Celestial Magic*

This skill allows the character to cast a celestial magic spell of whatever level has been bought. This skill is a spell slot as described on page 24.

In order to be able to memorize a particular spell each day, your character must have access to a spell book with a copy of the spell in it.

Craftsman (type)*

This skill is used to add flavor to your character. It cannot be used to give a character any extra power in-game nor does it guarantee any information from the Plot Committee. For instance, if a character takes Craftsman “Historian” then it is up to the character to learn the history in game.

Craftsman skills must be skills that would provide an income. In most chapters, for every Craftsman skill bought, a character will receive two silvers at check-in for each game-day.

Examples of craftsman skills include (but are not limited to) actor, architect, artist, astrologer, baker, bard, brewer, butcher, calligrapher, candle-maker, carpenter, farmer, farrier, forester, historian, hunter, jeweler, masseuse, merchant, musician, sage (specify field of study), sailor, scout, scribe, tailor, tavernkeeper and undertaker.

Create Potion*

This skill allows the character to create an earth magic based potion. The character must have a spell slot of the level to be made and access to the spell in a spell book. Note that not every spell can be made into a potion.

Making a potion costs Production Points and in-game money and falls under the rules set forth in the Chapter on the Skills System.

Create Scroll*

This skill allows the character to create a celestial magic based scroll. The character must have a spell slot of the level to be made and access to the spell in a spell book. Note that not every spell can be made into a scroll.

Making a scroll costs Production Points and in-game money and falls under the rules set forth in the Chapter on the Skills System.

Create Trap*

A character with this skill can make traps as described in the chapter on Traps and Locks. Making a trap costs Production Points and in-game money and falls under the rules set forth in the Chapter on the Skills System.

Critical Attack*

This skill allows the character to do one extra point of damage against any one opponent for the duration of the battle once per day for each time the skill is taken. Battle duration is defined as “Line of Sight” as per spells.

This bonus applies only to either the right or left hand and a particular weapon in that hand.

After a character has earned the fourth Critical Attack, the character can trade them in and buy a Weapon Proficiency. The character may then begin learning Critical Attacks again.

Example: Inar the Fighter has worked his way up to the point where he has learned Weapon Proficiency. He now does +1 damage for every hit he does with a Longsword. He then begins to learn Critical Attacks again. For each Critical Attack he learns now, he can do another point of damage once per day per opponent, so when he uses these skills, he does +2.

When he has enough building points, he can buy Weapon Proficiency again and he will do +2 constantly. He may begin buying Critical Attacks again to do +3 once a day for every Critical Attack he has learned.

Critical Slay / Parry*

This skill enables the character to do one massive attack of damage to one opponent once a day for each time the skill is bought.

A Critical Slay does damage of five times the character’s number of Weapon Proficiencies plus 20 and the weapon damage.

Note that the multiplier of five is applied only to the proficiencies. It is not applied to Vorpal Coatings, strength skills, or magical effects that may be present on the weapon. These points are added after the multiplier.

For example: Unger the Fighter has 2 Weapon Proficiencies for use with his longsword. When he uses his Critical Slay skill, he will call “32 Slay.” This amount is figured by first taking the number of Proficiencies he has (2) multiplying it by 5, giving him 10. Then he adds 20 plus the 2 from his longsword.

If he had also added a 4 point Vorpal Coating to his weapon and is using an Endow spell, he would add those but would not count them in the amount to be multiplied by 5. He would then call “38 Slay “ ([2 x 5] + 20 + 2 + 4 + 2).

A Critical Slay may be bought once for every two full Weapon Proficiencies. (After Weapon Proficiency +2, and again after Weapon Proficiency +4, etc.).

The Slay is considered used as soon as the statement “Prepare to Die!” is made. Like all weapon blows, the entire verbal must be stated and fully completed before the weapon is swung at the opponent. The Slay will be active until the blow is landed, or five minutes passes. If the blow is landed, the Slay damage can be negated by other game defenses such as Phase, Dodge, Parry, Magic Armor, etc. Additionally, if any other skill (or normal weapon damage) is called in the same hand in which the Slay is active, the Slay is negated. The 5-minute time period cannot be shortened by any other means, including having the weapon disarmed or destroyed, killed and then life’d, falling unconscious, etc. The skill Parry is both weapon and Hand specific, just like Critical Slay. Slays are not “massive” per the trap definition, and may be blocked as any other standard weapon blow.

