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The
Study of Stealth
The Study of Stealth contains everything
pertaining to making a character harder to detect, or making it easier
to find what others have hidden. It is the primary Study of thieves and
investigators across Lur-Asko, and a specialist in this Study can gain
invaluable information their party would otherwise have no way of
obtaining. Meanwhile, as a secondary Study, it can be of significant help in
the combat and cautious exploration so often engaged in by
adventurers - a favorite of those who would style themselves snipers or
assassins.
Stat
Requirement to Enter Study: 4 bINT, 4 bDEX
Notes for New Characters
This Study can benefit many different
kinds of characters. Choose it as a starting Study if you're enticed
by one of the more difficult Backgrounds to enter; otherwise, you can
easily take the simpler Background at a later time.
Stealth Lore
The Study of Stealth, if
one cuts through the academic eloquence, has really existed ever since
the prehistoric Antecessors first tried to sneak up on their next meal.
For millennia, sentients have used stealthy tactics to hide themselves
from both predator and prey, and many parts didn't change once
sentients began waging war on each other. Sometimes, the "studying" has
just been a whispered tip from a seasoned hunter to a young boy about
to draw his first arrow on a deer. At other times, it has been the
subject of organized and lengthy training exercises in Alacrian armies.
There are only so many different ways to sneak up and stab someone, but
Lur-Asko has done its best to figure out all of them.
Of course, as civilization advanced, so
did stealth. Sometimes it's not a matter of getting off the first shot,
but getting past the first guard, and the second locked door, and the
third concealed safe. Still other stealth specialists became those who
hide in plain
sight, camouflaging themselves with words, disguises, and misdirection.
If commoners knew the true extent of the Study of Stealth's
capabilities, they might never be free of a sense of paranoia - so
advanced are the techniques of factions like the Opened Hand, the
Ministry of Chaos, and the white acolytes that no one can be 100% sure
that any person is truly who they appear to be. Even without anything
so extreme, the intrigue of the governments and guilds of Lur-Asko is
legendary, with any large city home to a hundred "interested parties"
all vying to gain an edge on each other through state or corporate
espionage.
As with any other Study, though, every
tactic gives rise to a counter-tactic. With better thieves have come
better locks, and with better spies have come better counter-spies. Any
adventuring party that specializes in the Study of Stealth can expect
to be employed to keep information hidden just as often as they are to
uncover it.
Stealth
BackgroundsAssassin
(Costs 3
LP)
Odds are you practiced your stealth
skills in the field - perhaps as a sniper, a hunter, or a cut-throat.
If you did attend an institution of learning for these abilities, it
was almost certainly military in nature. You pursue stealth in simple
yet vitally important ways. A hidden adversary is one with a huge
advantage, and you concern yourself with avoiding the eyes of your
enemies and ensuring they do not evade yours. The application of your
skills in the service of an adventuring party is rather obvious. In
both commoner and adventuring life, this is a popular Background to
combine with the Study of Marksmanship or Close Combat.
Assassins gain the Greater Evasion Ability as an extra benefit at 1st
tier.
Suggested Abilities: Stealth Melee Specialist or Stealth Ranged
Specialist, Tactical Concealment, Infiltration Specialist
Sleuth(Costs 3 LP)
The skills you
have developed are the fruit of several seasons of effort. For
some, they are seasons of petty crimes that steadily become less petty.
For others, they are spent training in investigation to catch such
criminals. One way or another, you specialize in obtaining things which
others might not want you to have. Perhaps those things are valuables,
or perhaps they are valuable clues and observations. Yours is the
specialty of both thievery and thief-catching - how you use such powers
is completely up to you.
Sleuths gain the Counter-Evasion Ability as an extra benefit at 1st
tier.
Suggested Abilities: Greater Evasion, Infiltration Specialist,
Lockpicking
Spy
(Costs 4
LP)
You have studied both the theory and
practice of urban stealth, though not always formally. Your pursuit of stealth is by no means synonymous with avoiding people. You hide not in dark alleys or foliage, but in crowds and
parties. The things you steal are pieces of overheard information, and
the things you pounce on are useful contacts and influential people.
Often paired with the Study of Appeal, this Background is the best one
for gathering rumors, casing buildings, and running cons.
Spies gain the Concealing Disguise Ability as an extra benefit at 1st
tier.
