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- Giant Kite Flying (Mental 1, Physical 1, Dexterity/Balance -3, Wisdom/Intuition
-3) — This skill is of use only to characters who intend to fly
the unusual items called hito zoashi (human eagle) and yami doko
(man-sized kite). It is an expensive skill and difficult to master,
so there are very few practitioners. Without this skill, a character
trying to use a giant kite is certain to crash and do himself
great harm, if not kill himself. Even with this skill, the character
is very likely to do so.
- Hiding (Mental 1, Physical 1, Observation -1) — This skill allows a
character use the natural elements of the immediate environment
— vegetation, shadows, depressions — to conceal himself. A successful
check means he has virtually disappeared from view. The hidden
character must remain motionless and silent to prevent discovery.
- The concealed character stays hidden unless the creature or character
searching for him makes a successful Observation check, modified
by the creature’s or character’s bonus to find concealed doors.
If more than one character or creature is searching the same area,
base the check on the highest Observation score in the group.
- The DM may prohibit the use of the Hiding skill in situations
where no natural cover is available (a smooth stone plateau, a
featureless room). Further, the skill has no effect on creatures
who detect their prey with senses other than sight.
- Barbarians: A barbarian receives the Hiding skill as a bonus skill in his
homeland terrain. A barbarian with a skill score of 90% or higher
may use this skill in all types of terrain.
- Interrogation (Mental 1, Physical 1, Charisma/Appearance -2, Dexterity/Aim)
— The character is skilled in the use of subtle (and not so subtle)
methods of extracting answers from unwilling subjects. These techniques
are often used by inquisitors, for whom the term “interrogation”
is often a euphemism for “torture.”
- In order to use this skill, the character must have the subject
at his mercy. At the very least, the subject must not be able
to escape from the character. This skill cannot be used in normal
conversation or during casual meetings.
- For each hour of interrogation, the character must make a skill
check. If successful, the victim blurts out some piece of information
unless he makes a successful save vs. spells or in the case of
a victim who possesses the Interrogation skill, a successful skill
check may be substituted for the save at the victim’s option.
There is a 20% chance that the subject of an interrogation will
tell the truth plus 5% per point the save was failed by or by
1% per point the victim's Interrogation skill check was failed
by.
- Otherwise the victim will make up something which, hopefully,
will satisfy the interrogator. The DM may apply bonuses or penalties
to these rolls as he sees fit, depending upon the importance of
the information, the setting of the interrogation, and any particularly
imaginative persuasions used by the character.
- When inflicting pain to elicit information, the torturer must
also make a Dexterity check. If the check is failed, the victim
takes 1d4 points of damage from the clumsy interrogation.
- The most common form of interrogation is, unfortunately, torture.
Extreme discomfort, irritation or simple pain may be employed,
in which case the victim must make a Constitution/Health check.
- Quick-fire questions may be asked, in which case the victim must
make an Intelligence/Reason check (or Interrogation skill check)
to avoid letting information slip out, or he may simply refuse
to speak.
- Other techniques include prolonged sleep deprivation (Constitution/Fitness
check every hour after the second sleepless night), and attempts
to drive the victim into a furry and blurt out telling information
(Wisdom/Understanding check).
- Note that many interrogation techniques are not allowed to paladins
(such as torture).
- This skill may also be used to extract information through “pillow
talk,” but this form of Interrogation must be learned as a separate
skill. In this instance the victim (“lover”) must make a Wisdom/Understanding
check to avoid being cajoled into revealing information.
- Racial modifiers: Orcs, goblins, kobolds and hobgoblins are masters of physical
interrogation (torture) and receive a +15% bonus to their skill
score when using this form of the skill. Half-ogres and half-orcs
who are raised by their humanoid parents also receive the +15%
bonus.
- Intimidation (Mental 1 or Physical 1, Strength/Muscle, Charisma/Appearance,
Ego/Willpower) — This skill allows a character to bend others
to his will through fear tactics. It involves an implicit threat
of violence. Intimidated NPCs are quite likely to do as they are
told, but will harbor resentments against the character who threatened
them. If an opportunity arises for an intimidated NPC to revenge
himself, he will do so.
- Intimidation may be attempted with one of three abilities Strength,
Charisma or Ego. If intimidating by Strength, the character is
threatening immediate, personal, bodily harm. If by Charisma,
the intimidation consists of subtle threats, which need not be
physical. If Ego is used, the character is attempting to exert
his force of will to make the NPC do as he wishes.
- No matter which ability is used, the Intimidation attempt is always
modified by five times the difference between the experience level
of the intimidating character and the experience level or Hit
Dice of the victim(s). Creatures with less than one Hit Die are
considered to have a level of zero.
- For example, a sixth-level warrior attempting to intimidate a
1-1 Hit Die goblin would gain a +30% bonus to his Intimidation
ability. Against a 10th-level human warrior, the sixth-level warrior’s
Intimidation skill would be reduced by -20%. Higher level characters
are less likely to be intimidated.
- When a character is attempting to intimidate more than one character
and all are within four experience levels of each other, the level
for each is calculated by averaging their levels. If one or more
characters is more than five experience levels above the others,
the highest experience level is used; the other characters gain
confidence from the presence of a powerful individual.
- When attempting to intimidate more than one, the number of characters
times five is used as a negative modifier. If a dwarf is attempting
to intimidate five goblins, his Intimidation skill is reduced
by -25%.
- Intimidation may only be used against intelligent creatures; slimes
and shambling mounds are too stupid to notice that someone is
trying to intimidate them.
- Player characters are never forced to submit to Intimidation and
may choose how they will to react to an attempt.
 
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