I want to learn it all…
Basic Careers & Skills
The Rogue, Mage, Warrior & Miscellaneous Skill Lists
.skill Lists
Basic Careers
There are three Basic Skill Lists that you can choose for your new character: Warrior, Rogue, & Mage.
The Miscellaneous List costs no build to access for all players.
You may purchase more than one list!
Your first Skill List will cost 10 Build Points, your second will cost 15 Build and your third list will cost 20 Build.
Mage
Mages can learn any School of Low Magic!
They can also easily learn to read magic but have a limited number of weapons to choose from.
Warlock and Sorcerer are the Advanced Careers associated with this list.
Don’t Forget!
The first skill list you purchase will cost 10 Build Points and you must purchase the Skill List before you may purchase any skill off the list! The only exception is the Miscellaneous Skill List, which does not cost build to purchase.
Warrior
Players that want their character to be a proficient fighter, with the skills and Body Points to make them adept, should choose the Warrior Career and the skills associated with this list.
Warriors can learn any Weapon Skill, Shield Skill, or fighting style in the game.
They can also learn a few basic, yet very effective, martial skills that will help them survive a fight.
Don’t Forget!
The first skill list you purchase will cost 10 Build Points and you must purchase the Skill List before you may purchase any skill off the list! The only exception is the Miscellaneous Skill List, which does not cost build to purchase.
Rogue
Rogues can learn to fight with many more weapon types than the Mage but not as many as the Warrior.
All of their fighting styles revolve around stealth, speed and dexterity.
Of all the career paths a player can choose for his character, none require the player to have as much Out Of Game skill as the Rogue. These players must be able to do almost all the classic feats a fantasy Rogue can do.
Don’t Forget!
The first skill list you purchase will cost 10 Build Points and you must purchase the Skill List before you may purchase any skill off the list! The only exception is the Miscellaneous Skill List, which does not cost build to purchase.
Miscellaneous
Want to specialize in a little bit of everything?
There is no list cost associated with the Miscellaneous Skill List and anyone can purchase skills from it.
The more you sweat in training… The less you bleed in combat
Warrior
Warriors have a long tradition of being the ones in the middle of the fighting, going toe to toe with all manner of monsters and villains. It is arguably the most physically demanding career – on the player – in the game.
Calling Damage
More Info
When you strike with a weapon, you should call out the damage inflicted by that weapon.
The damage done by a weapon must be followed by some modifier; normally this is the word “damage”.
For example, if you are wielding a Two-Hand Edged weapon and you have no special combat bonuses, you would call “Three Damage” when you strike an opponent with your weapon.
Even if your attack does not make contact, you may still want to call damage with every swing.
You never know if your opponent is going to make an error and your attack may get through unexpectedly. If your attack lands and you do not call damage properly, your opponent does not have to take the damage.
Calling damage is Out of Game.
If your character is under the effect of some force that causes the character to be silent, you must still call damage with each blow.
Damage Table
More Info
The table below outlines how much base damage a weapon does.
Bastard Sword, Bastard Blunt, and Spear have two numbers listed, the first is using the weapon with one hand and the second is using the weapon with two hands.
For Polearms, the first number is for striking with the head, the second number is for striking with the butt end. Lastly, all thrown weapons deal 1 point of damage.
take them by force!
Warrior Skills
A Detailed Description of the Warrior Basic Career Skills…
Weapon Proficiency
Build Cost: 10
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Any Weapon Skill
Skill List: Warrior Basic Career Skill List
When this skill is purchased the character gains a Damage Bonus to their attacks, given below:
Weapon Type Damage | Bonus
Small, Thrown, One-Handed, Bastard,
Staffs, and Crossbows | +1
Two-Handed, Polearm, Bows | +1.5§
Great Bows | +2.0
§ Note: The bonus is rounded down so one purchase give a +1 Damage Bonus and two purchases give a +3 Damage Bonus.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
This skill must be purchased for a specific weapon category and cannot be used with other weapons.
Additionally, this skill is hand specific and the character must choose whether to apply the Damage Bonus to either their right or left hand when they purchase this skill.
This skill is stackable with itself and all Weapon Proficiencies learned within a specific weapon category are cumulative. So, a Weapon Proficiency +4 with Polearm skill would allow the character to cause 10 points of damage with their polearm. Weapon Proficiencies with other weapon categories do not stack with each other.
For example, Militus purchases the Weapon Proficiency +1 skill with his One-Handed Edge skill with his right hand. He would then cause 3 points of damage with his long sword. Later, Militus learns the Weapon Proficiency +2 skill with his One-Handed Edge skill with his right hand and a Weapon Proficiency +1 with Small Weapon skill with his left hand. Now, with his Florentine skill, he causes 4 points of damage with his long sword and 2 points of damage with his dagger, so long as he uses his weapons in the correct hand.
Proficiencies purchased for bastard weapons are also hand specific.