Suggested Abilities: Counter-Evasion, Attentive Interrogator, Keeping it
Somewhere
Sneak
Many adventurers find stealth to be a
simple
necessity, even if they are not drawn to it as a major pursuit. Many
potential foes, especially in and around Alacrian ruins, are far too
dangerous to treat with or fight through. Meanwhile, the odd knack for
basic lockpicking, eavesdropping, or other benefits of this Study can
prove useful for those who adventure in more modern civilization. Those
who focus elsewhere but want to dabble in Stealth are a great fit for
this Background.
Sneaks are unrestricted by favoredness, but have a tier cap of 3.
Suggested Abilities: Greater Evasion, Counter-Evasion, Lockpicking
Changing
Backgrounds
All Backgrounds can change to one
another, if the character pays the full LP cost of the new Background.
Backgrounds
& Training All Stealth Backgrounds may only receive
training from other characters of the same Background. All may find
training in all cities.
Ability Favoredness Chart
Stealth
Abilities Attentive Interrogator Sleuth-favored
Spy-favored
When you perform the lie detection social action in
the context of a character answering your questions, they must add 1
Hindrance in the WILL roll to resist.
Additionally, if you have Counter-Evasion, you may
apply that Ability's detection roll +TN to the social offense rolls for
lie detection and persuasion. The context must be lie detection on a
character answering your questions, or a persuasion attempt to get
someone to reveal information.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/12 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/6 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.Cloaking
Proficiency Sleuth-favored
Assassin-favored
If you are using a cloaking device or
Arcane Cloaking (Arcana), you gain a +TN of 2 in stealth rolls.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/12 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/6 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Concealing
Disguise Spy-favored
To use this Ability without
added difficulty, you must have a disguise kit, which costs 50 coins
and weighs 5 pounds (1 slot). This Ability allows you to conceal your
personal identity at all ranges. Examples include everything from a
change of hair color to an elaborate array of makeup and wardrobe
changes.
The quality of a given disguise is
referred to as disguise
factor. Your maximum disguise factor
is 3 (before progression). It takes around 1 hour to prepare a
disguise of your maximum disguise factor; you can spend a
proportionally lesser amount of time to create a less-effective
disguise. If you do not have access to a disguise kit, your maximum
disguise factor is reduced to 25% (it can be reduced to 0). To create a
disguise, you must spend 10 insight. You must also spend 5 insight per
day to continue a long-term use of this Ability.
You can also use this Ability to help
disguise a less-proficient character. If they do not have this Ability,
the maximum disguise factor is 50% of what it would be for
yourself. If they do, the maximum factor is the average of
both characters' maximums.
Higher disguise factors are harder for
other characters to see through. Only characters with some sort of
vested interest in seeing through the disguise can actually attempt to
do so. In other words, the disguised character’s true identity must
potentially mean something to anyone attempting to see through the
disguise. If individual identity is not important, this Ability is
probably unnecessary against that character.
To determine whether another character
sees through the disguise, first consider if any penalties to the
effective disguise factor will come into effect:
| Situation |
Effect on
disguise factor |
| You have gone a long time without "touching up" the
disguise with your disguise kit. |
-1 per day |
| The detecting character has previously met you. |
-1 (acquaintance)
-3 (friend or party member)
-8 (close friend or loved one) |
The detecting character has darkeye.
|
-8
|
The detecting character has clairvoyance.
|
-15
|
| You are being physically examined for signs of disguise
(either willingly or while restrained). |
-15 |
After any penalties have been applied, consider the remaining disguise
factor to determine what happens:
| Effective
disguise factor |
Result |
| 0 or less |
The disguise is ineffective |
| 1-2 |
Detecting character must roll d6 on INT to see through
the disguise |
| 3-4 |
Detecting character must roll d12 on INT to see through
the disguise |
| 5-6 |
Detecting character must roll d20 on INT to see through
the disguise |
| 7 or more |
The disguise is effective, with no chance for a roll |
Any required INT roll is always a blind
roll. The
detecting character gets no further chances to roll unless the disguise
is altered or reduced in factor.
