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The
Study of Nature
The natural world of Lur-Asko is
incredibly
complicated and diverse. As if seven realms with seven different
climates were not challenging enough, the continent is also beset by
wild animals both natural and engineered, and altered
by Alacrian
organic technology derived from the Deep Therbolgites. In the Alacrian
Golden Age, the line between nature and technology was blurred, as so
much was done to alter the environment and adapt it for civilization's
use. Today, the distinction is a bit more clear - Lur-Asko's wilderness
constantly challenges frontier villages and even major cities, and
nature usually becomes the enemy of sentient life and progress.
Adventurers are often employed to deal with the threats of the wild,
and those who can understand and take advantage of them will have a
massive edge.
Stat
Requirement to Enter Study: 5 bINT
Notes
for New
Characters
This Study can benefit any character,
and it has
many different applications. Choose it as your starting Study if you're
enticed by one of the more difficult Backgrounds to enter; otherwise,
you can easily take the Guide Background at a later time, gaining
access to many useful Abilities.
Nature Lore
It's hard to define what is "natural" in
Lur-Asko. Long before any history was recorded, the realms were shaped
by the seven Protodragons, drastically altering climates and organic
life from whatever originally evolved. The ancient Alacris did their
best to follow suit; the degree to which Lur-Asko's species were
genetically altered by the Ancient Ones is still not fully understood
or categorized, to say nothing of the ecological effects of the
thousands of fiends who escaped into the wild after the Fall. Whole new
strains of distinctly unnatural life, such as the elixir plants, were
created by combining adamant with Therbolgite corallurgy. In a very
real sense, nothing in Lur-Asko is truly natural. With the exception of
the acolytes of Planneh'Ah, few of Lur-Asko's inhabitants find this
objectionable. Now more than ever, the wilderness is viewed as the
enemy of civilization, and anyone who can even partially revive the
legacy of taming it is viewed as heroic.
Of course, some kind of definition of
"nature" is
needed in order to bring sense to the conversation. Modern
civilizations are certainly incapable of genetic engineering, and the
ecology of Lur-Asko has accepted the ancient modifications and reached
equilibrium. Therefore the Study of Nature is now taken to refer to any
non-sentient organic life - that is, the plants and animals of
Lur-Asko, regardless of their storied origins. A few aspects of
sentient organic life - for example, conventional medicine - are also
lumped in with this Study, as the sentience of a being has little
impact on how their body heals.
Over the centuries, the primary
champions of the
Study of Nature have been the Sylvæ Enclaves (see Factions). Originally created
to tame wild
animals and thereby tame the frontiers, Sylvans were weaponized in the
Third Alacrian Era to become masters of war fiends. To evade
conscription and possible extinction, many Sylvans formed semi-secret
societies. Today, those Enclaves exist openly, and are lauded as both
experts on the natural world and talented peacemakers. Enclave
traditions have defined much of the Study of Nature, even for
non-Sylvans. Sylvæ are devoted to the ways of the Alacrian Golden Age,
in which nature was neither revered as sacred nor wantonly destroyed,
but rather molded to serve the best interests of all sentients.
As one would expect, city Enclaves and
corallurgy
schools are hardly the only sources of natural education. Many
distinctly non-academic Nature Backgrounds have arisen on the
frontiers, simply by necessity. The most iconic are the hedgedoctors, by far the
most
prevalent providers of health care in Lur-Asko. Still others cannot
really be categorized as specialists at all - simply the legions of
adventurers and rural commoners who by grim experience have attained
enough knowledge of nature to survive.
Basic
Nature Kit
Some Nature Abilities require a basic
nature kit. This kit contains everything you need to use
the Abilities you have chosen, and can be replaced at infra cost in any
city or village. Nature kits
weigh 10
pounds and take up 2 carry slots. The weight and bulk
does not increase; as you gain more Abilities, you also streamline your
kit.
Nature
Backgrounds
Most Nature Backgrounds
consist of various
specialized pursuits highly popular with adventurers, but entailing a
large amount of prior study. The last Background is a more practical
option for someone who simply wants to make fewer mistakes in the
wilderness.
Corallurgist
(Costs 8 LP)
You have spent several years studying
corallurgy -
the ancient art of organic manipulation created by the Deep
Therbolgites and later adapted by the Alacris. You are now capable of
learning how to use many complicated forms of coral technology. Some
corallurgists one day go on to combine their talents with the Study of
Technology, becoming an even more versatile form of inventor. Others
find work as healers, developing their skills in finding and using
elixir plants. A few find themselves without a home; too academic and
technology-minded to relate to outdoorsmen, too deep into the natural
world to find a home in industry. Whether your reason for adventuring
was exciting or a matter of last resort, your Abilities will always be
useful.
Corallurgists gain the Technology Competence - Corallurgy Ability as an
extra benefit at 1st tier.
