Attributes and Skills

Attributes and Skills
Making a Skill Check
Whenever
your character needs to perform a task covered by one of his skills, you
generate a number by rolling a 20-sided die and consulting the bonus chart. The
number from the chart is added to the character’s attribute or skill value to
arrive at the action total, sometimes
also called the skill total.
Your gamemaster then compares your number to the difficulty number of the task
to see if your character succeeds or fails.
You’ll
note that the bonus chart goes higher than 20. How can you roll more than a 20
on one die? Torg allows
characters to sometimes reroll the die and add the second roll to the first.
High die totals over 20 become possible, giving characters large bonus numbers and
allowing them to perform the same kind of amazing and death-defying feats as
the heroes in adventure fiction. Whenever a Hero character rolls a 10 or a 20
on the die when using a skill that they have, they get to reroll. If the second
roll is also a 10 or 20, the player may keep rolling and adding if she wishes,
or she may stop if she’s satisfied with the total. The final total of all the
rolls is then used on the bonus chart. Mooks are not so lucky; they only get to
reroll when the player (usually the gamemaster) rolls a large total is still
possible, but less likely than it is for a Hero character.
Skill
Adds Versus Skill Values'''
Sometimes
people with similar amounts of training and experience nonetheless have
noticeable differences in what they’re actually capable of doing. Similarly,
there are cases where the new rookie proves to be just as good if not better
than the old pros. Situations like this are handled in Torg by using
skill values rather than skill adds to indicate a character’s overall ability
in a particular field. The number of adds in a skill can be used to gauge a
character’s level of education and experience in a field but his overall
capabilities are measured by his skill value. Characters who are more naturally
talented in a particular area, represented by a higher attribute value, can
have skill values as good as or better than characters with more skill adds but
a lower attribute.
Example: Both
Magoth and Terrill have a divination
magic skill value of 15, so they have similar
capabilities in the field. Magoth has Perception
11 and four adds in the skill while
Terrill has Perception 13
and two adds in the skill. Terrill has not put as much effort into learning divination magic or
has less experience with it than Magoth but his natural aptitude as represented
by his higher Perception attribute
makes up the difference.
Example: Barbara
is making a stealth skill
check for her Character. She rolls a 10, gets lucky and rolls a 20 on the
reroll so she gets to roll again, getting an 8 on her next reroll. The final
die total is 38. Barbara checks the bonus chart and sees that this produces a
bonus of +11. She adds this to her character’s skill value of 15 for an action
total of 26. The difficulty was only 15 so Becky tells Barbara that her
character was very successful. If Barbara had been rolling a skill check for a
mook, she would have rerolled after the 10 but would not have rerolled after the
20. Her final die roll total would have been 30 instead of 38 and the bonus
number would have been +9 instead of +11. Heros may also use Hero Points to
gain rerolls when generating action totals and the Hero and Drama cards in
the Drama Deck can also be used for this purpose. The rules for this can be
found in Chapters Four and Five.
What if Your Character Doesn’t Have a Skill?
Just
because a character does not have a particular skill does not mean that he
cannot perform tasks associated with that skill. When a character wishes to use
a skill he does not possess, his base attribute is used for the skill value. There
are drawbacks for attempting a task without having the appropriate skill; some
abilities are more difficult when used unskilled and some cannot be used at all
unskilled. Additionally,
when
rolling the die a character’s chance of getting rerolls is reduced. Heroes do
not roll again on a 20, only on a 10. Mooks never roll again. 
Example: Tina’s
priest, Father Wagner, wants to sneak up on a camp of warriors but he doesn’t
have the stealth skill.
In this case, Tina uses his Dexterity
attribute value. If she rolls a 20, she
does not get another roll because Father Wagner doesn’t have the skill. 
Skills
that are more difficult when used unskilled are indicated in boldface in the
Master Skill List. Skills that cannot be used at all unskilled are indicated in
boldface italics in the Master Skill List. The individual skill descriptions
will also specify if a skill is more difficult when used unskilled or if it
cannot be used at all
unskilled.
Some skills may penalize or not permit unskilled use of only a particular
ability that falls under that skill. Acrobatics
for example has two specific functions
listed, Vaulting/Springing and Falling. Vaulting/Springing can be done
unskilled at a penalty but Falling cannot be done at all unskilled. Skills that
have partial or separate restrictions like this are marked with a cross (+) in
the Master Skill List and the skill description will explain what part of the
skill is restricted.
Result Points and Success Levels
Most
of the time, a character succeeds at a task when their action total equals or
exceeds the difficulty number set by the gamemaster. But occasionally success
isn’t such a cut-and-dried matter; it may be a matter of barely squeaking by or
succeeding with flying colors. In these cases, the amount by which the action
total exceeds the difficulty number is called the result points of the
action. For example, if the difficulty number is 8 and the player generates an action
total of 12, she got four result points. Result points are often used to determine
the success level of
an action with the General Results Table in Chapter Four.
Active and Passive Skill Use
Whenever
a player generates an action total for their character that constitutes an active use of the
skill. Skill and attribute values are also used in some instances without
requiring the generation of an action total. This is called a passive use of the
skill. Passive skill use most often occurs during opposed actions, when
one character is trying to affect another character. For example, the difficulty
number for hitting someone with the unarmed
combat skill is the other person’s unarmed combat skill
value. The defending character passively uses his unarmed combat skill
to avoid being hit by the other character. Because passive use of skills occurs
most often during opposed actions, it is also known as passive defense.
Unskilled
Use Penalties'''
When
a character attempts an unskilled use of a skill, the gamemaster will assign a
modifier to the difficulty number of the attempt using the Difficulty Number
Scale found in Chapter Four. Depending on the skill being used and the exact
circumstances of the situation, the modifier should range somewhere from Complicated (+2) to Extremely Hard (+10).
As a rule of thumb, a complicated skill is one where it helps if you know what
you’re doing but it isn’t essential.  At
the other end of the spectrum, an Extremely Hard skill is one where it’s
almost, but not quite, impossible for an untrained person to figure out how to
do something. 
Round Skills and Macro Skills
Skills
use can occur on two different time frames. Round
skills are those that are used from round to
round, generating action totals each time the action is performed. Most skills
are round skills. A round in Torg is
ten seconds. Macro skills are
skills or uses of skills that require only one roll to determine the outcome
over a long period of time instead of requiring a skill check every ten
seconds. Examples include climbing
when used to climb in non-combat
situations and survival.
Macro skills are noted in their individual descriptions.
Normal Skills and Limited Skills
Skills
falls into one of two categories depending on how many activities it
encompasses. Normal skills encompass
a broad range of abilities; a character with a normal skill is able to attempt
to perform any task that falls under that skill. A character with Sailor for
example can pilot any boat or ship. Most skills are normal skills. Limited skills require
a player to limit their character’s skill to a specific type of ability or area
of knowledge covered by the limited skill. A scholar, for example, would have
the scholar skill
but it would be limited to their field of knowledge. Characters may have
multiple versions of limited skills, such as having both scholar (ancient civilizations) and
scholar (Norse cultures),
indicating that the character is knowledgeable in several different fields. Limited
skills are marked in this chapter with an asterisk (*) and examples of possible
fields are provided in the individual skill descriptions.
Skill Specializations
Characters
from fiction sometimes have a type of weapon with which they are particularly
familiar, or of which they are quite fond, such as Elric’s sword Stormbringer or
Green Arrow and bows. Sometimes characters have a singular item, such as the
Lone Ranger and his trusty horse Silver, with which they are particularly
familiar. These are specializations of
more general skills. Skill specializations are optional; characters do not have
to be specialized if the player does not want it. But they can help define a
character’s personality and behavior. Using the custom character creation rules
in Chapter Two a specialization could even count as a distinguishing
characteristic or a behavior tag. There are two types of specializations, type specialization and
trademark specialization.
Elric’s sword Stormbringer is an example of a type specialization with the melee combat skill.
The Lone Ranger’s horse Silver is an example of a trademark specialization with
beast riding.
Type Specialization
A
character may choose one type of
equipment (or animal or whatever), and specializes in that equipment. Think of
type as “make” or “brand” or “species.” The player spends one Hero Point to specialize
in a type. That character’s skill value is one higher when using that type of
equipment, though the skill add is not increased  for purposes of buying future adds. A skill
can only have one type specialization associated with it.
Trademark Specialization
A
character may choose one trademark
item, or animal, in which to specialize
by spending two Hero
Points. The skill value for that single item is increased by an additional two,
though adds are not increased for purposes of buying future adds. The item
cannot be replaced. If it is permanently lost or destroyed, the specialization
is lost, and must be bought again for another such item. Only one “trademark”
item may be specialized per skill, and if the character has a type
specialization as well, the trademark must be of that type. It is not necessary
though to have a type specialization before getting a trademark specialization.
If a character does get both they are cumulative, the trademark specialization
will be two points higher than the type specialization, which is one point
higher than the base skill. If the character only has the trademark
specialization, it is two points higher than the base skill.
Master
Skill List'''
Skills
listed in boldface are
more difficult when used unskilled. Skills listed in boldface italics cannot be
used unskilled. A cross (+) indicates a partial restriction on unskilled use.
An asterisk (*) indicates a limited skill.
 Dexterity	
 Strength	
 Toughness	
 Perception	
 Mind 	
 Charisma	
 Spirit	
 No Attribute
 Acrobatics+	
 Climbing	
 Resist Pain	
 Alteration Magic	
 Apportation Magic	
 Charm	
 Faith*	
 Arcane Knowledges
 Beast Riding	
 Lifting		
 Camouflage	
 Artist*	
 Performance Art*	
 Focus	
 Dance			
 Craftsman*	
 Conjuration Magic	
 Persuasion	
 Frenzy	
 Dodge			
 Direction Sense	
Mage Sight	
 Taunt	
 Intimidation	
 Escape Artist			
 Disguise	
Medicine	
 Training	
 Shapeshifting	
 Flight			
 Divination Magic	
Streetwise			
 Lock Picking+			
 Evidence Analysis	
Survival			
 Long Jumping			
 Find	
Test of Wills			
 Maneuver			
 First Aid	Willpower			
 Martial Arts*			
 Gambling	 			
 Melee Weapons+			
 Language*	 			
 Missile Weapons			
 Scholar*	 			
 Prestidigitation			
 Tracking	 			
 Running			
 Trick	 			
 Stealth			
 Sailor	 			
 Swimming+				 			
 Unarmed Combat+				 			
Improving Skills and Attributes
Improving
a skill costs a variable number of possibilities or takes a variable amount of
time depending on the character’s current number of skill adds or her attribute
value. The better the character is already, the more difficult it is to
improve. You improve a character’s skill one add at a time, i.e. if you want to
improve a skill from four to seven you would have to buy skill five, then six,
and finally seven. You may not skip steps, although you may improve more than
one level at a time if you have enough time or Hero Points.
Improving and Learning Skills with Hero Points
To
increase a skill Hero Points costs a number of Hero Points equal to the skill
add being purchased. Increasing a skill add from three to four would cost four
Hero Points. This increase is considered to happen immediately. The cost of
gaining the first add of a new skill depends on the type of skill and whether
the character has someone to teach him or her skill. For skills that can be
used unskilled, it costs two Points if your character has a teacher, five points
if self-taught.
