Miscellaneous Skills
Characters also have vocations and hobbies that can further add to their skill set. Each player can also choose one Vocational Skill and any two Hobby or Language Skills (i.e. 1 Hobby & 1 Language or 2 of one and none of the other).
Vocational Skills | Hobby | Languages | Military | Engineering | Medical | Natural Science |
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Baker | Animal Taming | African spoken* | Camouflage | Ballooning | Forensic Medicine | Analyze Animal Behavior |
Bar/Shop Keeper | Animal Training | Chinese spoken** | Drill Instructor | Naval Engineer | Medical Instruments | Biology |
Blacksmith: Equine | Appraisals | Dutch spoken | Military Engineer | Optical | Medicine: Homeopathy | Botany |
Boat Builder | Bluff | English spoken | Combat Signalling | Physics | Medicine: Veterinary | Cartography |
Brewer | Climbing | French spoken | Strategy | Aerodynamics | Microbiology | Chemistry |
Bricklayer/Stone Mason | Clock & Watchmaker | Gaelic spoken | Tactics | | Prosthetics | Geology |
Carpenter | Concealment | German spoken | Advanced Drill Instructor | | First Aid | Zoology |
Charcoal Maker | Disguise | Japanese spoken | Logistics | | | |
Chef | Dramatics | Latin Literacy | | | | |
Cooper | Entertaining | Literacy | | | | |
Farmer | Gambling | Native American* spoken | | | | |
Fisher | Gemmology | Portuguese spoken | | | | |
Glass Blower | Haggling | Russian spoken | | | | |
Iron Worker | Pumping Iron | Spanish spoken | | | | |
Leather Worker | Ride Mount | | | | | |
Lumberjack | Rope Use | | | | | |
Miller | Running | | | | | |
Mining | Society | | | | | |
Photography | Stealth | | | | | |
Railroad Hand | Swimming | | | | | |
Sailor | Tracker | | | | | |
Tailor | | | | | | |
Vocations with Pre-requisites | Hobbys with Pre-requisites | Pre-requisites | | | | |
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Cowboy | - | Ride Mount | | | | |
- | Forgery | Literacy | | | | |
Finance/Banker | - | Literacy | | | | |
Hunter | - | Tracker | | | | |
Journalist/Writer | - | Literacy | | | | |
Law | - | Literacy | | | | |
- | Politics | Literacy | | | | |
Printer | - | Literacy | | | | |
Teacher | - | Literacy | | | | |
Theology/Preaching | - | Literacy | | | | |
Veterinarian | - | Literacy | | | | |
Special Skills | Pre-requisites | | | | | |
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Zombie Anatomy | Survive combat & kill a zombie | | | | | |
*Choose any specific dialect
**Mandarin or Cantonese
VOCATIONAL SKILLS
BAKER: Success Rate: 60% + half INT
Training Time: 3 months
This character is qualified to work as a baker. With a skill of 80 or higher, they could work as a desert chef in a restaurant or hotel.
BAR/SHOP KEEPER: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 1 month, Pre-requisite: Literacy
This character is skilled at all the various aspects of tending bar, from the simple (pouring a shot of whiskey without spilling) to the complex (telling some lout what his problem is without making him
mad). They know how to make a wide variety of mixed drinks, judge good whiskey from bad, and make bad-tempered men happy.
Shop Keepers know all there is to know about running a general store, maintaining stock levels, keeping abreast of the latest goods available within their area/society and offering customer service.
BLACKSMITH: EQUINES: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
As described above.
BOAT BUILDER: Success Rate: 40% + half DEX
Training Time: 3 months
The boatbuilding skill allows a character to construct all sorts of watercraft, up to a maximum size of 60 feet long. Larger vessels require the skills of a character with a skill level of 4 or more. The time period required to build a boat depends on its size. As a general guide, the boat requires one week of construction time per foot of length. Two characters with boat building skill cut this time in half; three reduce it to one third, etc. A maximum of one Boatwright per five-foot length of the boat can work on the vessel simultaneously. The basic boat includes the hull, masts, deck, and benches as required. Additional features such as a cabin or sealed hold add about a week apiece to the construction time. Characters without boat building skill can aid the Boatwright in construction, but it takes two such characters to equal the time savings that one additional skilled Boatwright would provide.
BREWER: Success Rate: 80%
Training Time: 3 months
A brewer or wine maker can make a passable ale or wine with the right ingredients and facilities. A skill check is required to brew a high quality draught of beer or wine. A failed skill check of 95-00 means the end product is overproof, potentially even poisonous.
