This section covers skills and Spirit Combat.
Rune Quest 4: C) Skills
Pages 71-79:
SKILLS, replace and add to as appropriate:
Skills normally fall into three categories: Easy, Medium or
Hard. While there are very specific professional skills that are
never learned by most characters, I have tried to keep them off
these tables. The GM has to decide when to add new skills and
what the character's chances are, which will often depend on the
situation, what the character does, how the player roleplays the
situation, the character's background, etc.
Exp. Training
Skill Base Category Difficulty Gain Avail.
Administrate 5% Knowledge Medium Yes Rare
Bargain 5% Communication Medium Yes ?
Battle 5% Knowledge Easy Yes Rare
Boat 5% Agility Easy Yes ?
Breakfall 0% Agility Easy Yes Rare
Catch 15% Manipulation Easy Yes ?
Ceremony 5% Magic Medium Yes ?
Climb 40% Agility Easy Yes ?
Conceal 5% Manipulation Medium Yes Rare
Courtesan 10% Communication Medium Yes Rare
Craft Varies Knowledge Varies Yes Varies
Dance 5% Agility Easy Yes Common
Devise 0% Manipulation Hard Yes Rare
Dodge 15% Agility Hard Yes Rare
Drive 10% Manipulation Easy Yes ?
Enchant 0% Magic Hard Yes Rare
Etiquette Varies Communication Easy Yes Varies
Evaluate 5% Knowledge Medium Yes ?
Fast Draw 0% Manipulation Easy Yes Rare
First Aid 10% Knowledge Easy Yes ?
Hide 10% Stealth Easy Yes ?
Instruct 5% Knowledge Medium Yes Rare
Intrigue 0% Knowledge Hard Yes Rare
Jump 25% Agility Easy Yes ?
Listen 25% Perception Medium Yes Rare
Lore 0% Knowledge Varies No Varies
Maneuver 25% Agility Hard Yes Rare
March 5% Agility Easy Yes Rare
Martial Arts 0% Knowledge Hard No Rare
Martial Hold 0% Manipulation Hard Yes Rare
Martial Throw 0% Manipulation Hard Yes Rare
Memorize 0% Knowledge Medium No Rare
Orate 5% Communication Medium Yes ?
Play 0% Manipulation Varies Yes ?
Read/Write 0% Knowledge Varies No Varies
Ride 5% Agility Medium Yes Common
Run 5% Agility Easy Yes ?
Sail 0% Agility Medium Yes ?
Scan 25% Perception Easy Yes ?
Scout 30% Perception Easy Yes Rare
Search 25% Perception Medium Yes Rare
Set Traps 5% Manipulation Easy Yes ?
Shadow 5% Stealth Medium Yes Rare
Sing 5% Communication Easy Yes Common
Shield Parry Varies Agility Varies Yes Common
Sleight 5% Manipulation Medium Yes Rare
Sneak 10% Stealth Medium Yes Rare
Sorcery Skills 0% Magic Varies No Rare
Sorcery Spells 0% Magic Varies Yes Rare
Spirit Combat 25% Magic Hard Yes Rare
Spirit Sense 25% Perception Hard Yes Rare
Summon 0% Magic Hard No Rare
Survival 5% Knowledge Easy Yes ?
Swim 15% Manipulation Easy Yes ?
Throw 25% Manipulation Medium Yes ?
Track 5% Perception Medium Yes ?
Treat Disease 5% Knowledge Medium Yes Rare
Treat Poison 5% Knowledge Medium Yes Rare
Weapon Attack Varies Manipulation Varies Yes Varies
Weapon Parry Varies Agility Varies Yes Varies
- Agility Skills
- Easy - Boat, Breakfall, Climb, Dance (Culture), Jump,
March, Run
- Medium - Ride (Species), Sail
- Hard - Dodge, Maneuver
- Communications Skills
- Easy - Etiquette [Culture], Sing, Speak Language <Own,
Easy>
- Medium - Bargain (Bribe, Fast Talk, Debate), Courtesan,
Orate, Speak Language <Medium>
- Hard - Speak Language <Hard>
- Knowledge Skills
- Easy - Battle, Craft <Easy>, First Aid, Lore
<Easy>, Read/Write <Easy>, Survival (Terrain)
- Medium - Administrate, Craft <Medium>, Evaluate,
Instruct, Lore <Medium>, Memorize, Read/Write
<Medium>, Treat Disease, Treat Poison,
- Hard - Craft <Hard>, Intrigue (Act, Bribe,
Conversation), Lore <Hard>, Martial Arts
- Magic Skills
- Easy - Sorcery Spells <Easy>
- Medium - Ceremony, Sorcery Spells <Medium>
- Hard - Enchant, Sorcery Skills, Sorcery Spells
<Hard>, Spirit Combat, Summon
- Very Hard - Sorcery Spells <Very Hard>
- Manipulation Skills
- Easy - Catch, Drive [Various], Fast Draw [Weapon], Play
<Easy>, Set Traps, Swim
- Medium - Conceal, Play <Medium>, Sleight
{Pickpocket, Juggle}, Throw
- Hard - Devise {Pick Locks, Set Traps, Disarm Traps}, Play
<Hard>
- Perception
- Easy - Scan, Scout (Terrain)
- Medium - Listen, Search, Track
- Hard - Spirit Sense
- Stealth
- Easy - Hide
- Medium - Shadow (Hide), Sneak
- {} = The skill encompasses these skills. These skills can
be used at the same percentage as the base skill.
- () = Related skills which default to half the percentage
of the base skill.
- [] = The skill has several unrelated categories.
Unrelated categories do not default to half the
percentage of the base skill. In some cases, such a skill
may have related and unrelated categories, in which case
the related categories will default to each other at half
the percentage of the base skill.
