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Skill Checks

Throwing a rock or running a short distance is something anyone can do. However, it's not the same when trying to lift a boulder or trying to leap a deep chasm. How heavy a boulder can a character lift and can a character safely jump a chasm? We call using dice to determine these things skill checks.

When a player decides to try something, the GM decides if using dice to resolve it is necessary. Then, depending on the results the action will either have succeeded or failed.

How to Resolve Skill Checks

To resolve skill checks, you will need your class level, attribute bonus, and 2 dice. Depending on the type of skill, which classes and attribute bonuses used will differ. The GM decides which type of skill check to use for what the PC has done.

For skill checks, we call the class level plus the attribute bonus the standard value. Adding in the player's results from the 2 dice makes it the success value. If the success value is greater than or equal to the target number (TN), which shows how tough the skill is, then the skill succeeds; if it didn't meet the TN then the skill fails.

Skill resolution is shown in the flow chart below.

[Standard Value + 2d6 = Success Value] [Success Value >= Target Number means success] [Success Value < Target Number means failure]

If the skill succeeds, the character was able to do just what they wanted. When an skill fails, this means the skill the character declared does not occur. Depending on the situation, they may be able to try again or may have just created a scenario they can't undo.

Skill Checks proceed as follows.

SCFC.jpg

When to use Skill Checks

You don't need to use skill checks every time a PC does something. Doing things like walking along flat ground and eating we know succeed without using a skill check, so it's not necessary. On the other hand, lifting a 50 ton boulder or leaping a 100 meter river are impossible, so there's no reason to use a skill check here either.

In a way, it's something that should be done when a GM isn't sure whether the PC would succeed unless they tried. If it looks like a PC's skill and luck might impact the situation or if the results of a contested roll will be changed, roll the dice.

Deciding the Target Number

The GM basically decides upon the target number. The GM sets the target number by thinking about how difficult the skill is and with about how many class levels they think should make it easy to complete.

Below you can see a scale showing how difficult an skill is and the target number required. The GM should use this scale to set the target number. However, depending on the situation the target number could very well change.

Situation Target Number (TN)
Even someone without the class almost always succeed 5
Even an amateur without a class can succeed in few minutes 7
With class person should make it. Without the class it's tough. 9
With class only, a 50-50 shot 11
You're lucky to succeed with only the class knowledge 13
You must have some familiarity with the class to be successful 15
In addition to high class level, you'll also need to have trained the ability 17
You're a master of the class and have trained hard 19
You need abilities, an applicable class, and even a bit of luck to succeed 21

Straight Rolls

When you want to perform a skill, but don't have the appropriate ability you can still try it. However, you not only treat your class level as 0, but you don't add the corresponding attribute bonus either. Essentially you treat your standard value as 0 and only use the results from the 2 dice.

In these cases, we call resolving skills without using class levels or attribute bonuses straight rolls. Luckily, even with straight rolls automatic successes and failures are possible.

Automatic Successes and Automatic Failures

When resolving a skill check, if both dice should come up as either both 6 or 1, then you either have an automatic success or automatic failure.

Should the dice both come up 6, no matter the target number or success value's number, no matter what bonuses or penalties were applied, the skill is treated as a success. This type of success is called an automatic success. This means the character got really lucky and just managed to pull off their skill.

On the other hand, if you end up rolling snake eyes, regardless of the TN, success value, or any bonuses or penalties, the skill is treated as a failure. It's like the character unluckily slipped or just happened to forget some information.

Nothing in particular happens for an automatic success (outside of automatically succeeding on the skill check), but for each automatic failure a character has they immediately get 50 experience points (page 88). The character picks something up from failure and gets a chance to put it to use. Automatic failures expend any MP and items normally.

Example of How to Resolve Skill Checks

Wolf has to resolve how he will open up a locked treasure chest. Opening a lock is an Open Lock check, which is a Scout class skill which uses the Dexterity bonus for the standard value.

Wolf has Scout level 1 and his Dexterity bonus is 3, so his standard value is 4.

The type of lock used on the chest is used everywhere and fairly simple. The GM decides that opening the lock should have a target number of 9. When using Open Lock, if one doesn't have the Scout class, penalties would be incurred. However, since Wolf has the Scout class, he doesn't get penalized.

