Revision: Chapter Three: Skills and Knowledges

Chapter Three: Skills and Knowledges

Chapter Three details all of the skills, lores, trades, and knowledges available to characters. The chapter details combat and non-combat skills. In general, I think the skill system/point system to work. There are a few skills and mechanics I would like to tweak -- mainly simpifying and thinking long and hard about characters who are totally skill-based (without any major supernatural abilities like magic ability or divine magic). If there are any major skill overhauls, I will start a different blog thread for them. But generally, here are the chapter headings and the revision possibilities are (*) asterisked:

Starting Skill Points
Attribute Bases (ATTRbase)*

I really like the ATTRbase system for buying skills. It needs to be a bit more clearly articulated and the character sheet needs to have a place where ATTRbases are recorded.

Skill Cost*

Some skill costs might change, to be determined on a skill-by-skill basis. Overall, I am thinking about making combat skills slightly cheaper. The rationale is so that players who choose to be archetypal warriors and rogues (skill-based only) can actually be more fully effective -- especially since mages and priests make up for their lack of skills via their spells and prayers.

Skill Rolls
Complementary Skills
Everyone Skills
Table 3.1: The Skills and Knowledges Quick List*

I am thinking of adding to the appendices a worksheet that looks like this sheet except it will be used for character creation -- kind of like a dim sum menu where people can select their wish list and then see how much it all costs.

Learning New Skills and Increasing Skill Rolls
The Skills List
The Combat Skills*

Revisions to particular skills forthcoming. The rationale (as said above) is also about thinking about skills that seem to be awkward, particularly those skills that too closely mimic the mechanics of other games (e.g. the whole Killing Strike/Backstab thing) or those skills that complicate fluid-time combat in unexpected ways (e.g. the delays/DS-modifiers of skills like Charge or Crushing Blow). Also, might there be ways to collapse skills a little (e.g. Charge or Crushing Blow might be just one skill).

Skills under revision:
Armor Proficiency *change ATTRbase to just STR/1
Charge*
Close Quarters Fighting *change ATTRbases to AGI, DEX/1
Combination *ideally to simplify how it is bought
Command*
Coordinate*
Crushing Blow*
Defend Skill Level*
Find Weakness*
Killing Strike*
Martial Combination*
Shield Proficiency *include Shield Punch in the skill
Tactics*

The Non-Combat Skill*

Skills under revision:

Magic Research*
Poison Research*
Set/Remove Traps*