The character gains the Damage Bonus when they use the bastard weapon in two hands and with only one hand so long as it is in the hand they specified at the time the skill was learned.
Proficiencies learned with weapon categories do not transfer to free weapons gained. For example, a character that learns the One-Handed Edge skill and Two-Handed Edge skill can also use Bastard Edged Weapons, but their One-Handed or Two-Handed Edge Weapon Proficiencies cannot be used with a bastard weapon. This is also true for bastard weapon skills.
Critical Attack
Build Cost: 4
Energy Cost: 4
Duration: Instant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Any Weapon Skill
Skill List: Warrior Career Skill List
This skill doubles the total damage – Base Damage, Damage Bonus, Strength Bonus, alchemy, etc. – done by a weapon for one attack.
This skill is not weapon or hand specific and can be used with any weapon the character has an appropriate Weapon Skill for. This skill cannot be combined with itself ever. The player should suffix the damage they call with the word “Crit”.
For example, Corvale has Weapon Proficiency +3 with One-Handed Edge weapons. Additionally, he uses a +3 Giant Strength potion and a Giant Strength spell giving him a +6 Strength Bonus for one swing. The sword he is using has been enchanted for magical elemental fire with a Damage Bonus of +1. All together he would swing “12 Magic Fire” but he decides to use his Critical Attack skill and now he would call “24 Magic Fire Crit” for one attack.
Additionally, the character can use his Critical Attack skill to block one martial attack which can either be damage, Critical Attack, Disarm, Stunning Blow, Critical Backstab, or Assassin Strike skills.
The character may block ranged physical attacks but not those that have been used with the True Aim skill. Faith skills, spells or abilities can be blocked, but if blocked but they are not consumed with this skill.
A character can use this skill to parry even if it is delivered from behind, but not if from a surprise attack; therefore it is impossible to parry the Waylay skill.
It is also possible to parry an attack directed against someone else as long as they are within your weapons length.
The character can choose to block a spell with this skill for another person; however they will take the effect of the spell and must call the appropriate defense against spells if they wish not to take the spell’s effect. The character may not block a spell that has been augmented with the Perfect Aim skill.
To use this skill as a parry the player should call “Crit Parry”.
When this skill is used offensively, it is not used if the character misses their target or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in striking their target or if the target calls an appropriate defense, the skill is used. This skill is always used once used to parry an attack. This skill does not double any additional damage from the Heal Wounds skill or Wounding skill.
Disarm
Build Cost: 5
Energy Cost: 5
Duration: 3 Seconds
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Any Weapon Skill
~ or ~
Skill List: Master Assassin
Warrior Basic Career Skill List, Assassin
A character can use this skill to disarm another character’s weapon or any other item held in that arm.
If the target character is using a one-handed edge or smaller weapon then the character can strike the targets arm or weapon, but if the character is using a bastard or two handed weapon then they must strike one arm to disarm the opponent.
The character must call “Disarm” after the blow is delivered followed by any special damage modifiers, such as “Magic”, “Silver”, etc.
A character that has been disarmed must drop what is in that arm and cannot use that arm for 3 seconds.
They cannot pick up their weapon nor do any other in-game action with that arm for 3 seconds.
The character should drop their weapon at their feet; they cannot throw the weapon behind them or to another character.
If the item in the character’s hand is attached to the character as with a Lock spell or if the item is attuned, then the character does not have to drop the item, but they still cannot use that arm for the full 3 seconds. An Attachment spell or a Paste of Stickiness will not prevent the character from losing the weapon in their hand.
This skill can be used with ranged attacks. The character must still hit the appropraite target to disarm someone. If the True Aim skill is used, then it is assumed to hit where needed to disarm an opponent.
Shields cannot be disarmed if wielded, but if the character is simply holding the shield then it can be disarmed by striking that arm.
This skill can be used to parry a Disarm skill.
It cannot be used to parry any other martial attack or for another character. The character should call "Retain" when they use this skill to stop a disarm attempt.
When this skill is used offensively, it is not used if the character misses their target or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in striking their target or if the target calls the apprpriate defense the skill is used. This skill is always used once used to parry a Disarm skill.
Florentine
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Any One-Handed Weapon Skill, Small Weapon Skill
Skill List: Warrior Career Skill List, Rogue Career Skill List
This skill allows the character to use a one handed weapon in one hand and a small weapon in the other.
The character cannot use two one handed, any bastard, or any two handed weapons with this skill.
The character must strike and call damage separately for each weapon.
Stunning Blow
Build Cost: 6
Energy Cost: 6
Duration: Special
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Proficiency x2
Skill List: Warrior Skill List
By means of this skill the character is able to deliver a stunning blow to another character.
If the target character is struck in the torso then they are affected by a Torso Stun for 5 seconds.
If the blow lands on an arm or leg then that limb is broken and must be healed before it can be used again. The character also causes their normal damage when they use this skill. The character should suffix their damage called with the word “Stun”.
