RPG Skills

[Erik L (OP)]

This post seems to have disappeared into the aether.

Been working on an rpg, fleshing out notes/ideas/etc. Working on the skills.  They seem a bit sparse to me. Anything I am missing? Game is fantasy, weapon skills are accounted for elsewhere.

Social
Bluff* ? used to fake a person into believing something that is not true
Diplomacy* ? used to determine proper terms of address and avoid social faux pas.
Intimidate* ? used to browbeat someone into doing your will
Conversation* ? used to guide a conversation in a direction you wish to obtain information or to plant ideas/thoughts.
Loyalty ? Not an active skill, but one that allows you to gain followers.

Underworld
Disguise ? used to change your looks by non-magical means
Forgery ? used to create false documents/items
Lockpick ? used to open locks without a key
Pickpocket ? used to pilfer objects from a pocket/purse
Ransack ? used to thoroughly search a room for hidden objects.

Craft
Smith ? used in the creation of metal items
Bowyer ? used to create bows and arrows
Armorer ? used to fashion armor
Leatherworker ? used to work leather and other soft materials
Artificing ? used to create trinkets/jewelry.
Provisioner ? used to create food/drink beyond basic sustenance.
Skinning ? Skill to gather quality skins from creatures.
Prospecting ? Skill to identify and gather ore resources.
Timbercraft ? Skill to identify and gather wood resources.
Farming ? Skill to grow raw foodstuffs.
Husbandry ? Skill to nurture animals.
Alchemy ? Used to create minor potions and substances.

Outdoor
Survival ? ability to create shelter from primitive materials and locate fresh water/food in uninhabited areas.
Run ? used to run for long distances/times
Swim ? used to swim for long distances/times
Climb ? used to climb over difficult objects
Jump ? used to jump long distances
Forage ? used to scavenge raw materials from natural surroundings. Some of these materials could be edible.
First Aid ? ability to heal minor wounds.

Business
Appraise ? used to determine value of an object
Merchant* ? used to bargain prices while buying or selling.

Knowledge
Lore ? used to determine information about nature/monsters
History ? used to determine information about ?human? races/cultures.
Arcane ? used to determine information about magic
Divine ? used to determine information about divine sources.
Sage ? used to determine information about an object.


Skills with the asterisk (*) are contested skills.

[rmcrowe]

several crafts seem underrepresented:

   miner:  ability to find and extract metal ores and other useful minerals
   carpenter:  take wood resources, and create useful things, like houses, furniture, ships and boats, etc.
   mason: ability to build with stone (and not have it fall down tomorrow).
   scribe: ability to record and retrieve information, whether from clay tablets or parchment.
   weaver:  take natural fibers and make clothing, tents, sails, blankets.

a bunch of service crafts may also be useful: innkeeper, bartender, serving wench, etc.

robert

[Erik L (OP)]

several crafts seem underrepresented:

   miner:  ability to find and extract metal ores and other useful minerals

Prospecting

  carpenter:  take wood resources, and create useful things, like houses, furniture, ships and boats, etc.
   mason: ability to build with stone (and not have it fall down tomorrow).

Not sure how detailed I'll get into this level yet.

  scribe: ability to record and retrieve information, whether from clay tablets or parchment.

This might fall under the history/sage type spells.

  weaver:  take natural fibers and make clothing, tents, sails, blankets.

Similar to the mason/carpenter. Not sure how detailed I'll be on this level.

a bunch of service crafts may also be useful: innkeeper, bartender, serving wench, etc.

robert

Those might be lumped under a "Skilled Professional" skill. I might do that. But then, in a game session, what sort of rolls would you expect for an innkeeper? Or bartender? Without bogging the game down in a morass of detail?

[Erik L (OP)]

While it's puttering around in the noggin...

If I do add large-scale construction; houses, shops, etc. What besides carpentry and masonry would be needed? Probably metalsmithing for some stuff. A thatcher or potter for rooftops...

[ZimRathbone]

While it's puttering around in the noggin...

If I do add large-scale construction; houses, shops, etc. What besides carpentry and masonry would be needed? Probably metalsmithing for some stuff. A thatcher or potter for rooftops...

Depends really what your building, the avalaible tech & who its for (are we talking mud&wattle hovels or full blown medaeval cathedral building) - Architecture for anything much more than a 2 level affair, roofer/slater, plumber (although this could easily be subsumed by metalworking which would also be used for blacksmith & finesmith work), dauber/plasterer, limner (the decorative stuff - although you could also say that this is part of a scribe skill), plus all the support - labourers, beastminders, pursers/disbursors, clerks etc for really large projects.

