LANIK 2.0 - Skill List

Contents

Skill tree
Body
Wilderness
Martial
Craft
Art
Science
Social
Magic
Skill descriptions

Skill tree

The complete skill tree follows. Container skills are listed between square brackets [].

Body

• strength
  • jumping
  • powerlifting
  • sprinting
• endurance
  • running
• dexterity
  • acrobatics
    • fall breaking
    • juggling
    • jumping and saulting
    • trapeze-working
  • coordination
    • ambidexterity
• moving
  • stealth
  • swimming
  • [mountaineering]
    • climbing free
    • climbing with rope
  • balance
    • cycling
    • skating
    • skiing
    • tightrope walking
• breathing
  • breath control
• [voice]
  • ventriloquism
  • voice imitation

Wilderness

• senses
  • alertness
  • time sense
• environment
  • direction sense
  • find water
  • [plant and herb lore]
  • predict weather
• animal skills
  • hunting
    • fishing
    • hunting
    • tracking
    • trap setting
  • [riding]
    • [animal riding]
• travelling
  • camp making
  • hiking

Martial

• [hand combat]
  • close combat
  • duelling
  • melee
  • charging
  • phalanx
  • special fighting styles
    • berserking
  • handicapped fighting
    • armored fighting
    • fighting from horseback
• [missile combat]
  • missiles
  • artillery
• elite skills
  • assassination

Craft

• nature craft
  • [plants]
    • agriculture
    • forestry
    • horticulture
  • [animals]
    • animal handling
    • herding
  • [humans]
    • grooming
    • healing
    • massage
• ancient craft
  • stoneworking
    • gem cutting
    • marbling
    • masonry
    • plastering
    • pottery
  • [metalworking]
    • blacksmithing
    • gold-and-silver smithing
    • locksmithing
    • armor making
    • weaponsmithing
  • glassworking
    • glass blazing
  • [carpentry]
    • bowfletching
    • carpentry
  • [leatherworking]
    • leathercraft
    • skinning and tanning
  • cloth working
    • cloth making
    • tailoring
  • wax working
    • chandling
  • combinations
    • limning
    • rope making
    • weaponcraft
    • writing sheet making
  • food working
    • butchering
    • baking
    • [brewing]
      • beer brewing
      • spirit distillation
      • vintning
    • cooking
• engineering
  • architecture
    • exterior architecture
    • interior architecture
  • [engines]
    • mill design
    • siege engine design
  • vehicles
    • aerial craft design
    • car design
    • ship design
• machine operation
  • car driving
  • [navigation]
    • rowing
    • sailing
  • milling
• gaming
  • conjuring tricks
  • gambling
• spionage skills
  • detection & obscurement
    • disguise
    • lip reading
    • trailing
  • manual tricks
    • lock picking
    • pick pocketing
    • knots
  • [signaling]
    • light signals
    • smoke signals

Art

• dancing
  • choreography
  • dancing
  • tea ceremony
• music
  • composing
  • conducting
  • keyboards
  • percussion
  • pipes
  • singing
  • strings
• podium arts
  • acting
  • directing
  • puppet theatre
  • storytelling
• composing
  • materials
    • clayworking
    • sculpting
    • woodcarving
  • imaging
    • calligraphy
    • drawing & painting
  • composition
    • flower arranging
    • landscape gardening
  • [literature]
    • poetry
    • prose

Science

• reading & writing
  • reading & writing, character-based
  • reading & writing, symbol-based
• alpha science
  • [art history]
  • linguistic science
  • literature
• beta science
  • biology
  • chemistry
  • elements
    • earth
    • water
    • air
    • fire
  • mathematics
  • physics
• gamma science
  • [demographics]
  • [history]
  • [law]
  • [politics]
  • [sociology]
  • [theology]

Social

• communication
  • speak language
• [social knowledge]
  • bureaucracy
  • [etiquette]
  • streetwise
• [psychology]
  • begging
  • haggling
  • interrogation / intimidation
  • negotiation
  • oration
  • seduction
  • subterfuge / lying
• [management]
  • logistics
  • people management
  • teaching
  • troop commanding
• mental control
  • ascetism
  • eidetic memory
  • pain control

Magic

• lanik magic
  • metamagic
    • [skill magic]
    • spellcraft
    • enchantment
  • physical magic
    • matter magic
    • forces magic
    • energy magic
    • weather magic
  • life magic
    • health magic
    • shape changing
  • mental magic
    • illusionism
    • psionics
  • spirit magic
    • [conjuration]
    • necromancy
  • astral magic
    • battle magic
  • dimension magic
    • travel magic
    • divination

Skill descriptions

Below are listed all skills available in the Lanik system, in alphabetical order.

Before calculating skill level of the normal skills, modify the ability scores with the ability skills.

acting

Description: Acting plays

Tree position: Art - podium arts
Starting level = [art/2 + charisma/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can do simple impersonations.
• Novice: Can memorize texts and act in a play in a minor role.
• Skilled: Can act in a play in a secondary role.
• Expert: Can act in a play in a main role.
• Master: Can act multiple main roles in the same play.
• Grandmaster: Can convince audience that player actually is the person being acted.
• Guru: Can actually become a person being acted.

aerial craft design

Description: Designing aerial craft

Tree position: Craft - engineering - vehicles
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can design rope constructions to tie people to flying craft / steeds.
• Novice: Can design saddle, tack & harness for flying steeds.
• Skilled: Can design primitive parachutes.
• Expert: Can design balloons big enough to carry people.
• Master: Can design primitive gliding aeroplanes (about the level of the experiments of Cayley or Lilienthal).
• Grandmaster: Can design a self-propelled aircraft.
• Guru: Can fly without tools or vehicles.

Note that this skill is extremely rare and technologically very advanced too.

agriculture

Description: Growing crops

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - plants
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can try to help crops survive.
• Novice: Can grow crops in fertile areas.
• Skilled: Can handle irrigation systems and grow crops in dry areas.
• Expert: Can find water and grow grops in steppes.
• Master: Can grow crops in deserts.
• Grandmaster: Can grow crops almost anywhere (even underground), using special manure, spraying with water and artificial light.
• Guru: Can grow crops where there is no soil, water and/or sunlight.

To determine the harvest yield, take the expertise skill level of the farmer and add a modifier for the weather during the growing period preceding the harvest: disastrous -3, very bad -2, bad -1, normal 0, good +1, very good +2, splendid +3.
The abundance of food depends on the outcome: -1 or less = starvation, 0 = very meager, 1 = meager, 2 = normal, 3 = good, 4 = abundant, 5 or more = very abundant.

air

Description: Study of the air element

Tree position: Science - beta science - elements
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday air elemental phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in air elemental experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze air experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (windmill).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (separate two types of gases).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (wind machine).
• Guru: Does not need air to breathe.

alertness

Description: Training on preventing surprise

Tree position: Wilderness - senses
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Is not easily surprised when weary of danger.
• Novice: Has increased awareness of his surroundings.
• Skilled: Maintains a low level of alertness at all times.
• Expert: Martial skills are only halved, not zeroed, in case of a surprise attack.
• Master: Martial skills are only lowered to ¾ normal in case of an a surprise attack, is allowed an alertness check even when asleep.
• Grandmaster: Cannot be stunned or attacked by surprise.
• Guru: If knocked out, will recover from unconsciousness almost immediately.

In situations of surprise, a character is allowed an alertness skill check. If this succeeds, surprise is prevented and the character can react immediately.

ambidexterity

Description: Using both hands on equal skill level

Tree position: Body - dexterity - coordination
Starting level = [dexterity/6 + 2]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can do simple and medium tasks with off-hand.
• Novice: Can do advanced tasks with off-hand, but at a -2 penalty to skill level.
• Skilled: Can use off-hand just like main hand without penalties, for instance write left and right handed.
• Expert: Can use both hands in same way, for instance write left and right handed without noticeable difference, can use feet for simple manual tasks.
• Master: Can do advanced tasks like writing using feet instead of hands.
• Grandmaster: Can do simple tasks without touching tools or the subject(s) being worked on.
• Guru: Can do advanced tasks without touching tools or the subject(s) being worked on.

animal handling

Description: Handling and training animals

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - animals
Starting level = [craft/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can tell when an animal undergoes extreme emotions.
• Novice: Can tell emotional state of animal.
• Skilled: Knows animal's general behaviour and way of living, can tell reasons behind animal's actions.
• Expert: Knows how to approach an animal without frightening it, can train an animal to do simple tricks.
• Master: Can turn animal into familiar in [d3 +1] months; can train animal perform specific actions.
• Grandmaster: Can train animal to display advanced behaviour.
• Guru: Can train an animal into a familiar perfect mutual understanding, like two joined minds.

Simple tricks include hunt, attack, guard, track, work, carry a load on command - generally things that the animal is used to do by nature.
Specifc actions are more specific, like hunt/attack a designated target, guard against a specified type of foe, fetch a specified type object, etc.
Advanced behaviour includes hunting down a specified foe and bring him back captured but unharmed, fetching specific objects, scouting ahead and reporting back, etc.
The animal being trained must have intelligence >= 4. Training one takes 3d4 weeks. An animal must learn a simple trick before the specific action and that again precedes advanced behaviour. The number of animals that can be trained simultenaously is equal to the character's expertise skill level.

This skill is specific for a certain type of animal. When an animal of a related species is encountered (for example a black bear if the character has studied the brown bear), effective skill is lowered one expertise level. When an animal from a different species is encountered, another similar skill must be learned anew. However, general animal handling functions as a container skill for these fauna-specific skills.

animal riding

Description: Riding animals

Tree position: Wilderness - animal skills - riding
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + dexterity/10 + 2]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can mount an animal with difficulty, can ride an animal walking in foot-step.
• Novice: Can mount an animal without difficulty, can ride a trotting animal.
• Skilled: Can ride an animal in gallop, can determine rough age and worth of an animal on the market, can wield a trained war animal as weapon in combat.
• Expert: Can jump into or out of saddle in a nimble jump, can urge mount to high speeds and big leaps, can steer animal without using hands, can ride without saddle.
• Master: Can perform acrobatics on, at the side or under animal, can sleep while riding.
• Grandmaster: Can "converse" with animals to get mutual understanding.
• Guru: Can ride an animal so smoothly that the animal walks and runs like the rider weighs nothing.

This skill is specific for a type of animal. For different riding animals it must be learned anew. Animal-specific riding skills are effectively child skills of the general animal riding container skill.

armored fighting

Description: Fighting in armor

Tree position: Martial - hand combat - handicapped fighting
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can fight in very light armor (up to 7½ kg).
• Novice: Can fight in light armor (up to 15 kg).
• Skilled: Can fight in medium armor (up to 22½ kg).
• Expert: Can fight in heavy armor (up to 30 kg).
• Master: Can stand up when toppled over at maximum encumbrance.
• Grandmaster: Can fight even when all limbs are bound.
• Guru: Is almost impossible to pin down.

armor making

Description: Construction of metal armor and shields

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - metalworking
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can attach strips of metal to leather armor in a feeble way.
• Novice: Can enhance leather armor into studded leather armor.
• Skilled: Can make mail armor and metal helmets.
• Expert: Can make plate armor.
• Master: Can make armor out of exotic metals.
• Grandmaster: Can make armor that never rusts.
• Guru: Can make armor that is as light as clothing, is almost invulnerable.

artillery

Description: Fighting with artillery weapons

Tree position: Martial - missile combat
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: medium

See the combat guide for details.

art history

Description: Study of artworks

Tree position: Science - alpha science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can appreciate artworks.
• Novice: Knows the great artists and styles of his culture.
• Skilled: Knows all major styles, artists and their works.
• Expert: Can tell the artist from an artwork.
• Master: Can tell when the artist made an artwork (exact to the season).
• Grandmaster: Can tell the state and intent of the artist when he made an artwork.
• Guru: Can give instructions to copy an artwork, up to the individual moves needed for that.

This skill is specific for a culture. For different cultures it must be learned anew. Culture-specific art history skills are effectively child skills of the general art history container skill.

ascetism

Description: Suppressing earthly desires

Tree position: Social - mental control
Starting level = [social/2 + willpower/10 + 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Gives in to almost all desires, unless prohibited by danger or strong social suppression.
• Novice: Can limit giving in to personal weaknesses to few and controlled occurrences.
• Skilled: Can suppress personal weaknesses and phobia in most circumstances.
• Expert: Can live comfortably in seclusion.
• Master: Can ignore hunger and pain until the body collapses, devoid of emotional needs.
• Grandmaster: Can pursue goals after death, becoming an undead if need be.
• Guru: Completely dedicated to destiny, impervious to distractions of any kind and magnitude.

assassination

Description: Killing / disabling with one attack in surprise situations

Tree position: Martial - elite skills
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can assassinate sleeping persons.
• Novice: Can assassinate with hand weapons in surprise situations.
• Skilled: Can assassinate with missile weapons in surprise situations.
• Expert: Can disable with hand weapons in suprise situations.
• Master: No penalty for humanoids, -6 for animals.
• Grandmaster: -2 penalty for animals, -8 for spirits
• Guru: No penalty for animals, -4 for spirits

Assassination attacks lower combat defense skills to 0, for the first attack. After this first attack the victim will no doubt have become alert and raised his defenses to normal level. Disabling is rendering victims unconscious by clubbing / strangling / blocking vital nerves.

