Combat Prowess

For each skill in this sequence, you gain 1 point of body. Body is the amount of damage you can take to your person before you gain a wound condition. The maximum amount of body points you can have is 4, unless an ability or item states explicitly that it "breaks cap".

Until you spend skill points for body skills you will have 0 body points total. This means that without any physical, magical, or natural armors, any hit to you will immediately cause a wound condition unless you have an effect which prevents it.

For each skill in this sequence, permanently increase the damage you inflict with ranged weapons by 1. This is referred to as your Accuracy. Other items and effects can temporarily increase your accuracy further.

Accuracy is capped at 2 when using thrown weapons and at 4 when using projectile weapons, unless an item or ability explicitly states that it "breaks cap".

For each skill in this sequence, permanently increase the damage you inflict with melee weapons by 1. This is called your Might. Other items and effects can temporarily increase your might further.

Your Might is capped at 2 when using a weapon and shield or dual-wielding a weapon in each hand, unless an item or ability explicitly states that it "breaks cap".

When using a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon with nothing in your off hand you are capped at 4 Might, unless an item or ability explicitly states that it "breaks cap".

Melee Training, which characters start with for free, allows characters to use non-martial length weapons.

Next, Melee Proficiency allows characters to use martial length weapons.

Finally, Melee Expertise allows characters to use great weapons.

These skills determine if you can dual wield weapons, and how large the weapons you can dual wield are. Note that "off-hand" refers to the weapon in your non-dominant hand (or in the case of ambidextrous folk, the hand you do not usually hold your weapon in).

With Off-Hand Training, you can wield a non-martial weapon in each hand at the same time.

Learning Off-Hand Proficiency lets you wield a martial weapon in your main hand and a non-martial weapon in your off-hand.

When you learn Off-Hand Expertise, you may wield two martial weapons at once.

Weapon Masters may dual wield a great javelin with another non-great weapon or shield.

Projectile Training allows a character to use a bow or crossbow with damage based on your accuracy.

The Thrown Weapon Training skill lets you throw standard throwing weapons with damage based on your accuracy.

Next, Thrown Weapon Proficiency lets you use javelins.

Finally, Thrown Weapon Expertise allows you to throw great javelins.

These skills determine if you can use a shield, and what size of shield you are allowed to wield.

Buckler Training allows you to use a buckler in combat.

Following this, Shield Training allows your character to use shields in combat.

The basics of all spell casting follow one set of guidelines. Some items types will add some additional rules specific to those item types.

For a character to cast a spell they must: know the spell, have enough power points available to cast the spell, and have a free hand. If all of these criteria are met they may proceed to casting the spell.

Cast a spell costs its level in power points to cast. Power points are a skill characters can learn, and some items can provide extra power points as well.

Characters can never spend more than 20 magic power points in a single game day. Attempting to do so causes the character to gain an unpreventable Torso Wound condition as the magical energies tear the character apart. This will also cause the spell casting to fail. Abilities that grant characters power points that break cap do not count against this limit.

Some abilities and rules allow characters to pay fewer power points to cast a spell. This cannot bring the spell's cost to 0 power points unless the source explicitly says that it does. Abilities that reduce power point costs do not stack unless they explicitly say they do.

If you've met the requirements, you are now ready to cast the spell. To cast a spell you must speak an incantation. Spells have no fixed incantations. Each character is free to come up with their own schema for how they want to represent the magic they can perform. Incants do not need to be spoken word. They can be sung, chanted, or role-played in other ways.

There are still some requirements for a proper incantation. Incantations must be spoken loudly and clearly enough that players standing 10 feet away will know that a spell has been cast. An incantation also requires a minimum of 8 words, which must include the name of the spell being performed. You may not bluff one spell and then cast a different one (such as by putting multiple spell names into the incantation). The incantation must clearly convey EXACTLY what you are casting. You may not make the incantation gibberish, or attempt to work it into a conversation. It must be both clear that you are casting and what you are casting.