Wolf has a standard value of 4 and is trying to meet a target number of 9. Wolf rolls the dice while praying for success. The dice come up 1 and 6. Adding the dice results of 7 to his standard value of 4 nets him a success value of 11. Since his success value was greater than or equal to the target number, the skill succeeds. Wolf picks the lock and peeks inside the treasure chest.

If Pete the Tabbit tried to use Open Lock, since he doesn't have the Scout class his standard value would be 0 for resolving the skill (see Straight Rolls above). Additionally, because he doesn't have scout tools his success value will be penalized by 4 points. In other words, the results of the 2 dice must be 13 or higher. Pete will have to cling to the chance of the rare automatic success for his Open Lock to succeed.

Contested Skill Rolls

When a group of characters makes a roll that is compared to other characters' rolls, this is called a contested roll. Oftentimes, in such situations an outside NPC is called in to determine the winner, such as deciding who is the fastest in a foot race.

When determining the results of a contested roll, all characters involved make their check simultaneously, and the character with the highest result wins. It is certainly possible, however, to have more than one character with the same result. In such cases, any advantages or disadvantages are shared equally by those characters. To keep with the foot race example above, two characters with the same result would be neck-in-neck.

If a contested roll doesn't have a clear winner, such as when the highest rolls are tied, the skill should be repeated with the characters who had tied for the highest result.

The Passive Law of Priority

When a contested roll comes up between someone attempting an skill and another receiving the effects of that skill. A common example is one character attacking another, or a spellcaster casting magic at a hostile target. In such cases, the one performing the skill is considered the active party, and the one being affected by that skill is the passive party. Whenever such a contested roll occurs, the passive party wins all ties.

Different Standard Values

When performing an skill check, there can be a variety of different standard values to deal with. For example, when attacking with a melee weapon, there's a contested roll between Accuracy and Evasion.

Active Skills Passive Skills
Accuracy Evasion
Spellcasting Willpower
Hide Danger Sense

Handling Ties

If a result of a contested roll is tied and not an automatic success, it is essentially treated as a favorable result for the passive party. For example, if both Accuracy and Evasion rolls tie, treat that result as though Evasion has won.

If a tied contested roll is such that neither side readily appears to be active or passive, then repeat the skill check under the same conditions until a winner is decided.

Example of Contested Skill Rolls

Comparison of Success Values
Wolf and Pete are competing in a swimming contest, under equal Conditions. The dispute over who elves like more, humans or tabbits, evolved into this swimming showdown.

The rule for this competition was “first to cross from the bank of the river to the other side wins”.
The GM has determined that the standard value for swimming would be Adventurer Level + Agility modifier. Since it is a quiet river, the one with the higher success value will reach the other side first.

The adventurer levels of Wolf and Pete are 3 and 2, respectively, while the Agility modifier for Wolf is +2 and a +1 for Pete.
The standard value for Wolf is 5 and for Pete is 3. It seems that Wolf should be better at swimming.

Wolf and Pete each roll 2d and start swimming across the river. Wolf rolls a “3” and a “4”, while Pete rolls “6” and “5”.
With added standard values, the success value is 12 for Wolf and 14 for Pete.

The crowd cheers as Pete reaches the other side of the river first.

Comparison of Success Values for the Active Side and Passive Side
Wolf loses the swimming contest and tries to sneak away in secret. The GM decides to make this a skill check, seeing whether Pete notices Wolf running off.

Wolfs need to perform a Hide check, and Pete needs to perform a Danger Sense check. In this situation, Wolf is on the active side and Pete is on the passive side.

Wolf's standard value is a combination of Scout class level + Agility modifier, which is 3.
Pete does not have the scout or ranger class required for a Danger Sense check, but due to his racial ability [Sixth Sense], the standard value is Adventurer Level + Intelligence modifier instead, which is a 5.

As a result of each skill check, Wolf's success value is 9, and Pete's success value is also 9. Since the success values were the same, the passive side wins. Pete found Wolf while he was secretly trying to escape and asked where he is going.
Wolf was noticed and returns embarresed.

List of Skills

Skills are a combination of a class level and an attribute modifier. Common skills are listed here, along with explanations.

Some skills use Adventurer Level instead of a specific class level. These skills are resolved the same way.

