Character Skills Guide

Note to Players: Some come with presently available Roles and others will require opening a dialogue with staff here.


CRAFT SKILLS

ARMORCRAFT 

**Requires Leathercraft or Textilecraft**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

A skill allowing individuals to craft, maintain or repair armor.

ARTISTRY

This skill's primary attributes is DEXTERITY.

A skill for those with an artistic flair, encompassing but not limited to painting, drawing, etching, cross-stitching or sculpting.

BAKING

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

A skill incorporating one's skills in preparing and baking bread, cakes, cookies, pastries, etc. Currently supported for human characters only.

BREWING

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

A measure of one's ability to prepare and brew alcohol.

BOATCRAFT*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the repair and building of boats and boat parts and some of its supplies. 

BONECRAFT*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the making of bone jewelry, bone tools, bone utensils and more bone/horn/antler made goodies.

BUTCHERY

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the skinning, gutting, and slaughtering of animals, with particular focus on their preparation for sale or cooking.

COOKING

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

The measure of one's ability to prepare and cook food. One of our most extensive craft categories, Cooking allows your character to roast, fry, boil, and otherwise prepare a wide variety of food objects and turn them into cooked meals.

DISTILLING*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to distilling alcohol and potentially perfume with the right skill combination.

DYECRAFT*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the making of and the use of dyes, includes dyeing cloth and leather.

EARTHENCRAFT

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.

A skill encompassing one's ability to craft earthenware from natural materials like clay. Not currently supported.

EDUCATION*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the creation and repair of books, paper, and some other supplies.

FARMING

This skill's primary attributes are STRENGTH and WILLPOWER.

Grants a knowledge of farming, which covers arable and livestock farming, as well as the familiarity with farming tools, animal breeds, and seasonal rotations.

GAMBLING*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the act of gambling and the making of some gambling supplies.

GARDENING

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

A measure of one's skill in gardening, from tool use and seed knowledge to planting and pruning. This skill is not to be confused with farming, which deals with growing crops on a large scale.

GEMCRAFT*

**Requires Stonecraft**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the preparation and use of gemstones.

HERBALISM*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the act of finding, picking, using and drying of herb-related goods.

HUSBANDRY*

This skill's primary attributes are PRESENCE and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to act of taming and/or breeding some livestock and wildlife.

JEWELRYCRAFT*

**Requires Metalcraft, Woodcraft, Bonecraft, Gemcraft or Stonecraft**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

A skill allowing individuals to craft various jewelry pieces and other adornments.

LEATHERCRAFT

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

A measure of one's talent with leather, particularly in crafting or repairing leather goods such as basic armor and general items such as bags or pouches. The production of leather armor requires both leathercraft and armorcraft.

MINING*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the act of mining be it stone, metal or precious metals.

METALCRAFT

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.

Metalcraft is a very widely-utilized craft in the world of the artisan. Examples of metalcrafters include weaponsmiths, armorsmiths, and even jewelers.

SEAMANSHIP*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to act of navigating water by way of boat, barge or ship.

STONECRAFT

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.

Stonecraft is the skill-in-trade amongst masons and miners alike. It represents your character's ability to fashion, shape, and bend stone to his or her will, used for anything from sculpting works of art, laying the foundations of a stone building, to obtaining useful stone from a quarry.

TEXTILECRAFT

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

Textilecraft represents your character's skill at working with cloth. Using it, anything from the finest silk tunic to the most ragged, torn set of breeches may be crafted. When taken in combination with armorcraft, it allows the crafting of simple padded armors.

WAXCRAFT*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the manufacturing of wax related goods such as soap, candles, molds and other wax-born products.

WINECRAFT*

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Encompassing knowledge pertaining to the act of growing grapes, preparing grapes and manufacturing of wine. Limited to Dorwinion only.

WOODCRAFT

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.

The Woodcraft craft category deals with taking lumber and turning it into useful products. Woodcrafts include furniture building, weapon hilts, practice weapons, bows, and other items crafted entirely or in part from wood. Woodcraft crafts utilize the Woodcraft skill, but crafters planning to make wooden weapons should take weaponcraft as well. Those interested in woodcarving or wooden jewelry should consider artistry, while those who wish to craft musical instruments will need the MUSIC skill.

Timberwrights use this skill to deals with the processes which turn trees into usable lumber. Those who wish to seek out and mark new groves of trees for cutting should consider the forage skill.

WEAPONCRAFT

**Requires Metalcraft, Woodcraft, or Stonecraft**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

A skill allowing individuals to craft, maintain or repair weapons.


COMBAT SKILLS


AIM 

  **Aim is a universal skill, you do not need to select it**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

Using this command, characters wielding a loaded missile weapon may take aim at a target, either in their room or in a room within range. The longer you aim, the more accurate your shot will be; you will receive a message informing you when you have maximized your aim. You will be unable to aim at a creature in an adjacent room that you have not first detected with a successful SCAN. If the target has been spotted by the POINT command by another PC, you will also be able to aim at it.

Note that aiming at something with a ranged weapon while engaged in melee combat will result in SIGNIFICANT penalties to your ability to defend yourself - this is not recommended!


DODGE

**Dodge is a universal skill, you do not need to select it**

 This skill's primary attributes are AGILITY and DEXTERITY.

Dodge is a passive skill that represents your character's ability to evade attacks aimed at him or her.


DEFLECT

**Deflect is a universal skill, you do not need to select it**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and AGILITY.


BRAWLING

This skill's primary attributes are STRENGTH and AGILITY.

A measure of unarmed, hand-to-hand combat, characterized by one's ability with punching, wrestling, kicking and disabling an opponent.


SOLE-WIELD

This skill's primary attribute are AGILITY and DEXTERITY.

