Dark Fantasy Core Set/Skills/Basic skills

Basic skills are either known fully, or not known at all.

Ambidexterity Martial Basic 400 hours Ambrosia Mystic Basic 80 hours Requires: Alchemy * attract bugs; takes 2+ rounds to start; 2 damage first 2 rounds, 1D4+1 after; Willpower check to do anything; double shock damage; lasts 2D12 minutes Ankle Lock Martial Basic 100 hours Requires: Leg Hold * 1D6 + Strength damage, -3 dodge, & half Speed Arm Hold Martial Basic 100 hours * +4 holds one arm, +6 to holds for two Armour Maintenance--Chain Martial Basic 60 hours Armour Maintenance--Light Marital Basic 60 hours Armour Maintenance--Plate Martial Basic 60 hours Blood-bonding Ritual Mystic Basic 60 hours * Willpower check at -12 to harm bonded pair Boasting Social Basic 200 hours Body Hold Martial Basic 100 hours * +2 holds Bow Maintenance Martial Basic 60 hours Chemical Distraction Mystic Basic 200 hours Requires: Alchemy * Memory via smell; save vs. magic at 14 or 1-round stun & -3 initiative on next Choke Hold Martial Basic 200 hours * Half of 1D4 + Strength damage direct to life points; system shock roll at the end of each round to stay conscious Circular Parry Martial Basic 100 hours * Total defence; parry all attacks; +3 parry, +1 dodge, +1 initiative Closed Fist Style Martial Basic 180 hours * Use weapon with unarmed attacks Culture (group type) Social Basic 800 hours Counts as 2 skills at character creation Defensive Stance Martial Basic 50 hours * +3 all defence; -1 attack; max 2 Speed forward movement Detect Gates Mystic Basic 200 hours Dialects Social Basic 120 hours Disappear Technical Basic 100 hours Requires: any stealth-related skill * Needs distraction; Awareness vs. stealth skill challenge Disappear: Advanced Mystic Basic 300 hours Requires: Disappear * Disappear from plain sight Drill & Ceremony Technical Basic 120 hours Elbow Lock Martial Basic 200 hours Requires: Arm Hold * 1D6 + Strength damage; arm useless: -3 Strength & attack, -5 Agility & parry Etiquette Social Basic 200 hours Finger Lock Martial Basic 100 hours Requires: Grab or any hold * 1D4 damage; cannot cause life point damage First-Aid Technical Basic 100 hours Flank Riding Martial Basic 200 hours Requires: Horsemanship: Expert * Use mount for 80% cover Florentine Style Martial Basic 200 hours * Use two weapons; specific, each pair is a separate skill Flying Powder Mystic Basic 160 hours Requires: Chemistry * Save vs. poison at 16 or suffer disassociation and failed spatial awareness; -4 initiative, -6 to hit, -8 to all active defence, and they must make a Willpower check each round in order to focus enough to do anything; lasts 1D6 rounds, add & reroll for each 6 Glyph Writing Mystic Basic 160 hours * Know the right way to make mystic marks Graceful Avoidance Martial Basic 400 hours Requires Dodge and Hand Parry * Stack parry & dodge Grooming Social Basic 180 hours Ground Fighting Martial Basic 200 hours * No penalty for fighting prone Gunpowder Formulae Mystic Basic 80 hours Hand Parry Martial Basic 100 hours * Parry barehanded without damage Hasty Fighting Position Martial Basic 40 hours * 4 rounds to dig 10% cover; each minute adds 10% Heavy Armour Use Martial Basic 240 hours Horse Grooming Technical Basic 100 hours Horsemanship: Basic Technical Basic 80 hours Horsemanship: Exotic Technical Basic 400 hours each Instant Stand Technical Basic 100 hours Intuitive Reflexes Mystical Basic 300 hours Psionic Double learning difficulty * +2 initiative; +2 dodge; +4 parry Knee Lock Martial Basic 100 hours Requires: Ankle Lock * 2D6 damage, -6 dodge, Speed is reduced to 1/4th Knot-tying Technical Basic 120 hours Launch Martial Basic 200 hours Requires: Shoulder Flip * Grapple then throw one person at another; attack reflex armour class; range modifier: 3 feet, maximum range 3x Strength bonus (minimum 3 feet total); Leg Hold Martial Basic 100 hours * +6 hold Light Armour Use Martial Basic 160 hours Lip Reading Social Basic 200 hours Literacy Technical [lore] Basic 1600 hours for the first language, 100 hours for each additional language that you can speak, 400 hours for each additional language that you don't speak Double learning difficulty, do not need to roll to learn for additional languages that you can speak (learns both speaking/reading at the same time) unless the written form is very different from what you are accustomed Medium Armour Use Martial