor, Body Development, Combat Maneuvers, Exhaustion Point Development, Martial Arts, Martial Arts Combat Maneuvers, Special Attacks.Defenses, and Weapons. These skills are detailed in Arms Law and Martial Arts Companion. Note that every combat skill has an exhaustion point cost. This number indicates the number of rounds that must be spent performing that action before losing one exhaustion point. This may be modified by the normal exhaustion point modifiers. (See Section #.#) If multiple combat skills are used simultaneously, the exhaustion point cost of each is applied. Combat skills (including attacks) can be used while maneuvering. It is often difficult to stop while maneuvering (e.g., while Skiing or Flying). The penalty associated with attacking while maneuvering depends on the difficulty of the maneuver.
Difficulty Modifier Routine………………………………….0 Easy……………………………………-5 Light……………………………………-10 Medium………………………………..-25 Hard……………………………………-50 Very Hard……………………………..-75 Extremely Hard………………………-100 Sheer Folly……………………………-150 Absurd…………………………………-200
If the character is moving faster than his opponent (e.g., he is charging) and attacking while maneuvering, the attack is not resolved in the usual manner. Initiative is based solely on the length of the weapons (or attacks) used. The longer weapon strikes first. The attacker and defender both receive a bonus of +1 for every 10 feet per round of speed. If both combatants are charging, this bonus can become quite large. Double this bonus for a combatant with a pole arm. Finally, if a combatant is not moving, and has braced his pole arm, he doubles the number of concussion hits inflicted. Example: Cedric is charging into battle with a spear. Springing is an Easy maneuver for him, so he suffers a penalty of -5 to his attack. However, since he is moving 180’/round, he receives a bonus of +36. His opponent is using a sword, which receives a bonus of +18. Cedric’s weapon is longer, so he will strike first. If his opponent were also charging (at 150’/round), these bonuses would increase to +66 and +33, respectively. Combat Maneuvers must be resolved every round and are completed within the course of a round. Note that many Combat Maneuvers do not require a maneuver roll.
5.5 Communications Skills A maneuver roll is generally not necessary when communicating, especially when player characters are communicating with other player characters. In most cases, a player should restrict his vocabulary to that of his character. A maneuver roll is necessary if information must be communicated. Partial and Near Successes indicate that some of the information is not communicated. A maneuver roll is also whenever a player wants to temporarily increase another character;s linguistic skill (i.e. tell him what to say). Note that all participants have their skill temporarily increased, so this option cannot be used to increase another player character’s linguistic skill in order to communicate with someone else in secret. The length of time required to complete a Communications maneuver depends on the length of the communication. Game time and real time transpire at equal rates while communicating.
5.6 Crafts The goal of a crafter is the creation of some item. The difficulty of this attempt depends on the complexity of the object to be created, not on the size of the object. On the one hand, the size of the object to be created is the single most important factor when determining how long it will take to complete a project. Note that more difficult projects will automatically take longer than easier ones simply due to the fact that partial successes are more likely. The average amount of time required to complete many common items is listed in RMFRP and Gamemaster Law. Other production times can be extrapolated from there. The length of time to construct a building is described in Castles & Ruins. A maneuver roll should not be made until the item is at least half finished. At this time, the GM may wish to allow the player to make the maneuver roll before deciding whether or not to finish the project. Note that all craftsmen require tools and supplies. A complete set of tools generally costs fro 10 silver pieces (sp) to 1000 sp depending on the size of the workshop. In addition, the craftsman must purchase raw materials. These generally cost half as much as the item. It takes years for a craftsman to become rich. Finally, many cities require craftsmen to belong to the appropriate guild, which will invariably require the craftsman to may yearly dues of 1-10 sp. However, the craftsman is more likely to receive work when he belongs to a guild, and he can usually get a discount on raw materials (5-10%).
5.7 Influence Skills Influence skills are one of the most difficult to quantify in any game. There are two main approaches to resolving Influence maneuvers. The appropriate solution depends on the skill of the player (at role playing). Roll Playing: In many cases, the character has a much better idea how to get his way than does the player. In these cases, roll playing is an appropriate solution. Prior to roleplaying the Influence attempt, the player should make a maneuver roll. The player then role plays the attempt in relation to the success of the maneuver. The GM should offer the appropriate amount of resistance. Note that this method of resolution requires greater skill n the part of the player and GM alike. Role Playing: Some players are more comfortable role playing an influence attempt prior to making the maneuver roll. If the player’s attempt is especially clever (or entertaining), the GM might give the characters a bonus to the maneuver roll. The drawback of resolving Influence maneuvers in this manner is that the player must have some idea of how the character would accomplish the attempt.