You don't need to learn everything about every skill at once. You can just read it once, and then look each skill up as it comes up in the game.

Dexterity-Based Skills
Skill Applicable Classes
Sneak Scout, Ranger
First Aid Ranger
Open Lock Scout, Ranger
Pickpocket Scout
Disguise Scout
Accuracy Fighter, Grappler, Fencer, Marksman
Set Trap Scout, Ranger
Agility-Based Skills
Skill Applicable Classes
Tumble Scout, Ranger
Hide Scout, Ranger
Evasion Fighter, Grappler, Fencer
Acrobatics Scout, Ranger
Initiative Scout
Follow Scout, Ranger
Intelligence-Based Skills
Skill Applicable Classes
Track Scout, Ranger
Listen Scout, Ranger
Danger Sense Scout, Ranger
Insight Sage
Spellcasting (Magic) Sorcerer, Conjurer, Priest, Fairy Tamer, Artificer
Engineering Sage
Search Scout, Ranger
Cartography Scout, Ranger, Sage
Meteorology Scout, Ranger
Pathology Ranger, Sage
Literature Sage
Appraise Scout, Sage
Monster Knowledge Sage
Herbology Ranger, Sage
Find Trap Scout, Ranger
Vitality-Based Skills
Skill Applicable Classes
Death Check Adventurer Level
Fortitude Adventurer Level
Spirit-Based Skills
Skill Applicable Classes
Willpower Adventurer Level
Other Skills
Skill Applicable Classes
Adventure※ Adventurer Level

※ May use different class modifiers depending on the situation.

Dexterity-based Skill Details

Stealth

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you manage to hide footprints and items. On failure, footprints or items will be found.

Details: You eliminate any footprints you and your allies have left behind and hide any tools and objects. The higher your result, the more difficult it will be to find your traces.

First Aid

  • Calculation: Ranger level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you restore an unconscious ally to 1 HP, and he wakes up. On failure, he remains unconscious.

Details: You attempt to wake up an ally who is unconscious, usually as a result of being below 0 HP. The target for this skill is 0, but the HP of the target ally is applied as a penalty to your roll (so for an ally with -5 HP, the target is effectively 5).

If you succeed, the ally's HP becomes 1 and he wakes up.

Open Lock

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: 1 minute (6 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you open a lock on a door or a container, or disarm a trap. On failure, you do not open the object.

Details: You can open a door or container without having its key, and you can also remove a trap. The higher your roll, the better the lock or trap you can unlock. The target is set by the lock or trap.

Any object indoors can only be opened by the Scout class, and you incur a -4 penalty to open such objects without scout's tools. Failing a roll twice in a row will cause a trap to spring.

Pickpocket

  • Calculation: Scout level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: 10 seconds (1 round)
  • Effect: On success, you steal something the target has. On failure, the target notices you.

Details: You steal an item or some cash from a target without being noticed. This is a contested roll between your skill and the target's Danger Sense check. The Pickpocket roll is an active roll, while the Danger Sense is a passive roll.

Disguise

  • Calculation: Scout level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you disguise yourself as another person. On failure, your disguise is seen through.

Details: You change your clothes and makeup to look like another person. The higher your roll, the better your disguise is and the harder it is to see through.

If you disguise another character, you take a -4 penalty to the roll. The roll to see through the disguise is an Adventurer Level + Intelligence modifier check using the Disguise check result as a target.

Accuracy

  • Calculation: Fighter, Grappler, Fencer, or Marksman level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you hit the target with your attack. On failure, you miss.

Details: This is the skill for hitting with an attack. The result represents how effective the attack was. Different weapons and techniques have different accuracies.

Set Trap

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Dexterity modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you can set a trap. On failure, you don't set a trap.

Details: You can lay a trap on a door, passageway, or container. The trap can be discovered with a contested roll using Search or Danger Sense and disarmed with a contested roll using Open Lock.

You cannot use the Ranger class to set a trap indoors (but a Scout can set one outdoors).

You take a -4 penalty to set a trap indoors without scout's tools.

Agility-based Skill Details

Tumble

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: You reduce the damage from falling.

Details: When you fall from a high place or into a pit trap, you can roll to take less damage from impact. Reduce the damage taken by your Tumble check result. Your check result cannot be less than 0, and it is treated as 0 on an automatic failure.

