Encyclopedia Magical: Skill Rules

Characteristics

Physical characteristics such as STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, and APP can be increased by training or magic. Two factors, species maximum and the original value generated, set the limit on increases in characteristics. A physical stat can not be increased to above species maximum through training. STR and CON may only be trained to the maximum value of STR, CON, or SIZ. SIZ may not be trained. A physical stat can not be increased by more than x2 through magic unless specifically stated over wise in the spell description.

The species maximum is calculated by adding together the lowest and the highest possible rolls for a normal member of the species.

The mental characteristics, INT, POW, and CHA, can only be increased by magic. There is no theoretical limit as to how far these stats maybe increased, but such magic is fairly rare.

Strength (STR)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's muscle power.  It affects the damage he does, the kind of encumbrance he can carry, and what weapons he can wield.  It also indicates how much he can lift and move about.  An adventurer can comfortably lift as much SIZ as his STR, more with effort.  STR can be increased through training or magic.

Constitution (CON)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's health and vitality. It is a major determinant of the amount of damage he can take before death occurs. The CON of an adventurer is also used to resist disease, poisons, and other special attacks.

Size (SIZ)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's mass and secondarily his or her height and affects his ability to inflict and to absorb damage. The SIZ Table, below, serves as a guide to mass/weight (MAS), and encumbrance (ENC) correlation.

SIZ Table

For SIZ less than 1:

Intelligence (INT)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's ability to think abstractly, to memorize, and to coordinate such general capabilities as fighting, magic, thieving, crafting, and so on.  INT is a major influence on skills and therefore affects the ability to increase skills through experience.  This characteristic normally does not change, except to decrease from disease, though (very rarely) magic may affect it.

Power (POW)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's magical power.  It is a direct measure of his resistance to spells and ability to cast certain types of spells.  POW is a measure of an adventurer's soul, and represents the integration of an adventurer with his universe.  High POW can reflect great luck or great harmony with Life, thus individuals with high POW tend to stand out in a crowd. This characteristic tends varies a great deal, as spell casting or other magical activity can cause it to increase, and learning or casting certain kinds of magic cost POW.

Dexterity (DEX)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's coordination, speed, and the extent to which their mind and body act as a unified whole.  It influences how quickly and competently your adventurer performs certain actions (fighting, magic, sleight of hand, jumping, etc.)  DEX may be increased through training or magic.

Appearance (APP)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's physical beauty as well as his over all bearing and presentability. APP is more helpful with members of your own species, particularly those of the opposite sex.  APP may be increased through training or magic.

Charisma (CHA)

This characteristic measures an adventurer's magnetism, leadership ability, distinctive voice or looks, or some combination thereof.  An adventurer with low APP and high CHA may appear plain at first glance, but have such agreeable personality that people feel attracted to him of her.  CHA reflects the number of spirits, demons, or familiars and adventurer may have bound to himself at any particular time.  this number is represented as CHA x 1/2, rounded up, for all but shaman characters.  This characteristic may not be increased through magic or training, but does fluctuate through heroic and cowardly acts.

ATTRIBUTES

Attributes are abilities that are based on the value of characteristics. They include damage bonus, hit points, magic points, movement, DEX strike rank, and melee strike rank.

Always round any fractions to the nearest whole number, unless otherwise instructed.

Damage Bonus (DB)

Half the normal damage bonus is used with a thrown weapon, or when the character is fighting while lying on the ground.

An adventurer throwing a weapon while lying on the ground does not get the benefit of a damage bonus. Missile weapons do not have a damage bonus added.

Damage Bonus Table

+1d6 for each additional 16 points over STR 56

Hit Points (HP)

Hit points measure how much damage one can take before unconsciousness or death result, and equal the average of an adventurer's SIZ and CON (rounding up).

An adventurer falls unconscious upon taking damage equal to or greater than his or her HP, and dies upon taking damage equal to or greater than twice his or her HP.

HP = (CON + SIZ)/2

Hit Points / Location (HL)

The separate parts of the body have their own hit point values. An adventurer may take damage to separate parts
of his or her body from combat other physical contact, or magic. The amount of damage that an adventurer can withstand per hit location can be determined from the information in the Hit Points / Location Table. It distributes hit points by hit location for all humanoids. Varying amounts of damage have different effects on a hit location, as described in Combat.

For any individual the sum of the hit points from all the hit point locations (HL) is greater than their total hit points (HP). This relation is correct. An adventurer may accumulate wounds in different locations-although individually inconsequential, their sum may be enough to render him or her unconscious.

