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- Mountaineering (Physical 1, Strength/Stamina) — A character with this skill
can make difficult and dangerous climbs up steep slopes and cliffs
with the aid of spikes, ropes, etc. If a character with Mountaineering
skill leads a party, placing the pitons (spikes) and guiding the
others, all in the party can gain the benefit of his knowledge.
A mountaineer can guide a party up a cliff face it could not otherwise
climb.
- A character with the Mountaineering skill (who is not a thief)
may also, with the proper equipment, climb very smooth, smooth
and rough surfaces such as walls and trees. He can also assist
unskilled characters in all types of climbs. His chance for success
is 40% plus one-quarter his Mountaineering skill when climbing
these types of surfaces.
- Note, Mountaineering is not the same as the thief’s climbing ability,
since the latter does not require aids of any sort. However, a
rogue character with this skill may add one-quarter (round down)
of his Mountaineering skill to his Climb Walls ability.
- Racial modifiers: Dwarves receive a +15% bonus to the Mountaineering skill. Gnomes,
Uldra and Stout Halflings receive a +10% bonus to their skill.
Orcs, goblins, kobolds, hobgoblins, half-ogres and half-orcs receive
a +5% bonus to their skill. Lizardmen are penalized by -10%.
- Movement Meditation (Physical 1, Ego/Aura +1) — Certain mystical traditions emphasize
physical discipline and exercise as means of spiritual growth.
By spending time in specialized exercise and other physical disciplines
and making a successful skill check, the character can temporarily
boost one physical ability score — Strength, Dexterity or Constitution
— by +1 for a period equal to half the time spent in meditation.
Meditation for this purpose requires freedom from disturbance,
and does not eliminate the needs for food, drink, or sleep. Only
one ability can be boosted at any given time.
- Prestidigitation (Physical 1, Dexterity/Aim -1) — This is the art of street magic
or sleight of hand, the trade of the magician. The character is
skilled at concealing or manipulating small items and familiar
with such tricks as pulling a coin from a child’s ear, separating
two joined rings or causing a pigeon or rabbit to vanish. For
the most part, nothing more than manual dexterity and showmanship
are required. A character of any class or race may learn Prestidigitation.
- While true wizards have little time for these parlor tricks, many
apprentices duplicate these feats through the use of cantrips
as a form of practice. A wizard with a cantrip spell handy can
really manipulate a small object by briefly levitating it, teleport
something small from one hand to the other, or use a tiny dimensional
pocket to make an object disappear or seem to contain something
it shouldn’t.
- There is no particular game effect for Prestidigitation, although
it is a form of entertainment and can earn a wizard his dinner
with a good performance, or possibly distract or fool an NPC under
very limited circumstances. For example, a wizard trying to conceal
a wand or precious gem from a robber searching him at knife point
might be able to hide the item with a successful skill check.
- Rogues: A rogue character who takes this skill and who also has the
Pick Pockets thief skill may add a +5% bonus to both skills.
- Quickness (Physical 2, Dexterity/Aim) — A character with this skill is
unusually fast. His hand-eye coordination is excellent, and he
can often get past his opponent’s defenses before they realize
how quick he really is. In combat, he gains a -2 bonus to his
initiative roll if he makes a successful skill check. The bonus
can be used if he moves or makes an attack with a weapon of average
speed or quicker, but the special bonus does not apply to attacks
with slow weapons or to stationary actions such as guarding or
parrying.
- Rope Use (Physical 1, Dexterity/Aim) — This skill enables a character
to accomplish amazing feats with rope. A character with Rope Use
skill is familiar with all sorts of knots and can tie knots that
slip, hold tightly, slide slowly, or loosen with a quick tug.
If the character’s hands are bound and held with a knot, he can
roll a skill check (with a -30% penalty) to escape the bonds.
- This character gains a +2 bonus to all attacks made with a lasso.
The character also receives a +10% bonus to all climbing checks
made while he is using a rope, including attempts to belay (secure
the end of a climbing rope) companions.
- Rope Use is the stock in trade of the boatswain (bosun). Characters
with Rope Use can construct rigging, cargo nets and other common
useful items without a skill check. Note, also that the +10% bonus
to climbing checks when using a rope also applies to scampering
about the rigging of a ship.
- Rogues: A character with the Escape Bonds thief skill gains a +10% bonus to his skill when attempting to
escape bonds that involve knots if he also has the Rope Use skill.
- Running (Physical 1, Constitution/Health -6) — Endurance (50%) is a prerequisite for the Running skill.
- The character with this skill can move at twice his normal movement
rate for a day. At the end of the day he must sleep for eight
hours. After the first day’s movement, the character must roll
a skill check for success. If the die roll succeeds, the character
can continue his running movement the next day. If the die roll
fails, the character cannot use his Running ability the next day.
If involved in a battle during a day he spent running, he suffers
a -1 penalty to his attack rolls.
 
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