If you use Tumble in metal armor, you take a -4 penalty to your check.

Hide

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you can move without making a sound or giving an indication of your presence, and you can hide behind objects. On failure, you are noticed.

Details: You move without making a sound or revealing your presence. The higher your roll, the less sound you make and the more you are able to find hiding places. This is a contested roll against the enemy's Danger Sense.

If you use Hide in metal armor, you take a -4 penalty to your check.

Evasion

  • Calculation: Fighter, Grappler, or Fencer level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you dodge the enemy's attack. On failure, you are hit and take damage.

Details: You dodge an attack. The check result determines how well you dodged.

This skill opposes the Accuracy skill, so you cannot use it when you are not being attacked. Different weapons and armor can change your Evasion bonus.

Acrobatics

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: 1 minute (6 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you avoid dangerous terrain as you walk. On failure, you lose your balance and can't move.

Details: You move gracefully and nimbly over difficult terrain. The higher your result, the more you avoid dangerous or fragile ground as you move.

If you use Acrobatics in metal armor, you take a -4 penalty to your check.

Initiative

  • Calculation: Scout level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: Initiative
  • Effect: On success, your party seizes the initiative. On failure, your party loses the initiative.

Details: This skill determines whether you act first when combat begins. The check result represents how quick you were. This is a contested roll against the Initiative roll of the enemy party/monsters.

Follow

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you follow a party without being noticed. On failure, you are noticed.

Details: You follow a moving party secretly. Your result determines how well you can conceal your presence while following the target. This is a contested roll against the target's Danger Sense.

If you use Acrobatics in metal armor, you take a -4 penalty to your check. A Ranger cannot use Follow indoors or in a crowd.

Intelligence-based Skill Details

Track

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 1 minute (6 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you learn details like time and heading from tracks and footprints left behind. On failure, you can't tell anything.

Details: You search for tracks and other clues that will tell you where your quarry was headed. Your result determines the quality of clues you find.

Listen

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 seconds (1 round)
  • Effect: On success, you find the best place to hear any carrying sounds and voices. On failure, you hear nothing.

Details: You try to hear sounds and voices from far away or behind barriers. The higher your check result, the further away you can hear and the quieter sounds you discern. You can also tell clearer details about what sounds you hear.

Danger Sense

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you sense imminent danger, threatening intent, and the presence of hidden secrets. On failure, you sense nothing.

Details: You get a sense of danger and misfortune before it happens. The higher your check result, the more quickly and surely your sense triggers.

The Sixth Sense racial trait of Tabbit PCs allows them to roll Adventurer Level + Intelligence modifier for Danger Sense rolls.

Insight

  • Calculation: Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 seconds (1 round)
  • Effect: On success, you know details about the matter at hand. On failure, you either don't know or don't remember anything.

Details: Your education offers insight into some matter. The higher your check result, the more knowledgeable you are about the subject.

Spellcasting

  • Calculation: Sorceror, Conjurer, Priest, Fairy Tamer, or Artificer level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 seconds (1 round)
  • Effect: On success, you successfully cast a spell. On failure, the spell is incomplete or has no effect.

Details: Make a Spellcasting check when you cast a spell. Your check result represents how powerfully you worked the spell. For each spell you cast, use whatever magical class grants that spell when making a spellcasting check.

Spellcasting checks based on Sorcerer, Conjurer, or Fairy Tamer classes incur a -4 penalty if used in metal armor.

You may not use the skill retry rules to retry a failed spellcasting check.

Engineering

  • Calculation: Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you know the materials used in the construction of a building or object and at what time it was made. On failure, you don't know anything.

Details: You examine a building or object and gain information about it. Your check result represents how much detail you know about the time and method of its construction.

Search

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you discover traps or hidden items. On failure, you don't find anything.

Details: You search for traps and hidden doors. The higher your check result, the more cleverly hidden an item you can find.

A Ranger can only use Search outdoors.

Cartography

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you create a map out of an area you have examined before. On failure, you can't make one.

Details: You create a map of an area or the inside of a building, noting obstacles and pieces of terrain. Your check result represents how accurate your map is and how easy it is to read. A Ranger can only use Cartography to map an outdoor area.

