Mechanical Traps - Mechanical traps include pits, arrow traps, falling blocks, water-filled rooms, whirling blades, and anything else that depends on a mechanism to operate. They range in complexity from elaborate shifting walls to as simple as a rope snare. Various skills are used to design and construct mechanical traps. These skills include, but are not limited to, Engineering, Set Snares, and, a more focused skill especially for this purpose, Trap Making. It should be noted that engineers can often design elaborate traps, but they require the services of a carpenter, blacksmith, and/or stonemason to actually construct them.

Clever traps sometimes employ alchemical compounds, toxins, acids, or poisons. Simple mechanical traps, often called snares, do not require elaborate design or construction rolls and can be crafted and set in place by those possessing the Set Snares skill. Snares almost always use rope in their construction and are typically designed to snare animals. Few snare traps, if any, actually cause direct damage. Dungeons are frequently equipped with deadly mechanical (non-magical) traps. A trap is typically defined by its location and triggering conditions, how hard it is to spot before it goes off, how much damage it deals, and whether or not the heroes receive resistance rolls to mitigate its effects. Traps that attack with arrows, sweeping blades, and other types of weaponry make normal attack rolls, with a specific attack bonus dictated by the trap’s design.

Magical Traps – magic can also be used to create traps. Often, rituals are written specifically for this purpose. Sometimes, however, clever mages can ‘hang’ spells in an area or, with clever use of Probability, Time, and Primal Essence magical schools, allow them to go off under specific conditions. Direct damage magical traps almost always allow resistance rolls to mitigate damage. Magic used to propel, shift, or otherwise provide energy to move objects, projectiles, and/or apply vice-like pressure is typically a melding of magic and mechanical design. Magical traps can also be used to translocate, transform, and/or create deadly substances such as acid, poison, or toxins. This later group of traps typically falls under the ‘all-or-nothing’ category, where successful resistance rolls allow victims to resist their effects totally. Virtually, in all cases, magical traps involve the use of the Spellcraft skill (often to perform a ritual) to design, craft, and place. Although mechanical traps can be defeated by mundane means, few magical traps are so easily bypassed.

Psionic Traps – psionic traps require the use of specific devotions that anchor, power, and place conditions of psionic energy. The majority of psionic traps possess a duration before the psionic energy used to power the trap expires. Few, which have been properly insolated versus psionic energy loss, can remain for decades or even centuries. Most psionic traps are not flashy release of damaging energy, but rather designed to misguide, beguile, or warp mental faculties. Like magical traps, psionic traps can be linked or designed to work physical components. Psionic energy can be used to shift walls, move objects or levers, or fire projectiles. Such uses employ both psionic and mechanical trap making techniques. Psicraft, the operative skill in designing psionic traps, is often paired up with a host of other skills to devise this strange group of traps. Often, psionic traps use gems in their construction, both as psionic energy storage devices, and focus items for psionic energy discharges. Individuals skilled in Gem Lore may be able to identify such devices if they possess sufficient skill.

Fantasy Healing has always been an important part of the fantasy role-playing experience. In most game systems, the availability of healing and its versatility determines the success of the gaming system. Healing ability also determines how the players role-play their characters. In systems where healing is plentiful, players are more daring or blood trusty because they know that after a given fight, their characters will be patched up as good as new. In systems where healing is not as prolific, characters take a more careful approach to battle, often planning and using terrain to obtain the best advantages to minimize damage.  The focus of this section is to formalize the healing availability and functionality in the Point System Game in a standard magic world.

Mundane/Natural Healing: In most games, this type of healing is rarely used beyond the beginning stages, if used at all. Often referred to as Natural Healing, this area covers the natural regenerative ability of most humanoids and animals. It is perhaps the most common manner in which healing applies to the mass populace because it’s free and generally automatic. Natural healing requires rest and is the slowest form of healing available. As a standard rule, 8 hours of sleep/rest in non-hostile conditions allows a person to heal 1 hit point of damage per a 24-hour period. Typically, this type of healing cannot be accomplished in the field under a tent; rather, it can be done resting in a bed in a roadside inn. After seven days of rest, characters can also roll their constitution dice, adding the total rolled to the number of hit points gained.

Example: A warrior with a D10 constitution score that has suffered 15 hit points of damage in a fight manages to find an inn in which to rest and recover from his wounds. For the first 6 nights of rest, he recovers 1 hit point per day, and on the 7th night, he rolls a D10 and scores a 6, recovering six bonus hit points for a full week of rest. In three more days, he will be fully recovered. It should be noted that the warrior cannot engage in any physical labor during this time and must take time out to rest and recuperate obtaining adequate food and water in the process.

Healing Skill: A person skilled in the healing arts can be a great advantage in boosting the natural healing process. A skilled healer can double the number of hit points gained per day of rest in non-hostile situations. A healer can also allow individuals to heal at their normal 1 hit point per day of rest in the field under a tent. This, of course, requires active devotion by the healer to the wounded throughout the 8-hour rest/sleep cycle. Unless otherwise stated, a healer can treat one individual (doubled) for every dice rating (D4 = 1, D6 = 2, D8 = 4, D10 = 8, and D12 = 16) possessed simultaneously. This limitation can be further augmented by other leadership skills, some talents, and enhancements at the whim of the GM.

Herbalism Skill: A person skilled in herbalism can also aid healing. Though these individuals lack the knowledge a healer possesses, they have access to medicines derived from herbs. Depending on the herbs on hand, these individuals can often provide accelerated healing as a result. Herbs are often a welcomed addition to natural healing. As a standard rule, a person with the herbalism skill can add 1 hit point of healing through the application of herbs. These herbs are generic and not necessarily magical healing herbs. If, however, the herbalist possesses herbs that affect healing specifically, he may apply them directly and obtain these benefits within hours of its application. Combining healing skill with herbalism can offer a powerful healing ability without the use of powerful magical spells or psionic devotions.

Limitations to Mundane Healing: Unless otherwise stated, mundane healing leaves scars and oftentimes other undesirable effects upon a body. Although some herbs can reduce these unwanted effects, these herbs are rare and often not available in the quantities needed. A healer can set bones but cannot repair damaged ligaments or torn cartilage or restore missing tissue. Mundane healing is considered equal to a cure light wounds spell in its potency, though it often takes a week to achieve this level of curing. Mundane healing can stop bleeding, set broken bones, and often minimize internal bleeding to allow the body to cure itself. Beyond these areas, it has limited uses.

Herbalism can be substituted for modern pharmacology, but it takes time to find and process such herbs into suitable medicines. Though some very rare herbs can restore limbs and enhance a person’s body beyond the mundane, these herbs are considered legendary and nearly impossible to find. Though weak and minor diseases can be cured with mundane skills, more severe diseases require magical cures. Likewise, blindness, deafness, and similar ailments typically cannot heal with skill alone. Mundane healing cannot repair a limp, but it can minimize the pain associated with tired joints due to the limp. Mundane healing cannot cure a common cold, but it can minimize the symptoms to a manageable extent. Mundane healing cannot hasten the mending of bones, nor can it minimize concussions or trauma damage sustained in combat. Finally, neurological ailments are typically beyond the ability of mundane healing skill to cure.