For example, Sir Damien normally causes 8 points of damage with his silver sword. He wants to use his Stunning Blow skill to break an opponent’s leg. He swings his sword and calls “8 Silver Stun”, connects with the character’s leg and successfully breaks his leg and does 8 points of damage to the opponent. Satisfied with the results, he moves on to the next target.
A character that is affected by a Torso Stun cannot take any offensive action, any defensive action, call any defenses, invoke any items, cast spells or speak.
They may only move slowly and should call out their stun count, “Torso Stun One, Torso Stun Two, etc” for the full 5 seconds. Nothing can heal the character from being Torso Stunned. If a character’s arm is broken, they are disarmed as per the Disarm skill and must keep their arm at their side. A character with a broken leg must kneel on that limb and may only crawl. The character cannot jump or hop around on their good leg.
This skill is not used if the character misses their target or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in striking their target or if the target calls an appropriate defense, the skill is used.
Unless the target character is immune to stunning blows or has damage resistance superior to the attack, they take the damage and the effects of the stunning blow.
Where did everything go?
Rogue
The thieves, scouts, burglars, cutpurses, footpads, spies, sneaks, lookouts, treasure hunters, and quiet unseen of the realm. You might never know what hit you!
take them by Surprise!
Rogue Skills
A Detailed Description of the Rogue Basic Career Skills…
Backstab
Build Cost: 6
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Dexterity
Prerequisites: Waylay
Skill List: Rogue Career Skill List
When this skill is purchased the character gains a +1 Damage Bonus to all their attacks from behind with any weapon.
This skill is hand specific and the character must choose whether to apply the Damage Bonus to either their right or left hand when they purchase this skill. The character must be approximately 90 degrees behind their target to be considered behind them. The character cannot reach their arms around the target to gain their Damage Bonus.
This skill is stackable with itself and all Backstabs learned are cumulative. So a Backstab +4 would allow the character to cause 6 points of damage with their long sword.
Disarm Trap
Build Cost: 4
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Dexterity
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Rogue Basic Career Skill List
With this skill, a character may disarm traps the character comes across while playing the game.
This skill does not allow the character to automatically disarm a trap, the player must actually disarm the trap they find during game play.
Without this skill, any character that attempts to disarm a trap will automatically set it off, even if the player successfully disarmed the trap. Any character can detect any trap they can see in-game; this skill is not required to detect traps.
Florentine
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Any One-Handed Weapon Skill, Small Weapon Skill
Skill List: Warrior Career Skill List, Rogue Career Skill List
This skill allows the character to use a one handed weapon in one hand and a small weapon in the other.
The character cannot use two one handed, any bastard, or any two handed weapons with this skill.
The character must strike and call damage separately for each weapon.
Pick Lock
Build Cost: 4
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Dexterity
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Rogue Skill List
This skill allows the character to attempt to pick an In Game lock.
Without this skill a character cannot even attempt to pick the lock.
This skill does not guarantee success; the player must pick the lock with what ever tools they have on hand.
Poison Lore
Build Cost: 2
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Arcane
Prerequisites: Herbal Lore, Literacy
Skill List: Rogue Basic Career Skill List
This skills allows the character to recognize alchemical reagents.
This is the basic skill for learning the Poison School only and grants the character the knowledge of how to brew, distill, mix, and perform the other basic skills needed to create poisons.
It does not grant the character the ability to actually make anything; a serperate skill is required for that.
This skill is required to read and identify poison recipiesIn Game.
Poisons School
Build Cost: 2/2/3/4/5
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Arcane
Prerequisites: Alchemy Lore or Poison Lore for Rank 1, Prior Rank for Rest
Skill List: Rogue Basic Career Skill List, Alchemist, Assassin
This skill is purchased in ranks similar to schools of magic. Rank 1 Poisons allows the character to identify all Poisons, which takes the character 1 minute of roleplaying In Game to perform.
This can be used to detect and identify poisons in food, drink, or a characters blood.
The higher ranks allow the character to brew Poisons of that rank and lower. So a character with Rank 3 Poisons could identify any Poison and brew any Poison Rank 2 and Rank 3...as long as they have the recipe!
Set Trap
Build Cost: Special
Purchase: 5 Times
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Dexterity
Prerequisites: Disarm Trap
Skill List: Rogue Basic Career Skill List, Master Theif
The character with this skill can set traps that vary in effect and damage based on how many ranks of the Set Trap skill they have.
There are many different types of approved traps that can be set at PORTAL and the character can set any of them with this skill alone.
For every rank of the Set Trap skill the character has they can make a trap that deals 5 points of normal damage, up to a maximum of 25 points per trap that only effects the character that set off the trap. The trap can be made to affect an area. For every rank used, the radius can be extended by 5 feet, up to a maximum of 10 feet. A rank can only either add to the damage or increase the radius of effect.