At the start, the assassination ability can be applied only to humans and humanoids, as knowledge of vulnerable points plays a vital part. For humanoids a -4 penalty is applied to damage dealt. At higher levels non-humanoid opponents can be taken on also.

baking

Description: Baking bread and other doughwares

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - food working
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can assist baking with simple tasks.
• Novice: Can make dough from flour.
• Skilled: Can bake bread.
• Expert: Can make pastries and cakes.
• Master: Can sculpt bread into artworks.
• Grandmaster: Can bake bread without a proper oven, make bread stays tasty for weeks without preservation measures.
• Guru: Can make tasty bread from almost any vegetable matter.

battle magic

Description: Affecting the fortunes of war

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - astral magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can rely on physical attributes, skill and luck.
• Novice: Can measure battle readiness.
• Skilled: Can bless/curse troops.
• Expert: Can modify weaponry.
• Master: Can summon warriors.
• Grandmaster: Can grant special attacks or defenses.
• Guru: Can make warriors invulnerable.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

beer brewing

Description: Brewing beer

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - food working - brewing
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can assist beer brewing with simple tasks.
• Novice: Can prepare ingredients.
• Skilled: Can brew beer.
• Expert: Can brew heavy, alcohol-rich beer.
• Master: Can brew tasty beer without alcohol.
• Grandmaster: Can brew beer that summons visions and spirits when drunk in substantial quantitities.
• Guru: Can brew beer that is as addictive as modern harddrugs.

begging

Description: Earning a modest income by appearing needful

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can get a few coins when being and showing misery.
• Novice: Can get a few coins when pretending misery.
• Skilled: Knows the best places for begging, can earn a meager living by it.
• Expert: Can appear so miserable that a modest living can be earned.
• Master: Can appear so wretched that someone will surely take pity and offer substantial personal help.
• Grandmaster: Can pretend mutiliations, diseases and such so well that they actually are there and make them disappear again (not any non-pretended afflictions).
• Guru: Can create actual mutiliations, diseases and such on own body and make them disappear again.

berserking

Description: Fighting in an ruthless all-attack style

Tree position: Martial - hand combat - special fighting styles
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can fight with anger and determination.
• Novice: Can fight berserk at +1/-1, preparation time is 30 minutes.
• Skilled: Can fight berserk at +2/-1, preparation time is 15 minutes.
• Expert: Can fight berserk at +3/-2, preparation time is 8 minutes.
• Master: Can fight berserk at +4/-2, preparation time is 4 minutes.
• Grandmaster: Can fight berserk at +5/-3, preparation time is 2 minutes.
• Guru: Can fight berserk at +6/-3, preparation time is 1 minute.

+x/-x means +x bonus on attack score, -x penalty on defense score, only in hand combat.

Note that in order to fight in "berserk mode" the fighter must be able to prepare himself. This preparation can also be done during a fight and thus berserking swings in during the later stages of the fight, if it is still going.

biology

Description: Study of biology

Tree position: Science - beta science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday biological phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in biological experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze biological experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (decoding of baboon alarm calls).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (Mendel's theory of genes ).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (a method of creating and steering mutations).
• Guru: Can breed entirely new species.

blacksmithing

Description: Smithing iron tools

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - metalworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can hammer iron into crude irregular shapes.
• Novice: Can make simple iron objects like nails.
• Skilled: Can make iron tools, horseshoes, furniture components.
• Expert: Can make intricate objects like a muzzle or cage, or a bell.
• Master: Can make very intricate objects like a small metal wires, a miniature cage.
• Grandmaster: Can forge magical tools like knives that never blunt.
• Guru: Can forge potent magical tools like axes that cut through metal.

bowfletching

Description: Making bows and crossbows

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - carpentry
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make crude arrowshafts.
• Novice: Can make arrowshafts and bowstrings.
• Skilled: Can make crossbows.
• Expert: Can make hand bows.
• Master: Can make repeating crowssbows.
• Grandmaster: Can make magical bows that operate even in wet weather.
• Guru: Can make magical bows that never miss their target.

breath control

Description: Controlling one's breathing

Tree position: Body - breathing
Starting level = [body/2 + health/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can hold breath for [health / 5] minutes.
• Novice: Can hold breath for [health / 4] minutes.
• Skilled: Can hold breath for [health / 3] minutes.
• Expert: Can hold breath for [health / 2] minutes.
• Master: Can hold breath for [health] minutes.
• Grandmaster: Can put own body into (and take out of) stasis for periods up to a day.
• Guru: Can put own body into (and take out of) stasis indefinetely.

bureaucracy

Description: Knowing one's way in the mazes of bureaucracy

Tree position: Social - social knowledge
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Is familiar with common procedures.
• Novice: Can speed up procedures slightly.
• Skilled: Can speed up procedures drastically.
• Expert: Can obtain rights and priviliges unacessible to less skilled people, can trace frauds.
• Master: Can fraud the entire bureaucratic system with hardly any trace.
• Grandmaster: Can fraud without leaving any trace in the archives, actually altering evidence.
• Guru: Can fraud without leaving any trace in either archives or the minds of civil servants.

butchering

Description: Preparing meat for cooking

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - food working
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can cut rough strips of meat from animals.
• Novice: Can skin and cut animals.
• Skilled: Can skin, bleed, cut and salt animals and remove fish-bones.
• Expert: Can make accurate assessment of meat quality, determine rough age of animal, trace common diseases which it may have contracted.
• Master: Can cut animals without blunting a knife, knows how to preserve for months by salting / freezing / drying.
• Grandmaster: Can tell exact health of animal by examining its flesh, can preserve flesh indefinetely.
• Guru: Can make rotten meat fresh again.

calligraphy

Description: Take writing up to the level of art

Tree position: Art - composing - imaging
Starting level = [art/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make crude, straight characters.
• Novice: Knows how to handle ink, pencil and paper, can write sloppy.
• Skilled: Can write neatly.
• Expert: Can make proper calligraphy.
• Master: Can make calligraphy that stands out by its beauty.
• Grandmaster: Can make calligraphy that can read itself out loud.
• Guru: Can create certain things by describing them in calligraphy.

In order to do calligraphy that is not just pretty but also readable, the calligraphist must be at least skilled in reading & writing for the language he is writing in.

camp making

Description: Making camp in the wilderness

Tree position: Wilderness - travelling
Starting level = [wilderness]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can set up a tent.
• Novice: Can set up tents, latrines, etc., can start a fire with flint & steel in good conditions.
• Skilled: Can find suitable campsites (with water source, defendable, well hidden), can start a fire with all kinds of tools (flint & steel, hot coals, fire drills).
• Expert: Can set up tents to withstand storm winds, can start a fire a bad conditions (wet / windy / dark), knows how to hide traces of campmaking.
• Master: Can start a fire in very bad conditions (wet & windy & dark), can set up a suitable campsite out of a small overhang, or on a bleak plain.
• Grandmaster: Can set up a campsite that is hidden from anyone who does not stumble right into it.
• Guru: Can set up completely invisible, or self-heating campsites.

carpentry

Description: Making tools, furniture and holders from wood

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - carpentry
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make simple wooden objects (for example sticks, jokes, hammers).
• Novice: Can make medium level wooden objects (for example tables).
• Skilled: Can make any normal wooden tool except bows (for example wheels, water-tight buckets), can assist in building of large structures (houses, vehicles, ships).
• Expert: Can make intricate wooden objects like miniature houses.
• Master: Can handle very difficult types of wood like tropical hardwood.
• Grandmaster: Can work wood without tools, just using hands.
• Guru: Can have wood grow (even dead wood) in shapes according to wishes.

car design

Description: Designing sleds, carts, chariots, wagons and other land vehicles

Tree position: Craft - engineering - vehicles
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make rough designs.
• Novice: Can design sleds and simple carts.
• Skilled: Can design chariots and wagons and supervise the building process.
• Expert: Can design racing chariots.
• Master: Can design advanced carts, chariots and wagons with suspension systems.
• Grandmaster: Can design sleds, carts, chariots and wagons and bind spirits to them to pull them.
• Guru: Can design flying vehicles, again pulled by spirits.

car driving

Description: Driving sleds, carts, chariots, wagons and other land vehicles

Tree position: Craft - machine operation
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can push / pull car.
• Novice: Can drive car at walking speed.
• Skilled: Can drive car at trotting speed.
• Expert: Can drive car with animals in gallop over light terrain, or at trotting speed over medium terrain.
• Master: Can drive car with animals in gallop over medium terrain.
• Grandmaster: Can drive a car without steering it with hands / feet.
• Guru: Can drive car accross water.

Note that some animals do not have the body structure to run at high speeds for a long time (for example oxen).

This skill is specific for a certain type of car-pulling animal. When an animal of a related type is encountered (for example oxen / horse / yak), effective skill is lowered one expertise level. When an animal from an entirely different type (for example cattle - feline - dinosaur) is encountered, another similar skill must be learned anew. However, general car driving functions as a container skill for these animal type specific skills.

chandling

Description: Making candles

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - wax working
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can melt wax.
• Novice: Can purify wax, can make fine-shaped candles.
• Skilled: Can make candles in elaborate shapes, can change colors of wax.
• Expert: Can make very elaborate shaped candles.
• Master: Can make composite candles, parts of which melt at different speeds.
• Grandmaster: Can make everburning candles.
• Guru: Can make candles that cannot be extinguished except with magic.

charging

Description: Making a charging attack

Tree position: Martial - hand combat
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: simple

See the combat guide for details.

chemistry

Description: Study of chemistry

Tree position: Science - beta science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday chemical phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in chemical experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze chemical experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (superior mortar mixture, weather-resistant blue paint).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (greek fire).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (magical potion).
• Guru: Can transmute nearly any substance.

choreography

Description: Designing dances

Tree position: Art - dancing
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can design very basic dances.
• Novice: Knows common standard dances, can design simple folk dances.
• Skilled: Knows uncommon dances, can design advanced dances.
• Expert: Can design a grand ballet.
• Master: Can design a grand ballet with inadequate crew.
• Grandmaster: Can design a dance that tells a story so well that the audience thinks the story is happening in front of them.
• Guru: Can design a dance so well that a story told actually happens on stage.

clayworking

Description: Making objects and statues from clay

Tree position: Art - composing - materials
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can mold clay into very rough shapes.
• Novice: Can make mini-sculptures, can select clay.
• Skilled: Can make simple statues, can handle a clay baking fire.
• Expert: Can make advanced statues.
• Master: Can use composite clay materials, bake with uncommon fires (dragon breath, for example).
• Grandmaster: Can make clay golems.
• Guru: Can create all kinds of living statues.

climbing free

Description: Climbing steep surfaces without tools

Tree position: Body - moving - mountaineering
Starting level = [body/3 + (strength + dexterity)/15]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can do rank 3 climbs.
• Novice: Can do rank 4 climbs.
• Skilled: Can do rank 5 climbs.
• Expert: Can do rank 6 climbs.
• Master: Can do rank 7 climbs.
• Grandmaster: Can do rank 9 climbs.
• Guru: Can do rank 12 climbs.

climbing with rope

Description: Climbing steep surfaces with tools

Tree position: Body - moving - mountaineering
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can do rank 4 climbs.
• Novice: Can do rank 5 climbs.
• Skilled: Can do rank 6 climbs.
• Expert: Can do rank 7 climbs.
• Master: Can do rank 8 climbs.
• Grandmaster: Can do rank 10 climbs.
• Guru: Can do rank 14 climbs.

close combat

Description: Fighting within grasping reach of an opponent

Tree position: Martial - hand combat
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: medium

See the combat guide for details.

cloth making

Description: Making cloth and carpets from raw materials

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - cloth working
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can crudely repair tears in clothing.
• Novice: Can make threads from raw materials (wool, cotton, silk).
• Skilled: Can weave simple cloth from threads.
• Expert: Can dye and paint cloth, can weave patterns.
• Master: Can make cloth and carpets with intricate designs.
• Grandmaster: Can make magical cloth that is almost impossible to rend, is water-resistant, etc.
• Guru: Can make flying carpets by weaving spirits into them.

composing

Description: Designing music

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can design very basic tunes and melodies.
• Novice: Knows common standard music, can design simple folk music.
• Skilled: Knows uncommon music, can design advanced music, knows staff notation.
• Expert: Knows and can combine all kinds of music styles.
• Master: Can design operas and operettes.
• Grandmaster: Can design a piece of music that tells a story so well that the audience thinks the story is happening in front of them.
• Guru: Can design a piece of music so well that a story told actually happens on stage.

conducting

Description: Conducting an orchestra

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can hum a tune for musicians to copy.
• Novice: Can give rough directions to a single musician.
• Skilled: Can handle a small group of musicians.
• Expert: Can handle a small orchestra.
• Master: Can handle a large orchestra.
• Grandmaster: Can inspire musicians to rise above their skill level.
• Guru: Can transform the most nonmusical rabble into a harmonious body.

conjuration

Description: Conjuring and manipulating spirits

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - spirit magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can take care with spirits.
• Novice: Can sense spirits.
• Skilled: Can call / ward spirits, can invite spirit possession.
• Expert: Can travel to a spirit world, can summon / scare spirits.
• Master: Can command and banish / chain spirits.
• Grandmaster: Can create / destroy, assemble / fragment spirits.
• Guru: Can gate in demons.