Gaining
the first add of a skill that is harder to use unskilled or cannot be used
unskilled, a boldface or
boldface italics skill on the Master Skill Chart, costs five Points with a
teacher and ten Points if self-taught. 
Example: Juan
wants his character, Marco, to pick up test
of will. He cannot find a character that will
teach it to Marco so the first add costs five possibilities for being
self-taught. Juan is also interested in having his character learn divination magic, which
Alan’s character can teach him. It cannot be used unskilled, so the
first
add will also cost five possibilities even though he has a teacher.
Improving and Learning Skills over Time
While
spending Hero Points is the normal method by which players will increase the
skills of their characters, skills may also be improved or gained by the method
most people are familiar with, spending a lot of time studying, practicing and
learning. In fact this is the only way Mooks can improve their skills since
they don’t
Get
Hero Points, so this information is being provided even though player
characters will rarely make use of it. To calculate how much time must be spent
to improve a skill or to learn the first add of a new skill, a rough estimate
can be made with the following chart. Look up the Hero Points cost for the desired
add in the first column. The corresponding number in the second column is the
number of months that must be spent training to gain the skill add.
Cost Time
2        2.5
3          4
4          6
5
       10
6        15
7
       25
8        40
9        60
10
   100
If
times for higher costs are needed, the gamemaster can determine the time by
finding the measure of
the cost on the Value Chart in
Chapter Four.
Improving Attributes
Attributes
may also be improved, but at a far greater cost. An attribute may never be
improved beyond the attribute limits of the character’s race as given in
Chapter Two. Improving an attribute with Hero Points has its cost figured in
the same manner as improving a skill, but the cost is tripled.
Increasing an attribute from 10 to 11 would cost (11 x 3) 33Hero Points. As with
skills, the increase is considered to happen immediately. Improving an
attribute by training over time can be done but the method for calculating the
required amount of time is different than it is for skills. The value the
attribute is being increased to is the number of months that the character has
to train. So increasing an attribute from 10 to 11 requires 11 months of
training. The definition of a month is the same as for skills, eight hours of
effort a day for 25 days. Unlike skills though, this cannot be stretched out
over a greater amount of time, the 25 days of training must all occur within
the span of one calendar month. Increasing an attribute over time requires
intense effort and dedication, often at the cost of having time for doing
anything else. Olympic weightlifters and professional bodybuilders are examples
of the types of people who have this time— they do nothing but train. Most
people, especially player characters, will not have this much free time.
Skill Description Format
Each
skill is described in the following format. Not every skill will have all of
the fields indicated below:
Skill name (Limited
skills are indicated with an asterisk (*) for clarity.)
Use: If a
skill cannot be used unskilled, or unskilled use is at a penalty, it will be
indicated here. Macro skills are also indicated here.
Sample limitations: If
this is a limited skill, some examples are provided of the possible fields covered
by the skill.
Sample specializations:
Some
examples of possible type specializations for the skill are provided.
Attribute and Skill Descriptions
Dexterity
Dexterity is a
measure of a character’s speed, agility, coordination and reflexes. Almost all
of the physical skills are based on Dexterity.
Characters with a high Dexterity can
walk tightropes, do flips and somersaults easily and are good in combat.
Characters with a low Dexterity tend
to be clumsy, don’t move very fast and have a hard time in combat.
Dexterity-Related Skills
Acrobatics+
Use: Unskilled
use of Vaulting/Springing penalized; Falling cannot be used unskilled.
Sample specializations: Tightrope
walking, swinging on ropes, gymnastics, Vaulting/Springing, Falling
This
is the skill used by gymnasts and circus acrobats to perform their flips,
rolls, and falls. It can also be used for more practical purposes such as
leaping over obstacles, through narrow openings and knowing how to land from a
fall to reduce injury. Many martial artists, cat burglars and swashbuckling
fighters have use for acrobatics.
In game play, acrobatics has
two specific functions, Vaulting/ Springing and Falling. Most applications of
the skill fall into the Vaulting/Springing category.
Vaulting/springing: a
character skilled in acrobatics has
the ability to use the natural scenery to vault and spring over physical obstacles.
The difficulty number of such an action depends upon the obstacle.
VAULTING/SPRINGING CHART
Obstacle Difficulty #
Hopping
a fence 3
Swinging
on a rope 5
Grabbing
an overhang and swinging over a pit 8
Vaulting
or swinging over a tricky obstacle 10
Performing
a backflip 12
Bouncing
off an awning during a free fall to reach a specific destination 15
Falling: a
character skilled in acrobatics can
reduce the damage that he sustains in a fall. The difficulty number depends on
the distance fallen. Successful use of the skill indicates that any wound damage sustained
in the fall is reduced by one level (heavy
wound becomes a wound; mortal wound becomes
a heavy wound, etc.).
This part of the skill cannot be attempted unskilled. Rules concerning falling damage
are in Chapter Four.
FALLING CHART
Distance fallen Difficulty #
1
Story ()
3
2
Stories (16-)
8
5
Stories (31-)
12
Over
5 stories 15
Beast Riding
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill use for long-distance travel.
Sample specializations: Horse,
camel, unicorn, elephant, dolphin) or whatever other “beasts” may be used as
mounts in a land.
This
skill is used to ride horses, camels, and other mounts. When a rider first
climbs aboard an animal, he generates a beast
riding total using the mount’s Mind value as
the difficulty number. If this check succeeds, the rider gains control of the
mount and may proceed. If the check fails, the beast runs away, bucks, or
throws the rider off (at the gamemaster’s discretion).
The
rider must make a similar roll whenever a situation would spook the mount. The
difficulty of getting the mount to perform a specific task, such as jumping
over a fence, is determined by the gamemaster using the Difficulty Number Scale
and should be based on the animal and the task itself. Getting a horse to jump
a fence might be an Average task but getting a camel to perform the same maneuver
might be a Very Hard task, and it would be better to just let an elephant go
through the fence (elephants can’t jump.) Besides controlling the mount, beast riding can be
used to increase the animal’s speed with a speed
push (see Chapter Four) in place of the
animal’s own running skill.
The macro version of this ability, the forced march, will increase the animal’s
movement value by one with a successful skill check against the mount’s Mind. The
forced march will last for a maximum of three hours and can only be used once a
day. A character’s beast riding skill
can be substituted for a character’s dodge
and maneuver
skills while the character is mounted
in combat. If engaged in close-range combat while mounted, the character’s beast riding skill may
be substituted for the character’s normal defensive skill value. The difficulty
of all beast riding checks
is increased by 8 on an untrained/undomesticated animal.
Dance
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Ballet,
ballroom dancing, square dancing, tap dancing, choreographed dances
The
dance skill
covers a character’s ability to move rhythmically to music or song, in either a
free-form or choreographed manner. Dancing can be an important part of the
rituals practiced by many cultures as well as something done for enjoyment or
to entertain others. Performing a carefully choreographed dance routine, such
as a dance used as part of an important religious ritual, requires making a dance skill
check against a difficulty number determined by the gamemaster using the
Difficulty Number Scale. When used to entertain or otherwise evoke a reaction
in an audience, even if that audience is just your dance partner, dance uses the
rules given in the performance arts skill
to determine the quality of the performance and reaction of the audience. Dance only
covers a character’s ability to perform a dance, not design one; choreographing
a new dance routine is covered by the artist
skill instead of dance. Dancing
simply for personal enjoyment does not usually require a skill check.
Dodge
Sample specializations: By
type of ranged attack (missile weapons, etc.)
This
skill gives its user the ability to avoid ranged attacks. Dodge skill can
be used in one of two ways. Only one of the options may be selected by a
dodging character each round.
Passive dodge: during
each round of combat, a skilled character may use his dodge value for
the difficulty number of all shots aimed at him.
Active dodge: instead
of selecting a passive dodge, a character may actively try to avoid being shot.
characters who choose this option generate an action value with their dodge skill.
When rolling for the total, any bonus number generated which is less than +1 is
treated as a +1. The action total becomes the difficulty number for all shots
taken at the defending character.
Example: A squad
of town guards attacks Alan’s character, Terrill the magician. Terrill has a dodge value of
11. During each combat round he can either passively dodge, in which case the difficulty
number for all the bow shots the town guards aim at him is equal to Terrill’s dodge skill of
11 or he can actively dodge, in which case Alan generates a dodge total,
with bonuses less than +1 being treated as +1. Alan decides that Terrill will
actively dodge and rolls a 7, which on the bonus chart is a result of -2. Since
this is less than +1 it is ignored and Alan instead adds one to Terrill’s dodge value, to
arrive at an action total of 12. Terrill’s active dodge will always be at least
12 and could be considerably higher if Alan rolls well.
Escape Artist
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Types
of restraints (such as ropes, chains) This skill gives the character the
ability to manipulate her body so as to be able to slip free from otherwise
secure bonds by twisting, contorting, and writhing her body into a variety of
“impossible positions”. A character with this skill may attempt to escape from almost
any sort of confinement that physically restrains the body, so long as the
character is not completely immobilized. The skill also allows a character to
fit into and through spaces that would normally be too small or confined for a
character. The gamemaster should adjust the difficulty of any escape attempt if
it is occurring under any unusual conditions, such as if the character is
underwater, locked inside a steamer trunk, has a bundle of TNT strapped to her
body or is in any other way not operating under optimal conditions.
ESCAPE ARTIST CHART
Restraint Difficulty number
Ropes
10
Chains
12
Multiple
bindings +2 to highest DN
Size of space compared to character
Three-quarters
13
One-half
18
One-quarter
25
Flight
Use: May be
used unskilled, but only by characters capable of self-powered flight. Macro
skill use for long-distance travel.
Sample specializations: Types
of maneuvers (speed push, dive bombing, gliding, etc.)
This
skill is a measure of a character’s ability to move through the air under her
own power. 
Characters
who possess a non-innate ability to move through the air, such as those who use
a magical flight spell also use this skill. Flying characters can use the skill
to increase their movement value with a speed push (see Chapter Four) and it
can be substituted for the character’s dodge
and maneuver
skills while the character is in
flight.
Lock Picking+
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled without the appropriate tools. Unskilled use with tools
penalized. Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Door
locks, padlocks, chests
This skill gives its user the ability to
surreptitiously open locks with physical tumblers and mechanisms. The use of
the lock picking skill
requires a set of picks or tools, though a skilled character can improvise
tools out of hairpins, fishbone, etc. Unskilled characters cannot improvise and
so are unable to use lock picking if
they do not have a proper set of tools. Some types of locks, Locks that do not have
physical mechanisms for the character to manipulate, such as a magical ward,
cannot be defeated with this skill. Magical wards fall under the divination magic skill.
Lock picking cannot
be used to disarm traps and alarms that may be around or attached to locks, but
a character can detect the presence of an alarm or trap on a lock by making a
successful skill check against the difficulty of the lock itself. Disarming the
trap or alarm will require the use of another skill
LOCK PICKING CHART
Sample locks Difficulty
Typical
interior residential door 5
Padlock,
exterior door 10
Chest
13
Modifiers
Poorly
constructed lock -3
Well
constructed lock +2
No
short time limit -3
Specialized
tools -1 to -5
Long Jumping
Sample specializations: Standing
broad jump, running long jump. This is the ability to leap and jump over its,
chasms, and other obstacles. Every character has a jumping limit value (see
Chapter One) which represents how far they can jump without much effort. The long jumping skill
helps characters jump farther than their limit value and to make jumps in less
than optimal conditions. Increasing the distance the character jumps is treated
as a speed push (see Chapter Four) while making difficult jumps that are within
the character’s jumping limit value is done against a difficulty number
determined by the gamemaster based on the circumstances. The following
modifiers are used when a character has to make a push roll with long jumping. The
gamemaster can also take them into account when determining the difficulty
number for non-push jumps.
