Training

Learning and improving skills

At the end of each adventure hero action points are awarded according to the difficulty of the encounters. These may be converted into training points,, One training point for every 5 Hero points. These may then be used to train in the various skills. After each adventure any skill may be increased by one place only.

To raise any skill the sacrifice of training points is needed during the training. If the skill has been used during the adventure then the number of Hero points needed is the bonus level that is being trained to. If the skill has not been used in anger or the character has had no prior training then the HP cost is doubled. This means that those skills practiced under fire are the easiest one to train up in.

In many cases training must be performed at a suitable location such as a fighting school/ wizards laboratory where there is access to plenty of training apparatus. In most cases training cannot be performed whilst adventuring as dedicated time is required for the activities.

Related Skills

One weapon skill is often closely related to another. Similar weapons may be used at level -2 and trained from that level

Hero point and money costs are double the difference in skill levels between the related skills. This means that at low skill levels it is better to train normally but when a weapon has been mastered the cost for a similar one is less. Also you may train directly to 1 level below your related skill level.

Example.

Frank knows "arming sword" at +6 and wishes to learn the bastard sword.

As an unskilled yet related weapon he currently uses it with a 1d8 roll (equal to -4.5) +6 for his arming sword skill (equal to +1.5), though his actual skill is zero. Normally he could only train one level per adventure however since he already knows arming sword he may immediately train to level 5 (one lowere than arming sword) for a cost of

2 x (new skill - actual current skill)

2 x (5 - 0) = 10 training points

instead of 1+2+3+4+5 = 15 traning points (over 5 individual training sessions)

Training Point Costs

Maximum Improvements

When training between adventures it is only possible to increase your skills by a limited amount.

  • Skills may increase by 1 level,.
  • Power points by the number needed to cast the mage's/priest's highest level spell.
  • Stamina points by 10%+1 (Round up, bonus points rolled may take you over the normal limit).

Skill Increases

The number of points required to increase an ability is the level of the ability that is being gained. (Double if not used in anger since the last training session)

Health

Stamina

Gaining stamina does not cost anything.

Additional stamina points may be gained by training for 1 day and using one training point.

Characters may gain an additional point by rolling a difficulty of 12 against constitution. Hero points may not be used to affect this roll however Constitution counts as double face value (e.g. Con +1 gives a +2 bonus to the roll).

Stamina may not exceed 10 + 5x (Constitution + Endurance).

Points are equally split across the stamina columns (excluding Breather) starting from the slowest to recover.

Maximum stamina for a given class is typically in the region shown.

Level
Fighter
Priest
Rogue
Mage
Con
2
1
0
-1
End
1:1
2:3
1:2
1:3
1
25
20
15
10
2
30
25
15
10
3
35
25
20
10
4
40
30
20
15
5
45
35
25
15
6
50
35
25
15
7
55
40
30
20
8
60
45
30
20

It is expected that Endurance rises with level in the ratio given.

Wounds

Additional wound points may be gained by increasing your constitution.

Power points

Gaining power points does not cost anything

Maximum power points for a given level

Spell / faith level
Wisdom
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
1
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
2
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
3
11
14
17
20
23
26
29
4
17
21
25
29
33
37
41
5
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
6
35
41

47
53
59
65
71
7
47
54
61
68
75
82
89
8
61
69
77
85
93
101
109
9
77
86
95
104
113
122
131

table needs updating (add extra willpower)

Mage

Additional power points may be gained by training for 1 day and using 1 training point. Characters with high intelligence may gain an additional point by rolling a difficulty of 12 against intelligence. Hero points may not be used to affect this roll.

Your willpower controls the mental strain you can put up with and your Arcane knowledge ability gives you the skill to control and therfore be less affected by the power, This limits the number of power points you may have.

Arcane knowledge * (Arcane knowledge + 2xWillpower) +5

Priest

Additional power points may be gained by training for 1 day and using 1 training point. Characters with high wisdom may gain an additional point by rolling a difficulty of 12 against Willpower. Hero points may not be used to affect this roll.

