Skills
Please see our XP Progression in Character Creation for information on costs.
Combat Skills
Please see the combat write-up for the full description of how combat functions in Age of Ashes.
There are three different Skill trees within Age of Ashes’ combat skills. These are Melee, Ranged, and Brawl.
Melee
Parry
All experienced fighters know that control of your weapon and the redirection of your opponent’s weapon is what will save them in a fight.
When struck by a melee weapon in combat you may call “Parry”.
Qualities
Time and experience has taught you how to use your chosen weapon to best effect.
When striking you may use the Quality associated with your weapon type via appropriate call.
Light Weapons (Speed)
Quick Reflexes
An opponent cannot hurt what they cannot hit. When struck successfully in combat you may call “Dodge”.
Quick Fighter
Your opponent may be fast, but you strike like a viper – moving too quickly to be avoided. When an opponent calls “Dodge” you may make a fast striking motion and call “Quick” in response.
Level 5 Skills
Slice
The light fighter can spot and take advantage of openings others would miss. After calling “Dodge” you may immediately call “Strike” against your opponent.
Deep
A weapon is a versatile tool – why use it once, when you could use it twice? After a successful weapon quality call, you gain one refresh of that same call.
Hook
You can land devastating blows only a fellow master could defend against. You may expend your unused “Quick” call for the use of a “Power Strike” call instead.
Nerve
Incapacitation can be every bit as important to winning a fight as landing the killing blow. You may expend your unused “Dodge” call for the use of a “Weaken Strength 2” call on a successful hit instead.
Spin
This fighter knows to stay on their toes and always be prepared for the next blow. After using your “Quick” call, you may refresh your Dodge call one time.
Medium Weapons
Balanced Fighter
The fighter takes a moment to center themselves before reentering the fray. After taking a guard pose for the space of one deep breath, refresh a “Parry” call.
Hamstring
You plan your moves several steps ahead. When blocking your opponent, you have a crippling follow-up attack prepared for the unwary. After calling “Parry” you may call “Weaken Speed 2” on your opponent.
Level 5 Skills
Riposte
You can turn a parried blow into an opening for a fierce attack. After calling “Parry” you may call “Strike” on an opponent.
Disarm
Why risk being struck when you can simply take your opponent’s weapon away? Call “Disarm” with any medium weapon after you strike your opponent’s arm.
Deliberate
With countless battles under your belt, you know there are times to fight defensively, and this is not it. You may expend your unused “Parry” call for the use of a “Power Strike” call instead.
Disabling Blow
Sometimes you don’t want to risk permanently maiming or killing your opponent. You have enough control and skill with your blade to hit with the flat and temporarily render your opponent’s limbs useless without causing damage. After a successful hit you can call either stun legs or stun arms, even if armor was used, and you may call this instead of a wounding strike. This can be parried and dodged.
Half-Handing
Practiced in a variety of weapons, the fighter can use any of them to get past a foe’s armor or shields. With any medium weapon you may call “Crushing” or “Driving” once per rest. If you already have the use of one of these weapon qualities, this counts as a refresh.
Heavy Weapons (Strength)
Mighty Fighter
No weapon could defend against so powerful a blow. After an opponent calls “Parry” you may call “Mighty” to counter it.
Heavy Blow
The force of this blow travels through the weapon and into the foe’s arms, impairing them. When you land a normal hit on the body or limbs of your opponent you may call “Weaken Strength 2.” As this skill only requires a successful hit, this attack can be dodged or parried, but it cannot be stopped by armor.
Level 5 Skills
Biting Blow
Pouring strength into this blow, the fighter causes it to bite even deeper into an opponent’s body, causing extensive damage. After you successfully hit an enemy, you may call “Strike”. This essentially means that you land two hits for each successful one.
Shatter
Using the weight and density of their heavy weapon, you can crack and damage an opponent’s weapon until it breaks. If your blow is blocked by a weapon you may call “Sunder”.
Force
Few can withstand or avoid the force of such a fearsome blow. After expending an unused “Mighty” call, you gain the use of a “Power Strike” call. This may be used in tandem with Biting Blow, with the second Strike functioning as a new attack chain.
Reverb
All is fair on the battlefield. Hit them while they’re down. If your target is prone, you may call “Sunder Armor” on the place you struck. You may call this even if your weapon doesn’t have sunder.
Momentum
Flesh may not have been rent, but the foe still feels as if they’ve been struck by a boulder. If a defensive call is made against your attack you may call “Push”.
Ranged
Ranged Weapons
You have the training required to be able to use ranged weapons including firearms, bows, and weapons with the Thrown tag. This skill is not limited in use and may be used multiple times without resting.
Special Ammunition
You have enough familiarity with your ranged weapon to be able to effectively use your projectiles. You can now use special ammunition qualities, such as fire arrows or holy shot.
Firearms (Speed)
Graze
The marksman never misses by more than a hairsbreadth, if they miss at all. Even the merest touch of the bullet can cause damage. If your shot hits a limb or misses by less than an arm’s length, you may call “Stun Limb”.
Warning Shot
Sometimes the threat of a thing is more paralyzing than the reality of it. You may call “Fear” after firing near a target but purposely missing them. The shot from the firearm is expended.
Level 5 Skills
Duelist
The duelist is a master of the quickdraw, able to draw and fire nearly simultaneously. After drawing and firing your weapon within one breath, call “Strike”.
Point Blank
Few things are so deadly as a bullet at close range. When firing from within arms reach of your target you may call “Power Strike”.
Vitals
A surprise attack can end a fight before it even begins. If firing a successful shot from stealth or from behind stationary physical cover obscuring at least 75% of your body, you may call “Power Strike”.
Expert Handling
Your keen eye and training has made you a crack shot who never misses. If your shot does miss your target, you may still call “Strike Limb”. This may be dodged.
Sniper
Watch patiently. Breathe. Fire between heartbeats. The perfect shot is a matter of expert timing. After aiming for the space of three deep breaths you may call “Stun Body”.
Thrown Weapons
Neutralize
A well thrown weapon can startle a target as well as damage them. After a thrown weapon successfully hits its target you may call “Disarm”.
Precision Shot
Years of practice allow the marksman to aim for their foes with deadly precision. After aiming for the space of three breaths and striking the target you may call either “Driving,” “Sunder,” or “Bleed” but the weapon is sundered after use.
Level 5 Skills
Trip
The force behind this throw can knock a target to the ground. After successfully striking a target you may call “Trip.”
Sling
The marksman is deadly at close range, never missing their target.
If you are within three steps of your target you may call “Strike,” without throwing the weapon.
Dual Wield
You view multiple opponents as a target-rich environment.
After throwing three weapons into a group of 2+ people you gain two “Strike Limb” or “Strike Torso” calls, usable on two different targets. Targets must be within arms reach of each other.
Quick Shot
Drawing and throwing have become second nature to this marksman, enacting them as a single, fluid motion. After drawing and throwing your weapon within the space of one breath you may call “Strike”.
Ricochet
Sometimes, you just need to cause damage, even if it’s collateral. Skillful at aiming, you know how to ensure that even if your original target defends against your hit, you will hit someone. If your attack is defended against by armor or a shield you may call “Strike” on a new target within five steps of the original target.
Archery (Strength)
Stunning Shot
An archer is most effective at a distance. You make sure that your targets stay at an appropriate distance. After an arrow hits a limb or misses by less than an arm’s length you may call “Stun Legs”.
Power Shot
With an extended draw, the archer is able to fire so forceful a shot that the blow will be felt even through a shield. If your shot is blocked by a shield you may call “Crushing”.
Level 5 Skills
Quick Shot
So skilled are you at your craft, you can anticipate where your target is going to be when the arrow reaches them. If a target calls “Dodge” you may call “Quick” to counter it.
Knee Shot
A hobbled opponent makes for an easier mark for you and others. After successfully striking a target in a limb, you may call “Weaken Speed 2”.
Shattering Shot
With the right angle of attack, even armor can be rendered useless. After successfully striking a target wearing armor you may call “Sunder Armor”.
Twin Shots
You have achieved mastery over the bow and can now let loose two shots accurately with one pull. When you successfully hit one target you may call “Strike” on a new target within five steps of the original target. This expends two arrows.
Penetrator
Unarmored foes don’t stand a chance against you, as your arrows easily pierce vital flesh. After successfully shooting an unarmored location on a target you may call “Power Strike”.
Brawl
Push
Balance is key in a fight, which is why it’s wise to throw your opponent’s off. Gain a “Push” call.
