WILDERNESS SKILLS

Note:Prerequisite Skills are shown in [italics] and Bonuses shown in ()

WILDERNESS

Animal Cries: A familiarity with animal calls and cries provides the character the ability to generate and mimic such sounds himself. The first percentage is the ability to recognize the cry the second the ability to reproduce it. (+10% to Hunting)
Base Skill: 30+5% per level of experience.

Animal Husbandry: This area of study provides the character witha knowledge of the care, feeding, breeding, reproduction, treatment andbehavior of domestic animals. This includes cattle, sheep, goats, horses,ducks, chickens, and similar creatures (see horsemanship for breedinghorses). The percentile number indicates the degree of knowledge andskill one has about animals and their care. Reduce the skill ability byhalf when caring for captive or injured wild animals.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

Astronomy/Navigation: The ability to navigate, from the study of the stars and other celestial bodies, their movements, positions, cycles, alignments, and interrelations, with the earth and each other (including magical worlds, the ebb and flow of mystic energy along ley lines.) Training includes reading maps and following landmarks, and the use of navigational equipment. Includes land, water and air (where appropriate) navigation, as well as piloting by the stars and instruments alone. This ability is ideal for sailors. A failed roll means the navigator is off course.
• 2d6 miles when traveling on foot
• 1d6x10 miles when traveling by animal
• 2d4x10 when using a boat or flying
A blown roll also results in an improper direction; roll 1d8 for the true course, starting with North-East as 1 and going clockwise through the major compass points, rerolling a result of the direction that is the one actually desired.Roll the error distance and direction once for every hour that one travels after the failed check. If using a landmark, etc. for navigation, making the next chance at 10% can discover the error. If using direction only as the guide, the roll is at normal level to discover the error. If the roll fails, but is still under the normal skill roll in either case, then the navigator is now following a parallel course (off by the distance in error) to the desired one. A second or later consecutive totally failed roll compounds the original deviation resulting in a new random course roll.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

Boat Building: This skill enables the character to build a variety of rafts, small rowboats, large flatbed boats, and canoes. A small raft (two man) can be made within 1d6+1 hours if the lumber or other suitable materials and tools are readily available. A large raft will take about 4d6 hours a canoe 2d6 days, rowboat 4d4 days, large flatbed 1d4x10 days. Time is doubled or tripled if trees must be cut down and wood prepared. Of course, the time can be reduced if several knowledgeable people are working on the construction. A failed skill roll means the boat has leaks. Trying to patch it will require 4d4 hours.[Carpentry]
Base Skill: 25+5% per level of experience.

Bowyer/Fletcher: The ability to construct or repair bows and arrows from raw materials. Repairing a bow greatly increases the likelihood it will break again, causing injury to the user and possibly those nearby. Every shot with a repaired bow has a 1 in 6 chance of the bow shattering. User takes damage of 1d6+PS bonus (automatically), roll to strike for nearby characters to take 1d6 dam as well from flying bits.
Base Skill: 30+5% per level of experience.

Carpentry: A fundamental knowledge of working with wood. The character knows how to prepare, treat, and preserve wood, recognize quality craftsmanship, can repair damage wood and wood items, and build chests, chairs, tables, cabinets, houses, etc.
Base Skill: 30+5% per level of experience.

Climbing/Scale Walls: Knowledge of the tools and techniques forclimbing up sheer surfaces, be they natural mountains or man-made.Players should roll once for every 20 feet (6.1 m) of a vertical climb. Ifthe roll fails, it means he is losing his grip; however, every "skilled"climber gets a chance to regain his grip, roll again. Two consecutivefailed rolls means the character falls
Base Skill: 50+5% per level of experience.

Dowsing: This is the ability to locate fresh water whether it be witha divining rod or by more scientific and logical means. For some (likedruids), it is a mystical ability, while for others (like rangers), it is donethrough deductive analysis and knowledge of nature. The percentagenumber indicates the success ratio of locating fresh water. A person canroll once every melee to sense water, but must roll two consecutive successfulrolls to locate the water.
Base Skill: 25+5% per level of experience.

