Skills

Midian uses a rather free-form skill system. This means that your character will have as much or as little detail on skills as is necessary—your skills and backgrounds/experiences should look something like a medieval version of a résumé. In other words, the fighter needs only list first-aid, whereas the healer would list set broken bones, apply field dressing, and apply pressure dressing. A real-world example would be someone applying for a job in data-administration would list three years experience in C++ on her résumé; but if that same person were applying for a job in sales, she would only need to put computer experience.

There is no limit (except what the Game Master states) to specialization—in either direction. Your specialization can be as focused that it only applies to a specific sword using a certain swing at night or as generalized as just 'hurting stuff.' For apprenticeship skills, each level of the skill counts as one degree of specialization. If the Game Master decides that a skill check is necessary for an apprenticeship skill, consider each level equal to two to five (default is three) proficiency levels. If desired, assign an attribute for the check. It is even possible to consider your class to be the ultimate broad skill—treat your level in that class as the skill level. For example, a rogue is wanting the best way to sneak in to a victim's house. The Game Master may require her to roll as though her class were a proficiency.

For increased specialization in a proficiency at character generation, add +3 to the roll and -5 for the general skill. This works both ways—i.e. if you are specifically skilled in lifting (a subset of sleight-of-hand allowing you to pocket something unnoticed) then you get a +3 to all rolls for shop-lifting something, but a minus 5 for all rolls involving making a coin appear from someone's ear. Another example: if you have the glyph writing skill and want to carve an engraving in armour (as a sort of "generic make pretty things" skill) you would be at -5 to do so unless you also possessed the appropriate skills for armour engraving. Apprentice—journeyman—master skills typically do not involve rolling. For these skills, one level difference applies for specialization. Yet another example of what I'm talking about: if you possess the skill of gemcutting at the apprentice level, you would be effectively a journeyman jeweller when it comes to cutting and appraising stones, but a talented journeyman-cutter is only as good as an apprentice when it involves actually setting the stone into a bracelet. If you are trying to use a skill that you do not possess; say, swinging a sword, then the -5 guideline applies—with possible additional penalties (for example the -3 modifier to use an unfamiliar ranged weapon, which brings the total attack penalty to use a longbow untrained to -8). This assumes that the Game Master even lets you try. An unskilled runner can still attempt to run, but if you've no magical training then you will not even know where to begin to draw a protection circle. A quick check of the math shows that this still gives even the biggest idiot a roughly 50/50 chance to club an unarmoured target with a big stick.

Anyone may learn any skill, provided he or she has someone to act as a teacher. The Game Master has final say as to availability of someone with the skill willing and able to teach your character. You may be highly restricted as to your choices at character generation, but there is nothing that says—for example—that a wizard cannot learn how to use a longbow. The warrior may learn necromancy; the thief may learn psionic skills—even without having any psychic traits; the wizard may wear armour. The number of starting skills is based on the Knowledge attribute. (See the Attributes chapter.) You do not have to 'spend' all of your starting skills at character creation (or fill all of your skill slots, however you want to put it). Not everyone lives up to their potential. You can always learn more skills later.

Skills fall into four categories with three types each. The categories are: technical (knowing, making, doing), social (interacting with others), martial (killing and breaking stuff), and mystic (magical or unusual). The types of skills are: proficiencies (measured in numeric skill levels), apprentice (then later journeyman and master), and basic (no differing degree of skill—you know it or you don't). Lore skills are a sub-set of (usually apprentice) skills dealing with the memory retention of obscure facts. The list of skills is broken up by type (apprenticeships, basic skills, and proficiencies).

The base number to try to roll for most skill checks is 10 or better (rolled on a 1D20). Some skills will have a different target number or do not require a roll at all (such as carpentry). For proficiencies, add the skill level to the check; most basic or apprentice skills do not usually require a skill check—your Game Master will determine the result of the outcome if success is in doubt. Attempting something for which you have no skill is at least a -5 penalty to the skill check, if it is at all possible. That is, you have only an attribute modifier (if any) to assist on the skill check—if the Game Master allows an attempt at all.