Progression
Normal: Maximum disguise factor is increased
by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized: Maximum
disguise factor is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized: Maximum
disguise factor is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Counter-Evasion
All-favored
You receive a +TN of 4 in detection rolls.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/6 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/3 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Disguise
Detection
Sleuth-favored
Spy-favored
This Ability gives you a
+TN of 3 in INT rolls to see through any disguise.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Environmental Camouflage
Assassin-favored
You are studied and skilled in
camouflaging yourself using elements of the local environment. When you
obtain this Ability, choose one of the realms of Lur-Asko. Whenever you
are outdoors in this realm, you gain a +TN of 3 in stealth rolls.
This Ability is never effective in
settled areas or Alacrian ruins. It is effective in Chthon if the realm
of Nani is selected, but never in smaller cave systems.
Progression
Normal: For every 4 tiers, you may associate
this Ability with another realm.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Greater
Evasion
Sleuth-favored
Assassin-favored
You gain a +TN of 4 in stealth rolls.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/6 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/3 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Impersonating Disguise
Spy-favored
To use this Ability you
must have a disguise kit, which costs 50 coins and weighs 5 pounds (1
slot). You must also have the Concealing Disguise Ability. This Ability
allows you to not only hide your own
identity, but to take on the identity
of another.
Obviously, this Ability requires you to
know the appearance, voice, and general mannerisms of the individual
you are impersonating. The one you are impersonating must be a member
of your own species, or an antecessoroid intermediate hybrid one-half
your own species.
To use this Ability, follow the rules
for Concealing Disguise, except that you must spend 3 hours
and increase the insight cost to 20. You must spend 10 insight
per day to continue a long-term use of this Ability. You cannot assist
another character using this Ability. Upon meeting any character with
an interest in your true identity, follow the rules of
Concealing Disguise first; if such a character sees through Concealing
Disguise, they also see through this Ability.
Otherwise, proceed into the rules for
this Ability.
Your maximum disguise factor is 3 (before progression, and disregarding
any progression to Concealing Disguise). Only characters with
an
interest in the identity you are impersonating (i.e. anyone who knows
something about the character being impersonated) can attempt to see
through Impersonating Disguise. First consider if any penalties to the
effective disguise factor will come into effect:
| Situation |
Effect on
disguise factor |
| You have gone a long time without "touching up" the
disguise with your disguise kit. |
-1 per day |
| The detecting character not only knows of, but is
actually acquainted with the person you are impersonating. |
-1 (acquaintance)
-5 (friend or party member)
-30 (close friend or loved one) |
| The above situation applies, and you have been using
this Ability around them for a long time. |
-2 per day |
| You are impersonating a character of the opposite sex. |
-5 |
| The disguise involves adopting or negating the
appearance of an intermediate hybrid. |
-5 |
| You are impersonating a character with a condition that
radically changes their appearance, such as vampirism, or negating such
an appearance for yourself. |
-6 |
The detecting character has darkeye.
|
-8
|
The detecting character has clairvoyance.
|
-15
|
| You are being physically examined for signs of disguise
(either willingly or while restrained). |
-15 |
After any penalties have been applied,
consider the remaining disguise factor to determine what happens, using
the chart in Concealing Disguise.
Any required INT roll is always a blind
roll. The
detecting character gets no further chances to roll unless the disguise
is altered or reduced in factor.
If your disguise is entirely successful,
reputation
and renown rules for your actions are resolved as if you were the
individual you're impersonating.
Progression
Normal: Maximum disguise factor is increased
by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized: Maximum
disguise factor is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized: Maximum
disguise factor is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Infiltration Specialist Sleuth-favored
Assassin-favored
You may spend 12 insight immediately before attempting an infiltration.
If you do so, you receive a +TN of 4 in the infiltration stealth roll.
If you spend double the normal insight, you may share this +TN with all
grouped-up allies during a multi-character infiltration. This +TN does
not stack if multiple characters with this Ability do this; only one
sharing is effective. If the infiltration roll is re-attempted due to a
roll failure, this +TN does not continue into the re-attempt unless you
(or another sharing character) spend the insight again.
Progression
Normal: The insight cost (prior to any doubling from sharing) is decreased by 1/6 your tier.
Emphasized: As Normal, but 1/3 your tier.