Falconry: The art of training and handling falcons, and other birdsof prey. The use of these animals is much more limited than many fantasygamers would believe. Falcons were used specifically for the entertainmentof the rich and hunting game fowl. A standard hunt wouldentail a game bird, such as a quail, pheasant, duck, etc., being flushedout into the air by dogs, and the falcon released to strike it down.Players take note! For game purposes, let us presume that theseavian predators can be trained to pursue and attack any, visible, flyingfoe or target, strike down other birds, and return it to its master. Let usfurther suppose that they can be trained to strike at any "moving" targetthat they are directed at. This means a falcon could be sent to fly in theface of an opponent and slash at him with its claws for up to two attacksper melee round before returning to its master or flying into the sky.These trained birds respond to hand signals and whistles. They aretrained to strike and return, little more. Under no circumstance can thesebirds fly alongside its master or follow even simple instructions thisis a dumb bird, not a dog with wings.Note: Falcons or any uncaged bird cannot be taken into undergrounddwellings or inside buildings without panicking. This is one reasonthey are always blinded with a leather hood. Another reason is thatthey instinctively attack any small, moving prey and are easily startled.Furthermore, it is impossible to engage in combat with a falcon onone's wrist or shoulder without injuring the falcon or oneself.Trainers must roll two out of three successful rolls to succceed intraining their bird. Failure means that the animal cannot be broken ofbad habits and training is a general failure.
Base Skill: 30+5% per level of experience.

Fashion Tools/Weapons: Useful tools and weapons can be constructed from readily available material. These crude items are usually made from wood, stone, vines and bones, and include making a simple wood and/or stone hammer, club, and shovel, pick, fishing hook, bone needle, wooden stake, torch, rope, string, fishing line, simple flute, blow gun, staff, wooden spear, bola, throwing stick, arrow, short bow, stone knife, spear and axe head made from chipped stone. The ability to fashion tools is a source of pride for jungle tribesman and wilderness folk. An unsuccessful roll results in a product that is completely useless, try again. It generally takes about 1d4 hours to make a small simple item and 2d4+1 to make a larger, more elaborate item like a stone axe, spear with a stone head, short bow, etc.
Base Skill: 25+5% per level of experience.

Food Preservation: Knowledge in the preparation of foods for storage and later consumption. Includes canning fresh fruit and vegetables, making jams and honey, drying fruit, vegetables and herbs, drying meat and fish, plus various smoking, salting and pickling methods.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

Fresh Water Fishing: The fundamental methods and enjoyment of fresh water fishing. Areas of knowledge include the use of lures, baits, poles, hooks, and lines, as well as the cleaning and preparation of fish for eating. Also includes a basic knowledge of freshwater fish, turtles and amphibians, their habits and taste. Roll once every 20 minutes to see if a fish is successfully captured. A failed roll means it slips off the hook and escapes or it is much too small to clean and eat.
Base Skill: 30+5% per level of experience.

Hunting: The skill of killing and preparing an animal for food. Adds the following bonuses to the appropriate skills: +2% prowl, +5 tracking, +5 skin/prepare animal hides, +5 wilderness survival, and +5 to cook the catch only.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

Identify Plants/Fruits: Training in the recognition of the many different types of plants and vegetation and where they grow. The emphasis is placed on edible, herbal and poisonous plants.
Base Skill: 30+5% per level of experience.

Identify Sea Life: Characters with this skill can identify all different kinds of fish, squid, octopus, shellfish, turtles, sea mammals (whales, dolphins, seals) and sea monsters, as well as seaweed, sponges and even swarms of tiny life forms (such as krill, the food source for many whales,) and the different one-celled organisms that give off a visible glow at night. Even more importantly, the character can recognize habitats, or water and weather conditions, that signal the presence of certain kinds of sea life. For example, the character can attempt to determine what kind of fish are feeding below the ship, or what giant schools are traveling nearby, based on the appearance of certain predators such as knowing where to find tuna when certain dolphins are sighted. Includes a knowledge of which sea life is edible, useful as healing herbs, or poisonous. Another important bit of knowledge is being able to identify which barnacles, shipworms and mollusks (which live on the hull under the waterline) are harmless, and which are immediately threatening.(+5% to Deep Sea Fishing)
Base Skill: 25+5% per level of experience.

