Skills For The OSR

So, I found this little PDF on RPGNow and downloaded it. It’s a table of 144 skills that can be used with any OSR game, with no associated rules, just a suggested ability score. The skills on the list seem to partake of the standard types plus lots of importations from Warhammer and the 3.5/PF Barbarian’s abilities redefined as skills. Now, I’m aware skills are anathema to some folks out there: they can, if handled poorly, replace player ingenuity with a dice roll, and can clog up the character sheet and take time at the table. However, as an old Rolemaster player, I get something of a kick from large skill lists, and I also don’t believe the above chestnuts tell the whole story about skills (but some of the risks of skills are mentioned here).

Using this document as a basis (I've excised the Barbarian class abilities and some others), I’ve set myself an intriguing and – hopefully – fun task: to create a skill system that doesn’t hold things up at the table, where a character’s skills provide a guideline to their level of competency…and that’s pretty much all. The system I have in mind is mostly diceless, unless there is a gain in excitement – such as when a character attempts to transcend their skill level, for example, or is required to act, and act fast. Then, the GM can allow the dice to take a hand.

As an example, Vertumnus the 2^nd-level Mage is alone, cornered by 6 angry Orcs, and out of spells. All he has left is one potion he hasn’t had time to analyze yet. He has a Potion Lore competency of 2, and, unbeknownst to him, the vial he holds contains a potion of fly. Ordinarily (for the sake of argument), a fly potion has a usual Potion Lore difficulty of 4 to be identified, which means Vertumnus would need to take greater pains than usual to identify it. But he’s in a hurry: all he has time to do is uncork the bottle, take a quick sniff and hope it jogs something in his memory. OK, the GM says: add your INT score and subtract 2 (this being the difference between the required competency and Vertumnus’ competency) then roll 1d10 and try to break 20. Vertumnus’ INT score is 14, so he will need to roll 8 or better on a d10. Vertumnus’ chances don’t look good. He – somewhat remarkably – rolls a 9 and recognizes the heady brew for what it is. Gratefully, he chugs the contents and flies to safety as the Orcs gnash and curse below him.

The base system is pretty simple: characters are considered to be constantly training in skills they already possess, therefore, those skills are considered to advance as the character advances, unless the character decides to train in a different skill (upon advancing a level), in which case advancement ceases or the skill involved is the free 1^st level ‘professional’ skill – adventurers generally don’t have time to spend improving their gardening or watercolour painting skills. These skills only advance at a rate of 1 ‘level of competency’ per 4 levels gained (e.g. Rolf, a 7^th level Fighter who chose Mining as their professional skill at level 1 would be regarded as having the Mining skill to level 2).

At level 1, the character gains a Skill Profile from both their race and class. At levels 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 a character may choose a new (non-professional) skill, which advances as normal (e.g. our previous exemplar, Rolf selects Wilderness Lore and Strike to Stun at level 1, Evaluate at level 2, Stone Lore at level 4 and History at level 6. At level 7, he is treated as having Wilderness Lore 7, Strike to Stun 7, Evaluate 5, Stone Lore 3, History 2 and Mining 2). However, there’s also the idea of diminishing returns: after a skill reaches competency level 10, it will only improve every 3 levels. If Rolf reaches level 10, he’ll have Wilderness Lore and Strike to Stun to a competency of 10. Assuming he survives to level 16, these skills will now have a competency of 12.

Some classes/races get free levels of competency at level 1, and most of these will improve as a matter of course, whilst others are fixed unless the player elects to improve them.

One other cool thing about this exercise is that the skill table comes with a randomization function, using two 12-sided dice, so the skills I present at any given time will be as much a surprise to me as anyone!

So, without further ado, here is today’s skill, brought to you by the numbers 4 & 5...

ENCOURAGE

OK, the first point to note here is that there are also such skills as Command, Persuade and Inspire in the PDF, so, either there is going to be some crossover, or the three skills will require fairly strict delineation. However, there are considerable differences between them: to command or inspire or even persuade don’t seem to be quite the same as to encourage. 

Encouragement has a gentler, less authoritative feel to it compared to the other three, one that preserves the agency of the target. So I’m going to treat Encourage as encompassing the ability to quietly, empathetically persuade others to keep going. Not to take up a new cause, follow orders or to change their viewpoint, but to continue, without coercion, in the face of adversity. Therefore, it is not a skill that can be applied in to more than one target in a combat situation. Instead, it is useful in helping others to press on when exhausted, afraid or in despair.

As an example, a party of adventurers have fought hard in a dungeon and exhausted their resources: now, as they desperately try to outpace some pursuing Hobgoblins, one of the party’s henchmen – heavily fatigued and wounded – is about ready to surrender. The party’s Cleric takes him aside and has a few quiet words. The Cleric has a Competency of 3 in Encourage. The GM rules that the current circumstances require a Competency of 6. The Cleric is going to have to wear a -3 penalty in order to successfully exercise the skill.

In the usual run of things, Charisma would be the go-to ability for Encourage, but it is one of those skills that might plausibly use other abilities: a character might use Intelligence to use reason and logic to calm irrational fears, or Wisdom in order to gain insight as to the right motivators for the individual in question, or to convey their own faith and certainty. In the above situation, it is even possible that a physically powerful character might use their own robustness as evidence that all is not lost, and apply the Constitution ability!

In terms of Competency requirements, a Competency of 1 is all that is required to encourage someone to keep doing something that is not particularly daunting, under circumstances mostly favourable to performance of the task. A Competency of at least 10, on the other hand, is needed to encourage someone to continue at a task for which they are manifestly unsuited, in which failure is likely fatal. The GM would adjudicate on a case-by-case basis as to what is required. However, as a general rule, for each target above one, the required Competency should increase by 1.

Other factors to be considered might be the race of the target and the race of the one using the skill:  Dwarves might not respond so well to Elven attempts at encouragement, whilst Halflings might not welcome a Half-Ogre’s well-meaning, but somehow terrifying, efforts to boost their spirits. Also, previous history between targets may have an influence: Jorgen the Necromancer has been cruel and dishonest in the past: Ning the Thief is suspicious of his motives and is thereby a harder target.

In terms of game mechanics results, Encourage can never yield more than a single, one-time +1 bonus to attack rolls (but not damage), saving throws and skill rolls, and only in difficult situations: Blarney the Bard and Ash the Archer are baled up in a tree with a furious Ogre trying to uproot it. Blarney provides a few steadying words to Ash who is attempting to shoot the Ogre and drive it away. His first – and only his first – shot gains a +1 to hit.

ENCOURAGE
Primary Ability: Charisma
Alternative Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution
Usual Time Requirement: 1 minute or 1 round (in combat)
Availability: Level 1
Type/Rate of Development: Adventuring/Tactical; Normal (1:1)
FREE DEVELOPMENT BY CLASS:
OSRIC: none
Swords & Wizardry: none
Labyrinth Lord: Halfling, Friar
FREE DEVELOPMENT BY RACE:
OSRIC: Halfling
Swords & Wizardry: Halfling
Labyrinth Lord: Halfling

Note that the Friar class can be found in Class Compendium by James M. Spahn.

Note: this post and the following one on Scholarship were taken down briefly while I made a few alterations.