Bridge Worlds: Soterion
Page 20
Geology (requires Geography level 5)
Ethereal Sciences: (Requires Botany level 5)
Medicine (requires Chemistry level 5, Anatomy level 5, Botany level 5) Physics (requires Mathematics level 5)
Pyrotechnics: (requires Physics level 5, Chemistry level 5) Metallurgy (requires Physics level 5, Chemistry level 5)
Forensic Science (requires Physics level 5, Medicine level 5) Meteorology (requires Ecology level 5, Physics level 5)
Oceanography (requires Geology level 5, Physics level 5) Engineering (requires Mathematics level 5)
Ballistics: (requires Engineering level 5, Chemistry 5)
Basic Flight: (requires Engineering level 5)
Magi Deployment System (requires Engineering level 5)
Advanced Sciences (requires Engineering level 5)
Search
Related Attribute: Knowledge
Requirements: Cognizance
This skill allows a character to search an area to find something that would not be obviously apparent except by active investigation (e.g. knocking on walls, moving pictures, lifting items).
Target Number
9
15
21
27
36 48 Second Attack Related Attribute: Agility
Requirements:
The character is skilled making a second attack within a round that occurs two initiative counts after the character first attacks. A character’s second attack skill cannot be higher than Category Difficulty Example
Easy A secret door cut into a smooth surface Average A wall safe hidden behind a picture
Difficult A ruby mixed in with aquarium rock in a fish tank Hard A secret door placed in wall surfaced with wooden
planks where the door coincides with the panels. Heroic A diamond in a glass of water.
Impossible A secret door cut into a wall where the door lines
coincide with fine lines cut into the wall to make an artistic picture
2 points below the characters first attack/weapon proficiency skill. Example: Leevant’s weapon proficiency (Longsword) skill is 20 and was used on initiative count 5. His secondary attack skill is 18 (since it cannot be equal to or greater than his primary attack skill). With an agility modifier of +1, his total second attack skill is 19 and can be used on initiative count 3. (See Combat)
Sense Motive
Related Attribute: Cognizance
Requirements:
This skill allows a character to see through the words or demeanor of a person to determine what his intentions are. The base target number the character needs to roll to sense motive is 9 plus the target’s personality attribute. However, it is harder to sense motive from a character who has used the Bluff skill successfully. That character would need to roll for a successful Bluff (as per skill). If successful, the number of points that exceed are added to the base target number and the bluffer’s personality attribute. For Sense motive purposes, a failed bluff roll only means that the character is not affected by the bluff, he still does not know what the motivation might be unless the sense motive skill is rolled.
Example: For winning the distance portion of the race, Leevant receives a new sword worth a considerable price. Regis sees Leevant after the race and hatches a plan to lure Leevant into the Wounded Pony tavern for a cool glass of water so he may steal the sword.
Regis says “That was a good race, Leevant. I’m not a poor sport;let me buy you a drink at the Wounded Pony.”
Leevant is curious. “I could use a drink. But why the Pony? The stand over there is selling refreshments.”
Regis smiles. “True, but I could use a sit-down in the shade. What do you say?”
Leevant’s Sense Motive skill is 10 and Regis’ personality attribute is 19. The target number for Leevant to sense motive is 28 (9+19), for a sum total needed of 18 (28-10) or more to succeed. Leevant rolls a 6, 7, and 7 for a total of 20. He sees through the ruse well enough.
Let’s say, however, that Regis uses his Bluff skill. His skill level is 10. Leevant is currently neutral (difficulty of 15) and has a +2 modifier from his cognizance attribute (See Bluff). Regis will need to roll a 7 or higher on 3d8 to succeed. He rolls a 7, 7, 7 for a total of 21 and succeeds by 14 points. This makes Leevant’s base target number 42 for a sum total needed of 32 or more to succeed.