This skill is specific for a class of creatures. Example classes are: elemental spirits, nature spirits (forest, river, mountain, etc.), insects, birds, sea creatures, grazing animals, land carnivores, etc. For each creature class it must be learned anew. Creature class -specific conjuration skills are effectively child skills of the general conjuration container skill. For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

conjuring tricks

Description: Do conjuring tricks with appearing/ disappearing / transforming objects etc.

Tree position: Craft - gaming
Starting level = [craft/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can do very simple tricks (pea under one of three nutshells).
• Novice: Can do medium difficult tricks (pull an egg out of somebody's ear).
• Skilled: Can do difficult tricks (rabbit out of hat).
• Expert: Can do very difficult tricks (saw a lady in two halves).
• Master: Can do extremely difficult tricks (free oneself of multiple chains underwater).
• Grandmaster: Can do impossible tricks (teleporting).
• Guru: Can do impossible tricks (same as before, without prepared materials!).

cooking

Description: Preparing food

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - food working
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can cut vegetables and the like.
• Novice: Can prepare meat and fish for cooking.
• Skilled: Can stew /cook /bake / fry etc., make sauces.
• Expert: Can balance ingredients optimally to make delicious meals.
• Master: Can make a tasty meal with only the most basic ingredients.
• Grandmaster: Can make meat taste like vegetables, sweets like fish, or affect other mutations.
• Guru: Can make anything take like anything (wood like a candybar, for instance).

cycling

Description: Riding a bicycle

Tree position: Body - moving - balance
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can move by stepping / drive very unsteady.
• Novice: Can ride with only one hand to steer.
• Skilled: Can ride without using hands to steer.
• Expert: Can make wheelies, can stand still on wheels only.
• Master: Can ride a one-wheel bike, can make saltos and spins with a normal bike.
• Grandmaster: Can ride up moderate slopes and down severe ones.
• Guru: Can ride up severe slopes and down cliffs, can ride over water.

Note: The first bicycles appeared in the 19th century - post industrial revolution.

dancing

Description: The art of dancing

Tree position: Art - dancing
Starting level = [art/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can make simple manouvres (for example jumps, leg-flicks).
• Novice: Can make medium difficult manouvres (for example high jumps), knows common standard dances.
• Skilled: Can make difficult manouvres (for example rolls, toe-balancing), knows uncommon dances.
• Expert: Can make advanced manouvres (for example pirouttes, leg-splits).
• Master: Can tell a story solely by dancing.
• Grandmaster: Can dance so well that the audience thinks the story is happening in front of them.
• Guru: Can dance so well that a story told actually happens on stage.

demographics

Description: Study of demographics

Tree position: Science - gamma science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows major races, animals, monsters and spirits of home area.
• Novice: Knows rough proportions of major populations between races in political area; has rough overview of industry and trade of ecnomically active races.
• Skilled: Knows approximate proportions of populations between races in political area and rough migration routes of nomads; has good overview of industry and trade of economically active races, rough overview of economically less active races.
• Expert: Knows exact migration routes of nomads, has good overview of industry and trade of economically less active races.
• Master: The same for the more obscure races and small populations; has insight to birth and death rates.
• Grandmaster: Has good overview of population of spirits in home area.
• Guru: Knows what events en beliefs created and maintain local spirit population.

This skill is specific for a political area (usually a cluster of countries). For different areas it must be learned anew. Area-specific demographics skills are effectively child skills of the general demographics container skill.

directing

Description: Organise the efforts of actors into a coherent play

Tree position: Art - podium arts
Starting level = [art/3 + (charisma + perception)/15]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can give some feedback to actors after their performance.
• Novice: Can coach a single actor.
• Skilled: Can direct a small group of actors.
• Expert: Can direct a large group of actors and walk-ons.
• Master: Can accurately transfer personal vision to a large group of actors.
• Grandmaster: Can transfer personal vision to actors so well that it is like the director is acting himself through multiple channels (= the actors).
• Guru: Can direct animals and other non-human creatures.

direction sense

Description: Sense of compass directions

Tree position: Wilderness - environment
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can determine direction when sun is visible and rough time known.
• Novice: Can determine direction even in clouded weather, using signs from plantgrowth and the like.
• Skilled: Can navigate in darkness, using the stars and winds.
• Expert: Can determine direction underground.
• Master: Can determine direction in three dimensions, even after having been spun around etc.
• Grandmaster: Can determine direction in vast empty spaces (elemental world of air for instance).
• Guru: Can determine direction anywhere, even in non three-dimensional spaces.

disguise

Description: Designing and applying disguises

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - detection & obscurement
Starting level = [craft/3 + (intelligence + charisma)/15]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can disguise features and build using clothing and attributes like wigs and false beards.
• Novice: Can apply wear clothing and attributes properly, i.e. skirts don't show hairy legs, wigs are not blown off at the first whiff of wind, etc.
• Skilled: Can pose as a member of a different profession, class or sex, as long as not scrutinized thoroughly or interviewed.
• Expert: Can pretend injuries, disqguise as a non-human humanoid, etc.
• Master: Can inimitate way of speech, mannerisms to fool everything but the closest inspection.
• Grandmaster: Can alter physique to look and even feel like somebody else.
• Guru: Can alter both physique, voice, mannerisms to completely change appearance.

A disguiser can disguise both himself and others. In case of others, effective level is two expertise levels lower, as one must not also be well disguised, but also know how to wear it and how to behave. Thus disguising somebody else includes clothing, makeup and instructions on how to behave.
Instructions for simple disguises can be done in a few minutes, but complete impersonations can take days or weeks.

divination

Description: Scrying locations and creatures

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - dimension magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can use real world senses to gather information.
• Novice: Can do level 1 divinations.
• Skilled: Can do level 2 divinations.
• Expert: Can do level 3 divinations.
• Master: Can do level 4 divinations.
• Grandmaster: Can do level 5 divinations.
• Guru: Can do level 6 divinations.

For the level of divinations, see the spell guide.

drawing & painting

Description: Drawing with pen, pencil, chalk, charcoal, paintbrush or other tools

Tree position: Art - composing - imaging
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make simple sketches.
• Novice: Can make nice drawings and paintings, knows how to handle materials.
• Skilled: Can make accurate drawings of people, landscapes and the like.
• Expert: Can make abstract art, use exotic materials.
• Master: Can draw / paint with photographic detail and accuracy.
• Grandmaster: Can make the subjects of his drawings and paintings come alive; they speak, move and act but remain in the drawing / painting.
• Guru: As with grandmaster, but the live people can materialize and step out of the drawing / painting.

A drawer / painter must specialize in one instrument of painting, like those mentioned in the description. When he uses another instrument, his effective level is one expertise level lower than normal.

duelling

Description: Fighting a single opponent

Tree position: Martial - hand combat
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: medium

See the combat guide for details.

earth

Description: Study of the air element

Tree position: Science - beta science - elements
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday earth elemental phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in earth elemental experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze earth earth experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (method of finding ore vains, or separating iron from ore).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (predict earthquakes).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (growing and regenerating walls).
• Guru: Can walk / dig through earth and stone.

eidetic memory

Description: A very good memory

Tree position: Social - mental control
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can remember (subjectively) important events vividly.
• Novice: After studying for a few minutes, can describe a picture or scene in detail long afterwards.
• Skilled: After studying for a few seconds, can describe a picture or scene in detail long afterwards.
• Expert: Can remember long routes through mazes without difficulty, can recite a very short duration conversation / a short written statement word for word after hearing / reading it once.
• Master: Can recite a short duration conversation / written article word for word after hearing / reading it once.
• Grandmaster: Can recite a long conversation / full book word for word after hearing / reading it once.
• Guru: Can instantly recall everything ever experienced, in the finest detail.

enchantment

Description: Enchanting objects with magic

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - metamagic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can use generic enchanted objects.
• Novice: Can create level 1 enchantments.
• Skilled: Can create level 2 enchantments.
• Expert: Can create level 3 enchantments.
• Master: Can create level 4 enchantments.
• Grandmaster: Can create level 5 enchantments.
• Guru: Can create level 6 enchantments.

For the level of enchantment, see the spell guide.

energy magic

Description: Affecting heat and cold, light and darkness

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - physical magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can work with fuel and heat.
• Novice: Can sense hidden light sources and estimate temperatures.
• Skilled: Can kindle or smother fires, brighten or dim lights.
• Expert: Can shape and color fire and light.
• Master: Can create or extinguish fire or light sources.
• Grandmaster: [...]
• Guru: [...]

etiquette

Description: Knowledge and mastery of social codes, especially those of the higher classes

Tree position: Social - social knowledge
Starting level = [social]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Knows to be humble in the presence of an aristocrat.
• Novice: Knows basic titles and proper signs of respect, do's and don'ts.
• Skilled: Has mastered the "language" and gestures, knows favorite topics and fashion trends, can fool any commoner when posing as an aristocrat.
• Expert: Can speak with the right accent, radiates an aura of aristocracy, can fool lower nobility when posing as an aristocrat.
• Master: Can fool higher and royal nobility when posing as an aristocrat.
• Grandmaster: Can change etiquette rules by making artistocrats believe a certain way of dressing, eating or something else is proper etiquette.
• Guru: Is regarded as the ultimate authority on etiquette.

This skill is specific for a culture. For different cultures it must be learned anew. Culture-specific etiquette skills are effectively child skills of the general etiquette container skill.

exterior architecture

Description: Designing exteriors of buildings

Tree position: Craft - engineering - architecture
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make rough designs.
• Novice: Can design small buildings (for example shacks, chapels, small houses).
• Skilled: Can choose a proper building site, design medium size buildings (for example large houses, small bridges), can supervise building process.
• Expert: Can design large buildings (for example villas, large bridges).
• Master: Can design huge buildings (for example temples, castles, palaces).
• Grandmaster: Can design world wonders (for example true pyramids).
• Guru: Can design impossible buildings, like top-heavy structures on needle-like pillars, can design buildings that regenerate if damaged.

fall breaking

Description: Avoiding damage when falling from heights

Tree position: Body - dexterity - acrobatics
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: When prepared, can break a fall of about 2 meters.
• Novice: When prepared, can break a fall of about 3 meters.
• Skilled: When prepared, can break a fall of about 5 meters.
• Expert: Can break a fall of about 8 meters, prepared or not.
• Master: Can break a fall of about 12 meters, prepared or not.
• Grandmaster: Can break a fall of about 20 metres, even if hands and feet are bound.
• Guru: Can fall any distance without harm.

