Skills

All Characters can do the following without a skill:

• Use a weapon of 18'' or less in length to call a single.

• Dual wield two weapons of 18" or less to call a single with each weapon, allowing you to circumvent the one-second rule by striking different locations.

• Talk common and one other language.

• Identify and track how much damage they have personally taken, and how much others have taken after a few seconds study.

• Identify when someone is on their Death Count, but not how far into it they are. 

• Can call Zero with any weapon, this deals no damage and does not have to be vocalised.

Combat Skills

Endurance Ranks

Endurance ranks represent the physical endurance of a character and the amount of damage that they can withstand before falling unconscious. It may also be used to determine how strong a character is and how successful they are at performing acts of strength such as lifting peers (see section on safe combat) etc.

Each rank represents one hit per location.

Endurance ranks can be purchased up to a character racial hit maximum. It is rare, but possible that a character may encounter something that will drain physical strength in such a way that they may lose one or maybe more endurance ranks. All characters start out with one (or two in the case of dwarves) endurance ranks and have the opportunity to purchase more at character generation and afterwards.

Weapons Skills

All basic weapons uses are ranked 1-4, each rank representing the aptitude of a character to use a certain weapon. They do not account for accuracy, style or success in combat merely damage that can be dealt. A character may wield only one weapon at a time, unless they possess the ability to use paired weapons.

Single-Handed Weapons

Between 18 and 42 inches

(swords, axes, maces)

Allows a character to wield a single-handed weapon to do the following damage at each rank:

1. Single

2. Double

3. Use a shield with either a single-handed weapon or dagger

4. Use a single-handed weapon in each hand or a combination of single handed weapon and a dagger, allowing you to circumvent the one-second rule by striking different locations. 

Players should note that nearly all weapons can be designated as either a sword, axe or mace. Players with unusual weapons should seek advice from the ref team as to the designation of that weapon and should be aware that an unusual weapon may require their own, separate weapons skill.

Double-Handed Weapons

Between 42 inches and 72 inches

(e.g. double-handed swords, axes and maces.)

Allows a character to wield a weapon so large that it must be wielded with both hands. These weapons cannot be successfully wielded with one hand. This does not allow a character to have an equivalent skill with a single handed weapon simply by taking one hand off it. A character may do the following damage at each rank:

1. single knockback

2. double knockback

3. double through knockback

4. Triple through knockback

As with single-handed weapons, players with unusual weapons should seek advice from the ref team as to the designation of that weapon. Players should be aware that some unusual weapons may require their own, separate, weapons skill.

Note: Any player wishing to use a double-handed weapon must see a marshall or ref for the relevant safety training before using this skill in game.

Knockback

All double-handed and polearm weapons do knockback, but only if the blow is roleplayed sufficiently to be heavy enough to cause the knockback effect. This is determined as a swing of at least a 180 degree arc. Also although Two-Handed weapons can do Knockback the damage call has to contain actual damage (you cannot do zero knockback).

Long Weapons

Staves and Spears and any weapon over 72 inches (and any weapons that are taller than the player) 

Allows a character to wield very large and ungainly weapons to do the following points of damage at each rank:

1. single knockback

2. single through knockback

3. double knockback

4. double through knockback

Note: any player wishing to use a long weapon must see a marshall or ref for the relevant safety training before using this skill in game. Long weapons are expensive and very difficult to use safely, both IC and OOC. Players may be refused this skill at Referee or Marshal discretion for safety reasons.

Knockback

All double-handed and polearm weapons do knockback, but only if the blow is roleplayed sufficiently to be heavy enough to cause the knockback effect. This is determined as a swing of at least a 180 degree arc. Also although Two-Handed weapons can do Knockback the damage call has to contain actual damage (you cannot do zero knockback).

Back Stab

Allows a character to perform a surprise attack on a target using a dagger. This skill allows a character to carefully target the back of a victim, to find a weakness in armour and hit vital organs in order to deal a potentially fatal blow. You can use this ability once every 15 minutes or once per combat and it must strike the target in the back.

A successfully performed attack inflicts the following damage at each rank

• 1. single through backstab

  2. double through backstab

  3. triple through backstab

  4. quad through backstab

Note: In spite of the name, players are reminded that they should not actually stab with weapons. An ordinary blow or slash is suitable.

Thrown Weapons

Allows a character to use hand thrown projectiles such as knives, rocks or hammers. On a successful hit these projectiles do double through to the struck location.