In reality, most GMs opt for a solution somewhere between these two extremes. The most important factor to keep in mind is that it is the character’s skill that is most important, not the players. Many Influence maneuvers can be completed in a few minutes. More difficult maneuvers will take longer. A Routine maneuver will generally take one minute to complete. Each increase in difficulty level doubles the amount of time required. The amount of time required for a Propaganda maneuver is measured in days, not minutes. Example: A Medium Duping maneuver would take 8 minutes to complete. An Extremely Hard maneuver would take 64 days. The maneuver roll cannot be made until the entire time has elapsed. If the attempt is abandoned prior to this point, it will automatically fail. In addition, the GM might decide that similar attempts in the future will be more difficult.
5.8 Lore Skills Lore skills can be resolved in one of two ways. The GM may want to provide each player with background information prior to play. The amount and type of information provided would depend on the character’s skill in any relevant Lores. Alternatively, the player may desire a specific piece of information. This requires a maneuver roll during play. The difficulty of a Lore maneuver depends entirely on the amount or depth of knowledge requested by the player. The obscurity of the information modifies what maneuvers can be attempted. See below. The absolute number of ranks in a Lore determines the amount of knowledge the character has in the subject. For this reason, specialization is particularly useful with Lore skills. Determine the character’s Knowledge level on the table below: Ranks Knowledge Level 0…………………….1 1-2…………………..2 3-4…………………..3 5-6…………………..4 7-9…………………..5 10-12………………..6 13-16………………..7 17-20………………..8 21+...........................9
The obscurity of a given topic should be determined by the GM. In some cases, this is equivalent to the rarity code found in Creatures & Monsters (e.g., Fauna and Flora Lore) or in Gamemaster Law (Herb and Poison Lore). In other cases, the Gammaster must decide on the obscurity rating, which will range from 1 (common knowledge) to 9 (arcane trivia). A character cannot attempt a Lore maneuver if the difficulty level plus obscurity rating exceeds twice the character’s knowledg level. If the obscurity rating is not obvious, assume that it is equal to the difficulty level. Example: Arix, the scholar, has 7 ranks in Culture Lore. TheGM has determined that information about the gypsy nomads is somewhat scarce and assigns information concerning these people an obscurity rating of 6. Arix has a knowledge level of 5. He can therefore not attempt any maneuver more difficult than a Medium. If he specialized in the nomads, he could attempt Hard maneuvers. If the sum of the obscurity rating and difficulty level do not exceed the character;s knowledge level, he can attempt the maneuver without any resources. Most non-research maneuvers can be attempted in one round. If research is required, the maneuver will require a number of hours equal to the difficulty level times the obscurity rating. Example: Arix is not able to attempt any maneuver concerning the gypsies without doing some research. A Medium maneuver would take 24 hours of research. Better have some coffee.