Generally when doing this sort of thing I have tended to make skills much more general than trade names, eg blacksmith, goldsmith, jeweler, riveter, locksmith, toolmaker, machinist, turner, tinker, carpenter, mason, limner all use the skill "artisan" (someone who makes or fixes things), and the player can limit their skill by more precise description in thieir character history, which will mean I assign bonuses or penalties to their chance to succeed depending on the circumstances. eg if a character has artisan at a particular level  and has descibed themselves as a silversmith then they will get a bonus when trying to repair a watch, and likely a penalty if they try and apply the skill to the making of a castle portcullis

[Erik L (OP)]

While it's puttering around in the noggin...

If I do add large-scale construction; houses, shops, etc. What besides carpentry and masonry would be needed? Probably metalsmithing for some stuff. A thatcher or potter for rooftops...

Depends really what your building, the avalaible tech & who its for (are we talking mud&wattle hovels or full blown medaeval cathedral building) - Architecture for anything much more than a 2 level affair, roofer/slater, plumber (although this could easily be subsumed by metalworking which would also be used for blacksmith & finesmith work), dauber/plasterer, limner (the decorative stuff - although you could also say that this is part of a scribe skill), plus all the support - labourers, beastminders, pursers/disbursors, clerks etc for really large projects.

Generally when doing this sort of thing I have tended to make skills much more general than trade names, eg blacksmith, goldsmith, jeweler, riveter, locksmith, toolmaker, machinist, turner, tinker, carpenter, mason, limner all use the skill "artisan" (someone who makes or fixes things), and the player can limit their skill by more precise description in thieir character history, which will mean I assign bonuses or penalties to their chance to succeed depending on the circumstances. eg if a character has artisan at a particular level  and has descibed themselves as a silversmith then they will get a bonus when trying to repair a watch, and likely a penalty if they try and apply the skill to the making of a castle portcullis

Tech I would classify as pre-gunpowder. Typical high-fantasy. Some areas would be more primitive, while others would be nearing Renaissance or height of the Roman Empire.

The way I look at it as a player, I want the potential ability to make things for me, weapons, armor, tools, houses/castles. Grunt work such as laborers and the like, no one wants to role-play Gunther the menial laborer working on Lord Whasisname's castle.

Some of the more... specialized type skills I think I will put in under artisan or the like, while keeping Carpentry and Masonry separate.

[rmcrowe]

prospecting is one thing, but the skills to extract things from underground safely are quite another.  But deep miners leave such lovely tunnels for the next hundred years to dungeon crawl in.

if you are going to have rivers or seas nearby, a special form of artisan is needed to build your ships, boats, ferries, etc.  This also opens room for several kinds of fisherman, as well as sailors to operate them.

On scribe, I did not see that as part of the magic system, just a public service for the majority who do not read or write.

service "professional"s would have a true reaction roll, at least.  While the surface must be friendly, the amount of helpfullness would depend on one's impressions.  Voluntary information is optional.

I am not sure if you want to look at skills for tactics or strategy, or allow the players to provide that.

Transport is another gap I see.  Somebody has to drive the carts/wagons, pack horses from town to town.  Carter, Wagonner, Teamster, (Smith, Carpenter, and Leatherworker for support)

robert

[Erik L (OP)]

prospecting is one thing, but the skills to extract things from underground safely are quite another.  But deep miners leave such lovely tunnels for the next hundred years to dungeon crawl in.

True. But I'd like to stay with one gathering skill per... material.

if you are going to have rivers or seas nearby, a special form of artisan is needed to build your ships, boats, ferries, etc.  This also opens room for several kinds of fisherman, as well as sailors to operate them.

Shipwrights. Yes. Must have shipwrights That'd be based off of charisma/appearance.

I am not sure if you want to look at skills for tactics or strategy, or allow the players to provide that.

Let the players figure those out.

Transport is another gap I see.  Somebody has to drive the carts/wagons, pack horses from town to town.  Carter, Wagonner, Teamster, (Smith, Carpenter, and Leatherworker for support)

robert

There again, the more plebian skills I'd like to gloss over, as 99% of the gamers would prefer to do things like build castles and slay orcs, instead of driving a team of oxen. Possibly a General Laborer skill (I know, lumping together disparate skills).