Grab
Getting inside your foe’s guard opens up new avenues of attack and limits their options. You may now use natural weapon boffers to “Grab.” You may attempt Grab multiple times without needing to rest.
Martial Arts (Speed)
Superior Balance
Weapons are especially perilous to the unarmed, but you have learned how to turn them aside and deflect their blows. Gain a “Parry” call.
Setup
Armed fighters are always underestimating those who eschew weapons. After you make a successful Parry call, you may call “Stun Defense” without requiring another strike.
Level 5 Skills
Combo
Beat ‘em while they’re down! You can cause real damage with your fists if your opponent isn’t at the ready. If an opponent is suffering the “Stun” condition you may call a “Strike” on them.
Quickness
If you can’t block a blow, you’d best move out of its way. After you expend a “Parry” you gain one “Dodge”. You cannot earn more than one Dodge at any time with this power, and this Dodge goes away after rest.
Pressure Point
You have a studied knowledge of the human body and its pressure points and weak spots. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Stun Body”.
Wind Fist
You are a master at flowing from one form to the next, moving seamlessly from defensive to offensive. After physically dodging a close-range attack you may call “Strike” on your opponent.
Pugilism
Even the Odds
This is not your first fight, and you have learned to instill tremendous force into a blow, both knocking an opponent back and causing them to fumble their weapon. After calling “Push” against a close-range target you may call “Disarm”. The push does not need to be successful to call Disarm.
Weak Spot
Grab one arm and disable the other. The rest practically takes care of itself. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Stun Limb”.
Level 5 Skills
Counter
Being familiar with such tactics, the brawler knows they must act quickly if an opponent gets a hold of them. If an opponent gets you in a successful “Grab” you may call “Strike”.
Lights Out
There’s no need to waste energy on a fighting someone if you can simply knock them out. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Blackout”.
Solar Plexus
The quickest way to end a fight is to make sure your opponent can’t fight back. Sometimes it’s not enough to simply take their weapon – you have to be sure they can’t pick it up and use it. After expending an unused “Disarm” you may call “Stun Combat”.
Hostage
Let others be underestimated. This brawler knows how to make themselves appear every bit as dangerous as they truly are, and prefers it that way. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Fear” to use on the target of your choice.
Wrestling (Strength)
Pin
If they can’t attack, you can focus on breaking through their defenses. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Stun Offense”.
Carry
No one is too heavy for this brawler to sweep off their feet. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may carry them at full speed.
Level 5 Skills
Clinch
The brawler has learned where key nerves are located around the body and how to deaden them. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Weaken Speed 2”.
Chokehold
Disorient them first, then knock them out. If a target suffers from the “Stun” condition you may call “Blackout”.
Maneuver
Years of conditioning have hardened the brawler’s arms and legs against incoming blows. When you expend an unused “Parry” call you gain a “Block” call as if your limbs were a shield. If this Block is used a Power Strike cannot be used on the limbs, but only on a torso strike.
Bonebreaker
They should never have let you get a hold of them. Now they’ll always remember that. After you have an opponent in a successful “Grab” you may call “Maim” on a designated limb.
Finesse
Finesse is the Skill tree that encompasses skills involving deftness of hands, subtle control of your body, and stealth.
Finesse
Conceal
You are able to secrete small items around your person, keeping them safe from prying hands and pat downs. You can apply the “Hidden” tag to one item on your person. The item can be no larger than your hand and cannot be found during a search, unless the searcher has the Perception skill. Please write Hidden on a piece of paper and attach it to the top of the item.
Hide
Partial cover or convenient shadows are all you need to obfuscate your presence from others. Enter the “Stealth” state if no one is staring directly at you and you meet any of the following conditions: Hidden in deep darkness or shadows, behind a wall or large surface or behind at least 50% partial cover.
You cannot take any steps or actions while hidden. You remain hidden until you do or if the conditions that allowed you enter the Stealth condition are removed. Another character may find you through the skill “Tracking”. You may not use this or any Stealth ability while in medium or heavy armor.
Cover your face with one splayed hand to indicate you are in Stealth.
Escape Artist (Fortitude)
Acrobat
Few things can keep you confined for long as you pop, contort, and dislocate parts of yourself in order to escape. You can wiggle free of any bonds, snare traps, or bind abilities that do not involve a lock with 30 seconds of relevant roleplay.
Slippery Customer
When the gods close a door, you are sure to find a window. If you can reach an unlocked window with your hand you can call escape or enter a building, whether or not it opens in real life- although someone else with slippery customer can follow you out the opening.
Level 5 Skills
Evasion
You defy death at every turn with willful tenacity and lightning fast reflexes. You have the ability to call “dodge” on an assassinate ability or if someone is delivering the killing blow to you while you are downed.
Backbone
They can beat you, but they cannot break you. Your body is used to a certain amount of abuse, and Weaken effects used against you take you down by 1 less than they used to (a Weaken 2 ability will instead affect you like a Weaken 1 ability).
Contortionist
Able to pop and bend your joints in almost unnatural ways, you can squirm your way out of even the smallest spaces. After 30 secs of wriggling, you may squeeze through any opening your head can fit into. This allows for escapes from a module space as well as reducing the number of limb strikes by one if escaping from being secured through the Jailed skill.
Stealth
Swoop
With careful, furtive movements you can move from one hidden position to another. While in the “Stealth” state you may take three steps or perform a tumble. If you end in a location where you may enter Stealth per the skill Hide, you may remain in the “Stealth” state. You must rest before being able to perform another swoop. You may not use this skill in Medium or Heavy armor.
Slip
The barest crack of a door is all you need to escape a room others would be trapped in. You may escape through ajar or open doors without being seen. If a person opens and closes a door in the room you are Stealthed in, you may also escape. Use the Stealth signal or use the call “Stealth” if challenged while escaping.
Level 5 Skills
Ventriloquist
Throwing your voice around the room, you may create an eerie effect by speaking from stealth while remaining concealed. You may speak while in the Stealth state without breaking it. The location of your whispers and speech are not able to be identified. Though you may still eventually be located with Tracking.
Assassinate
A deadly killer, you can strike your target so swiftly they never see it coming. You may attack from a Stealthed position of no more than two arms’ reach away. This attack cannot be parried or dodged, and is considered a torso hit unless otherwise specified. You do not automatically re-enter Stealth, and will need to find new appropriate conditions to be Stealthed again.
Lurk
Silence, stillness, and patience are the tools of masters of concealment. So skilled have you become in them that none can detect you. When you are in the “Stealth” state, so long as you do not move, you do not have to respond to Tracking claps – you may call “Stealth” against all “Tracking,” even those with the divine or arcane qualifiers.
Legerdemain (Speed)
Pickpocket
If people didn’t want to lose their belongings, they shouldn’t leave them where you can get at them. After successfully placing a clothespin on someone, you or a Rules Marshall may inform your target that they have been pickpocketed. They must give you a random item from the items that they have from roughly the area where the clothespin was placed.
Nimblefingered
You know when others are paying attention to something, and more importantly when they aren’t. You may have limited interaction with your environment while in the Stealth state. You may take items while Stealthed provided that no one is looking directly at the item in question. You may also cheat at cards or dice by placing or changing a number of dice or cards equal to your Legerdemain score.
Level 5 Skills
Master Thief
Your pickpocketing skills are precise, targeted, and swift. Brushing against someone for even a moment is all you need to purloin what you are after, or plant something on the unsuspecting. You may place a clothespin anywhere on a person, and you or a Rules Marshall may ask for an item from anywhere on their body. For example, you may place a clothespin on the target’s cloak, but ask for something from their inner pocket or pouch. You may alternately request a specific item that you believe they have. However, if they do not, the attempt fails.
Additionally, you have the option of attaching an item tag to a clothespin, attaching it anywhere on a target, and thus plant the object on them without their knowledge. The clothespin or the attached tag or note should include where the item is on their person such as “Master Thief: you find this item in your pocket”.
Burglar
Deft hands and fine tools are all one needs to make their way past any lock. You may lockpick a lock even if you, the player, cannot physically pick the lock open. You must have a set of tagged Lockpicks/Thieves Tools and roleplay lockpicking for 1.5 minutes per lock. You must apply a sticker that says “the scoremarks on this lock show that the lock has been picked” after you are done.
You Can Never Have Too Many Knives
You are skilled at moving objects around your body like a stage magician. So deft and adept at misdirection are you that what was surely a hidden dagger on your person turns out to be nothing more than a fold of fabric. You may apply the “Hidden” tag to a single object no bigger than a light weapon on your person. It cannot be found during a search even with the perception skill.