5.9 Outdoor Skills Many Outdoor maneuvers must be resolved every strategic turn. Due to the variety of maneuvers in these categories, the GM must determine the amount of time required to complete a given maneuver. Many of the animal skills resemble skills in other categories, which can be referenced for guidelines. If the maneuver involves an animal, the following modifiers apply: Condition Modification Non-intelligent……………………………-50 Low-intelligence………………………….-10 Animal intelligence………………………. 0 Wild/Untamed…………………………….-20 Befriended/Raised from Birth…………..+30 Amphibians……………………………….-10 Arthropods (Insects)...............................-50 Avian (Birds)..…………………………….-20 Bovine (Cattle, Buffalo, Deer, etc.)...........0 Canine (Dogs, Wolves, Foxes, etc.).......+10 Cetacean (All sea mammals)..................-20 Civets (Skunks, Badgers, etc.)................-10 Coelenterate (Jellyfish, etc.)....................-10 Equine (All horse types)..........................+10 Feline (All cats)........................................-10 Fish (All fish with bones, scales, fins)......-30 Mollusca (Snails,clams, Squids, etc.)......-40 Mustelids (Ferrets, Weasels, etc.)..............0 Pachyderm (Elephants,Rhinoceros, etc.)...0 Rodents (Rats, Beavers,Rabbits, etc.).......0 Saurians (Dry-land, legged reptiles)........-10 Serpentine (All snakes and serpents)......-10 Simians (Apees, Monkeys, Gorillas)........+50 Swine (Pigs, Boars, etc.).............................0 Ursine (Bears, Wolverines, Pandas, etc.)....0
5.10 Power Skills These skills all come from the following skill categories: Directed Spells, Power Awareness, Power Manipulation, Power Point Development, and Spells. Most Power maneuvers require one minute to complete. For every round less than this devoted to the skill, the maneuver roll should be reduced by -20. This cannot be reduced to less than a single round (-100). This allows characters a desperate chance to attune a new item while in combat. Note that spell casting requires the expenditure of exhaustion points. Casting a spell drains one exhaustion point every two rounds. Concentration drains one exhaustion point every six rounds(one minute). If a character desires to maintain concentration for an extended period o f time, he should develop the XXX skill, which allows him to concentrate without spending exhaustion points.
5.11 Science/Analytic Skills The length of time required to complete a Science/Analytic maneuver depends on the difficulty of the maneuver. Note that some maneuvers may take longer (e.g., Biochemistry) and others may take less time (e.g., Basic Math). Difficulty Times Required Routine…………………….1 round Easy………………………..1 minute Light………………………..10 minutes Medium…………………….1 hour Hard…………………………6 hours Very Hard…………………...12 hours Extremely Hard…………….24 hours Sheer Folly………………….1 week Absurd……………………….1 month Use of a Science/Analytic skill assumes that the character has the necessary materials and tools to complete the materials. The cost of such materials can vary widely, and must be determined on a case-by-case basis. The quality of these tools may provide the scientist with a bonus or penalty ranging from -20 to +20. A Science/Analytic maneuver roll cannot be made until the task is completed. The scientist has no way of knowing how successful he will be until this time.
5.12 Self Control Skills Self Control maneuvers are used to perform some feat that requires mind over matter or requires the characters to summon internal energies to accomplish some task. Many of these maneuvers are physically draining. Nearly all Adrenal maneuvers require the character to spend 5 exhaustion points per round. This includes the round of preparation (20% action), thereby raising the total cost to 6 exhaustion points (1 the first round and 5 the next). Note: GMs may allow characters to sust ain Adrenal maneuvers. The exhaustion point increases by a factor of one each round after the first, and there is a cumulative penalty of -10 to the Self Control maneuver roll after the first. Example: En-Shin, the Warrior monk, spends the first round of combat preparing the Adrenal Speed (20% action, 1 exhaustion point). His maneuver is successful, so the next round he receives 200% activity (and spends 5 exhaustion points). He spends 20% of that round preparing another Adrenal Speed maneuver. This attempt will be made at -10. It is successful, so the next round, En-Shin spends another 10 exhaustion points to maintain the Adrenal Speed. After 4 rounds of Adrenal Speed (requiring a total of 51 exhaustion points, not including those spent attacking or maneuvering). En-Shin attempts to maintain Adrenal Speed one more round. This attempt (at -40) fails, so En-Shin does not receive the benefits of Adrenal Speed the following round. (Neither does he spend 25 more exhaustion points). Note that only Adrenal maneuvers and Frenzy require the expenditure of exhaustion points. No other Self Control skills require exhaustion points. In fact, meditation can be used to prevent the loss of exhaustion points due to concentration on a spell.