Suggested Abilities: Invention - Corallurgy, Elixir Thaumaturgy -
Major Healing, Field
Elixir Production
Sylvan
(Costs 10 LP)
You have spent several years being
trained by the
Sylvæ Enclaves, or perhaps a Sylvan not affiliated with that faction.
These ancient ways have permanently infused your body with Sylvan
elixirs - powerful concoctions that cause your body to emit pheromones
recognized by Lur-Asko's animal life. Although every Background is
capable of learning to use these elixirs, yours enjoys their
effects permanently and specializes in the Abilities they permit. With
this Background, animals will never attack you unless provoked, and you
are even capable of taming them to your service. In ancient times,
Sylvans originated as peaceful outdoorsmen, then were conscripted to
manage war fiends. How you use your Abilities in the modern day will be
up to you.
Sylvans gain the Sylvan Elixir Usage Ability as an extra benefit at 1st
tier.
Suggested Abilities: Wild
Animal Taming, Animal Lore - Dangerous, Advanced Animal Training
Hedgedoctor
(Costs 6 LP)
You have spent several years in the
school of hard knocks known as "frontier medicine." The ins and outs of
your chosen profession were likely learned from another Hedgedoctor.
They are not common in cities, where the Study of Arcana tends to whisk
problems away in a flash of light. Instead, you handle those problems
with the extraordinary elixirs of Lur-Asko, as well as making use of
many conventional remedies and poisons unknown to traditional
corallurgists. Your kind is beloved of adventurers, who can
easily
carry your concoctions themselves, and those Hedgedoctors who do dwell
in cities tend to found elixir and poison shops to cater to such
buyers. But since you have chosen to travel with an adventuring party
in person, your peculiar defensive and offensive Abilities will prove
far more powerful than most city-dwellers assume.
Hedgedoctors gain the Elixir
Thaumaturgy - Major Healing Ability as an
extra benefit at 1st tier.
Suggested Abilities:
Elixir Thaumaturgy - Major Purging, Field Elixir Prodution, Field
Poison Production
Guide
Some adventurers never spend the long seasons of study required to
fully understand the ins and outs of a certain area of nature, learning
instead by experience and general lore. Such dabblers are often termed guides.
Typically, your kind is so focused on the practical skills you need to
survive that you simply don't have the desire for
the specialization of the other Backgrounds. In essence, your
flexibility is a specialty of its own - you are skilled in Abilities
related to intuitive understanding of the natural world, allowing you
to protect your party from the blunders and oversights that frequently
cut adventuring careers short. This Background can also describe those
who work with animals to a less exotic extent than Sylvans - for
example, those who simply need to teach a warhorse some combat tricks.
In
addition to the
normal rules for favoredness, Guides do
not receive progression effects (not even the
Normal effects) for Abilities which are not Guide-favored.
Suggested Abilities:
Conventional Medicine, Outdoorsmanship, Tracking
Elite
Backgrounds: Hellpriest
Changing
Backgrounds
All Backgrounds can
switch to one another,
but this can only be done once. The character must pay the full LP cost
of the new Background, plus 2.
Backgrounds
&
Training All Nature
Backgrounds may
receive training only from others of the same Background.
All Nature Backgrounds can find training
in cities.
Ability
Favoredness Chart
Nature
Abilities
Advanced
Animal
Training
Guide-favored
Sylvan-favored
Upon obtaining this Ability, you must
associate it
with a Study Ability that is valid for non-sentients (see Non-Sentients; you don't
need to have the
Ability yourself). You may "teach" this Ability to your tamed wild
animals. To use this Ability, spend 4 hours with one of your animals;
the animal obtains the associated Ability. If the animal already has
the Ability by default, it instead follows emphasized progression for
that Ability (if valid).
Your animal will lose the
taught Ability if it
becomes untamed, if you lose this Ability, or if you transfer
the animal to another owner without an Advanced Animal
Training
Ability that is associated with the same taught Ability.
This Ability can also be used to teach
domesticated
animals; however, in this case, they exhibit such Abilities only when
you use them as a mount.
Progression
Normal:
For every 8 tiers, you may associate this Ability with another valid
Study Ability. There is no other limit to how many animals you
may
teach, nor how many valid Abilities you may teach each animal,
provided they are all associated with this Ability.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 4 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 3 tiers.
Advanced
Herdmastery
Sylvan-favored
This Ability raises the allowed taming
difficulty
for animals discounted by the Herdmastery Ability. Instead of 1, the
taming difficulty may be up to 50% of what would normally be allowed
by your Animal Lore Abilities for a non-discounted animal.
When you obtain this Ability, you must
choose one
category of animal for it to apply to (Docile, Dangerous, Fiend, or
Dracomorph).
Progression
Normal:
For every 8 tiers, you may apply this Ability to another category of
animal.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 4 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Animal
Lore -
Dangerous
Sylvan-favored
This Ability allows you to use Wild Animal Taming on animals with a
taming difficulty greater than 1. The maximum taming difficulty is 2
(before progression). This Ability is only effective on
animals of the Dangerous category.
