Anam:Abilities in The Sheltered Hand

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This is the Abilities List for The Sheltered Hand.

Acrobatics – Acrobatics covers the character’s control over their own body. This includes balance, dodging and – as training comes into play – tumbling, twisting and the like. Acrobatics defaults from Agility.

Animal Handling – Animal Handling covers all interactions with animals – training, riding, hunting, herding. As a Broad Ability, the character’s Culture, Background and Profession will inform the specific Tasks the character can attempt.

Athletics – Athletics covers feats of strength and physique – running, jumping, climbing, lifting and the like. Athletics defaults from Might.

Awareness – Awareness covers those situations where a character has a chance of noticing something that’s not immediately obvious – or when the character is searching for clues or information. Awareness defaults from Perception.

Bureaucracy – Bureaucracy covers the character’s understanding of interactions with Authority. As a Broad Ability, the specific Tasks that a character can attempt with this are informed by their Culture and Background and – in some cases – their Profession.

Crafting – Crafting covers the physical element of creation. Whether it’s furniture, armour, song lyrics or a legal summation, the creation is Crafting. The specific Tasks that a character can attempt with this are informed by their Background and their Profession.

Deceive – Deceive covers all manner of deception – the quintessential ‘Fast Talk’, or a complex triple cross, for example. This does not convince people that what the character says is the truth – rather, it is simply plausible enough for the character to achieve an immediate goal. Deceive is a Default Option for Presence.

Disguise – Disguise covers the ability to change one’s appearance well enough not to be recognizable as one’s self, and even seem to be someone else.

Empathy – Empathy is the awareness of others and covers the character’s understanding of the motives and drives of another person. Is generally a defense against Deceive, but can also help deceive others.

Herbalism – Herbalism is the knowledge and application of plants and other growing things towards treating injuries and disease.

Intimidate – Intimidate covers coercion. Intimidate tasks usually involve veiled (or not so veiled) threats. Intimidate is a Default Option for Presence.

Melee Weapons – Melee Weapons cover all use of actual weapons which are designed to be used at close or melee range. The specific weapons which a character can use with full effectiveness are informed by their Culture, Background and Profession.

Oratory – This covers public speaking and rhetoric. Oratory is less about persuasion as it is about presentation and understanding of group dynamics. Oratory is a Default Option for Presence.

Performance – This covers actual performance of art – singing, acting, dancing, reading poetry, etc.

Persuasion – This covers convincing individuals to reconsider a stance or opinion to something favourable to the character. This doesn’t necessarily cause them to change their mind long term, but it can manage enough to achieve a specific goal. Persuasion is a Default Option for Presence.

Ranged Weapons – Ranged Weapons covers all use of weapons which use some mechanical means of firing a projectile at a target. This would be Bows, Crossbows, Catapults, Slings and Slingstaves, and the like. The specific weapons which a character can use with full effectiveness are informed by their Culture, Background and Profession.

Scholarship – This covers the characters ‘book learning’, or more intellectual knowledge (as opposed to practical knowledge) gained from their Culture, Background and Profession.

Seduction – This is not the skill of getting someone into bed. At least, not entirely. Seduction is convincing of something that they want to believe is true. It would not be possible to seduce a barmaid who isn’t interested in spending the night with the character, but if the barmaid would like to, but has other pressures telling them not to, Seduction is the skill of overcoming those pressures. For another use, convincing a Security Guard that your character is a VIP and should get access to a building despite not having any ID is not Seduction (It’s Deceive). Talking the security guard into letting the character into the building because it would hurt the executives and he would like to see them lose their shirts is seduction.

Sleight of Hand – Covers Close up Magic, AKA Prestidigitation, but also the character’s ability to make their hands seem to be doing one thing while they’re actually doing something else – picking pockets, hiding items in plain sight, etc.

Social Circles – This covers the character’s knowledge of, and connection to, their social group. This is all about who the character knows, how well they can leverage that knowledge. As a Broad Ability, the specific Tasks that a character can attempt with this are informed by their Culture and Background and – in some cases – their Profession.

Ships – Covers all manner of water-going craft, from simple rowboats to frigates and warships. As with all such skills, the specific Tasks that a character can attempt with this are informed by their Culture and Background and – in some cases – their Profession.

Stealth – Covers not being noticed. Whether that’s not being seen, not being heard, or leaving no trace of one’s passage, they’re all forms of Stealth.

Survival – Covers all manner of knowledge about the character’s environment. This isn’t just about ‘nature’ – it can apply as readily to city life (which alleys are too dangerous to enter, for example) as it can to rural life (which plants are safest to eat). As a Broad Ability, the specific Tasks that a character can attempt with this are informed by their Culture and Background.

Teamster – This covers any land-based vehicle use, especially those drawn by teams of animals.

Thrown Weapons – Any weapons which are thrown at a target using the character’s physical strength.

Unarmed Fighting – This covers all manner of fighting at Close range without weapons. Culture, Background and Profession will inform the exact nature of the form the character uses.