Sleight of Hand
Related Attribute: Manual Dexterity
Requirements:
Sleight of Hand is the skill to handle small objects in a way not visible to casual observation, such as having coins appear behind someone’s ear and performing card tricks. The base difficulty for the skill is 9. The trick succeeds if the character rolls more points than the observing character’s cognizance attribute.
A character who believes that someone is using the Sleight of Hand skill can roll a spot skill and add the success difference to to observer’s Cognizance attribute to try to see through the Sleight of Hand.
One other use of this skill, and the most prohibited, is the ability to pick a target’s pocket. Target difficulty for this skill depends on the size of the item and its location. The target’s Cognizance attribute modifier is also added to the target difficulty.
Example: Regis has set up his ball under the coconut shell game in front of the inn. He is using Sleight of Hand skill to grab the ball and palm it. If he is trying to bait a customer, then he makes sure that there are a few wins. His Sleight of Hand skill is 20. (Regardless of the skill, the difficulty cannot fall below 1). He rolls a 7, 8, and 6. He rerolls the 8 and gets another 8 for a total sum of 29. He has succeeded by 28 points. This means that no one with a cognizance attribute 28 or lower can perceive his trick.
Leevant, however, has been watching Regis and believes that something is up. He rolls a spot check and succeeds by 15. With a cognizance of 16, he adds 15 more points for a total of 31 (3 points higher than Regis’ success). Leevant is able to see what Regis is doing.
Sleight of Hand/Illusion
Related Attribute:
Requirements: Magi only
This is the base skill all Magi use in their trade. See Sleight of Science for greater detail.
Sneak
Related Attribute: Agility
Requirements:
A character with the sneak skill has the ability to move without sound. Since Sneak is based on movement, a skill check must be rolled each round (unless the Narrator determines otherwise).
Target Number Category Difficulty Example 9 Easy Floor is normal carpet with solid support or concrete and concrete and character wearing no shoes or soft shoes. Character is outside, in the open, with no obstacles on the ground that may make sound.
15 Average Floor is normal carpet but has a worn support (creaky wooden planks) and character wearing no shoes or soft shoes. Character is outside, in the open, with very few obstacles (twigs, branches)
21 Difficult Floor is normal, but character wearing hard shoes. Character is outside, moving through light foliage, some obstacles (twigs and branches)
36 Heroic Floor is normal, character wearing metal boots. Character outside, moving through heavy foliage, large amount of obstacles (twigs, branches, leaves)
48 Impossible Floor is creaky, character wearing metal boots. Character outside, moving to dense foliage, ground covered in twigs, branches, leaves.
Example: Alcove is sneaking around the upper level of the guild house. The base target number is 15, since he is wearing soft shoes but the wooden floor is old and creaky. Since his Sneak skill is 10, he will need a total sum of 5 or more to succeed in moving silently for that round (8 seconds).
Spin Attack
Related Attribute: Agility
Requirements:
With this skill, the character can strike all
opponents within weapon distance of the
character. This is the only action the character
can take in the round.
Example: Leevant’s spin attack is
level 15 and h
as an agility modifier of +2
to make his total attack skill of 17. He is
surrounded by four thugs who want to take
his sword. Leevant might play with them, however Leevant doesn’t get his defense skill with the thug behind him. (Four opponents can surround a character, flank left, straight ahead, flank right, and rear. Because Defense only works on attacks Leevant is aware of, he does not get the skill against the fourth thug). Leevant chooses to forgo his second attack and third attack skills to use the spin attack and strike at all of the thugs. (See Combat)
Spot
Related Attribute: Cognizance
Requirements:
Unlike search, Spot is a skill of pure observation, an bility to see or notice detail that would normally be missed on first glance. Since Spot is a conscious decision, a character must spend a round “examining” an area.