Progression
Normal:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Animal
Lore - Docile
Sylvan-favored
This Ability allows you to use Wild Animal Taming on animals with a
taming difficulty greater than 1. The maximum taming difficulty is 2
(before progression). This Ability is only effective on
animals of the Docile category.
Progression
Normal:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Animal
Lore -
Dracomorphs
Sylvan-favored
This Ability allows you to use Wild Animal Taming on animals with a
taming difficulty greater than 1. The maximum taming difficulty is 2
(before progression). This Ability is only effective on
animals of the Dracomorph category.
Progression
Normal:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Animal
Lore - Fiends
Sylvan-favored
This Ability allows you to use Wild Animal Taming on animals with a
taming difficulty greater than 1. The maximum taming difficulty is 2
(before progression). This Ability is only effective on
animals of the Fiend category.
Progression
Normal:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The maximum taming difficulty is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Animal
Pacification
Sylvan-favored
Guide-favored
Via noises and gestures
derived from obscure animal lore, you can attempt to pacify violent
animals currently attacking you
and any allies grouped-up with you. This process is difficult,
but it can potentially help you escape an unwanted battle.
To use this Ability, spend 15 insight,
then roll
2d20 on INT as a verbal major action. If you succeed, any untamed
animals currently in combat with your
party will stand down long enough for your party to escape. The effects
last for around 2 minutes, and ends early
if you or an ally attacks or otherwise acts against the animals. It
cannot be attempted twice by the same party against the same animals,
regardless of whether the first attempt succeeds or fails. Animals will
cease attacking or specifically pursuing you and and any grouped-up
allies, but their behavior is otherwise unchanged. A majority of the
techs must be able to see and hear you.
The INT roll for this Ability receives a +TN from Hunting Lore. You
also add 1 Easing if you are under the effects of a Sylvan Elixir;
although Sylvans do not need this Ability to remain unharmed by animals
themselves, they often learn it for the benefit of their associates and
tamed creatures.
This Ability is not effective on animals
who are defending their lair or their young. If the animals are a
random encounter with a reaction roll result of Ferocious (e.g. most
encounters with fiends), you must add 1 Hindrance in the INT roll..
Progression
Normal:
You gain a +TN in the INT roll equal to 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
You gain a +TN in the INT roll equal to 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
You gain a +TN in the INT roll equal to 3/4 your tier.
Campcraft Guide-favored
Choose one of the following effects when you obtain this Ability:
1. If caught without your camping equipment (see General Equipment), you may
waste only one 4-hour rest per day instead of two.
2. You may reduce the pound weight of your camping
equipment to 75% of what it would normally be.
3. When outdoors and away from settled areas, you
may spend 8 insight per day to camouflage your party's campsite. You
and all party members may rest there while remaining in Medium Stealth,
and no camping equipment is visible at a longer range than the
characters. Any fires do not emit light visible outside the camp.
4. When outdoors and away from settled areas, you
may spend 12 insight to carefully select a campsite to avoid areas
frequented by wildlife or techs. While at this camp, your party's
random encounter chance rolls have their chance level reduced by 1.
Progression
Normal: For every 4 tiers, choose another
effect. Alternatively, you may reduce the insight cost for option #3 or
option #4 by 1.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Conventional
Medicine
All-favored
This Ability requires your basic
nature kit, and provides multiple ways to help injured organic
characters. First, you receive a +TN of 10 in any roll to treat a
bleeding status (see Status)
or restart
breathing (see Combat),
as well as any
General Knowledge
roll concerning organic physiology. Tending to an incapacitated
character allows them to add an extra Easing to the CON roll to become
stabilized.
This Ability also allows you to provide
first aid to
injured characters in a more educated way than the simple common sense
learned by all adventurers. By spending 2 insight and around 15 minutes
per character, you can dress their wounds and give them 1 Easing in
their next natural healing roll (see Injury).
This also prevents them from contracting an injury complication from a
natural healing roll that fails by less than 20.
If you spend 4 insight per character per
day, and
your patients are resting, you can provide even more effective
conventional care. Every character who has received your treatment and
spends the entire day resting receives 2 Easing instead of 1 in their
next natural healing roll, and receives 1 Easing in all CON rolls
related
to disease that day.
All Easing effects of this Ability are
undone if the
patient takes additional damage after the Ability's use. It does not
interfere with the Easing provided by Healing elixirs.
Progression
Normal:
The insight costs are reduced by 1/3 your tier.
This Ability cannot be emphasized or
maximized.
Difficult
Cooking
Guide-favored
This Ability allows you to obtain food
from animals which list "Edible with difficulty" in their description,
which are inedible for characters without access to this Ability. When
you process the animal (or help others process it), you obtain an
amount of food equal to 20% of what would be obtained from a fully
edible animal of that WGT (see Hunting).