Breaking a fall decreases the effective falling distance for purposes of calculating falling damage. Thus if a master falls 10 meters, he suffers damage from a [10 - 6] = 4 meter fall only.
If the falling character is unprepared, the "free falling distance" is halved. If the fall takes place within reach of wall, cliff, tree or other vertical object with some handholds, the free falling distance is doubled.

fighting from horseback

Description: Fighting while riding a horse

Tree position: Martial - hand combat - handicapped fighting
Starting level = [martial/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Must dismount to fight effectively.
• Novice: Can wield a melee weapon from horseback one-handed, but must spend 1d2 segments getting the horse back under control after each attack.
• Skilled: Can wield a melee weapon from horseback one-handed, can make charges.
• Expert: Can wield a melee weapon from horseback two-handed or fight with two weapons.
• Master: Can shoot missile weapons with reduced attack penalties (walking horse 0, trotting -1, galloping -3), can fight from horseback without using a saddle.
• Grandmaster: Can fight standing (i.e. not sitting) on a horseback and still control the mount.
• Guru:

Note that in order to reach an expertise level in this skill, the practitioner must at leave have equal expertise level in the animal riding (horse) skill.

find water

Description: The ability to find water in the wilderness

Tree position: Wilderness - environment
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can find water in wet areas (swamps, areas with streams and pools).
• Novice: Can find water in medium-dry areas (forests, grassland).
• Skilled: Can find water in dry areas (steppe).
• Expert: Can find water in very dry areas (desert).
• Master: Knows where to dig pits to find water deep underground.
• Grandmaster: Can find water anywhere.
• Guru: Can find water where there is none!

fire

Description: Study of the fire element

Tree position: Science - beta science - elements
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday fire elemental phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in fire elemental experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze earth fire experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (fire-extinguishing chemicals).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (greek fire).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (combustibles that cannot be quenched except by magic).
• Guru: Is unaffected by intense heat or cold.

fishing

Description: Finding and catching fish

Tree position: Wilderness - animal skills - hunting
Starting level = [wilderness]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can try to catch fish by luck.
• Novice: Can fold and unfold nets, can prepare bait, can use a fishing rod.
• Skilled: Knows where to find fish and how to deploy nets.
• Expert: Can fish using a spear or harpoon.
• Master: Can fish for large animals like whales.
• Grandmaster: Can fish for any type of sea creature.
• Guru: Can summon fish into a trap.

flower arranging

Description: Making bouquets

Tree position: Art - composing - composition
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can put flowers in vases and arrange them symetrically.
• Novice: Can make simple bouquets.
• Skilled: Knows how to dry flowers and leaves and an make elaborate bouquets.
• Expert: Can fix up a flower garden.
• Master: Can change the colors and shapes of flowers.
• Grandmaster: Can make dead flowers come back alive and regain their freshness.
• Guru: Can make flowers arrange themselves.

forces magic

Description: Affecting physical forces

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - physical magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can exert force within boundaries of normal physical laws.
• Novice: Can sense forces.
• Skilled: Can slow or speed up things.
• Expert: Can change direction of forces.
• Master: Can create forces or nullify them.
• Grandmaster: [...]
• Guru: [...]

forestry

Description: Tending forests for growth and harboring game

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - plants
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can clear paths through forests, help an occasional animal in distress.
• Novice: Can locate and remove parasites from trees.
• Skilled: Can clear ground to allow young trees to gain a place, can select the right trees for lumber.
• Expert: Can cure trees that are ill (though not yet doomed).
• Master: Knows the roles of plants and animals and can rebalance the flora and fauna if necessary, can select the right locations to start a new forest.
• Grandmaster: Can "converse" with plants and animals on a basic level, influence them to adapt their behavior.
• Guru: Can make a forest self-aware.

gambling

Description: Playing and cheating games

Tree position: Craft - gaming
Starting level = [craft/3 + (dexterity + intelligence)/15 + 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can participate in games where rules are known or explained.
• Novice: Knows rules of common games.
• Skilled: Knows rules of uncommon games, knows winning strategies.
• Expert: Can influence other players with poker face, fake moves and other distractions, can cheat.
• Master: Can cheat effectively by spying on other player's cards or secretly replacing gaming materials.
• Grandmaster: Can cheat so smoothly that it is undetectable.
• Guru: Can influence roll of the dice, distribution of the cards etc. without touching them.

gem cutting

Description: Cutting and polishing gems

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - stoneworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can cut rocks and gems into small pieces.
• Novice: Can separate gems from rock.
• Skilled: Can grind and polish gems.
• Expert: Can split gems.
• Master: Can work the hardest gems (diamonds et al).
• Grandmaster: Can remove flaws from inside gems.
• Guru: Can reshape gems, fuse gems together.

glass blazing

Description: Making glass objects

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - glassworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can sift sand.
• Novice: Can prepare basic materials and small glass planes.
• Skilled: Can make simple bottles, vases and the like.
• Expert: Can make fragile bottles, vases and the like, can work with colored glass.
• Master: Can make intricate and precise objects like pipettes.
• Grandmaster: Can make glass that is almost unbreakable.
• Guru: Can make glass that intensifies reflected light.

gold-and-silver smithing

Description: Crafting jewelry

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - metalworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make crude and irregular shapes from gold / silver.
• Novice: Can strike coins.
• Skilled: Can make simple gold / silver jewelry.
• Expert: Can make intricate gold / silver jewelry set with gems.
• Master: Can make jewelry suitable for royality.
• Grandmaster: Can make jewelry that shines in the dark with intricate patterns.
• Guru: Can make jewelry that adapts itself to the light and the person that wears it, for optimal effect.

grooming

Description: Grooming and dressing up

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - humans
Starting level = [craft/3 + (intelligence + perception)/15]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can clean and tidy oneself in order to look neat.
• Novice: Can wash and clean, cut hair and nails, trim beards.
• Skilled: Can apply cosmetics, hairdresses and clothing in order to increase comeliness by 1 point for one day.
• Expert: Can increase comeliness by 2 points for one day.
• Master: For one day, can increase comeliness by 3 points and charisma by 1 point through instruction.
• Grandmaster: Can groom people in a way that defies hard wind, filth and other assaults on personal outlook.
• Guru: Can make somebody into an eye-magnet.

haggling

Description: Squeezing merchants, craftsmen and lenders of service to get low prices

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Pays way too much.
• Novice: Pays prices that allow the merchant a sizeable profit.
• Skilled: Pays prices that allow the merchant a normal profit.
• Expert: Pays prices that allow the merchant a small profit.
• Master: Pays cost prices.
• Grandmaster: Can get merchants to sell their goods below the price they bought it themselves.
• Guru: Can get merchants to give their goods away for nothing or for a symbolic amount of money.

healing

Description: Healing injuries

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - humans
Starting level = [craft/3 + (intelligence + perception)/15]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can stop minor bleedings and halve the blood loss of major ones.
• Novice: Can stop major bleedings, can keep wounds free from infections.
• Skilled: Can heal a damage point in 7 days.
• Expert: Can heal a damage point in 6 days, can heal a "crippled" person.
• Master: Can heal a damage point in 4 days, can heal a "downed" person.
• Grandmaster: Can a damage point in 3 days, can heal a "mortally wounded" person.
• Guru: Can heal a damage point in 2 days, can revive a "mortally wounded" person who has bled to death if help is applied within [health / 2] minutes after death.

This skill is specific for humans. When a non-human humanoid is treated (for example an orc or dwarf), effective skill is lowered one expertise level. When a creature from an entirely different species is encountered, another similar skill must be learned anew. However, general healing functions as a container skill for these species-specific skills.

health magic

Description: Healing or harming a living body

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - life magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can heal and harm through worldly means.
• Novice: Can diagnose health.
• Skilled: Can influence one aspect of health.
• Expert: Can influence multiple aspects of health, can effect regeneration.
• Master: Can kill and raise dead.
• Grandmaster: Can become immortal.
• Guru: Can make body indestructible.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

herding

Description: Herding and breeding cattle

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - animals
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can keep small herd of cattle together.
• Novice: Can keep large herd of cattle together, can milk and shave animals.
• Skilled: Knows where to find feeding grounds, can guard herd against predatory animals (if not too formidable).
• Expert: Knows how to breed cattle for best characteristics.
• Master: Can herd non-domesticated cattle (buffalo's, zebras, etc.).
• Grandmaster: Can herd exotic cattle (dinosaur herbivores, etc.).
• Guru: Can herd any type of (semi-)cattle (whales, migration birds, etc.).

hiking

Description: Travelling long distances and finding the best routes

Tree position: Wilderness - travelling
Starting level = [wilderness]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can walk short marches.
• Novice: Can walk day-marches without getting sore feet and minor injuries.
• Skilled: Can find optimal route through unknown light/medium terrain.
• Expert: Can find safe route through unknown heavy terrain.
• Master: Can start a fire in very bad conditions (wet & windy & dark), can set up a suitable campsite out of a small overhang, or on a bleak plain.
• Grandmaster: Can find safe route through magical terrain (certain spirit worlds).
• Guru: Can find exits of mazes without too much difficulty.

history

Description: Study of history

Tree position: Science - gamma science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows common history of home area.
• Novice: Knows major legends, folklore, heroes and rulers of political area.
• Skilled: Knows less common legends and folklore, genealogy of rulers.
• Expert: Can show the constant and changing factors in history and predict some future developments.
• Master: Knows the real stories behind some legends, sagas and stories, knows probable locations of some old treasures and monsters.
• Grandmaster: Knowledge goes back to time when the area came into being, can explain both thruth and full meaning behind legends.
• Guru: Can dig up accurate knowledge of any knowledgable historical fact in the area.

This skill is specific for a political area (usually a cluster of countries). For different areas it must be learned anew. Area-specific history skills are effectively child skills of the general history container skill.

horticulture

Description: Planting, growing and harvesting fruit, flowers and organic groundstuffs (cotton, hemp, etc.)

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - plants
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can try to help plants survive.
• Novice: Can grow plants in fertile areas.
• Skilled: Can handle irrigation systems and grow plants in dry areas.
• Expert: Can grow fruit in colder (not too cold!) areas and in steppes.
• Master: Can grow fruit in sub-artic areas and in deserts.
• Grandmaster: Can grow plants almost anywhere (even underground), using special manure, spraying with water and artificial light.
• Guru: Can grow crops where there is no soil, water and/or sunlight.

To determine the abundance, take the expertise skill level of the farmer and add a modifier for the weather during the growing period preceding the harvest: disastrous -3, very bad -2, bad -1, normal 0, good +1, very good +2, splendid +3.
The abundance of food / flowers depends on the outcome: -1 or less = starvation, 0 = very meager, 1 = meager, 2 = normal, 3 = good, 4 = abundant, 5 or more = very abundant.

hunting

Description: Finding, stalking and killing game

Tree position: Wilderness - animal skills - hunting
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled:
• Novice:
• Skilled:
• Expert:
• Master:
• Grandmaster:
• Guru:

When a hunter goes out hunting, he is allowed a hunting check every hour of hunting. If the skill check is succesful, he has found and located an suitable animal and stalked it to a range of about 60 metres. If he wants to get to 30 metres this must be declared in advance and a -2 penalty is applied to the check. If the hunter wants to get close enough for a melee attack the penalty is -4.

Hunting skill only allows to get close to the animal. Killing it requires skill in combat, usually with missile weapons. However, defense scores and melee skills of target animals are often minimal, so they can often be killed with one well-aimed attack.

For an area rich in game (a lush forest, for example), a +4 bonus is applied to the check. A harsh environment (for example a desert with few prey animals that usually keep out of sight) a -4 penalty is applied. The GM may vary bonuses and penalties according to the general fauna of the area.

A succesful stealth check gives a +4 bonus to the hunting check.

When hunting in a group, a +1 bonus is applied for each member of the group (maximum +6), as large numbers allow to encircle prey. However, the skill check is done using the average skill level of all the hunters.
When it comes to an attack, of course all members of the group can do so. To determine the number of prey animals trapped, throw a d3 and subtract 1 for each member of the hunting group. Minimum number is always 1. In case of multiple animals, the hunters may elect to increase their chances of hitting by targeting few animals, or enlarge the catch by targeting as many as possible.

illusionism

Description: Creating illusions

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - mental magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can use real world distractions and effects to fool onlookers.
• Novice: Can create level 1 illusions.
• Skilled: Can create level 2 illusions.
• Expert: Can create level 3 illusions.
• Master: Can create level 4 illusions.
• Grandmaster: Can create level 5 illusions.
• Guru: Can create level 6 illusions.

For the level of illusions, see the spell guide.

interior architecture

Description: Designing interiors of buildings

Tree position: Craft - engineering - architecture
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make rough and inconsistent designs.
• Novice: Knows basics of symmetry, lightfall, airing.
• Skilled: Can design entire interior layout and decorations, can supervise building process.
• Expert: Can design elaborate interiors.
• Master: Can design interior of royal palaces.
• Grandmaster: Can design magical houses that clean themselves, always have a comfortable temperature and humidity, or something similar.
• Guru: Can design magical houses that talk and can rearrange themselves to the wishes of the inhabitants.

interrogation / intimidation

Description: Wresting information out of unwilling subjects

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can bully for information.
• Novice: Knows some simple tricks to scare people and get them talking.
• Skilled: Knows psychological tactics and torturing techniques to break the silence of determined people.
• Expert: Can get strong-willed people to speak up.
• Master: Knows how to learn the primal fears of people and break the will of even the strongest ones.
• Grandmaster: Can combine torture and psychology with an empathic ability that will reveal information even from unbroken victims.
• Guru: Can manipulate subjects to volunteer information that is not even thought to be present by the interrogator.

juggling

Description: Keeping multiple objects airborne by throwing them up

Tree position: Body - dexterity - acrobatics
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can juggle one object.
• Novice: Can juggle two objects.
• Skilled: Can juggle three objects.
• Expert: Can juggle four objects, can work together with other jugglers, can juggle with objects that are difficult to handle like burning torches.
• Master: Can juggle six objects, can with hands, feet and head, in all kinds of positions.
• Grandmaster: Can juggle nine objects, can catch normal missiles at successful skill check.
• Guru: Can juggle a dozen objects, can catch all normal missiles.

