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- Alertness (Mental 1 or Physical 1, Observation +1) — Some characters are
unnaturally alert and instinctively note signs of trouble that
other characters may miss. A character with this skill reduces
his chance of being surprised by 1 in 10 if he makes a successful
skill check. In situations where surprise is automatic, the character
may still attempt a skill check. If he passes, he is surprised
at the normal chance instead of automatically.
- Characters with an Alertness skill score of 90% or higher have
honed their ability to stay alert to a fine art. They are light
sleepers, always alert to danger and attuned to their immediate
surroundings. They gain two key advantages
- First, if they’re roused from slumber (during an attack at night,
for example), they can react immediately, as if they had been
awake. Provided a weapon is close at hand (a dagger placed beneath
the pillow, for instance), they can even attack during the round
in which they awaken. No skill check is required. This ability
does not affect magical slumber, however, such as that created
by a sleep spell or related magics.
- Second, When an enemy launches an attack from the rear, the character
can attempt a skill check at -40% to detect the assault. Success
negates any chance for surprise and allows the character to apply
defensive bonuses from a high Dexterity/Balance score, even if
he does not turn to meet the attack. Shield bonuses are not applicable
unless the character turns around. A successful check may also
negate the special bonuses an enemy gains from a rear attack,
including a thief’s backstab bonuses, as detailed below.
- If the check succeeds and the character attacks in a later combat
phase than the backstabber (or loses initiative if both act in
the same phase), the backstabbing proceeds, but the thief suffers
a -2 penalty to hit (damage bonuses still apply). If the check
succeeds and the character acts in a combat phase before the backstabber
(or wins initiative if both act in the same phase), he can wheel
and attack the backstabbing rogue immediately with an attack of
opportunity, negating all backstabbing (including damage bonuses)
and rear attack bonuses. If the check fails, the back attack occurs
normally.
- Artistic Ability (Mental 1 or Physical 1, Wisdom/Intuition, Dexterity/Aim) — A
character with Artistic Ability is naturally accomplished in various
forms of the arts. He has an inherent understanding of color,
form, space, flow, tone, pitch, and rhythm.
- A character with Artistic Ability must select one art form (painting,
sculpture, composition, etc.) to be proficient in. Thereafter
he can attempt to create art works or musical compositions in
his chosen field. Although it is not necessary to make a skill
check, one can be made to determine the quality of the work. If
a 01-05 is rolled on the check, the artist has created a work
with some truly lasting value. If the check fails, the artist
has created something aesthetically unpleasing or just plain bad.
- Artistic Ability confers a +5% bonus to any skill check requiring
artistic skill — like music and dance and to attempts to appraise
objects of art.
- A character with an Artistic Ability such as drawing or calligraphy
can default to the Forgery skill at one-quarter of his Artistic
Ability skill score. If a character has learned the Forgery skill
and an appropriate Artistic Ability skill he receives a +5% bonus
to any Forgery skill check.
- Examples of Artistic Ability include: Mosaic, Flower Arranging,
Calligraphy, Painting, Sculpting, Origami, Woodcarving, Draftsmanship,
and Drawing.
- Some specific forms of this skill are listed below:
- Calligraphy: The handwriting of an individual with this skill is controlled
and beautiful to the point of being considered art. A character
could earn a tidy income copying documents, books, formal letters,
etc., for the wealthy. Skilled calligraphers are often sought
by the courts of the aristocracy and religious institutions that
wish to illuminate their holy writings. The Reading/Writing skill must be learned before this skill can be selected.
- Draftsmanship: This skill is used to physically draw a coat of arms. It is
most useful when combined with a Heraldry: Blazoning skill, since the character can then create a perfect
achievement from written records. Without Blazoning, the draftsman
must work from a perfect copy of the achievement and is penalized
by a -10% modifier on the dice roll. Draftsmanship requires a
set of paints and brushes, as well as the shield or other materials
to be emblazoned. If the color “or” (gold) is to be used, a jeweler
must be employed to apply gold leaf.
- This skill can also be used to render drawings of buildings, mechanical
devices, and other such things.
- Mosaic: The character with this skill is adept at inlaying pieces of
stone into a baseplate of stone, creating pleasing patterns and
images. The work is nearly as long-lasting as stonework and is
used to decorate walls and floors.
- Painting: A character with this skill is adept at rendering images with
paint, brush and canvas. The artist can create reasonable portrayals
of people, landscapes and monsters and he possesses a knowledge
of perspective, shading and composition.
- Sculpting: The character with this skill can render realistic objects out
of stone and clay.
- Barbarians: A barbarian must select an art form common to his homeland.
Some possibilities include cave painting, plainsong (a style of
singing based on approximate pitches instead of fixed intervals,
performed without harmony or instrumental accompaniment), crude
sculpting (in clay, wood or bone), and primitive mosaics (colored
pebbles or bits of bone arranged in appealing patterns).
- Shamans: Shamans use this ability only to craft items for use in ceremonies.
(If the character picks painting as the emphasis, then he can
paint flawless images and symbols upon altars and ceremonial items,
while sculpting will allow the character to create an exceedingly
beautiful spirit mask.
- When performing shamanic rituals involving artistic efforts, the
character receives a +5% bonus to the Shamanic Ritual check.
- Racial modifiers: All elves and Balishe humans receive a +10% bonus to any type
of Artistic Ability. Tallfellow halflings receive a +15% bonus
to the Artistic Ability — Woodcarving skill. Rock Gnomes receive
a +5% bonus to all Artistic Ability skills.
- Blindfighting (Mental 1, Physical 1, Observation) — A character with Blindfighting
is skilled at fighting in conditions of poor or no light (but
this skill does not allow spell use). In total darkness, the character
suffers only a -2 penalty to his attack roll (as compared to a
-4 penalty without this skill). Under starlight or moonlight,
the character incurs only a -1 penalty. The character suffers
no penalties to his AC because of darkness. A character with at
least 90% score in this skill suffers only a -1 penalty to hit
in darkness, no penalty under starlight or moonlight, and other
penalties are halved.
- Furthermore, the character retains special abilities that would
normally be lost in darkness, although the effectiveness of these
are reduced by half (skill checks are made at half the normal
score, etc.). This skill is effective only against opponents or
threats within melee distance of the character. Blindfighting
does not grant any special protection from missile fire or anything
outside the immediate range of the character’s melee weapon. Thus,
AC penalties remain for missile fire. (By the time the character
hears the whoosh of the arrow, for example, it is too late for
him to react.)
- While moving in darkness, the character suffers only half the
normal movement penalty of those without this skill.
- Furthermore, this skill aids the character when dealing with invisible
creatures, reducing the attack penalty to -2. However, it does
not enable the character to discover invisible creatures; he has
only a general idea of their location and cannot target them exactly.
- A character with at least a 50% skill score in this skill need
not make a skill check to Blindfight. A character with less than
a 50% skill score must make a roll each combat to successfully
Blindfight.
- Racial modifiers: Blindfighting comes naturally for dwarves, Drow elves, hobgoblins,
gnomes, goblins, kobolds, and orcs. Characters of these races
receive a +25% bonus to their skill scores.
 
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