Dual-Wield and Sole-Wield are both "style" skills used passive and actively in melee combat. The "style" skill you use is determined by the current equipment your character is holding. If your character is holding a shield and a weapon OR a weapon in each hand, then Dual-Wield is used. Sole-wield is holding a single weapon with both hands or in one hand, with the second hand either being free or holding a non-combat item, such as a torch.


DUAL-WIELD

 **Requires Sole-Wield**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and AGILITY.

The effectiveness of one's ability to wield two weapons, INCLUDING a single weapon and a shield. In this context, the shield is considered an offensive "weapon." This style also covers the use of one weapon per hand. It does NOT refer to using one weapon in both hands. That would be Sole-Wield, since the two-hander would be your sole weapon.


SMALL-BLADES 

**Small-blade is a universal skill, you do not need to select it**

This skill's primary attributes are AGILITY and DEXTERITY.

This skill determines your characters ability to use small bladed weapons, like knives and daggers, which are typically wielded in one hand.


BLUDGEON

This skill's primary attributes are STRENGTH and AGILITY.

Effectiveness of one's weaponry skills, attacking and defensive, with clubbed weaponry and axes, capable of dealing blunt strikes to an opponent.


POLEARM

This skill's primary attribute is AGILITY.

A skill encompassing the use of long-hafted weapon attached with a blade or spike, including but not limited to halberds, glaives and voulges. This includes basic maintenance as well as how to best utilize the weapon. Many long-bladed weapons are two-handed weapons only. If you want to use those, you should consider learning the sole-wield style skill with this weapon skill.


LONG-BLADE

**Requires Bludgeon or Polearm**

This skill's primary attributes are AGILITY and STRENGTH.

The ability to utilize long-bladed weaponry such as longswords, cleavers and claymores.

    

CROSSBOW

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

The skill to use a crossbow, which requires knowledge of a bow with shorter distance, is generally heavier, but is more powerful at short range. Crossbows have a two-room range; they are most effective, however, when used at close range, either point-blank or into adjacent rooms.

Another advantage crossbows have that makes them a favored weapon by less savory sorts is that they can be stowed and worn while loaded - though their longer load time more than makes up for this perk.


SHORTBOW

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and AGILITY.

Shortbow is a measure of your character's skill with shortbows. They are most effective at mid-range, and carry a smaller penalty than longbows when used at close range.


LONGBOW

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.

Longbow is a measure of your character's skill with longbows. A more powerful version of the shortbow. Large and awkward as they are, and with their sheer power, they are very difficult to use effectively at anything but mid-to-long range.

Even more so than the other bows, expect absolutely dastardly penalties should you try to use a longbow at point blank - not advisable at all.


STEALTH SKILLS


HIDE

This skill's primary attributes are AGILITY and INTELLIGENCE.

The measure of one's ability to stay hidden in their environment, making use of camouflage, busy surroundings, or buildings. Hide is a skill that allows you to conceal yourself in a number of ways. ICly, this can be anything from mingling into a large crowd to disappearing into a dense thicket. Your character's success depends on a variety of factors; once hidden, you may be detected by a successful search, or by some magicks. A hidden character may also be revealed when they perform a social, or some other actions which would reasonably reveal his or her position.

The hide skill is also used to allow you to conceal objects, making them invisible to others. Hidden items can be detected by a successful search; the higher your hide skill, the harder it will be for others to find what you've hidden. Please remember to use proper roleplay when hiding items.

When you are hidden, to unhide, use the 'VIS' command.


PICKLOCK*

**RPP Required**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

Using this skill, characters may attempt to pick the lock on a door in the given direction. Note, however, that in most civilized areas, the law enforcement sorts frown upon this sort of practice; if you do it in broad daylight without some sort of disguise, expect to be seen and briefly flagged as a criminal. Repeated reports of lockpicking in a short period of time may lead to permanent outlaw status.


SNEAK

This skill's primary attributes are AGILITY and INTELLIGENCE.

This command is used for surreptitious movement from one area to another. A sneak must be made for each room you attempt to enter silently. The hide skill is a prerequisite for sneak; also, if you are overly encumbered, you will be unable to sneak from place to place.


STEAL

**RPP Required**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.


GENERAL LIFE SKILLS



EAVESDROP

This skill's primary attributes are INTELLIGENCE and WILLPOWER.

A measure of one's ability to overhear other's conversations. It is a passive skill, often manifesting itself in a snippet or two of overheard conversation from nearby tables in the common room of a bar.

    

FIRST-AID

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

A measure of one's ability to apply quick ministrations to basic wounds or ailments.

    

MEDICINE

**Requires First-Aid**

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and INTELLIGENCE.

An elaborate knowledge of medicines and healing in order to mend and prevent both basic and complex ailments.


FISHING

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

A measure of one's ability to catch fish.


FORAGE

This skill's primary attributes are INTELLIGENCE and DEXTERITY.

Forage includes not only food gathering and edible identification, but also the collection of wild herbs used by healers, the location of copses of trees for harvesting by lumberjacks, and the gathering of the bog ore used in local iron production.

HAGGLE

This skill's primary attributes are INTELLIGENCE and PRESENCE.

The ability of an individual to barter or bargain with shopkeepers or other individuals. A measure of one's ability in trade.

HANDLE*

This skill's primary attributes are INTELLIGENCE and PRESENCE.

The ability to effectively interact with and assert control over domesticated animals, including rideable mounts like horses or wargs.

HUNTING

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and WILLPOWER.

The hunting skill encompasses one's ability to trace, trap, and flush out wildlife.

MUSIC

This skill's primary attributes are DEXTERITY and PRESENCE.

One's affinity with musical instruments or the ability to read and recite music, incorporating instruments and singing.

Copyright 2015 Shadows of Isildur