Power points may not exceed your Faith x (Faith+2xWillpower) +5

Spells

Mages don't need training points to learn spells. They require 1 day's teaching per power point of spell.

Priests gain about 2 prayer levels for each TP sacrificed in good causes to the god (e.g. using it to improve your concentration on the perfection of a statue whilst creating a shrine). These acts for you god will take 1 day per training point spent.

When being taught a new spell level for a spell type (e.g. elemental level 4) the mage will also teach one spell of that level which is automatically learnt as they will have examined it in detail as part of the training to the new level.

Attribute increases

Attributes naturally increase by sustained adventuring. Long nights and hard fights will increase your constitution and strength, burying your head in books of spells increases your intelligence (?).

A character must be using the attribute to be able to increase it, therefore they must have trained in a skill whose attribute is the one desired to at least the level indicated; magic or permanent racial bonuses do not count towards this.

Bonuses which may have been gained from the higher attribute such as bonus stamina or power points cannot be gained retrospectively.

Any skill can be used to increase you attributes. The attribute increases when you reach the minimum level according to the table. For each additional 4 skill levels or 2 spell levels the attribute may be increased again. You may gain the increase for each different skill that reaches the necessary level. Note that for weapons the second skill used must be in an unrelated weapon group (e.g. axe to sword).

New

Attribute
Training Points
Minimum Level Required
Skill
Spell
Stamina
Max +2
12
11
6
40
Max +1
10
9
5
35
Max
8
7
4
30
Max -1
7
6
4
25
Max -2
6
5
3
20
Max -3
or lower
5
4
3
15

Weapons with 1/2 Dex and 1/2 Strength

Weapons with split attributes use each of those attributes only half as much, so you need an additional level before you can train.

Any weapon skill may only put up one attribute. (You don't get to increase Str, Dex & Alert just because you hit Arming sword 6th level). You can only put up the same or different attribute after at least an additional 4 levels.

Alertness

Alertness is used in the parry skill which isn't directly tracked. It may therefore be put up when any melee weapon has reached the required level (instead of strength or dexterity).

Constitution

Constitution may also be increased when a character reaches certain Stamina Point levels (excluding and given by familiars or similar).

Note that an increase in Constitution also gives an additional 2WP and a corresponding Stamina Point.

Permanent saving throws

Savings throws are based on skills so may be increased by improving the skill.

Costs and time scales

Stamina and abilitiy increases do not require training or costs, the act of adventuring increases your abilities.

Almost all skills require a trainer to teach you the more elaborate tricks and techniques however some such as ranged weapons only need half the time in taught instruction and the other half in practice.

  • Knight's sword needs a coach and sparring partners.
  • Longbow after technique correction can be practiced alone.
  • Wizards need another wizard with a laboratory.
  • Priests only need to spend time in devout prayer at a consecrated temple or shrine, sacrificing hero points to their god.

Training normally requires 1 day per training point used however it is also dependant upon

  • Your intelligence
  • Trainer's ability (level)

Costs

You pay for the trainer plus materials each day at the daily rate for the trainer's level.

  • Mages charge double the normal rate
  • Feats cost 50g and 1 day up to level 4; 200g and 2 days above level 4

You still need to pay for board and lodge whilst training.

Facilities & equipment used are provided by the trainer and included in the cost.

Trainer

In general trainers should be of a level higher than the level you are training to, if not their own lack of technique will cause them to take longer to train you.

Cost is dependant upon their level.

This will vary, according to the number of trainers available and an influence check.

Normally training only occurs from Monday to Saturday, if training on a Sunday is required the cost will be tripled for that day.

Training whilst adventuring

Training in certain skills is possible whilst adventuring so long as it does not need specialised equipment such as a laboratoory. However the timescale is stretched to 1 week per training point as you can't get continuous uninterupted study and practise. Additionally you 50% more training points (round up) to counter any missing basic training equipment.

Intelligence roll

All skills benefit from being intelligent when the more difficult activities are learnt. This is modelled by altering the time needed to learn skills depending upon an intelligence check.

INT +1 if trainer is above the minimum level

Int check
Days required
<6
+1
6 -16
0
17+
-1

There is a minimum period of 1 day.

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