LONG JUMPING MODIFIERS
Condition Modifier
Flat
surface to flat surface +0
Unlimited
landing area -2
Limited
landing area +2
Very
small landing area +4
Rough/unsteady
terrain +2 or more
Downhill
landing site -2
Uphill
landing site +4
Carrying
a heavy load +2 or more
The
jumping limit values in Chapter One assume that the jumper had the time and
space to take a running start. Standing jumps subtract two from the distance
value jumped. Being able to take off at less than full speed reduces the
distance value by one.
Maneuver
Sample specializations: Unarmed,
armed, balance 
This
skill represents a character’s mobility in combat. While its specific use is to
tire out opponents, it can also be used to put opponents off balance by “faking
them out” and provide the character with a tactical advantage. Maneuver is
defended against by the maneuver
skill.
Maneuver may also be used in some circumstances
like the acrobatics skill
for activities that involve balance, such as remaining standing on a rolling
ship’s deck during a bad storm or not slipping and falling while moving over
treacherous terrain.
Melee Weapons+
Use: Active
defense cannot be attempted unskilled, passive defense and attacks can be done
unskilled.
Sample specializations: Knife,
sword, club, axe, Florentine fighting, shield defense, improvised weapons
This
skill measures a character’s ability to use all sorts of melee weapons, pretty
much anything that can be picked up and swung or jabbed at someone. A character
generates a melee weapons total
to hit with a melee weapon in combat. Melee
weapons also serves as the defensive skill
against unarmed and melee attacks, as long the defender is wielding a melee
weapon. If the defender is not wielding a melee weapon, then the unarmed combat skill
is used to defend against melee
weapons attacks. The skill can also be used to
make minor repairs to melee weapons as well as perform routine maintenance
tasks to keep a weapon in good working condition. Unskilled characters armed
with a melee weapon may attack and passively defend with their Dexterity but
cannot make an active defense.
Missile Weapons
Sample specializations: Bows,
slings, crossbows, shurikens, throwing knives, rocks, 
This
skill measures a character’s ability to use all types of thrown weapons and
simple mechanical and strength-powered projectile weapons. A character
generates a missile weapons total
to hit when attacking with a missile weapon. Dodge
is the defensive skill used against missile weapons. The
skill can also be used to make minor repairs to missile weapons as well as perform
routine maintenance tasks to keep a weapon in good working condition.
Prestidigitation
Use: Unskilled
Use penalized.
Sample specializations:
Stage
magic, card tricks, pick pocketing, concealing items 
This
is the ability to manipulate small items with slight-of-hand without attracting
any attention, frequently through the use of misdirection to distract the
target. Pickpockets and stage magicians commonly have high skill values in prestidigitation. Prestidigitation uses
the target’s Perception for
the difficulty number, or the target’s find
skill if she is on the alert.
Situational modifiers should be applied by the gamemaster as appropriate, some examples
are provided in the following chart:
PRESTIDIGITATION CHART
Situation Modifier
Watchful
target ready to catch the prestidigitator +4
Suspicious
target +2
Confused
or distracted target -3
Oblivious
target (such as someone who’s asleep) -5
Difficult
act (picking a zipped pocket, concealing a large or bulky object) +1 to +5
Easy
act (palming a small object, sliding a hand into one’s own pocket unnoticed) -1
to -5
The
success level of the prestidigitation total
determines how well the character did. If the prestidigitator earns a minimal or average success,
she successfully conceals or gains hold of the item, but is noticed by the
target. If she has a good success,
the item has been successfully concealed or taken without immediately alerting
the target. With a superior or
spectacular success,
the target will remain unaware for some time about what has happened. All failed
prestidigitation attempts automatically alert the target without acquiring the
item. Prestidigitation may
also be used in place of the trick skill
in situations where the trick involves slight-of-hand. For example, a character
that is cheating at cards could roll on his prestidigitation
skill instead of trick.
Running
Use: Macro
skill use for long-distance travel.
Sample specializations: Sprinting,
long distances
Running is primarily
used for speed pushes (see Chapter Four) when a character wants to move faster
than her running limit value as given in Chapter One. It can also be used as a
macro skill to determine how long it takes a character to run a certain
distance or how far she can get in a certain amount of time. It may also be used
to determine if a character can successfully run over difficult terrain. The
following modifiers are used when a character makes a speed push roll with running. The
gamemaster can also take them into account when determining the difficulty
number for non-push runs.
RUNNING MODIFIERS
Condition Modifier
Smooth
track -2
Rough/uneven
terrain +2 Or more
Yielding
obstructions (tall grass, brush) +2
Unyielding
obstructions (boulders, trees) +4
Uphill,
gentle grade +3
Uphill,
steep grade +5
Downhill,
steep grade +2
In
non-combat situations, characters can move at their full running speed for only
a short amount of time. For macro uses of the skill, reduce the character’s
running limit value by two for distances over and reduce it
by three for distances over (about three miles).
Timed
Movement'''
 
You
can find out the time value for how long it takes a character to move a
particular distance by subtracting the appropriate movement limit value (or
speed value if the character is moving at less than his limit value) from the
distance value, then adding five. That value, when converted through the Value
Chart in Chapter Four, is about how long it takes the character to cover that
distance. Characters can increase their speed above their limit value with a
macro use speed push, reducing the amount of time required, but they will
suffer the detrimental effects of the speed push at the end of their movement
(see Chapter Four for the details.)
Example: Paul’s
character Quin is trying to run a kilometer as fast as he can. His running
limit value is 9, reduced by two because of the distance involved, to a 7. Quin
does not have the running skill
so his Dexterity is
used to generate the action total for the speed push. Paul rolls fairly well
and Becky tells him the result of his speed push is a +2 bonus to his speed
value. This brings his speed value back up to 9.A kilometer has a distance
value of 15, so subtracting nine from that and then adding five produces a time
value of 
time value of 11 is 150 seconds, so the run takes Quin about two and a half
minutes. If Quin was not trying to run as fast as possible and just ran at his
running limit value, his time value would have instead been 13 which converts
to about six minutes. It takes longer, but Quin doesn’t suffer the side effects
from making a speed push. To calculate how far a character can travel in a
specific amount of time, the formula is only slightly different. The time value
is added to the character’s limit (or speed) value and five is subtracted from
that number. That value, when converted through the Value Chart, will be the
distance covered in that amount of time. For example, a character with a speed
value of 8 who runs for one minute (a 
time value of 9) will cover a distance value of (8 + 9 - 5) 12, which is
.
These formulas work with all of the macro use movement skills; beast riding, climbing, flight, running and
swimming.
They can also be used with Sailor
Stealth
Use: Macro
skill. May sometimes be used as a round skill.
Sample specializations: Concealment,
trailing, ambush 
Characters
with stealth can
sneak about or hide without attracting attention. Characters who use stealth are not
necessarily being quiet or invisible; the goal is to be unnoticed. A
character can stealth through
a large crowd of people and be in plain sight the whole time, but by “blending
in” she is able to pass through the crowd without anyone really noticing her
doing so. To use stealth,
the player generates an action total against a difficulty number equal to the Perception of the
character whose attention is being avoided. An alert target, such as an on-duty
guard, is usually harder to avoid and the difficulty number is instead equal to
the target’s find skill
value. Success means the character remains undetected, failure means she is automatically
detected. If there is more than one target involved, such as trying to sneak
past a patrol of two guards, the stealth
attempt is handled with the multi-action rules in
Chapter Four. If the character is being actively searched for, stealth becomes a
round use skill instead of a macro skill and the character will have to make
several stealth checks
to avoid detection. The conditions around the character can affect the
difficulty of attempts to use stealth.
The chart below lists some common modifiers. Keep in mind that some modifiers
can be negated by certain circumstances. For example, if a sentry can see in
the dark, the modifiers for darkness should not be applied.
STEALTH CHART
Condition Modifier
Rain,
sleet, snow -1
Dawn
or dusk, fog, trees, crowd, etc. -2
Night
-3
Inattentive
guards -3
Dense
concealment (jungle, large crowd) -5
Attentive
guards +3
Open
terrain +3
Broad
daylight, brightly lit area +4
*This
includes guards who are actively searching for the character.
Swimming+
Use: Speed
pushes may not be attempted unskilled. Macro use for long-distance travel.
Sample specializations: Sprint,
long distance
This
skill is a measure of a character’s ability to stay afloat and move in the
water. It is also used for speed pushes (see Chapter Four) when a character
wants to move faster than their swimming limit value as given in Chapter One.
As a macro skill it can also be used to determine how long it takes a character
to swim a certain distance or how far they can swim in a certain amount of
time. The following modifiers are used when a character makes a speed push roll
with swimming.
The gamemaster can also take them into account when determining the difficulty
number for moving in the water without pushing.
SWIMMING MODIFIERS
Condition Modifier
Calm
water -2
Rough
water +2
Strong
undercurrent +2
Dangerous
undercurrent +4
Inappropriately
dressed +2
Carrying
a heavy load +2 or more
Swimming
equipment (fins, water wings, etc.) -1 to -5*
Character
can breathe water -5
In
non-combat situations, characters can move at their full swimming speed for
only a short amount of time. For macro uses of the skill, reduce the
character’s swimming limit value by two for distances over and reduce it
by three for distances over (about two miles).
Unarmed Combat+
Use: Active
defense cannot be attempted unskilled, passive defense and attacks can be done
unskilled.
Sample specializations: Punching,
kicking, grappling
This
skill represents proficiency in normal types of hand-to-hand fighting: boxing,
barroom brawling, wrestling, popular forms of martial arts like Judo and
Karate, etc. A character’s unarmed
combat total is used to see if he hits
whenever the character is fighting without a weapon; his Strength serves as
his base damage value. Unarmed combat also
serves as a defensive skill against unarmed attacks as well as armed attacks
made with the melee weapons skill.
Unskilled characters may make unarmed
combat attacks and passively defend with their
Dexterity but
they cannot make an active defense.
Strength
Strength is a
measure of physical strength and power, though Strength does not
include the ability to take and absorb damage (that ability is covered by Toughness). Weight
lifters, wrestlers, and barbarians are examples of characters with high Strength values. Strength is used
to determine the damage value for attacks made with the melee weapons and unarmed combat skills.
Strength-Related Skills
Climbing
Use: Macro use
for long-distance climbing.
Sample specializations: Rope,
wall, mountain, cave
This
skill is used when a character wishes to climb or scale vertical or
near-vertical obstacles, be it a rope, ladder, wall or mountain. A successful
skill check indicates that the character climbs a distance equal to their
climbing limit value. Failure indicates that the character falls at the start
of that round of climbing. The base difficulty number for a climb is 8, which
is modified by the conditions of the climb. A character may choose to “be
careful” and climb at a speed less than their climbing limit value (given in Chapter
One), which will reduce the difficulty of the climb. Characters who miss a climbing check can
catch themselves and avoid the fall with a successful Strength check of
difficulty 12. Characters who fail to catch themselves will fall and may take damage
when they land. The rules for determining falling damage are in Chapter Four. Characters
may attempt to climb at a faster rate than their climbing limit
value by making a speed push (see Chapter Four) as part of their climbing skill
check.
