Chapter 4: Skills

Appraise

INT

Jannis uses the Appraise Skill to figure out which artefact is the fake.

This Skill allows you to estimate the worth of most valuable objects.

Determining the difficulty: How common, rare or obscure is the object? How much time does the character have to study each object? What tools are available? What reference material?

Success: You have a good idea about the items worth.

Failure: You can’t say how much the item is worth; any guesses are likely to be way off. You can retry the next day.

The Feat Diligent adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Craft

INT

Rorrdnign uses the craft Skill to make a new set of boots and gloves, after a Silk-Terror ate his.

This Skill allows you to make clothing, simple objects and basic weapons.

Determining the difficulty: How simple or complex is the project? How large is the project? Does the character have the right tools? Most reasonable projects can be accomplished, providing enough time and Silv go into it.

Success: You make what you wanted to.

Failure: You are not done yet. You may have to re-do some of your previous work, or even start over.

The Feat Nimble Fingers adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Knowledge: Common or Popular

INT

Kithel uses the Knowledge: common or popular Skill to know the names of all of the dukes and duchesses within the Kingdom of Lunddor.

A character with this Skill has a better chance of recalling all the little details about their world and culture. The character is better plugged into the world, seeing and remembering all of the many things going on and changing around them.

Determining the difficulty: How common of knowledge is it? How popular is it? Knowing everything about at well established theatre group is easier than one that has only been around a short while.

Success: You have a good idea of what you’re talking about.

Failure: Anywhere from uncertain to haven’t a clue.

Repair

INT

Jaldin uses the repair Skill to replenish his armour’s Extraordinary Hit Points faster.

This Skill allows you to fix things. It allows you to repair any type of vehicle that you are familiar with, as well as most of your equipment. Sometimes it will be rather simple, and other times you will need material in order to fix the damage.

Determining the difficulty: How damaged it the object and how much resources do you have? Time and proper tools make the task easier.

Repairing armour: Damage done to the Extraordinary Hit Points of an armour replenish at a base rate per hour. Using this Skill to tune the tiny shielding mechanics, the base rate can be increased. Character levels 1 through 5 doubles the base rate, and levels 6 through 10 triples it. Levels 11 and above quadruple the armour’s base repair rate. You may successfully calibrate and monitor a number of armours (including your own) equal to your intelligence modifier.

If an armour’s repair rate gets maxed out (repairing a armour’s full EX-HP amount in a single cycle), the GM can reduce the time from 60 to 40 to 20 minutes between repair cycles for the affected armour.

Related: Repair Calibrator (Equipment), Repairing vehicles.

Failure: The object is still broken, and may be a bit worse off than it was before. The GM will determine how long another test will take.

The Feat Nimble Fingers adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Speak Languages

INT

Lydrandis uses the Speak Languages Skill to argue her case in front of an Avenngrail court.

Almost everyone can speak the various languages common to Eldlandria, but just enough to get by. This Skill allows the character to speak foreign languages as if it were their own, with proper accents if they choose to do so.

Determining the difficulty: Unless the language is one that the character has had very little contact with, they are assumed to be able to speak it well. This Skill does not allow a character to write competently in a foreign language.

Decipher Script and Write Languages

INT

Rothnell uses the Decipher Script and Write Languages Skill to determine the exact warning inscribed outside of the tomb.

This Skill allows you read multiple languages, documents of high complexity, translate ancient languages and unknown symbols, and break encryption keys.. Most people without this Skill can only read at a basic level in their given language.

Determining the difficulty: Does the character have the whole document? Is there anything deliberately difficult to the text? How old or obscure is the language? How often does the transmission broadcast?

Success: You discover what you are looking for, if it was there. You communicate as intended.

Failure: You can’t quite get it. If given more time, you can try again at a slightly higher DC.

The Feat Diligent adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Forgery and Detect Forgery

INT

Mellbri uses the Forgery and Detect Forgery Skill to create credentials to get into tonight’s event. Now they just have to be tested...

This Skill allows you to create false documents, as well as spot another’s false documents.

Determining the difficulty: The difficulty is average if the forger has the right materials (same paper, same ink, seals) and has a copy of what she is trying to forge, including signatures. A good working space is also helpful.

Many documents are partially created using the modern printing press, which can be duplicated - again given the right equipment.

The real success or failure has to do with the person inspecting the document. How familiar are they with the real version? How much time do they spend looking it over?

Make an opposed Skill check when needed. (Forgery vs. Detect Forgery). Add bonuses or penalties on each side, based on the previously mentioned circumstances.

Success: If passing off a forgery, then you have fooled them, for now. If detecting a forgery, then you have spotted where things are not quite right.

The Feat Diligent adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Gather and Analyze Evidence

INT

Gorm uses the Gather and Analyze Evidence Skill to determine if two genetic sequences match.

This Skill allows you to first properly collect samples from an area (such as a crime scene) and then determine what occurred. It also allows for some Allterion based scientific testing, such as finger printing, blood type tests and Genetic Code Sequence (GCS) matching.

Players should make 2 tests. The first test is made shortly after they have begun to gather evidence and look over the scene. Some more basic information can be revealed at this point by the GM.

The second test is made later, after any lab work is done. This can reveal more elusive clues and answer some specific questions.

Determining the difficulty: Has the scene been contaminated by other people, animals or weather? How fresh is the scene? Has anyone cleaned up? What might have they missed? Was the crime well planned or random and chaotic? Do the characters have the proper equipment, such as a lab to do tests with?

Success: You gain some insight into what happened. Some questions are answered. More is revealed based on good successes.

Failure: You do not gain significant insight into what happened. Evidence may be used up on bad failures. Re-rolls, if possible, are at a greater difficulty, requiring more time than the original test.

Investigate

INT

Imago uses the Investigate Skill to generate a lead after the case has gone cold.

This Skill allows you make some sense of all of the information you have gathered. It helps you generate a list of suspects. It helps you profile people and groups.

This Skill is not a replacement for legwork, but can help with connecting the dots. Sometimes players, lacking a script, don’t know where to go next in an adventure. This Skill can help in those situations.

Determining the difficulty: What information have the players uncovered? How far are they into the case? How deep are secrets buried?

Success: The GM chooses to reveal some piece of information. At the beginning of an adventure, clues may be more general such as pointing out procedure and possible actions to take. Other times, players may get a hunch, making them want to talk to someone again or look at something more closely.

Failure: You do not make a connection at this point. You may roll again later, such as after new evidence is looked at.

The Feat Curious adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Knowledge: Academic, Specific or Obscure

INT

Erickson uses the Knowledge: Academic, Specific or Obscure Skill to know who poem was written by, three centuries ago.

This Skill allows you to know a vast amount of information that is not known by the majority of others. It includes a working knowledge of ancient and classic books, plays and poems (including recall of key passages). It includes an understanding of mathematics and the sciences.

This Skill includes any information not covered with the Knowledge: Common or Popular Skill.

Use: A character does not know everything. Some things have to be looked up using the research Skill. Most DC rolls should be tough or challenging.

Success means the character either knows the information or knows where to look, gaining a bonus on their Research Skill test.

Failure means that the character simply does not know or cannot recall that bit of information.

Research

INT

Ardubanis uses the Research Skill to build the family tree of an ancient ruler.

This Skill allows you to properly and efficiently look up information.

Determining the difficulty: How obscure is the information? Does the character have access to a library? Are the books sorted properly?

Success: You are able to either find the information or determine that the information is not present (it may become an adventure just to find the missing book).

Failure: You haven’t been able to determine anything one way or the other yet. You may re-roll tomorrow.