Humanoid Hit Points / Location Table

Magic Points (MP)

An adventurer's base magic points equal his or her current POW. Situations may allow magic points in excess of or less than that number.

Magic points are a measure of one's offensive magical strength. They are also used to fight spirits and to power spells.

All characters regain magic points at the rate of 1/24^th of their current Power per hour. A character will completely regenerate his or her magic points in 24 hours.

MP = POW

Move (MV)

An adventurer's move attribute is based on his or her SIZ and DEX. SIZ reflects the length of one's stride and DEX reflects one's quickness. In combat, one can move up to one's MV in meters and still attack and defend.

MV = (SIZ + DEX)/5

The above calculation is for humanoids. For most quadrupeds, use (SIZ + DEX)/3 instead. Round up in both cases.

STRIKE RANKS

Strike Rank is a measure of an adventurer's speed and reaction time, and is used to determine which figure, in combat, can act before other figures

Dexterity Strike Rank (DEX SR)

Melee Strike Rank (MEL SR)

Use only the first 20 points of DEX or SIZ (if DEX or SIZ are greater than 20, use 20 instead).

SKILLS

SKILLS CATEGORIES

Skills categories are made up of skills which are influenced by the same characteristic or set of characteristics. There are seven categories of skills in RuneQuest.

Agility

• these are physical skills which require general bodily effort and coordination: Acrobatics, Boat, Climb, Dance, Dodge, Hide, Jump, Maneuver, all Parries, Ride, Stealth, Swim. They can be increased by experience.

Communication

• such skills facilitate the transfer of information between people: Act, Bargain, Instruct, Orate, Persuade, Sing, Speak Own Language, Speak Other.
• Languages. They can be increased by experience.

Knowledge

• these mental skills require formal knowledge and learning. They cannot be increased through experience, only training, practice or research all Lore, Martial Arts, Read/Write Languages.

Reasoning

• these mental skills require both knowledge and individual judgment: Craft, all Customs, Evaluate, First Aid, Physician, all Sorcery spells. They can be increased by experience.

Magic

• with these skills users manipulate magical energies to change the world. They cannot be increased through experience, only training, practice or research: Ceremony, Enchant, Intensity, Summon, Sorcery manipulations (Duration, Range, Ease, Speed etc.). Spirit skills (Spirit Combat, Spirit Dance, Spirit Sense, Spirit Speech, Spirit Travel, etc.).

Manipulation

• these skills require good hand-eye coordination: Conceal, Devise, Drive, Pass, Play Instrument, Sleight, Trap, all Weapon Attacks. They can be increased by experience.

Perception

• with these skills characters receive and understand information from outside them - Listen, Scan, Search, Track. They can be increased by experience.

SKILL CATEGORY MODIFIERS

In addition to the base chances common to every human, a new adventurer's skills may be increased or decreased by skill category modifiers, which simulate his or her natural ability with kinds of skills. It is possible for skill modifiers to add or subtract percentiles from skills or to leave them unchanged. Skill modifiers may change if the characteristics from which they were derived also change. Skill category modifiers also affect experience rolls, simulating the benefits of natural ability when trying to improve a skill. No modifier can more than double the base skill percentage.

Calculate the modifiers that follow and record them on your adventurer's character sheet. As always, round any fractions to the nearest whole number.

Once the base chances for an adventurer's skills have been established through character generation, the appropriate skill modifier is added to the base chances for those skills within that category which have base chances above zero. It is not added to skills which are at base. If a base is later raised by at least 1%, then the value of the category modifier is added to the skill. The resulting percentage is the character's chance to succeed in that skill unless training, experience, or other factors affect the skill.

Agility Modifier

• Agility Skills Modifier = STR + DEX - SIZ - 10

The Reasons Why

• STR-strength is essential to skills requiring general bodily effort.

• DEX-riding, jumping, acrobatics etc, off require coordination.

• SIZ-bulk impedes rapid coordinated movement

Communication Modifier

• Communication Skills Modifier = APP + INT+ CHA - 30

The Reasons Why

• APP-appearance, handsome looks, bearing, or good voice makes it easier to get and hold the attention of others.

• INT-intelligence helps convey or comprehend speech and gestures.

• CHA- force of personality makes people think better of you

Knowledge Modifier

• Knowledge Skills Modifier = INT + INT - 20

The Reasons Why

• INT-the ability to reason in the abstract and to memorize is essential to learning.

Magic Modifier

• Magic Skills Modifier = INT + DEX - 20

The Reasons Why

• INT-reasoning, will, and mental ability ore vital in working wonders.
  DEX-gesture, posture and coordination is integral to the costing of spells.