CLIMBING CHART
Condition Modifier
Ladder
-5
Tree,
rough surface with plenty of handholds -3
Cracked
wall, lots of handholds +0
Wall
with handholds, natural rock +2
Flat
but not smooth surface +4
Smooth
stone, metal surface +7
Less
than 90-degree angle -2
Less
than 60-degree angle -4
Less
than 45-degree angle -6
Darkness
+2
Slick
surface +2
Rain
+4
Ice-covered
+5
Character
is pushing speed +2
Character
is being careful -2 Per -1 speed value
Climbing
equipment (ropes, pitons, etc.) -1 To -5
Example: Marco
needs to climb over a tall stone wall to break into a building. The base
difficulty of the climb is 8. The stone wall is flat but not polished smooth which
increases the difficulty to (8 + 4) 12. Its night, which further increases the
difficulty to (12 + 2) 14. Marco elects to take his time and be careful. He
will climb the wall at a speed value of 1 instead of using his full climbing
limit value of 3. By reducing his speed value two points, he lowers the difficulty
by four points down to (14 - 4) non-combat situations, characters can climb at their
limit value for only a short period of time. For macro uses of the skill,
reduce the limit value by one if they are climbing more than and by two if
they are climbing more than . If a character “fails” a macro climb, she falls
from a point with a height value two less than the top, which is about midway
in the climb. If the character catches herself, she is assumed to limp to the
top from there. Climbs in which there is a failure (but in which the character
catches himself) add one to the calculated time value of the climb.
Example: Magoth
and Father Wagner are both trying to scale a mountain peak. Father Wagner’s
climbing limit value is 3 while Magoth’s is 6 thanks to giants being bigger and
stronger than normal humans are. The top of the peak is high, a
height value of 16. Because of the height of the climb, both characters have
their limit values reduced by two. Magoth successfully makes his climbing skill
check. He did not push his climbing speed so his limit value remains at 4 and
is subtracted from the height value of 16. Five is then added, resulting in a
time value of 17, which is only forty minutes. He zips right up to the top! Father
Wagner however fails his climbing
skill check but does manage to catch
himself. The fall occurred at a height value of (16 - 2) 14, about up. His
modified limit value of 1 is subtracted from 16, five is added and then another
one is added because of the fall for a final time value of 21, about four
hours. Magoth has plenty of time to enjoy the view from the top before Wagner
arrives.
Lifting
Use: Can be
used as a macro skill for carrying heavy loads over a long period of time.
Sample specializations: Weight
lifting, load bearing. The lifting
skill is used to increase the amount of
weight a character can lift beyond their lifting limit value. This is
accomplished with a power push as
described in Chapter Four. A character who wants to hold up or carry a load
greater than their lifting limit value has to make a power push every round.
Characters do not have to make lifting
skill checks to lift an amount equal to
or less than their lifting limit value as given in Chapter One. For macro uses
of the skill, characters cannot carry an amount greater than their lifting limit
value. Lesser amounts can be carried but the heavier the load, the more strain
it can have on the character. The difficulty for macro uses of lifting is the
weight value of the load plus three. If the skill check fails, the character
carries the load to his destination but collapses from exhaustion upon arrival.
If the skill check succeeds, the result is treated as a power push to determine
any detrimental effects on the character.
Toughness
Toughness is a
measure of a character’s endurance, stamina and physical fortitude. It is most
often used to determine the effects of damage upon a character; whether she is
even affected by it and if so, how much of an effect it has on her. This
function of Toughness is
always passive;
characters cannot actively resist taking damage by generating an action total
with their Toughness. The
only way to increase a character’s resistance to taking damage, beyond
increasing their Toughness attribute,
is to have some sort of protective armor. This is covered in Chapter Four and a
variety of armor types can be found in Chapter Thirteen. Some creatures, may
possess natural armor that makes them more resistant to taking damage. A high Toughness indicates
someone with lots of energy, a healthy physique and the ability to shrug off
minor injuries. A low Toughness character
probably gets winded climbing a flight of stairs, catches colds all the time
and injures easily.
Toughness-Related Skills
Resist Pain
Sample specializations:
none
This
skill allows a character to temporarily ignore the detrimental effects of
physical damage. The character is not getting rid of the damage; its effects
just don’t bother him for a little while. The more severe the injuries, the
harder it will be for a character to ignore the effects. The skill can only be
used to ignore the penalties caused by wound damage; it cannot be used against
shock damage or knockout conditions. Because the skill represents a physical
increase in the body’s capacity to handle pain, it can only be used against
physical wound damage; it will have no effect on any penalties caused by mental
or spiritual wounds. The character generates a resist pain skill
total against a difficulty equal to 10 + his wound level and the results are
read through the power push table in Chapter Four. This result indicates how much
of a wound penalty the character can temporarily ignore. For example, if a
character is suffering from a -3 wound penalty and generates a result of +1 on
a resist pain check,
his wound penalty is temporarily reduced to -2.
This
skill cannot be
used as a macro skill as the pain can only be ignored for a maximum of ten
combat rounds, or until the character takes any more physical damage. Once the
effects of resist pain have
ended, the character cannot attempt to use the skill again until after he has
rested and healed some of his damage. At gamemaster’s discretion, the willpower skill can
be used in the same manner as resist
pain.
Perception
Perception measures
several abilities; how quick a character is mentally, how observant she is, and
how effectively she can use learned knowledge. Characters with a high Perception have
excellent memories and notice minor details others miss. Characters with a low Perception tend to
forget things and often overlook important information without realizing it.
Perception-Related Skills
Alteration Magic
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None
Alteration magic is
magic that uses existing matter and energy and changes it into a form or
condition more desirable to the caster. A spell that changes a character’s Strength attribute
is an example of alteration magic, it “alters” the pre-existing Strength of the
spell’s recipient. A spell that changes a character into stone is another
example of alteration magic;
the matter that makes up the character’s body is altered into a different
substance. Teleportation spells are another type of alteration magic, which
work by altering the target’s physical location rather than altering an
attribute or quality possessed by the target. The alteration magic skill
is used to cast alteration spells. Specializations are not allowed because this
is already covered by the magic system through the use of arcane knowledges.
Detailed rules for using alteration
magic and the other magic skills can be found
in Chapter Ten.
Camouflage
Use: Macro
skill
Sample specializations:
Using
natural cover, using man-made tools, by terrain type (arctic, desert, jungle, urban,
etc.)
The
camouflage skill
allows characters to conceal large structures and objects from distant
observers. Wagons, and even small buildings can be concealed using this skill.
This skill does not apply to a character’s ability to conceal her, which is covered
by the stealth skill.
Think of camouflage as
stealth or
possibly disguise for
anything other than the character. Camouflage
can be used to conceal other characters
from observation.
When
attempting to camouflage an
object, the character generates a skill total. This value becomes the difficulty
number for anyone trying to locate the concealed object with a Perception or find skill check.
The gamemaster can apply modifiers to this difficulty number based on the
surrounding terrain, the size of the object and the type and availability of
materials used to conceal the object. Some of the modifiers listed under the stealth skill may
also be appropriate. If the find total
exceeds the camouflage total
used to hide the object, the observer sees the object.
Craftmanship*
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample limitations: Swordsmith,
armorsmith, weaver, potter, tailor, cook
Limitation
chosen.
The
craftsman skill
is used to manufacture items of the appropriate limitation by hand.  A craftsman
can build or produce any item within
her limitation as well as repair the same items if applicable. The amount of
time involved will vary depending on the specific limitation, the item being
built or repaired and the materials available to the character. Forging a sword
for example may take a couple of days while cooking a small meal may only take
an hour or less. A seven-course banquet though may require as much time and
effort as the sword! In most situations, the gamemaster should call for only
one craftsman check
when repairing an item. When building a new item, the general rule is to
require one skill check per day of work. For items such as weapons and armor,
the item’s modifier can serve as an indicator of how many days it takes to
manufacture by hand. A short sword with a damage value of STR+3 would then take
about three days to create and require three craftsman
skill checks. Failing a check adds a
day to the process. Failing two checks in a row ruins the item and the
craftsman has to start over. A Spectacular
success will shorten the process by one
day. The base difficulty for craftsman
is 12. Items with modifiers add their
modifier to the difficulty. For items without modifiers, gamemasters should use
the Difficulty Number Scale to determine appropriate modifiers based on the
complexity of the item being produced or repaired.
Direction Sense
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Orienteering,
map reading, landmark recognition, sea navigation, specific locales.)
Direction sense is
the ability to determine relative positions between a character’s current
location, where she has traveled from, and where she is going. It is most often
used in wildernesses, at sea and in strange environments. The skill covers use
of maps, determining routes, finding the points of the compass (i.e., which way
is north), recognizing landmarks and estimating distances.
Instead
of forcing gamemasters to keep detailed maps of all the areas characters might
travel though, the rules for navigating a trip and not becoming lost are kept
abstract. Time is determined for the completion of a trip from one point to
another without getting lost rather than keeping track of how far a character
travels and in what direction. Should a character become lost en route, the
exact time and location it occurs during the trip can be determined by the
gamemaster as best benefits the flow of the story rather than stranding the
character somewhere boring. Whenever a character is in a situation where they
could become lost, the gamemaster should call for a direction sense skill
check. The base difficulty is 6 but any number of possible conditions can modify
this:
DIRECTION SENSE MODIFIERS
Condition Modifier
Clear
day +0
Darkness
(night) +2
Overcast
skies +3
Surroundings
obscure the view (forest, jungle, etc.) +3
In
the living land +3
Traveling
by vehicle +2
Traveling
on foot or mount +0
Character
familiar with area -3
On
minor roadway (back roads, rural areas, etc.) -3
On
major roadway (freeway, interstate, main city streets, etc.)
-5
No
distinctive landmarks (open fields, large bodies of water, etc.)
+5
Detailed
map of the area/route -5
Crude
map of the area/route -3
If
the skill check is successful, the character continues on her voyage. The
gamemaster should make additional direction
sense skill checks as seems appropriate over
the duration of the trip. To keep a trip from being just a boring series of
skill checks, the gamemaster should prepare a few minor, nonessential story ideas
that they can use along the route to liven up the experience. If the skill
check fails, the character may not initially realize that she is lost. If it
failed by more than three points, the gamemaster should assume that the
character travels a significant way off-course before realizing her mistake.
She will have to successfully determine her current location compared to where
she is supposed to be before she can try to back on course. This requires two
successful direction sense skill
checks; the first to determine her current location and the second to travel in
the right direction to get back on course towards her destination. If the skill
check failed by only one or two points, the character realizes that she has
become lost soon enough that she only has to make one successful skill check to
get back on course. Several direction
sense failures in a row can get a character completely
lost; the gamemaster should assume that after three or four successive failures
the character needs to make a fresh start in Order to get anywhere. The
character either needs some outside assistance (asking for directions, road
signs, acquires a map, etc.) or will have to stop traveling for a while and try
again after resting for a while, at least several hours. 