- Attack
- Easy - Club, Crossbow, Dagger, Dropped Rock, Fists,
Shortsword, 2H Spear, Thrown Rock, Tools
- Medium - All Others Except...
- Hard - Atlatl, Boomerang, Engines, 1H Flail, 2H Flail,
Off (Left) Hand Weapons, Martial Throw, Martial Hold,
Whip
- Parry
- Easy - LH Shield, 2H Spear, Staff
- Medium - LH Daggers, Arms, All Others Except...
- Hard - 1H Axe, 1H Flail, 2H Flail, 1H Hammer, 2H Hammer,
Kicks, 1H Mace, Maul, Off (Left) Hand Weapons
Attack and Parry skill will specialize in a single weapon
category (1H Sword, 2H Spear) , any weapon in that category can
be used if given an hour to adapt to the individual balance,
otherwise there is a penalty of -20% for an unfamiliar weapon.
All 1H Swinging, 1H Thrusting, 2H Swinging and 2H Thrusting
Attack and Parry skills default to other weapons of these general
types at half percentage.
- COMPOSITE SKILLS
- Composite skills are skills that subsume one or more
skills. These skills are known at the same percentage as
the base skill, and if the base skill increases, they
will increase correspondingly. The skills a composite
skill encompasses are generally bracketed, i.e.,
Interrogate {Intimidate, Converse}. Composite skills are
almost always Medium or Hard skills.
- SKILLS WITH DEFAULTS
- Some skills have defaults, related skills that are known
at half the percentage of the base skill. If the base
skill increases, they will increase correspondingly.
Skills that have such defaults are almost always Medium
or Hard skills. Related skills or categories that a skill
defaults to are generally set off by parentheses, i.e.,
Ride (Species) or by brackets, i.e., Drive [Vehicle],
although skills with brackets generally also contain
several unrelated categories which do not default to half
the percentage of the base skill (any related categories
will still default to each other at half the percentage
of the base skill).
- SKILL SUCCESS AND FAILURE
- To add color to the use of non-combat skills, the
following guidelines can be used by gamemasters and
players: Gamemasters that wish to go to the trouble can
use a 'special failure' result, the inverse of a special
success. The special failure chance is calculated by
taking one fifth of the character's chance of missing the
roll and subtracting from 101. If the character rolls
equal to or higher to that number, the results are very
poor, just short of a fumble (which is even more
catastrophic).
- Gamemasters are also encouraged to define and use
skill modifiers based on the specific situation a
character is in and the player's roleplaying in the
situation. If the party needs to convince Asylius, a
Lunar official, to let them have a permit, have one of
them make an Oratory or Bargain roll, with the following
modifiers: from -20% to +20% for roleplaying (-20% for no
attempt, -10% for bad, 0% for fair, +10% for average,
+20% for good); +10% if they mention their mutual friend,
Theodorus; +5% if they praise Asylius (he is vain); -10%
if they insult him, even subtly (he is quite sharp).
Bribery attempts on Asylius use the above modifiers, but
with an additional -20% modifier, as Asylius is
relatively honest. Intimidate attempts are not likely to
succeed, as Asylius will have a hard time believing any
threats the characters make, most likely calling for the
guards in response.
- COMPLEMENTARY SKILLS
- In a task where one skill is obviously the most
appropriate, and yet there is another skill that could
help, add one fifth (the special chance) of the less
relevant skill to the first skill to determine success.
For example, Achmed the Armorer is a master armorer with
Craft/Armory 95% and Bargain 41%. When selling armor in
his shop (using Bargain), his Bargain skill would have
1/5 his Craft/Armory skill added to it, or 41% + 95%/5 =
60% Bargain. If however, he was asked to take over a
friend's fruit stand for a little while, Achmed would use
only his Bargain 41% skill (Achmed knows next to nothing
about fruit).
- AVAILABILITY OF SKILL TRAINING
- A number of skills are not commonly taught or are
considered socially unacceptable in a number of cultures.
These are skills in which training may be difficult or
impossible to find. They are listed as having 'Rare'
training availability in the skills list. Some possible
sources for training in these rare skills are:
Thieves - skills generally taught only by thieves and
Thief Cults: Shadow, Taste, Feel, Smell, Lip Read,
Scout(Urban), Search, Escape, Pick Locks, Pick Pockets,
Set Traps, Disarm Traps, Lock Lore, Conceal, Intimidate,
Mimic, Ventriloquism, Act, Climb, Acrobatics,
Interrogate, Fast Talk, Bribe, Dodge, Disguise Craft,
Balance, Jump, Bribe, Etiquette (Street), Speak Thieves'
Argot, Read/Write Thieves' Argot
Players - skills generally taught only by Players,
tricksters and their cults: Lip Reading, Conceal,
Sleight, Pick Pockets, Juggle, Mimic, Ventriloquism, Act,
Acrobatics, Breakfall, Dodge, Disguise Craft, Balance
Military - skills generally taught only in some military
units and cults: Battle, Some exotic weapons, both Attack
and Parry, Interrogation, Intimidate, Dodge, March,
Etiquette (Military), Fast Draw, Maneuver
Sages - skills generally taught by sages, alchemists and
Knowledge cults: Exotic languages, both Read/Write and
Speak, Devise, Alchemical Skills, Exotic Lores,
Etiquette, Administrate, Instruct
Craft - skills only taught by crafters, Craft guilds and
certain cults: Devise and exotic Craft skills. Unususal -
rare skills, often only taught only in specific cultures
or certain areas of the world, or only to certain people:
Exotic weapons, both Attack and Parry, Martial Arts,
Martial Throw, Martial Hold, Kick Attack and Parry,
Jumping Kick, Magic Skills, Sorcery, Spirit Combat,
Spirit Sense, Spirit Travel.
