[edit] Example: Cúthalion

Okay, now we're getting down into the nitty-gritty, the specific skills through which Cúthalion will interact with the world.

[edit] Non-combat skills

We said that Cúthalion is stealthy, so we can start with stealth skills. Looking at the skill list, both hide and sneak are essential, so we'll want several levels in each. We observe that they're related to one another, which means that once I spend –2 CP for a level in one of them, I can get a level in the other for only –1 CP. It makes sense, therefore, to get the same level in each. Let's say +4. On top of the +3 basis provided by agility, this leads to a final value of +7 in each. We record these values in our skill table. Looking at Table: Acquiring skills, we see that we have to first buy the skills up to +0 before we can buy them up further. Let's assume we get hide first. At –2 CP/level, hide +4 costs a total of –10 CP. At only –1 CP/level, because it's related to hide, sneak +4 costs only –5 CP. We record these numbers in the CP column of our skill table.

Hiding from your enemy is of no use if he can hide from you just as well. So, we also want to buy up our perception abilities, particularly spot and hear. These are both easy skills, so we can get a lot of bang for our CP buck. Let's go with +5 each for now. (Neither of them has any adjustment for related skills.)

A forester needs to be able to move through the trees and avoid pitfalls, so we need some locomotion skills, climb and jump at the very least. They're cheap (i.e. easy), so we'll put +3 levels into each. We should also take some swim skill, just in case. However, that's a moderate skill, and we probably don't need a whole lot of points in it. We'll spend –2 CP to bring swim up to +0 (on top of the +3 basis for locomotion skills, of course), and leave it at that.

I know we said Cúthalion isn't much of a thinker, but he would be incomplete without basic woodsman's knowledge. We'll spend –2 CP to get nature lore at +0. Unfortunately, that's on top of a –1 basis for knowledge skills, due to his low wit.

[edit] Combat skills

Okay, we're ready to move on to combat skills. Obviously, we need attack, longbow skill, since we said the longbow is Cúthalion's primary weapon. However, we notice that attack, longbow is a hard skill, costing –3 CP/level. It's worth considering whether he really needs this, or whether attack, flatbow, a moderate skill, would do just as well.

Looking over the bow descriptions, we notice that a longbow has a damage step +1, while a flatbow only has a DS +0. Furthermore, a flatbow would not let me apply my strength bonus (maximum strength rating +0), for a total difference of DS +2 between the weapons. That's worth the extra CP for a longbow. I'm glad, because it also fits the character concept better.

However, now we have a problem. My GM told me the tech level of the campaign is Viking Age (tech 7), but the longbow wasn't introduced until Age of Chivalry (tech 8). I ask my GM if he's willing to make an exception, and, fortunately, he agrees. After all, it's not that big a stretch to think that the longbow might have come in a couple of centuries earlier in his world.

Now we have to decide how many points to put into the attack, longbow skill. The first –3 CP only get me to +0. Fortunately, that's on top of a +2 basis for projectile weapons, due to my dexterity. I really want to be an excellent archer, so I decide to get +4 levels, even though that means a total cost of –15 CP for this one skill alone.

I need to have a backup weapon, since I won't be able to use a bow in melee combat. I'd like a simple thrusting sword, like the rapier. Unfortunately, that's a tech 10 weapon, and my GM tells me that's too big a stretch. The next closest match is the knightly sword, which is good for both thrusting and hacking. At tech 7, it will actually be a Viking sword, which is fine by me.

The knightly sword has three different attack/parry forms, each of which is governed by a different skill: attack, sword slash; attack, sword thrust; and parry, sword. I'm planning to treat this as a thrusting sword, so I'll start with attack, sword thrust. I want to be competent at attacking, but not exceptional, so +1 should be enough. Since it's a moderate skill, that costs me –4 CP.

I also want to be able to parry with my Viking sword, so I should take levels in parry, sword. Fortunately, that skill is related to attack, sword thrust, so it only costs me –1 CP/level up to +1. I spend the extra –2 CP.

I wasn't planning to take any levels at all in attack, sword slash, but now I realize that it is related to attack, sword thrust and parry, sword, so it, too, only costs me –1 CP/level. I might as well at least spend the –1 CP to bring it to +0.

TODO: shield? (tagged: 16:26, 25 April 2007 (MDT))

[edit] Example (basic): Traits

[edit] Example (basic): Skills

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