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Unless otherwise specifically
altered or contradicted in these house rule pages, the rules found in
the 5th Edition Hero System apply at all times.
General Rules:
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All characters must
spend at least 15 points on Background Skills.
By "background skills" we are talking about
Knowledge Skills, Professional Skills, Science Skills, and other
skills that represent a fleshed out background. For the
purpose of this rule, points spent on Packages count only as the
points spent, and not as the total points gained by the package.
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Skills may not be purchased within a Power
Framework.
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Skill rolls made "on the fly" at the request of the
GM rarely take a half-phase. Such actions are generally
considered to be 0-phase actions.
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If a character has spent at least 3 points on a
Skill that is either a specialization of another skill, or is
obviously closely related to another skill, the character effectively
has an 8 or less roll with the Skill of which the first Skill is a
specialization or close relation. For example: Idmaer
Longbeard has spent 3 points on Knowledge Skill: History of the Taoric
Empire. Since the Skill is a specialization of Knowledge Skill:
History, Idmaer effectively also has an 8 or less roll in Knowledge
Skill: History. These free familiarities are just like an Everyman
Skill in that if the character wants to improve them, he has to pay
the full price for the skill.
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While constructing their characters, players should
remember that this is a role playing game, and all characters should
have a well-rounded background. Thus, it wouldn't be out of line
for a character to have skills which would prove totally useless in
combat situations.
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All skills, whether background skills or not, maybe
purchased at an 8 or less roll for 1 point, or an 11 or less roll for
2 points.
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Maximum skill levels, including any
Overall Levels but not including the base Characteristic value, is +8.
This also applies to OCV and/or DCV.
Forbidden Skills: The
following skills may not be taken: Autofire Skills, Combat
Piloting, Computer Programming, Electronics,
Systems Operation.
Acrobatics:
Acrobatics may be used to get
up after a fall without making a half-move.
Analyze:
The skill Analyze Magic may only be taken by characters who
possess Knowledge Skill: Spellcraft.
Armorsmith:
Armorsmith is a Dexterity-based skill that allows a character to
manufacture, modifiy, or repair primarily metal armors such as
brigandine, chainmail, or plate armors. (Manufacture,
modification, and repair of non-metallic armor requires the appropriate
Knowledge or Artistic skills). The GM determines the time and cost
for each project. As with all Dexterity-based skills, Armorsmith
costs 1 point for an 8 or less roll, 2 points for an 11 or less, and 3
points for a Dexterity-based roll. A +1 to the roll costs 2
points.
Artist (3
Points): This Skill Enhancer lowers the cost of all Artistic
Skills by 1. Note that in general, a character with this enhancer
would most likely be a specialist in one type of art. For example,
a character may be able to play several different musical instruments
well, or be able to both sing and dance artistically, or be able to
sculpt in a variety of materials. You rarely find artists who can
cross wide artistic lines, such as a poet who is also a talented
sculptor.
Artistic
Skill: A character with this skill has a talent in a singular
artistic area, and can create works of art, literature, dance, or music
that are more than just amateur attempts. Each artistic skill
costs 1 point for an 8 or less roll, 2 points for an 11 or less, and may
be based on either Presence, Intelligence, or Dexterity (as appropriate)
for 3 points. A +1 to the roll costs 2 points.
Bugging:
The Bugging skill may be used as Eavesdropping, which
allows the character to find the best places from which to spy on and
overhear other people. Eavesdropping acts as a
complementary skill to the character's Perception roll.
Eavesdropping can also act as a complementary skill with
Shadowing in some cases.
Camouflage:
This Intelligence-based skill represents the ability to blend in
with the natural surroundings. It is usable on oneself as well as larger
objects such as vehicles or campsites. Many modifiers are possible for
this skill; for instance it is much easier to remain unseen in a forest
where a lot of underbrush exists than in the middle of the Sahara
desert. Use of this skill generally means that the person or object is
stationary but when moving it could be a complimentary skill to Stealth.
This skill does not pertain to hiding small items; for that, use the
Concealment skill.
Combat Driving:
This skill has two possible interpretations in the Young Kingdoms.
Otherwise, the skill operates as normal.
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Teamster:
This skill allows the character to drive wagons and manage the teams of
animals that pull them.
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Combat Sailing:
This skill allows the character to ships and boats in combat with other
ships and boats.