Progression
Normal:
The percentage (originally 20) is increased by 1 per tier. If multiple
characters with this Ability process an animal, only the
most-progressed Ability is considered.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 2 per tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3 per tier.
Elixir
Thaumaturgy - Major Curing
Corallurgist-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability follows the same rules as Elixir
Thaumaturgy
- Major Healing (including cost and roll), except that it uses a Major
Curing elixir, and has one of the following effects instead:
Accelerated curing:
The
recipient is immediately considered to be recovering
from a disease (just as if they had passed the necessary number of CON
rolls to begin
doing so naturally). If they were already recovering when this Ability
was used, they immediately get a free roll on CON to remove a
degree of the disease (the time until their next natural recovery roll
is unchanged). If the recipient has multiple diseases, you must choose
which one to treat. The elixir also has its normal beneficial effect,
providing
its 4
Easing for the next 24 hours, including to the
immediate roll from this Ability. The elixir's normal rules related to
exhaustion are disregarded.
Enhanced resistance:
The
recipient receives the normal effects of a Major Curing elixir
(including exhaustion), but the
Easing is also applied to CON rolls to avoid contracting disease.
Progression
Normal:
The normal Easing from the elixir is increased by 1/12 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/6 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 1/4 your tier.
Elixir
Thaumaturgy - Major Energizing
Corallurgist-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability follows the same rules as Elixir Thaumaturgy - Major
Healing (including cost and roll), except that it uses a Major
Energizing elixir to gain a different effect. The effect is identical
to the normal effect of a Major Energizing elixir, except that the
recipient does not take exhaustion at the end of the 4 hours. It is not
effective if the recipient is already under the effects of an
Energizing elixir, and further Energizing elixirs are ineffective until
the effect from this Ability is over.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers, the effect's duration is increased by 1 hour.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but a number of times equal to 3/4 your tier.
Elixir
Thaumaturgy - Major Healing
Corallurgist-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
Thaumaturgy (derived from a
Draconic word meaning “wonder-working”) is a process by which you can
gain unusual effects from elixirs (see Elixirs).
Thaumaturgy involves treatment with elixirs in a different way than
simply drinking them. This may involve injection, absorption through
the skin, inhalation, or some other means unique to the individual
practitioner. Generally, the process takes too long to attempt
mid-combat; unless otherwise indicated, one use takes 1 uninterrupted
minute of touching the other character to complete. You may
perform thaumaturgy on yourself or
another living organic character. When an elixir is expended in
thaumaturgy,
it does not confer its normal effects as when drunk (either beneficial
or exhaustion-related), unless otherwise stated.
To perform thaumaturgy, you must have
your basic
nature kit (though it does not need to be held in hand), and must have
the elixir in one hand, with the other hand free. Spend 5
insight, expend one Major Healing elixir, then roll d12 on INT. The
elixir is expended whether or not you succeed. If successful, the
recipient of the thaumaturgy is affected according to the desired
effect:
Accelerated
healing:
Heals 20 damage. The recipient takes 5 exhaustion, plus another 5
exhaustion
for every degree of injury healed. You choose the injuries healed
first. This
portion of the Ability cannot be used if the recipient already
had
at
least 3 degrees of exhaustion before starting. Any bleeding status is
removed at the beginning of this process, and incapacitated characters
also become stabilized. You may reduce the amount of healing by 30
(once its normal amount is increased above 30 via progression) to make
it effective on revivable dead characters, who will be revived if their
lethal injuries are healed within 15 minutes of their death.
Energy dampening:
The recipient receives high-precision energy shielding with 20
shielding points. This lasts for 1 hour (or until the shielding
points are depleted). The effect will automatically respond to any
energy damage; the recipient cannot decline shielding. Receiving
another energy dampening treatment will replace the effects of the
first.
Temperature resistance:
The recipient treats heat hazards as 1 degree lower, and cold hazards
as 2 degrees lower. This
lasts for 4 hours.
Regenerate severed limbs:
First, the target's Hand/Arm Injury must have been healed down to
3rd-degree
or less, or their Mobility Injury down to 4th-degree or less. If the
severed limb is available (see Injury),
it
can be reattached by a single
use of this Ability. Otherwise, regrowing the limb requires
ongoing treatment of the patient for 4 days. Each day, you must use
this Ability on them. During the 4-day process, the patient experiences
a greatly increased appetite, and must consume double food; they must
not be suffering starvation, or no progress is made towards
regeneration that day. After 4 days of successful use of this Ability,
the limb is restored. This cannot be used simultaneously with the
regeneration element of Restoration (Arcana).
No more than one effect can occur per
use.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers:
-Accelerated healing can heal 5 more
damage.
-Energy dampening creates 5 more
shielding points.
-Temperature resistance lasts for 4 more
hours.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but a number of times equal to 3/4 your tier.
