Clerical background skills

A Cleric begins with Legend and Superstition as standard, and then has 1 skill choice per 4 points of his base wisdom score to choose as he wishes. The starting base chance for all first level skills is the characters Wisdom x 2 as a %. Legend (Wis x 2)
Use this skill to recall Legends regarding locations, artifacts, weapons, historic events, etc.

Superstition (Wis x 2)
Use this skill to recall popular superstitions regarding places, creatures, objects or customs. How much reality is grounded in each superstition is debateable.

Preacher (Wis x 2)
This is the ability to tell good, entertaining yet enlightening and educationally instructive parables and stories to individuals or groups of people. A good preacher / storyteller has a large repertoire and knows how to select the best parable, sermon or story for the current audience. The level of success determines how well a sermon has been put forth, and thus determines the crowd's reaction. A fumbled roll will create hostility in the audience.

Herbalist (Wis x 2)
Use this skill to identify herbs and to know where to look for herbs. Herbs have many uses in potions, spells, healing and as sources of cash when sold. The standard time for a Herb search is 2 hours in a likely location. Herb availability will vary from location to location and by season of the year.

Fungilist (Wis x 2)
When on extended periods underground, it is useful to be able to tell the difference between edible and poisonous fungi (or which 50% of underground fungus is poisonous). It is impossible to harvest edible fungi without this NWP. If the PC has plenty of light and an opportunity to study the fungus in question closely and uninterrupted for 2 turns, no check is required. If he is unable to see the fungus properly, often the case when using infravision, or has to make a hasty decision about edibility, a check must be made. If using the skill to gather food, a one hour search will pick enough to feed two people for one meal or add as a quarter ingredient in a meal for four.

Librarian (Wis x 2)
This proficiency allows much knowledge on the proper handling, care, and filing of tomes. If a Librarian wishes to find a tome in a filing system he is familiar with, no roll is required. An unfamiliar filing system requires a proficiency check, while a library that has no standardized classification system calls for a check at -3 (the Librarian asks himself, "Where would I put that book if this were my library?"). The handling of brittle tomes is best left to a Librarian. A proficiency check allows them to handle brittle pages without further damage to rare, ancient tomes. In addition, Librarians are experts at quick research, and can skim any book they could normally read at 2-4 (1d3+1) times the speed it would take the average person to read the tome. Because one is actually only looking for key words and ideas, one cannot skim one's spells to decrease memorization time, but it may help reduce spell research time at the DM's option. The skill assumes that the Librarian speaks the language that the books are written in, or has some similar method to discern the contents of the book or piece of information he is looking for.

Animal Healer (Wis x 2)

The player can attempt to heal all types of normal animals. Following the same procedures described in the description of the healing proficiency, returns 1-3 HP if treated in 1 round after wounding, once per creature per day; continued care can restore 1 HP/day during non-strenuous travelling for up to 6 creatures. Gives a +2 save Vs poison if treated for 5 rounds within a round after poisoning, and diagnose disease, magical origins identified, natural diseases take mildest form and shortest duration. Supernatural creatures (such as skeletons or ghouls) or creatures from another plane (such as aerial servants or xorn) cannot be treated with this proficiency.

This NWP is not cumulative with the healing NWP - the first used will take precedence. The veterinary proficiency can be used on humans, demi-humans, and humanoids at half the normal chance for success.

Pantheon Religious Studies (Wis x 2)

Characters with religion proficiency know the common beliefs and cults of their homeland. The character automatically knows ordinary information of any religious sect of his own Pantheon and those of tolerated other Gods within the Empire. Special information, such as how the clergy is organized, requires a proficiency check.

Non Pantheon Religious Studies (Wis x 2)

A character must already have Pantheon religious studies before he can select this proficiency. It enables the character to expand his general knowledge into the major faiths of neighbouring regions, tribes and sub-tribes. The character is no longer required to make a proficiency check when answering questions about that religion. Such expert knowledge is highly useful to priest characters when dealing with their own and rival faiths.

Forbidden Religious studies initiate (Wis x 2)

Only available to those Clerics who have already acquired Pantheon and Non-Pantheon Religious Studies. This skill initiates the cleric into the forbidden lore of the enemy Gods of the Pantheon. It is taught by specialised Clerics of the Pantheon Orders Inquisitors, High Paladins and Exorcists and the cleric who learns this lore is carefully selected and vetted beforehand. This skill gives a check chance of knowing Arcane and Evil symbols of the proscribed Gods, the Elder Gods and some information on the Dead Gods. It also gives a chance of some small knowledge of their artifacts, rites and followers beliefs. Those Clerics who have learned such knowledge wear a special Pantheon amulet that is respected by Paladins and Temple elders.

Magicians background skills

A Magician begins with Legend and Superstition as standard, and then has 1 skill choice per 4 points of his base Intelligence score to choose as he wishes. The starting base chance for all first level skills is the characters Intelligence x 2 as a %. Legend (Int x 2)
Use this skill to recall Legends regarding locations, artifacts, weapons, historic events, etc.