A juggler receives a [skill/6] bonus on attack and defense with thrown missile weapons.

jumping

Description: Training of leg muscles, setting off, in-flight coordination and landing

Tree position: Body - strength
Starting level = [body + strength - 2]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled:
• Novice:
• Skilled:
• Expert:
• Master:
• Grandmaster:
• Guru:

Each level of jumping skill increases high jump height with 0.1 mtr and broad jump distance with 0.2 mtr (standing jump) / 0.4 mtr (running jump). See players handbook for details.

jumping and saulting

Description: Acting like a human bouncing ball

Tree position: Body - dexterity - acrobatics
Starting level = [body/3 + (strength + dexterity)/15]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can do normal jumps.
• Novice: Can stand and walk on hands.
• Skilled: Can make salto forward and backward.
• Expert: Can make double salto, or salto with screw.
• Master: Can make jump with saltos and/or screws and land in a tiny (about 0.3 meter diameter) area, can jump through a small hole and land on feet.
• Grandmaster: Can do acrobatics even when heavily encumbered.
• Guru: Can change course in mid-air.

Acrobats often need jumping boards or trampolines to get sufficient height for saltos and screws. However, in combination with sufficient level in the jumping skill, simple manoeuvers can be executed without auxiliary materials.

keyboards

Description: Play pianos, synthesizers and other keyboard instruments

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art + 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can play very simple tunes.
• Novice: Can play simple music.
• Skilled: Can play complex music.
• Expert: Can play with emotion, can perform creative solos.
• Master: Can bind and change the mood of an audience.
• Grandmaster: Can call up visions with music.
• Guru: Can shift the beliefs of an audience.

knots

Description: Tying and untying knots

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - manual tricks
Starting level = [craft + 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can tie and untie a reef knot.
• Novice: Can do some simple types of knots.
• Skilled: Can handle ropes on a boat or ship.
• Expert: Can handle cloth, steel, greasy and other exotic types of ropes properly.
• Master: Can get free from a containment of ropes.
• Grandmaster: Can makes knots that cannot be untied, except by a grandmaster or guru in knots.
• Guru: Can command ropes to wind and unwind, stretch, loop, tie and untie, etc.

landscape gardening

Description: Tending gardens

Tree position: Art - composing - composition
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can mow lawns, weed weeds.
• Novice: Knows how to plant and tend flowers, bushes and the like, can make simple arrangements.
• Skilled: Can tend a small garden completely.
• Expert: Can tend large gardens, "sculpt" plants into preferred shapes, make hedge mazes.
• Master: Can create a "Garden of Eden".
• Grandmaster: Can make gardens that can (slowly) rearrange themselves.
• Guru: Can make gardens that are self-aware and have a personality.

law

Description: Study of law

Tree position: Science - gamma science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows general outline of common laws.
• Novice: Knows details and interpretations of common laws.
• Skilled: Knows details and interpretations of less common laws.
• Expert: Knows all law-books and jurisprudence.
• Master: Can make rightful interpretations for gaps in the network of laws and custom.
• Grandmaster: Can redefine a law system, changing an aspect but keeping it compatible with local custome and tradition.
• Guru: Can define a law system from scratch to meet almost any requirements.

This skill is specific for a political area (usually a cluster of countries). For different areas it must be learned anew. Area-specific law skills are effectively child skills of the general law container skill.

leathercraft

Description: Making leather clothing, armor and other objects.

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - leatherworking
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make rags of leather.
• Novice: Can make simple leather things like aprons.
• Skilled: Can make advanced leather things like gloves, shoes, boots, waterskins, soft leather armor or undercoats.
• Expert: Knows how to treat exotic sources of leather, can make boiled leather armor.
• Master: Knows how to treat very exotic sources of leather, like dragon-skin.
• Grandmaster: Can make leather objects that do not wear and tear.
• Guru: Can make magical leather objects, like clothing that is always lice-free, water-resistant, etc.

light signals

Description: Signaling with flashlights (or lanterns with shutters)

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - signaling
Starting level = [craft/2 + intelligence/10 - 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can flash lights.
• Novice: Can interpret simple light signals.
• Skilled: Can send and interpret advanced light signals like morse-code.
• Expert: Can send and interpret light signals that is like a limited spoken tongue.
• Master: Can send and interpret light signals that rival a spoken tongue in complexity.
• Grandmaster: Knows how to set up amplifier and focusing mirror systems for light signals.
• Guru: Can send light signals without a light source.

limning

Description: Painting of large surfaces

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - combinations
Starting level = [craft + 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can paint surfaces with irregular colors and patterns.
• Novice: Can prepare paint.
• Skilled: Can paint large surfaces uniformly.
• Expert: Can paint irregular surfaces such that the irregularities are hidden.
• Master: Can do body-painting.
• Grandmaster: Can make paint that is weather- and fire-resistant.
• Guru: Can paint a surface to look like something else, for instance a wall to look like a forestwith magic.

linguistic science

Description: Study of languages

Tree position: Science - alpha science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can tell different languages from each other.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's (grammar, phonology, etc.).
• Skilled: Can analyze the grammar of a known language.
• Expert: Can point out the exact similarities between grammer, words, syllables between languages.
• Master: Can find the origins and history of words.
• Grandmaster: Can extrapolate whole languages from fragments, incomplete records and/or comparable languages.
• Guru: Can learn alien languages.

lip reading

Description: Reading speech by watching lip movement

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - detection & obscurement
Starting level = [craft/2 + perception/10 - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can understand about 10% of the conversation.
• Novice: Can understand about 20% of the conversation.
• Skilled: Can understand about 35% of the conversation.
• Expert: Can understand about 55% of the conversation.
• Master: Can understand about 80% of the conversation.
• Grandmaster: Can follow conversations in half-dark.
• Guru: Can follow conversations in darkness.

Succes of lip reading depends on the distance to the person(s) being read and the angle at which they are viewed. The default distance is 5 meters, default angle is 0°. For every 2 meters extra distance and/or 20° extra angle the effective skill score is lowered by 1 point. Unless, of course, you have a pair of binoculars.

literature

Description: Study of prose and poetry

Tree position: Science - alpha science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can recognize writing.
• Novice: Knows the great writers of his culture and the rough contents of their great works, knows common poetry forms.
• Skilled: Knows all major writers and their works, can explain their style and message, knows all major poetry forms.
• Expert: Can tell the writer from the story.
• Master: Can translate prose or poetry from one known language to another with the retention of most of its beauty and message.
• Grandmaster: Can translate prose or poetry from one known language to another with the retention of all of its beauty and message.
• Guru: Can grasp alien stories.

Knowledge of reading & writing at skilled level is required for a skill level greater than unskilled in literature, unless the literature of the culture is mainly oral.

This skill is specific for a culture. For different cultures it must be learned anew. Culture-specific literature skills are effectively child skills of the general literature container skill.

locksmithing

Description: Smithing locks

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - metalworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make crude and irregular keys.
• Novice: Can make simple keys.
• Skilled: Can make simple locks.
• Expert: Can make medium difficult locks and keys.
• Master: Can make intricate locks and keys.
• Grandmaster: Can make locks that are invisible to the naked eye or that never rust.
• Guru: Can make locks that open on a command word or the touch of specific hands instead of with a key.

lock picking

Description: Opening locks without the proper keys

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - manual tricks
Starting level = [craft/3 + (perception + intelligence)/15]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can force open weak locks.
• Novice: Can force open heavier locks.
• Skilled: Can pick simple locks.
• Expert: Can pick medium difficult locks.
• Master: Can pick intricate locks.
• Grandmaster: Can find and open locks that are invisible to the naked eye.
• Guru: Can open locks that open on a command word or the touch of specific hands instead of with a key.

logistics

Description: Managing logistics, planning an keeping record

Tree position: Social - management
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can organize logistics and administration of a minimal undertaking (cooking a meal).
• Novice: Can organize logistics and administration of a small undertaking (a birthday party).
• Skilled: Can organize logistics and administration of a medium undertaking (building a ship).
• Expert: Can supervise logistics and administration of a large undertaking (a royal dinner).
• Master: Can supervise logistics and administration of a huge undertaking (building a pyramid)
• Grandmaster: Can supervise an undertaking where he himself does not have any knowledge of.
• Guru: Can supervise a Celestial Bureaucracy.

marbling

Description: Working with ivory

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - stoneworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make irregular object from ivory.
• Novice: Can grind rough round shapes.
• Skilled: Can grind spheres and simple objects.
• Expert: Can make elaborate objects.
• Master: Can make fragile objects.
• Grandmaster: Can remove flaws from inside ivory.
• Guru: Can reshape ivory, fuse objects together.

masonry

Description: Stone cutting

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - stoneworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can cut stone into irregular blocks.
• Novice: Can cut simple objects like straight blocks and bars.
• Skilled: Can cut round shapes.
• Expert: Can cut simple ornaments.
• Master: Can cut intricate ornaments.
• Grandmaster: Can cut ornaments that are partially alive, that can talk, spit, wave their arms or something similar.
• Guru: Can create living gargoyles.

massage

Description: Massaging

Tree position: Craft - nature craft - humans
Starting level = [craft/2 + (dexterity + perception)/15 - 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can apply a rather ineffective massage.
• Novice: Can apply an effective relaxing massage.
• Skilled: Can apply a restorative massage.
• Expert: Can ease the pain coming from muscle aches and disorders, lumbago and the like.
• Master: Can apply a sleep massage.
• Grandmaster: Can lower pain treshold so subjects become effectively skilled level in pain control.
• Guru: Can inflict paralysis or lift it (if it is muscle-related).

A restorative massage can heal combat exhaustion. The massage doubles the rate of recovery from fatigue effects, but only for fatigue resulting from <= 15 minutes periods exertions.
A sleep massage so utterly relaxes a character that he will fall asleep, unless he resists and makes a succesful willpower check. Of course the affected character must be willing to accept the massage in the first place.
Massage-inflicted paralysis lasts a period of variable duration. Victims are allowed a health check every 10 minutes. When successful, the paralysis is lifted.

mathematics

Description: Study of mathematics

Tree position: Science - beta science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can count lower natural numbers.
• Novice: Can do simple calculations (add, subtract, multiply, divide).
• Skilled: Can do advanced calculations (extract roots, calculate missile trajectory).
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (abacus).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (proposition of Pythagoras).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (method solving equations with too many variables).
• Guru: Can solve any mathematical problem.

matter magic

Description: Affecting physical matter

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - physical magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can handle matter within boundaries of normal physical laws.
• Novice: Can analyze composure of matter.
• Skilled: Can increase or decrease structural strength.
• Expert: Can modify shapes.
• Master: Can create or dispel matter.
• Grandmaster: Can make limited transmutations.
• Guru: Can make full transmutations.

melee

Description: Fighting multiple opponents

Tree position: Martial - hand combat
Starting level = [martial - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

See the combat guide for details.

milling

Description: Operating a mill

Tree position: Craft - machine operation
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can admire or battle mills.
• Novice: Can set a mill in motion and stop it.
• Skilled: Can operate a mill fully, can make minor repairs.
• Expert: Can make extensive repairs to a mill.
• Master: Can run a mill with almost neglegible power.
• Grandmaster: Can keep a mill in operation without any power.
• Guru: Can instruct a mill to operate itself.

mill design

Description: Designing mills

Tree position: Craft - engineering - engines
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make rough designs.
• Novice: Can design simple rotation mechanisms.
• Skilled: Can design human/animal-powered mills, can supervise building process.
• Expert: Can design wind-powered mills.
• Master: Can design water-powered mills.
• Grandmaster: Can design mills that run on anything.
• Guru: Can design mills that run on nothing.

missiles

Description: Fighting with missile weapons

Tree position: Martial - missile combat
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: medium

See the combat guide for details.

necromancy

Description: Misting the border between life and death, handling undead

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - spirit magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can run away from undead monsters.
• Novice: Can sense undead spirits.
• Skilled: Can animate dead bodies, can call / ward undead.
• Expert: Can summon / scare undead, can travel to netherworld.
• Master: Can banish / chain undead.
• Grandmaster: Can kill / raise dead.
• Guru: Can exterminate / resurrect dead, can become a lich.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

negotiation

Description: Mediate in disputes and all kinds of contracts and agreements

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10 + 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can try to calm disputes.
• Novice: Can act as mediator in small disputes.
• Skilled: Can act as a professional mediator in sensitive business deals.
• Expert: Can forge (temporary?) agreements between enemies.
• Master: Can settle feuds, if both parties are at least slightly willing.
• Grandmaster: Can settle feuds in spite of unwilling parties.
• Guru: Can forge (temporary?) agreements between diametrically opposed universal forces.

oration

Description: Binding an audience to a story, presentation or an argument

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can tell a story or make a point.
• Novice: Can make a plea or oration without stammering, muttering or too much wandering around the message.
• Skilled: Can present a story, plea, argument or oration that binds the attention of an audience.
• Expert: Can impose an idea or opinion on a more or less receptive audience.
• Master: Can impose an idea or opinion on a unreceptive audience.
• Grandmaster: Can impose an idea or opinion on a hostile aufience.
• Guru: Can impose an idea or opinion on an audience without them remembering were or how they picked it up.

pain control

Description: Suppressing pain and other feelings of distress (hunger, fatigue, etc.)

