You start with seven core skills: Agility, Fortitude, Immunity, Intellect, Might, Perception, and Subtlety. You also start with a weakness—a core skill of zero. It starts low, but you can level it later on.
All skills have a list of actions you can take. You get 2 actions per round in peril or 1 while in danger or peacetime.
Agility
Quickness and ease. Your speed penalty affects all Agility rolls.
Dodge
Roll Agility to dodge incoming damage.
- -2 if you don’t move 1 m back or drop prone.
- -2 per additional 1 m required to escape the threat.
- -4 if the attack is ballistic
- You can’t dodge attackers you can’t see.
If you succeed, subtract 1d6 from the damage. If you have a speed penalty, subtract 1d4 instead.
Tumble
Roll Agility at the end of a fall. Success halves the fall damage. Additionally, you won’t fall on your head.
Move
Your speed in peril equals your Agility level + 2 - speed penalty. If you’re prone, you don’t get the +2. Standing up requires your entire Agility worth of movement, leaving you with 2 m remaining.
Sprint
Move double your speed. Roll Agility. Failure causes 1 Weary stress.
Fortitude
Resist destruction of your body.
Hold Breath
You can go 2 turns without breathing. Each turn thereafter, succeed Fortitude or suffer 1 Breathless stress.
Given time to catch and hold your breath, you may go Fortitude + 2 turns before rolling against drowning.
Endurance
Roll Fortitude after 4 hours of manual labor or overland travel. Failure inflicts 1 Weary stress. Roll again every additional hour.
resist unconsciousness
When knocked out, roll Fortitude once per turn. Success means you resume consciousness and get both your actions.
Resist wounds
Roll Fortitude minus severity when wounded. Success lets you resist some wound effects.
Immunity
Resist infection and the failure of vital functions.
Adrenal Response
Per day, you have adrenaline equal to your Immunity. In peril, spend adrenaline to ignore equivalent malus on rolls.
Resist Bleeding
Roll Immunity to avoid gaining Bleed stress from bleeding wounds.
Resist Infection & Poison
Roll Immunity to resist infection and poison.
Intellect
Process and store information.
Aptitude
When learning topical, combat, and language skill levels, receive an XP discount per level gained equal to your Intellect.
Navigation
When setting out, determine your pace.
- Hasty, 1½ speed (-2 navigation, -2 to resist surprise)
- Expedient, full speed (+0 navigation,
- Careful, ½ speed (+2 navigation, +2 to resist surprise)
Some mode of direction must be present.
- Map (+2)
- Compass (+2)
- Visible landmark (+2)
- Verbal directions (+2)
Roll Intellect at the end of an hour’s wilderness travel. Account for the above modifiers. Success means you traveled the intended way. Failure means you’re lost.
If you have a river or road available, you need not roll.
Preparedness
Roll Intellect to retroactively obtain an item you need. You must:
- Have recently visited a shop that sells the item or have recently packed and left it behind.
- Have burden capacity enough to carry it.
The item must not exceed 1# in weight or £10 in price.
Success means you had it all along. If you bought it, expend the money now.
Recall
Roll Intellect to recall information from previous sessions. Success requires the Bookkeeper recount the info as you first heard it.
Might
Move yourself and the world. Speed penalty affects Might rolls.
Burden Capacity
Your burden capacity equals your Might + 2
Climb
Requires 2 free hands. Roll Might - speed penalty.
- Surfaces lacking plentiful handholds impose -2–4
- A rope/climbing tools gives +2
- Smooth surfaces can’t be climbed.
Success lets you climb your Agility in meters. Failure lets you climb, but you become unsteady. If you fail twice consecutively, you fall.
In peril, your climb speed is half your normal speed.
Heave
Roll Might to move a heavy object or breach a door.
- Your speed penalty affects this roll.
- Massive object/quality door, -2–6
- Relevant tool, +2
Success means you move or breach it. Failure inflicts 1 Weary stress and may cause your tool 1 wear, if you used one.
Perception
Parse the fruit of your senses.
call shot
Choose an ally yet to act and 1 target foe. Roll Perception: Success grants an edge on the ally’s next attack against that foe.
Initiative
Your Perception determines when you act in a peril round. If your Perception ties with an enemy, they go first.
Keep Watch
Keep an eye out for threats. If something surprises you or your allies, roll Perception:
- Darkness or dim light, -2–4
- Moving incautiously, -2
If you succeed, you and your allies receive +2 to their Perception rolls against surprise. If you fail, nothing happens.
Resist Sleep
Succeed Perception to resist sleep. You only need to resist sleep if you have Drowsy stress and are stationary.
Resist Surprise
When peril starts suddenly, such as by the sudden appearance of enemies or danger, roll Perception to avoid surprise.
- Roll at -4 if you were asleep.
- Roll at -2 if the threat appeared from darkness
- Roll at -2 if the threat appeared from hiding.
- Roll at -2 if armor covers your face
Success means you’re not surprised. Failure means you’re surprised; you don’t get to act in the first round of Peril.
Scrounge
Roll Perception to scrounge for a resource or object you suspect is present. If it’s hidden or scarce, get a 2–4 penalty.
Success: You find it; skills such as Herbalism, may expand the range of resources you find. Failure: You find little or nothing.
Subtlety
Go without notice. Your Speed penalty affects all Subtlety rolls
Act Silently
Roll Subtlety.
- Noisy action: -2–4 (e.g. pouring coins into a bag.)
- Noisy footsteps: -2 (e.g. walking on gravel, spurs.)
- Background noise: +2. (e.g. loud machinery nearby.)
- Current speed penalty: (e.g. the clank of your armor & gear.)
Success means you’re silent. You can surprise foes. Failure means you made a normal amount of noise and may draw attention.
Your silent movement rate equals your Agility.
Inconspicuousness
The higher your Subtlety, the lower your chance of occurring as a target. Most enemies choose targets in ascending order of Subtlety. The Subtlest group member is least likely to be immediately targeted and may be able to slip away. If you attack, you draw attention to yourself. If your Subtlety is tied with that of an ally, the Bookkeeper determines which of you is most inconspicuous.
Hide
When hiding in darkness or cover, foes attempting to sense you do so minus your Subtlety.
Steal
Roll Subtlety to pickpocket someone or palm an object.
- Undistracted target, -2.
- Target unaware of you, +2
- Additional distractions, +2.
Success means you lift something from the target or palm the item. Failure means the theft is noticed immediately or soon after.
Quickdraw
Draw your weapon on an aware foe. Roll Subtlety. Success requires they roll Perception vs. surprise at -2. Failure starts peril as normal.
Scurry
Move nimbly and bear meager weight. Scurry is affected by your speed penalty. If you lose all/part of your tail, lose 2–4 Scurry.
Burden Capacity
Carry burden points equal to Scurry + 2. Points in excess inflict speed penalty:
- At capacity = 3mph
- 1 over capacity = 2mph, -1 Speed penalty
- 2 over capacity = 1.5mph, -2 Speed penalty
- 3 over capacity = 1mph, -4 Speed penalty
- 4 over capacity = Immobile, -Immobile
Clamber
Climb meters equal to your Scurry minus speed penalty. You can climb creatures.
featherlight
Reduce all fall damage by your Scurry - speed penalty.
Paddle
Your swim speed equals 2 + Scurry - speed penalty. You can roll Scurry to place of any Swim roll.
Jump
Jump meters equal to half your Scurry. Succeed Agility as if to sprint to add 2 m to this distance. Max jump range: 6 m.