First Aid

First Aid allows the user to stabilize a dying creature with a metabolism, bringing the recipient to zero Body Points. The person will regain consciousness in ten minutes with one body point.

This skill only works with humanlike physiologies. It will not work on animals. Some monsters are so alien that First Aid will also not work on them.

This skill cannot save a creature hit with a Killing Blow or a Death spell. Note that the skill Healing Arts is needed to determine if the creature is dead.

The skill requires a full uninterrupted minute, in which time the person applying the First Aid can do nothing else. This means that you cannot perform other game skills while using the skill First Aid. Just like any game effect in NERO, if this skill does not affect you, you must call “no effect” when this skill is first applied.

If interrupted while giving First Aid, then the one minute death “timer” continues where it left off when the First Aid was started. You cannot First Aid more than one person at a time.

This minute represents the binding of wounds and the stopping of bleeding. The player with this skill should roleplay out the First Aid by pulling out some bandages and otherwise concentrating on helping the patient.

Florentine

This skill allows the character to hold and use two weapons in combat, one in each hand. Neither weapon can be a two handed weapon, and one of the weapons can be no longer than a dagger. If different damages are being delivered with each weapon, then you must call out different damages when swinging the weapons.

Formal Magic (School)*

This skill allows you to read and use formal magic scrolls of your particular school (earth or celestial). The scrolls are individual and unique magics in and of themselves so no listing of them is found in this manual. This skill does not require the building of a second spell pyramid, but is bought in a linear fashion like Create Scroll. A person with Formal Magic 1 can read and cast any formal magic scroll of his or her school but the chance of success in casting the ritual improves with each purchase of the skill. See the section on formal magics in the chapter on Magic for more details.

Gypsy Curse / Remove Gypsy Curse *

For each time this skill is bought, a gypsy may bestow or remove one Gypsy Curse per day. (Be warned however that there is a strong cultural bias among the gypsy tribes about removing other gypsies’ curses without express permission from the curser or the tribe’s bandoleer.)

A gypsy may not bestow a curse on another unless he or she feels that the offending being has somehow insulted them or threatened their well being. This curse is intended to entertain through humor or drama. If it becomes overly burdensome or embarrassing out-of-game, it is not entertaining. At the time the Curse is cast, a player who would suffer out-of-game embarrassment or difficulty with roleplaying the Curse may negotiate out-of-game for a different Curse. However, he or she must eventually accept one of the Curses listed below.

In order to bestow a Curse, the gypsy must be able to see the victim and must be able to speak. Note that this skill is not packet-delivered. You may not bestow a Curse if Silenced, unconscious, or blindfolded. The gypsy can even be bound or magically held and still be able to cast a Curse as long as they can still talk and can still see the victim. The Curse will pass through a Wall of Force, a Circle of Power, or any other magical barrier since the curse itself not magical.

The Curse takes effect immediately upon the completion of the Curse verbal. The victim has to hear the Curse being given by the gypsy. (Unconscious victims cannot be Cursed.) The effects aren’t noticeable until the victim is given all applicable props, instructions, etc. Do not call a Hold!

The Curse will remain in effect until removed by a Remove Gypsy Curse or either the resurrection of the gypsy or the victim.

In order to remove a Curse, a gypsy must simply touch the Cursed character and state “Your Curse is Removed.” The Cursed character must be willing and conscious. Note that this uses one of the character’s Gypsy Curses for the day. It may also bring down the wrath of other gypsies if it was removed it without their permission! One Remove Gypsy Curse will rid the victim of all active Gypsy Curses.

Ideally, removal of the Curse should be roleplayed out with the kind of great theatrical spectacle that gypsies love. Lots of bell ringing, incense burning and requiring the person who is having the Curse removed walk backwards or do other silly things fits right in with the gypsy character even if these things do not actually remove the Curse. (After all, making non-gypsies look foolish is a favorite gypsy pastime.)

Spell defenses do not block Gypsy Curses, nor can they be Dodged or Resisted. Gypsy Curses are not magical, and so cannot be removed by the spells Dispel Magic or Remove Curse, or even the Destroy Magic effects of Formal Magic.

Gypsy verbals are unlike spell verbals in many ways. First of all, they are not disrupted by combat damage taken. Second, they all begin with a little personalized prefix of the gypsy’s choice, such as “May a thousand ills befall me if. . .”, “May my favorite horse break all his legs if. . .”, “May I die a long and painful death if. . .” and so on. Gypsies are encouraged to come up with their own colorful prefixes.

Gypsy Curses are all roleplaying Curses only! The Cursed player should not allow the Curse to hinder combat abilities in any way! The Curse is not intended as a combat effect.

The Cursed player should try to act out the effects of the Curse as often and completely as possible. The Curse is intended as a nuisance and a hindrance.

The following Curses are allowed and no others:

Uncontrollable Action: “(Individual prefix) if you do not ______ with every thing you do and say!” Fill in the blank with some inconsequential but annoying action like the following: Rhyme, bark, laugh, jump, sing, sneeze, skip, cough, whistle, burp, limp, trip, spin, cry, etc. Effects: The Cursed character must attempt to make all sentences rhyme, will constantly trip, giggle or sneeze uncontrollably, or will otherwise abide by the requirement of the curse.

Deformities: “(Individual Prefix) if you do not _______!” Fill in the blank with something along the following lines: Grow a pig’s tail, grow warts upon your face, sprout the mane of a lion, etc. Effects: The player must wear the appropriate makeup or mask to simulate the change of appearance. These items must be supplied by the gypsy bestowing the Curse. A player may refuse to wear a mask or appendage if he or she feels it may be a hindrance in combat or a safety hazard, and can refuse to wear makeup in the case of allergies or similar reasons. In these cases, the gypsy may replace the Curse with another from the Curse list, such as an Uncontrollable Action or Personality Change.

A Deformity curse may not be used to simulate the appearance of another race or monster! (no vampire fangs, no elf ears, no ghoul’s claws, etc.) It may only be used to simulate the features of real life animals or deformities. No such deformities can ever be used offensively as weapons. Also, this Curse cannot be used to disguise someone so that they can commit crimes without being identified. Anyone affected by the Curse should still be easily recognizable as their character.

Personality Changes: The following two Curses can affect how your character thinks or acts in-game. It is entirely up to the affected player to decide how to properly roleplay a given Curse, not the gypsy who bestowed it.

“(Individual Prefix) if you do not help those less fortunate than yourself!” Effects: The affected character will attempt to aid any non-hostile player they see in trouble or that requests help.

“(Individual Prefix) if you do not become the opposite of yourself!” Effects: The affected character should take some important facet of their personality and reverse it. A greedy character may become a philanthropist, a cowardly character might charge bravely into conflict, and a normally peaceful and reasonable character might become aggressive and short-tempered. This Curse does not act as a Charm; it does not necessarily turn the antagonistic Cursed victim into the gypsy’s best friend. Remember, it is the affected player’s choice as to how his or her character’s personality is affected by this Curse.