A higher roll than the minimum means greater success. This may give an advantage in game mechanics (such as attack rolls over twenty causing more damage), or it may be a purely descriptive improvement. For example, a successful escape skill check will get you out of your chains, but a high roll makes it look like they just fell off on their own. Most of the time, however, simple success or failure is all that need be determined. That is, you may roll a 22 on your climbing check, but you are only really worried about not falling to your death—and nobody was watching you anyways…

The hours listed is the base time needed to learn the skill. Details for learning skills can be found in the Development chapter.

How many skills a character starts with is based on his or her Knowledge attribute. Some skills (usually apprentice skills) will count as double or more for purposes of creating a starting character; this will be listed with the skill.

The maximum starting level a proficiency may be is III (skill cost equal to three skills, excepting those listed as 'counts as two skills'). The maximum starting level for an apprentice skill is journeyman (costs two skills to increase to this level).

Double difficulty to learn means that the normal chance to learn the skill (based on Knowledge) is cut in half. Half the chance, twice as hard—get it?

Skill suites are a collection of skills that are learned together. They may represent a generalized basic skill (such as "fixin' stuff") or a collection of related abilities (like "18-weapon style"). Skill suites usually require multiple skill choices to learn. In other words, a skill suite may count as three or more skill selections at character creation (but may have five different skills).

Stacking Skills
In this system, skills are stackable. For example, if you have the armorer skill, the engraving specialization, and the trait eye for art, then all apply to engraving armour. Another example: melee weapon skill stacks with the signature combat move skill with all bonuses applying.

At the Game Master's discretion, if you have complimentary skills—such as Animal Lore, Tracking, and Recognize Tracks—then you can make several skill checks with the amount that the roll was successful by being a bonus to the other skill(s). Optionally all of the skill levels may be added together and a single roll made. This speeds things up a bit, but is less realistic. Apprentice skills add to proficiencies at +2 per level (apprentice adds +2, journeyman adds +4, master adds +6). The Game Master has the choice of which option to use (if any).

Additional bonuses may also be gained. Having a competent assistant (one who also knows the skill, albeit not as well as you) grants a +3 bonus. This is the same bonus that fighters in melee give to one another when they flank an enemy; it is also the same bonus that a magical familiar offers to its master. High-quality tools, good reference materials, or especially good working conditions may also offer a bonus of +1 to +3. The descriptive bonuses found in the Social Interaction and Hunting and Escaping chapters may also be applied to nearly every skill check. This can add up to a further +5 bonus.

"But I don't know that."
The populace of Midian is largely illiterate. The assumption for skills is that they are fully memorised, and may thus be used without any reference material. Of course, no one can know everything about a subject, and—at lower levels especially—a character will occasionally have to at least refer back to her notes. Lore apprenticeships, and any intellectual proficiency at only levels I or II will require such aids from time to time. Some simpler skills—most alchemical formulae being good examples—may be used entirely from a book or scroll. To use a library, good workbook, formulae scroll, or the highly rare instruction manual, the character must spend a few hours in study first, and then make a successful Chance-to-Learn check, based on the Knowledge attribute. The skill is not then known, but it is understood enough to be used from the reference materials. To fully learn the skill, the usual processes (Wits or Common Sense checks, with additional Chance-to-Learn rolls for each block) must be used, but the time already spent studying may be applied to the block of instruction. Any skill of a physical nature (such as all martial skills) or involving real-time evaluations of complex data (pretty much any social skill) cannot be so used. These skills must be practiced extensively before they can be used properly. For further examples: working from a book won't help with lockpicking, but will with Formourian history; wayfarer cannot be used, but lesser protection circle may be. It must be noted that pages containing magical inscription are not somehow erased after they are read, even if they are used for spellcasting. Additional magics would have to be deliberately applied to cause the ink to disappear.

Skill suites

Apprentice skills

Basic skills

Proficiencies

The Abstract