Mano a Mano:Abilities

Abilities

Abilities allow characters to do certain types of actions, or do them better. Each of a character's abilities has a modifier which is added as to success rolls when a character tries to use the ability to do something difficult. Abilities can also give the character other advantages based on ability modifier. Characters can usually try to use (or fake) many abilities they don't have, but some special abilities, like flight, cannot be imitated without the right abilities or equipment. These abilities often have a special CP value. (See Game Design/Template CP.) Every game should have it's own ability list, adapted to the needs of the game and it's setting. Some abilities may only be available to certain templates, and others have a maximum modifier. (See Game Design/Templates/Abilities.) The game designer should decide which abilities characters can develop. Some abilities may be available to all characters all the time. Others may only be available to certain templates, or may only be changed while creating a character. Athletic abilities can increase a character's health. (See Action/Damage and Health.) Athletic abilities do not include fighting abilities such as Hand to Hand or Marksmanship, but do include movement abilities such as running, swimming and climbing. (See Action/Movement.) In the example ability list, the abilities followed by an asterisk ("*") are Athletic abilities.

Example ability list: Acrobatics * Art Acting Agriculture Animal Handling Climbing * Detection Dance * Cooking Craftsmanship Language Law Marksmanship Medicine Music One-handed weapons Piloting Regeneration Running * Sleight of Hand Science Stamina * Stealth Strength * Swimming * Teaching Two-handed weapons Thrown weapons Unarmed combat Yoga * (* Athletic ability)

Unarmed combat

A character's unarmed combat modifier is added to their close range fighting bonuses with grappling techniques or natural weapons. A martial-arts themed game might have more than one unarmed combat ability, with a different set of techniques for each of these abilities.

Regeneration

Improves the character's ability to heal quickly. The character recovers one extra damage point each week for each point of their regeneration modifier.

Strength

An athletic ability which affects a character's grip. (See Character Creation/Grip.)

Running

An athletic ability that improves a character's ability to move on the ground. (See Action/Movement.)

Swimming

An athletic ability that improves a character's ability to move in water. (See Action/Movement.)

Climbing

An athletic ability that improves a character's ability to climb. (See Action/Movement.)

Flight

An athletic ability that improves a character's ability to move in the air. Usually characters may not develop the flight ability unless their template also has this ability. (See Action/Movement.)

Disabilities

While other Abilities have a positive effect on a character, disabilities have a negative effect. Disabilities affect a broad range of success rolls. One disability can interfere with the use of several Abilities.

• Farsighted - affects close range actions, particularly hand to hand and craftsmanship.
• Nearsighted - affects long range actions, particularly navigation and marksmanship.
• Deaf - affects sound-dependent actions, particularly detection and communication.
• Lame - affects movement abilities such as acrobatics, running, swimming, and climbing.
• Ignorant - affects any action for which you do not have a specific ability modifier.
• Thumbless - affects any action using a tool or weapon that is not part of or mounted on the character's body (so that the character cannot easily remove it by himself.) This disability is important for generating Templates that do not naturally use tools.

Disability levels are similar to normal ability levels, but disability levels are subtracted instead of added to success rolls. Disability Level modifiers are cumulative: If a character has 3 levels of Thumbless and 4 levels of Nearsighted, then he has a total of -7 to use a crossbow (-3 for using a weapon and -4 for doing a ranged attack.) Unless otherwise specified, disabilities have a maximum level of 4 (a modifier of -4/negative four.)

Game designers should consider limitations on disabilities, to prevent characters with severe disabilities or multiple disabilities from getting huge advantages with the extra CP, and to prevent players from creating characters who are too difficult to play. A gem could limit which disabilities are allowed, maximum disability levels, how many disabilities a character can have, or the combined CP value of a character's disabilities.