Combat Skill Levels:
- The default place for all Combat Skill Levels
is in DCV; if the player does not indicate otherwise, your GM will put
them all there. The player can then change them at the beginning of
his next Phase.
- Skill levels need not be permanently
dedicated to OCV or DCV. Those that are permanently dedicated are
purchased with a -¼ Limitation.
- In order to clarify when to use what Combat
Skill Levels:
- Two point Combat Skill Levels apply to a
single attack, such as a Offensive Strike. They can
only be applied to a character's OCV.
- Three point Combat Skill Levels apply to any
three related maneuvers or attacks, such as three separate martial
arts maneuvers.
- Five point Combat Skill Levels apply to all
Hand-to-Hand Combat, or all Ranged Combat. In addition, they apply
to entire Multipowers and Elemental Controls.
- Eight point Combat Skill Levels apply to
all types of combat. In addition, they apply to entire Variable
Point Power Pools.
- Two offensive Combat Skill Levels in any one
of the above categories can be used to add +3 Stun to a Normal Damage
Attack, or +1 Body to a Killing Attack, as long as the Combat Skill
Levels apply to those attacks.
- A character with an Autofire attack may
purchase combat skill levels to offset the penalties normally accrued
from firing at multiple targets or multiple hits on the same target.
Everyman Skills: All characters may be assumed to have the
appropriate set of Everyman Skills at at 8 or less (unless otherwise
specified) for no
cost. These skills cannot be improved (in other words, a character
wishing to have a higher deduction roll than the one given above must
purchase the skill again).
Imperial Characters:
- Acting
- Area Knowledge: Character's Home Area
- Climbing
- Concealment
- Conversation
- Deduction
- Language Skill: Native Language - Idiomatic (No
Literacy Assumed)
- Paramedic (Healing)
- Persuasion
- Professional Skill: One Profession of the
Player's Choice
- Shadowing
- Stealth
Chayk Characters:
- Area Knowledge: Character's Home Area
- Climbing
- Concealment
- Deduction
- Language Skill: Either Chaykik or Ice Island
Chaykik - Idiomatic (No Literacy Assumed)
- Paramedic (Healing)
- Professional Skill: One Profession of the
Player's Choice
- Professional Skill: Sailor
- Shadowing
- Stealth
- Survival (Arctic Coasts)
- Transport Familiarity: Longboats
Khazak Dwarf Characters:
- Area Knowledge: Character's Home Area
- Climbing
- Concealment
- Conversation
- Deduction
- Knowledge Skill: Khazak Customs
- Language Skill: Khazak - Idiomatic (No
Literacy Assumed)
- Paramedic (Healing)
- Professional Skill: Appraiser
- Professional Skill: Metalsmith or
Professional Skill: Stonecraft (Player's Choice)
- Stealth
- Survival (Mountains)
Kuzko Characters:
- Acting
- Area Knowledge: Character's Home Area
- Climbing
- Conversation
- Deduction
- Knowledge Skill: Kuzko Oral Histories
- Language Skill: Kuzko - Idiomatic (No
Literacy Assumed)
- Paramedic (Healing)
- Persuasion
- Professional Skill: One Profession of the
Player's Choice
- Stealth
- Survival (Mountains)
Nerulk Halfling Characters:
- Area Knowledge: Character's Home Area
- Concealment
- Conversation
- Deduction
- Knowledge Skill: Wolves
- Language Skill: Nerulki - Idiomatic (No
Literacy Assumed)
- Paramedic (Healing)
- Persuasion
- Professional Skill: One Profession of the
Player's Choice
- Riding (Wolves)
- Shadowing
- Survival (Arctic Tundra)
Rostok Characters:
- Area Knowledge: Character's Home Area
- Concealment
- Conversation
- Deduction
- Knowledge Skill: Horses
- Language Skill: Silde - Idiomatic (No
Literacy Assumed)
- Paramedic (Healing)
- Persuasion
- Professional Skill: One Profession of the
Player's Choice
- Riding (Horses)
- Shadowing
- Survival (Temperate Plains)
Knowledge Skills:
- Knowledge Skill: Arcane and
Occult Lore: This skill represents a broad
knowledge of magical lore, and can be used to identify famous magical
objects, remember the names of famous wizards who live in various
cities, and so on.