Ethos
Basic Defense: Disregard Ethos
Ethos arguments don’t hold as much power over you as the common man. Once per conversation, you may use the Disregard call to counter a use of any Ethos power. Brandish the Ethos symbol and then wave it in a sweeping motion. Verbal call: Ethos Ignored
Basic Skill Use: Hear me Out
You know how to draw people’s attention, at least for a short while. Once per conversation, you may force a target to stop what they’re doing and listen to you for the span of one to three sentences. Verbal Call: Obey: Listen, three sentences
Commanding Presence (Resolve)
Silence
You know how to take command of a conversation, and silence with a word or sharp glare. Once per conversation, you may use this call to silence a target until there is a pause in the conversation. Use the one handed ethos gesture to indicate who you are silencing.
Call: Obey – Silence, Break
Command
Getting people to do what you want is trivial. Once per conversation after at least ten seconds of conversation or direct roleplay, you may use this power to force a target to carry out a reasonable, simple command no longer than five words in length that they could complete within the hour. Reasonable commands cannot put a subject at significant risk of death or obviously violating their devotion. This cannot be used to command someone to tell the truth.
Call: Obey: Immediately <Command>
Level 5 Skills
Order
Your words inspire confidence, and others will gladly do what you wish and feel good about working your will. After performing an order you Command them to do, characters enter the Hopeful state.
OOC: Receive Hope.
Inspire
Your speeches are rousing and an inspiration to those who follow you, convincing them to want what you want. After delivering an impactful and relevant speech, you may change a subjects devotion for a scene. May be used once per scene.
Humble
They know they have disappointed you, and your rebuke cuts them to the core. Once per scene, you may deliver a reprimand accompanied with the Ethos Hand signal. They recieve a Despair.
Intimidate
Shock and Awe
With a biting comment or growled threat, you force others to take a step back. Once per conversation, you may use this call while saying something intimidating and deliver a Push effect to a single target. This skill use must be accompanied by a credible threat or scathing insult with the Ethos gesture, or by using the verbal command “Ethos – Push”. This use of Push does not require a brawl boffer, and can be used within oration range.
Call: Ethos – Push
Rattle
You know how to instill fear in the hearts of others. Once per conversation, you may place the Fear state on a single target by delivering a credible threat. The fear lasts for the whole scene. A credible threat is simply something that has the potential to be dangerous.
Call: Ethos: Fear
Level 5 Skills
Horrify
They have seen Death, and it wears your face. You terrorize the minds of your victims, rendering them useless. After causing a wound you may call Terror on the target of the wound. This skill refreshes after a rest per the combat skills.
Ethos: Terror.
Phobia
The fear you instill lingers long after you’ve left, leaving scars on the minds of your victims. You are so well practiced in intimidation that you have the ability to give a mild phobia for the event of something appropriate to the scene or conversation. This power may be used once per conversation.
Mild Phobia: <Phobia>, Event.
Interrogate
You know how to get answers, one way or another. You get a use of limited Obey, and the target is compelled to answer one question (does not have to be truthfully) and they are considered to be at Resolve -1.
Weaken Resolve to -1, Obey: Answer me.
Oratory Presence (Faith)
Listen
You command attention, making you the central focus of all around you. Your skills with oration compel people to pay attention and listen quietly. If you provide a reason for a group of people to listen to you, the audience must remain silent until there is a natural break in your speech. Use the two handed Ethos gesture to indicate that you are using this on a crowd. This may be used once per scene.
Call: Obey: Silence (with crowd hand signal)
Enthrall
You are well practiced in presenting yourself as an authority to a crowd, and can convince most people that you’re telling the truth. If you speak to a crowd and present a fact as truth, they will believe you until either proof is given to the contrary or the end of the event- whichever is shorter. This power may be used once per scene.
Call: Until Proof Otherwise, Believe: Event <Statement> (with crowd hand signal)
Level 5 Skills
The Masses
You have established yourself as a credible authority, and someone to be trusted. If someone was successfully enthralled as part of a crowd that you used Enthrall on earlier in the event you may, during the same event, convince them that a short statement is true for the event. Not what they should do about it, but that the statement is true. This power may be used once per conversation.
Call: Believe <Statement>.
Glamour
Your words weave a spell over the crowd, gaining their rapt attention, and leaving no room for thought of violent action. For as long as you are speaking no one may use combat skills or take aggressive actions. If a person under the sway of your words is attacked, their attention is broken and they may fight and defend themselves. Everyone else affected and not attacked remains pacified until you cease speaking. This power may be used once per scene.
Obey: Peace, with crowd hand signal.
Obsess
You are able to create vivid imagery and yearning with your words. Deliver a speech praising something or someone of your choice, and give everyone within conversational speaking distance a mild obsession with the subject of your speech for the following scene.
Mild Obsession: <Obsession>, with crowd hand signal.
Logos
Basic Defense: Disregard Logos
Logos arguments don’t hold as much sway over you as the common man. Once per conversation, you may use the Disregard call to counter a use of any Logos power. Brandish the Logos symbol and then wave it in a sweeping motion. Verbal call: Logos Ignored.
Obey: Stay awhile
You know how to appear friendly and inviting, making others want to talk to you. Once per conversation, you may use this call to convince your target that you are worth talking to for at least a few more minutes. This skill immediately ends if someone other than the target of this skill initiates combat or violence.
Persuasion (Intellect)
Advocate
When conversing with the subject about a belief or opinion they have, you may use the conversation to either call the subject’s belief into question or strengthen their belief by discussing evidence in support or opposition to their belief. This results in the subject’s belief being either increased or decreased by a step. This may be used once per conversation, and the change in heart can either be permanent or last the event, at the discretion of the subject.
Call: Feel Stronger/Weaker about <Feeling>
Persuade
Using persuasive language and knowledge of your subject, you can convince others to change their mind. Once per conversation, the user of this skill may use a persuasive argument to convince the recipient of something, unless the recipient has a strong reason to the contrary, which they must state aloud. If they have a reason which they do not state aloud they are still convinced. For example, if the user attempts to Persuade the target that they need to follow them into the woods because the target’s sister needs to see them right away, and the target has no sister…then the target must inform the user that they have no sister. If they do not give this reasoning, they are assumed interested enough to be Persuaded. The results of this Persuasion may either last until the end of the event or permanently, at the discretion of the recipient.
Call: Believe <Statement> unless you have a counter reason, event
Level 5 Skills
Miserable
You convince others that their situation is hopeless, and it’s best to just give up now. After a conversation in which the user delivers a depressing or devastating statement; you convince the recipient that hope is lost and they cannot receive hope for the day.
Call: Misery: Day.
Double Speak
You can convey what you really mean to those you want to understand you. After a seemingly benign conversation, you may whisper OOC a single secret message to the recipient that represents what you were actually saying.
OOC Hand Signal.
Conviction
Your words are so powerful you can change the fundamental beliefs of another. You can, after an intense relevant conversation that lasts at least 10 mins, give someone a belief that holds the weight of an honor code tenet for the event. Can not be stacked by the same user.
Call: New Honor Code: <Statement>, Event.
Advise
Innocuous
You know how to appear non-threatening, letting you defuse tense situations or slip contraband past those who would otherwise suspect you. By using this call, people around you believe that you are not a threat. This effect lasts until the end of the scene, or until you do something that your targets believe is hostile.
Call: Believe: I’m not a threat
Silver-Tongued
You can argue so artfully and choose words so convincing that it’s hard to refute you. Once per conversation, you may use this call to convince the target to believe a statement. For the rest of the scene, the target is convinced that you are telling the truth. After the scene, contradictory evidence can convince the target to change their mind. This can be countered with someone else using Convince: Believe on your target to convince them to their point of view.
Call: Believe until contradicted: <Statement> , scene
Level 5 Skills
Protection
You know honeyed words when you hear them, and you can make sure people aren’t convinced of something detrimental to your interests. Once per scene, you can give a target immunity from any Believe/Logos power for the duration of that scene. You must remain directly in the presence of the target for the duration.
Call: Logos Disregard, Scene.
Truth Telling
You know how to read people, sifting the truth from the lies. After someone makes a declarative statement, you may ask them out of character whether the statement was true, false, or partially true. Make this question and the answer private between you and the other character. This is usable once per conversation.
OOC Hand Signal.
Nobody’s Fool
You’ve either been manipulated or seen its effects one time too many, and you are now particularly difficult to sway with words. You gain an extra Disregard against any social power.
Call: Disregard <Ethos, Logos, Pathos>.