Manipulation Modifier

• Manipulation Skills Modifier = DEX + 1/2 STR + 1/2 INT - 20

The Reasons Why

• DEX-coordination and nimbleness ore the most important factors in manipulating an object

• STR-having the strength to firmly hold manipulated items is an asset

• INT-it helps to know what you are doing.

Perception Modifier

• Perception Skills Modifier = INT + CON – 20

The Reasons Why

• INT-if you aren't smart enough to look or listen in the right places, you'll miss what you seek.

• CON-those with the greatest vitality and resistance to fatigue are the most alert.

Reasoning Modifier

• Reasoning Skills Modifier = INT + INT - 20

The Reasons Why

• INT-the ability to reason abstractly is essential to making judgments

Characteristic Rolls

In situations where a particular characteristic is important, or an adventurer lacks an appropriate skill, a roll against the appropriate characteristic can be used to resolve the situation.  The characteristic times a multiplier (determined by the gamemaster) give the adventurer's percentage chance of success, for which a simple success roll should be made. Some frequently used characteristic rolls:

The Appeal Roll (APP Check)

Used to determine whether the adventurer made a good first impression or catch the cute one's eye.

The Leadership Roll (CHA Check)

Used to determine whether ones followers perform some dangerous actions on the adventurers behalf, beyond their normal tasks. An ability to command through force of will and personality is a skill all would be generals aspire to possess.

The Dexterity Roll (DEX Check)

Used to determine if an adventurer succeeds in a feat of speed, dexterity, or balance.  It may be used to see if an adventurer was able to snatch up his pack as the boat is overturned, or if he was able to grab on to a protruding root after fumbling a Climb roll and starting to fall.

The Heroic Roll (CON Check)

Used to determine whether an adventurer succumbs to injuries, poison, or illness.  Heroic Rolls may be necessary every time an adventurer attempts to perform an action, such as each round in combat, or once for an effort, such as crawling across the floor to reach an item, or running 28 miles to a city to inform them of an enemies defeat. A heroic character ignores any and all fatigue effects as well as incapacitation, but not further damage.

The Idea Roll (INT Check)

Used to determine whether the adventurer was able to puzzle something out, deduce something, or otherwise come to a correct conclusion.  It is a way for a gamemaster to simulate an adventures ability independently of the player knowledge.

The Luck Roll (POW Check)

Used to determine whether an adventurer's luck holds in a crucial situation.  It also governs a chance encounter as an adventurer travels about.

The Resistance Roll

The resistance roll is used when pitting one force against another, such as matching an adventurer's STR vs. the SIZ of an object to be lifted.  Some other common uses of the resistance roll include matching STR vs. STR to resolve a contest of strength, such as arm-wrestling, MP vs. POW to determine if an offensive spell overcame a target that resisted, MP vs. MP is spirit combat, and CON vs. the potency of a poison to determine the poison's effect.

Optional: Resistance Roll

This method smoothes out the resistance curve and is based on the relative values of the stats involved. The chance of success is calculated as following:

Active Value/(Active Value + Passive Value) * 100

Skill vs. Skill

Some skills may be used by different adventurers in opposition to each other. The skills may be different, such as an attempt to Sneak vs. another's attempt to Listen, or the same, such as using Track skill to find a trail vs. another using Track skill not to leave one.

The adventurer that achieves a higher level of success automatically wins a contest of skills. If the level of success is the same the higher die roll wins. If the level of success and the die roll is the same and is at least a success, the tie is resolved by a single additional roll on the resistance table. Divide each adventurer's skill by 10, and compare the resulting values against each other on the resistance table.

Optional: Skill vs. Skill

The adventurer that achieves a higher level of success automatically wins a contest of skills. If the level of success is the same the higher die roll wins. If the level of success and the die roll is the same and is at least a success, the person to succeed with a higher die roll is the winner.

Levels of Success

When testing a skill there are four possible results:

• Fumble

• - the roll is 97 or higher for skills under 50%.
• - the roll is 98 or higher for skills under 65%
• - the roll is 99 or higher for skills under 80%
• - 00 is always a fumble.

• Failure - the roll is above the skill percentage. "96 - 99" is always a failure.
• Success - the roll is below the skill percentage. "01" is always a success.
• Special - the roll is below 1/5th of the skill percentage.
• Critical - the roll is below 1/20th of the skill percentage.