- AGILITY SKILLS:
- Breakfall (0%) Easy
- The skill of absorbing and redirecting the force of the
impact from a fall. A successful Breakfall roll will
reduce falling damage by 1d6, a special success reduces
falling damage by 2d6, and a critical success will halve
the amount of any excess damage inflicted. Any successful
Breakfall roll allows a character to specify the hit
locations to sustain any excess damage. A successful
Breakfall roll additionally allows a character to regain
a standing or kneeling position from a fall without
having to waste an extra action to stand or kneel.
- Dance (Culture) (5%) Easy
- The ability to make the right movements and gestures with
or without noise or music according to the accepted
standards of the dance. This skill is culturally
oriented, but defaults across almost all cultures. Some
cultural divisions - Hsunchen, Pelorian, Pentan, Praxian,
Teshnan, Theyalan, Vithelan, Western, Street, Troll, Elf
- Maneuver (25%) Hard
- This skill governs movement in melee situations. It is
normally studied by warriors, martial artists or
duelists. It covers the art of combat movement, engaging,
disengaging and closing. In any Move Phase where two or
more characters disagree about their state of engagement
or their fighting distance, they should each roll
Maneuver skill. If they achieve the same level of success
(that is, both fumble, both fail, both succeed, both
special or both critical), nothing changes. If one
character achieves a higher level of success than the
other (succeeds where the other fails, specials where the
other succeeds, etc.), he or she acts as if disengaged,
with the loser remaining engaged. For more details, see
Combat.
- March (5%) Easy
- The ability to move long distances on foot efficiently. A
successful March roll can decrease long term fatigue loss
from extended movement. Reduce Long term Fatigue by .5
per hour with a successful check.
- Run (5%) Easy
- The ability to move rapidly on foot. A character's
non-combat running rate is increased by half the Run
skill, expressed as a precentage. For example, a
character with 54% run skill would run at 126% their
normal non- combat running rate. Also the character can
make a Run roll to gain a positional advantage in a
race or they can make a Run roll every five melee rounds
to negate the Short term Fatigue for that round.
- Sail (0%) Medium
- The ability to handle a wind propelled craft. Boat is a
complementary skill.
- COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
- Bargain (Bribe, Fast Talk, Debate) (5%) Medium
- This is the skill of trade and barter. The skill can be
used to buy something for a lower price than is asked. To
use it, one must be in a position where bargaining is
reasonable; bargaining for the sacred axe of a Babeester
Gor temple guard is not feasible. The referee must first
set a firm price for the object based on the local market
value. Both characters check their level of success
(failure), and the price is adjusted by a cumulative +10%
for each success level of the seller (-10% for fumble)
and an opposite adjustment for the buyer. The person
selling the item will almost never take a loss, no matter
how well they are bargained with, and the buyer must make
the final decision whether he can afford to pay the
price. Do not allow repeated bargaining checks for the
same item with the same person: the price is the price.
- Courtesan (10%) Medium
- Courtesans are professionals, skilled in many forms of
entertainment, whose tools and media include human
bodies. This skill encompasses the myriad techniques of
sexual activity. It includes the fine points of verbal
enticement, coercive seduction, titillating
entertainment, tasteful foreplay, subtle manipulation,
erotic carnality, exuberant climax and satisfying
afterplay. Increased competency in the skill indicates
increased finesse. Several skills might be used to
modify the overall success.
- Etiquette [Culture] (0%) Easy
- Knowledge of the manners and acceptable behavior for a
specific culture. A skill level of at least 15% will
prevent grotesque social errors, a skill level of 31% or
greater indicates familiarity with that culture's social
customs (as per the language proficiency table). The
skills only default within very similar cultures. A
Praxian nomad might be able to use half his Etiquette
(Praxian) with a Pentan nomad, but his Etiquette
(Praxian) would be useless in the Pelorian Heartland.
Etiquette (Street) is also known as Streetwise, and is
the knowledge of urban low culture. Some cultural
divisions - Hsunchen, Pelorian, Pentan, Praxian, Teshnan,
Theyalan, Vithelan, Western, Street, Troll, Elf
- Sing (5%) Easy
- The ability to make one's voice carry a tune according to
the standards of rhythm, rhyme, pitch, harmony, etc., as
needed for the song.
- KNOWLEDGE SKILLS:
- Administrate (5%) Medium
- The ability to coordinate the many different facets
needed to run an organization in a businesslike manner.
The level of skill will reflect the general efficiency of
a leader that runs an organization larger than a warband.
- Battle (5%) Easy
- The skill of knowing what to do in a battlefield
situation. It defines the savvy and behavior of the
character during a fighting period that involves many
people. Individual prowess and morale are lost in mass
action, and even the boldest Rune Lord who has never been
in a mass action may fail to recognize these signs and
take the proper actions. The appalling truth of these
fights is that one is likely to die through no fault of
their own. Battle skill may be trained or researched only
to a limit of 50%. Anything past that is gained only
through experience.
- A character's Battle is modified by 1/10 of their best
Attack, Parry and Maneuver. Most battles will have
special modifiers added or subtracted from the Battle
skill reflecting conditions of particular favor or
disfavor to either side: +/- 1 to 20, such as
bonuses for fortifications or good tactics and penalties
for being outnumbered or caught in the open. Most battles
will have a modifier subtracted from both sides due to
potential lethality. When mass engagements occur that the
character is involved in, roll 1d100 and compare the
result to the character's Battle skill.
Success Level |
Battle Actions |
Combat Skill Checks |
POW Check |
Other Results |
Critical |
Fought heroically |
Eight |
Yes |
Automatic Battle gain |
Special |
Fought very well |
Six |
Yes |
Battle check |
Success |
Fought competently |
Four |
Yes |
Battle check |
Failure |
Wounded, withdrew |
Two |
No |
Battle check |
Special Failure |
Wounded, ran away |
One |
No |
Lost best weapon and heaviest armor piece |
Fumble |
Killed in action |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
- Before the battle, each player should set aside magic
points specifically for healing. Any wounded result can
be neutralized if 10 MP are set aside for the purpose.