BRICK LAYER/STONE MASON: Success Rate: 40% + half STR
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill is able to build structures from brick or stone in such a fashion that they last for many years. The stones are often, but not always, mortared together. A stonemason equipped with chisels, hammers, wedges, and a block and tackle can build a section of wall one foot thick, 10 feet
long, and five feet high in a day. On larger projects, several skill checks should be made, one for each stage of the work. When building a house, for example, one check could be made to determine whether the foundation was laid correctly, a second to check the walls are straight and vertical, and a third for the roofing. Failure does not necessarily mean that the whole job is flawed, but some part of it probably needs to be done over.
CARPENTER: Success Rate: 40% + half DEX
Training Time: 3 months
This character is trained to build wooden buildings, furniture, toys, and equipment. If the character tries to build something small, a single skill check at the end determines whether it turned out right (on a bad roll, for example, the lid of a chest might not fit quite right). On larger projects, several skill checks should be made, one for each stage of the work. When building a house, for example, one check could be made to determine whether the frame went up all right, a second to check the exterior appearance, and a third for the interior finishing. Failure does not necessarily mean that the whole job is flawed, but some part of it probably needs to be done over. A carpenter can also repair wooden items that have been damaged.
CHARCOAL MAKER: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
With this skill a character can build and use a kiln to dry and burn the impurities from hardwood to produce charcoal which can then be used as fuel for various types of furnaces.
CHEF: Success Rate: 60% + half INT
Training Time: 3 months
This character is qualified to work as a trail cook or short-order cook. With a skill of 80 or higher, they could work as a chef in a restaurant or hotel.
COOPER (Barrel Maker): Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
With this skill a character can make wooden casks, barrels, vats, buckets, tubs, troughs and other similar containers from timber staves that are usually heated or steamed to make them pliable. Journeymen coopers also make wooden implements, such as rakes and wooden-bladed shovels. In addition to wood, other materials, such as iron, are used in the manufacturing process.
COWBOY: Success Rate: 50% + half DEX
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-requisite: Ride Mount
Herding, cutting out, branding, and rounding up are all among the skills essential to cow punchers. This skill can be used in a specific case where something needs to be done with one or more cattle. It can also be used in a general way, once every two or three days on a cattle drive, to determine whether a cowhand does something foolish, embarrassing, or dangerous.
FARMER: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
This character probably was raised on a farm. He knows about planting, harvesting, and tending crops, as well as raising cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, or any other farm animals the player chooses.
FINANCE/BANKER: Success rate: 50% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level
A character with this skill can work as a bank clerk, accountant, store clerk, railroad ticket agent, stock broker or in another position that involves using math and handling money. He has a fair amount of business sense. This skill also gives the character a chance to know the past and present history of corporations, their subsidiaries and holdings, to be able to read and prepare financial records and credit ratings, to know how to manipulate credit and financial investments. If the character does not know the information themself, they know where they can do research to find out, though this can sometimes take months of study.
FISHER: Success Rate: Half INT +10%/skill level
Training Time: 1 months
Fishing: The character with this skill is proficient in the art of fishing, both with a hook and line and with a net. For each hour that the character spends fishing, he can make a skill check. Failure means that no fish are caught. A successful check means that at least one fish is caught. To determine the number of fish, roll percentiles. 01-40 = 1 fish, 41-80 = 2 fish, 81-00 = 3 fish. One fish provides 1/2 of the daily rations needed to feed a single character. The referee can modify this amount to reflect the sizes and types of fish that are caught. Of course, if an area contains no fish then none are caught, regardless of the character’s rolls. The referee can also modify the time required for the skill checks to reflect how many fish are in the area. The check might be made every turn, for example, in a crowded pool, while it might only be allowed after six hours of fishing in an area where the fish are few and far between.
GLASS BLOWER: Half DEX + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
With this skill a glass blower can creates designs ranging from simple to complex, using molten glass. Glass jars and vases, jewellery, art work, and figurines all may emerge from the end of a narrow tube, the skill and tools of the glass blower determining the final shape of the glass. Basic items such as jars and vases can be produced by any trained glass blower however more complex items and artwork require a successful skill check.
HUNTER/TRAPPER: Success rate: 50% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level
This skill allows a character to hunt or trap wild game for food. They can make and set snares for smaller creatures, dig concealed pits with stakes for larger creatures or use baits and animal traps for either. A successful skill check will usually produce enough food for a hunter and up a dozen or more people per day. A character can make a skill check twice per day, morning and afternoon.