All throwing weapons must be specifically built for purpose and coreless.
A user must go through a specific thrown weapon safety briefing and training.
Weapons not built for this purpose may not be thrown under any circumstances.
Any thrown weapon that fits into an eye socket must only be thrown underarm or sidearm from a distance of no more than 15 feet.
A thrown weapon must be thrown only directly at the target, never over an intervening player.
All weapons must be checked by a Ref/Marshall prior to use, and before the first use of every academic year.

Bow/Crossbow Use

Allows a character to use a larp safe bow or crossbow and arrows to inflict crush impact. Purchasing this skill allows you to use both bows and crossbows.

Note: Regardless of character skill, players may not use either longbows or crossbows without first passing an Aberddu bow competency test.

Crush
Crush destroys an item or removes all points of armour on a location. If a location has no armour left, then the crush will take it to zero. A location on zero will go to negative endurance ranks.

Impact
If the blow lands on a shield it ignores the shield and instead deals damage to the location wielding the shield, acting as all other damage does (removing armour first and then hitting the location itself).

Wear Armour

Allows a character to correctly and effectively wear different types of armour without detriment to physical strength or flexibility. A character may wear any rank of armour as part of their kit, but will not gain any protection from it until they obtain this skill. A character may also chose to wear and utilise a rank of armour lower than the maximum they possess, and in this case they will only receive the protection granted by the rank of armour they are wearing, not the rank they possess. All armour must be convincingly phys-repped, and covers only the locations it is worn on. Any gaps or spaces in armour are assumed to be IC.

The following armour is suitable for the following ranks:

1. Soft leather or furs that provide one point of armour per location covered

2. Studded or plated leather, layered furs, or predominantly fur/leathermix mail that provide two points of armour per location covered

3. Ring mail, scale mail, predominantly metal covered mix mail that provide three points of armour per location covered

4. Chain or plate mail that provide four points of armour per location covered

note: The armour level of each individual piece of ‘mix mail’ is at the discretion of the referees. 

Armour
In order to effectively use armour a character must have the appropriate rank in armour skills and also be wearing a phys-rep suitable to that rank of armour (see above). Armour soaks an amount of physical and magical damage equal to its level before being destroyed (see below). Players are reminded that in order for a blow to be soaked by armour, it must actually land on their armour phys-rep. Body parts that are not covered by the phys rep are not protected, regardless of how much of the rest of the location is covered. Armour only stacks with armour of a different type, for example 2 ranks of Magical Armour will stack with 2 ranks of Physical Armour, but if you gained 3 more ranks of magic it would override your 2 ranks.

Soaking Damage
Each rank of armour will soak a single damage call, with the exception of  ‘crush’ and special calls. One rank of armour will protect you from a single as well as it will from a quad enchanted. Armour is locational, and therefore only the armour on the location hit by the weapon will take damage from it. For the purposes of magical damage, if a location has armour on it then it is considered that magic will hit the armoured part of that location. 

Repair Armour

Allows a character to repair physical armour. It takes 30 seconds of appropriate roleplay to fix one rank of armour on every location that has it. If the person repairing armour is interrupted by combat the timer resets on only the rank of armour they were currently repairing.

Primary class warriors and Rogues gain this skill free when they buy wear armour.

Lores and Knowledges

Lores and knowledges represent a character’s learning in certain areas. Possessing a rank in one of these skills means that a character has made an effort to acquire knowledge that can be practically applied. This section covers a wide variety of skills, the majority of which are not instantaneous and require time to apply, for example track lore does not tell you immediately which way to go, but grants you the skills to examine the terrain, find evidence and make a decision. The majority of these skills have an element of ref discretion, and it will always be to a character’s advantage to roleplay use of these skills thoroughly, including providing relevant phys-reps

Bind Wounds

Allows a character to treat a wound using simple bandages, to aid the body’s own healing process. As the bandages are neither magical or herbal, this skill can be used to heal any character race including sebythe and alians.

However, a location may only be healed by this method once in a 24 hour period. Characters who use this skill must phys-rep bandages or similar dressings. To successfully bind a location and heal it the location must be wrapped by a Bandage and secured with a knot, if the location is the Core then the bandage must go at least once around the torso or twice around the head, if it is a limb then the bandage must be wrapped twice around the location, additional role-play is encouraged. If person being bandaged receives damage during the bandaging process, you must restart the process as they have sustained more damage.