So, a character with five ranks of the Set Trap skill can make a trap that will affect a single character dealing 25 points of normal damage, a trap that deals 20 points of damage in a 5 foot radius, or 15 points of damage in a 10 foot radius. The character can make traps using less than their maximum number of ranks. In the above case, a character can make a trap that deals 5 points of damage to a single person even though they have five ranks of the Set Trap skill.
The basic trap deals normal physical damage. The type of damage can be changed by expending the additional cost given below. So, a character can make a trap that deals fire damage, silver damage, or mithril damage, but not a combination of these effects. With five ranks of the Set Trap skill, the character can incorporate an alchemical item into their traps. The character must choose to deal damage or an alchemical item, not both. If the alchemical item affects a single character then it must be a contact item. The Set Trap skill cannot augment the alchemy in anyway; therefore an alchemical item that is contact cannot be made to affect an area with this skill. The character must acquire the alchemy separately in addition to the appropriate cost for setting a Rank 5 trap.
A Trap Tag must be purchased from the Treasure Marshal ahead of time. There are also various sources In Game to purchase already created traps with Trap Tags already attached. The character declares what the trap’s effect will be when they purchase it and it is recorded on the tag. This cannot be changed later. The character pays the required In Game money and provides any extra cost for making the desired trap at the time the tag is acquired. A character must have the required number of ranks of the Set Trap skill to set a trap. For example, a character finds a Rank 5 trap but only has two ranks of the Set Trap skill; they cannot use that trap. Setting a trap takes 1 minute per rank of the trap. A trap must be placed on an object and cannot be set on a character. A character cannot set a trap on a Skeleton, a Golem, an Elf or any other character. Each trap must have its own independent trigger and each trigger can only have one trap. You cannot string traps together. You can set a trap to go off on a box when it is opened, and on an object in the box, but could not set two traps to go off when the lid is opened, ever.
There is no targeting of traps and no chance the trap will miss. The player needs to call the appropriate defense that stops physical attacks to avoid damage. A character many not use marital defenses like the Slay Parry, Master Parry or Critical Attack skills.
A trap can only be disarmed with the Disarm Trap skill. A character can teach another how to disarm a specific trap on a particular object. For example, a character can set a trap on a box and teach his friends how to disarm that specific trap. Even if the character comes across another trap of the exact same type, they cannot disarm it. A trap must always be able to be disarmed.
The cost of a trap is given in the table below.
Effect | Cost
Each Rank of the Trap | 5 Copper Pieces
Fire Damage | 5 Copper Pieces
Copper Damage | 1 Copper Piece
Silver Damage | 1 Silver Piece
Gold Damage | 5 Silver Pieces
Mithril Damage | 10 Silver Pieces
So, a rank 3 trap that deals 10 points of silver damage in a 5 foot radius would cost the character 25 copper pieces. A rank 3 trap that deals 5 points of fire damage in a 10 foot radius would cost the character 20 copper pieces.
All traps are purchased whole and cannot be augmented later or disassembled for parts. Once a trap is set, it normally cannot be reused unless it is disarmed without damaging the physical trap itself.
Waylay
Build Cost: 2
Energy Cost: 2
Duration: 5 Minutes
Skill Type: Dexterity
Prerequisites: Small Weapon Skill
Skill List: Rogue Basic Career Skill List
This skill will render a target character Unconscious by striking them with a small weapon.
The character should lightly tap the target player between the shoulder blades with the weapon and prefix their damage with the word “Waylay”.
All Damage Bonuses and Strength Bonuses will add to the damage done by a Waylay. The character must call damage to be effective; a “Waylay Zero” or less has no effect.
This skill must be delivered from behind.
The character must be approximately 90 degrees behind their target to be considered behind them. The character cannot reach their arms around the target to use their Waylay skill. A Waylay does not have to be delivered from surprise, but cannot be delivered against a character who is currently engaged in combat.
Once a character has been hit with a Waylay, they are considered to be in-combat, therefore you cannot hit the same character with another waylay immediately after. A character cannot Waylay two characters simultaneously even if they have the Florentine skill. Additionally, a character cannot use the Waylay skill with a ranged attack, even if it is augmented by the True Aim skill.
A defense that stops physical attacks will protect the character from both the effect and damage done by a waylay.
Additionally, a helmet that covers the back of a character’s head and neck will also protect against a Waylay. When armor is evaluated by an Arms Marshal, the helmet is assigned a certain number of Armor Points. In order for a Waylay to knock a character unconscious, it must do more damage than the Armor Points in the helmet. For example, if the target is wearing a helmet worth 2 Armor Points, and you call “Waylay one”, then the target does not fall unconscious but still takes 1 point of damage. The Armor Points in the helmet are the last ones to go for purposes of waylay protection.
In Game, a Waylay should be perceived as a strong, hard blow to the back of a character’s head, accompanied by a meaty “thunk”. It is not possible to make this a quiet attack; the character must say – not whisper – the word “Waylay”; everyone who hears that word knows that a strong blow has been struck.
I draw upon the earth to aid me…
Mages & Magic
Even if your character never casts a magic spell or uses a magic item, the existence of magic still has an impact on your character.
your knowledge is power!