IRON WORKER: Success rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this proficiency can operate a smelter, which is essentially an extremely hot forge. Using this forge and the occasional application of certain liquids, including water and acids, the smelter separates the metal from the rocky ore with which it is usually mined. The amount of ore that can be processed is more a function of the size of the smelter than the character's working rate. A small smelter can process ore as fast as four miners can produce it. A medium smelter can process the ore excavated by up to 20 miners. A large smelter can process the ore excavated by up to 100 miners
LAW: Success rate: 60% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level, Pre-requisite: Literacy.
This skill gives the character complete knowledge of the laws of the land in which they live. It also allows them a skill check on all civilized lands to know their laws. Characters who are members of law enforcement or Diplomats are completely briefed on local laws before they are sent on a mission. A character with this skill is trained to serve as both lawyers and judges. A skill check can serve to determine whether the character knows the legalities of a situation, whether he can adequately defend or prosecute a suspect, or pass a judgement that is both fair and satisfactory to the crowd.
LEATHER WORKER: Success rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
Leatherworker: This proficiency allows a character to tan and treat leather, and to make clothing and other leather objects. The character can make leather armour, as well as backpacks, saddlebags, saddles, and all sorts of harnesses.
LUMBERJACK: Success rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
A lumberjack can cut, fell and transport trees to sawmills for processing or unprocessed logs can be used for fortifications, log cabins and other structures. A lumberjack can also assist with the design and operation of a sawmill.
MILLER: Success rate: 50% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level
This skill allows a character to build and operate a mill for the purpose of grinding wheat to flour. The character will understand the ratio of wheel size and millstone to power their mill, the best location along a stream or river to construct a mill and the preferred stone for carving a millstone. If no water course is available to power the mill, the character will also know how to design a mill using manual labour or even steam power.
MINING/PROSPECTING: Success rate: Success rate: 50% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level
A character with this skill is needed to find a site for a mine, and to supervise the operations of the mine This skill is required to locate oil, iron, copper, gold, or other valuable minerals and recover them safely. Skill checks can determine whether a mine shaft was dug safely, whether anything is found in the mine (modified, of course, by whether there’s anything there in the first place), and whether the character even recognizes something of value when he sees it. If a character is operating a mine, a weekly skill check determines whether their work is paying off. Again, the size of the payoff is up to the referee, based on the richness of the area.
PRINTER/JOURNALIST/WRITER: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-requisite: Literacy
This character knows every aspect of the publishing trade, from writing to editing to typesetting to printing. They are qualified to run a newspaper of their own, file stories to a paper, or even write dime westerns. Skill checks can be used to determine whether a story was gripping and compelling, whether the character can get all the information they need for a story, and as a general guide to how good a writer the character is.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Success Rate: 40% + half LOG
Training Time: 3 months
This character knows how to take photographs, develop film, and even make their own emulsions. Photography was still young, and very much in evolution, during the years 1865-90. Many photographers were from the do-it-yourself school and had a keen interest in the art they were helping to both invent and develop. Cameras and other equipment were bulky and fragile, but the public clamoured for photographs, from personal portraits to portrayals of fabulous natural wonders and romantic figures. Skill checks can be required for a wide variety of photographic tasks: exposing or developing the plate; transporting the equipment safely; coating the plates with emulsion.
RAILROAD HAND: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill understands how to layout a rail line, grade the route and lay sleepers and rails. They can also operate switches, turntables and build water tanks and railroad stations.
SAILOR: Success Rate: Half DEX + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill has learned how to handle small water craft-those that ply rivers and lakes and remain close to shore when on seas. These include canoes, rafts, hide boats, rowboats, and the like. In addition, the character can build a reliable raft from local materials (should they ever be stranded on a river island, for example). At 2nd level they can handle such craft on the open waters of the ocean. At 3rd level the character is skilled and knowing of sea-going vessels, these include junks, sampans, galleys, sailing ships and steam ships and they can serve as a sailor on these. At 4th level the character has learned the art of navigating by the stars, studying currents and watching for tell-tale signs of land, reefs, and hidden dangers. This is not a particularly effective skill on land. At sea, a successful die roll by the navigator reduces the chance of getting lost by 20%.
TAILOR: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 3 months
Anyone who was anyone at this time wore tailor-made clothes. Clothes bought off the rack came complete with sharp creases, which were a dead giveaway of either cheapness or lack of funds. Tailor-mades, on the other hand, were always fashionably rumpled. A tailor can make, fit and alter clothing of any style, as well as recognize the value (and possibly even the region of manufacture) of a piece of clothing or an outfit.
THEOLOGY/PREACHING: Success Rate: 40% + half PER
Training Time: 3 months
This skill is essential to the stump-riding circuit preacher as well as to the selfless missionary. Successful skill checks can bring people into worship services or hold them enthralled with the power of the word. Preachers, ordained and otherwise, were always in demand, to minister to the faithful, read over the dead and dying, and grant blessings on endeavours of every kind. Literacy is not a prerequisite for this skill but it is highly recommended.