Meteorology

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 1 minute (6 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you predict the weather. On failure, you don't know anything.

Details: You read the movement of the wind and clouds to predict the weather in the immediate future. The higher your check result, the further ahead and more accurate your forecast is.

Cartography can only be used outdoors.

Pathology

  • Calculation: Ranger or Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you know about the disease a patient you inspect has and how to treat it. On failure, you don't know anything.

Details: You know the symptoms and treatment of a disease. The higher your check result, the rarer diseases you know about and the more effectively you can gauge the symptoms and provide treatment.

Literature

  • Calculation: Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you know (or can find out) an important piece of information from literature. On failure, you don't know anything.

Details: You gain information you need from a relevant piece of writing. Your check result represents how reliable your information is.

Appraise

  • Calculation: Scout or Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you know the value, time of origin, usage, and effect of an item or good. On failure, you don't know anything.

Details: You examine a magical item or tool and learn when it was created, how to use it, and what it does. The higher your check result, the more you can tell about the item's powers. A Scout may only use Appraise to tell an item's value.

Monster Knowledge

  • Calculation: Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you know data about a monster and can check with the source book or your GM. If you beat its weakness target, you may take advantage of its weaknesses. On failure, you don't know anything about that monster.

Details: You know the statistics and weaknesses of monsters and unusual creatures. Your check result determines how much you know or can remember about a particular monster. The target is the Rarity of the monster. You can also use Monster Knowledge if asked to describe the monster's unique skills.

Furthermore, a Sage making a Monster Knowledge check may also know about the monster's weaknesses. If the result of the Monster Knowledge check exceeds the monsters weakness target, the Sage knows about the monster's weaknesses. All members of a party can make decisions that take advantage of a monster's known weaknesses.

Only one Monster Knowledge check can be made against a particular type of monster per session. One success on a Monster Knowledge check that exceeds the monster's weakness target allows a party to take advantage of identical monsters' weakness for the full session.

If the same type of monster is encountered in a later session, the players may make a new check. If they have made a successful check in a previous session, they only have to check to determine the monsters' weaknesses (they may not always be able to find the weak point).

Herbology

  • Calculation: Ranger or Sage level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: 1 minute (6 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you know the effects and value of a herb or poison. On failure, you don't know anything.

Details: You can tell the value and effects of an herb or medicine. The higher your check result, the more details you know. If you are inspecting a poison, you may also know how to treat it.

Find Trap

  • Calculation: Scout or Ranger level + Intelligence modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you notice the presence nearby traps. On failure, you don't notice anything.

Details: You notice cunningly hidden traps quickly. The higher your check result, the better-hidden traps you notice.

This is a very difficult check. The target is the trap's Search difficulty + 4.

Rangers may only use Find Trap outdoors.

Vitality-based Skill Details

Death Check

  • Calculation: Adventurer level + Vitality modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, a PC remains unconscious. On failure, he dies.

Details: This check is used to determine whether a PC who has dropped below 0 HP from damage and lost consciousness lives or dies. The check result represents how well his body resists dying of injury. The target for this skill is 0, but your HP is applied as a penalty to the roll. At 0 HP, the target is 0, but if you were to take more damage and drop to -8 HP, a -8 penalty would be applied to your roll (in effect, the target would be 8).

If ten minutes pass after a death check or you take more HP damage, you will have to make another check. If ten minutes passed, the target number increases by 1. If you took damage, apply your new HP total as a penalty. Afterwards, continue making death checks until you die, score an automatic success, or have gone one hour without taking any damage.

Using the spell Awaken or an Awake Potion on an unconscious character sets their HP to 1 and allows them to wake up. If a character's HP is healed above 1 without using Awaken, the character will still not awaken for one hour.

Even if left untreated, a character who takes no damage for one hour sets their HP to 1 and wakes up (provided they pass death checks every ten minutes).

A PC who fails a death check dies.

If you get an automatic failure on a death check, you die regardless of the target. If you get an automatic success, your HP is set to 1 and you wake up.

Fortitude

  • Calculation: Adventurer level + Vitality modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you lessen or negate an effect being applied to you. On failure, it affects you in full.

Details: You resist an effect, such as a poison or disease, that attacks your body. The higher your check result, the more powerful effects you can shake off. The target is specific to the poison or disease you are trying to resist, or the result of whatever spell or monster ability targeted you.