Note: most soldiers can do this once, but only
experienced characters can save 20 or more MP that are
not used for other battle magic.
- Next you must check for the aftermath. Roll again
with the same modifier, keeping the combat skill checks
from the better result. Anyone with two wounded
results was killed, 20% of the wounded who ran escaped
before the aftermath, and 20% of the other wounded were
captured.
- Ransoming important or influential people may be common,
especially in raids, but in war, prisoners are exchanged
or killed. Depending on the situation and the cults he or
she belonged to, a slain character might be able to use
Divine Intervention to survive, or might be Resurrected
after the battle. To get a feel for the application of
modifiers the following example is provided for 100
average soldiers with a 50% in Battle, Attack, Parry and
Maneuver skills and the modifiers listed below:
Modifier |
Battle killed |
Battle wounded |
Wounded killed |
New killed, wounded |
Total killed |
Total wounded |
-20% |
3 |
8 + 44 |
24 |
1 + 24 |
28 |
52 |
-10% |
2 |
7 + 36 |
16 |
1 + 24 |
19 |
51 |
+0% |
2 |
5 + 28 |
10 |
1 + 22 |
13 |
45 |
+10% |
1 |
4 + 20 |
5 |
1 + 18 |
7 |
37 |
+20% |
1 |
2 +12 |
2 |
1 + 12 |
4 |
24 |
- For example, the Building Wall battle was a major Lunar
defeat and a major Pharonic victory. All average soldiers
on the Lunar side of the battle would have a -20% to
their Battle skills due to poor tactics and inadequate
numbers, resulting in a 28% chance of death for
the Lunar side and an additional 9% captured. All
characters on the Pharonic side have a +10% to their
Battle skills for good fortifications, resulting in a 7%
chance for death with about 7% captured. Modify the
chance for captives to fit the situation, since most
captives are taken during the rout.
- Leader characters with excellent battle skills will have
better chances than the +20% row above and peasant
conscripts will be at least as bad as the -20% row. It is
possible for the modifiers to change during the aftermath
because the situation has changed. A long day of
battle might have several engagements and withdrawals by
good leaders changing their force mix to attempt to
modify the total damage to their force.
- Craft [Various] (0-10%) Easy, Medium or Hard
- Various craft skills, some unrelated, some related. Some
examples:
Easy - Basketweaving (5%), Baking (5%), Butchery (10%),
Cooking (10%), Candlemaking (5%), Map Making (10%),
Prepare Corpse (10%)
Medium - Armorer (5%), Bowyer (5%), Fletcher (5%)
Hard - Artificer (5%), Disguise (5%), Blade Venom (0%),
Acid (0%), Blade Venom Antidote (0%)
- Instruct (5%) Medium
- The skill of teaching. For a training session in a skill
to succeed, the teacher must roll under his or her
Instruct skill. If the Instruct roll fails, the training
session counts as a research session. A fumbled Instruct
roll results in the loss of 1d6% from the training
session. A special Instruct roll results in a gain of at
least 3% (reroll results below 3%) from the training
session, and a critical Instruct roll results in a gain
of 6% from the training session. A teacher may not teach
someone in a skill past their level in the skill, their
level of Instruct skill notwithstanding.
Successful training above 75% in most skills counts as
research, successful training above 100% in knowledge
skill that cannot be raised by experience counts as
research, with failed training sessions yielding no
results. A single instructor can typically train up to
32 students at a time in a skill up to 25%, 16 students
at a time up to 50%, 8 students at a time up to 75%, and
4 students at a time over 75%.
- Intrigue (Act, Bribe, Converse, Interrogate) (5%) Hard
- The ability to gather sensitive information by indirect
means, and apply such information to its best advantage.
The skill is of great use to social climbers or those
that are active in almost any form of politics.
- Lore [Various] (0-5%) Easy, Medium and Hard
- Various knowledge and lore skills, some unrelated, some
related. Generally, the more a lore encompasses, the more
difficult the skill. Some examples:
Easy - Cult Lore (0%), Lock Lore (0%)
Medium - Sartar Lore (0%, 10% if Sartar native), Spirit
Lore (5%)
Hard - Glorantha Lore (Age%)
- Martial Arts (0%) Hard
-
-
- This skill makes the best use of natural weapons.
It is a discipline of the mind that allows a
character to double the damage or effect of a
natural weapon. A special or critical roll
will double the damage bonus also (otherwise, no
effect).
-
- Using Martial Arts, an adventurer's player must
roll a successful attack or parry with a natural
weapon. If the percentile roll is also equal to
or under the adventurer's Martial Arts skill,
then the adventurer gets the benefit of two
damage rolls for the natural weapon or unarmed
combat skill (i.e., Fist, Kick, Jumping Kick,
Grapple or Martial Hold damage attempt, etc.).
-
- Martial Arts also affects an adventurer's natural
weapons parry. A successful fist, kick or grapple
parry roll that is also less than or equal to the
Martial Arts percentage blocks 6 points of damage
and the defender may take excess damage at that
location or at the rolled hit location, at the
defender's option.
-
- A Grapple attack that is also less than or equal
to the Martial Arts percentage that is parried by
an opponent's weapon or shield may grasp the
opponent's weapon or shield arm instead of the
weapon or shield.
-
- A Grapple or Martial Hold immobilization attempt
that rolls equal to or less than the Martial Arts
percentage has a double chance of success.
-
- A Grapple throw or Martial Throw attempt that is
also equal to or less than the Martial Arts
percentage will have a double chance of success
or do double damage, at the thrower's option.