HOBBY SKILLS
ANIMAL TAMING: Success Rate: Half PER +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
Characters trained in animal taming are skilled in the care and taming of animals. This includes dogs, wild cats, small birds, and other animals commonly trained for work or amusement. Wild animals can be tamed only when they are young. Taming requires one month of work with the creature (although the character can also undertake other activities during this time). At the end of the month, a die roll is made. If it is passed, the creature is tamed and suitable for training. If the die roll fails, the creature still retains enough of its wild behavior to make it unsuitable for training. Such creatures can still be kept, although they have to be constantly caged or chained. Skill in this area enables a character to exercise a greater-than-normal degree of control over pack animals and beasts of burden. A successful skill check indicates that the character has succeeded in calming an excited or agitated animal; in contrast, a character without this skill has only a 20% chance of succeeding in the attempt.
ANIMAL TRAINING: Success Rate: Half PER +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
Tame creatures can be trained to perform simple tasks; fetching, hunting for their master, herding sheep, etc. Each task takes from 1d10+2 weeks of training. Again, the character can engage in other activities during this time. Furthermore, the referee can rule that the training takes a greater than normal time if they feel the task is difficult or can divide the task into several smaller tasks. At the end of the training, the success is checked for. If the attempt is a failure, the creature cannot be trained in that task. Each creature can learn 1d5 different tasks. Once trained, the creature must be regularly exercised in those tasks it knows, using them at least once a week. Failure to do so results in the creature losing the ability to do that task.
A character with this skill must declare what type of creature he will specialize in at the time the proficiency is first gained. Common examples include horses, dogs, falcons, pigeons, or elephants. A character can select a more exotic species if they wish. Additional skill levels gained add another type of animal that the character is able to train.
An animal trainer can have up to six animals in training - at a given time. Typical roles include guarding and attack (for dogs), riding (for horses), and heavy labour (for elephants). Such training grants a +10 modifier to the character’s Proficiency Check at the end of the training period. Animals that have been trained in their typical areas can occasionally be given additional training to increase the number of functions that they can perform. Such additional training requires another 1d10+2 weeks of training, and an animal trainer can work with no more than three animals during this type of training. Examples of additional training include training elephants, horses, or dogs for war, and training falcons to retrieve specific objects. The referee must decide the chance of success if a character attempts to train an animal to perform a task at the very limits of possibility. After the advanced training period is over, the character must make an unmodified skill check for each animal trained. Success means that the animal can perform the advanced tasks it has been taught.
APPRAISALS: Success Rate: 20% + 10%/skill level
This skill lets a character assess the value of gold, gems, and other minerals. They are qualified to work in a government or private assaying office. They can identify fool’s gold automatically, and a skill check
will let them identify a metal or mineral, spot a counterfeit coin (if they handle it), or judge the value of cut or uncut gems.
BLUFF: Success Rate: 30% + 10%/skill level
As described above.
CLIMBING: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 1 month
This skill increases a character's climbing ability. The character now climbs a rope at a rate of 3 meters/turn and vertical surfaces at a rate of 2 meters/turn. The character can also use the proper equipment to climb and rappel like a mountain climber. A character with this skill also learns to use such-sets.
CLOCK/WATCHMAKER: Success Rate: 40% + Half DEX
With this skill a character can make and repair clocks and watches if they have access to the appropriate tools and materials. Simple repairs can be completed within a day however carving a wooden clock from scratch could take a craftsman up to a week and a pocket watch several weeks or more.
CONCEALMENT: Success Rate: 30% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 1 week/level
Concealment is the art of hiding in natural cover. Once concealed there is an 80% chance the specialist will not be seen as long as he does not move or make noise.
DISGUISE: Success Rate: Half PER +10%/skill level
The character is trained in the art of disguise and can make themself look like any general class of person of about the same height, weight, and age as themself. This is useful for appearing as a merchant, peasant, or other harmless character. They can also try to disguise themselves as a member of the opposite sex, although his chance of success is reduced by half. In addition, a character can disguise themself as a specific person and pose as them. Once a character fails to impersonate a specific person, they can never succeed at impersonating that person. The chance to impersonate a specific person is one-half the normal disguise percentage. If the character can closely observe the character they intend to impersonate for at least one month, however, the chance of success is normal.
DRAMATICS: Success Rate: 40% + Half PER
Training Time: 3 months
This character has at least some talent and/or experience as an actor. Their skill score gives a measure of their general worth in this regard, as well as their chance to deliver a pleasing and convincing performance.