Tempt (Resolve)
Temptation
You know how to make almost any offer especially tempting. Once per conversation, you may use this call to force your target to desire something. The target becomes willing to enter into negotiations for the item in question, and is willing to pay reasonable recompense for said object.
Call: Obey: Want this
Entice
You don’t necessarily do all your trade in goods. Favors work just as well. Once per conversation, you may use this call to deliver a reasonable order to your target which they will perform in exchange for an item your target desires. Any item that was the subject of Temptation automatically counts as a desired item to the target. Reasonable orders cannot put your target in to immediate risk of a deadly situation. If the target successfully satisfies your order, and you renege on giving them the item in question, your Logos powers do not work on them for the rest of the event, and they have a strong negative reaction decided by your target.
Call: Obey <Statement> and I’ll give you <thing> *ooc*
Level 5 Skills
Obsess
Your impressive powers of persuasion lead others to really want what you’re offering, often beyond the point of reason. Once per conversation, you may give the target of this power a mild obsession for the rest of the event. To use this power, you must talk about the subject of the obsession with the target for at least 10 minutes.
Call: Mild Obsession: <Obsession>, Event.
Defenseless
You know how to weaken the will of your quarry, manipulating them like a puppet on a string. Anyone that you have Enticed during the event becomes defenseless against further uses of Entice for the rest of the event. They may not call any defense against your uses of Entice, but you must still meet the requirements of Entice.
Verbal Call: Power: Obey <Statement> and I’ll give you <thing>.
Summon
You are irresistible. Once per scene, you may call to someone in the range of your voice. The target feels compelled to come to you, unless there is obvious signs of a trap in evidence. Being suspicious of the user is not enough, but the user being surrounded by four armed guards might be.
Call: <Target> Obey: Come to me.
Pathos
Basic Defense: Disregard Pathos
Arguments of Pathos are less compelling to you than the common man. Once per conversation, you may use the Disregard call to counter a use of any Pathos power. Brandish the Pathos symbol and then wave it in a sweeping motion.
Call: Pathos Ignored
Basic Skill Use: Intuition
You know how to read emotions, looking for careful changes in bodily posture and subtle facial reactions. After at least a minute of conversation, you may ask the person you are talking to how they are feeling using Intuition. May be used once per conversation.
Use OOC hand signal
Information Gathering (Intellect)
Detective
You have a keen eye, and know how to find what you’re looking for. Ask one OOG Question of the following: “How many weapons do you have on you?” or “Do you have any physical maims or current wounds?”
You must spend at least a minute in conversation with the target in which you can see them moving about, such as walking or gesturing. May be used once per conversation.
OOC Hand Signal.
Social Awareness
Your skill at reading emotions has been honed to such a degree that you can pinpoint the source of the emotions. Once per conversation, you may ask the above question to a target out of character. To do so, you must first spend a minute in conversation with the target about the subject of the question.
OOG Question: “How do you feel about *blank*?” OOC Hand Signal.
Level 5 Skills
What Drives You
You can probe into the heart of a person, revealing what drives them. After talking specifically with an individual for at least half an hour, you may ask “What subject of your devotion?” This skill may be used once per scene.
OOC hand signal.
Whiff of Insanity
You can tell when someone is being irrational, and can over time tell what the source of that dark conflict inside might be. After at least a half hour of conversation, you may ask the subject OOC if their character currently has any insanities. On a second successful use, you can ask what type of insanity it is (phobia, compulsion, obsession, etc.). This skill can be used once per scene.
OOC Hand Signal.
Bloodhound
You are keenly aware of patterns in people and develop suspicions, as well as delve into the psyche of your targets to see if you were right. After at least a half hour of conversation, the user may ask the victim if they have a SPECIFIC flaw on their sheet, and if the answer is “yes”, the victim must give some details. For example, for a Corpse in the Closet you might say “I have a terrible secret where I killed someone I shouldn’t have.”
OOC hand signal.
Empathy
Enhance
You know how to stoke passions, making people feel their emotions more strongly. Once per conversation, after identifying the emotion someone is feeling with Intuition, you can increase that emotion for a scene.
Call: Feel <Emotion> Stronger.
Resonate Frequency
Once passions are high, you know how to push your target over the brink into action. After enhancing someone’s emotion, you can cause them to act on that emotion. May be used once per conversation before refreshing. The recipient has creative license in interpreting the action required.
Call: Obey: Act on <Emotion>
Level 5 Skills
Soothe
You know how to subdue and pacify others when emotions run high, drawing people into a sense of security. After providing a distraction (verbal or otherwise) to draw their mind off the issue you may remove someone’s emotions and calm them for a scene. May be used once per conversation before refreshing.
Call: Feel: Nothing but calm.
Rabble Rousing
You know how to work the crowd, stoking their passions and stirring them up.. Once per scene, you may Intensify the existing emotions of a crowd by delivering at least a short speech. Each individual character may be feeling something different, but by the rousing qualities of your words, those who are sad will openly mourn or weep, those who are angry are driven to rage, and those who are happy are joyous. Those characters who were not feeling anything much in particular may choose what emotion the words of the user inspires.
Call: Feel Emotion Stronger, with Crowd hand signal.
Cause Emotion
You can shape the conversation to inspire the emotions you want your target to feel. After speaking with a target for a minute, choose an emotion that you make the target feel. May be used once per conversation.
Call: Feel: <Emotion>.
Performance (Faith)
Comforting
You are well-versed in the soothing arts, creating a calming and nurturing environment for others. The performer may do some simple task that is expressly for the comfort of the target for a few minutes, such as strum and hum, give a backrub, sketch a drawing, or cook a meal. At the end of a few minutes, the target may remove the Traumatized state. May be used once per conversation before refreshing.
Call: Remove Traumatized
Tug on the Heartstrings
Your art and performances create visceral and fervent responses in your audience. While within a normal speaking distance of the performer (singing, dancer, etc.) all who hear or see a performance feel the emotion the person gave or receive hope. This effect can only be used once per hour. This power can be used with a physical artwork the artist creates as long as the subject is in theme, but players can only receive hope from the object once upon observing it for the first time.
Call: Either: Hope, or Feel <Emotion>
Level 5 Skills
Ruin/Repair
You know how to make people feel uplifted or destroyed, depending on the content of your performance. The performer may announce a dedication to a specific character in their performance at the beginning, the nature of which must be about or inspired by that character. The subject of the dedication loses one Despair/or gains a Despair the first time that they experience that work. May be used once per scene.
Call: <Target> Despair/Cure Despair.
Bard
Your art is so beautiful and arresting it can stop violence in its tracks. The performer may spend a Downtime Action, using the Masterwork downtime action, to create a new Masterwork art or performance piece. While performing or holding the Masterwork art piece anyone who wishes to harm the performer must spend a discipline to do so, and any Masterwork art piece tagged with this ability requires a discipline to destroy, as it is too beautiful to behold. The performer or anyone/thing bearing the Masterwork art piece may not take any aggressive actions or the effect is broken. The object must be large enough to be perceived and it must be perceived.
Call: Obey: Don’t Attack This/Me.
Victory
You know how to make specific people feel inspired and fulfilled, depending on what they believe in. The performer may spend a Downtime Action, using the Masterwork downtime action, to create a new Masterwork performance piece. This piece, be it a play, a song, a speech, or a physical art piece, is designed to touch the hearts of those with one specific Devotion, such as Love: Family, or Order: the Church. The first time anyone with the matching Devotion experiences the piece, they immediately experience a Personal Victory.
Gathering
Gathering
Laborer
You are knowledgeable about what materials are usable and useful for harvesting. This skill allows you to interact with related modules at game, and increases the chance that you will get a useable crafting material or valuable item at Gathering Nodes, although you may still only carry 3 of any gathering nodes at one time. It also opens the chance for you to get Common Wyrd bonus items on successful gathers.
Forager Downtimes
You know where to look and where to go to find resources in the area. This skill allows you to either use your downtime to harvest common materials from resource nodes. This also increases your chances of gathering useful items at gathering nodes. You may carry 5 of any gathering nodes at 1 time.
Forestry
Mining
Foraging
Herbalism
All
3. Uncommon
Perhaps it’s knowledge of just what the right conditions are, or perhaps it’s simply the experience that comes with a lot of trial and error, but you know when you’ve found something more precious than everyday resources. You have a chance of finding uncommon materials from nodes at game and this opens the chance for you to get an Uncommon Wyrd bonus item on successful gathers. You may also lead other laborers, regardless of their expertise or skill, on in-game modules that require your form of gathering specialty. You may now carry unlimited gathering nodes of your type.