-
- A Grapple or Martial Hold damage attempt that is
also under the Martial Arts percentage will do
double damage.
- Memorize (5%) Medium
- The ability to remember something exactly by rote, even
if incomprehensible. The skill can be used to substitute
for an INT roll whenever trying to remember something one
has seen or heard. The skill is often studied by heralds,
messengers, lawspeakers, etc.
- Survival (Terrain) (5%) Easy
- The ability to find food, water and shelter in varying
types of terrain. Survival (Urban) is a skill known by
beggars or the homeless. Terrain types - Desert/Plains,
Woods/Jungle, Marsh, Mountain, Broken, Rough, Arctic,
Urban
- Treat Disease (5%) Medium
- Successful use of this skill doubles a victim's chance of
success at his or her next disease recovery CON roll. A
critical success triples the next chance of success, a
fumble halves the next chance of success. Victims of
acute, terminal or serious diseases must be tended to
constantly to get this bonus. Victims of mild diseases
need only be tended for one day per week.
- Treat Poison (5%) Medium
- Successful use of this skill purges the victim of 2d6 POT
of poison, a special roll purges 4d6 POT, a critical
success purges all of the poison. A fumble halves the
victim's chance of resisting the poison. The skill
attempt must be begun before damage has been taken. A
skill roll can be attempted only once per poisoning.
- MANIPULATION SKILLS:
- Drive [Various] (5%) Easy
- The ability to drive a vehicle. Some driving skills are
related, and would share defaults, others are not.
Typical vehicles include chariots, oxcarts, and wagons.
- Fast Draw [Weapon] (0%) Easy
- The skill of drawing a weapon and attacking or parrying
with it in one motion. It can also be studied for missile
weapons, allowing one to draw a missile, load and fire in
one motion. The skill must be studied separately for
different weapon categories, which on occasion can
overlap somewhat (half skill), but generally do not. On a
successful Fast Draw skill roll, a character can draw a
melee weapon and attack or parry with it at its normal SR
in a single melee action. If used with a missile weapon,
on a successful roll the character can draw, load and
fire a missile in one action, adding 3 SR to the normal
SR of the missile weapon (it still requires DEX SR to
fire). If the roll is failed, only the regular Draw
Weapon melee action takes place, no attack or parry can
be combined with it. A fumbled roll drops the weapon 0-3
meters (1d4-1) away in a random direction. A critical
success with a melee weapon adds +20% to the attack or
parry with the weapon (the opponent is surprised). A
critical success with a missile weapon allows the
character to draw, load and fire the missile weapon at
DEX SR.
- Set Traps (Disarm Trap) (5%) Easy
- The ability to set simple traps, be they snares,
deadfalls, pitfalls or tripwires. More complex traps
would also require use of the Devise and/or Artificer
Craft skills. This skill is complementary to perception
skills used for the purposes of detecting traps.
- PERCEPTION SKILLS:
- Scout (Terrain) (30%) Easy
- The ability to cross, view and analyze terrain. Base
Scout skill is based on one's native terrain, defaulting
to other terrains at half that value. Mounted nomads will
typically have Scout (Plains) skill, city-bred thieves
will have Scout (Urban) skill, etc. A successful Scout
roll indicates that the character managed to move about
the terrain in an efficient manner and can find the
easiest pathways, good hiding places, water holes, or
other appropriate local landmarks. In a city, a
successful Scout (Urban) roll will tell where the good
and bad parts of town are, where the markets are, and
most important public places. Terrain types -
Desert/Plains, Woods/Jungle, Marsh, Mountain, Broken,
Rough, Arctic, Urban
- Spirit Sense (25%) Hard
- The ability to sense discorporate spirits, with or
without the use of magic. Training in Spirit Sense is
normally only available to Assistant Shamans, Shamans or
members of certain cults. See Magic Book for details.
- STEALTH SKILLS:
- Shadow (Hide) (5%) Medium
- The art of secretly following someone around in a town or
city. It should not be used in an unpopulated setting,
Hide skill should be used instead. A success with this
skill means that the character has managed to follow his
or her target unnoticed. A failure means that the
target has a chance to match Scan or Listen against the
failed Shadow roll to realized that they are being
followed, and if they are in any way alert, a successful
Search roll will identify the follower. A fumbled roll
immediately alerts the target that they are being
followed. Depending on the alertness of the target,
another Shadow roll should be made after the initial roll
as frequently as once a turn, or as infrequently as once
an hour (or less). If the target is actively watching for
a shadow, they can make a Scan roll every turn to
identify the follower, but if the follower succeeded in
their Shadow roll, match twice the followers Shadow
success against the target's Scan. If the Scan roll wins,
the target suspects they are being followed, but is not
able to specifically identify the follower(s).
- ATTACK SKILLS:
- Jumping Kick (0%) Medium
- This form of natural weapon attack does 1d8 damage and
double the normal amount of knockback, but counts as two
actions (i.e., no defenses are allowed when this attack
is used). This can represent another form of all out
attack, in which case another descriptive name should be
used.
- Martial Hold (0%) Hard
- May be used immediately after a successful Grapple attack
to inflict damage or immobilize an opponent. Acts as a
normal immobilization or does 1d4 damage plus damage
bonus, ignoring any articulated armor (i.e., most armor
does not count). Protective spells will count at half.
May be used as a come-along hold, inflicting pain, but no
actual damage unless the opponent attempts to break free.
- Martial Throw (0%) Hard
- A Martial Throw may be attempted immediately after a
successful Grapple attack (in the same melee round),
throwing at normal chance of success and damage.
Page 74:
SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE: Replace Speak Own Language (30) with Speak
Own Language (INTx4) Remove the first three sentences of the
first paragraph.
Page 74:
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TABLE Replace second sentence of third
paragraph (31-50) with: One can speak as well or better than a
stupid native, and get most ideas across.