ENTERTAINER: Success Rate: 40% + half PER
Training Time: 3 months
This character has some talent at singing and dancing. Or, if the player prefers, the character could be a stage magician, a comic, a storyteller, a puppeteer, or any other sort of entertainer (except an actor, which is covered by Dramatics skill). The skill score is a general indicator of the character’s ability to keep an audience entertained. A successful skill check means the audience likes the show, an unsuccessful check means things could get ugly.
FORGERY: Success Rate: Half DEX +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-requisite: Literacy
Forgery requires writing materials appropriate to the document being forged, enough light or sufficient visual acuity to see the details of what you’re writing, wax for seals (if appropriate), and some time. To forge a document on which the handwriting is not specific to a person (military orders, a government decree, a business ledger, or the like), you need only to have seen a similar document before, and you gain a +25% bonus on your check. To forge a signature, you need an autograph of that person to copy, and you gain a +10% bonus on the check. To forge a longer document written in the hand of some particular person, a large sample of that person’s handwriting is needed.
The Forgery check is made secretly, so that you’re not sure how good your forgery is. As with Disguise, you don’t even need to make a check until someone examines the work. Your Forgery check is opposed by the Forgery check of the person who examines the document to check its authenticity. The examiner gains modifiers on his or her check if any of the conditions on the table below exist.
A document that contradicts procedure, orders, or previous knowledge, or one that requires sacrifice on the part of the person checking the document can increase that character’s suspicion (and thus create favourable circumstances for the checker’s opposing Forgery check).
GAMBLING: Success Rate: 40% + half INT
Training Time: 3 months
When characters sit down to gamble, a character with Gambling skill has a significant edge. They also have the option to cheat with a decent chance of avoiding detection. Gambling skill can also be used to detect whether another player is cheating.
GEMMOLOGY: Success Rate: 20% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level
This skill allows a character to appraise the worth of rare and valuable gems (which are often used for currency in uncivilized areas) to within 10% of their normal cost. They are also able to trace veins and locations of gems, plus identify their origins by their type and cut.
HAGGLING: Success Rate: 40% + 10%/Level
Training Time: 1 week/level
This skill gives a character a chance to haggle the price of an item or service down if they are buying, or up if they are selling. The normal cost increase or decrease is 10%. If 01-02 is rolled, the increase or decrease is 20%. If 98-00 is rolled, the haggling has exactly the opposite result and the price goes against the character by 20%.
POLITICS: Success Rate: 40% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months/level, Pre-requisite: Literacy
This skill gives the character a chance to know the history and due process of various jurisdictions. This includes knowledge of political bigwigs, their aids, and how honest they all are. It also gives knowledge of the finer arts of political maneuvering, the basics of speech making, and allows the character a skill check on local politics after they has spent at least one month in a city or country.
PUMPING IRON: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 1 week
This skill increases the amount of weight (in kilograms) a character can carry to one and one-half times their Strength score. If the weight a character is carrying is more than his normal Strength Score, they are encumbered. The movement rate of an encumbered character is cut in half in all terrain. A character with this skill can pick up an object that weighs up to triple their Strength in kg, but can carry it only a few meters. A character who has been pumping iron is quite developed and may have trouble fitting into suits of armour and equipment normally designed for his race. This skill must be renewed (as a first-level skill) every six months, as if the character kept in training.
RIDE MOUNT: Success Rate: 60% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 1 week/level
This skill allows a character to ride a tamed animal trained to carry a rider. The only time a skill check is needed is when a character first tries to mount a new species, when a difficult maneuver is performed, or when a mount is spooked or feels endangered. A character gets two chances to ride a new species of mount. Once their skill check is successful, the character can ride any mount of that species any time. If a character fails both checks, they must wait at least a year of campaign time before they can try to ride that species again. If a mount is frightened or is directed in a path that if feels is threatening (jumping a chasm, narrow ledge of a canyon, etc.), the rider may have to make a check to maintain control over it. The result area needed by the check depends on the circumstances and is at the discretion of the referee. A character with "Cowboy" as a Vocation gets an additional +5%
ROPE USE: Success Rate: 40% + half DEX (minus range mods)
Training Time: 1 week
A character with this skill can make a lasso and catch something with it. A single skill check is all that’s required in most cases. In combat, throwing a lasso is the equivalent of firing a careful shot, except the character’s Roping skill is his chance to hit. If the throw misses, reeling the rope back in takes at least six seconds (one combat turn). If a character is lassoed, they get one chance to escape by making either a STR or DEX check. If the ability check fails, the character’s arms are pinned at their sides (or their legs are tangled, depending on the lassoer’s target). A lasso’s short, long, and extreme ranges are 2, 5, and 10 yards.