4. Folkwise
It’s not enough to just know where to look for needed resources, or how to harvest them. You also know the Old stories; the lore of the forests and fields, mountains. and valleys. You know that sometimes the world extracts a price for what has been taken from it, and you have a good idea of how to pay the debts. This also increases your chances of gathering uncommon items at gathering nodes.
You get access to Folkwise Quests related to your speciality in game, which can cause a positive effect in play or over a downtime, and/or prevent disastrous occurrences.
Woodswise
You are Woodswise. You know the secrets that hide between the trees, the rythmn and beat of the seasons on the leaves. You know what signs the strange ones leave upon the trails- and the how to ensure you return safely home even after the weather has turned.
Stonewise
You are Stonewise. You know the dangers of the dark beneath the skin of the earth. You know how to access the veins of the world, and how best to staunch the wounds you cause, and calm and satisfy the creatures who make their home in the deeps.
Beastwise
You are Beastwise. You understand the wilds and the creatures that dwell within it – and how best to trap, hunt, and kill them. You know the signs and markings of monsters and beasts of legend, and can comprehend certain calls and base communication with some of them.
Herbwise
You are Herbwise. You know the stories of plants beyond their simple uses. You know their symbolism, power, and legends – what they represent and mean. You understand the auspicious and ill times to pick and pluck, what gifts may unfurl in a rare sprout, and what curses may lurk behind tender blossoms.
Level 5 Skills
Rare Goods
Find rare items in game when scanning Gathering nodes. This also opens up the chance of finding a Rare Wyrd bonus or Masterwork bonus item on successful gathers.
Extra Productive
You are adept at working with extra efficiency, and you make better use of your time and labor than most. You gather more common items over the downtime.
Surveyor
You know exactly what you want, and you have a good idea of how to find it. You may spend a downtime to look for specific types of lumber, ores and mining materials, silks or rare herbs- depending on your speciality that may be encountered in the game space, and enter a module at game in which those items may be encountered.
Gathering
Gathering
Laborer
You are knowledgeable about what materials are usable and useful for harvesting. This skill allows you to interact with related modules at game, and increases the chance that you will get a useable crafting material or valuable item at Gathering Nodes, although you may still only carry 3 of any gathering nodes at one time. It also opens the chance for you to get Common Wyrd bonus items on successful gathers.
Forager Downtimes
You know where to look and where to go to find resources in the area. This skill allows you to either use your downtime to harvest common materials from resource nodes. This also increases your chances of gathering useful items at gathering nodes. You may carry 5 of any gathering nodes at 1 time.
Forestry
3 Uncommon
Perhaps it’s knowledge of just what the right conditions are, or perhaps it’s simply the experience that comes with a lot of trial and error, but you know when you’ve found something more precious than everyday resources. You have a chance of finding uncommon materials from nodes at game and this opens the chance for you to get an Uncommon Wyrd bonus item on successful gathers. You may also lead other laborers, regardless of their expertise or skill, on in-game modules that require your form of gathering specialty. You may now carry unlimited gathering nodes of your type.
4 Woodswise
You are Woodswise. You know the secrets that hide between the trees, the rythmn and beat of the seasons on the leaves. You know what signs the strange ones leave upon the trails- and the how to ensure you return safely home even after the weather has turned.
It’s not enough to just know where to look for needed resources, or how to harvest them. You also know the Old stories; the lore of the forests and fields, mountains. and valleys. You know that sometimes the world extracts a price for what has been taken from it, and you have a good idea of how to pay the debts. This also increases your chances of gathering useful items at gathering nodes.
You get access to Folkwise Quests related to your speciality in game, which can cause a positive effect in play or over a downtime, and/or prevent disastrous occurrences.
Level 5 Skills
Rare Goods
Find rare items in game when scanning Gathering nodes. This also opens up the chance of finding a Rare Wyrd bonus or Masterwork bonus item on successful gathers.
Extra Productive
You are adept at working with extra efficiency, and you make better use of your time and labor than most. You gather more common items over the downtime.
Surveyor
You know exactly what you want, and you have a good idea of how to find it. You may spend a downtime to look for specific types of lumber, ores and mining materials, silks or rare herbs- depending on your speciality that may be encountered in the game space, and enter a module at game in which those items may be encountered.
Mining
3 Uncommon
Perhaps it’s knowledge of just what the right conditions are, or perhaps it’s simply the experience that comes with a lot of trial and error, but you know when you’ve found something more precious than everyday resources. You have a chance of finding uncommon materials from nodes at game and this opens the chance for you to get an Uncommon Wyrd bonus item on successful gathers. You may also lead other laborers, regardless of their expertise or skill, on in-game modules that require your form of gathering specialty. You may now carry unlimited gathering nodes of your type.
4 Stonewise
You are Stonewise. You know the dangers of the dark beneath the skin of the earth. You know how to access the veins of the world, and how best to staunch the wounds you cause, and calm and satisfy the creatures who make their home in the deeps.
It’s not enough to just know where to look for needed resources, or how to harvest them. You also know the Old stories; the lore of the forests and fields, mountains. and valleys. You know that sometimes the world extracts a price for what has been taken from it, and you have a good idea of how to pay the debts. This also increases your chances of gathering useful items at gathering nodes.
You get access to Folkwise Quests related to your speciality in game, which can cause a positive effect in play or over a downtime, and/or prevent disastrous occurrences.
Level 5 Skills
Rare Goods
Find rare items in game when scanning Gathering nodes. This also opens up the chance of finding a Rare Wyrd bonus or Masterwork bonus item on successful gathers.
Extra Productive
You are adept at working with extra efficiency, and you make better use of your time and labor than most. You gather more common items over the downtime.
Surveyor
You know exactly what you want, and you have a good idea of how to find it. You may spend a downtime to look for specific types of lumber, ores and mining materials, silks or rare herbs- depending on your speciality that may be encountered in the game space, and enter a module at game in which those items may be encountered.
Foraging
3 Uncommon
Perhaps it’s knowledge of just what the right conditions are, or perhaps it’s simply the experience that comes with a lot of trial and error, but you know when you’ve found something more precious than everyday resources. You have a chance of finding uncommon materials from nodes at game and this opens the chance for you to get an Uncommon Wyrd bonus item on successful gathers. You may also lead other laborers, regardless of their expertise or skill, on in-game modules that require your form of gathering specialty. You may now carry unlimited gathering nodes of your type.
4 Beastwise
You are Beastwise. You understand the wilds and the creatures that dwell within it – and how best to trap, hunt, and kill them. You know the signs and markings of monsters and beasts of legend, and can comprehend certain calls and base communication with some of them.
It’s not enough to just know where to look for needed resources, or how to harvest them. You also know the Old stories; the lore of the forests and fields, mountains. and valleys. You know that sometimes the world extracts a price for what has been taken from it, and you have a good idea of how to pay the debts. This also increases your chances of gathering useful items at gathering nodes.
You get access to Folkwise Quests related to your speciality in game, which can cause a positive effect in play or over a downtime, and/or prevent disastrous occurrences.
Level 5 Skills
Rare Goods
Find rare items in game when scanning Gathering nodes. This also opens up the chance of finding a Rare Wyrd bonus or Masterwork bonus item on successful gathers.
Extra Productive
You are adept at working with extra efficiency, and you make better use of your time and labor than most. You gather more common items over the downtime.
Surveyor
You know exactly what you want, and you have a good idea of how to find it. You may spend a downtime to look for specific types of lumber, ores and mining materials, silks or rare herbs- depending on your speciality that may be encountered in the game space, and enter a module at game in which those items may be encountered.
Herbalism
3 Uncommon
Perhaps it’s knowledge of just what the right conditions are, or perhaps it’s simply the experience that comes with a lot of trial and error, but you know when you’ve found something more precious than everyday resources. You have a chance of finding uncommon materials from nodes at game and this opens the chance for you to get an Uncommon Wyrd bonus item on successful gathers. You may also lead other laborers, regardless of their expertise or skill, on in-game modules that require your form of gathering specialty. You may now carry unlimited gathering nodes of your type.
4 Herbwise
You are Herbwise. You know the stories of plants beyond their simple uses. You know their symbolism, power, and legends – what they represent and mean. You understand the auspicious and ill times to pick and pluck, what gifts may unfurl in a rare sprout, and what curses may lurk behind tender blossoms.