NEW SKILLS If gamemasters and players feel a need for
additional skills, they should by all means define them, though
one should be careful not to go too far introducing new skills,
as this adds unnecessary complexity to the game. The current
skill list, as well as some common sense and reality checking,
should be used to create and categorize new skills, both in terms
of category and level of difficulty.
Some very rare and exotic skills or sorcery spells could be
Very Hard skills receiving only 1d3-1 for training or research.
Some new skills might best be described as composite skills,
skills that subsume one or more other skills.
An example might be a Donandar cultist that wishes to study a
skill that lets him jump, fall and roll around, but lacks the
sophistication of Acrobatics. After some discussion between the
gamemaster and the player, they decide that this skill would
basically consist of Jump and Breakfall, with no significant
additional benefits. The skill could be called Tumble, and would
be a Medium difficulty skill (it is a composite of two Easy
skills). The gamemaster would have to determine training and
availability, but players and thieves would be two logical
sources of training for such a skill. Of course, the character
could always attempt to research such a skill on his or her own,
a long, and in this case possibly painful process.
SKILL DECAY Skills naturally atrophy over time. For game
purposes, subtract 1% from all skills each year (ie: at Sacred
Time) until they reach the starting base value with any cultural
modifiers. If the skill is being used and developed regularly it
will easily overcome this minor setback, otherwise it is not a
skill that is important to the character.
Page 81:
WASTING DISEASE, replace with: Wasting Disease: Muscles
atrophy. Affects STR. When a character's STR reaches 0, he or she
cannot move.
Page 81:
DISEASE, Add: Milder diseases exist, typically causing
temporary loss of characteristic points or the loss of long term
fatigue. Some examples: Fever: Each degree of illness causes a
corresponding loss in levels of long term fatigue. An
Incapacitated character is bedridden. Runs: Causes temporary loss
of STR, which is recovered once the character recovers. A
character whose STR reaches 0 is bedridden.
Page 82:
AGING AND INACTION, correction: Characters will only die if
their CON is reduced to zero. See Disease for the effect of
reducing other characteristics to zero.
Page 83:
MOVEMENT, replace with: A character trying to move in a wind
with strength greater than the character's STR + SIZ will have
some difficulty. If the character tries a complex maneuver or
tries to move quickly, a DEX roll, typically DEX x 5, is required
for the character to remain standing. A wind with strength
greater than twice the characters STR + SIZ can knock characters
down or possibly carry them away. A failed DEX x 3 roll will
result in the character being knocked down, or possibly carried
away.
Page 83:
WIND MEASUREMENT TABLE, correction: Remove comments following
Light, Moderate, or Strong Wind and Fresh Gale.
RQIV MAGIC BOOK
Page 7:
THE PLANES, add:
The Spirit Plane: The spirit world is contiguous with
every point of the mundane world, but is normally invisible to
the mundane world, and vice versa. Some spells and abilities
allow spirits and embodied creatures to look across the boundary.
The view is much like looking at something under murky water -
hard to see and harder to locate. When the spirit plane is looked
upon by a magic spell that lets one view it, such as Second
Sight, or by the innate Second Sight ability of a shaman or
another with a special relation with the spirit world, it appears
as an additional layer on reality, a dreamlike place where forms
come and go. A discorporate spirit sees the spirit world more
clearly, but still needs to peer about to find other spirits.
A discorporate spirit that becomes Visible "- sticks its
head out of the water," to use a shaman's figure of speech.
It can see the mundane world better, but cannot see the spirit
world as well. A man on the mundane world looks out onto a meadow
with an old tree that is said to be haunted. He can see a meadow
with a tree. If he looked out onto the same meadow with Second
Sight, he would not only see the meadow and the tree, but also
the spirits of the grass and the spirit of the tree. He could
also see into the spirit plane, and might be able to see the
ghost that haunts the tree. The ghost is a native of the spirit
plane, though it likely was once a creature of the mundane world.
It can normally only see and interact with the disembodied
spirits native to the spirit world. Unless the ghost uses its
innate power of Visibility or the spirit magic of Second Sight,
it cannot see the man or his world. If it uses these abilities,
it can now see onto the mundane world much as a man with Second
Sight or a shaman can see onto its world. A discorporate shaman
is in the same situation as the ghost. Unless he uses his Second
Sight, he can no longer see the mundane world or the spirits of
the living, though he would see disembodied spirits such as
ghosts or spell spirits.
SPIRIT SENSE: Spirit Sense lets an embodied character
sense a spirit in the vicinity. It also lets a disembodied
character sense an embodied or disembodied spirit. More powerful
spirits are easier to see, so add the POW of the spirit to be
spotted to the character's Spirit Sense skill. A fetch is visible
on the spirit plane like any disembodied spirit. Spirit Sense can
work with one's normal senses, but it helps to have a magical
perception spell (Second Sight, Soul Sight, or Mystic Vision) or
a shaman's Second Sight ability. An embodied character cannot use
this skill to Sense another embodied spirit, such as another
living creature or a bound spirit. An embodied creature cannot
Sense through an opaque barrier. Spirit Sense is a Hard
Perception skill with a base of 25%, which can go up by
experience. Training in Spirit Sense is normally only available
to Assistant Shamans, Shamans or members of certain cults.
Shamans have no maximum in this perception skill.
Embodied Characters Looking for Visible Spirits: If a
spirit is Visible but out of spell range, or the character lacks
a magical perception spell, the character sees the spirit on a
success with Scan. If a Visible spirit comes within a character's
POW x 5 in meters, he or she can sense the presence of the spirit
with a successful Spirit Sense roll. Within the character's POW
in meters, he or she senses the presence of a Visible spirit
without a roll. If a spirit is Visible and within spell range, a
character with a magical perception spell sees it without a roll.