Basic 100 hours Meditation Mystic Basic 400 hours Counts as 2 skills at character creation Military Procedures Technical Basic 800 hours Requires: time spent in military service Mounted Leap Martial Basic 100 hours Requires: Any Horsemanship skill * Jump from saddle & attack within 10 feet; +2 attack & damage; no falling damage Neck Hold Martial Basic 100 hours * Stamina check at the end of the second & successive rounds or lose consciousness Necromancy of Intelligence Mystic Basic 100 hours Double learning difficulty * Summon the dead to answer questions Non-Detection Mystic Basic 800 hours Counts as 2 skills at character creation Double learning difficulty * Cannot be seen by magic; passive skill Packing Technical Basic 200 hours * Reduce encumbrance by one level; doesn't apply to weapons or armour Power Block Martial Basic 200 hours * Counts as both attack & parry; if the parry is successful, opponent loses next attack Quickblade Martial Basic 400 hours Requires: weapon proficiency IV * Add weapon skill to initiative; each weapon is separate skill Rear Defence -or- Back Protection Martial Basic 300 hours * No flanking bonus Rice Paper Walking Mystic Basic 200 hours Requires: Sneaking * Sneak at normal movement Running Technical Basic 200 hours * Retest Stamina for distance or Speed for sprinting; may specialise for triple retest Run-through Martial Basic 100 hours * If attack causes more than double hit points, attack other foe for half damage; stabbing weapons run-through if damage exceeds Stamina or on double hit points Sentinel Removal Martial Basic 200 hours Requires: Sneaking * Sneak attack to slay silently with a hacking weapon; double damage & 3 wounds Set Bones Technical Basic 200 hours Shoulder Flip Martial Basic 160 hours * 1D6 damage & knock down; save vs. crushing for half damage Spear Balancing Mystic Basic 100 hours * Jump up & land on a point or blade without damage Spring Mounting Technical Basic 80 hours Requires: Jumping & any Horsemanship skill * Leap into saddle Storytelling Social Basic 100 hours Summon Gneeches Mystic Basic 80 hours Requires: Summoning Circle * Conjure tiny, fast, & near-invisible motes; minor distraction at best Summoning Circle Mystic Basic 200 hours * Basic conjuring skill; traps within; each creature is a separate additional skill Superstitions Mystic Basic 20 hours each * Although not exactly a skill, this is a pattern of learned behaviour that may be advantageous. Learning this 'skill' is somewhat different than most; superstitions must be paired and the first 2 don't count against your skill levels for a starting character. Further superstitions are gained at the rate of 2 for each skill level. They are paired because for each superstition that has a definite game mechanic there is one that may or may not work--only the Game Master knows for sure. If you want to select additional superstitions without one of them having a game mechanic, then there is no cost at character creation and the 'must be paired' guideline does not apply. In addition, non-game mechanic superstitions do not require time or effort to learn: if your character won every fight where she was wearing her purple socks, then simply make a note on the character sheet about "lucky purple socks." Superstitions may have a basis in science (eating uncooked pork is unclean) or completely nonsensical (shouting "tinga-linga-loo" drives away ghosts). Some further examples of superstitions: * Crossing under a ladder / going through a triangle is bad luck (gains +1 to-hit against anyone you see going under a ladder) * Must wake early to greet the dawn (gets +1 to saving throws for the day when you do this) * Step on a crack; break your mother's back... best not to even try this one... * Won't move or even touch a dead body, it disturbs their spirit (+2 to saving throws against disease or necromancy) * Spare the rod & spoil the child (you actually know that this means 'teach' not 'beat;' your children get +2 to Knowledge--no you can't take this one & say that your parents had this superstition) * Sitting hunched over the steering wheel makes traffic move faster (we won't dignify this one with a game mechanic) Speed Reading Technical Basic 200 hours Requires: Literacy Tactics Martial Basic 200 hours The Art of the Deal Mystic Basic 200 hours * Make mystically binding contracts Weapon Maintenance Martial Basic 60 hours