Tree position: Social - mental control
Starting level = [social/2 + willpower/10]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Winces with sharp pain.
• Novice: Can keep a blank face with strong (not extreme) pain.
• Skilled: Can keep a blank face even when confronted with extreme pain.
• Expert: Effective physical and mental penalties from physical damage are ¾ normal.
• Master: Effective physical and mental penalties from physical damage are ½ normal.
• Grandmaster: Suffers no penalties from physical damage.
• Guru: Can keep on functioning even if physically ruined.

Though the effects of physical damage can be decreased, the damage is still real. This means that a master of pain control will still be incapicitated when damage points match his health.

people management

Description: Managing a team of laborers, craftsmen or other workers

Tree position: Social - management
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can give some directions to a small team (up to about 10 people).
• Novice: Can make adequate workorders for a small team.
• Skilled: Can handle all tasks (workorders, recruitment, coaching, etc.) relating to a small workteam.
• Expert: Can supervise a large working force (up to about 100 people).
• Master: Can supervise a working army (up to about 1000 people).
• Grandmaster: Can organize and inspire a workforce to work above their normal level.
• Guru: Can organize and inspire a workforce to work to the absolute limits of their ability.

percussion

Description: Play drums and other percussion instruments

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art + 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can play very simple rhythms.
• Novice: Can play simple rhythms.
• Skilled: Can play complex rhythms.
• Expert: Can play with emotion, can perform creative solos.
• Master: Can bind and change the mood of an audience.
• Grandmaster: Can call up visions with music.
• Guru: Can shift the beliefs of an audience.

phalanx

Description: Fighting in formation

Tree position: Martial - hand combat
Starting level = [martial]
Difficulty: medium

See the combat guide for details.

physics

Description: Study of physics

Tree position: Science - beta science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday physical phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in physical experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze physical experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (solar clock, watermill).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (Newton's theory of forces, wave-theory of light).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (magical device).
• Guru: Can alter physical laws (reverse laws of force)

pick pocketing

Description: Pick people's pockets unnoticed

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - manual tricks
Starting level = [craft/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can steal from bags and purses that are hanging open.
• Novice: Can slit bags and purses and steal their contents.
• Skilled: Can fish things out of pockets.
• Expert: Can steal ornaments like headwear, necklaces and loose bracelets.
• Master: Can steal ornaments like earrings and tight bracelets.
• Grandmaster: Can steal impossible things like underwear.
• Guru: Can steal and leave such an impression that people don't even realize the theft when they find their possesions missing.

If the victims of pickpockets are actively on guard against theft, effective skill level is lowered one expertise level.

pipes

Description: Play piping instruments like flutes, trompets, horns etc.

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art + 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can play very simple tunes.
• Novice: Can play simple music.
• Skilled: Can play complex music.
• Expert: Can play with emotion, can perform creative solos.
• Master: Can bind and change the mood of an audience.
• Grandmaster: Can call up visions with music.
• Guru: Can shift the beliefs of an audience.

plant and herb lore

Description: Knowledge of wild plants

Tree position: Wilderness - environment
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Knows obviously edible and poisonous plants (fruit trees, stinging nettle).
• Novice: Knows common edible, medicinal and poisonous plants (treebark, garlic, nightshade).
• Skilled: Knows uncommon edible, medicinal and poisonous plants.
• Expert: Knows rare edible, medicinal and poisonous plants.
• Master: Can determine edibility / medicinal use / degree of poisoness of an unknown plant type.
• Grandmaster: Can tell whether a plant is edible / useful as medicine / poisonous for another creature, if a little knowledge about the creature's metabolism is present
• Guru: Can extract poisons from healing plants, healing extracts from poisonous ones, etc.

This skill is specific for one type of ecology. For different ecologies the skill must be learned anew. Ecology-specific plant and herb lore skills are effectively child skills of the general plant and herb lore container skill.

plastering

Description: Plastering of walls

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - stoneworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can besmirch walls with irregular plaster.
• Novice: Can mix plaster.
• Skilled: Can plaster normal walls.
• Expert: Can plaster irregular walls and relatively smooth natural rock faces.
• Master: Can plaster very irregular walls and non-smooth natural rock faces.
• Grandmaster: Can plaster a surface to look like something else, for instance a wall to look like a natural rock face.
• Guru: Can make plaster that is weather- and fire-resistant.

poetry

Description: Writing poetry

Tree position: Art - composing - literature
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can create simple rhymes.
• Novice: Can create simple poems.
• Skilled: Can properly structure a poem and create rhythm.
• Expert: Knows how to handle alliteration and symbolism.
• Master: Can write epic poetry (on the scale of the Odyssee, for example).
• Grandmaster: Can write fictional poems that convinces the readers that they are real.
• Guru: Can write poems that (re-)create a world of their own.

politics

Description: Study of politics

Tree position: Science - gamma science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows common balance of powers, alliances and enmities of home area.
• Novice: Knows all major power factors and relationships of political area.
• Skilled: Knows minor power factors and their relationships, knows pretenders and runners-up.
• Expert: Knows motives, desires and methods of some power factors.
• Master: Knows motives, desires and methods of many power factors.
• Grandmaster: Can derive several hidden political plots and schemes from symptoms and situations.
• Guru: Politics are completely transparant.

This skill is specific for a political area (usually a cluster of countries). For different areas it must be learned anew. Area-specific politics skills are effectively child skills of the general politics container skill.

pottery

Description: Constructing earthwares

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - stoneworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can make very crude and fragile objects from clay.
• Novice: Can make crude pottery.
• Skilled: Can make simple pots and urns.
• Expert: Can make pots and urns with holes, handles and various curves.
• Master: Can make fragile pots and urns.
• Grandmaster: Can make pots that are almost unbreakable.
• Guru: Can make good pots from sand or other unsuited materials.

powerlifting

Description: Ability to lift heavy weights

Tree position: Body - strength
Starting level = [body]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can lift weights up to normal strength limit.
• Novice: Lifts weights 1.05x as heavy as unskilled character.
• Skilled: Lifts weights 1.10x as heavy as unskilled character.
• Expert: Lifts weights 1.15x as heavy as unskilled character.
• Master: Lifts weights 1.20x as heavy as unskilled character.
• Grandmaster: Can lift heavy weights even if weakened.
• Guru: Can lift heavy weights without touching them.

See the players handbook for normal maximum weight lift limits.

predict weather

Description: Forecast of weather in near future

Tree position: Wilderness - environment
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can predict obvious weather changes (upcoming thunderstorm).
• Novice: Can predict non-obvious weather changes (change of wind).
• Skilled: Can predict weather for half a day.
• Expert: Can predict weather for a full day.
• Master: Can predict weather for two days.
• Grandmaster: Can predict exact amount of sunshine and precipitation, strength of wind force, direction of wind and other aspects of the uncoming weather.
• Guru: can predict the weather for weeks in advance.

prose

Description: Writing stories and books

Tree position: Art - composing - literature
Starting level = [art/2 + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can write simple daily life stories.
• Novice: Can write simple stories.
• Skilled: Can properly structure a story and create rhythm, knows tricks to bind the attention of the reader, has mastered literary references and ambiguity.
• Expert: Can create an atmosphere, can write for an unfamiliar audience (children).
• Master: Can write an epic story.
• Grandmaster: Can write fictional stories that convinces the readers that they are real.
• Guru: Can write stories that (re-)create a world of their own.

psionics

Description: Reading and manipulating minds

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - mental magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can run away from undead monsters.
• Novice: Can read aura, can prompt calls of nature.
• Skilled: Can diagnose mental health, can influence emotions.
• Expert: Can detect spirit possession, can issue commands, can release subconscious.
• Master: Can read surface thoughts, can spy on dreams, can deal light psychic blows.
• Grandmaster: Can read memory, can enter dreams, can deal heavy psychic blows, can control bodies.
• Guru: Can read minds fully, can control dreams, can enslave minds.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

puppet theatre

Description: Performing with puppets or shadow show

Tree position: Art - podium arts
Starting level = [art/2 + charisma/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can set up screens, jostle with puppets.
• Novice: Knows common shows, can perform a simple puppet show.
• Skilled: Knows uncommon shows, can handle multiple puppets simultaneously, can perform a shadow show.
• Expert: Can throw voices, handle many puppets simultaneously.
• Master: Can combine puppet theatre and shadow show.
• Grandmaster: Can peform a three-dimensional shadow show.
• Guru: Can instruct puppets to act by themselves.

reading & writing, character-based

Description: Read and write, for character-based alphabets (for example latin, cyrillic, arabic)

Tree position: Science - reading & writing
Starting level = [science/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Cannot read, write only some crude symbols.
• Novice: Knows the alphabet partly, knows how to handle ink, pencil and paper, can read slowly, write sloppy.
• Skilled: Can read at reasonable speed, write reasonably neat.
• Expert: Can read fast, write neatly.
• Master: Can read and write steno, can decipher "doctor's receipts".
• Grandmaster: Can read writing that is very obscured.
• Guru: Can read coded writing and write code at normal speed (if code can be deciphered)

In order to read or write in a certain language a character must first be able to speak it.

reading & writing, symbol-based

Description: Read and write, for symbol-based alphabets (for example chinese)

Tree position: Science - reading & writing
Starting level = [science/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Cannot read, write only some crude symbols.
• Novice: Knows small part of the alphabet, knows how to handle ink, pencil and paper, can read slowly, write sloppy.
• Skilled: Knows most of the alphabet, can read at reasonable speed, write reasonably neat.
• Expert: Knows full alphabet, can read fast, write neatly.
• Master: Can read and write steno, can decipher "doctor's receipts".
• Grandmaster: Can read writing that is very obscured.
• Guru: Can read coded writing and write code at normal speed (if code can be deciphered)

In order to read or write in a certain language a character must first be able to speak it.

rope making

Description: Making rope

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - combinations
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can weave crude, thick and weak ropes and cables.
• Novice: Can prepare rope threads.
• Skilled: Can weave ropes and cables.
• Expert: Can weave fine cords.
• Master: Can make steelwire ropes.
• Grandmaster: Can make ropes that are almost unbreakable yet still flexible.
• Guru: Can make ropes that can perform actions on demand, like tie, untie, loop, etc.

rowing

Description: Rowing and navigating galleys

Tree position: Craft - machine operation - navigation
Starting level = [craft/2 - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can row oars in unorderly fashion, by oneself.
• Novice: Can row oars in orderly fashion, in a team.
• Skilled: Can steer a river galley and give directions to oarsmen.
• Expert: Can steer seagoing galleys and navigate near to the coast.
• Master: Can navigate through dangerous waters (with reefs / sand banks / treacherous currents).
• Grandmaster: Can handle submarines and flying ships (if available).
• Guru: Can navigate through raging storms.

running

Description: Training of leg muscles and stamina, walking in difficult terrain

Tree position: Body - endurance
Starting level = [body]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Runs [health score / 12] times faster/slower than average character.
• Novice: Runs 1.05x faster than unskilled character on medium and longer trips.
• Skilled: Runs 1.10x faster than unskilled character on medium and longer trips.
• Expert: Can run for entire day (max speed = 3 * base speed on very long trips).
• Master: Can run through difficult terrain without stumbling.
• Grandmaster: Can run through very difficult terrain (stepping stones in a stream, for instance) without stumbling.
• Guru: Can run over water (though not stand still on it!).

