Description
Skills
Skills are special feats, or actions, your character can take that produce certain (usually) predictable results. Skills are broken up into two major types: Spells and Proficiencies. Spells are of a magical nature and require the use of spell power to cast. They also usually require physical magical supplies (known as reagents). Proficiencies are everything else, including the more physical skills (weapon use, tracking, stealing, etc.) and special
race-based skills such as Fey and Sidhe shape-shifting. The skills your character will have access to are dependent upon their race and class selection. Some magical items can also grant the use of particular skills to a character.
There are several different schools among which proficiencies and spells are divided. Schools are a way of classifying the tangible aspects of a spell or proficiency, and while some skills may seem to overlap schools, there is generally one main school in which they fit the best, as follows:
Proficiency Schools
- Weaponry (WEA) — Proficiencies that involve a physical weapon
- Defense (DEF) — Proficiencies that are primarily defensive in nature
- Combat (COM) — Proficiencies that are primarily combative in nature
- Technical (TEK) — Proficiencies that involve technical knowledge
- Mystical (MYS) — Proficiencies that use supernatural forces or mental powers
Spell Schools
There are many spell schools, but the ability to cast spells listed in a character's spell list is based on their Spell Complexity Comprehension.
Spell and Proficiency Complexity and Comprehension (SCC and PCC)
Spell and Proficiency comprehension percentages are used to determine what skills your character can use, and how difficult they are for him to use. These comprehension ratings run from 1% to 100%, 100% being the best, and 1% being the worst. For example, if a spell had a complexity rating of 45%, it means that only a spellcaster who had a Spell Complexity Comprehension (SCC) rating of 45% or higher would be able to cast it. And, of course, the further above 45% their SCC rating was, the easier the spell would become to cast.
Spell Complexity Comprehension has just one rating, which applies to all magic across all schools used by the character. Proficiency Complexity Comprehension is split up into five separate ratings, based on the school of that proficiency.
Both SCC and PCC are listed on a character's SCORE sheet, just below their stats and ability scores.
Practicing Skills
The PRACTICE command allows you to train a skill (proficiency or spell) and increase your knowledge of it. It is different from the TRAIN command in that you are not learning about an attribute or a vital statistic, but about something more specific.
You may only PRACTICE at a designated trainer (sometimes called Guildmasters). These trainers can be found in most major cities and in some remote locations.
You cannot practice all available skills at the same trainer. As in real life, each trainer has a skill set they are most familiar with and offers that knowledge to Adventurers.
To practice a skill or spell, type PRACTICE <'skill name'> <#>. Practicing an ability by 1 will raise that ability's learned percent by 1%. You can practice a skill or spell by up to 75 at a time. Practicing a skill past 75% takes extra resources. More information on that by typing HELP PRACTICE.