Disguise
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Costumes,
makeup, impersonations The disguise
skill gives a character the ability to
use makeup, wigs and costumes to appear as another person, or as a specific
person. It does not include the ability to speak or act like a specific person,
only their appearance. Imitating a person’s voice or mannerisms falls under the
performance arts skill.
To create a disguise, the character must have access to appropriate equipment.
Depending on the desired disguise, this could be as minor as a wig or a set of
appropriate clothing, or it may require the use of special makeup and elaborate
costumes to create a very different appearance, such as appearing taller or
shorter. When creating a disguise, the character generates a disguise skill
total. This total is then modified based on the circumstances of the disguise:
DISGUISE MODIFIERS
Circumstance Modifier
A
specific person -5
Opposite
sex -3
Different
race/skin color -3
Different
species, close resemblance (human as elf, etc.) -4
Different
species, some resemblance -6
Different
species, little resemblance (human as Dwarf, etc.) -10 or more
Great
age difference (+/- 30 years) -3
Much
larger build -3
Much
smaller build -5
Character
already bears a resemblance +3
Good
disguise kit +5
No
disguise kit -5
Using
disguise on
another character -2
This
final skill total becomes the difficulty number for anyone seeing through the
disguise with their perception''or find
skill. A Perception check is
automatically granted the first time that an individual meets the disguised
character. If that check fails, the observer is fooled and will only get to
make another Perception check
if the character says or does something that does not match his disguise. If
the check is successful, the observer realizes that the character is wearing a
disguise.
Divination Magic
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None
Divination Magic is magic
involving information gathering. A spell that lets a character observe distant locations
close-up is a type of divination spell. Communication spells are another type
of divination magic. Spells that block the obtaining of information are also
divinatory in nature. The divination
magic skill is used to cast divination
spells. Specializations are not allowed because this is already covered by the
magic system through the use of arcane
knowledges. Detailed rules for using divination magic and
the other magic skills can be found in Chapter Ten.
Evidence Analysis
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample specializations: Clue
analysis, physical evidence, forensic evidence, researched evidence, deductive
reasoning, puzzle solving, forgeries 
The
evidence analysis skill
measures a character’s ability to analyze physical evidence and deduce
information about events that occurred in the past. A detective might be able
to look at a room and guess how many people have been in it recently, for
example, or she might be able to look at an object and determine something
about where it was made. The skill may also be used to solve puzzles of both
the physical and mental kind. The evidence must first be detected, either
through the find skill,
player characters roleplaying a search or by being rather obvious, such as a
corpse in the middle of a room. Evidence may also be gathered by research
(another use of the find skill),
questioning witnesses or from analyzing the efforts of other investigators. The
difficulty of an evidence analysis skill
check is usually determined by the gamemaster using the Difficulty Number Scale,
taking into consideration the nature of the question(s) being asked and the
actual course of events that the character is attempting to deduce. In some
cases, an attribute or skill of another character may determine the difficulty.
For example, figuring out a riddle left at a crime scene might have a
difficulty equal to the Perception
attribute, or a skill such as scholar(riddles),
of the person who left the riddle behind. Some example difficulty numbers are
provided in the following chart:
EVIDENCE ANALYSIS CHART
Physical evidence Difficulty
Object
is familiar or evidence is fairly clear (a knife at a murder scene, lock picks
near an open door) 8
Object
is somewhat familiar or evidence is only partly clear (a bloodstain near a
closet where a body is hidden) 10
Evidence
is reasonably obscure (water stains on a carpet forming a faint trail from the
door to the window) 12
Evidence
is unusual or not obviously related (Window sill is cold indicating that
someone opened it recently) 15
The
success level of the evidence analysis check
should be used to gauge how much useful information the character receives from
analyzing the evidence. If the character receives minimal or average success,
she can identify all of the objects or physical evidence by generic type:
A
weapon, rope, a poison, or blood for example. If she gets a good success,
she knows precise information on the origin of the object, substance, or
evidence, and specific information on its type. If she gets a superior success,
she knows to what use all of the objects in the room were put. With a spectacular success
she can accurately reconstruct events from the evidence, fitting in all the evidence
to the explanation. Good players may be able to discover this information on
their own through roleplaying and solid induction. The gamemaster can encourage
such behavior by feeding them a quality level of information at a time when
they are on the right track.
Find
Use: Macro
skill. May sometimes be used as a round skill
Sample specializations: Gather
evidence, spot ambush, search, and reconnoiter
This
is the ability to find hidden or concealed objects or persons. It is also used
to recognize something as unusual if it is in plain sight, such as a footprint
at a crime scene or the fact that someone is wearing a disguise. Many times the
difficulty of a find skill
check will be based on an attribute or skill used by another character, such as
stealth, camouflage and
disguise.
For objects that have not been deliberately concealed, the gamemaster should
use the Difficulty Number Scale to determine an appropriate difficulty for
locating the item. If the character successfully beats the difficulty with
their find skill,
they spot the object.
Find
versus Stealth'''''
The
stealth skill
says that the difficulty of sneaking past a character is that characters find skill
value. The find skill
says that the difficulty of detecting a stealthing character is that
character’s stealth skill.
Which character makes the skill check, the one trying to be sneaky or the one
trying to be observant? In situations where the skills are being used as macro skills,
it’s easiest to let the player character be the one who makes the skill check
with a difficulty number equal to the opposing skill value of the non-player
character. So if a player character is trying to sneak by a guard, she makes a stealth skill
check against the guard’s perception''or find
value. If a non-player character is
trying to sneak past a player character, the player character makes a Perception or find skill
check against the non-player character’s stealth
skill. When events are in round play,
such as when a character tries to hide from someone actively searching for him,
it should be treated in the same manner as a combat situation. A character can
choose to actively or passively “defend” with their appropriate skill against
the “attack” being made by the other character. 
First Aid
Use: Macro
skill. May be used in round play to prevent death from injuries
Sample specializations: Fatigue,
unconsciousness, wounds. This skill measures a character’s ability to quickly
diagnose and treat traumatic wounds, keeping characters alive and functioning until
they can heal. It is normally a macro use skill but it can be used in round
play under certain conditions. The difficulty of a first aid skill
check depends on the severity of the wounded character’s injuries. Gamemasters
should also consider applying situational modifiers based on the Difficulty Number
Scale when treatment is attempted in adverse conditions, such as on a
battlefield or without anything resembling a first aid kit. Wound levels are
explained in Chapter Four.
FIRST AID CHART
Wound level Difficulty
Shock
damage only 8
K,
O, KO condition 10
Wound
12
Heavy
wound 13
Mortal
wound 15*
Dead
(four wounds) 18*
Dead
(five or more wounds) First aid not
possible
*These
two conditions can be treated in round play.
Successful
use of first aid during
round play will stop the bleeding caused by a mortal
wound and prevent the wounded character from dying,
but will not help the wounded character in any other way. A character at four
wounds can sometimes be saved by immediate emergency treatment (such as CPR and
similarly drastic methods). Successful first
aid treatment within one round of the
character’s “death” will improve her condition to mortal wound. The
injured character will still be bleeding so first
aid will need to be applied a second time
to treat that problem. When used as a macro skill, first aid will
remove all shock and
KO conditions and
reduces any action penalties caused by wound damage by one level (characters
with a mortal wound only
suffer heavy wound penalties,
characters with a heavy wound only
suffer wound penalties.)
It does not reduce the wound level, only the penalty. The penalty reduction is
temporary and will go away the next time the character that takes any damage. Each
character attempting first aid on
wounded characters is only allowed one attempt per victim per day. If this
attempt fails, he must wait until the next day (though someone else could try
to aid the victim today). Characters that have only taken shock and KO conditions can be
treated as often as necessary.
Gambling
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill. May be used in round play to simulate highly
competitive gambling.
Sample specializations: Specific
games of skill, specific games of chance 
Gambling is the
ability to successfully play the odds in games of skill and chance against
other people. The two types of games are handled in separate ways since one is
based on the character’s active participation in events while the other
involves wagering on random chance or on the abilities of someone other than
the gambler. In games of skill, such as most card games, each participant in the
game makes a gambling skill
check and the character with the highest total wins. For a more dramatic,
back-and-forth game of
gambling, the
skill can be used in round play and combined with the use of other skills such
as trick, test of will and
prestidigitation where
the gamblers attempt to influence the odds more in their own favor. In games of
chance, the gambler tries to predict the outcome of an event that she is not
directly involved in, such as picking who will win a fight or the determination
of random numbers in games. In these games, the gambler makes a gambling skill
check against a difficulty determined by the gamemaster based on the odds of
winning using the Difficulty Number Scale.
Cheating: The gambling skill can
be used to detect cheating in both games of skill and games of chance. It does
not allow a character to cheat though, which has to be done with other skills. Prestidigitation,
for example, can be used to roll loaded dice or “stack the deck” in a card game
without anyone noticing. The trick skill
could also be used for the same effects. In games of skill, the difficulty to
detect cheating is the skill value generated by the cheater. In games of
chance, the gamemaster should set the difficulty using the Difficulty Number
Scale based on the difference between the normal odds and the illegitimate odds.
Land Vehicles
Use: May be
used as a macro skill.
Sample specializations: chariot,
wagon, carriage, sled
This
skill reflects a character’s ability to operate, pilot and make minor repairs
to all types of wheeled, or sled based Vehicles. The difficulty of any
particular driving task is determined by the gamemaster using the difficulty Number
Scale. The land vehicles skill
is also used to increase a vehicle’s speed beyond its normal capabilities. This
is accomplished with a speed push similar to the type characters can do with
their own movement rates. All vehicles have a speed
value that is essentially the same as a
character’s limit value. It is not the maximum possible speed of the vehicle,
just the maximum speed possible without putting stress on the vehicle’s
structure. The rules for speed pushes can be found in Chapter Four. The macro
use of this skill is handled with the same rules that apply to the macro
movements of characters in the “Timed movement” sidebar. In vehicle combat, a
driver’s land vehicles skill
is used in place of combat skills such as dodge
and maneuver.
In the case of a vehicle being attacked by someone using melee weapons or unarmed combat while
the vehicle is in motion, the pilot’s land
vehicles skill substitutes for the normal
defensive skill values. Animal-drawn land vehicles are normally controlled with
this skill instead of beast riding since
being attached to the vehicle restricts the animal’s free movement. Under
appropriate circumstances, gamemasters may allow characters to use beast riding in place
of land vehicles.
Language*
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled though linguistics can be used in its place. Macro skill.
Sample limitations: English,
French, Gaelic, Norse
Sample specializations: reading,
writing, archaic, formal
Language gives the
character the ability to speak another language (characters do not need the
skill for their native language.) It can be taken multiple times to represent
the ability to speak several additional languages. As a macro skill, language skill
checks usually only have to be made once per conversation, players do not have
to roll every time their character says or hears something in a foreign
language.
To
speed play even further, gamemasters may wish to assume that a character’s base
language skill
value represents the character’s normal level of fluency in the language and
skill checks are only required when the character needs to communicate “above
her level”. The following charts can be used to gauge a character’s fluency and
the difficulty numbers for communicating at a certain level of fluency:
Language
Types'
The
number of different languages in Torg
that are available under the language skill is
being left for each gaming group to decide on their own. Having to work through
a communications barrier can provide some interesting roleplaying challenges.