Example: Sir Hendrick runs into battle and strikes at an troll, saying “Prepare to Die, 45 Slay!” The troll manages to prevent Hendrick from landing a blow by blocking with its shield and otherwise jumping out of the way. Hendrick continues to shout “45 Slay” for each swing. Suddenly, the troll dies from a spell thrown by Kiswick the Mage. Hendrick has not yet used his Critical Slay, so he turns and begins fighting another troll, saying “Active Slay” as he approaches his foe. “45 Slay!” he says as he swings. He hits the second troll and this troll dies. Hendrick has now used up his Critical Slay so when he turns to face the next troll in line, he will be calling his regular damage.

If five minutes had passed from the time Hendrick called out “Prepare to Die” and he did not have a chance to use his Critical Slay then the Slay would be used up. He would not be able to just run around indefinitely looking for something else to hit. The Slay has become inactive, and he must give up the tag from his skill ring to the troll upon whom he attempted to use the Slay.

A Magic Armor, Parry, or a Dodge protects against the Slay. A player hit by a Slay who does not die from the Slay must announce that the Slay was successful by saying “hit.” This informs the fighter using the Slay that he or she must then begin calling regular damage again.

This skill uses the same handedness rules and specific weapon rules as Critical Attack and Weapon Proficiency.

A Parry may be used in place of a Critical Slay. This allows the character to defend against any one physical NERO weapon delivered attack, except for a Waylay attack or a boulder attack. It cannot be used against traps, except for weapon traps, nor can it be used against a packet-delivered attack such as a spell, gas globe, or monster attack.

For example: Sir Hendrick has not yet used his Critical Slay for that day. He is walking through town when suddenly he is attacked by Hamlet the Assassin who says “65 Assassinate!” Since Sir hendrick did not have a Magic Armor spell on him, this amount would kill him so he wisely decides that this would be a good time to use that Parry. “Parry!” he announces, thus letting the assassin know the attack was unsuccessful. This uses up Hendrick’s Critical Slay as well.

You may not use a Parry if you do not have a weapon in your hand or if your weapon is not free. A Two Handed weapon must be held in both hands to be able to use a Parry.

You may only parry a blow you could logically parry at the point where the strike is given. Your weapon must be able to reach the attacker’s weapon, otherwise the strike is too far away to parry. If you actually interpose yourself between your mage and a fighter trying to slay him or her, you may call a Parry and nullify the attacker’s blow. You can parry a blow meant for someone else if you were at that time engaged in a fight with another person but you cannot call a Parry while standing at the other end of the battle.

Detect Celestial Magic*

This skill may only be bought by barbarians. Once a day for each time the skill is taken, the barbarian can detect magic (as the spell) but will only be able to determine the presence of celestial magic.

The skill is packet-delivered, and the correct verbal is simply “Detect Celestial Magic.” Although this verbal is out-of-game, the effect is recognized in-game by all who hear it. This skill is not affected by, nor does it affect, defensive spells in any way.

Disarm / Arm Trap

This skill allows the character to attempt to disarm or set a trap. It does not guarantee success. You must have this skill to even attempt to disarm or set a trap. You may not even cut an obvious trip wire without this skill. Traps may only be set in the presence of a marshal.

This skill is difficult to use without some simple tools such as a knife, candle, probe, etc. See “So You Want to Be a Thief?” for advice.

Earth Magic*

This skill allows the character to, once per day, cast an Earth Magic spell of a specified level. This skill is a spell slot as described in the Chapter on the Skills System

In order to be able to memorize a particular spell each day, the character must have access to a spellbook with the spell in it.

Evaluate Item

This skill enables the character to place a fairly accurate monetary value on any jewelry seen. This skill does not identify whether or not the item is magical. In most chapters, you will receive an item identification sheet which will allow a player with this skill to determine the value of an item being evaluated.