Elixir
Thaumaturgy - Major Purging
Corallurgist-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability follows the same rules as
Elixir Thaumaturgy - Major Healing (including cost and roll), except
that it uses a Major Purging elixir, and has one of the following
effects:
Lasting resistance:
Recipient takes 50% poison points from all types for 4 hours. This
resistance does not stack with the normal resistance effect of Purging
elixirs; use only the lowest percentage.
Targeted
antidote:
Choose a single poison type. For that type, the recipient removes
triple the points they otherwise would from a Major Purging elixir, but
none from any other type. They take 10% poison points from that type
for the next 6 turns (30 seconds). This
resistance does not stack with the normal resistance effect of Purging
elixirs; use only the lowest percentage. By adding 2 Hindrance to the
INT roll, this option may be performed as a major action rather than a
1-minute process.
Neither option inflicts the normal
exhaustion from
Purging elixirs, nor is it limited by the recipient's degree of
exhaustion.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers, the duration of the lasting resistance option is
increased by 1 hour, and the duration of the targeted antidote option
by 1 round.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but a number of times equal to 3/4 your tier.
Elixir
TransmutationCorallurgist-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability adds Inert to the elixir types learned in Field Elixir
Production. It also allows you to transform four Minor elixirs into a
single Major elixir of the same type, or vice versa.
Finally, you can use this Ability to
transform one
type of elixir into another; both types must be learned
under Field Elixir Production, and the Minor or Major status is
unchanged.
To accomplish any kind of transmutation
(either
between types, or between Minor and Major status), you must spend 15
minutes, 10 insight, and roll d20 on INT. If the roll fails, the
elixir(s) involved are lost. If you are transmuting an Inert elixir
into another type, the insight cost is cut in half (after considering
progression), and you gain 3
Easing in the INT roll.
Progression
Normal:
The insight cost is reduced by 1/6 your tier, and you gain a +TN in the
INT roll equal to 1/6 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/3 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
Field
Elixir
Production
Corallurgist-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability requires your basic nature kit, and allows you to search
an outdoor area for the Alacrian adamant/coral hybrid plants necessary
for the production of elixirs. When you obtain this Ability, choose two
types of elixir to learn how to produce; the choices are
Nourishing, Energizing, Enlivening, Sedating, Healing, Purging, and
Curing.
To use this Ability, spend 4 hours
searching an
outdoor area for elixir plants, then roll 2d12 on INT. Willpower cannot
be used to give a
reactive +TN to this roll. Hindrance or Easing is added to the
roll in certain areas:
Hal'Tayat: 2 Hindrance
Nani (overworld): 8 Hindrance
Chthon (normal): 3 Hindrance
Chthon (Pillars of Titus): 3 Easing
Skreti: 2 Hindrance
I'Gremsul: 2 Easing
Cevelky: 2 Hindrance
Gelid Isles: 8 Hindrance
You must specify before the
roll which type of
elixir plants to
search for. If the roll succeeds, you produce one Minor elixir of the
chosen type.
See Elixirs
for the
effects of the completed products.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers, you choose another type of elixir to learn, and gain
a +TN of 1 in the INT roll.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but a number of times equal to 3/4 your tier.
Field
Poison
Production
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability requires your basic nature kit, and allows you to search
an outdoor area for the dangerous plants necessary for the production
of poisons. When you obtain this Ability, choose one type of poison to
learn how to produce (Type A, B, or C).
To use this Ability, spend 4 hours
searching an outdoor area for poison plants, then roll 2d12 on INT.
Willpower cannot be used to give a
reactive +TN to this roll. Hindrance or Easing is added to the
roll in certain areas:
Hal'Tayat: 2 Hindrance
Nani (overworld): 8 Hindrance
Chthon (normal): 1 Hindrance
Chthon (Pillars of Titus): 1 Easing
Skreti: 2 Hindrance
I'Gremsul: 2 Easing
Cevelky: 2 Hindrance
Gelid Isles: 8 Hindrance
You must specify before the
roll which type of
poison plants to
search for. If the roll succeeds, you produce 1 pound of poison of the
chosen type.
See Poisons
for the
effects of the completed products.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers, you choose another type of poison to learn, and gain
a +TN of 1 in the INT roll.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but a number of times equal to 3/4 your tier.
Fine
Cooking
Guide-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
If you have access to both your camping equipment
and your
basic nature kit, you can prepare your party's food in a more
nutritious and appetizing way than straight out of their ration bags.
Whenever you complete a 4-hour rest, you may roll d20 on INT; if
successful, you and up to 10 other sentient characters resting with you
may remove 1 more exhaustion and regain 1 more insight from this and
all other 4-hour rests for the next 24 hours. Willpower cannot be used
to give a reactive +TN to this roll. If you left a location where food
could be bought less than a day ago, or if you are cooking food at
least half sourced from the same day's use of the Hunting & Foraging
rules, you add 2 Easing in the roll due to freshness. If you are in a
location with a full kitchen (such as a ship, base, or safehouse), you
automatically succeed on the roll. The time required to use this
Ability and eat is included in the rest, and does not preclude rest.