See the players handbook for maximum running speeds. Running applies to medium, long and very long time classes only.

sailing

Description: Rowing and navigating sailing ships

Tree position: Craft - machine operation - navigation
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can struggle with sails.
• Novice: Can handle sails and ropes.
• Skilled: Can steer a river sailing boat and give directions to sailors handling the sails.
• Expert: Can steer seagoing sailing ships and navigate near to the coast.
• Master: Can navigate through dangerous waters (with reefs / sand banks / treacherous currents), can navigate on the open sea.
• Grandmaster: Can handle submarines and flying ships (if available).
• Guru: Can navigate through raging storms.

sculpting

Description: Sculpting statues and ornaments

Tree position: Art - composing - materials
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can cut stone into very rough shapes.
• Novice: Can cut mini-sculptures.
• Skilled: Can make simple statues.
• Expert: Can make advanced statues.
• Master: Can use difficult stone materials, like granite.
• Grandmaster: Can make stone golems or gargoyles.
• Guru: Can create all kinds of living statues.

seduction

Description: Tempt people into love affairs or acts of passion

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can seduce people that are already attracted to the seducer.
• Novice: Is consciously aware of body language and can control this to some degree.
• Skilled: Can secude people that have no interest in, but are not negative towards the seducer.
• Expert: Can seduce people who normally have no interest in de seducer whatsoever.
• Master: Can seduce people who normally have a negative attitude towards the seducer.
• Grandmaster: Can seduce any but the strongest-willed people.
• Guru: Can seduce anybody who does not feel a burning hate towards the seducer.

shape changing

Description: Changing the shape of one's body

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - life magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can stick to own form.
• Novice: Can take humanoid form.
• Skilled: Can take animal form.
• Expert: Can take animal form and be instantly comfortable with it.
• Master: Can take the form of a lifeless object.
• Grandmaster: Can take fantasy form.
• Guru: Can become formless and change to any form.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

ship design

Description: Designing river- and seagoing vessels

Tree position: Craft - engineering - vehicles
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can design crude rafts.
• Novice: Can design small boats (rowboat, canoe).
• Skilled: Can design a large boat or river galley.
• Expert: Can design small sea-going galleys / sailing ships.
• Master: Can design any sea-going galley / sailing ship.
• Grandmaster: Can design ships with alternative methods of propulsion (peddle blades, pillar-sails, etc.).
• Guru: Can design ships that are driven by spirits.

siege engine design

Description: Designing siege engines

Tree position: Craft - engineering - engines
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make rough designs.
• Novice: Can design parts of siege engines.
• Skilled: Can design siege crossbows (mangonels and spear-launchers), can supervise building process.
• Expert: Can design siege catapults.
• Master: Can design cannons.
• Grandmaster: Can design siege ammunition that explodes with fire, acid, water, rock blasts, etc..
• Guru: Can design siege ammunition that explodes with nearly any physical effect, including light flashes, clouds of darkness, lightning strokes, etc.

singing

Description: Sing songs

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art + 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can support other voices.
• Novice: Can sing simple songs.
• Skilled: Can sing canons, an other complex songs.
• Expert: Can sing with emotion, can sing creative solos.
• Master: Can bind and change the mood of an audience.
• Grandmaster: Can call up visions with songs.
• Guru: Can shift the beliefs of an audience.

skating

Description: Travelling over ice on skates

Tree position: Body - moving - balance
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can stand upright on skates.
• Novice: Can skate forward slowly and turn cautiously.
• Skilled: Can make tight turns.
• Expert: Can do basic fancy-skating.
• Master: Can make jumps, pirouettes, saltos and screws.
• Grandmaster: Can skate accross cracks and ice-holes.
• Guru: Can skate without skates.

skiing

Description: Descending slopes on skis and langlaufing

Tree position: Body - moving - balance
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can do slow langlaufing.
• Novice: Can ski down a gentle slope.
• Skilled: Can ski down a moderate slope.
• Expert: Can ski down a severe slope.
• Master: Can make saltos and screws.
• Grandmaster: Can ski down a cliff.
• Guru: Can ski upwards.

skill magic

Description: Affecting other skills

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - metamagic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can learn skills the hard way.
• Novice: Can determine skill levels.
• Skilled: Can increase/decrease skill levels.
• Expert: Can port skill levels within container parent skills.
• Master: Can port skill levels within any parent skill.
• Grandmaster:
• Guru:

This skill is specific for another skill. For skills it must be learned anew. Skill-specific skill magic skills are effectively child skills of the general skill magic container skill.

skinning and tanning

Description: Removing and preparing animal skins.

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - leatherworking
Starting level = [craft]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can strip an animal skin into irregular pieces.
• Novice: Can strip an animal skin neatly.
• Skilled: Can tan an animal skin into leather.
• Expert: Knows how to tan exotic sources of leather.
• Master: Knows how to tan very exotic sources of leather, like dragon-skin.
• Grandmaster: Can skin and tan without tools.
• Guru: Can skin living creatures without killing them.

smoke signals

Description: Signaling with smoke columns

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - signaling
Starting level = [craft/2 + intelligence/10 - 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can make smoke.
• Novice: Can interpret simple smoke signals.
• Skilled: Can send and interpret advanced smoke signals.
• Expert: Can send and interpret smoke signals that is like a limited spoken tongue, can make colored smoke.
• Master: Can send and interpret smoke signals that rival a spoken tongue in complexity.
• Grandmaster: Can send smoke signals across hundreds of miles by making smoke columns rise abnormally high.
• Guru: Knows how send clear smoke signals in rain and darkness.

sociology

Description: Study of sociology

Tree position: Science - gamma science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows that various cultures are different.
• Novice: Knows a culture superficially, knows the things where a culture is famous for (for instance Italian pizza, French berets, Roman armies, Japanese geishas, etc.).
• Skilled: Knows major aspects of culture like customs, fashion, greeting and courtship rituals, ideas about honour, burial customs, major religions, common philosophies, etc.
• Expert: Knows specific aspects like activities at a certain festival, how to cook a specific dish, etc.
• Master: Can explain origins and meaning of aspects of culture.
• Grandmaster: Can predict future development of culture.
• Guru: Can travel to spiritual mirror world.

This skill is specific for a political area (usually a cluster of countries). For different areas it must be learned anew. Area-specific sociology skills are effectively child skills of the general sociology container skill.

speak language

Description: Speaking and understanding a language

Tree position: Social - communication
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10 - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Knows no or a few basic words.
• Novice: Can grasp the main lines while listening to a conversation, can do simple conversations oneself.
• Skilled: Can transfer most messages in the language, despite of grammatical errors and missing words
• Expert: Knows almost the complete vocabulary, speaks with slight foreign accent.
• Master: Knows the entire vocabulary, speaks without foreign accent.
• Grandmaster: Can garble a message using wrong grammar, mixed and morphed words, ambiguities and still be understandable to a listener who knows the language well (expert level or higher).
• Guru: Can converse telepathically.

Every character receives a +10 bonus to skill level for his native tongue, thus is at expert level (with a local accent instead of a foreign one) or master level from the start.

spellcraft

Description: Controlling range, duration, triggers and other aspects of spells

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - metamagic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can cast level 0 spells.
• Novice: Can cast level 1 spells.
• Skilled: Can cast level 2 spells.
• Expert: Can cast level 3 spells.
• Master: Can cast level 4 spells.
• Grandmaster: Can cast level 5 spells.
• Guru: Can cast level 6 spells.

Spellcraft must always be combined with some magic skill. Spell levels are explained in the spell guide

spirit distillation

Description: Distilling strong drinks

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - food working - brewing
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can drink liqor.
• Novice: Can prepare ingredients for distillation.
• Skilled: Can distill liquor.
• Expert: Can distill with a wide variety of basic ingredients.
• Master: Can make pure alcohol.
• Grandmaster: Can make liquor that summons visions and spirits when drunk in substantial quantitities.
• Guru: Can brew liqor that is as addictive as modern harddrugs.

sprinting

Description: Training of leg muscles and stamina, walking in difficult terrain

Tree position: Body - strength
Starting level = [body]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Sprints [strength score / 12] times faster/slower than average character.
• Novice: Sprints 1.05x faster than unskilled character.
• Skilled: Sprints 1.10x faster than unskilled character.
• Expert: Sprints 1.15x faster than unskilled character.
• Master: Can sprint through difficult terrain without stumbling.
• Grandmaster: Can sprint through very difficult terrain (stepping stones in a stream, for instance) without stumbling.
• Guru: Can sprint over water (though not stand still on it!).

See the players handbook for maximum running speeds. Sprinting applies to minimum, very short and short time classes only.

stealth

Description: Walking silently and hidden

Tree position: Body - moving
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can move stealthy in rank 0 conditions.
• Novice: Can move stealthy in rank 1 conditions.
• Skilled: Can move stealthy in rank 2 conditions.
• Expert: Can move stealthy in rank 3 conditions.
• Master: Can move stealthy in rank 4 conditions.
• Grandmaster: Can move stealthy in rank 6 conditions.
• Guru: Can move stealthy in rank 8 conditions.

storytelling

Description: Telling stories

Tree position: Art - podium arts
Starting level = [art/2 + charisma/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can tell jokes and anecdotes.
• Novice: Knows most folkore stories by heart.
• Skilled: Can bind an audience with tales of folklore and recent events of importance.
• Expert: Can act as stand-up comedian.
• Master: Can bind an audience even with a basically dull story.
• Grandmaster: Can create visions with stories that feel real.
• Guru: Can re-create events by telling their story.

streetwise

Description: Knowing how to survive in the big city

Tree position: Social - social knowledge
Starting level = [social]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Knows to keep away from shady districts at night.
• Novice: Knows basic balance of power, proper signs of respect and disrespect, do's and don'ts
• Skilled: Has mastered slang and gestures, knows where to get food, money and the like, can fool any countrymen when posing as a streetman/woman.
• Expert: Can speak with the right accent, knows where to find information, can fool any streetman/woman when posing as one.
• Master: Is a respected figure anywhere on the streets.
• Grandmaster: Can act as a mob leader, rousing the people to rebellion or quenching one.
• Guru: Is regarded as a benevolent spirit, can do small wonders for the people.

strings

Description: Play string instruments like guitar, lute, etc.

Tree position: Art - music
Starting level = [art + 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can play very simple tunes.
• Novice: Can play simple tunes.
• Skilled: Can play complex tunes.
• Expert: Can paly with emotion, can perform creative solos.
• Master: Can bind and change the mood of an audience.
• Grandmaster: Can call up visions with songs.
• Guru: Can shift the beliefs of an audience.

subterfuge / lying

Description: Knowing how to hide and reveal knowledge

Tree position: Social - psychology
Starting level = [social/2 + perception/10 + 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can hide some lies with effort.
• Novice: Can lie without blushing, trembling and other signs of nervousness, can make educated guesses about people's motives.
• Skilled: Can convince unwary people of strong but not too fantastic lies, can make good estimates of people's attitude and motives.
• Expert: Can convince unwary people of blatant lies and/or great fantasies, can pull real secrets out of unwary people.
• Master: Can get hints of hidden information from wary people.
• Grandmaster: Can cause people to doubt their basic beliefs.
• Guru: Can alter people's world views.

swimming

Description: Swimming in water

Tree position: Body - moving
Starting level = [body/3 + (health + dexterity)/15]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can only treat water.
• Novice: Can swim with normal stroke.
• Skilled: Can can do breastcrawl, dive, swim underwater.
• Expert: Can stay underwater for extended periods, can make deep dives, can do rescue swimming.
• Master: Can make dives from great heights.
• Grandmaster: Can swim through rough seas or strong currents.
• Guru: Can survive a waterfall, if there is a body water with substantial depth at the bottom.

tailoring

Description: Making and repairing clothes from cloth

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - cloth working
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can do crude repairs to garments.
• Novice: Can make and repair simple garments like basic mantles, skirts.
• Skilled: Can make and repair all kinds of normal garments like skirts, tunics, dresses, gloves, hats, etc.
• Expert: Can make and repair elaborate garments.
• Master: Can make and repair royal garments.
• Grandmaster: Can make clothing that is water-resistant, changes color on command, etc.
• Guru: Can make clothes that can dress a person by themselves or repair themselves, etc.

teaching

Description: Transferring knowledge to other people

Tree position: Social - management
Starting level = [social + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can explain things to interested audiences, though it takes time.
• Novice: Can bind the attention of an audience, knows how to structure lessons.
• Skilled: Can teach a class of children.
• Expert: Can explaing things to full understanding of an unprepared audience.
• Master: Can explain the most advanced theory to stupid people in understandable terms.
• Grandmaster: Can implant "dormant" knowledge in people's minds, that they grasp at the moment they have ripened to it (for instance expertise level training).
• Guru: Can increase the intelligence of an audience.

tea ceremony

Description: Performing the Japanese tea ceremony (chaji)

Tree position: Art - dancing
Starting level = [art/2 + dexterity/10 - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can serve tea in normal manner.
• Novice: Knows fundamentals of the tea ceremony, can assist.
• Skilled: Can perform entire tea ceremony.
• Expert: Can bring tranquility to the minds of the guests.
• Master: Can put the minds of the guests in a zen-state, i.e. devoid of distractions, at ease yet focused.
• Grandmaster: Can cure minor mental disorders in the minds of the guests.
• Guru: Can exorcise evil spirits from the guests.

theology

Description: Study of religion

Tree position: Science - gamma science
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows to respect the gods.
• Novice: Knows most gods, their major symbols, animals, rites and general area of influence and some of the legends and sagas connected with them.
• Skilled: Knows all the gods, demi-gods and heroes, symbols and holy animals, rites and holy places, areas of influence and most divine legends and sagas, knows dogma's and philosophies.
• Expert: Knows demi-gods and heroes, all divine legends and sagas, relationships between the gods, can explain religious dogma's and philosophies.
• Master: Can explain the symbolism of aspects of worship.
• Grandmaster: Can summon minor spirits specific to the religion.
• Guru: Can summon major spirits specific to the religion; can commune with the gods.