5.13 Subterfuge Skills Subterfuge skills are generally used to prevent others from noticing some misleed. The difficulty of such a maneuver should not depend on the skill of potential observers. The difficulty of Subterfuge maneuvers depends only on the nature of the maneuver itself. In addition, lighting conditions thwart vision, they don't make Subterfuge maneuvers more simple. In fact, it might be quite difficult to find a hiding place in the dark, but harder still to find the person hiding. Whenever a Subterfuge maneuver roll is made, the GM should note the level of success attained by the character (e.g, Partial Success, Success, Failure, etc.). Intentional attempts to discover the Subterfuge maneuver (using an Awareness-Searching skill) requires a maneuver roll at least as successful as the Subterfuge maneuver. For example, if a thief attempted a Stealth maneuver and got a 159 (Success), an observer needs to roll a 111-175 (Success) to discover the hiding person. If the observer’s result is a Partial Success or better, the observer might become suspicious even if the hiding person was not located. If the observer is relying on unconscious Awareness skills (Awareness-Senses or Alertness), his result must exceed that of the hiding person. In the above example, the observer would need a 176 or better (Absolute Success) to locate the hiding person. If the maneuver result is equal to that of the Subterfuge maneuver, and the Awareness maneuver is a Partial Success or better, that observer might become suspicious. Subterfuge-Stealth and Subterfuge-Attack maneuver rolls are required every round. These tasks take at most a single round, and occasionally less. Subterfuge-Mechanics maneuvers generally take one round times the difficulty level, squared. Notable exceptions include Forgery and Trap Building, which take longer.
5.15 Urban These skills allow characters to assimilate into an urban setting, or locate a specific person or item. Assimilation maneuvers are attempted immediately upon entering the urban setting, or whenever it is important that the character blend in. It is not necessary to spend time performing these maneuvers, they occur automatically. Note that an assimilation maneuver can only be used to draw attention away from oneself. If the police are conducting door-to-door searches, you will need to use a Subterfuge skill to escape. Locating people and items can take time. It generally takes one hour times the difficulty level, squared, of the maneuver to determine if the person or item exists in the area. A character can designate one area within a city as an automatic specialization in all Urban skills. This assumes that the character lives in this neighborhood and spends a considerable amount of time there. Assimilation maneuvers in this neighborhood automatically succeed, unless the character is performing some action that draws attention to himself. If the character moves, this specialization will be gained foor his new neighborhood after living there one month. If the character does not settle down, he will not have any automatic specialization until one month after he does settle down.

Armor-Heavy Plate Armor-Light Soft Leather Rigid Leather Armor-Medium Chain Artistic-Active Acting Dancing Mimery Mimicry Play Instrument Poetic Improvisation Singing Tale Telling Ventriloquism Artistic-Passive Music Painting Poetry Sculpting Athletic-Brawn Athletic Games (Brawn) Jumping Power-Stroking Powerthrowing Weight-Lifting Athletic-Endurance Athletic Games (Endurance) Distance Running Rowing Scaling Sprinting Swimming Athletic-Gymnastics Acrobatics Athletic Games (Gymnastic) Climbing Contortions Diving Flying/Gliding Juggling Pole-Vaulting Rappelling Skating Skiing Stilt-Walking Surfing Tightrope Walking Tumbling Awareness-Perception Alertness Sense Ambush Awareness-Searching Detect Traps Lie Perception Locate Hidden Observation Poison Perception Reading Tracks Surveillance Tracking Awareness-Senses Direction Sense Reality Awareness Sense Awareness Situation Awareness Spacial Location Awareness Time Sense Body Development Body Development Combat Maneuvers Missile Deflection Mounted Combat Quickdraw Reverse Stroke Subdual Swashbuckling Tumbling Evasion Two-Weapon Combat Weapon Style (Advanced) Weapon Style (Basic) Communication Languages (Reading) Languages (Writing) Magical Languages Crafts Cooking Drafting Fishing Horticulture Leather-Crafts Metal-Crafts Rope Mastery Scribing Service Sewing/Weaving Skinning Stone-Crafts Trapping Wood-Crafts Directed Spells Directed Spells Exhaustion Point Development Exhaustion Point Development Influence Bribery Diplomacy Duping Interrogation Intimidation Leadership Propaganda Public Speaking Seduction