1. You can call Stabilise on a target on their Death Count, as long as you are touching the target their Death Count is paused, this can only be done if the target has not already been stabilised in that Death Count. After 30 seconds you can call Diagnose on the same target to identify any poisons, diseases or bodily ailments on the target. When you Stabilise a target you must begin a Stabilise Count, if this exceeds 300 seconds then the target loses an endurance rank that can only be recovered through spending xp to re-buy it.

2. You can bind a location with bandages to heal the location by half it's maximum hits.

3. You can bind a location with bandages to heal the location to it's maximum hits.

4. You can fix a location that has been severed.

Herb Lore 

Allows a character to identify and collect herbs and plants, predominantly for the production of healing potions. Herb lore allows the making of three basic types of potion:

All Heal potions provide points of herbal healing to all body locations and take a few seconds to take effect. They bring all locations to full hits, unless a location has been severed.  

Antidotes neutralise poisons and toxins in the body and take a few seconds to produce a strong purgative effect.

Clotting should be drunk in advance to extend a character's death count by five minutes. they do this by clotting any bleeding wounds, this lasts until midnight. Two clotting potions cannot stack together, the greater effect is taken.

Ranks in this skill dictate the amount and type of potions that a herbalist can make, based on the level of their knowledge. You must chose the amount of specific potions you are making with your available slots prior to starting play.

All potions can be stored in solid or liquid form and must be phys-repped. The following strengths and types of potion can be produced at each rank:

1. You can start the session with 2 potions of your choice of:

   • All Heal potions (heal all locations to full hits unless severed)

   • Clotting potions (extend death count by 5 minute until midnight)

2. You can start the session with 4 potions.

3. You can start the session with 6 potions.

4. You can start the session with 8 potions and unlock the ability to make:

   • Antidotes (makes you immune to the next poison to affect you in the next 1 hour or negates a poison currently in your system)

Literacy

This skill represents the ability to speak, read and write. This skill has no ranks. At base a character will be fluent in the common tongue (represented by English) and, if they so choose, one other language. 

It can be bought multiple times for other languages. When speaking another language hold two fingers up in the air and start the phrase/speech with ‘in x……’ to allow other to know that you are not speaking common. The main languages are:

• Common (default)

• Elven - Spoken mainly in Aragon, Alreath, Alendria and the Elven Forest

• Dwarvish - Spoken mainly in Drokathen

• Arabian - Spoken mainly in Arabi 

• C'tuman - Spoken mainly in C'tuma 

• Nipponese - Spoken mainly in Nippon 

• Ratkin - Spoken everywhere 

• Paravallian - Spoken mainly in Paravel 

• Frisian - Spoken mainly in Frisia

• High Elven (dead language)

• Natchwerten (dead language) 

• Old Dwarvish (dead language) 

• K’chonese (dead Language) 

• Ancient Paravellian (dead language)

This list is not exhaustive. 

Magic Lore

Allows a character to identify the presence and class of magic in items, creatures, people and the surrounding area. Only magic held in an item or area or active as spells can be sensed, not the magical class of a character. It is not necessary to possess any magic classes in order to learn this skill.

Ranks in this skill dictate the level of accuracy and information that may be obtained by the character and the distance from which this must be done. The following can be determined at each rank:

1. A character can

   • Detect the presence of magic on an item, creature, place or person by touch

2. A character can

   • Detect the presence of magic on an item, creature, place or person at 30 feet

   • Determine the class of magic and the number of active spells on an item, creature, place or person by touch

3. A character can

   • Determine the class of magic and the number of spells on an item, creature, place or person at 30 feet

   • Determine the exact spells used on an item, or currently active on a creature, place or person and other magical properties after 30 seconds of study on touch.

4. A character can

   • Determine the class of magic and the number of spells on an item, creature, place or person at 30 feet

   • Determine the exact spells used on an item, or currently active on a creature, place or person and other magical properties after 30 seconds of study at 30 feet.

Poison Lore

Allows a character to make and identify poisons and also their antidotes. A character starts a session with a given amount of poison which are set by the amount of slots they have and their choice of poisons, typically more effective poisons take more slots. In addition you can chose to add modifiers to your poisons at the cost of additional slots. Poisons come in four main forms:

Ingested - Poison swallowed by target.

Blade Venoms - +1 slot- Applied to a blade before a blow, the venom acts almost instantly once the blow has been delivered. The venom does not last pass the first blow, and will rub off with time or if the weapon is replaced in a scabbard. 