Mage Skills
A Detailed Description of the Mage Basic Career Skills…
Energy Points
Energy Points are the value given to your Character’s ability to use certain skills in game.
Typically skills that are constant in duration do not require EP’s to use.
The more Energy Points that your Character has, the more times they can use the skills that require them! Use your characters Energy Points any way you desire, but be careful, when you exhaust yourself of EP’s they will not return until 7 o’clock.
Skill Cycles
Every 7am & 7pm marks the turn of the Skill Cycle where your energy points will refresh, refilling back to your maximum. Huzzah!
Energy Points to enable your Character to use skills, cast spells, strike with unerring accuracy, or dodge the deftest blow.
A character cannot ever overspend Energy Points. If you do not have the Energy Points to use, you cannot cast the spell. The spell simply fails and the balance of the points are not spent.
When a character casts a spell, the player will mentally reduce their current Energy Point total to reflect the cost of the spell just cast.
Players keep a mental record of these changes and PORTAL operates on an honor system as well as utilizing Marshals to ensure the game runs smoothly. Some changes are also recorded in writing.
The actual skill descriptions and charts will always indicate if a skill requires EP’s or not, please refer to them if you have any questions!
Energy Point Info Continued...
PORTAL operates on the Honor System.
Everyone is expected to do their best in maintaining an accurate accounting of their current Energy Points and Latent Spells.
Honest mistakes happen and should be brought to a Marshal’s attention so that other Player’s are not affected unfairly by your mistakes. Player’s bringing up honest mistakes are thanked and given assistance if needed to aid in preventing future mistakes.
Cheating, or even not saying something about a mistake, might seem like a good idea at the time but you are not only being unfair to those around you that are still following the rules that we ALL agreed to follow; you could also be ejected from the game temporarily or permanently.
Read Magic
Build Cost: 2
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Arcane
Prerequisites: Any Literacy Skill
Skill List: Mage Basic Career Skill List
When the character learns this skill they are able to read magical writing.
This skills is needed to use scrolls, without it a character cannot even tell what spell is written on the scroll. This skill is also required to read any tome that teaches you magic.
Oh Yes I Can!
Miscellaneous
Strength, smithing, stamina and more await those who pursue the knowledge of these skills
Something for everyone
Miscellaneous Skills
A Detailed Description of the Miscellaneous Basic Career Skills…
Armor Smith
Build Cost: 4
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Special
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
Each purchase of this skill allows the character to repair 6 Armor Points of cloth, leather, or metal armor.
It takes the character 5 minutes to repair up to 6 Armor Points; so if a character has three purchases of this skill, it will take them 5 minutes to repair 1 to 6 Armor Points, 10 minutes to repair 7 to 12 Armor Points, and 15 minutes to repair 13 to 18 Armor Points. The character may break up their repair points any way they wish up to their maximum number of repair points.
This skill is not used if the character is inside an armory when repairing armor.
This skill will also allow the character to make a new piece of armor.
For every purchase of this skill, the character can make a piece of leather or metal armor worth up to 6 Armor Points; so a character with three purchases of this skill can make a piece of leather or metal armor worth up to 18 Armor Points.
Four purchases of the Armor Smith skill is needed for Elven Crafting, Dwarven Crafting, Bone Crafting, and Enchantment Quality. Five purchases of the Armor Crafting skill is needed for Mithril Crafting.
For full details on creating armor see the details on the Weapons & Armor Page.
Advanced Strength
Build Cost: 10
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: Superior Strength
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill turns the non-combinable Strength Bonus of the Superior Strength skill to a combinable Strength Bonus.
Battle Surgery
Build Cost: 6
Energy Cost: 6
Duration: Special
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: First Aid
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
For every use of this skill, the character can spend 1 minute to restore 1 Body Points to a character.
The character may use this skill any time they wish on any living character, including themselves. For every purchase of this skill the character can restore 10 Body Points.
No matter how many Body Points restored, the character need only take 1 minute to use this skill.
The character can restore any amount of Body Points they wish with this skill up to their maximum amount.
One area of the body per use of this skill (or per 10 Body Points restored) is required.
A character can only be battle surgeried by one character at a time and a character can only battle surgery one character at a time.
The character must concentrate while they are using this skill.
The player should look at the character they are using this skill on and can only talk and invoke Latent spells while battle surgering someone.
One complete use of this skill can be used to indefinitely stabilize a living character who is Mortally Wounded or at the Brink of Death.
The character should place their hand on the character’s torso and call “Battle Surgery”. As long as the character maintains contact, the target character’s Death Count stops.
Craftsman Skills
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This set of skills allows a character to create in-game commodities not covered elsewhere in these rules.
The character needs to pay 100% of the production cost only, not the 110% non-craftsman must pay to the Treasure Manager obtain the item. The Treasure Manager will then give the character a tag for their product.
A player may never charge In Game money for an Out of Game physical representation of the commodity, but may charge Out of Game money for it.