Target Number 9
dark
Category Difficulty Example
Easy A white lamb 100 yards away standing in front of a
15 Average 21
36
Difficult Heroic
48 Survival Related Attribute: Knowledge Requirements: Survival Kit The survival skill allows the character to endure the elements for long periods of time. A survival skill roll is needed when a character is out in the elements with few supplies. An average character can survive outside of an urban area if prepared with a master survival kit). They load a tent, food, and other supplies in a backpack or on a horse or donkey and set out. Only the most experienced survivalists can survive with no kit. A character loses health points if he cannot find shelter, food, or drinkable water. A character will lose one point of health for each requirement he does without each night. A character passes out from exposure if his health is reduced to zero. A character finds all three requirements with a successful roll. He only finds two if the roll fails by 3, one if the roll fails by 6, and none if the roll fails by 9 or more points. Characters must spend points in the Survival area of their choosing, whether it be Desert, Snow/Frozen, Tropical, or Temperate
Target Number Category Difficulty Example
9 Easy Master survival kit
15 Average Exceptional survival kit
21 Difficult Good survival kit
27 Hard Average survival kit
36 Heroic Poor survival kit
48 Impossible No survival kit
Impossible color building
A dark colored goat standing in front of a dark color Building 100 yards away
Someone using sleight of hand for a card trick A diamond in a glass of water; a light colored dog in a wheat field where the dog is a few inches shorter than the wheat stalks.
A tapestry, 10 feet tall and 20 feet long, of a city area at 1/20th scale, that through one of the windows, unlike the rest of the windows, the wall inside has writing on it
Example: Leevant had been traveling for nine days. During a freak storm, his horse ran off with all of his supplies. He is out in the elements with no survival kit, difficulty 48 (impossible). The good thing is that Leevant has been trained for such an occasion and has a survival-temperate skill of 20. To create shelter, start a fire, and to scavenge for some food, he will need to roll a 28 or more on 3d8.
The first night, he rolls a 25 and fails. He loses 1 point of health for finding only 2 requirements of survival. The next night he rolls a 15 and fails by 10 points. He loses 3 points of health for not finding any requirements. The third night he rolls a 26. That night he loses no health points.
Swim
Related Attribute: Agility
Requirements:
This is a character’s ability to stay afloat or to move in water. The distance a character can swim per round is determined by the character’s size. To determine the maximum distance a character can swim in feet per round, multiply the character’s height in feet by 1.5. Characters with the swim skill may add 1 additional foot per point of skill per round. (A character six feet tall and with a swim skill of 5 a maximum distance of 14 feet per round. Swiming is broken into three methods: Tread Water, Leisurely swim, and as fast as possible. This determines how long a character can swim.
Tread Water Distance per round divided by 6. Character may tread water up to 4 hours before needing rest.
Leisurely swim Distance per round divided by 3. Character may leisurely swim 3 times their Health in rounds before needing rest.
As fast as possible Full distance as calculated. Character may swim as fast as possible for their Health in rounds before needing rest.
Characters can hold his/her breath for 4 seconds for every point of Health.
Remember, a character without points in a skill such as swimming may still attempt to swim; however, any adjusted target number higher than 30 is considered impossible for that character. Also, the character must make a swimming roll for every round the action occurs.
Drowning: As stated, a character can hold his breath four seconds for every point of Health. He/she loses 1 point of Health for every round he is under water or otherwise deprived of oxygen. The character goes unconscious when the character’s health reaches 0. The character is considered dead if the conditions persist that would bring the character’s Health to -10 (oxygen deprivation, character brain dead). A character also loses 1 point of health for every failed swim roll.
Target Number Category Difficulty Example 9 Easy Body of standing water, no current. Conditions are perfect. (Swimming pool)
15 Average Body of slow moving water, slight current. (Lake on a good day)
21 Difficult Body of moving water, moderate current; slight weather conditions. (slow moving river)
27 Hard Body of moving water, strong current, has undertow; Strong weather conditions
36 Heroic Body of fast moving water, powerful current, strong undertow, debris in water
48 Impossible Rapids, extremely fast moving water, powerful current, powerful undertow, rocks or other debris. (Swimming in swelling rapids)
Example: Both Leevant and Alcove stand before the Triskispal River. Last night’s rain has swelled the river to flood stages. There is a powerful current and strong undertow. Debris is being swept down the river as well.
