Skill

Skills are a game rule for understanding what a character is capable of within a story.

Introduction

Skills are a term for what a character can do or understand. They are a form of mental or physical expertise cultivated through repetition and theory. Examples include swinging swords (Blades), running a triathlon (Endurance), strengthening one’s mind (Meditation), or performing acrobatic feats (Acrobatics). Everyone can consider themselves a Novice at every non-arcana Skill until they assign enough experience points to become an Apprentice. See Skill List.

Interpretation

Skills are not always hardline indicators of ability. Biology, similar skills, habits, and circumstance can still be factored into reasoning to a small extent, but care should be taken not to overplay the character’s abilities. This reasoning can never push a character beyond what an Apprentice could do. Skills are also a measure of your ability to handle adversity; everyone can ride a horse without issue, but they risk getting thrown off in the event of the horse getting spooked if they don’t have the skill to back it up.

Understanding

XP in a skill indicates how much knowledge and practice your character has taken up on their own; your character also has a life beyond play - it can be assumed they’ve read a book on a subject they are skilled in, and they might even be able to recall information from that book if they have the XP to back up the understanding.

Progression

To progress a skill, XP is spent towards the next tier of that skill. Everyone can be assumed to be a Novice in every non-arcana skill. Sometimes a Merit is spent instead of XP; each Grandmaster Skill requires Mastery as well as the expenditure of a Minor Merit to attain.

Note: Arcana skills require spending a Minor Merit to unlock Novice.

Skill Tiers

• T0 = Novice (0 XP)
• T1 = Apprentice (25 XP)
• T2 = Journeyman (50 XP)
• T3 = Expert (75 XP)
• T4 = Master (100 XP)
• T5 = Grandmaster (Minor Merit)

Example: Joe has no XP in Fishing and are therefore a Novice at fishing. He spends 25 XP to become an Apprentice, spending an additional 50 XP to become a Journeyman and so on until he has spent a total of 250 XP to become a Master. He then decides to spend XP on a Minor Merit to become a Grandmaster, acquiring the Eldritch ability to make the nearest fish jump from the ocean and into his arms.

Novice

With zero experience you are capable of very little beyond the limitations, instincts, and traits of your own biology and habits. You don’t really understand how you do what you do, and what little you are capable of is often attributed to things you do every day. Treat this with reasoning; someone who is a smith as their job would have a reasonably mean and accurate hammer swing, even as a Novice in their combat skills. You are not expected to always fail, but you’ll often struggle with situations out of the norm.

Apprentice

You've begun to understand the basics of the skill, and you might happen to know a few interesting facts about it. You are competent enough to operate this skill without issue as any other rank-and-file person in that trade might. Inventing something is still beyond your ability.

Journeyman

You are beginning to possess a regimented understanding of the skill. You might be able to repeat some wise words from your mentor or formulas from a book you've read. Your inventions without assistance struggle to hold water, often ending in failure.

Expert

You understand a large sum of theory and potential pitfalls with the skill. You can recall whole theorems of understanding, and you’re beginning to develop your own unique theory regarding its application. Your inventions can be useful after a few failures and refinements.

Master

You understand almost everything about the subject in a conventional sense, and you’ve developed your own unique theory regarding its application. Your inventions almost always turn out useful.

Grandmaster

Your understanding has exceeded what can be considered mundane, and your theories often parallel metaphor. Your inventions often have some paranormal quality behind them that only Masters can begin to understand - even Grandmasters who try to replicate these designs fail at replicating it exactly.

Grandmasters in a mundane skill begin to push the boundaries of that skill. Not only are they above a Master in efficacy, but they are also capable of developing a single unnatural Minor Dominion Arcana for themselves. Grandmastery in any Arcana Skill does not confer this bonus, as those capabilities are already unnatural and pre-defined.

Submit Minor Dominion Arcana proposals in the Help Desk when you have acquired Grandmastery in a skill.

Ascension

Ascension is a state of being that may be attained for any Arcana skill. These require Grandmastery and a Major Merit to pursue.