The benefits of this Ability do not
stack with the
matching benefits from luxurious rest (see Rest),
nor with any other use of the same Ability. Like luxurious rest, they
are ineffective on characters with at least 3 degrees of trauma. The
effect of luxurious rest on trauma is not included in this Ability.
Progression
Normal:
You gain a +TN in the INT roll equal to 1/2 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but equal to your tier.
This
Ability may not
be maximized.
Herdmastery
Sylvan-favored
If you have tamed more than one animal,
this Ability
allows you to reduce one animal's insight reduction from 12 to 6. The
animal being discounted must have a taming difficulty of 1, and you
must always have at least one animal under your control that is not
being discounted by this Ability.
Progression
Normal:
For every 6 tiers, you may apply this Ability to an additional tamed
animal.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 3 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Hunting
Lore
Guide-favored
Choose a single type of animal (e.g.
wolf, wyvern,
etc.). You receive a +TN of 3 in all offense and defense rolls against
these creatures, as well as any INT roll to use Tracking or Animal
Pacification on them or any
General Knowledge roll concerning them.
Progression
Normal:
For every 6 tiers, you may associate this Ability with another type of
animal.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 3 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Invention
- Corallurgy
Corallurgist-favored
This Ability
allows you to invent devices
that require Corallurgy or Infusionism competence. The degree of
competence required
by the device you invent cannot exceed your own Corallurgy or
Infusionism competence.
Progression
None. This Ability cannot be emphasized
or maximized.
Outdoorsmanship
Guide-favored
This Ability gives you a +TN of 10 in
all General Knowledge
rolls concerning
the natural world, as well as any Foraging rolls (see Food). If you
also have Tracking, the +TN also applies to Hunting rolls. This part of
the Ability is always active and has no insight cost.
As a free action, you may also apply
this Ability to
gain specific information about your surroundings while in the wild. To
use this part of the Ability, spend 5 insight, then roll d12 on INT. If
successful, you may ask the GM a specific question about the
area;
your character derives the answer from their studies. Your question
might be:
-What specific types of animals live in
this area?
-Is this area indeed safe for us to
travel through?
-Are there signs of any recent changes
to
this area?
-Is there an unnatural lack of wildlife?
-Does the wildlife in this area seem
afraid of
something (besides us)?
-Is there a shortcut nearby that would
assist our
travels?
-Where would be the best place to camp
in this area?
-Where is the nearest source of water?
These are questions that characters
without this
Ability cannot answer without special circumstances; they are beyond
the scope of a General Knowledge roll. This Ability is not associated
with tracking, which has its own separate Ability.
You may ask any unlisted question of a
similar level
of detail. Whenever you cannot gain the answer, or whenever the answer
may not be accurate, you will be informed of why. You may continue
using this Ability on the same area for as long as you have
sufficient insight.
Progression
Normal:
For every 8 tiers, you may associate this Ability with one of the seven
realms of Lur-Asko (see Geography).
Concerning any wilderness in an associated realm, the General Knowledge
+TN is increased to 15, and the insight cost of gaining specific
information is reduced to 3.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 4 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 3 tiers.
Sylvan-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
This Ability allows you to
extract usable poison from naturally-poisonous animals. To use this
Ability, you must have your basic nature kit, spend 5 minutes, and roll
d12 on INT; if successful, you may extract poison from any dead or
tamed animal. A dead animal yields 1 pound of its poison, of whatever
type its attacks describe; if its attacks include poison points of
multiple types, you may choose the type. A tamed animal likewise yields
1 pound of its poison, but can
only do so once every 10 days. A failed roll ruins the attempt, and may
not be retried (except after 10 days, for a tamed animal).
Progression
Normal:
For
every 8 tiers, the interval between uses on a tamed animal is reduced
by 1 day, and the amount of poison obtained from a dead animal is
increased by 1 pound.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 4 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 3 tiers
Poisoned
Weapon Proficiency
Guide-favored
Hedgedoctor-favored
You gain a +TN of 10 in the rolls to poison a melee weapon or
projectile, and you do not poison yourself if you fail by 20.
Additionally, you may apply a second
type of poison
to an already-poisoned weapon or projectile; the maximum poison points
of the second type are always half the amount of the main poison.
Applying the second poison requires an additional roll and slowing
major action.
Progression
Normal:For
every 2 tiers, you increase the maximum main poison points you can
apply to an item (normally 10) by 1. This does not adjust the rolls or
consume poison poundage more quickly; you know how to apply it more
efficiently.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3 points for every 2 tiers.
Sylvan
Elixir Usage
Sylvan-favored
This Ability
represents training your body to accept the elixirs used by Sylvans.