It’s not enough to just know where to look for needed resources, or how to harvest them. You also know the Old stories; the lore of the forests and fields, mountains. and valleys. You know that sometimes the world extracts a price for what has been taken from it, and you have a good idea of how to pay the debts. This also increases your chances of gathering useful items at gathering nodes.
You get access to Folkwise Quests related to your speciality in game, which can cause a positive effect in play or over a downtime, and/or prevent disastrous occurrences.
Level 5 Skills
Rare Goods
Find rare items in game when scanning Gathering nodes. This also opens up the chance of finding a Rare Wyrd bonus or Masterwork bonus item on successful gathers.
Extra Productive
You are adept at working with extra efficiency, and you make better use of your time and labor than most. You gather more common items over the downtime.
Surveyor
You know exactly what you want, and you have a good idea of how to find it. You may spend a downtime to look for specific types of lumber, ores and mining materials, silks or rare herbs- depending on your speciality that may be encountered in the game space, and enter a module at game in which those items may be encountered.
Crafting
What you need, you can make. Those who dedicate themselves to a crafting profession will find themselves in high demand for their labor. Being able to take raw resources and shape them into what is most needed means that a skilled crafter will almost always have something of value to trade.
Please see the crafting write-up for the full description of crafting functions in Age of Ashes.
Crafting
Crafter
You may craft from simple schematics during the game event, depending on their access to professional tools. These are basic material items in your tree, such as making cloth for a tailor, making metal from ore for a metal worker, or carving wood into a plank for a woodworker. A character may craft one such basic item once every fifteen minutes at the crafting station assuming they have the necessary materials.
Scrap
You may reduce a crafted item to its common and uncommon material components (Rare components are unable to be recovered at this level). You may use this skill once every 30 minutes.
Tailoring
Intermediate
This allows a character to craft intermediate tailoring schematics during the game. These are refinements of level 1 schematics, and typically involve making more complex items out of level 1 creations- such as a shirt out of a cloth for a tailor, making a stave out of a plank for a woodworker, or making a blade out of metal for a metalsmith. A character may craft one such item once every half hour at the crafting station assuming they have the necessary materials.
Upon buying this level a crafter is given specific schematics relevant to their level.
You may also repair leather or cloth items that have been sundered or are need of repair. This repair takes 15 minutes, a relevant set of professional tools, and the repair medium that applies to your professional tools (wood glue for woodworking, solder for metalsmithing, and thread for tailoring).
Specialized Buildings
Ability to staff or make use of organization specific buildings in the downtime (loom, dying rack, tailoring market stall etc.)
Level 5 Skills
Master Crafter
Can craft items with complex schematics at game
Fast production
May cut production times in half at game.
Wyrd Crafter
May craft schematics with the wyrd or rare tag at game.
Woodworking
Intermediate
This allows a character to craft intermediate woodworking schematics during the game. These are refinements of level 1 schematics, and typically involve making more complex items out of level 1 creations- such as a shirt out of a cloth for a tailor, making a stave out of a plank for a woodworker, or making a blade out of metal for a metalsmith. A character may craft one such item once every half hour at the crafting station assuming they have the necessary materials.
Upon buying this level a crafter is given specific schematics relevant to their level.
You may also repair wooden items that have been sundered or are need of repair. This repair takes 15 minutes, a relevant set of professional tools, and the repair medium that applies to your professional tools (wood glue for woodworking, solder for metalsmithing, and thread for tailoring).
Specialized Buildings
Ability to staff or make use of organization specific buildings in the downtime (lumber or paper mill, woodworking market stall etc.)
Level 5 Skills
Master Crafter
Can craft items with complex schematics at game
Fast production
May cut production times in half at game.
Wyrd Crafter
May craft schematics with the wyrd or rare tag at game.
Metalsmithing
Intermediate
This allows a character to craft intermediate metalsmith schematics during the game. These are refinements of level 1 schematics, and typically involve making more complex items out of level 1 creations- such as a shirt out of a cloth for a tailor, making a stave out of a plank for a woodworker, or making a blade out of metal for a metalsmith. A character may craft one such item once every half hour at the crafting station assuming they have the necessary materials.
Upon buying this level a crafter is given specific schematics relevant to their level. You may also repair metal items that have been sundered or are need of repair. This repair takes 15 minutes, a relevant set of professional tools, and the repair medium that applies to your professional tools (wood glue for woodworking, solder for metalsmithing, and thread for tailoring).
Specialized Buildings
Ability to staff or make use of organization specific buildings in the downtime (blacksmiths, metalsmith market stall, etc.)
Level 5 Skills
Master Crafter
Can craft items with complex schematics at game
Fast production
May cut production times in half at game.
Wyrd Crafter
May craft schematics with the wyrd or rare tag at game.
All
Intermediate
You have a gift for a particular trade and are able to make more complex and laborious items. You are able to craft from intermediate schematics during the game. These are refinements of simple schematics, and typically involve making more complex items out of level 1 creations- such as a shirt out of a cloth for a tailor, making a stave out of a plank for a woodworker, or making a blade out of metal for a metalsmith. A character may craft one such item once every half hour at the crafting station assuming they have the necessary materials.
Upon buying this level a crafter is given access to the specific schematics relevant to their level on the site.
You may also repair items within your trade that have been sundered or are need of repair. This repair takes 15 minutes, a relevant set of professional tools, and the repair medium that applies to your professional tools (wood glue for woodworking, solder for metalsmithing, and thread for tailoring).
Specialized Buildings
You are a respected practitioner of your trade, and any organization you have joined is pleased to have you staff their buildings and make use of their larger tools. You have the ability to staff or make use of organization specific buildings in the downtime
Level 5 Skills
Master Crafter
There is hardly anything that you don’t know how to craft within your chosen trade. Even the most complicated schematics make sense to you. You may craft items with complex schematics at game
Fast production
You are a practiced hand at your trade, and through rote practice and repetition, you are at the point where you suspect you can craft in your sleep. You may cut production times in half at game.
Wyrd Crafter
It is exotic work that calls to you and excites your muse. Strange and peculiar schematics are a puzzle you love to solve, and you are very, very good at these kinds of puzzles. You may craft schematics with the wyrd or rare tag at game.
Engineering
Engineering is a different sort of crafting that primarily concerns itself with levers and tumbler, gears and machines. Engineers are tinkerers and problem-solvers, trying to use machinery to handle issues of security and unconventional warfare.
Please see the engineering write-up for the full description of how traps and engineering devices function in Age of Ashes.
Engineering
Identification
You have enough knowledge to at least know what you’re dealing with. You may read the card on any engineering device and you gain basic knowledge of the trap and how it is triggered. (For example: AOE fire trap triggered with a string)
Scrap
It is easier to destroy than to create. After identifying an engineering item, you may reduce it to its common and uncommon material components (Rare components are unable to be recovered at this level). If dismantling an armed trap, you will need to disarm the trap prior to dismantling it. The lock needs to be unlocked. The gun needs to be unloaded. You can only use this skill once every 30 minutes.
Security
Craft Security Devices & Locks
There’s little use in seeking valuables and resources if you can’t hold onto them and keep them safe. You can create any security device you have the schematic for. For example, locks to use to protect any one device (door box window.) These locks are real locks that are pickable, and must be demonstrated as pickable by you as well as a staff member. In addition, the maximum number of locks an engineer with this skill can place upon a device is 2. Non-engineers are limited to a single lock.
Disarm Security Devices
Sometimes people lose their keys. Sometimes a device needs bypassing. Sometimes you could be putting whatever is locked up to better use. You may now pick open any lock that you, the player, can physically pick open. You may keep this lock (The tag, not the physical lock) if you choose. If you instead choose to replace the lock, it will not appear as if any damage to it has been done. As a note: if you are the owner of the lock and you want to open it without picking, You MUST have a real key with you. If you share keys with people, they will need one too. At this level, if you choose to scrap a security device, you may also recover rare components. In addition, the maximum number of locks an engineer with this skill can place upon a device is now 3. Non-engineers are limited to a single lock.
Level 5 Skills
Secret Lock
One has to find the lock to unlock it. You may now apply Hidden tags to your locks that require Natural Philosopher 1 to see. Please write Hidden on a piece of paper and attach it to the top of the lock. You may also use 3 digit combination locks in place of a pickable key lock for locks you personally place and lock, and which only an engineer with this skill may unlock.
Jailer
It is not enough to simply restrain a person. You must make it so that if they escape, they will not get far. You may chain a person up, requiring a key or a pick to let them out. Any attempt to Break the person free results in that person taking a limb strike per lock used (to a max of 3). (The chain is a prop that is placed on the person. The player will not be physically chained up).
