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ViewsFeats, skills and abilitiesFrom BrWiki(Redirected from Feats, Skills and Abilities)
Main Page » Feats, skills and abilities Feats, skills and abilities A player character is not simply a second level fighter, or a third level magician. Characters of the same level are differentiated by their choice of skills, feats and abilities. The core rulebooks give a wide variety of choices, the majority of published books add even more options. But many DMs want more options, or wish to tailor the skills and feats available to suit the needs of their campaign.
FeatsFeats are ‘minor’ abilities that improve an existing ability or grant a new one. Try to explain why you have created the feat – particularly if it is designed to replace an existing feat which you have found to be problematic. When creating several new feats, it may be simpler to put several similar feats on one page, particularly if they form a feat tree. Similarly if producing several variations of the same feat (i.e. one for each human tribe that reflects their heritage) it would be better to have them on one page where they can be accepted/rejected en masse.
SkillsSkills come in two main types, ‘crunch’ skills like hide, spot, etc which are used to help a character (generally a rogue) survive in a hostile world, and ‘fluff’ skills which are used to add color and flavor to a world. Generally fluff skills will not cause game-play problems, but crunch skills can infringe upon feats and abilities available normally only to certain classes. (Of course, that may be the point of the new skill).
AbilitiesAbilities in this context are not the basic 6 abilities (con, dex, str, cha, int, wis) with the Birthright addition of bloodline; instead the term is used to describe the things beyond feats, but not spells, innate abilities beyond the norm, even magical, but inherent to the character rather than a spell to be memorized and then cast. Abilities come in the following types:
Natural abilitiesNatural abilities are those that need no magical explanation, or extra-ordinary training to use albeit possibly needing additional or altered appendages (like jumping, swimming with fins, flying with wings, etc)
Extraordinary abilitiesExtra-ordinary abilities are those which are non-magical but require extensive training or unusual physical ability to use.
Spell-like abilitiesSpell-like abilities are basically spells that the character can use every so often. Spell-like abilities do not function in areas where magic is negated or suppressed, they can also be dispelled and are affected by spell resistance. Generally spell-like abilities must be used deliberately – they are not automatic used each time an event occurs (although they may not require much concentration and may be a free action).
Blood abilitiesBlood Abilities are spell-like abilities unique to Birthright which derive from the characters bloodline. Blood abilities tend to run in families and so unless the ability is restricted to a few families, a variation of an existing ability, or minor in effect; it should be added with caution – if a blood ability was extremely useful it would be widespread due to the desirable marriage prospects of its scions caused by its usefulness unless it has unpleasant physical, social or magical side effects. If you do wish to create a new ability that is very useful suggestions to retcon it into the game should be made - i.e. suggestions of characters who have the bloodline, common 'swaps', etc.
Supernatural abilitiesSupernatural abilities are similar to spell-like abilities, but tend to be more ‘inherent’ – they are often in continual effect or are used every time a set condition occurs. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell resistance or dispel magic. They do not however function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. |