Maximized: As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
Investigation
Sleuth-favored
You receive a +TN of 5 in all Search
rolls to examine a crime scene or detect deliberately hidden
information.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Keeping
it Somewhere Spy-favored
Your maximum weight and carry slots for concealed items
are increased, and you receive a +TN of 3 in any INT roll to detect
another character's concealment.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/2 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Killer's
Instinct
Assassin-favored
Any stealth melee attack that inflicts a critical hit also
counts as a major action to maintain (but not enter) High Stealth.
Progression
Normal: For
every 6 tiers, you reduce by 1 the amount by which an enemy must fail
their defense roll in order to receive a critical hit from your stealth
melee attacks.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 3 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
Knockout
Specialist Sleuth-favored
Assassin-favored
Choose one of the following effects when you obtain this Ability:
1. When inflicting damage only with
weapons that
have the Blunt tag, you may force the victim to make a d6 endurance
roll for any Injury that does not normally have one, or add 2 Hindrance
to the endurance roll for Injuries that do. This effect may be used
only during a successful melee stealth attack on an organic target.
2. You do not have to add Hindrance to
your offense roll when voluntarily reducing a melee weapon's damage.
3. When you attack to begin a grapple, you may
immediately pin
your target if they fail the defense roll by 20 or more. This effect
may be used only during a successful melee stealth attack.
4. Whenever you have any amount of
grappling
advantage over an enemy, you may prevent them from speaking or calling
out.
Progression
Normal: For every 4 tiers, choose another
effect.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Lockpicking
Sleuth-favored
To use this Ability without added
difficulty, you must have a lockpicking kit, which costs 20 coins and
weighs 2 pounds (0 slots). Lockpicking is a process action
with an interval of 20 seconds (4 turns). Failing a roll ruins the
process; some locks allow the process to be restarted, some may break
and lock permanently, and some may trigger a trap or alarm
upon failure. All rolls are on DEX, and the point goal and minimum die
vary with the lock type:
| Lock quality |
Point goal |
Minimum die |
| Common door |
20 |
d8 |
Shackles
|
30
|
d10
|
| Security door |
40 |
d12 |
| Lockbox |
30 |
d20 |
| Safe |
80 |
d20 |
| Bank vault |
120 |
2d20 |
You may attempt this Ability with a
single pair of lockpicks instead of your entire lockpicking kit. A pair
of lockpicks has negligible weight and 0 slots. Using a single pair
instead of a complete kit causes all your rolls to contribute 50%
points toward the goal.
If you do not have access to lockpicks
at all, you may attempt to improvise with a similar tiny pointed
object. In addition to the above penalty for limited lockpicks, you
must add 4 Hindrance in each of the DEX rolls.
Progression
Normal: You receive a +TN in the DEX rolls
equal to 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3/4 your tier.
Predatory
Search Sleuth-favored
Assassin-favored
You receive a +TN of 5 in any search for characters (that is, a search
to oppose a long hide). Points contributed to a search using a roll
including this +TN do not count towards finding anything except
characters.
Progression
Normal: The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 3/4 your tier.
Slick
Pick Sleuth-favored
By spending 10 insight, you can reduce
the Lockpicking Ability's roll interval to 5 seconds (1 round). You do
not need to spend the insight every roll, but only once per lock upon
beginning the attempt.
Progression
Normal: The insight cost is reduced by 1/4
your tier.
Emphasized:
The insight cost is reduced by 1/2 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Spy's
Holography
Spy-favored
If you have a device or Ability capable of generating illusions of 3
complexity,
this Ability allows you to use them to augment a disguise you have
created via Concealing Disguise or Impersonating Disguise. For as long
as you maintain the illusion, your disguise factor is increased by 1,
as long as your illusion strength is at least 1.
Anything that reduces illusion
strength may also reduce the effect on disguise factor. You may only
use
this Ability on yourself, not other characters (even if you have
assisted them with their disguise). Because the illusion is so closely
tied to your own movements, you may maintain it as a free action, even
if this is not the action you normally need to maintain a 3-complexity
illusion.
Progression
Normal: The effect on disguise factor is
increased by 1/4 your tier, to a maximum of illusion strength.
Emphasized:
The effect on disguise factor is increased by 1/2 your tier, to a
maximum of illusion strength.
Maximized:
The effect on disguise factor is increased by 3/4 your tier, to a
maximum of illusion strength.
