Skills

Skills determine how effective characters are at skill tests.

Physical Skills:

• Athletics: Strength, speed, endurance, jumping, climbing, tumbling, gymnastics, swimming, etc.
• Combat: Melee, martial arts, brawling, blades, clubs, polearms, whips, etc.
• Constitution: Health, stamina, physical fortitude, toxin resistance, etc.
• Ranged: Thrown attacks, slings, bows, crossbows, guns, artillery, fired contraptions, etc.

Mental Skills:

• Arcana: Spellcasting, magical lore and theory, rituals, identifying magic, etc.
• Investigation: Observation, surveillance, forensics, profiling, finding hidden items, research.
• Knowledge: Education, history, academic study, research, analysis, etc.
• Wits: Quick thinking, insight, problem-solving, mental adaptability, etc.

Social Skills:

• Deception: Carefully craft falsehoods to mislead, conceal intent, and manipulate intel.
• Performance: Performing, public speeches, singing, dancing, acting, music, storytelling.
• Persuasion: Diplomacy, negotiate, haggle, intimidate, seduce, interrogate, pressure tactics.
• Resolve: Will, mental fortitude, stress and pain tolerance, fear resistance, etc.

Mixed Skills:

• Craft: Construction, art, engineering, mechanical work, etc.
• Larceny: Infiltration, pickpocketing, bypassing security, trap setting, underworld lore, etc.
• Perception: Awareness, investigation, spotting details, sensing danger, etc.
• Stealth: Moving quietly, hiding, blending in, tailing, concealment, camouflage.

Skill Tests

When attempting an action with an uncertain outcome, make a skill test by rolling 1d20 (a 20-sided die) and adding the relevant skill modifier. For example, an Athletics test rolls 1d20 + Athletics.

Sarah attempts to hear a conversation on the other side of a door. She rolls a natural 12 and adds +2 from her Perception modifier, for a final score of 14 (12 + 2).

The GM uses the final score to determine if the action was a success or failure.

• The GM determines a DC (Difficulty Class), which is a threshold score for success.
• Scores must match or exceed the DC for the skill test to succeed.
• A natural 20 is a critical success, while a natural 1 is a critical failure.

The GM can grant 'Advantage' or 'Disadvantage' when circumstances materially change the odds.

• If advantage is assigned and a 5 or lower is rolled, reroll once and take the second result.
• If disadvantage is assigned and a 15 or higher is rolled, reroll once and take the second result.
• If both advantage and disadvantage are applied, they cancel out.

Difficulty Class

The GM must assign the DC for each Skill Test based on a realistic difficulty. A Skill Test score far below the DC can result in failures with meaningful consequences, while scores much higher than the DC can result in additional benefits. Use these targets as guidelines:

The GM interprets a target result based on the situational context. If a score succeeds exactly, it can be considered a low success or a success with an additional complication.

Saves

When the character needs to avoid a consequence, they make a "save", also known as a saving test. Saving tests are generally made with Athletics, Constitution, Wits, or Resolve depending on the nature of the save. A save requires a DC 20 for a full save (avoiding or negating the problem entirely), or a DC 15 for half save (partially avoiding or reducing the consequences).

Willpower

Willpower is a finite resource that you can spend to reroll a skill test, except when a natural 1 is rolled (critical failures). It can only be used once per skill test, and you must accept the second result.

You start with {Resolve} Willpower at the start of each session; to a minimum of 0.