- Knowledge Skill: Flora
and Fauna: This skill gives the character a general
knowledge of plants and animals. He knows their behavior, their
properties, whether they are edible (and if so, the proper methods of
cooking them) and so on.
- Knowledge Skill:
Heraldry: This Knowledge Skill allows the character to identify
the more prominent coats of arms in a given area, as well as grants
him knowledge of the meaning behind various heraldic symbols, and so
forth.
- Knowledge Skill:
Herbalism and Healing-Lore: This skill grants the character a
knowledge of healing practices and the properties of medicinal herbs.
It does not substitute for Healing, but can act as Complementary to
it.
- Knowledge Skill: Legends
and Lore: This skill represents a broad knowledge of the common
legends, folk tales, songs, stories, history, and myths. The
character knows names from myth and folklore, and can tell the stories
that made them famous. He knows a lot of old wives tales and can
even discern the wisdom in them.
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Knowledge Skill: Spellcraft: This skill
gives the character a
general knowledge of magic. It does not yield the same depth of
knowledge on a given subject than a Knowledge Skill focusing on a type
of magic would.
Language Skills:
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The
following language skills may be taken by the player characters:
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Aatenic: Aatenic is the
native languages of the Aateni Islands. It has no written
component, as prior to Imperial conquest the Aateni had a purely
oral tradition for songs, stories, and history. Tribal
skelds trained for years memorizing the histories. Today,
it is mostly spoken in the out-of-the-way parts of the island
chain.
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Auld Taoric: The language of the
Empire, Auld Taoric is used in modern Taranche as the language
of international trade and learning (much as Latin was during
the Middle Ages). Nearly everyone in the Young Kingdoms,
and not a few of the barbarian races, learn this language in
childhood.
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Barindian: The language of the
Barind was once the same as that of the Aateni, but as the
Barinds became a separate people, so did the language separate
through time and linguistic drift. Barindian is still
spoken up and down the EasterSea Coast, and is the native
language of Calafia, Kellervan, and Soravia. Barindian
shares 2 points of similarity with Auld Taoric and Taoric; a
native speaker of Barindian may learn either Auld Taoric or
Taoric at -1 to the cost.
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Chaykik: Chaykik is the language of
the mainland Chayk barbarians. It is similar to Ice Island
Chaykik in the same manner that Spanish and Italian are similar.
It has a written component, but only a very few Chayk, and
almost no non-Chayk, have ever learned to write it.
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Choy: The language of the
Choyen is fluid and lyrical, and is sometimes difficult for non-Choyen
to learn. Choy makes use of inflection and context to
indicate such things as the definition of a noun and the subject
of a sentence (for example, the Choy word "taxspe" can mean both
"healer" and "stewpot", depending on the inflection and
context). The Choyen keep their original iconographic
writing alive through decoration and ceremony, but use the
Taoric alphabet for most commonplace communication.
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City Thieves Cant: Almost every
thieves guild in the Young Kingdoms has a secret language all
its own, made up of innocuous words used in innocuous ways (for
example, a "breadloaf" to a member of the Hidden Hand guild of
Povero is a dead body wrapped in cloth for easy disposal, while
"pebbles" are the coins taken by a cutpurse). The language
is different for every city, and is only taught to members of
that particular guild.
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Goblin Tribal Languages: The
languages of the various goblin tribes are many and varied.
Usually, the tribal tongues of a particular tribe will resemble
the languages of nearby tribes, but this is by no means
guaranteed. Each tribal tongue must be learned separately.
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Ice Island Chaykik: Ice Island
Chaykik is spoken by those Chayk barbarians living in the small
towns of the Ice Islands. The language is incredibly
similar to the original tongue (so much so that mainland Chayk
and Ice Island Chayk never have much trouble communicating).
Writing is much more common in the Ice Island communities.
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High Jarisian/Low Jarisian/Middle Jarisian:
Jarisian is a language in three parts. Its a lyrical
tongue, with a multi-level vocabulary in which a word and its
variations all mean the same thing (for example, "alhrid", "lahird",
and "hilaid" all mean "truthful" or "honest"), and which word
you use depends on who you are speaking to and in what
circumstance. Generally, High Jarisian is only used during
religious rituals. Middle Jarisian is used when addressing
a member of the nobility or a priest outside of a religious
ceremony, and Low Jarisian is used when addressing a commoner.