Stealth Melee Specialist
Assassin-favored
Your melee stealth attacks add 1 more Hindrance to the enemy's defense
roll (that is, 4 normally, or 2 if warned). The defender is also unable
to spend insight or fatigue
during this defense roll (such as for reactive +TNs).
Progression
Normal:
At 4th tier, you may spend 7 insight to gain a reactive +TN of 6 in a
stealth roll to perform ambush movement. This insight cost is reduced
by 1/8 your tier.
Emphasized:
At any tier, you gain the reactive +TN from Normal. The insight cost is
reduced
by 1/4 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Stealth Ranged Specialist
Assassin-favored
When you make a stealth ranged attack, your target may not use any
reactive +TNs in their defense roll. If you were in High Stealth at the
beginning of your turn, you may also make a 2d12 stealth roll
after making any ranged attack; if successful, the attack
doubles as a major action to maintain High Stealth. Alternatively on
success, if you would revert to Low Stealth anyway (e.g. from firing an
energy weapon or rocket launcher), you revert to Medium Stealth instead.
Progression
Normal:
At 4th tier, you may spend 7 insight to gain a reactive +TN of 6 in the
stealth roll described in this Ability. This insight cost is reduced
by 1/8 your tier.
Emphasized:
At any tier, you gain the reactive +TN from Normal. The insight cost is
reduced
by 1/4 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Synaptic
Defiance Spy-favored
You receive a +TN of 2 in the WILL roll
to resist
the lie detection social action, and your WILL counts as 1 higher for
the purposes of resisting any form of telepathy.
Progression
Normal: The +TN vs. lie detection is
increased by 1/4 your tier, and the effect on WILL vs. telepathy is
increased by 1/10 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/2 and 1/5 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3/4 and 1/3 your tier.
Tactical Concealment Assassin-favored
Sleuth-favored
You are adept at obscuring yourself to throw off
enemies' aim, even if they manage to see you. Whenever you are in High
Stealth, any attacker at medium or long range must add 1 Hindrance in
any ranged offense roll against you. This even applies to the offense
rolls for AoEs or Rapid Fire Attack (Marksmanship), if you are included
as a direct target. Attackers are unaffected by this Ability if they
can see you via darkeye, clairvoyance, or (if you are organic) thermal
vision.
Progression
Normal: The Hindrance is increased by 1 at 24th tier.
Emphasized:
The Hindrance is increased by 1/12 your tier.
Maximized: The Hindrance is increased by 1/8 your tier.
Teleport
Ambush Assassin-favored
Whenever you teleport as a minor action,
you may make a d20 stealth roll. If
successful, you perform your teleport in a similar way to ambush
movement: all enemy characters who could not see you at the beginning
of your turn do not begin to see you as a result of your teleport. This effect lasts until
the end of your turn, potentially allowing you to make a stealth melee
attack.
Progression
Normal: You receive a +TN in the DEX roll
equal to 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 3/4 your tier.
Urban
Evasion
Assassin-favored
Spy-favored
Through minor disguises and inconspicuous movement, you are able
to utilize a modified version of Medium or High Stealth amidst urban
crowds and busy streets: you do not appear suspicious to everyone, as
characters in higher stealth levels normally do. When you use the
effects of this Ability, you may apply all +TNs and Abilities normally
relevant to stealth rolls, but you make the stealth rolls on INT rather
than DEX. You do not actually reduce your true visible
range, but only the range at which you can be distinguished from the
crowd by anyone looking for you. You may also use infiltration
rules to move through the streets of a city where you are wanted by the
authorities or otherwise searched-for, without needing a true disguise;
consider only those actively looking for you (such as guards) to be
"patrols" for the purposes of infiltration rules. This Ability is not
usable when city streets are mostly vacated, such as at night or during
certain crises.
If you wish to truly reduce your
visible range, you must enter true Medium or High Stealth as a separate
action, which ends the effects of this Ability. You also lose the
effects of this Ability and revert fully to Low Stealth if you are
attacked, with no stealth roll to avoid this.
This Ability cannot be used by or shared with a mount, nor used while
mounted. Unlike normal stealth levels, those affected by this
Ability are not thwarted by thermal vision, unless you are non-organic.
Darkeye and clairvoyance are unaffected, as normal.
Progression
None. This Ability cannot be emphasized
or maximized.
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