On success, you may completely negate the condition or reduce it to partial effect.

Spirit-based Skill Details

Willpower

  • Calculation: Adventurer level + Spirit modifier
  • Use Time: Instant
  • Effect: On success, you lessen or negate an effect being applied to you. On failure, it affects you in full.

Details: You resist an effect from a monster ability or spell that attacks your mind. The higher your check result, the more powerful effects you can shake off. The target is the result of whatever spell or monster ability targeted you.

On success, you may completely negate the condition or reduce it to partial effect.

Adventuring Skill Details

Adventuring skills are common skills that any adventurer can do. Anyone can attempt them, but it's the difficulty and uncertainty of the outcome that makes them Adventuring skills.

Below are the most common Adventuring skills.

Swim

  • Calculation: Adventurer level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: 1 minute (6 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you swim for longer periods of time. On failure, you begin drowning.

Details: You swim using your arms and legs. In areas with weak currents, you may be able to swim without using your legs. If there is no current, no check is necessary.

When you move while swimming, your Full Move and Normal Move each have 1/5 range (rounding up). Limited Movement is 1 meter.

In streams with rapid currents or open water with high waves, you make a check once per minute. Targets should be around 7 for flowing rivers, 9 for rapids, and 13 for tall waves.

Success means you swim with no difficulty, but on failure, you cannot take a Limited Move and must pass a Fortitude check or drown, falling unconscious regardless of current HP.

While swimming, penalties for Poor Mobility also apply.

Climb

  • Calculation: Adventurer level + Strength modifier
  • Use Time: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
  • Effect: On success, you climb the distance you want. On failure, you fall.

Details: You climb a wall with footholds or a hanging rope. The target is 10, but your check result is affected by various modifiers. On success, you climb to a safe place. If you fail, you fall and incur fall damage. The distance you fall is half the distance you tried to climb.

Climb Modifiers
Condition Modifier
First 5m +/- 0
Each 5m more -2
No handholds, steep slope -4
Climbing a hanging rope rather than a wall -4
Wearing metal armor -4
Strong wind conditions -2
Carrying very little +2
Helped up (e.g. with a rope) +2

Long Jump, High Jump

  • Calculation: Adventurer level + Agility modifier
  • Use Time: 10 seconds (1 round)
  • Effect: On success, you jump the distance you want. On failure, you fall before reaching your target.

Details: You can make a high jump or clear an obstacle while carrying your equipment. The target changes depending on how far you want to jump. The target number is 10, but your check is affected by various modifiers.

If you succeed, you clear your target distance or height. If you fail, you fall down short of your target or crash into the object you were trying to clear. The GM decides the actual consequences.

Long Jump Modifiers
Condition Modifier
First 3m +/- 0
Each 1m more -2
Can't see landing spot -2
Strong wind conditions -2
Wearing metal armor -4
Carrying very little +2
Running start of at least 5m +2
High Jump Modifiers
Condition Modifier
First 1m +/- 0
Each 10cm more -1
Can't see landing spot -2
Strong wind conditions -2
Wearing metal armor -4
Carrying very little +2
Running start of at least 5m +2

Using any other skills is up to the GM. If the GM believes a task is within an adventurer's capabilities, he can call for a check using the PC's Adventurer Level. He decides which ability modifier is most appropriate.

Bonus and Penalty Modifiers

As above, a check is simply the result of the roll compared to the target value. However, there are outside influences (such as magic and terrain) that can modify a check. Some Combat Feats may also modify checks, for better or worse. These modifiers, if positive, are called bonuses, while negative modifiers are penalties. Bonuses and penalties tend to have a great impact on check results. If there are multiple bonuses and/or penalties, apply all of them simultaneously.

Modifier Notations

Bonuses indicate an increase to the result of the dice, and are noted as "+1 Bonus" or "+3 Bonus". Similarly, penalties are listed as "-2 Penalty" or "-4 Penalty", and reduce the final result accordingly. While the GM has the final say on whether or not a bonus or penalty will be applied, listed below are some guidelines as to how much of a modifier should be applied.