But it can also slow down play and hinder the flow of the action. How both
sides of the equation get balanced will depend on how each group wants to play
it.
LANGUAGE CHART
Fluency Skill value/difficulty
Minimal
8
Average
10
Good
12
Superior
15
Spectacular
22
Minimal fluency—Basic
phrases and important words, the type of things found in phrasebooks (“Please
help me, I’m lost.” “Don’t shoot!”)
Average fluency—Remedial
ability, knows basic grammar has a fair vocabulary of words and phrases (“Can
you recommend an inn?” “I need to find the nearest tavern.” “Don’t shoot, I’m not
dangerous.”)
Good fluency— Can
carry on a normal conversation with a little difficulty, still stumbles over
the occasional word or concept. Knows enough to get through normal, everyday
situations. Speaks with a noticeable accent.
Superior fluency— Knows
the language as well as the average native speaker. May still have trouble with
archaic or specialized words and ideas such as slang, technical terminology or
an offshoot dialect. Has a neutral accent.
Spectacular fluency— Has
mastered the language, is indistinguishable from a well-educated native speaker.
Speaks with a native accent.
Scholar*
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample limitations: Herbalisum,
Castle engineering, history, literature, art, religion, arcane, music lore, any
specialized field of knowledge.
Sample specializations: A
more specific area of knowledge within a limitation, such as a specific
religion 
The
scholar skill
represents a character’s knowledge in a specific field of study. In many cases
it represents “book learning”, academic facts and figures that the character
has memorized. Scholars are adept at using research libraries and remembering
or locating obscure facts. But it can also represent knowledge that the
character has picked up through experience and being knowledgeable in areas that
other people might deem “trivial”. Players may purchase the scholar skill
multiple times to represent additional areas of expertise for their character. Limitations
can be about as broad as the subjects in which universities typically offer
undergraduate degrees. A narrower focus within a field would normally involve a
specialization but isn’t required. If the player wishes to limit his
character’s knowledge to just a narrowly defined field she does not have to
take a broad limitation and then apply a specialization.
SCHOLAR CHART
Success level Information level
Minimal
General information known to most scholars
Average
More specific information but nothing obscure 
Good
A decent amount of obscure information 
Superior
Detailed information known only to experts in the field
Spectacular
Highly specific information known only by a few 
Trap Use
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled without the appropriate tools. Unskilled use with tools
penalized. Macro skill
Sample specializations: Detecting
traps, disarming traps, setting traps
The
Trap use skill
lets a character work with mechanical traps. A character with this skill knows
both how to set traps and how to defeat them. Specialized tools are often helpful
to disable traps but may not be necessary. Detecting traps usually does not
require specialized equipment. This skill does not cover things like opening locks
that involve physical tumblers and mechanisms; those are covered by the lock picking skill. Trap Use can get
the character open access to the lock, but not any farther. Difficulty numbers
for detecting traps can be based off of the Difficulty Number Scale or based on
the Trap Use skill
of the person who set the trap. Difficulty numbers for deactivating or bypassing
traps should be based on the Difficulty Number Scale.
Tracking
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample specializations: By
terrain type (mountain, desert, forest, jungle, urban)
This
skill gives its user the ability to follow a trail left by another creature or
vehicle. It combines the ability to notice details of the environment with the
processing of that information to recognize signs of recent or not so recent
passage A character using just Perception
or find
might see all the clues, but not put
the information together correctly. To use the skill, the tracker generates a
total against a difficulty number of 8. If the target tries to conceal her
trail, she generates a tracking skill
total of her own and this becomes the difficulty of following her trail. The
difficulty number of a tracking attempt
is modified by the following factors:
TRACKING CHART
Situation Modifier
Trail
is a day old +2
Trail
is a few days old +5
Trail
is a week old +8
Trail
passes through a trafficked area +
Tracking
during inclement weather +5
Tracking
over a hard surface (cement, rock) +10
Per
person being tracked -1
Tracking
through mud or snow -5
Tracking
a vehicle -5
Per
vehicle -2
A
tracker is required to make a new tracking
skill check every time conditions of
the trail change, such as the trail crossing from one type of surface to
another or a change in the weather. Gamemasters should consider requiring a
couple of skill checks be made for following any trail regardless of length and
even if none of the conditions change along the trail. As a minimum, following a
trail should involve three skill checks; one to find the trail and get started,
one along the trail, and one close to the end so that there’s a risk of losing
the trail.
Trick
Sample specializations: Misdirection,
distraction, non-verbal, feint, fast-talk
The
trick skill
is used to unbalance or fool a target for a brief period of time. Trick is most
commonly used in round play to put opponents off guard rather than as a macro
skill due to the short duration of its effects, but it can be used in macro
situations to cover a quick lie or deception. Trick
is also the defensive skill used
against trick,
though the willpower skill
could be used instead during macro uses of trick.
If the target does not have trick then
Perception is
used instead. The results of a trick
attempt are determined by using the Interaction Results Table found
in Chapter Four. When a character attempts to trick someone, the player should
specify to the gamemaster the effect he wants it to have on his character’s
opponent before rolling the die. This is known as the player’s call and lets
the gamemaster better judge the results of the trick.
The
gamemaster, in relation to circumstance and believability as well as the
player’s roleplaying ability, should modify trick
skill totals. If the character uses a
simple but believable trick he
should get a bonus to his skill total. If it’s something unbelievable or
inappropriate to the situation then a small penalty should be applied.
Sailor
Use: May be
used as a macro skill.
Sample specializations: Raft,
sailboat, ship
This
skill reflects a character’s ability to operate, pilot and make minor repairs
to all types of waterborne craft. The difficulty of any particular piloting
task is determined by the gamemaster using the Difficulty Number Scale. Sailor skill is also used to
increase a vehicle’s speed beyond its normal capabilities. This is accomplished
with a speed push similar to the type characters can do with their own movement
rates. All vehicles have a speed
value that is essentially the same as a
character’s limit value. It is not the maximum possible speed of the vehicle,
just the maximum speed possible without putting stress on the vehicle’s
structure. The rules for speed pushes can be found in Chapter Four. The macro
use of this skill is handled with the same rules that apply to the macro
movements of characters in the “Timed Movement” sidebar.
In
vehicle combat, a pilot’s Sailor skill
is used in place of combat skills such as dodge
and maneuver.
In the case of a vehicle being attacked by someone using melee weapons or unarmed combat while
the vehicle is in motion, the pilot’s water
vehicles skill substitutes for the normal
defensive skill values.
Mind
Mind represents
the character’s problem-solving capabilities, force of will and ability to
concentrate. A character’s “IQ” would be based primarily on her Mind, though Perception would
also contribute to it. Characters with high Mind
values can be found in professions that
require the application of knowledge and experience to analyze and figure out
new approaches to old problems or to solve new ones.
Mind-Related
Skills'''
Apportation Magic
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None
Apportation magic is
the magic of motion, the magic that moves an object or a quality from one place
to another. A flying carpet uses apportation
magic to move through the air. A spell that
gathers the ambient light of an area and concentrates it all in one place is an
example of apporting a non-physical object, the light itself is being moved by
the spell. A “haste” spell which allows a person to move faster is not an Apportation magic spell
because the spell is not conferring motion to the person; the ability to move
faster is a change to the character’s natural movement rate and so would be an alteration magic spell
instead. A spell which transferred a movement rate from one character to
another, slowing one character down to speed the other up, would be an apportation magic spell
because it is moving a quality from one location to another. The apportation magic skill
is used to cast apportation spells. Specializations are not allowed because
this is already covered by the magic system through the use of arcane knowledges.
Detailed rules for using apportation
magic and the other magic skills can be found
in Chapter Ten.
Artist*
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill
Sample limitations: Painting,
sculpting, fashion, music, writing, dance choreography, flower arrangement
Sample specializations: Specific
field within a limitation (writing poetry, composing music, watercolor painting,
etc.), forgery
This
skill gives its user the ability to create a work of art. “Art” is a broadly
defined category but for this skill generally refers to designing, arranging or
creating something which provokes a response from observers. Tastes vary and
not all artists will produce works for the same reason; some may want to
entertain and please, others shock, still others may try to communicate a
message with their work. Some categories that fit this definition of art do not
fall under the artist skill.
While dance choreography falls under this skill, the actual application of the
artist’s work is done instead with the dance
skill. Similarly, forms of art which
involve speaking, singing and anything else which involves performing for an
audience are covered by the performance
art skill. Creating a work of art generally
does not involve making an artist skill
check against a difficulty number. Because perception of art can be very
subjective, when a character creates a work the player generates an artist skill
total and that value is then used to gauge the effectiveness of the work however
seems most appropriate. A painting intended to invoke feelings of anger in the
observer could use the artist skill
value like the taunt skill,
while a song meant to convey a message and convince people of something could
use the artist skill
value like the persuasion skill.
As a general guideline, “good” or at least “effective” artwork should have a
skill total of at least 15. The amount of time involved in creating a work can
vary, anywhere from a few days to years. The artist
skill can also be used to judge other
works of art, perhaps to determine a monetary value, to detect a forgery or to gain
a better appreciation of the artist’s talent (or lack thereof.) The difficulty
of judging another piece of art is usually equal to the artist skill
value of the piece though gamemasters may adjust the difficulty of the task
depending on circumstances using the Difficulty Number Scale. Producing a
forgery of a piece of art will use the artist
skill.
Conjuration Magic
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None
Conjuration magic involves
the production or creation of something that did not previously exist. A spell
that allows a magician to produce and throw a fireball at an opponent without a
nearby source of flame is conjuration
magic because it is creating the fireball
from “nothing”. Similarly, a spell that animates a normally inanimate object is
creating life or at least a semblance of life where it did not exist before and
is therefore conjuration magic.
The effects produced by conjuration
magic do not have to be physical. A spell
that creates fear in a target when previously there was no fear is a
conjuration spell. A common use of conjuration
magic that produces a non-physical effect is
the creation of a pathway to another dimension; spells that summon creatures
from other dimensions are conjuration spells. These summoning spells
are
not creating a creature from “nothing”, they are creating a bridge across the
gap between dimensions, allowing access to the desired creature. Conjuration magic can
also be used for the reverse effect, destruction instead of creation. Instead
of creating something from “nothing”, “nothing” is created from something. A
disintegration spell that completely eliminates a target from existence is conjuration magic.
Spells that banish summoned creatures back to their home dimension work by
destroying the bridge that allows the creature to cross over in the first
place. Without that bridge, the creature reverts back to its own dimension. The
conjuration magic skill
is used to cast conjuration spells. Specializations are not allowed because
this is already covered by the magic system through the use of arcane knowledges.
Detailed rules for using conjuration
magic and the other magic skills can be found
in Chapter Ten.
Medicine
Use: Unskilled
use penalized.
Macro
skill. May be used in round play as per first
aid.
Sample specializations:
(acupuncture, herbal medicine, etc.).
Medicine is used
to help a damaged character recover and heal from her physical injuries. Its
can represent a wide range of medical treatments, ranging from traditional “western”
treatments, acupuncture, herbal medicine, or other similar treatments for the
sick or injured. It can also be used in place of the first aid skill for
quick treatment of injuries. In play medicine
has two primary uses. 
