====== Skills ====== ===== Performance Arts ===== Characters with NWPs in Musical Instruments, Dance, Singing, Acting and other performance arts can earn money from their talents. How much depends on the dice. Start by rolling an NWP check. If the roll is: * equal to or 1 to 4 less than the NWP score the performance was //**Routine**// and produced 1d10 cp. * A roll 5 less than the NWP means the performance was //**Enjoyable**// and the character earned 1d10 sp. * A roll 10 less than the NWP makes the performance //**Great**// and brings in 3d10 sp. * If the roll is 15 less the performance was //**Memorable**// and paid 1d6 gp. Only Bards are capable of //**Extraordinary**// performances, which yield 3d6 gp. === Rules for Bards === Bards employ similar rules with two important variations: - Since they are trained professionals, they are assumed to always be competent, even on a bad day. Therefore they have given an //**Enjoyable**// performance if they make their NWP roll. In the event they are using two or more skills, they must roll for all of them, and the HIGHEST (ie, worst) roll is used. (Haven't you ever listened to a good guitarist whose singing was so bad you had to walk away?) The benefit of using more than 1 NWP is that for every additional talent employed the amount earned increases by a factor of .5. A bard who sang, danced, played an instrument, and told jokes (assuming he had Singing, Dancing, Musical Instrument and Acting profs and made all his rolls) could expect to earn 2.5x as much as he could for a single skill. Make the roll(s) by 5 and the result is //**Great**//, by 10 and it's //**Memorable**//, by 15 and it's //**Extraordinary**//. - Additionally bards can roll Charisma. If the Charisma roll is 10 less than their Charisma score, then the reaction bonus is subtracted from the roll. For example, a bard with a Musical Instrument NWP of 16 and a Charisma of 16 rolled a 12 on his NWP check and a 3 on his Charisma check. The 12 is only 4 less than the NWP score, so his performance would have been merely Enjoyable, but his Charisma roll is 13 less than his Charisma score, so his +6 Reaction Adjustment applies, reducing his NWP roll from 12 to 6 and improving his Performance category to Memorable. For both Bards and amateurs a roll of 20 means they are booed off the stage. In some venues they might also be pelted with rotten fruit and vegetables. ===== Scouting ===== Any character with Alertness, Hunting, Survival, Tracking, Trailing, or Observation is assumed to have at least some scouting experience. Otherwise the character wouldn't have those proficiencies. Multiple NWPs from the above list reflect higher levels of expertise. Anyone playing the ranger class and those with the scout kit are automatically expert. Players lacking those qualifications, but who feel their history justifies scouting experience, are welcome/encouraged to rp the ability (die roll penalties may apply in practice). ===== Thief Skills ===== Thief skills have been modified to reflect the varied backgrounds of rogue characters. Discretionary points may only be put into areas justified by the character history and have been reduced, 50 at character creation and 25 per level thereafter, starting at 2nd level. To compensate for the reduction, thieves will earn an additional NWP every three, not every four, levels. Appropriate bonus NWPs and/or WPs may also be given at character creation to enhance individuality and role play. Here are the adjusted baselines. Racial benefits and hindrances do not apply. ^ Skill ^ Base Score ^ Ability Adjustment ^ Kit Adjustment ^ Armour Adjustment ^ Discretionary Points ^ Total ^ ^ Pick Pockets | 5% | (Dexterity) | | | | | ^ Open Locks | 5% | (Dexterity) | | | | | ^ Find/Remove Traps | 5% | (Perception) | | | | | ^ Move Silently | 10% | (Dexterity) | | | | | ^ Hide in Shadows | 10% | (Dexterity) | | | | | ^ Detect Noise | 15% | (Perception) | | | | | ^ Climb Walls | 40% | | | | | | ^ Read Languages | 0% | | | | | | Discretionary points can not be put into Read Languages until the character has the Reading/Writing NWP. ===== Climbing ===== Although thieves have specialized climbing abilities, all characters are able to climb to some degree or another. Climbing ability is divided into three categories: thief, mountaineer, and unskilled. * //Thieves// are the most skilled at climbing. They are the only characters who can climb very smooth, smooth, and rough surfaces without the use of ropes or other equipment. They are the fastest of all climbers and have the least chance of falling. * //Mountaineers// are