Contact - +2 slots- Must be applied to bare flesh.

Gaseous - +3 slots- Will affect everyone within 10ft when opened, including the person who opened it. 

Characters with poison lore can make:

Antidotes- 1 slot - Makes you immune to the next poison to affect you in the next 1 hour or negates a poison currently in your system.

Sleep - 1 slot - Makes those affected who fail the save fall asleep for 15 minutes, can be roused awake in 2 minutes, will wake immediately upon taking damage.

Paralysis - 2 slots- Makes those affected who fail the save paralysed for 1 minute.

Fatal - 3 Slots - Makes those affected who fail the save drop to zero on all their locations. This poison must be cleared from the targets system before it can be healed.

At each rank you have the following slots:

1. You start the session with 3 slots

2. You start the session with 6 slots

3. You start the session with 9 slots

4. You start the session with 12 slots

All poisons should be phys-repped as should equipment for dealing with them, such as gloves or clothes. Accidents are not uncommon.

Scroll Lore: 

This skill allows a character to create scrolls in which spells can be stored for later use. A spell cast into a scroll keeps the spell points necessary for the level cast and are released upon such a time. As such, the caster loses those spell points until they are released by the scroll. A scroll costs a certain number of spell points cast by the maker these are regained at the magic rush, after they are made a spell can be placed into the scroll at any point by any spellcaster, these are not regained at magic rush. There are caveats on spells put into scrolls scrolls: Spells with variable effects must have the effect chosen and stated when placed on the scroll. A scroll lasts a week.

You can craft 4 scrolls a week. 

Tinkering

This skill allows a character to; open locks; operate simple mechanisms; and build and disarm traps at a rate determined by the refs. More complex mechanisms will take longer to deal with.

It also allows a character to create small, immediately deployable traps that they may keep on their person. The number and effect of these is based on the number of ranks a character has in this skill.

1. You start the session with 3 slots

2. You start the session with 6 slots

3. You start the session with 9 slots

4. You start the session with 12 slots

The four basic traps are:

Snare – 1 Slot – This causes the target to take a strikedown.
Light – 2 Slots – This causes the target to be blinded for 5 seconds.
Entangle – 3 Slots – This causes the target to be wrapped in bindings from which they must spend 10 seconds cutting themselves free.
Shatter Leg – 4 Slots – This causes the target leg to take a loc-zero, rendering it useless.

To use these traps a player must phys-rep them by writing the trap name on a piece of paper prior to the session. When utilising a trap the appropriate call is ‘By My Skill [trap effect]’ which should be announced while you rip the paper to signify its use. They must be used in near range. 

Characters are also encouraged to phys-rep any equipment they may think necessary to use this skill, e.g. reels of ‘trip wire’, thieves tools, lockpicks or similar.

Track Lore

This skill allows a character to perceive, identify, cover and follow tracks in different environments. It also gives them some knowledge of what dangers they might find in the area using appropriate roleplay. This skill comes in four ranks.

1. 1. A character can see, identify, cover and follow tracks. And a player may, once per adventure, ask the referee whether the next encounter is likely to involve combat. Answers come in four forms: Very Unlikely, Unlikely, Likely and Very Likely.

   2.  Adds a secondary use of the rank 1 skill per adventure.

   3.  A player may, at the beginning of an adventure, ask the referee to disclose approximately how many encounters they are likely to face on the adventure.

   4.  A player may, once per adventure, ask the referee what kind of enemy they are likely to be facing in the next encounter. Answers will be given in the form of generic monster types e.g fire elementals, lesser undead, bandits, etc.

If, for any reason, the ref is unable to answer these questions the use is not expended.

Trade

This skill gives the player a number of favours that they can cash in each session. It is understood that these favours have been granted by them working/doing favours/socialising or in some other way interacting with the world in the time between sessions. This can be flavoured however the player likes. This skill also encompasses the player’s knowledge of an item’s value and their ability to replicate documents and other things.

The number of favour points is determined by the player’s rank in the skill.

1. 1 favour points + the ability to know an item’s worth to within 10% of its value.

2. +2 favour points ( 3 total )

3.  +3 favour points ( 6 total ) + the ability to produce forged copies of written document, paintings, banknotes and furniture.

4.  +4 favour points ( 10 total )

Favours should be picked prior to the session from the table below. 

Unless otherwise specified, these favours last for one session only.