For example, Juno the Baker wishes to sell her brownies in-game. The player pays the production cost to treasure and receives her tags. Now she can charge the going rate of 1 Copper Piece and $1 per brownie, she may not charge extra in-game money for the actual brownie.
The list of approved craftsman skills is listed below.
If a character wishes to have a skill not listed below the new skill must be approved by the normal process of adding a new skill to the game.
Craftsman Skill | Description
- Brewer | Allows the character to make any flavor of beer, ale, or lager.
- Vintner | Allows the character to make any flavor of wine, mead, or sparkling wine.
- Distiller | Allows the character to make any flavor of brandy, whiskey, or hard spirit.
- Cook | Allows the character to make any kind of food including desserts and candy.
- Gem Cutter | Allows the character to cut a gem into two gems of any value each with a combined worth of 10% less than the original.Each time a gem is cut, the total value is reduced by 10%.
- Jeweler | Allows the character to combine refined metals and/or gems into jewelry. There is no net increase in the value of the piece of jewelry. Costume jewelry or jewelry
with no In Game intrinsic value can be made for free.
For a player’s character, there is never any net profit in making any of the above commodities; the raw material cost is the intrinsic value of the product.
Characters do not gain the time, resources or production facilities to make profitable merchandise with this skill.
Divination
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Arcane
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
By performing 10 minutes of in-game roleplay, the character is able to see into the beyond and possibly divine the fate of a character.
This skill is rather unreliable, not all predictions come true and those that do, rarely the way the characters expected.
Once the diviner is finished with their reading, they should write down their prediciton on a piece of paper and hand it to a Plot Marshal. The Plot Marshal, at their own discretion and under no obligation, may or may not act on the information and should they choose to act, they are under no obligation to use it the way the character would wish or think.
Knowing this skill allows the character to use any divination tools they wish to, for example; tarot cards, dice, bones, tea leaves, crystal balls, palm reading, etc.
Evaluate Item
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
After spending 1 minute in-game examining an item, the character can tell how much it is worth in-game. Every in-game PORTAL item has a number engraved on it. The character can consult an Evaluate Item List to determine its value. The character cannot tell if an item is magical or not, nor can they identify an alchemical item or component with this skill.
There is an out-of-game logistical limitation to this skill. If there is no Evaluate Item List available, the attempt fails.
Feat of Strength
Build Cost: 3
Energy Cost: 3
Duration: Instant or 15 seconds
Skill Type: Martial Seconds
Prerequisites: Warrior Basic Career Skill List, 2 Staminas
Skill List: Master Warrior
Using this skill gives the character a +3 Strength Bonus, Non-Combinable, allowing the character to perform a feat of great strength, adding 3 points of damage to one swing, performing an action such as carrying a body for 15 seconds, or similar actions.
This skill may be stacked with the Giant Strength spell, Feat of Heroes spell, any giant strength potion, or any other Strength Bonus.
If this skill is used to increase the character’s damage, it is not used if they miss or the attack is blocked. If they succeed in striking their target or if the target calls an appropriate defense, the skill is used.
The character must call “Feat of Strength” when they use this skill.
First Aid
Build Cost: 2
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill can be used to heal a living character that is Bleeding to Death.
The character places two free hands just above the target character's chest,calls “First Aid” and begins a 1 minute count.
Once a character starts to use this skill the target character’s Death Count stops. After the 1 minute count, the character is Unconscious at 0 Body Points and after 5 minutes will regain consciousness and be at 1 Body Point. Also, this skill can be used to wake up a character that is Unconscious and has more than 1 Body Point. The character should place a free hand on the target character and begin a 1 minute count. No Body Points are restored when using the First Aid Skill in this manner.
A character can only be first aided by one character at a time and a character can only first aid one character at a time.
The use of this skill requires the character to concentrate while they are using this skill.
The player should look at the character they are using this skill on and can only talk, invoke Latent spells, or use a Dodge skill while first aiding someone. If the use of this skill is interrupted by either taking damage or the character choosing to stop, the target character must resume their Death Count. If the character wishes to try to first aid again, they must start from the beginning.
A character can also use this skill to assess the condition of another character.
The character places a free hand just above the target character, says “First Aid Assess” and takes a 5 second count. Once the character starts to assess the condition of the target character, and if that character is Bleeding to Death, their Death Count stops. The character using this skill will learn what stage their Death Count is at and how many Body Points the target character is down.
This skill cannot be used to heal characters who are Mortally Wounded or at the Brink of Death.
A character can choose to use a real bandage when using this skill. The bandage is in -game, does not have to be purchased, must be white, and must be larger than 2 feet by 3 inches. The character must either have their hand on the target character or be bandaging to use this skill. If the character uses a bandage, the time it takes for the target character to wake up is cut in half – only taking 2½ minutes. Once the target character wakes up, the bandages are no longer needed and can be removed or returned to the first-aider to re-use.