MEDICINE CHART
Wound level Difficulty #
Wound
15
Heavy
wound 17
Mortal
20
If
the medicine skill
check is successful, it is treated like a power push (see Chapter Four again)
and the power push result is added as a bonus to the injured character’s
recovery check. If the check is not successful, the injured character makes a
normal recovery check - there is no penalty for a failed medicine check.
Only one medicine check
may be made per day on a character.
Streetwise
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Normally used as a macro skill.
Sample specializations: Specific
urban location, street gangs, criminal organizations, survival, black markets
Streetwise is used
to get information, goods and/or make contacts in urban areas large enough to
support a “shadowy” side of life. It can also be used like the survival skill for
finding food, water and shelter in urban areas. When attempting to gain
information with the streetwise skill,
the difficulty is based on the size of the city the character is in and modified
by the legality of the information being sought:
STREETWISE CHART
Condition Difficulty/modifier
Large
city 8
Small
city 10
Town
12
Small
town 13
Very
small town 15
Legal
information -5
Semi-legal
-2
Illegal,
but generally inoffensive (asking how big of a bribe is appropriate for local
law enforcement) +0
Illegal
(seeking out a pickpocket) +2
Very
illegal (seeking out a safecracker) +4
Highly
illegal (seeking an arms smuggler) +7
Strict
law enforcement +5
Moderate
law enforcement +4
Light
law enforcement +2
Little
enforcement of the law +0
Corrupt
law enforcement -
Survival
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Specific
type of terrain or climate (desert, forest, arctic, mountains, urban, etc.)
Survival is the
ability to find shelter, procure food, water and other supplies, and avoid
natural dangers such as disease, sunstroke, quicksand or other environmental
hazards exclusive of creature encounters.
Each
general type of wilderness environment has a difficulty number listed on the
chart below. The first day a character spends in the hostile environment, she
makes a survival skill
check. If she succeeds, the result points earned indicate the number of days
she can remain in the environment before making another such check. Characters
who fail a survival check
must make another survival check
the day after their failure.
Failing
a survival skill
check means the character does not find adequate shelter, food or stumbles into
some kind of dangerous situation. This can either be roleplayed, such as
finding a way to escape from a patch of quicksand, or the gamemaster can assess
an appropriate amount of damage to the character that cannot be healed until a
successful survival check
is made or the character returns to “civilization”.
SURVIVAL CHART
Wilderness type Difficulty
Easy
environment (woods, grasslands) 3
Moderate
environment (aquatic, swamps) 5
Moderately
difficult (mountains, ghost town) 8
Difficult
environment (high mountains) 10
Barren
environment (desert) 12
Inhospitable
environment (tundra) 13
Hostile
environment (arctic) 15
Test of Wills
Sample specializations: None
Test of wills, often
shortened to just test, is
used to unbalance an opponent by pitting their confidence against the tester’s
confidence and resolve. A successful test
causes the opponent to doubt that his own
determination or that his control of a situation is equal to that of the
testing character. Two drivers playing a game of “chicken”, for example, are engaged
in a test, In
westerns, a gunfight always begins with the two gunslingers staring each other down,
trying to take each other’s measure. This is an example of test being
used in a combat situation, each gunslinger showing his resolve to see things
through and confidence in his own ability to draw and shoot first. Test is not
the same as intimidation though
sometimes the line between the two is blurry. Intimidation
is more often based on an overt
physical threat, such as pointing a weapon at someone, or a display of violent
emotion. Test is
subtler, the character implying or creating an impression of being the one who
is calling the shots. Test is
the defensive skill used against test,
though in some situations the willpower may be
used to defend against test. Willpower cannot
be used to perform a test though;
characters without the test skill
must use their Mind attribute.
The exact results of a test attempt
are determined by using the Interaction Results Table found in Chapter Four.
When a character attempts to test someone,
the player should specify to the gamemaster the effect she wants it to have on
her character’s opponent before rolling the die. This is known as the player’s call and lets
the gamemaster better judge the results of the trick. The gamemaster, in
relation to circumstance and believability as well as the player’s roleplaying
ability, should modify test skill
totals. If the character appears calm, cool and unruffled before and during the
test attempt,
she should get a bonus to her skill total. If the character is nervous, panicky
and obviously not in control of a situation then a penalty should be applied.
Willpower
Use: Normally
a macro skill.
Sample specializations: Specific
defense (against charm, against
persuasion, against
hypnosis, etc.),
ignoring pain, self-control, disbelieving illusions Willpower represents
a character’s strength of mind and ability to remain true to a decision or
course of action. It is most often used as defense against character
interaction skills such as charm and
persuasion and
in some cases other interaction skills like trick,
test, taunt and intimidation.
For the latter skills, willpower can
only be used as a defense against macro uses of those types of interactions;
during round play the normal defenses must be used. This is because during
round play characters must react based on their instincts and do not have time
to apply their willpower to
the situation. Similarly, willpower
may be used to disbelieve the existence
of illusionary magic, but only outside of round play. During round play disbelieving
illusionary magic defaults to the character’s base Mind attribute.
See Chapter Ten for more information on disbelieving illusionary magic. Willpower may be
used as an active skill in situations where the character faces a difficult
temptation, needs to control an impulse or has to overcome a natural reaction
or instinct.
Charisma
Charisma measures
the strength of a character’s personality: not just how likable she is but also
how effectively she can communicate and her ability to form a bond or connection
with someone. Charisma can
be used to gauge a character’s attractiveness but is not necessarily an
indicator of physical beauty, rather the combination of personality and
appearance. Characters whose professions involve communication, swaying opinions
or convincing people about something would want a high Charisma. Successful
salesmen, politicians, actors and teachers are examples of characters with good
Charisma values.
A low Charisma indicates
someone who appears unlikable, untrustworthy and probably unpleasant to be
around. They’re always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, have little
empathy for other people’s feelings and opinions and have difficulty expressing
themselves in ways other people can easily understand.
Charisma-Related
Skills'''
Charm
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample
specializations: Seduction, “making friends”, establishing trust, gaining
respect Charm represents
the ability to change the attitudes of acquaintances and onlookers. Characters
with a high charm value can turn enemies into friends and friends into devoted
followers. Characters generate a charm
total against the willpower or Mind value of
the target character. Successful use of charm
improves the attitude of the
target character toward the charming character. Failures with charm though
can make things worse! Charm can
require a significant amount of time; at least five minutes spent communicating
with the target if not longer. The more time spent on a charm, the more
effective it might be and the longer the effects may last. The complete rules
for the use of charm can
be found in Chapter Four.
Performance Art*
Use: Unskilled
use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample limitations: Acting,
singing, storytelling, public speaking,
Sample specializations: Specific
field within a limitation (singing opera, interpretive reading, dramatic
acting, comedic acting, etc.)
This
skill gives its user the ability to perform a work of “art”, which is broadly
defined as anything spoken, sung or otherwise communicated that is designed to
invoke some kind of response in the audience. For example, a public speaker may
want to convince people to support a certain political or moral position or a
singer may want to lift people’s spirits with an upbeat song. See the artist skill for
guidelines on how to determine the effects of a character’s performance. In
some situations a performer will be interpreting someone else’s work of “art”,
such as an actor performing from a script written by someone else. In cases
like this, two skill values are generated. The first skill value is for the
piece of art being performed; the second is for the performance itself. The
skill check for the piece of art will be an artist
skill check based on the skill value of
whoever created the artwork. The second skill check will be the performance art skill
check of the performer. The lower of the two values is then used to gauge any
reactions or effects of the overall performance. The individual totals can also
be used to determine any reactions to the individual components of the performance.
Persuasion
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample specializations: Con,
bargain, diplomacy, negotiation, interviewing, salesmanship Persuasion is the
ability to convince or sway an acquaintance or onlooker. The exact nature of
what it is the character wants the target to do can be almost anything; buy a
product from the character, answer a question, do the character a favor, loan
the character something, change their opinion about something to match the character’s
view, and so on. A character generates a persuasion
total against the willpower or Mind of the
target character. The difficulty may be modified by the gamemaster using the
Difficulty Number Scale based on the nature of what the character wants the
target to do. Generally the more that a target has to do, especially if it
might be dangerous, the harder it will be to persuade them. The attitude of the
target affects how successful a persuasion
attempt will be. If the character has
the time, it is usually a good idea to first charm
a target and improve their attitude
towards the character, thereby increasing the chance of a successful persuasion. The
complete rules for using persuasion
can be found in Chapter Four.
Taunt
Sample specializations: Non-verbal,
insults, sarcasm
Taunt is used
to make opponents upset and thus unable to think or act as clearly as they
normally would. Taunt is
normally used in round play to unsettle opponents, annoying or angering them to
the point that they act without thinking. Taunt
is also the defensive skill used
against taunt, though
in some situations the willpower skill
could be used instead. If the target does not have taunt then Charisma is used
instead. The results of a taunt are
determined by using the Interaction Results Table found in Chapter Four. When a
character attempts to taunt someone,
the player should specify to the gamemaster the effect she wants it to have on
her character’s opponent before rolling the die. This is known as the player’s call and lets
the gamemaster better judge the results of the taunt. Taunt skill
totals should be modified by the gamemaster in relation to circumstance and
appropriate nature of the taunt, as
well as the player’s roleplaying ability. Taunts
should be kept simple in most cases so
that that the meaning will be clear to the target. If the target doesn’t
understand the taunt, they
may not even realize they’ve been insulted.
Training
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample specializations:
Skills of a particular attribute
(Dexterity, Perception, etc.),
a particular set of skills (combat
skills,
knowledge skills, etc.), a single skill.
One
of the major factors in determining the cost for the first add of a new skill
is whether the person acquiring the skill is being taught the skill or learns
it on their own. Training is
used by a character to instruct another character so that they can acquire that
first skill add at the lower cost. One training
skill check is used to cover an entire
training session. When a training session begins, several decisions must be
made. First, if the skill is being acquired by spending possibilities the
amount of time spent on training must be decided. If the skill is being learned
over time, then the duration of the training session is equal to the amount of
time determined using the normal rules earlier in this chapter. One week is the
minimum amount of time required when spending possibilities, but spending more
time will decrease the difficulty of the training
skill check. The modifier is found by
subtracting the time value spent on training from 29, the time value for a
week, creating a negative modifier to the difficulty number. Second, the
teacher and the student must decide if they are training to the exclusion of
all other activities. If not, they are considered distracted which
increases the difficulty. If the skill is being learned over time, the distracted penalty
applies if the training does not occupy at least eight hours a day and 25 days
out of a month’s time. Third, if the skill is being acquired using
possibilities the student must decide if she is committed to
learning the skill. Being committed
means that at the end of the training
session the character can and will purchase the first add of the skill even if
the teacher fails his training skill
check. In other words, the character has enough possibilities to pay the
self-taught cost for the first skill add and will pay that cost if the teacher
fails.