Land Navigation: This skill enables the person to stay on course while traveling over land by means of observation. It includes mentally marking/recognizing geographic landmarks, estimating distance and movement, recognizing sounds, night travel, and other navigational tricks. The player should roll once for approximately every three miles traveled. A failed roll means the character is drifting off course; 2d10x100 yards/meters. Consecutive failed rolls means the individual does not realize that he s off course and continues in the wrong direction. Note: A group of average men can cover about five miles an hour at a brisk, but relaxed, pace through grassland, along dirt roads or pavement. Travel through dense forest or jungle at a cautious pace, with eyes open for danger, is about one mile an hour. Heavy rain or snow, fog, swamps, etc., will also reduce speed.
Base Skill: 60+5% per level of experience.

Leather Working: The character is skilled at tanning and preserving animal hides. Usually this skill is combined with tailor to enable the character to make leather goods such as clothing, capes, bags, boots, saddles, saddle bags, tack and harness for horses and even leather armour. If this is done the character can fully repair, and make modifications to leather armour. May be taken twice to denote professional quality. Bonuses: +5% for Sew/Tailor and Skin/Prepare Animal Hides.
Base Skill: 50+5% per level of experience.

Lore: Fauna: Knowledge of various species of animals native to the various regions of the world. This skill gives knowledge of the animals general behaviour and habitat.
Base Skill: 20+5% per level of experience.

Repelling: Ths is a specialized, rope climbing skill used in scaling walls,towers, and cliff facings. For game purposes, rappelling will include ascendingand descending climbs.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

Skin/Prepare Animal Hides: Training in the methods andtechniques of skinning, tanning, stretching, and preserving animal hidesas fur or leather. Adds a +5% bonus to the sewing skill.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

Spelunking: The art and practice of exploring caves. Unskilled characters wandering about in a large series of natural caverns have about the same chance of survival as unskilled climbers attempting to scale a major mountain without guidance.
Base Skill: 55+5% per level of experience.

Tracking: Visual tracking is the identification of tracks, and following the path of men or animals by the signs they leave on the ground and vegetation. Tracking is a precise art, requiring much practice. The skill includes the evaluation of tracks, indicating whether the person being tracked is loaded down with equipment, running, moving slowly (by measuring the space between steps), and so on. By this means, the tracker can estimate the person's rate of movement, apparent direction, the number of persons in the party, and whether the person knows he is being followed. Other methods of tracking require recognizing other telltale signs, such as blood and other stains, broken and displaced vegetation, overturned rocks, waste, litter (such as bits of clothing, empty bottles, butts or ash from cigars or pipes, food scraps and bones, wrappers, soiled bandages and signs of a campfire), and even odors carried by the wind. Likewise, the tracks of riding animals and wagons can reveal much, such as the size and type of the animal or wagon, the weight of its load, speed, direction, etc. Counter-Tracking techniques are also known, such as covering one's trail, misdirection, parallel trails, avoiding obvious pitfalls like littering and so on. A failed roll means that the signs are inconclusive, vague or misleading. Additional signs must be found to verify or clarify (roll again). Three consecutive failed rolls means the tracker has completely lost the trail. Roll once every 40 yards/meters when following a trail, unless it is very obvious (like a caravan of wagons, or company of soldiers/120+ troops). Characters attempting to follow a skilled tracker who is deliberately trying to conceal his trail suffer a penalty of -25% to stay on him. However, the character engaged in counter-tracking techniques travels at slow speeds, about half that of a casual rate of speed (or 1/4 his maximum speed).
Base Skill: 35+5% for both the tracking and counter-tracking abilities.

Trap Animals: This skill enables the character totrap animals by using, setting, and disarming snares, clamp traps(like the iron bear trap), pits, nets and similar traps. Disarming any trapsmeant for use against humans is done at half the character's normal skillability.
Base Skill: 50+5% per level of experience.

Wilderness Survival: Techniques for getting water, food, shelter, and help when stranded in wilderness regions: forests, deserts, mountains, etc. Characters without this skill will not be able to stay healthy for more than a few days in the wilderness after their supplies run out. Note: this skill must be taken seperately for each terrain type.
Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.