A character with this skill also has extraordinary knowledge in the use of rope, pertaining to the tying and releasing of knots. If the construction of a temporary shelter involves the use of rope (which is almost always the case), a character with skill in rope use can erect or take down the shelter in half the length of time that a normal character would require. Such a shelter erected by a character with this skill is half as likely to be adversely affected by inclement weather (high winds, heavy rain or snow) as a shelter erected by a normal character. If a proficient character has their hands bound and tied with a rope or a cord, they can escape the bonds by making a successful skill check. This check is made with a +20% modifier to the die roll if the character’s hands are tied in front of their body, or with a +10% modifier if the character’s hands are tied behind their back. They also receives a 10% bonus on all climbing checks made while using a rope, including attempts to belay companions.
RUNNING: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 1 week
This skill increases the endurance of a character, who can now run at top speed for a number of minutes equal to their Strength score divided by 5, rounded up. The character then must rest for five minutes before running again. This skill must be renewed (as a first level skill) every six months, as if the character kept training.
SOCIETY: Success Rate: 40% + 10%/skill level + 20% for Home Town/City
Training Time: 3 months
This skill gives the character a chance to know the social elite in a city, town, or village. This includes knowledge of the rich and famous (including celebrities), what their status in society is, where they are located, what their interests and backgrounds are, social graces and manoeuvring, and major social activities. The skill can be invaluable when working undercover or on a specific case. The skill must be taken for every different society, except for the player character's own society, which is 20% higher. The referee may also decide that it can be a positive modifier when bluffing.
STEALTH: Success Rate: 30% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 1 month
Stealth is the ability to move without being seen or heard. This ability is useful for stalking animals, but also can be used to sneak up on guards of follow suspects.
SWIMMING: Success Rate: 50% + half DEX
Training Time: 1 month
Surprisingly few people of this era actually knew how to swim. Anyone with this skill can swim automatically under normal circumstances, but must make a skill check in turbulent water or rapids, if seriously wounded, or if weighted down with heavy clothing, guns, gold, etc. Characters without this skill must make a skill check against one-half their Strength score, rounded up, anytime they get dunked. If this roll fails, they are going down. Success means they drag themselves to the bank, half drowned. Failure means they can’t get out without help, and will drown in 30 seconds (five turns) unless rescued.
TRACKING: Success Rate: 30% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 1 month
A character with this skill has a chance to follow a creature, person or vehicle by watching for its trail. This skill works only in the wilderness, not in settled areas. The specialist also can use this sub-skill to cover his own tracks.
LANGUAGES
LITERACY: Success Rate: 50% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill can read and write any language they can speak, including Indian languages. The referee can require a skill check in cases where the written material is complicated or the character doesn’t get much practice.
MILITARY SUB-SKILLS
ADVANCED DRILL INSTRUCTOR: Success Rate: leadership + 10% per week of training.
Training Time: 1 month, Pre-requisite: Drill Instructor
To acquire this skill, the Drill Instructor skill is required along with the experience of having trained at least 2 Regiments (20 companies). The Advanced Drill Instructor skill is required to instruct units to move in large formations and operate as part of a Brigade, Division, Corp or Army. This includes entrenchment, encampment and manoeuvring in large unit formations.
CAMOUFLAGE: Success Rate: 30% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 1 week/level
Concealment is the art of disguising military fortifications, installations and troop formations. Once concealed there is an 80% chance the facility or troop formation will not be seen as long as they do not move, make noise show smoke or lights.
COMBAT SIGNALLING: Success Rate: Automatic
Training Time: 1 week/method of communication (hand signals, flags etc)
This is the art of being able to communicate silently with others who also have this skill to indicate your movement or an enemy's movement, location and numbers without revealing your own location. This skill also includes using flags to transmit standard messages. The character can also use other methods of long-distance signalling such as drums, mirrors, smoke and horns or trumpets and understands the import of the various messages. This is essentially another language, although the messages are simple and limited to war, etc.
DRILL INSTRUCTOR: Success Rate: leadership + 10% per week of training
Training Time: 1 week
The Drill Instructor skill is required to teach other characters and NPC's how to move in formation and operate as part of a unit. This includes marching in column, being able to change into battle line formation, skirmish line or into square. Soldiers are also taught how to load, fire and maintain their weapons as well as firing together in a volley line and other unit based activities.
LOGISTICS: Success rate: Logic + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 2 months, Pre-requisite: Literacy
Weapons, ammunition, rations, uniforms and other supplies all have to be provided to keep large formations of troops in the field for extended periods. Officers who cannot provide logistical support for their men may run short of these stores.
