Notes about skills

See also Current House Rules for additional and/or more details. If two conflicting skill descriptions are found, Current House Rules are used.

Alertness: This skill provides a bonus for unconscious observation and assimilation of information from the general environment. This skill is used only for unindicated observations. Active seeking is handled with other skills, like General Perception, Detect Traps etc. Costs as Modified Sense Ambush.

Appraisal, Evaluation and Lore -skills: Evaluation skills are used to determine item's value and quality(bonus). Lore skills are used to recognize material the item is made of. Appraisal skill is used to recognize other materials / items that not mentioned in Lore & Evaluation skill list (RMCII).

Before using an evaluation skill it would be good to recognize gems from worthless pieces of glass (requires a succesful "Stone Lore" skill roll). Otherwise PC receives the value of piece of glass! However, if character later recognizes the piece of glass as a gem, character may roll another evaluation roll with an additional +15 modifier to determine the value of the gem.

Artifact Lore: This skill provides a bonus for recognizing and knowing the powers of potent magical items. Costs are: Pure Spell Users - 2/4, Hybrid Spell Users - 2/5, Semi Spell Users - 3/6 and Non Spell Users - 6.

Automatic Success: In order to reduce rolling of the dice, some skill checks are now to success automatically. If there is no stress or haste or environmental conditions (rain, darkness), four first difficulty classes success automatically if user has enough ranks in appropriate skill. Ranks needed to success are: Routine - 4 ranks, Easy - 6 ranks, Light - 8 ranks and Medium - 10 ranks. When someone has 10 ranks in some skill, he is "Master of 'Skill'" (e.g. village's blacksmith). Using these skills still gives experience points.

Culture Lore: Replaces skill Racial History.

Diagnostics: Diagnostics are needed to determine possible injuries in order to use healing skills and/or spells. For obvious injuries (like bleeding wounds in arm) a roll is not needed. Second Aid and Surgery are at -50...-70 (unless skill is required to use because of external bleeding) if used without a succesful diagnostics roll, and for example, non-obvious broken bones are at -30 to handle without diagnostics.

Healing Songs: Costs as Spell Mastery. A skill that only Elves are allowed to develop. Stat bonuses are same as in Attunement. See Hands of the Healer for more information.

Herb and Poison Lore: Lore skills are used to identify herbs and poison. Both are used with one skill, Use/Remove Poison/Herb.

History: Costs as Culture Lore (which costs as old Racial History).

Hunting: This skill provides a bonus to hunting maneuvers. Note that tracking and recognizing game is covered by other skills; this skill gives bonuses to the actual hunt, including setting up blind runs, leading and driving the game, etc. Costs as Foraging.

Research: This skill provides a bonus for using multiple sources of reference to assimilate the knowledge and information necessary to solve a problem, support creative effort, or otherwise answer questions important to the individual. It includes the skills necessary to organize and effect a search through reference material, and collate the results. Note that skill is necessary for the creation of new spell lists. If approporiate materials are available, a succesful skill roll using such materials will give up to a +40 modification to a related Lore skill roll. Costs as Basic Math.

Reverse Stroke: If PC wants to parry an attack coming from his flank or rear with atleast a portion of his OB, he has to make a reverse stroke -maneuver roll. Result is how much of his OB (in percents) PC can use to parry such an attack. Maximum result is 100%.

Sense Ambush (Modified): Description as in RMCII p. 37. Costs are somewhat different: (They are coming...)

Senses: All special Senses costs as General Perception with a +1/+1 modifier. Special Senses include Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, Combat Awareness, Scouting Awareness and Sleeping Awareness. GM may feel free to add more special Senses.

Sniping: Sniping skill is used to ambush with thrown or missile weapons. There are certain conditions which has to meet before using this skill:

  • Target must be unaware of the attack
  • Target must stand (sit/lie) still or walk on anticipicated route.
  • PC must make a succesful Sniping maneuver
  • When conditions are met and maneuver is succesful, PC may modify critical result with half of his skill ranks. However, modified result may not be 66 or 100.

    Sniping skill costs like Ambush skill. Sniping skill must be developed separately to each weapon group (spears, bows, crossbows, blowpipes, daggers, swords, axes etc).

    Spell Lore: Magical Skills Category, stats are ME/RE/EM. Costs are: Pure Spell Users - 3/6, Hybrid Spell Users - 3/8, Semi Spell Users - 6 and Non Spell Users - 15. Spell Lore can be used to identify spells by their effect, way they were cast etc. Following modifiers (and normal modifiers due darkness etc) apply to the roll:

    Same Realm +10
Same Profession +15
Can cast same spell +10
Different Realm -15
Different Profession -25
Cannot cast same spell -25

    Spell Mastery: In addition to options presented in RMSS, Spell Mastery can be used for following effects too:

  • Quicken casting: one second / 10 ranks in skill, rounded down; each second gives -20 to skill roll.
  • Using extra PP: Additional power points can be used in order to give extra bonus for Spell Mastery static manoeuver roll. For every 5% of extra PP used, bonus increases by +2 (so extra +25% PP gives +10 bonus). Additionally, extra power points used are added to Fumble roll, in case spell fails.

    Undead Lore: This skill provides a bonus for recognizing and identifying the major powers and abilities of different kinds of undead, and information how to create, control and deal with them. Costs as Demon/Devil Lore

    Use Prepared Herb: This skill allows the user properly apply herbs that have already been prepared for use. Costs 3/7 for all professions. Not a relevant skill anymore.