A
character who is not committed can
choose whether or not to buy the first add of the skill at the self-taught cost
if the teacher fails his skill check. If the skill is being learned over time,
the student is automatically considered to be committed
but the only effect this has is to
reduce the difficulty number. If the training
skill check fails, the student does not
learn the skill. At the end of the training session, the teacher makes a training skill
check against a difficulty of 8, modified by the following conditions:
TRAINING CHART
Condition
Modifier
Teacher
has skill at only one add +2
Teacher
or student is distracted +4
Teacher
and student are distracted +5
Student
is committed -3
Skill
can be used unskilled at a penalty +2
Skill
cannot be used unskilled +4
Skill
is not native to teacher’s or student’s reality +5
Skill
is not native to teacher’s and student’s reality +7
Training
session longer than one week (only when
spending
possibilities to learn skill)
29
- Time value
Example: Terrill
is going to teach Marco divination
magic. They decide to spend two weeks on it
rather than the minimum of one week. Marco is going to devote all of his time
to learning the skill but Terrill has other things he needs to do so the
teacher is considered distracted. Marco
really wants to learn the skill so he is committed
to learning it. Terrill only has one
add in divination magic and
the skill cannot be used unskilled. The base difficulty for Terrill’s training skill
check is 8. It is modified by +2 for Terrill only having one add, +4 for
Terrill being distracted, -3
for Marco being committed, +4
for being unusable unskilled and two weeks is a time value of 31 so (29 - 31) a
-2 modifier for that. The final difficulty is 13. Unfortunately, Terrill only
generates a skill total of 12 and fails. Because Marco was committed, he has to
buy the skill add at the self-taught cost, which is 10 possibilities instead of
the five he would have paid if Terrill had succeeded.
Spirit
Spirit represents
the force of a character’s personality. Unlike Charisma, Spirit does
not relate to how well a character communicates with others but how well they
communicate at others.
Spirit represents
the “backbone” of a character’s personality, the power of their beliefs and
convictions, their ability to impose their thoughts and opinions onto other
people and even onto the world around them sometimes.
Faith*
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample limitations: Celtic,
Christian, Fey, Judaism, Norse
Sample specializations: None.
Faith measures
the strength of the character’s religious beliefs and convictions. In game
play, faith is
most often used as part of the miracles system, which is described in Chapter
Eleven. Faith does
not give a character the ability to reliably perform miracles, which requires
the focus skill.
What faith does
is it allows the character to participate in a miracle, usually as the
recipient of the miracle. It is important not to mistake faith for
knowledge about a religion. It is possible to know a religion’s beliefs,
history and rituals without accepting its principles or acknowledging its
validity. Knowledge about a religion is covered with the scholar skill; faith only
deals with belief 
Focus
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None.
The
focus skill
represents a character’s ability to tap into the spiritual energies of a
religious belief system and somewhat reliably create “miracles” with that
energy. It is not used alone however; miracles are not possible without the faith skill
also being involved (though in some cases miracles can occur without needing
the focus skill.)
The complete rules for performing miracles can be found in Chapter Eleven. Focus is an unusual
skill in that it cannot normally be taught to another character. In most belief
systems, the ability to perform miracles is seen as a gift or a blessing, not
something that can simply be learned like any other ability. Players who wish
to have their characters acquire the focus
skill during gameplay will need
to
discuss the matter with their gamemaster and determine how, and if, the
character can get the skill.
Frenzy
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None
Frenzy is a
special ability that allows a character to work himself into a deadly, berserk
rage. 
When
frenzied, the character becomes little more than a killing machine. They will
attack all enemy characters or creatures without hesitation and if there are no
enemies nearby, they may attack anyone close by, even their own comrades and
allies. Frenzied characters may not make ranged attacks, all combat must be
conducted with either melee weapons or barehanded. Frenzied characters may not
use interaction skills such as maneuver,
trick, test or taunt
though intimidation is
allowed. Frenzied characters cannot perform an active defense against any kind
of attack, they may only passively defend. Shields however may be used during
combat. The difficulty of entering frenzy is based on the character’s wound
level. The more injured a character is, the easier it is for him to frenzy. A
character already involved in a combat situation receives a +5 bonus to his
skill total. A frenzied character has his Dexterity,
Strength and Toughness
temporarily increased while frenzied.
The amount of the increase is based on the success level of the skill check. On
a Minimal or
Average success,
the increase is +1; Good success
+2; success +3; Spectacular success
+4. This is not a bonus, it is an actual increase in the attribute and will
affect any game values based off of an attribute (such as the base damage value
of melee weapons and the amount of shock damage a character can take before
being knocked unconscious.) While frenzied, characters are immune to fatigue results
and ignore any action penalties from wound damage (see Chapter Four for details
on fatigue and
damage penalties.)
A
frenzied character that has no enemies to attack may lash out at anyone who is
nearby, even if they are on his side. To keep himself from attacking an ally,
the frenzied character must make a willpower
check against a difficulty of 12. If
the character fails, he will attack the nearest person with the same ferocity he
used on his enemies. If the frenzied character succeeds, he doesn’t attack
anyone that round. Another willpower
check is required the next round and in
subsequent rounds until the character has someone to attack or the frenzy comes
to an end. A Frenzy lasts
for no more than 12 rounds, though a character can attempt to come out of it sooner.
The difficulty for ending frenzy is based on the character’s wound level, though
in this case the more injured the character is the harder it is to come out of
it.
FRENZY CHART
Wound
level                                        Entering difficulty   Ending difficulty
None
                                                               22                          13
Shock
and/or KO conditions only                    18                          15
Wound                                                             15                          18
Heavy
wound                                                   13                          22
Mortal
wound                                                   12                          25
If
the character is attempting to end a frenzy while there are no enemies around,
he does not have to make a willpower
check in that round to avoid attacking
the nearest target. If a character attempts to end frenzy and fails
by ten or more points, he can no longer attempt to end the frenzy and it
must run its full course. Allies of the frenzied character can attempt to bring
him out of his rage by making persuasion
attempts against the same difficulty
number for the character bringing himself out of the frenzy. These
must be people the character knows and trusts, not just people who were
fighting on the same side with him. If there are no enemies present, the
frenzied character may attack the people trying to bring him out of it! After a
character comes out of frenzy, he immediately suffers a fatigue result
that lasts for thirty minutes, though this shock damage may be healed normally
with the first aid skill.
Intimidation
Use: Interrogation
may only be performed as a macro skill.
Sample specializations: Interrogation,
threats, non-verbal, bullying, against a specific type of target (men, women,
students, military recruits, etc.)
Intimidation is used
to threaten another character and unbalance them by making them feel in danger
from or inferior to the intimidator. In combat it can cause an opponent to
hesitate or back down. Out of combat, it can be used to force someone into
doing something the intimidator wants them to do such as follow his Orders,
answer questions or hand over something to the intimidator, such as money. Intimidation is also
the defensive skill used against intimidation,
though in some situations the willpower skill
could be used instead.
If
the target does not have intimidation
then Spirit
is used instead. The results of an intimidation are determined
by using the Interaction Results Table found in Chapter Four. When a character
attempts to intimidate someone,
the player should specify to the gamemaster the effect she wants it to have on
her character’s opponent before rolling the die. This is known as the player’s call and lets
the gamemaster better judge the results of the intimidation. Intimidation skill
totals should be modified by the gamemaster in relation to circumstance and
appropriate nature of the action, as well as the player’s roleplaying ability.
Intimidation can be as simple as looking dangerous, or involve use of a
position of authority, such as the shouting and abuse a drill sergeant heaps
upon recruits during military basic training, or the threat of jail time a
policeman might use to scare someone into cooperating. Interrogation attempts
are handled a bit differently from most other uses of intimidation. For an
interrogation to work, the target must believe himself to be at a significant
disadvantage, such as being captured or arrested, or at the mercy of the
interrogator. Some characters are arrogant or self-assured enough to prevent
most forms of interrogation from succeeding; player characters and most major villains
fall into this category. Interrogation does not involve the use of player’s call and uses a
different column on the Interaction Results Table than other uses of intimidation.
Interrogation is only necessary to gain information that the target is not
willing to freely divulge, if they are willing to answer questions then the persuasion skill is
used instead. More information on interrogations can be found in Chapter Four.
Shapeshifting
Use: Cannot be
used unskilled.
Sample specializations: None.
Shapeshifting is the
ability (or curse) of changing form between human and animal. Most
transformations are involuntary and the skill is used primarily to not change
rather than to deliberately change. During Character creation, any character with
shapeshifting must
take it as her tag skill. The Rules for designing the animal form of the
shapeshifter, the special abilities the shapeshifter has while in animal form and
the rules for using shapeshifting can
be found in chapter xxx
Attributeless Skills
Arcane Knowledges
Use: Must be combined
with a magic skill (alteration magic, apportation
magic, divination magic, conjuration magic.)
Cannot be used unskilled
Sample specializations: None.
The
arcane knowledges are a type of subskill used in conjunction with the four
magic skills to determine the types of spells a character can learn and cast
with her magic skills. They are also used in the creation of new spells
designed by player characters. The various types of arcane knowledges and how
they are used are described in Chapter Ten. 
Action and Effect Totals
As
described in Chapters One and Three, success of an action is determined by
comparing an action total the
character generates against a difficulty number. If the action total equals or
exceeds the difficulty then the action is successful. Sometimes the amount by
which the character succeeds is important. When this is the case, the
difficulty is subtracted from the action total. The difference is known as the result points of the action
and can be used in a variety of ways depending on the type of action. (Negative
result points obviously indicate a failure since the action total would be less
than the difficulty number.) 
Determining Difficulty Numbers
There
are two basic types of difficulty numbers and both are used quite often in Torg. The
simplest difficulty numbers are opposed
actions. With many skills and types of
actions, the difficulty is determined by some value of the object or person
being affected. For example, the missile
weapons skill is opposed by the dodge skill. The
difficulty of trying to shoot someone with a bow is equal to his or her dodge skill.
Determining
damage in combat is also an opposed action. The damage value of an attack is
opposed by the Toughness or
armor value of the target. If the damage value does not equal or exceed the
target’s opposing value, no damage is inflicted even if the attack successfully
hit. The second type of difficulty number is used when there isn’t a measurable
value opposing the character’s actions. For example, the difficulty of treating
an injured character with the first
aid skill is based on the extent of their
injuries but damage in Torg isn’t
expressed in game terms by values. In these situations, the difficulty number
is based on how hard the action should be for an average person to successfully
perform the task. For the purposes of determining these various difficulty levels,
“average” means a Mook with no skill adds (unskilled use modifiers are not
considered since they vary so much depending on what kind of task is being
performed.) Since mooks have an average attribute value of 8, an “average”
difficulty level is considered to be a difficulty of 8. On the Difficulty
Number Scale, the description is
a qualitative term for the difficulty level. The difficulty is the
action total necessary for the average person to successfully perform a task of
that difficulty level. An odd indicate the percentage
chance of the average person being able to successfully perform the task and is''
based on what kind of a die roll is necessary to generate the bonus number
needed for the average person to match or exceed the difficulty number. A “-”
means that the average mook cannot succeed at that difficulty level unskilled
(because mooks do not get any rerolls when unskilled. +7 is the highest bonus number
they can achieve.) The modifier is
used by gamemasters when they have a difficulty number already determined by
another means but the circumstances are unusual. For example, shooting a target
in combat normally uses the target’s dodge
skill as the difficulty number. But
what if the fight is taking place on the deck of a ship being tossed about by
the waves of a fierce storm? Hitting a target under those circumstances should
be more difficult than normal. The gamemaster can decide how much more difficult
it is based on the circumstances and then apply an appropriate modifier. Many
of the skills listed in Chapter Three have sample difficulty numbers and
modifiers provided in their descriptions. Those numbers are all based off of
the Difficulty Number Scale.