Skills & Resolution
or, The Arts of Heroism
In addition to the character's characteristics, which are measures of his physical abilities, he also possesses skills and abilities. These measure the character's training and innate capability in the following areas: Horsemanship, Marksmanship, Swordsmanship and Etiquette (as Skills), and Military and Political activities (as Abilities). These operate very differently within the game, and so will be treated seperately.
All skills begin as a matter of raw talent, and may, increase by the results of events as the game progresses. The default skill level depends upon chance and upbringing. The concluding section will fully explain the skill resolution system in detail.
Swordsmanship
One of the premier skills in Death Before Dishonor! is, fittingly, one which acts as a measure of a character's skill with bladed weapons. This is the skill used in the Dueling rules, as well as in simple contests or exhibitions. The successful use of Swordsmanship in a public contest awards Status Points to the winner of the event. The level of this skill is determined by a 3d6 roll at the time of character creation, and can be improved with training.
Horsemanship
In the era prior to mechanized transportation, a man's ability to judge and command horses was a vital one. The ability to ride great distances, to push an animal to its greatest speed, to control a jump across a stream during a steeple chase -- all of these are part of the Horsemanship skill, and indeed are practical uses for it. In cases of public displays such as horse races or the like, winning horsemen are granted Status Points for their achievements. Horsemanship is determined during character generation by rolling 3d6. Like all skills, it may be trained at an appropriate facility.
Marksmanship
As its name implies, Marksmanship deals with a character's facility with ranged weapons, particularly the black-powder firearms of the seventeenth century. Successful uses of the skill allow the marksman to hit the target, although not necessarily the bull's eye. It is important to remember that the weapons in question had smooth bore barrels which imparted no spin to the ball. This made for inaccurate fire, even at short ranges. Like its predecessors, Marksmanship is determined by the roll of three dice at character creation, and can be trained during play.
Etiquette
One of the most important skills in Parisian society is Etiquette, sometimes called "social graces", "eloquence" or even "wit". Just as a man is known by the company he keeps, his facility in social situations is an important measure of his character. All social efforts, whether dancing at a wedding or courting the favor of a high-ranking noble, rely upon the Etiquette skill. Unlike the other skills, Etiquette is determined by the roll of a single die, adding the character's Social Level to the roll. However, like the other skills, Etiquette may be trained.
One of the more interesting uses of this skill is the verbal duel, known as Repartee. In many ways, Repartee is the same as a duel fought with more deadly weapons, but the target is the opponent's self-esteem and social standing. Rules for Repartee may be found below. Depending on the outcome, Repartee may become the cause of a duel or rivalry.
Skill Resolution
To determine the success of a skill, compare its value against whatever opposition it faces. The number of the table below is the result necessary or higher (rolled on 2d6) to succeed against the difficulty.
Skill Resolution Matrix
| Skill: | Opposition: | 3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
4 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
5 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
6 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
7 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
8 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
9 |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
10 |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
11 |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
12 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
13 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
X |
|
14 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
X |
|
15 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
X |
|
16 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
17 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
|
18 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
19 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
20 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
|
21+ |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
X: The task is impossible. Automatic failure.
A: Automatic success. In contests, roll 2d6 and deduct nothing for the points value.
Examples of Skill Resolution
Skill resolution is intentionally designed to be a flexible system in order to model any number of situations in which contests of skill in static or head-to-head challenges may be addressed. Let's look at each in turn.
Static Challenges
A static challenge is one in which a contestant must overcome some simple obstacle in order to reach a goal. The difficulty of the obstacle is treated as if it was the opposing skill. These are the recommended levels for a given challenge:
| Difficulty | "Skill" |
Point Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 5 |
0.25 |
| Easy | 8 |
0.5 |
| Average | 11 |
1.0 |
| Challenging | 14 |
1.5 |
| Difficult | 17 |
2.5 |
| Extraordinary | 20 |
5.0 |
Some examples of how this system might be used could include marksmanship tournaments. Each round, the contestants all fire at a target at a given distance, such as Average. The contestants who fail the roll versus an equivalent skill level of 11 are eliminated, and those who succeeded advance. Their scores are calculated by deducting the target number from their roll andmltiplying it by the Point Modifier for that difficulty.
By the end of three rounds (with each round pushing the target further down range), the contestant with the highest score is the winner.
Example: Three inebriated Parisians make a wager that they can hit an apple sitting on a sill in Cardinal Richelieu's chambers. Jean, with a Marksmanship of 11 and faced with a Challenging task (difficulty 14) needs to roll a 10 or higher to hit the target. He rolls a 4, and the sound of an alarmed cat is heard. Bernadette, with her skill of 13, needs an 8 or higher; she rolls 11. And Phillipe, with a Marksmanship if 15, needs only a 6 to hit. He rolls an 8. So who won?
Bernadette beat her target by 3, while Phillipe only beat the roll by 2. Bernadette wins (and is promptly killed by the Cardinal's men).
If the competition was scored, Jean's score would be (0 x 1.5 = 0), Bernadette (3 x 1.5 = 4.5) and Phillipe (2 x 1.5 = 3).
A second variant of the static challenge might be a steeple chase in which the contestants use the difficulty in a kind of bidding war. A contestant who is unable or unwilling to accept a difficult obstacle are considered out of the race, whereas the winner is decided by the highest point total. If applicable or desirable, the point value of any given challenge may be multiplied by the factor given on the table (which might be appropriate to determine a lead in a formal horse race).
Head-to-Head Challenge
When it becomes necessary or desirable to pit the skills of one person directly against those of another, the head-to-head challenge is applied. Rather than all contestants individually pitting their skills against a similar static skill level, this pits one skill against another in a direct contest.
As before, points are scored by deducting the target number from the number rolled on two dice. In some instances (such as a pistol duel) the score may be multiplied by a given factor (in this case, 15) to determine the Endurance loss to the victim.
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