ScariksGPC Skills

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Skill Types

There are four categories to which a skill can belong and some skills are in several. All skill not listed below are neither knightly nor unknightly but neutral.

Knightly

These are the skills all knights are expected to show proficiency with as they are vital to the execution of his duties.

• Awareness

• Battle

• Courtesy

• First Aid

• Horsemanship

• Hunting

• Lance

• Siege

• Sword

• Signature Weapon
  • Though not all weapons are as esteemed as the sword and lance many knights are known for their skill with other arms and they may treat one such weapon as if it were knightly.

Courtly

These are the civilized skills practiced at court and in polite company. Those marked with a + always give ordinary glory (10 for success, 25 for crit). Those with a # give glory only in unusual circumstances (GM discretion) or with a crit (10 glory). Those with a ^ are modified by glory (+1/1000) while those with a > are modified by the target's glory.

• Compose #
  • Creating poems and songs. Gives a bonus to performance rolls and if the piece is well played or written (ie crits) it is repeated by others.

• Courtesy +^
  • Proper etiquette and decorum when interacting with the nobility. Never used with common folk.

• Dancing +
  • Grace in performing as well as knowledge of local and famous styles.

• Falconry +
  • The care, breeding and handling of birds. There is a great deal of knowledge associated with this skill but no matter the circumstance where it is demonstrated it always earns glory due to the mastery required and the elegance of the animals. The skilled falconer knows all the birds and can recognize if a foreign bird would be suitable for training as well as knowing what sort of prey each bird prefers and is suited to hunt.

• Fashion #

• Flirting #^

• Gaming #

• Heraldry +>

• Intrigue #

• Orate +^

• Play +

• Read #

• Recognize #>

• Romance +

• Singing +

• Tourney +

Knowledge

These are the skills of scholars and experts. Using them always provides some kind of information. These skills only award glory when their use is of notable importance.

• Courtesy
  • Forms of address as well as precedence among the nobility.

• Faerie Lore
  • The varieties and behaviors of supernatural creatures.

• Folklore
  • The customs and logic of the common people.

• Heraldry
  • Proper recognition and emblazoning of arms. Emblazon refers to the correct language usage to discuss arms.

• Horsemanship
  • This covers the care and breeding of horses.

• Read
  • All sorts of things are written on scrolls or books and carved into stones. This is the ability to comprehend new writings as well as familiarity with known or famous ones (ie Scripture and Classics for Latin).

• Religion
  • The practical application of religious rites as well as general knowledge of beliefs and tenants of the faith.

• Romance
  • The practice and traditions of fine amor including their origins in antiquity. Not widely used in the earlier periods.

• Tourney
  • A specialized form of Courtesy that applies to organized sporting tournaments. Informs the correct behaviours and knowledge of the events.

Non-Knightly

These are skills which knights are typically barred from practicing. Only with special cultural dispensation can a knight perform these skills (ex. Romans using Chirurgery, Saxon bladesmiths). Only in the most exceptional circumstances will a knight earn glory for the use of these skills.

• Chirurgery
  • The healer's art. Practiced by women of all classes as well as the clergy.

• Industry
  • The builder's art. This is actually many similar skills of which a character would only know one. For noble women its clothwork (weaving, spinning, embroidering and sewing) while for the common folk its farming, labor, cart-handling, smithy, etc.

Using Skills

At each normal court session (so twice per year) you can pick 3 courtly skills or traits to roll. If they give glory you can get glory for them otherwise they have their special effect. I'm making a link on the wiki (EDIT: its up) to explain what gives glory, what gets the bonus for high glory and which skills have special effects. You also get a check on any that succeed.

In downtime you can pick 1 thing (any skill, passion or trait) to roll. Just as a above it can give glory and you get a check if successful.

During the summer campaign season you get a chance to roll 2 knightly skills or virtues (ie anything marked as Chivalrous or its opposite).

There is a chart on the Winter Phase page that lists offices. You automatically check the Key Skill of each office you hold and must roll for the Key Trait. If you fail the trait roll you must roll its opposite. Anything in the Other column you may roll if you wish. If its a trait and you fail you must roll its opposite as normal.