Herbal Lore
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill allows the character to identify and collect herbs during an event.
The player should go to the NPC Area and inform a marshal they are attempting to collect herbs.
The player must then spend time in-game looking for herbs. The longer the character looks, the more likely it is they will find something. When the character finishes, they return to the NPC Area and a random roll will determine what the character finds.
With this skill, the character can bring In Game any common herb that they have a physical representation for.
For example, the player brings in a pack of mint leaves from the supermarket, or finds some growing wild in the woods and then they can ask the Treasure Manager to write them out the appropriate number of tags.
The maximum amount of herbs a player can bring in is 1 silver piece worth per month.
Instructor
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
The character with this skill is particularly good at teaching others the things they know. Normally, it takes 5 minutes per Build Point to teach someone a new skill. The character with this skill takes only half that time.
So to teach someone the Slay skill normally takes 50 minutes, but with the Instructor skill it will only take 25 minutes of In Game roleplay to teach.
This skill is cumulative with the Quick Study skill therefore, if the student has the Quick Study skill, it would only take 12½ minutes to teach the Slay skill.
This skill is not list or Teach skill specific and any skill the character knows can be taught quickly.
Literacy
Build Cost: 4
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill allows the character to read and write one specific language per purchase of this skill.
A separate Literacy skill is needed for each language the character wishes to know. This skill does not give the character the ability to speak the language. Most of the languages a character can learn are given below.
Language:
Common
Elven
Dark Elven
Dwarven
Kali'
Lithian
Carthidian
Hierarch
A character can only start the game with the Literacy skills native to their race.
Medium
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Arcane
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill allows the character to perform a seance which takes 10 minutes of roleplay and requires the normal trappings of a seance – such as candles, incense, holding hands, etc. – and thereby speak to spirits.
The spirits must be willing, though the character can request a spirit’s presence. It is up to the discretion of a Plot Marshal as to whether the spirit appears or not and whether the skill works. A spirit can make its presence known to the medium and it is up to the medium whether or not they wish to perform the sιance.
This skill does not allow the character to see spirits and the character cannot be sure by simply the sound of the voice if they have contacted the correct spirit.
This skill will only let the character speak to a spirit that has been dead for more than 10 years.
Professional Skills
Build Cost: 1
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
A professional skill is a way for the player to round out their character's background or personality.
Professional skills never have any impact on game play other than the rare, incidental situations where (at the marshal's sole discretion and under no obligation) the character may gain some roleplay insight or otherwise unavailable information.
For example, a player who has the Professional Skill: Tailor may find themselves in a situation where they must create an outfit for a disguise. The marshal may let the player do this if it fits within the story or module.
The character does not ever automatically gain any kind of income, item, exclusion, information, or preference by having a Professional Skill.
Using the above example, the character who chooses to learn Professional Skill: Tailor does not get a shop, trade routes, connections, contracts, inventory, insight into the economic machinations of the Nobles or a land, exemption of their monthly maintenance fee, a place to sleep Out Of Game (i.e. in a shop they do not have), etc.
Any of these benefits must be earned In Game if ever possible and do not ever come from this skill.
A character may only have one Professional Skill for every 10 Levels, excluding their starting Professional Skill, rounded down. So a level 14 character may only have an additional Professional Skill; once they turn Level 20 they may learn another if they wish. Characters whose race is Comman Man may start the game with two Professional Skills, instead of one. They are still bound by the limit on the number of additional Professional Skills they may purchase. For example, a Level 20 Common Man could have four Professional Skills.
The list of approved and accepted Professional Skills is given in the following table.
Professional Skill Name
Animal Trainer Innkeep
Artist Laborer
Baker Lumberjack
Bartender Mason
Blacksmith Merchant
Candle Maker Miller
Carpenter Miner
Carpet Maker Pig Farmer
Cartwright Rancher
Clothier Sailor
Cobbler Scribe
Cooper Servant
Crop Farmer Shipwright
Dairy Farmer Shop Keep
Fisherman Soldier
Furrier Tanner
Gaoler Teamster
Glass Blower Thatcher
Guardsman Tinker
Herder Town Crier
Hunter Trapper
Quick Study
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
The character with this skill is a fast learner and can learn a new skill at half the normal In Game time.
Normally it takes 5 minutes per Build Point of In Game role-play to learn a new skill. A quick study will learn a new skill in 2 and a half minutes per Build Point.
To learn an Assassin Proficiency skill normally takes 50 minutes, a character with this skill would learn it in 25 minutes.
This skill is cumulative with the Instructor skill and, so, if the teacher has the Instructor skill, it would only take 12½ minutes to teach an Assassin Proficiency skill.
This skill is not list or skill specific and any skill the character learns can be trained quickly.
Researcher
Build Cost: 3
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Arcane
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill allows the character a better chance to reserch a new alchemical item or sorcery ritual.
This skill gives a +10% bonus to their success role. In addition, this skill will allow a character to research In Game information in a library, such as the Ducal Library, at a reduced In Game price.