MILITARY ENGINEER: Success Rate: Automatic -5% Construction time per level
Training Time: 3 months
A Military Engineer has the knowledge and ability to oversee the construction of military defences and fortifications, including trenches, abatis, palisade walls, parapets, block houses and bunkers to protect infantry and artillery positions and ammunition storage.
STRATEGY: Success Rate: 20% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 2 months
Strategy skill is required for a character to be promoted to Major. It operates the same way as Tactics but at a larger scale, with Brigades, Divisions, Corp and Army size formations. The Tactics skill is required to learn this skill.
TACTICS: Success Rate: 30% + 10%/skill level
Training Time: 2 months
Tactics skill gives a character the opportunity to be promoted to Officer, usually Second Lieutenant and to ability to predict, to some extent, what an opponent will do in combat with unit sizes of platoon, company and regiment, and also grants some insight on the best course of action in a fight. At the beginning of a fight a character with Tactics skill makes a skill check. If it succeeds, that character’s side gets to add one to its initiative die rolls through the whole fight. Also at the beginning of a fight, if the players aren’t sure what to do, they can ask the referee for advice. The referee makes a Tactics skill check behind a screen where the players can’t see the result. If the check succeeds, the referee gives the players some vague but generally good advice. If the check fails, the advice is vague but poor. The players, of course, don’t know which they’re getting. (If more than one character has Tactics skill and they all try to use it at once, use it as an opportunity to spread confusion. Never give more than one piece of good advice and one piece of bad, and try to make them contradictory.)
ENGINEERING SUB-SKILLS
AERODYNAMICS: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with the Aerodynamics skill is required to design, build or operate any kind of flying vehicle beyond a simple balloon. The character will need to understand the concepts of ballooning before being able to improve balloons to include engines, wings and weapons. Pre-requisite: Ballooning
BALLOONING: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill will know how to design and construct a basic balloon with a basket, what materials are needed to inflate a balloon (silk balloon, wicker basket, zinc shavings, sulphuric acid to make hydrogen etc) and how to pilot craft.
NAVAL ENGINEER: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
The Naval Engineer skill is required for design, building and operating steam powered naval craft and also for converting sail or oar powered craft to steam power and converting craft to ironclads.
OPTICAL: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
This skill enables a character to build and repair optical equipment (telescopes, microscopes, glases etc). No more than one item per week can be constructed, but the price in materials is 10% less than the normal item cost. When repairing damaged optical devices use the standard repair rule.
PHYSICS: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill is schooled in the science dealing with the properties, changes, interactions, etc. of matter in any form (gas, liquid, solid, and plasma) and energy (electricity, heat, optics, mechanics, etc.). This also includes knowledge of momentum, velocity, reflection, refraction, and gravity. Physics is a useful prerequisite skill for other fields of knowledge (Acoustics, Optics, etc.). In addition, this skill also allows the character to inspect a damaged character, structure, or ground and determine what kind of physical force caused the damage (heat, cold, pressure, momentum, etc.).
MEDICAL SUB-SKILLS
FIRST AID: Success Rate: As per skill description above.
Training Time: 1 month
FORENSIC MEDICINE: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill is able to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death of a patient, be it by trauma, disease or poison. An autopsy can only be performed in a hospital and the chance of success is reduced over time, the longer it takes between death and the performance of an autopsy the lower the chance of success.
MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill can design and use a range of medical instruments and instruct craftsmen in the manufacture of these instruments. These instruments are required to stock a fully functioning hospital.
MEDICINE: HOMEOPATHY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
Homeopathy is the study and practice of ‘natural’ remedies as opposed to modern, scientific based medicine. Those with homeopathy knowledge, such as shamans, witch doctors and midwives can prepare poultices, powders, balms, teas and ointments to treat minor wounds, diseases and other common ailments. When treated by an experienced practitioner, success is equivalent to First Aid for most injuries. In addition, they can prepare certain natural plant poisons. The referee must decide if any given compound is within the realm of the herbalist's knowledge.
MEDICINE, VETERINARY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
This is the animal equivalent of Medicine. Because of the difficulties in tending to them, however, there is often very little a veterinarian can do for an injured animal. Anaesthetics for animals were, in many cases, worse than the injury or illness. If an animal needed to be unconscious for surgery, it would be done as quickly as possible to maximize the animal’s chance to survive the anaesthetic. After being treated by a vet, an animal recovers three wound points immediately, though all light and serious wounds must still recover normally. Serious wounds do not begin healing until tended by a veterinarian. Light wounds heal on their own, or heal twice as fast if tended by a veterinarian. Pre-requisite: Literacy.