Effects of Encumbrance on Skills

For creatures up to SIZ 20 each point of ENC above the creatures STR, each point of ENC subtracts 1% from all Agility and Manipulation skills other than Swim and Dodge. Each point of ENC subtracts 1% from Dodge skill. Each point of ENC subtracts 5% from Swim skill. For every 10 points of SIZ or fraction thereof, add 1 point to the amount of ENC required to cause a subtraction. For example a SIZ 22 creature would suffer a subtraction for every 2 points of ENC above its STR.

Time and Training

Time

Game time is divided into strike ranks (SR), rounds, minutes, turns, hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, and years.

Real world equivalent are:

Training

As time passes, adventurers will have opportunities to increase their skills and magical aptitude through the use of their skills and magic.

Skills are divided into two categories, those which can increase through experience or training, and those which may only be increased through training.

Skill Checks

Skill checks is a method of increasing adventurer's skills with which the player, or the gamemaster, must keep track of when an adventurer use their skills.  If an adventurer uses a skill in a stressful, or otherwise material, situation the gamemaster may instruct the player to place a check next to the skill.

A non-experience checkable skill, one which may only be increased through training, may receive a check once training is completed.  The number of hours needed to receive a check is equal to the current skill's effective percentage (Base skill + category bonus) if training, x2 if practicing, x4 if researching.  If the current skill base is 0, an adventurer must spend 50 hours to receive a check, no practice or research is possible in the until the base skill is above 0.

At the end of the adventure, the adventurer's player makes experience rolls for each checked skill.

Mechanism of Experience Gain

Regardless of which of the systems is used, the basic mechanism of experience gain remains the same.  Subtract the adventurer's current level of skill, without the modifier, from 100, and try to roll less than or equal to that number on percentile dice.  If the roll succeeds, the adventurer gains 1d6 for an easy skill, 1d6-1 minimum of 1 for a medium skill, and 1d6-2 minimum of 1 for a hard skill.

As an option, you can choose to let non-experience checkable skills to advance with checks as well. In such a case the gain from a check should be as follows: 1d3 for an easy skill, 1d3-1 minimum of 0 for a medium skill, and 1d3-2 minimum of 0 for a hard skill. This reflects the fact that people's knowledge of the subject actually increases with use, even if no new information is added. In other words continued examination brings insight.

The adventurer's chance of success can never drop below his skill category bonus.  Thus an adventurer with a 92% Base Jump skill and a +11% Agility bonus will have an 11% chance to succeed, not an 8% chance.  As soon as roll is made for a skill, its check is erased, regardless of the success or failure of the experience gain roll.

Power Checks

The use of magic and engaging in magical activity can result in an adventurer's magical power increasing, reflected by a possible increase in his POW determined by a POW gain roll. 

Mechanism of Power Gain

A character may receive multiple power gain rolls during a particular period of time from performing various activities. Power Gain rolls may be received from the following:

• Overcoming a target's power with a spell
• Overcoming a target's power in spirit combat, if the character's power is equal to or less than the spirit's
• Overcoming a crystal's power while attuning it, if the character's power is with in 10 points of the crystals power

Combat

When subtler approaches fail, violence is always an option.

The Melee Round

A melee round is a short flexible period of time, the amount of time required to plan and execute two actions. For keeping track of time, each melee round lasts 12 seconds (5 melee rounds to a minute).

Move

Figures move in order of MV score (highest MV first, ties broken by DEX—if MV and DEX are identical, movement is simultaneous).

Unengaged figures can move up to their MV in meters. Figures that move adjacent to an active foe that wishes to engage the figure, or vice versa, become engaged, and must stop moving. Figures that start the round adjacent to an active foe that wishes to engage them, or vice versa, start the round engaged, and cannot move. Figures moving backwards have 2/3 their normal MV.

After all movement is done, all the combatants can freely adjust their facing (or take a free one hex facing shift if using a hex map) or attempt to disengage from a foe (see below). If there is a question as to the order of changing facing or attempting to disengage, figures with the lowest MV go first (ties broken by lowest DEX).

Declaration (SOI)

Each player involved in the combat declares (or makes a statement of intent, SOI) what kind of action their adventurer will take in combat. In general a character can take two actions every round, however it is possible to act more often if the character is very quick or has additional limbs/attack forms.

If attacking, the figure must also state how they are attacking. That is, each figure taking an Attack and Defend, All Out Attack, or Attack only action must additionally specify how they are attacking (casting a specified spell, attacking with a specified weapon (and what special tactics are used, if any), or taking a specified miscellaneous action). Defenses occur in response to attacks, and require no additional specification.

Melee

Attacks are resolved in order of SR, lowest SR first (ties broken by DEX—if SR and DEX are identical, attacks are simultaneous).

Post Melee Move

Combat Fumble Tables

Melee Weapon Fumbles