Such elixirs are generally available in all cities, cost 15 coins, and
weigh 1 pound. Sylvan Elixirs are concoctions of adamant and coral,
which cause your body to emit pheromones that act as calming agents in
the brains of animals (non-sentient organics). While under the effects
of the elixir, untamed animals will not attack you unless provoked, and
you become able to attempt to tame wild animals through other
Abilities. You must be under the effects of the elixir until the taming
attempt is complete, which may require multiple elixirs. The duration
of the elixir's effects is 4 hours.
If you have the Sylvan or Hellpriest
Background, you
already have this Ability, and its effects are permanently active
(without the need to drink elixirs or progress the Ability). You
received the elixirs during your training, but your body now produces
the pheromones naturally.
Sylvan Elixirs are bound by all rules
applicable to
normal
elixirs - for example, they are a slowing major action to drink in
combat, and are invalid for non-organic characters. If you become
unable to use elixirs (for example, no longer counting as organic due
to a tiered condition), you lose this Ability, even if your Background
grants its effects without drinking elixirs.
Animals' aversion to attacking you
cannot be
"shared;" you may still be attacked unprovoked if you are traveling
with non-Sylvan companions, or with tamed animals. Characters using
Sylvan elixirs typically need to split off from their group to attempt
animal taming or other relevant tasks.
Progression
Normal:
For every 3 tiers, the elixir's duration is increased by 1 hour.
This Ability cannot be emphasized or
maximized.
Tactical
Analysis - Animals
Sylvan-favored
Guide-favored
This Ability allows you to use your knowledge to
recognize the tactics used by animals (whether wild, tamed, or
domesticated) in
battle. To use this Ability, you must observe the animals as
a major action, spend 3 insight, and roll d20 on INT; if successful,
choose one of the following effects:
1: You gain 1 Easing in all melee and ranged defense rolls against the
animals you observed. For every 10 by which you succeed on the INT
roll,
the Easing is increased by 1.
2: You gain 1 Easing in all melee
and ranged offense rolls against the animals you observed. For every 10
by which you succeed on the INT roll, the Easing is increased by 1.
3: You count as 2 characters for the
purpose of
outnumbering dice against the techs you observed.
Any of these three benefits continues until the end of your next turn.
All animals you can see and which are meaningfully involved in the
battle
count as observed. If you perform this Ability as a verbal major
action, you may share the benefits with all allied characters who can
hear and understand you; they each receive the full effects until the
end of your next turn. Multiple characters on the same side may use
this Ability in order to gain more than one of the three options, or to
roll for a larger amount of Easing; the benefits do not stack if one
option is provided by multiple characters.
If you have Wild Animal Taming (Nature),
you may
restrict a use of this Ability to be
effective only against the types of animals you can tame. If you do
this,
you gain a +TN of 5 in the INT roll for this Ability.
You may
also restrict a use of this Ability to be effective only against
animal types you have associated with Hunting Lore (Nature). If you do
this,
you gain a +TN of 5 in the INT roll for this Ability. You may apply
both of these restrictions simultaneously to gain a total +TN of 10
(but are not required to).
Progression
Normal:
You gain a +TN in all INT rolls for this Ability; the amount of the +TN
is 1/6 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/3 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
Technology
Competence - Corallurgy
Corallurgist-favored
This Ability grants you a competence of Corallurgy: 1 (before
progression). Corallurgy competence allows you to operate certain
devices that rely heavily on organic technology. See Devices.
Progression
Normal:
Your Corallurgy competence is increased by 1/4 your tier. The degree of
competence cannot exceed 50% of your bINT.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3/4 your tier.
Tracking
Sylvan-favored
Guide-favored
Any character may track another
character who is
leaving obvious signs - for example, a person leaving fresh tracks in
deep snow, or a huge animal crashing through a forest. For more
"normal" situations, this Ability is required in order to competently
track others in the wild.
A single use of this Ability represents
around one
hour of tracking; any rolls made must be repeated every hour the
tracking continues. The roll is always on INT, and may be d6, d12, or
d20 depending on how conducive the terrain is to tracking. For as long
as you succeed on the rolls, you remain on the trail of your quarry. If
a roll is failed, you lose the tracks. By spending around 1 hour
searching and backtracking, you may attempt one more INT roll to regain
the trail. If you fail, the tracks are lost for good. Willpower cannot
be used to give a reactive +TN to this roll.
This Ability cannot be used from inside
a vehicle.
Normal use of this Ability presumes that your party is not using
hurried travel (see Travel).
Certain circumstances can make tracking
more
difficult. For each of the following situations that are true, you must
add 2 Hindrance to your INT roll:
-You are hurrying travel
-You are mounted
-Your quarry is sentient and is taking
measures to
cover their tracks (typically this requires them to move more slowly)
-You are operating in Low Light
conditions and have
no light source or shadow vision
-The trail is very old
Finally, this Ability allows you to
spend 5 insight
upon succeeding on any tracking INT roll. This provides you with the
answers to all of the following questions for the next hour of tracking:
-How many and what approximate WGT of
creatures are
we tracking?