Break Lock
Sometimes, you don’t have time to play around with delicate tumblers. You know where and how to break a lock so that it comes apart. With this skill, you can break open locks without the use of lockpicks. The components can not be recovered. If you are attempting to break a jailed person out of their chains, you may reduce the maximum of strike limbs to 2. When breaking open chests or locked items, beware of traps or contents – they may be destroyed.
Safe Room
You are very familiar with the sounds and means of bypassing locks, and you know how to ensure that does not happen. You may lock yourself and up to two additional people into a room you are familiar with. Each portal (door) must be secured with its own lock. This building cannot be entered by mundane means as long as the engineer is actively patrolling the room. This means that if the engineer goes to sleep or is otherwise indisposed or performing other activities, the locks are again breakable/pickable.
Traps
Craft Traps
Whether it’s for hunting game, ensuring your perimeter stays secure, or finding creative ways to dispatch enemies, you have a knack for trapmaking. You may craft any traps that you have the schematics for, except those with the AoE label.
Disarm Trap
You know how to make them, and you know how to break them. Your familiarity with triggers and trap components allows you to render them harmless should you spot one. If you see a trap you may now disarm it. You MUST manually disarm the actual trap. You may keep the traps item card after disarming. At this level, if you choose to scrap a security device, you may also recover rare components.
Level 5 Skills
Chain Traps
You are a skilled enough engineer that you can create a domino effect with your traps, ensuring that even if one is avoided, further dire effects will follow. You may now chain your traps together, making them more complex and potentially mixing effects.
Area Of Effect Traps
If doesn’t matter if your target dodges if they have no safe place to land. Your traps are crafted to deliver effects over wide areas. While some collateral damage is to be expected, your target will surely suffer the consequences. You may now build traps via schematics that have an ‘Area of Effect’ Label. AoE traps cannot be dodged normally.
Sidestep
Once per-scene you may call a free dodge when a trap is tripped, even area-of-effect traps. (Protects user only.)
Long Trigger
You are an expert with tension wires and snaring the unwary. Your traps are often better hidden because they are further away, and yet just as damaging as if they were just underfoot. May double the trigger length of any trap. Trigger length is noted in the schematics.
Gunsmithing
Improvised Shot
Sometimes, you run out of bullets. But that’s okay because you are extremely familiar with what can also be fired and cause damage to your opponent, but not your gun. You may fire a projectile other than a tagged bullet from your gun, such as a small pebble, although it may not be another tagged item. You do still need to have gunpowder and you do still need to use a nerf bullet as the representation of the projectile.
Craft Gun
While these weapons are some of the most complex in the world, you are intimate enough with firearms that you can build them yourself from scratch. You may build any firearm or explosive you have a schematic for and you may repair damaged/sundered firearms with a set of Engineering Professional Tools.
Level 5 Skills
Craft Ammunition
The real business of a gun is the ammunition, and you have the expertise to craft specialized bullets that can take care of a variety of enemies and situations. You may craft special ammunition you have a schematic for.
Sabotage Gun
Despite being so deadly, you know exactly how fragile a firearm can be should one part be damaged or go missing. With a quick movement, you can render a gun explosive. You may apply a tag to a gun signifying that it has been sabotaged. If this gun is fired it not only destroys the gun but also gives the user a limb strike. This action may only be performed on a weapon not actively being held. (Holstered or safe).
Customized Gun
Sometimes, a person wants to ensure that their weapons are buried with them should they die, or at least not be useful to anyone else who might steal such a precious piece of equipment. You know how to ensure that a firearm will only work for the person it was intended for. You may add a component to any gun you craft using schematics that makes it unusable by any but the person it was made for. The owner must be identified on the tag.
Quick Hands
You are a master of the firearm- you understand every aspect of its maintenance and operation. As such, you no longer need to take a full rest between shots on the same barrel- you may reload after taking a guard pose for the space of one deep breath.
Natural Philosopher
Natural Philosophers have studied the physical world and how it operates. They have honed an acute sense of observation and analysis and are considered very knowledgeable individuals. Within the field of Natural Philosophy, students are taught to experiment and trust their senses in order to more fully understand and appreciate the world around them.
For details on how some of these skills work in detail, please see our write-up here.
Natural Philosopher
Perception
Your keen senses allow you to notice things others would miss. You may see Quest Tags or things Hidden by the Level 1 Finesse skill or other skills.
Observe
Your astute observations lead you to the truth of things. You may ask one OOC question of staff about a dead body (human or animal) that could be reasonably ascertained by observation. This power may only be used once per body by anyone as the body is moved and rearranged in the process of studying it.
Barber Surgeon (Faith)
Self-Aid
You have nerves of steel. You can grit your teeth through the pain and apply pressure to your own wounds. You are able to keep yourself from bleeding out. (NOTE: this skill requires the use of bandages)
Field Medic
Level 5 Skills
Trepanation
You know how to cut or drill a hole into the skull, and stimulate the brain in order to remove troublesome or painful memories. You can perform a surgery to remove one touchstone memory of your choice from an incapacitated or fully bound character so they do not have it when they come back. This can only happen to a victim once per event, attempting to do it a second time in the same event will kill them automatically. This surgery must be acted out, requires a medical professional tools, and can take no less than a minute.
Set Bone
You know how to re-break, straighten, and set limbs. You can repair minor maims that are acquired in play, including your own. Medical Professional Tools are required for this skill. The patient should wear a bandage on the healed body part for the remainder of the day, though the minor maim is returned to normal as soon as the skill is used.
Stitcher
Tentacles, claws and scaly flesh. You know how to attach Night Malefic parts to humans, either to yourself or to others. Preferably these changes are costumed. After a time, however, your body rejects these modifications. They last until death or for a season, whichever comes first. When they come off, the patient is left with a crippling maim until further healing or another stitching is performed. The use of this skill requires Medical Professional Tools.
Please refer to the body modifications page to review possible schematics and materials.
Plague Doctor (Fortitude)
Diagnose
You have spent many hours bent over sick beds. You can tell the difference between the various different types of boils, sores and pustules. You can identify what disease, poison, or alchemical agent is in a target’s body, including your own.
Pathology
You are skilled at cutting away necrotic flesh, draining humors, and applying the right ointments, tinctures, and salves to cure illnesses. You can remove diseases, potions, poisons and/or alchemical substances from a target’s body, including your own. This skill requires Medical Professional Tools and 15 minutes of appropriate roleplay to resolve.
Level 5 Skills
Humor Modification
You know how to fortify someone against the negative effects of alchemical substances. Through bleeding out the bad blood or altering humors, you allow a character to treat an attribute down effect as one level improved, whether that attribute down effect comes from an alchemical substance or through alchemical withdrawal. For example, a Strength down 2 potion that would normally drop a user’s Strength attribute by 2, would only lower it by 1, or a Faith down potion that would drop a user by 1 level would have no effect. This modification lasts until the subject sleeps. If the subject awakens before the alchemical agent has worn off, the effects return as normal. This skill uses Medical Professional Tools and you may use it on yourself.
Lacing
You have a collection of jars and vials filled with blood, bile and phlegm. This ability allows you to save the essential humors of a diseased person and apply this to an item. The Plague Doctor obtains these disease samples from victims encountered during the event (including theirselves if relevant), which are then stored for later use. (Turn in a disease card to staff in exchange for an item tag to be applied to a jar or vial). When someone touches the infected item they will contract the disease as normal for that disease. This item can only infect one person…though that person may in turn infect others.
Prophylactic Aromatics
The trappings of your profession, a beak-like mask filled with aromatic herbs, provide you with protection. So long as you are wearing a plague doctor mask, you are immune to all diseases. This skill requires a tagged plague doctor mask and costuming.
Survivalist
Cache
You can hide items under stones and brush, marking it to help you and those you choose find it later. You may stow items in a natural location (not inside a building) which hides them from passersby. Your cache must be marked with a Quest Tag that requires Survivalist of equal or higher level to discover. Please create this using the creation machine, which you can find under quest, and write your level of survival on the tag.
Tracker
Listening for the snapping of branches, sniffing for blood on the wind, and looking for tracks upon the ground, you track your quarry. Users of this skill may clap twice and use the call “Tracking”, and all within hearing range must respond with two claps of their own.
Level 5 Skills
Malefic Butcher
With knife and jar you collect your dark bounty, dripping with ichor and malevolent shadows. You can harvest an essential humor or body part from the corpse of a Malefic or human creature. Usable once per corpse within five minutes of their death, takes one minute of roleplay to complete. May not be used on specters without their corpse.