Teaching Trading Lore-General Culture Lore Fauna Lore Flora Lore Heraldry History Martial Arts Style Lore Philosophy Region Lore Religion Weapon Style Lore Lore-Magical Artifact Lore Circle Lore Divination Lore Dream Lore Dreamworld Lore Glyph Lore Planar Lore Spell Lore Symbol Lore Undead Lore Warding Lore Lore-Obscure Demon/Devil Lore Dragon Lore Faerie Lore Vital Points Lore Xeno-Lore Lore-Technical Corpse Lore Herb Lore Lock Lore Metal Lore Poison Lore Stone Lore Trading Lore Martial Arts Combat Maneuvers Adrenal Deflecting Adrenal Evasion Blind Fighting Martial Art Style (Advanced) Martial Art Style (Basic) Martial Arts-Strikes Boxing Martial Arts Striking Martial Arts Nerve Strikes Tackling Martial Arts-Sweeps Blocking Martial Arts Locking Holds Martial Arts Sweeping Wrestling Outdoor-Animal Animal Handling Animal Healing Animal Mastery Animal Training Familiar Mastery Herding Riding Outdoor-Environmental Caving Foraging Hunting Star-Gazing Survival Weather Watching Power Awareness Attunement Divination Power Perception Read Runes Power Manipulation Channeling Magic Ritual Mental Control(Assault) Mental Control (Defense) Summoning Spell Artistry Spell Mastery Spell Trickery Targeting Transcend Armor Power Point Development Power Point Development Resistance One for Each Resistance Roll Science/Analytical-Basic Basic Math Research Science/Analytical-Specialized Advanced Math Anthropology Alchemy Astronomy Biochemistry Psychology Self-Control Adrenal Balance Adrenal Concentration Adrenal Landing Adrenal Leaping Adrenal Quickdraw Adrenal Speed Adrenal Strength Frenzy Healing Trance Meditation Mnemonics Sleep Trance Stunned Maneuvering Special Attack Brawling Disarm Foe (Armed) Disarm Foe (Unarmed) Feint (Armed) Feint (Unarmed) Jousting (Lancing) Racial Attack Special Defense Adrenal Defense Adrenal Resistance Adrenal Toughness Spells-Arcane Open One Skill per Spell List Spells-Other Realm Base List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Other Realm Closed List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Other Realm Open List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Closed List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Open List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Other Base List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Own Base List One Skill per Spell List Subterfuge-Attack Ambush Silent Attack Subterfuge-Mechanics Camouflage Disarming Traps Disguise Counterfeiting Forgery Hiding Items Picking Locks Subterfuge-Stealth Hiding Picking Pockets Stalking Trickery Technical/Trade-General Begging First Aid Gambling Operating Equipment Mapping Orienteering Sailing Tactical Games Using Prepared Herbs Technical/Trade-Professional Advertising Architecture Diagnostics Dowsing Engineering Mechanition Military Organization Mining Sanity Healing Second Aid Surgery Technical/Trade-Vocational Administration Appraisal Boat Pilot Cartographer Decoctions Evaluate Armor Evaluate Metal Evaluate Stone Evaluate Weapon Gimmickry Hypnosis Infusions Liniments Midwifery Navigation Poultices Prepare Herbs Prepare Poisons Siege Engineering Tactics Tinctures Urban Contacting Mingling Scrounging Streetwise Weapon-1-Handed Blunt One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-1-Handed Edge One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-1-Handed Firearm One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-1-Handed Pierce One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-2-Handed Blunt One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-2-Handed Edge One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-2-Handed Firearm One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-2-Handed Pierce One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-Artillery One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-Missile One Skill for Each Weapon in Category Weapon-Thrown One Skill for Each Weapon Category




Armor-Heavy Plate Armor-Light Soft Leather Rigid Leather Armor-Medium Chain Artistic-Active Acting Dancing Mimery Mimicry Play Instrument Poetic Improvisation Singing Tale Telling Ventriloquism Artistic-Passive Music Painting Poetry Sculpting Athletic-Brawn Athletic Games (Brawn) Jumping Power-Stroking Powerthrowing Weight-Lifting Athletic-Endurance Athletic Games (Endurance) Distance Running Rowing Scaling Sprinting Swimming Athletic-Gymnastics Acrobatics Athletic Games (Gymnastic) Climbing Contortions Diving Flying/Gliding Juggling Pole-Vaulting Rappelling Skating Skiing Stilt-Walking Surfing Tightrope Walking Tumbling Awareness-Perception Alertness Sense Ambush Awareness-Searching Detect Traps Lie Perception Locate Hidden Observation Poison Perception