Characters must learn each variation as if it were a
separate tongue. It is considered the height of
discourtesy to use the wrong level when talking to a Jaris.
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Khazak: The ancient language of the
dwarves is marked by three traits: its lack of any use of
euphamism, simile, or metaphor, its dependence on only a handful
of consanants and vowels, and the fact that non-dwarves cannot
seem to not spit when speaking it. Other than that, its
one of the easier languages to learn, though there are some
distinctions that seem to be missing whenever a non-dwarf speaks
it. For example, a non-dwarf only ever seems to learn one
word for "stone", when Khazak has over seventy, including words
that mean "stone that is wet", "stone that has been
heated in a fire", "stone that has been included with some
non-stone material in a finished product" and "stone that has been
cut into blocks" as opposed to the generic word for "stone"
that most non-dwarves learn.
Both the Durindan and Khazak dwarves speak this language.
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Kuzko: The Kuzko language is seldom
encountered away from the mountain valleys which are home to the
Kuzko people. The language itself is similar to Aateni,
but is different enough to prevent easy translation without
fluency.
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Lemenarian: The language of the
Lemenar Archipelago is commonly heard up and down the EasterSea
coast and along the sea of horses. It is the language of
sea-borne trade, and is often used as such even when the crew of
the merchant ship in question isn't Lemenari.
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Nerulki: Like Kuzko, Nerulki is a
"hidden" language, not heard often outside of the culture that
spawned it. Surprisingly, it is almost completely
dissimilar to Ostrali, despite being another halfling tongue.
Non-Nerulk rarely learn this language.
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Ormuz: Ormuz, the language of the
Imperial orcs, is a polyglot tongue made up of the original
tribal tongue and Auld Taoric. The orcs borrowed freely
from their conquerors when it came to new words, and as the
cultural horizons of the Ormuz expanded, new words came as
swiftly as rainfall. Ormuz uses the Taoric alphabet.
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Ostrali:
Ostrali is a much
more complicated language than non-halflings expect; it has six
specific indicatory tenses as well as six levels of conjugation.
Despite this, its one of the more commonly learned languages in
the Young Kingdoms. Ostrali is used by the halflings in
the same way that a Chinese or Hispanic community in a large
American city uses it: amongst each other. For public
purposes, and when dealing with a non-halfling, the Ostrali
almost prefer to use some other language.
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Silde: Silde is spoken by both the
people of the same name and by their Rostok cousins. Its a
harsh-sounding language, much more so than even Khazak.
People who aren't fluent have trouble even detecting the spaces
between words when listening to this language being spoken.
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Taoric: Taoric is the modern
descendant of the ancient Imperial tongue. While some Taor-supremacists
insist that the language hasn't changed since the fall of the
Empire, anyone with any intelligence can tell otherwise.
Taoric is spoken primarily along the Lost Coast, Dentraver,
Gallesgne, and in the Broken Kingdom.
Vostan:
The native language of the wandering Vos folk, Vostan is very
rarely learned by outsiders. Its a lyrical language, and
is spoken in a sing-song manner by its natives. Both the
land-born and river-born branches of the Vos speak Vostan.
Language Similarity:
Characters purchasing
language skills should consult the following regarding language
similiarity:
Native speakers of Aatenic pay -1
points to learn Kuzko. They pay +1 point to learn any non-human
language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Barindian pay -1
points to learn Auld Taoric or Taoric. They pay +1 point
to learn any non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Chaykik pay -2
points to learn Ice Island Chaykik. They pay +1 point to
learn any non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Choy pay -1
points to learn Silde. They pay +1 point to learn any
non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of any Goblin tribal
language pay -1 points to learn Ormuz or any other Goblin tribal
language. They pay +1 point to learn any other language.
Native speakers of Ice Island
Chaykik pay -2 points to learn Chaykik. They pay +1 point
to learn any non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Jarisian pay +1
points to learn any other human language, and +2 points to learn
any non-human language.
Native speakers of Khazak pay +1
points to learn any non-dwarven language.
Native speakers of Kuzko pay -1
points to learn Aatenic. They pay +1 point to learn any
non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Lemenarian pay -1
point to learn Auld Taoric or Taoric. They pay +1 to learn
any non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Nerulki pay +1
point to learn any other language.