-Has our quarry stopped or changed pace
at any time?
-Approximately how old is the trail?
Multiple characters in your party can
use this
Ability; this does not provide any extra effects, but makes it more
unlikely that you will lose the trail. As long as at least one
character is succeeding on their INT rolls, tracking continues
successfully.
Progression
Normal:
You gain a +TN in the INT rolls equal to 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
You gain a +TN in the INT rolls equal to 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
You gain a +TN in the INT rolls equal to 3/4 of your tier.
Wild
Animal
Profiteering
Guide-favored
This Ability requires your basic nature kit, and makes you proficient
in extracting the valuable parts of wild animal carcasses - parts too
many and varied to be covered here, but valued by Lur-Asko's
apothecaries, tanners, scientists, and collectors' shops. To use this
Ability, you must spend around 1 hour extracting the parts from a dead
animal, gaining 2 pounds of valuable parts per WGT of the animal. When
you return to a city, you will typically be able to sell the parts for
an amount of coins equal to the pound weight of the loot, multiplied by
the animal's Taming Difficulty, divided by 10. Knowledge of how to
preserve the parts until then is also included in this Ability.
Progression
Normal:
For every tier beyond 1st, the total coin amount when sold is increased
by 1%.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 2%.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3%.
Wild
Animal Taming
Sylvan-favored
To use this
Ability, you must be under the effects of a Sylvan Elixir. In addition
to preventing animals from becoming hostile unless provoked, such
elixirs provide incredible abilities to tame wild animals quickly and
effectively. Without elixirs, this is usually impossible, and certainly
not within the timeframe of the typical adventuring campaign.
When you obtain this Ability, you must
choose one
category of animal for it to be effective on (Docile, Dangerous, Fiend,
or Dracomorph). Taming an animal is a process action rolled on INT with
a minimum die of d12, a roll interval of 4 hours, and a point goal of
12. For animals with a taming difficulty greater than 1, the point goal
is increased by 12 per additional taming difficulty. Willpower cannot
be used to gain a reactive +TN in these rolls. You must be under
the effects of Sylvan Elixirs for the entire duration of the
taming attempt, and cannot go for more than 24 hours between INT rolls
(typically, tamers follow the desired animal until the attempt is
complete). You must not be accompanied by allies or other tamed
animals. If you fail an INT roll or cease to be affected by the
elixirs, the taming attempt fails; you cannot attempt to tame the same
individual
animal again for 90 days. If you succeed, the animal is tamed; while in
your presence, it will follow you and obey your wishes. Tamed animals
can carry items for you, and can be used as mounts if they are listed
as a possible mount (and if they are sufficiently large and strong to
carry you). In combat, you control a non-mount animal's turn whenever
you can both see and speak to it. Controlling your animal(s) is not
verbose enough to constitute a verbal action, but is still impossible
if either you or the animal are deafened. Tamed animals unable to
receive orders are controlled by the GM, but typically attempt to keep
doing whatever they were last told.
In order to attempt to tame an animal
with a taming
difficulty greater than 1, you must have an Animal Lore Ability
corresponding to the animal's category (which must also be one you have
chosen for this Ability). You cannot "give" the animal to another
master unless they too have the required Animal Lore Abi, as well as
this Ability.
Once you have successfully tamed a wild
animal, you
must not lose the corresponding Animal Lore Ability (if required), and
you must lower your maximum insight by 12 to reflect the daily effort
to retain control of the animal. Both of these requirements are in
effect regardless of whether the animal was tamed by you, or obtained
from another owner. If you lose a required Animal Lore or your maximum
insight is not high enough to sustain the loss of 12 (without falling
below 0), the animal reverts to its wild state.
Animals who are tamed will not harm
other party
members if left alone with them. However, they will not necessarily
obey anyone but you, nor will they remember complicated instructions.
Typically, animals with an INT greater than 1 will continue
doing
whatever you told them to do last, while 1 INT animals will become
lethargic. Leaving tamed wild animals alone for more than a day risks
returning them to the wild; if you need to leave them for a long time,
it is recommended that you board them at a Sylvæ Enclave, who (for a
modest fee) can return them to your service even after a long absence.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers, you choose an additional category of animal, and
also receive a +TN of 1 in the taming INT rolls.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Wilderness
Quick Draw
Sylvan-favored
Guide-favored
You may gain a +TN of 6 in any turn order roll. However, if you use
this Ability, the only actions you may take during the first round of
combat are the actions to use Animal Pacification or Tactical Analysis
- Animals. You
must decide the use of this Ability before making the turn order roll.
No other Abilities with "Quick Draw" in the title may be used
simultaneously.
Progression
Normal:
The +TN is increased by 1/3 of your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 2/3 of your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by your tier.
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