This skill is specific for a pantheon of gods, or in case of monotheism, a single deity. For different religions it must be learned anew. Religion-specific theology skills are effectively child skills of the general theology container skill.

tightrope walking

Description: Walking a stretched rope

Tree position: Body - moving - balance
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10 - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can hang on to the rope with hands and move as long as arm strength holds.
• Novice: Can walk a tightrope with balancing stick.
• Skilled: Can walk a tightrope without balancing stick.
• Expert: Can walk loose rope.
• Master: Can recover from a fall, use falling momentum to swing back into standing position on the rope (requires successful tightrope walking check!).
• Grandmaster: Can walk swinging ropes or in strong wind.
• Guru: Can walk accross open spaces through the air without a rope.

time sense

Description: Estimate the right time without checking clocks

Tree position: Wilderness - senses
Starting level = [wilderness]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can tell the time with a deviation up to very long time class.
• Novice: Can tell the time with a deviation up to long time class.
• Skilled: Can tell the time with a deviation up to medium time class.
• Expert: Can tell the time with a deviation up to short time class.
• Master: Can tell the time with a deviation up to very short time class.
• Grandmaster: Can tell the time with a deviation up to minimum time class.
• Guru: Can tell the time exactly.

tracking

Description: Finding and following tracks left by creatures

Tree position: Wilderness - animal skills - hunting
Starting level = [wilderness/2 + perception/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can follow rank 1 tracks.
• Novice: Can follow rank 2 tracks, can determine rough speed.
• Skilled: Can follow rank 3 tracks, can identify general species of common creatures.
• Expert: Can follow rank 4 tracks, can determine number and load of followed creatures and identify specific species.
• Master: Can follow rank 5 tracks, can determine rough age of track.
• Grandmaster: Can follow rank 6 tracks, can reverse direction of tracks.
• Guru: Can follow rank 8 tracks, can make tracks disappear completely.

Track rank depends mainly on the soil:

1. Clear footprints in loose soil or snow, broken branches, etc.
2. On forest ground
3. On grass
4. On rocky soil
5. On hard stone
6. On busy roads

"Rough speed" is one of the three categories: walking / travelling fast / sprinting.
"General species" is a rough estimate of the species of the creatures followed, like small humanoid, large single-hooved quadruped, medium-sized snake-form, etc. "Specific species" is more detailed, like goblin, horse, cobra, etc.
"Number" is the number of creatures followed, if it was a group.
"Load" tells how heavy each creature was loaded (no / light / medium / heavy encumbrance). It can also be used to determine the number of people mounted on a steed.
"Rough age" tells the time class of the age of the track.

A character with the tracking skill can also hide tracks from enemy colleagues. The tracker can increase the track rank by [expertise level - 1]. If the character is not travelling alone, but accompanied by a party with at least one person who does not have at least novice skill in the tracking ability, the increase in the difficulty of the track is one less, so you need at least a skilled track hider to have any effect.
Hiding tracks slows a character / party down considerably, to half walking speed. Of course the track eraser must be at the rear of a group.

trailing

Description: Following people without being noticed

Tree position: Craft - spionage skills - detection & obscurement
Starting level = [craft/3 + (perception + charisma)/15]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can trail a victim but will most likely be noticed after a while.
• Novice: Can trail a victim through busy streets.
• Skilled: Can trail a victim in a quiet environment with plenty of cover.
• Expert: Can trail a victim accross an open plain or in bad light.
• Master: Can trail a victim in total darkness.
• Grandmaster: Can make a wary victim believe a trail has been broken off while it is still ongoing.
• Guru: When trailing, cannot be exactly located or recognized by the victim.

If the victim becomes aware of the trailer, the stealth is gone but the victim can still be followed, even if he tries to shake off the pursuit. In this case effective skill level is two expertise levels lower than normal. If the victim lays a trap for the trailing, a successful skill check is required to evade it.

The distance at which a person is being followed depends on the environment. In a bustling city street it can be a short as a few metres, on open plains it can be a kilometer or more.

trapeze-working

Description: Swinging trapeze

Tree position: Body - dexterity - acrobatics
Starting level = [body/2 + dexterity/10]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can swing from one static bar to another, if not too far apart.
• Novice: Can swing from a swinging bar to a static one or the other way around.
• Skilled: Can jump between swinging bars, can hang on knees.
• Expert: Can make salto during jump, can make accurate candelanbrum and rope swings towards windows, balconies and ledges.
• Master: Can jump between bars that do not swing in one plane.
• Grandmaster: Can do trapeze work even when heavily encumbered.
• Guru: Can change course in mid-air.

trap setting

Description: Setting traps to catch the unwary

Tree position: Wilderness - animal skills - hunting
Starting level = [wilderness + 2]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make crude traps that may catch unwary passers-by.
• Novice: Can dig pits, set snares and clasping traps, knows how to set dangerous traps without getting stuck in it oneself, can camouflage traps somewhat.
• Skilled: Can camouflage traps properly to fool any but the most wary passer-by, knows where to place traps for best effect (watering places, wilderness trails. etc.)
• Expert: Knows best baits for animals, knows how to mask scent from traps.
• Master: Can set spring-traps with spears and scythes that kill rather than catch.
• Grandmaster: Can set traps that are undetectable even by the most minute investigation.
• Guru: Can set traps that put their victims in stasis.

travel magic

Description: Enhancing travel

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - dimension magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can travel on foot, on animals and with vehicles.
• Novice: Can determine speed and best route.
• Skilled: Can change travel speed.
• Expert: Can overcome normally unpassable obstacles.
• Master: Can travel through any element.
• Grandmaster: Can teleport.
• Guru: Can teleport to other worlds.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

troop commanding

Description: Commanding soldiers and policemen

Tree position: Social - management
Starting level = [social/2 + intelligence/10]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can try to command other people by charisma.
• Novice: Knows command hierarchy and drill, can issue simple commands, can act as lowest NCO (corporal).
• Skilled: Knows tactics, can lead a tactical unit of soldiers (sergeant - lieutenant).
• Expert: Knows tactics and logistics, can lead a large tactical unit (captain - battalion commander).
• Master: Knows tactics, logistics and strategy, can lead an army (general).
• Grandmaster: Can lead an army of spirits.
• Guru: Can campaign in alien environments.

ventriloquism

Description: Redirect appearent direction of one's voice

Tree position: Body - voice
Starting level = [body]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can speak muffled.
• Novice: Can speak with minimal movements of the mouth.
• Skilled: Can relocate appearent source of voice about 1 meter.
• Expert: Can relocate appearent source of voice a few meters.
• Master: Can speak with two simultaneous voices.
• Grandmaster: Can speak with multiple voices from multiple directions.
• Guru: Can make other people speak with different voices, decree their words and timing.

vintning

Description: Making and tasting wine

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - food working - brewing
Starting level = [craft/2 + perception/10 - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can pluck and mash grapes.
• Novice: Can tell when grapes are ripe, can assist in growing grapes and making wine.
• Skilled: Can grow grapes and make wine.
• Expert: Can tell region of origin of wine.
• Master: Can tell year of origin of wine.
• Grandmaster: Can make wine that summons visions and spirits when drunk in substantial quantitities.
• Guru: Can make wine that is as addictive as modern harddrugs.

voice imitation

Description: Mimic voices of others

Tree position: Body - voice
Starting level = [body]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can change voice a bit.
• Novice: Can change sound of one's own voice considerably.
• Skilled: Can imitate voice of another person.
• Expert: Can imitate voices of animals and monsters.
• Master: Can imitate sounds of some objects and natural phenomena.
• Grandmaster: Can imimitate any sound.
• Guru: Can make multiple voices / sounds at once.

water

Description: Study of the water element

Tree position: Science - beta science - elements
Starting level = [science - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Knows everyday water elemental phenomena.
• Novice: Knows basic theory, principles and dogma's, can assist in water elemental experiments.
• Skilled: Can devise, conduct and analyze earth water experiments.
• Expert: Can make minor advance or application (efficient ship rudder, method of finding water springs).
• Master: Can make major advance or application (predict floods, construct submarine).
• Grandmaster: Can make supernatural advance or application (method of breathing underwater).
• Guru: Can swim without becoming wet / walk on water.

weaponcraft

Description: Making miscellaneous weapons

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - combinations
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can make crude sticks and spears.
• Novice: Can make clubs, sticks, wooden spears, slings and rope weapons.
• Skilled: Can make maces, axes, hammers, picks, chains, simple polearms.
• Expert: Can make whips, cesti, tiger claws, sickles, advanced polearms.
• Master: Can make weapons out of exotic metals.
• Grandmaster: Can make weapons that never crack or rot.
• Guru: Can make weapons that punch through metal like butter.

weaponsmithing

Description: Smithing metal weapons

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - metalworking
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can make crude weapon-resembling iron tools.
• Novice: Can make arrowheads and spearpoints.
• Skilled: Can make knives, daggers and simple polearm blades.
• Expert: Can make swords.
• Master: Can make weapons out of exotic metals.
• Grandmaster: Can make weapons that never rust or blunt.
• Guru: Can make weapons that cut metal like butter.

weather magic

Description: Influencing the weather

Tree position: Magic - lanik magic - physical magic
Starting level = [magic]
Difficulty: difficult

• Unskilled: Can seek shelter from bad weather.
• Novice: Can predict weather.
• Skilled: Can influence one aspect of the weather.
• Expert: Can influence multiple aspects of the weather.
• Master: Can summon or dispel special weather effects.
• Grandmaster: Can influence "weather" underwater and undergound.
• Guru: Can influence alien weather.

For the exact effects, see the spell guide.

woodcarving

Description: Carving statues and other art objects from wood

Tree position: Art - composing - materials
Starting level = [art]
Difficulty: medium

• Unskilled: Can carve wood into very rough shapes.
• Novice: Can carve very small and simple objects.
• Skilled: Can carve simple objects.
• Expert: Can carve advanced objects.
• Master: Can use difficult wood, like tropical hardwood.
• Grandmaster: Can make wood golems.
• Guru: Can create all kinds of living wooden statues.

writing sheet making

Description: Making writing sheets from raw materials

Tree position: Craft - ancient craft - combinations
Starting level = [craft - 1]
Difficulty: simple

• Unskilled: Can gather raw materials.
• Novice: Can prepare raw materials for final treatment.
• Skilled: Can produce writing sheets and scrolls.
• Expert: Can make books (papyrus / parchment / rice pith / paper only!).
• Master: Can make tomes and librams of age-spanning quality.
• Grandmaster: Can make writing sheets that are resistant to water, fire, etc.
• Guru: Can make writing sheets that don't need ink to be written upon.

The form of the writing sheet depends on the technology available in the campaign setting. In order of increasing sophistication:

1. Clay tablets: Tablets of clay, that can be carved with symbols with a stilus (iron pen)
2. Tree bark: Dried and cleaned tree bark
3. Plant leaves: Treated plant leaves
4. Papyrus: Papyrus reeds that are peeled, split, pressed, bound, dried and polished into papyrus
5. Vellum / parchment: Treated animal skins
6. Rice pith: Paper made from rice pith
7. Paper: Made from cellulose extracted from wood

This skill is specific for a certain type of writing sheet. When a different type is to be mastered, another similar skill must be learned anew. However, general writing sheet making functions as a container skill for these material-specific skills.