Bonus and Penalty Modifier Guidelines
Guideline Modifiers
Slight advantage / disadvantage +1 / -1
Apparent advantage / disadvantage +2 / -2
Severe advantage / disadvantage +3 / -3
Overwhelming advantage / disadvantage +4 / -4

Bonus Examples

Bonuses are often given through magical items and Combat Feats, but terrain may play a part as well. For bonuses given by items or Feats, please refer to the description for more details. Some examples will be shown below. Again, the GM has the final say as to whether a bonus may be applied.

Bonus Modifier Examples
Situation Bonus Modifier
Using appropriate tools +1 ~ +4
Having applicable knowledge +1 ~ +4
Spend more than twice required time +1
Focusing solely on the check +2

Penalty Examples

Penalties are often given through magical items and Combat Feats, but terrain may play a part as well. For penalties given by items or Feats, please refer to the description for more details. There are also penalties for such circumstances like poor visibility and poor mobility, and those too will be listed below. Again, the GM has the final say as to whether a penalty may be applied.

Fortitude and Willpower checks typically do not receive a penalty.

Penalty Modifiers for Poor Visibility
Situation Penalty Modifier
Outside at night without a light source※ -2
Indoors or underground without a light source※ -4
Severe sandstorms or dense fog -2
One eye cannot be used -2
Both eyes cannot be used -4

※: If you have [Darkvision] as a racial ability, or receive it from a magic item, there is no penalty.

Penalty Modifiers for Poor Mobility
Situation Penalty Modifier
Having fallen prone, or standing up immediately after¹ -2
Poor footing, such as mud or ice -2
One arm/leg cannot be used -2
Both arms/legs cannot be used -4
Caught in mud, vines, a net, etc. -2
Wading in waist-deep water² -2
Completely underwater² -4

¹: Immediately after standing up, receive a penalty until the end of their turn.

²: Elf characters, as well as those who have a magic item to allow free movement underwater, do not receive a penalty.

Rerolling Checks

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The old saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." This is true with skill checks, as failure is not necessarily the end. As long as the situation remains the same, a PC may retry a failed skill check. For example, a trap springing on a failed Open Lock would constitute a different situation, whereas a failed Meteorology check does not. It is certainly possible for another PC to try and make a check that you have failed. If you keep retrying a failed check yourself, however, the time it takes to perform each subsequent check will increase by one stage. Instantaneous checks do not change their duration, even if re-attempted after a failure.

If an skill's description states that it takes 10 seconds (1 round) to perform a check, the next check can be done at the 1-minute mark (6 rounds). If that check is also failed, the time to re-attempt the check is 10 minutes (60 rounds). Repeated failures can cause each check to take longer, up to a week between each attempt.

If the time required for an action check reaches 1 week and you fail the action check, you can retry every week thereafter. If the time required is long, you must be immersed in the task, except for the minimum action required to survive.

The time between checks is set back to normal times when the level of the class being used is raised.

Trap Operation

Disarming a trap, a special use of the Open Lock skill, operates a little differently than most checks. Unlike other checks, two consecutive failures at disarming a trap will set it off immediately, regardless of results or time elapsed.

Check Rerolling Example

After losing a swimming competition, Wolf went to a renowned library to find detailed books on how to swim. Hopefully a good book would give him some expert knowledge. However, the books he found were too deep to get into, and even the introductions were a far cry from what was expected. The GM calls for Wolf to make a Literature check in order to see if anything stuck.

The standard value of a Literature check uses the Sage class and any Intelligence bonus, and takes 10 minutes to complete. However, Wolf does not have the Sage class, and so his roll is a straight roll against the GM's target of 9. Wolf examines the books for 10 minutes, and rolls his 2d, hoping for the best. Unfortunately, though, his dice come up as 6 and 1, the result of 7 being lower than the target number. It seems that Wolf picked out books that ended up being over his head, and the ten minutes spent reading ended in vain.

However, Wolf doesn't give up and goes to try again. Because he failed his first check, the GM lets him know that the next check would instead take 1 hour to complete, far more time than Wolf wished to spend hunched over in some dusty library. After poring over the books, reading and rereading, Wolf tries again to see if he can remember anything. It is still a straight roll, only this time both dice show a 5, for a result of 10. With his new-found knowledge, Wolf dashes out of the library, eager to apply his knowledge towards a professional swimming certificate.