Reading Tracks Surveillance Tracking Awareness-Senses Direction Sense Reality Awareness Sense Awareness Situation Awareness Spacial Location Awareness Time Sense Body Development Body Development Combat Maneuvers Missile Deflection Mounted Combat Quickdraw Reverse Stroke Subdual Swashbuckling Tumbling Evasion Two-Weapon Combat Weapon Style (Advanced) Weapon Style (Basic) Communication Languages (Reading) Languages (Writing) Magical Languages Crafts Cooking Drafting Fishing Horticulture Leather-Crafts Metal-Crafts Rope Mastery Scribing Service Sewing/Weaving Skinning Stone-Crafts Trapping Wood-Crafts Directed Spells Directed Spells Exhaustion Point Development Exhaustion Point Development Influence Bribery Diplomacy Duping Interrogation Intimidation Leadership Propaganda Public Speaking Seduction Teaching Trading Lore-General Culture Lore Fauna Lore Flora Lore Heraldry History Martial Arts Style Lore Philosophy Region Lore Religion Weapon Style Lore Lore-Magical Artifact Lore Circle Lore Divination Lore Dream Lore Dreamworld Lore Glyph Lore Planar Lore Spell Lore Symbol Lore Undead Lore Warding Lore Lore-Obscure Demon/Devil Lore Dragon Lore Faerie Lore Vital Points Lore Xeno-Lore Lore-Technical Corpse Lore Herb Lore Lock Lore Metal Lore Poison Lore Stone Lore Trading Lore Martial Arts Combat Maneuvers Adrenal Deflecting Adrenal Evasion Blind Fighting Martial Art Style (Advanced) Martial Art Style (Basic) Martial Arts-Strikes Boxing Martial Arts Striking Martial Arts Nerve Strikes Tackling Martial Arts-Sweeps Blocking Martial Arts Locking Holds Martial Arts Sweeping Wrestling Outdoor-Animal Animal Handling Animal Healing Animal Mastery Animal Training Familiar Mastery Herding Riding Outdoor-Environmental Caving Foraging Hunting Star-Gazing Survival Weather Watching Power Awareness Attunement Divination Power Perception Read Runes Power Manipulation Channeling Magic Ritual Mental Control(Assault) Mental Control (Defense) Summoning Spell Artistry Spell Mastery Spell Trickery Targeting Transcend Armor Power Point Development Power Point Development Resistance One for Each Resistance Roll Science/Analytical-Basic Basic Math Research Science/Analytical-Specialized Advanced Math Anthropology Alchemy Astronomy Biochemistry Psychology Self-Control Adrenal Balance Adrenal Concentration Adrenal Landing Adrenal Leaping Adrenal Quickdraw Adrenal Speed Adrenal Strength Frenzy Healing Trance Meditation Mnemonics Sleep Trance Stunned Maneuvering Special Attack Brawling Disarm Foe (Armed) Disarm Foe (Unarmed) Feint (Armed) Feint (Unarmed) Jousting (Lancing) Racial Attack Special Defense Adrenal Defense Adrenal Resistance Adrenal Toughness Spells-Arcane Open One Skill per Spell List Spells-Other Realm Base List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Other Realm Closed List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Other Realm Open List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Own Base List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Closed List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Open List One Skill per Spell List Spells-Own Realm Other Base List One Skill per Spell List Subterfuge-Attack Ambush Silent Attack Subterfuge-Mechanics Camouflage Disarming Traps Disguise Counterfeiting Forgery Hiding Items Picking Locks Subterfuge-Stealth Hiding Picking Pockets Stalking Trickery Technical/Trade-General Begging First Aid Gambling Operating Equipment Mapping Orienteering Sailing Tactical Games Using Prepared Herbs Technical/Trade-Professional Advertising Architecture Diagnostics Dowsing Engineering Mechanition Military Organization Mining Sanity Healing Second Aid Surgery
Technical/Trade-Vocational Administration Appraisal Boat Pilot Cartographer Evaluate Armor Evaluate Metal Evaluate Stone Evaluate Weapon Gimmickry Hypnosis Midwifery Navigation Prepare Herbs Prepare Poisons Siege Engineering Tactics Urban Contacting Mingling Scrounging Streetwise Weapon-1-Handed Blunt One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-1-Handed Edge One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-1-Handed Firearm One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-1-Handed Pierce One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-2-Handed Blunt One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-2-Handed Edge One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-2-Handed Firearm One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-2-Handed Pierce One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-Artillery One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-Missile One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category Weapon-Thrown One Skill for Each Weapon in the Category