Embodied Characters Looking for Non-Visible Spirits: An
embodied character without a magical perception spell can Sense a
non-visible spirit within his or her POW in meters only on a
special success in Spirit Sense, which will tell the character
that there is a spirit nearby, but not know where or what kind. A
critical success will tell the character the exact location of
the spirit. An embodied character with a magical perception spell
can Sense a non-visible spirit within spell range on a successful
Spirit Sense roll.
Disembodied Spirits Looking for Embodied Creatures: A
disembodied, non-visible spirit without a magical perception
spell or ability can only Sense an embodied creature if it passes
within its POW in meters, and then only on a special success in
Spirit Sense. If a disembodied spirit uses Visibility, it can
sense embodied spirits within its POW x 5 in meters with a
successful Spirit Sense roll, and will sense embodied spirits
within its POW x 1 in meters automatically. A Visible spirit
cannot Sense through an opaque barrier. If a disembodied spirit
has a magical perception spell or ability, it can sense embodied
creatures within spell range on a successful Spirit Sense roll.
Disembodied Spirits on the Spirit Plane: A non-visible
spirit can Sense another non-visible spirit automatically at a
range of the larger spirit's POW x 5 in meters. It can Sense
another spirit at a range of its own POW x 10 in meters on a
successful Spirit Sense roll. A Visible spirit can Sense another
spirit (visible or non-visible) without a roll at a range of its
POW in meters. It can Sense another spirit at a range of the
larger spirit's POW x 5 in meters on a successful Spirit Sense
roll. Roll once for each spirit at the beginning of each melee
round.
Miscellaneous Rules: If a disembodied spirit is trying
to sense a shaman, add one to its level of success. (A failure =
a success, a success = a special, a special = a critical, a
critical = a critical and the spirit gets a free attack on the
shaman unless the shaman is aware of it.) The shamans fetch makes
him or her fairly obvious to spirits. A critical lets the
character know the spirit's type without making another roll.
A fumbled spirit detection means that the character thinks
that no spirit is there. In spirit combat, a creature can use
Spirit Sense at 1/2 skill without using an action. It can use it
at full skill if the creature uses a Miscellaneous Action.
A character can try to avoid being Sensed in several ways.
Running away is helpful. If the character can get out of the
spirit's Sense range, he or she is safe unless the spirit
blunders upon the character again. Subtract a running character's
movement rate in meters from the spirit's Sense skill. (Treat the
skill as 100%, or the actual skill if higher, if the character
runs away from a Visible spirit that began the melee round less
than its POW in meters from the creature.) Spirits have a hard
time sensing the mundane plane. Moving confuses them. Some things
drive spirits away: see below under Spirit Lore.
SPIRIT SCOUTS: A Visible, intelligent spirit can navigate on
the mundane plane with an INT x 4 roll. If the spirit is
unfamiliar with the area, there is a 25% penalty. If there are no
landmarks to follow, as in the desert, there is a 25% penalty.
Either or both penalties can apply, and the GM may assign other
bonuses or penalties. If the spirit misses a roll, it goes off
course. It can recognize this on an INT x 5 roll. If it does see
that it is off course, it can right itself with a successful INT
x 4 roll, modified as above. It loses 1D6 times 5 minutes in
doing so. If it misses either roll, it is lost and never reaches
its goal. A spirit scout can try to avoid a guardian spirit that
it Senses. However, if it crosses a magical barrier, it will
alert someone. Common magical barriers are the Glowline, the
border of the Mad Sultanate, city walls, and Warding/Market
boundaries.
SPIRIT LORE: Spirit Lore collects all kinds of knowledge about
spirits. Its major uses are identifying spirits and knowing how
to avoid or drive away spirits. Shamans can use it to remember
what will Appease or Banish a kind of spirit. "Kind of
spirit" means not only the Creatures Book label, but also
the spirit's kindred, runes, and background. There are ghosts of
trolls and plant rune healing spirits. Nymphs are linked not only
to elements, but also to geography and history. Spirit Lore is a
Medium difficulty Knowledge skill with a base of 5%, and cannot
go up by experience.
Identifying Spirits: Characters are not born knowing the
contents of the Creatures Book. Before describing a spirit to
experienced players, the GM should require a Spirit Lore roll.
The GM should only let those who succeeded know what the spirit
looks like. There are bonuses for well-known spirits: Ghost +25,
Pain Spirit +10, Madness Spirit +5, Fear Spirit +10, Wraith +10.
Characters can also identify things like chonchons, elementals,
and nymphs with a successful roll. Bonuses for those things are
+25 or higher. A critical roll gives the character more
information. If the character has a magical perception spell, he
or she learns the size of an important statistic of the spirit.
Examples include SIZ (in cubic meters, accurately) for
elementals, CON (within a 5 point range) for wraiths, and INT
(within a 5 point range) for hellions or chonchons. If the person
lacks a magical perception spell, then he or she learns the MP of
the spirit within the ranges normally provided by Second Sight. A
fumbled roll gives the person wrong information. The GM gives the
player credible but wrong information. Examples include mistaking
a wraith for a ghost, or a spirit as some other type of spirit.
Some spirits are almost unmistakable, such as manifested
Elementals. A sylph could be mistaken for a Whirlvish, or vice
versa, or a viewer might not know the tell-tale appearance of a
Chonchon. However, once a person sees these types of being a few
times, he or she will always recognize them. Also, if a character
knows what a gnome looks like, he or she can tell whether a gap
opening in the earth is or is not a gnome.
Driving Away Spirits: Some spirits hate noise and strong
smells. Light or fire tend to drive spirits of darkness away,
etc.... Many people carry charms to ward off spirits, or do other
magical acts to avoid them. A hunter, alone in the woods, knows
how to avoid offending common spirits. Many of these things are
of doubtful power. Some might have a limited effectiveness,
perhaps adding +1% to +5% to the possessor's Spirit Combat skill,
though oddly enough not all of these detect as magical.
