Wilderness
Wilderness Skills
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Boat Building
This skill enables the character to build a variety of rafts, small rowboats, large flat-bed boats, and canoes.
A small raft (two man) can be made within 1D6+1 hours if the lumber or other suitable materials and tools are readily available.
A large raft will take about 4D6 hours, a canoe 2D6 days, rowboat 4D4 days, large flat-bed 1D4x 10 days. Time is doubled or tripled if trees must be cut down and the wood prepared. Of course, the time can be reduced if several knowledgeable people are working on the construction together.
A failed skill roll means the boat has leaks. Trying to patch it will require 4D4 hours; roll again.
Base Skill: 25%+5% per level of experience.
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Carpentry
A fundamental knowledge of working with wood. The character knows how to prepare, treat, and preserve wood, recognize quality craftsmanship, can repair damaged wood and wood items, and build using wood (chests, chairs, tables, cabinets, cages, fences, houses, etc.).
Adds +5% bonus to the boat building skill if both skills are taken.
Base Skill: 25%+5% per level of experience.
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Castaway/Shipwreck Survival
Surviving without a ship at sea is a specialized skill, since the seas of the Palladium World are quite hostile.
Those with this skill know how to avoid being sucked down with a sinking ship, how to select and assemble the best driftwood and scrap for a raft, and how to float without exerting themselves (not the same as swimming) for hours at a time.
Once the survivor has something to hold on to, it becomes possible to survive for days at a time, but only if you know how to get fresh water (from fish, certain types of seaweed and condensation of dew on cool metal surfaces), as well as how to keep from being attacked or eaten by sea predators.
Characters without this skill, or without help from someone else who has the skill, will likely perish immediately, or within hours. Note that once on land, even the tiniest island, the skill of Wilderness Survival takes over.
Base Skill: 27% +3% per level of experience.
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Dowsing
This is the ability to locate fresh water whether it be with a divining rod or by more scientific and logical means. For some (like druids), it is a mystical ability, while for others (like rangers), it is done through deductive analysis and knowledge of nature.
The percentage number indicates the success ratio of locating fresh water. A person can roll once every melee to sense water, but must roll two consecutive successful rolls to locate the water.
Base Skill: 20%+5% per level of experience.
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Herding Cattle
The techniques and methods of leading, directing and controlling cattle in a contained and orderly herd. Also includes keeping animals calm, basic care and feeding, how to tend cattle, recognize dis- ease and illness, give birth to young, how to survive and regain control of a stampede, gather strays, how best to pen and corral livestock, mend fences, etc.
Base Skill: 30% +5% per level of experience.
Bonus: This skill is practiced most widely by Druids, Vagabonds, Peasants and Farmers, all whom get a +5% bonus in addition to any other applicable bonus.
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Hunting
A skill in finding and killing animals for food. The hunter also knows techniques such as staying downwind, baiting, trapping, and the construction of blinds and tree stands that conceal his presence and increases the chance of getting prey. Select 10 specific types of animals the individual hunts for food and/or fur, and knows well.
Only three hunting skill rolls are allowed per 24 hours; one in the morning, one in the daytime or early evening before sunset, and one at night. If a successful skill roll is made, the hunter has located one of the 10 animals (or a similar type of animal) and kills it in one fatal strike.
Base Skill: 60/40% +5% per level of experience; the first number rolled is to locate a specific animal; the second percentile number is what is needed to deliver an instant death blow.
Modifiers: +20% bonus when hunting in a region/environment well known to the individual. This is typically a wilderness area where he grew up or spent many years hunting. This familiarity gives the hunter intimate knowledge of the hunting grounds and the habits, patterns, and hiding places of the 10 animals typically hunted.
Cumulative Penalties: -10% when hunting in an unknown territory, -30% when hunting an unfamiliar animal or a monstrous version of an animal such as a Peryton (a carnivorous flying deer).
A hunter may also try to capture the animal alive and unharmed, but reduce the second number by half to succeed. A failed first roll means the hunter did not locate the animal he was hunting. A failed second roll means he missed the kill shot (or attempt to capture it alive and unharmed).