MICROBIOLOGY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A microscope is required to practice the study of Microbiology. When successful, this skill can help develop cures for some diseases and other ailments and can improve the results of populations surviving a pandemic or infections as a result of surgery in non-sanitised environments.
PROSTHETICS: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
This skill allows the character to design and fit various forms of prosthetics for patients who have lost limbs. Artificial arms and legs can be manufactured from wood and steel to replace limbs lost in accidents or combat. Lower legs and hooks for hands are relatively straight forward, however limbs with joints are more complex and the manufacture of these kinds of prosthetics would require skilled artisans.
NATURAL SCIENCE SUB-SKILLS
ANALYSE ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months
A character with this skill can, if given four turns of observation, make an analysis of whether an animal is aggressive or harmless. Further observations, for 1d10 hours, can also inform the character of whether an animal's den or lair is nearby and what it’s eating, drinking, and other habits are. For a complete analysis of a creature and how it fits into its surrounding environment, the character would have to use the Analyze Ecosystems skill.
BIOLOGY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-Requisites: Botanist 2 & Zoologist 2
A character who is a botanist and a zoologist can use these skills as a foundation for becoming a biologist (at least two levels in each is required). A Biology skill allows for the integration of the two sciences and is an introductory skill of other skills, such as Exobiology and Analyzing Ecosystems.
Furthermore, a biologist will be able to discern information in the following areas from a specimen: organ functions, effects of glands and hormones, chemical makeup, vitamins and proteins, life functions, and parasites. This last ability, parasitology allows the character a skill check to identify parasite, know what kind of animals the will infest, know what diseases they carry, and determine the best way to eradicate them. Biology Level 2 allows the character to remove glands and sacks from dangerous plants or animals, thus safely retrieving poison or acid. Biologists of the third level can join the Biological Society, a large and powerful group of scientists who fund many explorations to known and newly discovered lands.
BOTANY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-Requisite: Literacy
A character with this skill is schooled in the science of plants, their life, structure, growth, classification, etc. Only a character with Botany can name a new plant life form or analyze a botanical sample.
A successful Botany analysis indicates the type of plant the sample is and whether it is edible or poisonous. A botanist making a successful skill check when inquiring about a plant's potential medicinal or poisonous properties is told which of these uses the plant may have. Any facet of the campaign dealing with plant life should be handled by a botanist or biologist.
CARTOGRAPHY: Success Rate: 50% + half LOG
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-Requisite: Literacy
The job of surveying and mapping is both vital (via the railroad and telegraph) and dangerous (since the areas being surveyed were generally pretty wild). A skill check determines the accuracy of the character’s mapping or survey measurements.
CHEMISTRY: Success Rate: 40% + half LOG
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-requisite: Literacy
This character is educated in the chemical sciences, including pharmacy. They can mix and identify simple chemicals (bicarbonate of soda) automatically. More complicated procedures require a skill check. In any case, the character cannot produce any chemical without the proper ingredients. Even with this skill, no one can make gunpowder from cotton balls and wood shavings. However, in an emergency the referee may allow a skill check for the player to come up with an insight on how the ingredients at hand can be usefully combined.
GEOLOGY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-Requisite: Literacy
A character with this skill is schooled in the science dealing with the physical nature and history of the land, including the structure and development of the terrain, the composition of the landscape, individual rock types, the forms of life found in fossils, etc. Only a character with Geology can name a new mineral or analyze a geological sample. A successful analysis (skill check) indicates what minerals are present in the sample and the possibility of finding rich ore or gas deposits in the area. Any facet of a campaign that deals with geology or minerals should be handled by a geologist.
ZOOLOGY: Success Rate: 40% +10%/skill level
Training Time: 3 months, Pre-Requisite: Literacy
A character with this skill is schooled in the science of animals, their lives, structure, growth, classification, etc. Only a character with Zoology can name a new animal life form. A zoologist making a successful skill check when inquiring about an animal's potential medicinal or poisonous properties can tell which of these properties the animal may have. If the medicinal or poisonous properties lie in a gland or sac within the animal, only a character with Biology Level 2 can safely remove them. Any facet of a campaign that deals with animal life should be handled by a zoologist or biologist.
SPECIAL SKILLS
ZOMBIE ANATOMY: Success Rate: Automatic when hitting zombies
Training Time: Surviving first combat and slaying a zombie
Once a character survives their first combat with a zombie and successfully kills a zombie, they understand the value of aiming for the head. Wounds to other organs may slow a zombie down but only head shots or blows to the brain will de-animate one of the walking dead. Characters who acquire this skill can add an additional 1d10 to all their damage rolls with all weapons.
This message was last updated by the GM at 13:10, Mon 29 Jan.