Nevertheless, the God Learners proved that some things do drive
away spirits or make them less likely to attack a person. A
Lightwall (or sunlight) can drive away a spirit of darkness.
Truestone can drive away a spirit of chaos. The death rune can
drive off ghoul spirits, wraiths, and healing spirits. Many of
these things will not be available to the adventurer. There are
two ways to run Spirit Lore for this purpose. If the player has
no ideas, the GM can allow a roll at a proper penalty to see if
the character thinks of anything. If the player does have an idea
(and the materials it requires), the GM can allow a roll, perhaps
with a bonus for cleverness. Planning ahead deserves a bonus of
+5 to +50. The GM may let the characters ask for advice from a
Spirit Lore master. Sometimes, even the cleverest ideas fail. An
idea for driving off an attacking spirit has a chance of success
in the 20 to 80% range. An idea for keeping a spirit away has a
chance of success in the 40 to 110% range. Subtract the MP of the
spirit from the chances of success. The adjusted chance of
success is never more than three times the character's Spirit
Lore skill, even for the best ideas. One must understand what one
is doing.
Page 8:
Spirit combat is the struggling of two (or more) wills. Each
seeks to force its will on the other. Each tries to grind the
other down to the point where it can no longer resist.
Individuals in spirit combat lose MP, sometimes at a frightful
rate. A losing party may try to escape, or to frighten the
attacking spirit in some way. More than one spirit can attack a
person, but only one person can fight a spirit. In spirit combat,
each option takes one combat action.
Spirit combat attacks take place at the combatant's DEX strike
rank. Spirits without DEX attack in SR 1, before all other
attacks but after movement. Spirit combat defense takes 1 SR just
as parry or dodge does. If more than one attack occurs on the
same DEX SR, resolve them in order from the highest Spirit Combat
skill to the lowest. If this does not resolve the tie, resolve
the options at the same time.
Spirit Combat is a Hard Magic skill, with a base of 25%, and
can increase through experience. Where POW and Magic Points
represent a character's life force and raw spiritual strength,
skill in spirit combat represents a character's ability to focus
their will and strength as they struggle againt a spirit.
Training in Spirit Combat is normally only available to Assistant
Shamans, Shamans or members of certain cults, and consists of
meditative and focusing excercises, as well as exposure to
spirits.
The common combat options in spirit combat are: Attack,
Defend, All-out Attack, and All-out Defense. Under some
circumstances, using Spirit Sense may take an action. See Spirit
Sense, below. There are uncommon combat options as well, known
only to some shamans and assistant shamans. The least uncommon
options are Appease, Banish, and Intercept. Nearly all fetches
learn Intercept. Appease is fairly common, and Banish less so.
There are deeper and more terrible secrets, but they are limited
to extremely obscure and restricted cults and are outside of the
scope of normal play.
ATTACK: The character makes a Spirit Combat roll. An Attack
affects one target only, and takes a single melee action to
perform. Critical: Maximum damage plus rolled damage. Special:
The attack automatically does maximum damage. Success: Roll
damage normally. Failure: No effect. Fumble: One opponent's
attempt to Appease, Banish, or use Spirit Sense succeeds without
a roll. The opponent should roll anyway, if he or she has not
already done so. However, treat a failure or fumble as a success.
If there is more than one opponent, pick the one that has the
highest MP.
ALL-OUT ATTACK: An all-out attack requires the use of two
combat actions (normally all that a character gets). The
character makes a Spirit Combat roll. An All-out Attack affects
one target only. Critical: Damage is two times the maximum for
the character's MP. On a successful MP vs. MP roll, the character
may bind or possess (or do whatever it does to defenseless
targets) the target. Special: Roll damage and add it to the
maximum damage for the character's MP. Success: Damage is
automatically the maximum for the character's MP. Failure: Roll
again: on any successful roll, does normal damage. There is no
extra effect for a critical, special, or fumble on the second
roll. Fumble: All opponents' attempts to Appease, Banish, or use
Spirit Sense succeed without a roll. The opponent should roll
anyway, if he or she has not already done so. However, treat a
failure or fumble as a success. In addition, any opponent who
made a normal success can try to bind or possess the fumbler.
DEFEND: The character makes a Spirit Combat roll. A Defend
works against all Attacks and attempts to Banish in one round,
and takes a single melee action to perform. Critical: No Attack
or Banishment succeeds. Special: Attack or Banishment is one
level of success lower. Success: Attack does one-half the normal
damage (roll and divide, round up). Double the defending spirit's
MP for purposes of Banishment. Failure: No effect. Fumble: All
opponents' attempts to Appease, Attack, Banish, or use Spirit
Sense succeed without a roll. The opponent should roll anyway, if
he or she has not already done so. However, treat a failure or
fumble as a success.
ALL-OUT DEFENSE: An all-out defense requires the use of two
combat actions (normally all that a character gets). The
character makes a Spirit Combat roll. An All-out Defense works
against all Attacks and attempts to Banish in one round.
Critical: No Attack or Banishment succeeds, and the Defender does
normal damage to all Attackers. (This damage can be affected by a
Defend option.) Special: No Attack or Banishment succeeds.
Success: Attack or Banishment is one level of success lower than
normal. Failure: Attack does one-half the normal damage (roll and
divide, round up). Double the defending spirit's MP for purposes
of Banishment. Fumble: No effect.
Damage: The damage done with a successful attack depends on
the being's MP at the time of the attack.
Current MP Damage Current MP Damage
01-10 1d3 51-60 2d6
11-20 1d4 61-70 2d6+2
21-30 1d6 71-80 3d6
31-40 1d8 81-90 3d6+2
41-50 1d10 etc. etc.