Native speakers of Silde pay -1
points to learn Choy. They pay +1 point to learn any
non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Taoric pay -1
points to learn Auld Taoric, Barindian, or Lemenari. They
pay +1 point to learn any non-human language or Jarisian.
Native speakers of Ormuz, Ostrali,
or Vostan gain no bonus or penalty for buying languages.
There aren't any native speakers of
Auld Taoric, any City Thieves Cant.
Literacy: Literacy in a language is never
assumed. The character must spend the +1 point to become
literate in any language which they speak that possesses a
written component.
Oratory: Although you
may make a Presence attack or soliloquy as a zero phase action, it takes
a half phase to use Oratory when completing a Presence attack.
Power Skills:
- Power Skill: Cantrip: This Power
Skill allows a character who is either already capable of casting
spells or potentially able to cast spells to create minor magical
effects. Such effects are always temporary and are would be
built on no more than 3 to 5 active points were they to be written up
(which they usually shouldn't be). The GM always has discretion
regarding what constitutes a true Cantrip, and may veto any use of
this skill that he sees as excessively powerful.
- Power Skill: Faith: This skill
represents the priest's ability to channel the power of his god into
magical effects.
- Power Skill: Magical Type: Magic is broken down into several different types, including
Alchemy, Battle Magic, Body Magic, Divination, Enchantments, Illusions,
Mind Magic, Name Magic, Necromancy, Protection Magics, Rune Magic,
Summonings, and Transmutations. In order to cast that type of
magic, a wizard must possess the appropriate Power Skill (and is
subsequently required to have at least one spell of that type on their
spell list). When casting a spell a Power Skill roll is made for
the appropriate magical type.
Professional Skills:
A character with a Professional Skill is required
to also possess other skills which are appropriate for that profession.
For example, a character with Professional Skill: Swordsmith should
also possess the Knowledge Skill: Metalworking skill to at least some degree, as well as
other appropriate skills, such as Knowledge Skill: Sword Design, and so on.
Ranged Skill Levels:
Ranged skill levels, in and of themselves, have been subsumed under Combat Skill Levels.
Please see the rules concerning Combat Skill Levels above.
Science Skills: Science skills will be
accepted on a case by case basis.
- Forbidden Science Skills: The
following Science Skills are forbidden as they do not fit in with the
background gameworld: Anthropology, Archeology, any Physics
skill other than basic, plain old Physics (i.e. Quantum Physics,
Nuclear Physics, and so on), Psychiatry, Psychology, and Sociology.
This list should not be considered all inclusive and may be added to
at any time.
- Alchemy: Science Skill: Alchemy takes
the place of any modern Science Skill dealing with Chemistry.
- Astrology:
In the Young Kingdoms, Astrology is a Science Skill used for fortune
telling. Unfortunately, by itself has no real value when it comes to foretelling
the future. It is more of a performance or presentation skill,
and is thus based on Presence. If you wish to have your
character be able to actually use Astrology to tell the future, buy
Precognitive Clairsentience with the Focus, Gestures, and Extra Time
limitations.
- Natural Philosophy: This Science
Skill takes the place of any modern Science Skill dealing with plants,
animals, or living monsters. (The skill does not cover the
undead or magical constructs).
Security Systems: This is the
skill used to detect and disarm mechanical traps.
Skill Levels:
- In order to clarify when to use what Skill
Levels:
- Two point Skill Levels apply to a single
Skill Roll or Characteristic roll.
- Three point Skill Levels apply to any three
related skills, such as Knowledge Skill: The Goblin Races,
Knowledge Skill: Goblin War Tactics, and Knowledge Skill: Orc Chants
of Battle or Knowledge Skill: Romantic Poetry, Knowledge Skill:
Flowers, and Seductive Music.
- Five point Skill Levels apply to any group
of similar skills, such as all Dexterity-based skills.
- Eight point Skill Levels apply to any
non-combat Skill or Characteristic roll.
- Ten point Skill Levels may be applied to
any Combat Roll or Noncombat Skill or Characteristic Roll.
- Skill levels cannot be applied to Talents.
Skill Enhancers:
Skill enhancers must be purchased during character construction or not
at all. In addition, the possession of a skill enhancer must be
explained in the character's background.
Transport Familiarity:
- Riding animals are not considered forms of transportation for the
purposes of this skill.
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