Bonuses: The Hunting skill adds the following bonuses to the appropriate skills: +5% to Track & Trap Animals, +5% to Skin & Prepare Animal Hides, and +5% to Cook or prepare the catch for eating.
G.M. Note on Hunting: The availability of the animal will depend on the type of wilderness and environmental conditions. For example, a deer or a beaver is not going to be found in a desert, but a rabbit or similar rodent might be, and snakes and lizards most certainly. Also note that since the skill applies to an animal species/class, the character is able to hunt all (or most) animals that fall into that species category, i.e., all types of deer, all types of bear, all types of rabbits, all types of ducks and waterfowl, snakes, and so on.
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Identify Plants & Fruits
Training in the recognition of the many different types of wild plants and vegetation and where they grow. The emphasis is placed on edible, herbal, and poisonous plants.
Base Skill: 25%+5% per level of experience.
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Identify Sea Life
Characters with this skill can identify all different kinds of fish, squid, octopus, shellfish, turtles, sea mammals (whales, dolphins, seals), and sea monsters, as well as seaweed, sponges and even swarms of tiny life forms (such as krill, the food source for many whales, and the different one-celled organisms that give off a visible glow at night).
Even more importantly, the character can recognize habitats, or water and weather conditions, that signal the presence of certain kinds of sea life. For example, the character can attempt to determine what kind of fish are feeding below the ship, or what giant schools are travelling nearby, based on the appearance of certain predators such as knowing where to find tuna when certain dolphins are sighted. Includes a knowledge of which sea life is edible, useful as healing herbs, or poisonous.
Another important bit of knowledge is being able to identify which barnacles, shipworms and mollusks (which live on the hull, under the waterline) are harmless, and which are immediately threatening.
Base Skill: 27% +4% per level of experience.
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Land Navigation
This skill enables the person to stay on course while traveling over land by means of observation. It includes mentally marking/recognizing geographic landmarks, estimating distance and movement, recognizing sounds, night travel, and other navigational tricks.
The player should roll once for approximately every three miles (4.8 km) traveled.
A failed roll means the character is drifting off course; 2D10x 100 yards/meters. Consecutive failed rolls means the individual does not realize that he's off course and continues in the wrong direction. Note: A group of average men can cover about five miles (8 km) an hour at a brisk but relaxed pace through grasslands, along dirt roads or pavement.
Travel at a cautious pace, with eyes open for danger, through dense forest, jungle, or difficult terrain is about one or two miles ( 1.6 or 3.2 km) an hour.
Heavy rain or snow, fog, swamps, etc., will also reduce speed.
Base Skill: 30%+4% per level of experience.
Map reading is done by looking at symbols (not words) and is -20%. The use of navigational instruments is not possible. Literacy and math are not required to use this skill.
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Pilot Small Boats, Kayaks & Canoes
The skill includes the basic principles behind using currents, paddles as rudders and propulsion, maintenance, and even tricks like sculling and right-siding a flipped canoe, etc.
The character enjoys a familiarity with all types of small boats that do not use sails. Kayaks and canoes have been used since old Eoten times on Bizantium (and by the Wolfen) and are still popular today. Kayaks and canoes are one or two-man boats built for speed and handling the changing currents and rapids of rivers and lakes. Both function wonderfully in shallow and narrow bodies of water. They can also handle deep lakes and even the open sea, especially under calm conditions, but are likely to be swamped or carried out of the paddler’s control and out to sea or smashed on rocks in strong currents and large waves in rough waters.
Kayaks and canoes can be operated by one paddler.
Kayak and Canoe Speed is based, point for point, on the P.S. attribute number of the person paddling. Thus, a P.S. of 14 equals a maximum maintainable paddle Spd of 14 or 9 mph (14.4 km), A P.S. of 22 equals a speed of 22 or 15 mph (24 km), and so on.