Stamina
Build Cost: 4
Purchase: Multi
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill permanently gives the character +3 Body Points each time the skill is purchased.
Other than what is listed in this rulebook, this skill will not allow the character to perform any other actions or feats of great stamina.
Superior Strength
Build Cost: 15
Purchase: Once
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Martial
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill grants any living character a permanent +1 Strength Bonus, non-combinable.
This is combinable with any natural racial Strength Bonus the character already has.
If a living character is turned into an undead, they lose the benefits of this skill.
Weapon Smith
Build Cost: 4/6/8/10
Purchase: Special
Duration: Constant
Skill Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisites: None
Skill List: Miscellaneous Skill List
This skill allows a character to make weapons.
The table below outlines what each rank of the Weapon Smith skill allows the character to create.
Weapon or Special Crafting
Rank 1
- Small Weapons
- One-Handed Blunt
- Bastard Blunt
- Two-Handed Blunt
- Spear
- Quarterstaff
- Any Shield
Rank 2
- One-Handed Edge
- Bastard Edge
- Two-Handed Edge
- Polearm
- Cold Forging
- Copper, Silver, or Gold Coating
- Wire Creation
Rank 3
- Venom Dagger
- Enchantment Quality
- Permanently Alloyed Weapon
Locks
Rank 4
- Bone Crafting
- Venom Sword
- Unshatterable (Dwarven Crafting)
- +1 Damage Bonus (Elven Crafting)
- Mithril Forging
A character can create any number of normal weapons they wish in between Events.
The character needs to hand over the appropriate weapon stock and receive the appropriate weapon card. Weapon stock can be purchased from the Treasure Manager or various In Game sources such as the Merchants Guild.
If a character wishes to make a weapon during an Event, they must spend the indicated time In Game. All special weapons must be made In Game.
become an expert
Advanced Professions
Master Warrior
Sorcerer
Servant of Darkness
Spell Singer
Warlock
Where can i find the teacher for...
Learning & Teaching Skills
In addition to In Game teaching of the skill, the teacher instructs the player Out Of Game how the skill works.
Prerequisites
Some skills have a prerequisite listed in the skill tables.
This means that a character must know the prerequisite skill before they can learn the new skill.
Both a skill and its prerequisite cannot be learned during the same event.
If your character has just learned Rank 1 of the Aura School of magic, you must wait until the next event before you can learn Rank 2 of the Aura School.
Teachers
Most skills are gained only if a teacher can be found In Game.
A teacher is not needed for the skills purchased with your initial 35 Build Points.
More About Being A Teacher
Aside from the exceptions noted below, anyone can teach any basic skill they know.
Advanced Career skills require the teacher to have the Teach skill. There is a Teach skill for each Advanced Career and each must be learned separately. Once it is learned, that character can teach any skill they have the teach skill for to any character that has the proper prerequisites to learn that skill.”
The Teach skill does not cost any Build Points but the player must have Plot approval to gain this skill.
Character Booklet
When a character is taught a skill, the teacher must write the following in the learner's Character Booklet:
- Name of the new skill
- Teacher’s name
- Teacher’s Player Number.
Roleplaying & Teaching
Players teaching a skill should roleplay the instruction and not just sign the Character Card.
As a rule, it takes 5 minutes per Build Point of roleplaying to teach a skill.
So, to teach the First Aid skill would take 10 minutes, to teach the Slay Skill would take 50 minutes.
However, some teachers may choose to take longer to teach a skill and others may have a skill or ability that will allow them to reduce the time it takes to teach a skill.
Spending the time to roleplay the teaching will make the new skill more significant to the student.
The student does not gain the use of the new skill until the next Event.
For example, characters do not suddenly gain the ability to pick locks at the instant the teacher signs their card.
In addition to the In Game teaching of the skill, the teacher will instruct the player Out Of Game how the skill works.
Learning Magic
Typically, any character can teach any other character that has all the proper prerequisites and racial ability to learn the first rank of any school of magic they already know.
Events In Game may change exactly how and what a character can learn.
Teaching and learning can be done anywhere and requires no special Out Of Game supervision.
To learn any of the other schools and ranks, the character needs a teacher and use of the Magical Tomes. It is through these tomes that the knowledge is taught by the teacher to the student.
Skill Costs
A player acquires skills for their character by spending Build Points.
There are three Basic Career Skill Lists that cost Build Points to learn. They are:
Warrior Basic Career Skill List, Mage Basic Career Skill List, & Rogue Basic Career Skill List.
The base cost for the character's:
First list is 10 Build.
Second list is 20 Build.
Third list is 30 Build.
More About Skill Costs
The rest of the lists in our game refer to groupings of skills that share a similar career.
For example, the Master Warrior Skill List contains all the skills appropriate to Master Warriors. This does not imply that a Master Warrior would not have access to other skills in the game, just that these are the skills associated with the Master Warrior Advanced Career.