Discreet
You don’t tell people about your plans, and you know how to hide your work so as to remain invisible. You may not be made the target of Streetwise, and are not noticed by Organization Leaders when doing Downtimes in turfs and parcels their Organizations own.
Light Step
No one hears you come and go, and you leave no footprints in the dust. You do not need to respond to Tracking calls from humans or Malefic; Tracking calls with the Divine or Arcane qualifier must still be followed.
Alchemist
Hedgewitch
With mortar and pestle you work your wiles, crafting the most basic alchemical substances from herb and wyrd findings. You may assemble Simple Alchemy Schematics.
Apothecary
Your alchemical processes have become more complex, allowing you a wider range of possible creations with some added patience and courage. You may assemble Intermediate Alchemy Schematics. You are a respected practitioner of your trade, and any organization you have joined is pleased to have you staff their buildings and make use of their larger tools. You have the ability to staff or make use of apothecary specific buildings in the downtime
Level 5 Skills
Grand Alchemist
You have truly mastered alchemy, and there is no process too difficult for you to perform. You may assemble Complex Alchemy Schematics.
Alembic Lord
By the powers of distillation you can condense substances into a more powerful result. You may combine two of the same substance to create a single identical substance with the Potent quality.
Pharmacist
You know how to modify your alchemical creations to be purely beneficial, removing unfortunate negative side effects. You may choose to have substances with an Ability Boost not inflict withdrawals.
Streetwise
Whisperer
You know who to talk to to get the word passed around. Every Downtime you may submit a Rumor: a short sentence such as “Sarah is the one who stole the rations,” or “Mikael is the only priest the poor can trust”. This will serve as inspiration to the Rumor Mill, and though the wording of the Rumor may be changed when it is read aloud by the Town Crier, it will remain true to the initial Rumor’s intention. Further, as a Downtime Action you may designate one person to secretly tail and watch. You will be given a sheet that details all of that person’s Downtime actions, their results, and any Rumors they initiated.
Mice in the Walls
You’re always watching, or at least someone you know is. Once per game event you may approach the person you followed over the Downtime and ask them one OOC question about their activities during their goings on during the current game up to that point, such as “Where were you at midnight?” to which they must respond honestly.
Level 5 Skills
Dig Deep
Digging through trash, chatting up their friends, and studying your quarry carefully can lead you tofind elements of an individuals’ strengths, weaknesses, and darkest secrets. When you follow someone with Streetwise over a Downtime, you may discover an interesting Perk, Flaw, or feature of their backstory chosen by Staff.
Wide Net
You know people well enough to know when they don’t need to be watched, and have learned the art of observing one target while the other sleeps or works. You may follow 2 individuals per Streetwise Downtime action.
Spin Doctor
You know what everyone is talking about, and can shape the narratives to fit your own ends. One week before each game event you will receive a list of five of the Rumors in the Rumor Mill, plus any rumors originating from the person you followed with the Streetwise Downtime action. You may select one of these Rumors to change in the Rumor Mill before it reaches the Town Crier.
Willpower
The Willpower skill tree encompasses the talents of self control and determination. The drive for these skills comes from within, and all branches have some form of Attribute prerequisite.
Willpower
Steady
Your strength and steadfastness are what keeps you fighting. Once per scene you may resist Weaken or Stun combat attack calls.
Teacher
Having studied your specialty for many years, you are willing to share your knowledge with confidence and pride, passing on your skills to those who wish to learn. You are able to teach a group of up to three people one of your skills with a scene at game.
Academics (Intellect)
Archaeologist
You can leverage your knowledge to know where best to dig and explore, and how to avoid damaging what you uncover. You may use the Archaeology individual downtime action to get an archaeology scene at game. Additionally, the character will get better results when scanning/scavenging artifacts at game.
Lore Master
You can draw inferences from other texts you’ve read and your own banks of knowledge. You may glean more information from artifacts and historical texts. This will appear as hidden or secondary text on the object that may only be read with someone that has this skill.
Level 5 Skills
Forgery
You know how to tell the genuine article from even a skilled reproduction. With this skill, you can determine if documents or artifacts are fakes and may forge documents or artifacts yourself. The veracity of a text is additional information available to you through a staff question regarding the artifact or lore document mod number if you have this skill. Forging a document or artifact takes one use of a forgery kit and the forged item will have a mod number assigned by staff, as most lore documents do. Artifacts and lore documents missing their mod number may take additional time to research.
Linguist
You have a knack for languages, and pick them up more easily than others. You have the ability to gain additional languages that you have a teacher for. Language XP cost is variable depending on the category of the language. Generally, languages fall into three categories, Common, Obscure, and Lost. When you buy this skill you get to choose an additional common language, or any that you have a teacher for, for free.
Adventurer
You believe if you want to be a good archaeologist, you’ve got to get out of the library. Your vast web of knowledge grants you the confidence you need to try a risky archeological delve. There’s always another secret, and you’re sure you can find it. You may use your individual downtime to slip in the ruin alone and try your hand at getting some treasure over the downtime. Using a downtime on a ruin will roll on a random table that may result in:
- A new injury or maim
- A new insanity or flaw.
- Great riches or rewards
- A Lore discovery
Ruins have a randomized number of times that they can be used.
Occult (Faith)
Proverbs
You know the words and tenets of your faith, and use it as a shield against temptation. By quoting a religious text of your chosen religion aloud, you may expend your Steady call to negate any calls that would cause you to sin or otherwise violate the edicts of the quoted religion, as long as the same text is not repeated in the same scene.
Hearten
Through the observation and practice of your faith or taking solace in the company of your friends, you gain inner peace. You may expend your Prayer or Confide to get rid of Traumatized or Misery, though you still must complete a Dedication or discussion with another about the source of your Trauma as appropriate. You may use this skill even if Trauma would otherwise prevent you from using it.
Level 5 Skills
Potent Soul
By remaining pure, the divines smile more upon you than other common men for you are unsullied and of strong will. If you have no Depravity, you may reduce the Vulgarity of any Rituals you participate in as a main target or performer by 1.
Fervor
You become inspired by the tenets of your faith, riding the wave of your zeal to accomplish great feats. With study and recitation of a piece of scripture for no less than 5 minutes, the user gains the Hopeful state.
Zeal
Your faith helps you push through the dark times, a candle becoming a bonfire in your darkest hour. You may expend your Prayer or Confidence to get rid of Despair, though you still must complete a Dedication or discussion with another about the source of your Despair as appropriate. You may use this skill even if Despair would otherwise prevent you from using it.
Discipline (Resolve)
Fearless
You are not so weak-willed as your peers, and can push back against the terrors of the night and soul. Gain a Discipline (Defense against Fear, Terror, or one level of Insanity).
Driven
Doing what you believe to be right is essential to who you are, and you will not be deterred. You gain a refresh to Discipline when acting in accordance to your devotion.
Level 5 Skills
Mind’s Fortress
By gritting your teeth and asserting yourself in your own mind, you can focus on the task at hand without distraction. May expend Discipline to pacify a single insanity, regardless of severity, for the duration of a scene.
Strong Identity
Succeeding in your goals reinforces what you know to be true about yourself, strengthening your resolve and helping to push off distractions from your ultimate intent. Whenever the character gains a Personal Victory, they may downgrade one of their Insanities by 1 degree.
Undaunted
Your heart is hardened against the harsh realities of the world, and loss bothers you less than it does others. The character becomes immune to the effects of Personal Failures, except those resulting from Character Flaws.
Grit (Fortitude)
True Grit
Pain is inevitable, but failure is not. You refuse to allow the sensation of pain to stop you. Ignore the loss of combat skills while in the Battered state for one scene per day.
Tolerance
You’ve built up resistances to alchemical substances, perhaps through training, trial and error, or attempts on your life. You may choose to resist a non-potent alchemical substance once per day.
Level 5 Skills
Hearty
Your humors are in near-perfect balance and your body and mind are extremely healthy, and you are able to shrug off illnesses that would floor most. You may ignore Lvl 1 of a disease.
Thick Skin
You’ve trained your body to take a beating, and you are able to survive damage that would wreck the forms of others. Two hits to a limb are required to cause a maim while Battered. A torso will still be maimed if struck while Battered.
No Time To Bleed
You’re not going to allow some flesh wounds to stop you. You’ve got too much to do, and you certainly don’t have time to die. You may stabilize yourself when Downed without a bandage by applying pressure and reciting the Last Rites without interruption. If you are interrupted but not hit again, you may start over. Rather than die at the end, you are considered Battered.
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