Maximum speed can be maintained a number of minutes equal to the paddler’s P.E. attribute number x5. A P.E. of 14 means he can row for 70 minutes before needing to stop and rest for 20 minutes. Note: Paddling at half the maximum speed and taking frequent breaks to let the current carry the boat for a while enables the paddler to travel for up to 10 hours before starting to feel fatigued.
Other types of small boats: Includes paddled boats, rowboats, lifeboats, tenders, water barges, and river rafts. Such boats are much slower than a canoe or kayak, but also function in shallow or deep waters.
Rowing/paddling speed in still water or against current is usually equal to a character’s P.S. attribute number divided by half. In the case of a boat that has two or more people, they may row in tandem, together at the same pace (this skill teaches that).
Speed is always based on the lowest P.S. number in the group of people rowing. Thus, a P.S. of 14 would equal a maintainable rowing Spd of 7 or roughly 4 mph (6.4 km). Maxi- mum rowing speed can be maintained for the rower’s P.E. attri- bute number x3 minutes without pause. A P.E. of 14 means he or they can row for 42 minutes before needing to stop and rest for 20 minutes.
However, rowing at half that speed can be maintained for twice as long. Of course, depending on the water current, a boat may simply ride the current, which might be moving faster than they can row. Direction and speed is controlled via the boat’s rudder (if there is one) or by the positioning of the paddle(s) in the water to function as a rudder.
Base Skill: 30% +5% per level of experience.
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Preserve Food
Knowledge in the preparation of foods for storage and later consumption. Includes canning fresh fruit and vegetables, making jams and honey, drying fruit, vegetables, and herbs, drying meat and fish, plus various smoking, salting, and pickling methods.
Base Skill: 30%+5% per level of experience.
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Skin and Prepare Animal Hides
Training in the methods and techniques of skinning, tanning, stretching, and preserving animal hides as fur or leather.
Adds a +5% bonus to the sewing skill.
Base Skill: 30%+5% per level of experience.
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Spelunking
The art and practices of exploring underground caves. Spelunking is the knowledge of caves and cave types and their individual characteristics. This skill enables the character to navigate a cave or underground cave networks, retain a sense of direction (including up and down), have a sense of the cave’s depth, know how to make subtle markings and note formations to find his way out and to better navigate the cave(s) at a later date, as well as rock climbing.
The Spelunker can answer questions about a cave system, such as what it is called (if it is a named landmark), where it may lead, how deep it continues, what type of rock it leads through and so on. This skill also lends to familiarity with the correct equipment needed to go spelunking, and how to apply it. It is also the lore to recognize and identify various dangers, identifying the flora and fauna of cave systems and finding and climbing the best routes and directions. Unskilled characters wandering about in a large series of natural caverns have about the same chance of survival as unskilled climbers attempting a major mountain climb with- out guidance or equipment.
Base Skill: 35% +5% per level of experience.
Bonuses: +5% to this skill if the character also has Climb.
Underground race bonuses: Dwarves and Troglodytes automatically possess this skill with a +15% bonus. Kobolds, Gnomes and Goblins gain a +10% bonus if they acquire this skill.
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Track & Trap Animals
This skill enables the character to identify an animal by its tracks, scent, spore, and habits. The individual can also follow the animal's tracks and other signs. This means he can also estimate how fresh the tracks are, what direction they are heading, whether the animal is hurt or sick, guess at its age, and the basic habits and habitats of animals and animal behavior.
The first percentile number indicates the character's tracking abilities and the above knowledge.
The second percentile number indicates the character's ability at trapping animals by using, setting, and disarming snares, clamp traps (like the iron bear trap), pits, nets and similar traps.
Base Skill: 20%/30%+5% per level of experience.
Tracking humans with this skill is also possible, but is done with a penalty of -20%.
Disarming any traps meant for use against humans is done at half the character's normal skill ability.
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Wilderness Survival
Techniques for getting water, food, shelter, and help when stranded in wilderness regions: forests, deserts, mountains, etc. Characters without this skill will not be able to stay healthy for more than a few days in the wilderness after their supplies run out.
Base Skill: 30%+5% per level of experience.