Leevant has never spent a point in swimming. True, his agility would add +2 modifier to any skill roll,and the difficulty for swimming the river is 36 (Heroic). With Leevant’s modifier, the target number is still 34. He will drown if he jumps/falls/or otherwise enters the river.
Alcove, on the other hand, has a swimming skill of 20. This would make the sum total needed 16. Alcove dives in and rolls a total of 28. With a skill of 20, he can swim 29 feet across the river, about half way there. The next round, he rolls a 15. Now he’s in trouble. True, Alcove can hold his breath for the next round; however, he loses 1 point of health for a failed swim roll. Let us assume that Alcove fails his next fourteen swim checks as he’s carried downstream, he would lose 1 point of health per failed roll and eventually drown.
Compare this to Alcove playing around in the local watering hole (standing water, no current, perfect conditions); he would need to roll an automatic failure of 2, 2, 2 to fail. Thus, for him to drown in these conditions, he would need to roll an automatic failure fourteen more times
Example. Alcove is swimming in a lake and wants to go down as far as possible. He successfully swims to the middle of the lake (difficulty 15, slight current). Now, he takes a deep breath and dives down. Assuming that he does not roll a 2, 2, 2, Alcove can split his time: 7 rounds (56 seconds) swimming down at a rate of 29 feet per round (203 feet total),and then the next 7 rounds (56 seconds) returning to the surface.
Third Attack
Related Attribute: Agility
Requirements: Second Attack Skill
The character is skilled making a Third Attack within a round that occurs two initiative counts after the character’s Second Attack. A character’s third attack skill cannot be higher than two skill points below the characters second attack and the attack falls 2 initia
tive counts after Second Attack.
Example: Leevant’s WG: One-Hand Blade skill is 20 and was used on initiative count 5. His WG: One-Hand Blade Second Attack skill 18 (since it cannot be equal to or greater than his primary attack skill). The second attack would occur on initiative count 3. His WG: One-Hand Blade Third Attack skill is 16 (since it cannot be equal to or greater than his Second Attack skill) and could be used on initiative count 1. (See Combat)
Tumble
Related Attribute: Agility
Requirements:
Tumbling is the precursor to gymnastics. The main basis for tumbling difficulty is the environment, which can be modified by the act the character is trying to use. As a general rule, a character can reduce falling damage by the amount of success.
A character takes 1d8 for every 10 feet he/she falls to a maximum of 30d8 (or simply
3d8*10). For any distance a character falls over 300 feet, the damage is 3d8 + 1d8 for every
500 feet in distance and the damage is reduced from the character’s health attribute. The character is unconscious if the damage reduces the health below 0. The character dies if the damage reduces the health to -10 or more.
Target Number Category Difficulty Example
9 Easy Even footing
15 Average Uneven footing, loose gravel, rocky terrain, muddy ground
21 Difficult Muddy terrain six to eight inches deep
27 Hard Disoriented or dizzy, muddy terrain eight inches or more in depth
36 Heroic Blind
48 Impossible Blind, knee deep in mud, in an ice storm
Example1: Alcove is trying to jump over an angry dog that is blocking his exit. Since he has even footing, the difficulty of this is 9.
Example2: Alcove avoided the dog: however, he must now jump over a pit. He sees that there is a small foot hold on the right wall that could help him. His intent is to jump to the ledge and then to the other side. The best skill for this is tumbling. The Narrator considers this a difficult task (21).
Example3: Alcove missed the roll and is falling into the pit. He makes a tumbling skill roll to reduce the amount of damage he would receive by falling. He falls a total of 350 feet. The Game Master rolls a 3, 7, 8, and 5 (1d8 per every 500 feet above 300) for a total of 23. At this point, his tumbling skill would make little difference. His health is 14. His health, then, is reduced to -9. He’s not dead, but he is unconscious and in serious danger of death.