characters with mountaineering proficiency or those the DM deems to possess this skill. They have a better climbing percentage than unskilled characters. Mountaineers with proper equipment can climb very smooth, smooth, and rough surfaces. They can assist unskilled characters in all types of climbs. * //Unskilled climbers// are the vast majority of characters. While they are able to scramble over rocks, they cannot use climbing equipment or negotiate very smooth, smooth, and rough surfaces. They have the lowest climbing success rate of all characters. (//Mountaineering:// A character with this proficiency can make difficult and dangerous climbs up steep slopes and cliffs with the aid of spikes, ropes, etc. If a character with mountaineering proficiency leads a party, placing the pitons (spikes) and guiding the others, all in the party can gain the benefit of his knowledge. A mountaineer can guide a party up a cliff face it could not otherwise climb. A character with this proficiency gains a 10% bonus per proficiency slot spent to his chance to climb any surface. Note that mountaineering is not the same as the thief's climbing ability, since the latter does not require aids of any sort. I interpret that to mean use of the prof //requires// the character to have climbing gear.) === Base Climbing Success Rates === Here is what the PHB says: * Thief with mountaineering proficiency: Climb walls % + 10% * Thief: Climb walls % * Mountaineering proficiency: 40% + 10% per proficiency slot * Unskilled climber: 40% I use the following modifier: Unskilled remains at the 40% success rate, but while book value for mountaineering proficiency gives 10% above that, I'm more generous. I still allow a 10% increase per proficiency slot, but with one slot devoted to the proficiency I give 3% for every point above 12, with two slots I allow 6%, (and so forth) so that someone with one slot in mountaineering at a value of 15 has a 59% chance; the same character with two slots (boosting his value to 16) would have an 84% chance. === Climbing Modifiers === The **//Climbing Modifiers//** I use are based on, but are not limited to, the following: * Abundant handholds (brush, trees, ledges): +40% * Rope and wall: +55% * Sloped inward (climbing up a rise that slopes upward at an obtuse angle to the plane): +25% * Sloped outward (climbing up a rise that slopes upward at an acute angle to the plane): -25% **//Surface Conditions//** * Slightly slippery (wet or crumbling): -25% * Slippery (icy, slimy): -40% **//While Wearing Armour//** * Plate armours (all types): -50% * Banded, splint: -25% * Scale, chain: -15% * Leather, padded, hide: -5% **//While Encumbered//** * Encumbrance: -5% per category level * Light: -5% * Moderate: -10% * Heavy: -15% * Severe: -20% Notice: Anyone carrying another character is Severely Encumbered **//While Injured//** * Climber wounded below 50% hp: -10% * Climber wounded below 60% hp: -15% * Climber wounded below 70%: -20 * Climber wounded below 80%: -25 * Climber wounded below 90%: the character is too weak and hurt to climb. All modifiers are cumulative. As an example, an unskilled climber (with a base climbing success rate of 40%) wearing chain mail (-15%) and moderately encumbered (-10%) trying to climb a damp, slightly crumbling (-25%) rise that slopes inward (+25%) would have a 15% chance of succeeding. === Rates of Climbing === Climbing is different from walking or any other type of movement a character can do. The rate at which a character moves varies greatly with the different types of walls and surfaces that must be climbed. Refer to the table below. Cross-reference the type of surface to be climbed with the surface condition. Multiply the appropriate number from the table by the character's current movement rate. The result is the rate of climb for the character, in feet per round, in any direction (up, down, or sideways).
Type of Surface | Dry | Slightly Slippery | Slippery |
---|---|---|---|
Very smooth ** | 1/4(1/2) | (1/4) | --*** |
Smooth, cracked * | 1/2 (1) | 1/3 (2/3) | 1/4 (1/2) |
Rough * | 1/2 (1) | 1/3 (2/3) | 1/4 (1/2) |
Rough w/ledges | 1 (2) | 1/2 (1) | 1/3 (2/3) |
Ice wall | -- | -- | 1/4 (1/2) |
Tree | 4 (8) | 3 (6) | 2 (4) |
Sloping wall | 3 (6) | 2 (4) | 1 (2) |
Rope and wall | 2 (4) | 1 (2) | 1/2 (1) |
Thief climbing rates given in parentheses.
* Nonthief characters must be mountaineers (and have appropriate tools--pitons, rope, etc.) to climb these surfaces.
** Thieves need appropriate tools (pitons, rope, etc.) to climb these surfaces.
*** Even thieves cannot climb very smooth, slippery surfaces.