Superstition (Int x 2)
Use this skill to recall popular superstitions regarding places, creatures, objects or customs. How much reality is grounded in each superstition is debateable.

Herbalist (Wis x 2)
Use this skill to identify herbs and to know where to look for herbs. Herbs have many uses in potions, spells, healing and as sources of cash when sold. The standard time for a Herb search is 2 hours in a likely location. Herb availability will vary from location to location and by season of the year.

Fungilist (Wis x 2)
When on extended periods underground, it is useful to be able to tell the difference between edible and poisonous fungi (or which 50% of underground fungus is poisonous). It is impossible to harvest edible fungi without this NWP. If the PC has plenty of light and an opportunity to study the fungus in question closely and uninterrupted for 2 turns, no check is required. If he is unable to see the fungus properly, often the case when using infravision, or has to make a hasty decision about edibility, a check must be made. If using the skill to gather food, a one hour search will pick enough to feed two people one meal.

Librarian (Wis x 2)
This proficiency allows much knowledge on the proper handling, care, and filing of tomes. If a Librarian wishes to find a tome in a filing system he is familiar with, no roll is required. An unfamiliar filing system requires a proficiency check, while a library that has no standardized classification system calls for a check at -3 (the Librarian asks himself, "Where would I put that book if this were my library?"). The handling of brittle tomes is best left to a Librarian. A proficiency check allows them to handle brittle pages without further damage to rare, ancient tomes. In addition, Librarians are experts at quick research, and can skim any book they could normally read at 2-4 (1d3+1) times the speed it would take the average person to read the tome. Because one is actually only looking for key words and ideas, one cannot skim one's spells to decrease memorization time, but it may help reduce spell research time at the DM's option. The skill assumes that the Librarian speaks the language that the books are written in, or has some similar method to discern the contents of the book or piece of information he is looking for.

Alchemist (Int x 2)
Allows a chance to identify chemicals and compounds, potions, poisons & recognize potential ingredients for alchemical potions (said ingredients perhaps being useful parts of recently slain creatures or discovered plants). Does not allow brewing of potions, etc. This skill also allows the user to attempt to brew acids. Can only make weak acid at no penalty to the check roll, and may make medium acid at a check penalty of -4 (see alchemy).

Spellcrafter (Int x 2)
Although this proficiency does not grant the character any spellcasting power, it does give him familiarity with all different forms and rites of spellcasting. If he observes and overhears someone who is casting a spell, or if he examines the material components used, he can attempt to identify the spell being cast. A proficiency check must be rolled to make a correct identification. Wizard specialists gain a +3 bonus to the check when attempting to identify magic of their own school. Note that since the spellcaster must be observed until the very instant of casting, the spellcraft proficiency does not grant an advantage against combat spells. The proficiency is quite useful, however, for identifying spells that would otherwise have no visible effect. Those

talented in this proficiency also have a chance (equal to of their normal proficiency check) of recognizing magical or magically endowed constructs for what they are.

Subtle Caster (Int x 2)

A wizard with this skill can cast spells so sneakily that no observer can detect any somatic spell components unless they make a successful Spellcraft skill check. If the wizard combines this with a Vocalize spell, the only outward sign that he is casting a spell might be the visible effects of the spell itself.

Dweomercrafter (Int x 2)
This rare proficiency represents a much in-depth study of Charter Magic - the forces, which underlie magic and the multiverse itself. Hence, it usually must be learned from a university or academy. On a successful proficiency check during spell research when learning or creating a new spell, the wizard can reduce the time required to complete the spell by 25% and add to its casting initiative by 1 point per each 5 points of his own intelligence score. The expenses that would have arisen during this now unneeded extra time of research are, naturally, not accrued.

Magical Engineer (Int x 2)

A character that has this proficiency can determine the nature of a magical item more easily. He does this by examining the item and looking for clues in its composition, form, and decoration. A successful proficiency check indicates that the character has correctly identified the item. Some particularly unusual magic items would apply significant penalties to this roll (e.g. while a Sword + 1 and Ring of Invisibility would have no modifiers, a Sword of Sharpness and Staff of the Magi might be harder to identify correctly.) The person using this skill may also be able to detect magical constructs for what they are (i.e., thats an iron golem, etc.), but not their special abilities (i.e., this is an iron golem and you need +X weapons to hit it and etc etc.. To use this ability, a person must make their Magical Engineering roll at half-normal chances. This skill also reduces the amount of time needed to construct a magical item by a percentage equal to the intelligence of the wizard/cleric.

Dark Arts Lore (Int x 2)

This skill allows the magician to know, on a successful check roll, to identify and guess at the purpose of any evil magical device or artefact, to recognise evil spells by sight or sound, and to guess at the nature and purpose of demonic creatures and their summoning rites.

Cryptobiology (Int x 2)
This skill allows the magician to recognise magical, enchanted or legendary creatures and to know something of their habits and purposes on a successful skill check.