SKILL OVERVIEW
Class Skills
Each Class has access to Skills, which represent a Character’s abilities and talents. For example, the Melee Fighter Skill grants a Character the ability to smite their enemies with powerful melee attacks while the Mental Deduction Skill allows a Character to discern details about another person.
Learning a Skill has a base cost of 10 XP and may have additional costs or increases to the XP cost, based on the type of Skill and how it is learned. Generally speaking, being taught a Skill costs less Components than self-teaching it.
Skills and Disciplines
Skills are grouped into Disciplines, which represent a singular theme or concept. For example, the Tinker Discipline is focused on the creation of equipment and gadgets. Similarly, the Shadower Discipline is focused on concealment and misdirection.
A Skill may belong to more than one Discipline. Similarly, some Disciplines are shared by different Classes. The Warrior Class and the Ranger Class, for example, both have access to the Hunter Discipline.
Take note, you cannot learn the same Skill twice unless specifically allowed to do so.
Skills and Skill Level
Every Skill is categorized into one of three Skill levels.
Basic Skills are the lowest level Skills and more easily learned.
Complex Skills require at least two Basic Skills to be learned
Erudite Skills are the most powerful Skills of a Discipline.
SKILLS, AUGMENTS, AND AFTEREFFECTS
One of the significant aspects of BTF’s Skill system is how Skills interact with Skill Augments and Aftereffects. A good rule of thumb is:
“1 Skill, 1 Augment, 1 Aftereffect”.
SKILL AUGMENTS (LIMIT 1 PER SKILL UPON USE)
Skills may only be affected by one Skill Augment. Augments always require a prefix attached to the Skill or Attack (e.g. “Tempest” Smite, “Forceful” Inspiration, or “Eagle-Eyed” Perception”). Multiple Skills may enhance or affect a Skill, but only ONE of these enhancements may be a Skill Augment.
For example: Bildo has the Treat Injury skill. The Empathic Remedy Trait from being born with the Psionic Stigmata.
When he uses Treat Injury, he can quicken its use via Focused Remedy, reducing it from a 7-count to a 3-count.
Alternatively, he can use Empathic Remedy to Augment the Skill with psychic energy to repeat that Healing on his patient or on an ally he can touch.
Thus, Bildo Daggins cannot Augment the Skill as Focused Remedy AND Empathic Remedy because of the One Augment limit on Skills.
AFTEREFFECTS (LIMIT 1 PER PERSON PER EFFECT)
These are effects that happen as a response to using a Skill or to a specific circumstance. These are always explicitly mentioned in the Skill description. For example, the Artful Dodger skill allows the user to gain “Resolve 1” after a use of the Dodge Defense. Similarly, the Deft Deflection skill allows a Character to change the effect of a Piercing attack as a response to that attack.
There are three main rules to Aftereffects:
(1) A user may only use 1 Aftereffect as a response to a Skill/Circumstance
(2) A user may never follow up their own Aftereffect with another Aftereffect
(3) Unless otherwise stated, an Aftereffect must be performed/used within 3 seconds of the original effect.
This means that a Skill may be affected by two or more Aftereffects, if the Aftereffects are from different users.
For example: Jonas is a Counselor with training in the Binder Discipline. He is also blessed with the Eidolonic Stigmata (Dryad).
In the midst of a battle, Jonas uses the Ignite Inspiration skill and augments it with the Floral Bond Trait of his Stigmata. Normally, Ignite Inspiration allows a character to grant “Resolve 3” to one ally.
With the Skill Augment however, Jonas invokes it as “Floral Inspiration” and is able to grant Resolve not only his ally Brock, but also to his son, Rusty (as an Aftereffect).
Being Warriors with the Ironsoul Bravado Aptitude, Brock and Rusty can use the Bravado Aftereffect to increase the Resolve they gain. Alternatively, they can use Ironsoul Aptitude to turn the Resolve they would have gained to enhance their next melee or ranged attack.
Jonas wants to use the Floral Bond’s ability to Dominate one of his Inspiration targets as an Aftereffect. Unfortunately, he already chose an Aftereffect for this use of Ignite Inspiration. Maybe there will be another opportunity next time.
So, three Aftereffects were used on Floral Inspiration. However, each were used by a different individual. In the example above, Jonas could not use Floral Inspiration, imbue two people with Resolve, and imbue one of them with a Dominate effect because he would be using two Aftereffects. Similarly, Brock could not increase the Resolve he gained AND use Bravado to enhance his next ranged attack.
Also, as per rule (2), if Brock or Rusty used the Battle Bracing skill to grant themselves “Resolve 3” after using Block, they could not also use Ironsoul Bravado to increase that to “Resolve 5” because the previous Resolve gain was already a Aftereffect — an Aftereffect of Person A could not activate an Aftereffect from that same User (and potentially cause a never-ending cascade).
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE GAME?
Having and using Skill Augments on one’s Skills is optional. However, more established and experienced Characters may find them incredibly useful and will endeavor to use Augmented Skills whenever possible, due to their usefulness. Having an Aftereffect is of similar utility and such Player Characters will ensure that each Skill use has an Augment and an Aftereffect thereafter.
The 1 Augment and 1 Aftereffect limit on Skills ensures that there is a limit on how powerful Skills are, although some Augments and Aftereffects stronger than others. That said, many Players will seek out multiple Skills that provide Augments -- despite the fact that they cannot use them at the same time on one Skill, certain Augments are more useful in niche or corner case situations rather than in general use. For example: “Uncanny Parry” allows a character to defend against back attacks and is therefore good for general use. “Veering Parry” on the other hand, can be useful when a character is subjected to a powerful attack, since it allows them to redirect that attack unto another target.
Skills from another Class
During Character Creation you may use a Background Perk to gain Skill from another Class. This is the only way to do so during Character Creation.
After Character Creation, you may Self-Teach Skills from any Class except for the Arcanist Class (unless you are already an Arcanist). These Skills have an added cost of +10 XP.
Skill Glossary
Below are the special types of Skills and Effects.
Active: This Skill must be actively used and may require a specific invocation to show that it is being used. Many of these Skills require the expenditure of a resource (such as Focus or Resolve) but some simply require time in the form of Concentration or in a specific kind of Role-playing.
Aspect: These Skills require immense inner energy and spiritual will from the user to grant them significant benefits. To this end, these Skills occupy one of the user’s Attunements and they may only have one Aspect upon them at a time.
Attack: This Skill inflicts damage or a Control effect upon its target. This may mean a ranged attack or a melee attack. This damage may be physical or of a different element.
Attunement (Atn): These Skills require one or more of the user’s Attunements.
Augment (Aug): This Skill will augment another Skill, a basic attack, or a special action. A Skill may only have one Augment upon it at any time.
Bond: There are three main kinds of Bonds, that of Blood, of Oaths/Arcana, and of Allegiance. These emotional and/or spiritual Bonds allow individuals to work together or even affect each other in special ways. Some Skills are better when used with people you are Bonded to.
Craft: Craft Skills represent feats of significant effort and skill, practically akin to a magical ritual. Some involve the creation of items but others may be the curing of diseases or the mixing of mighty elixirs. Once performed, Craft or Ritual Skills may not be used again until the next Period (at 5am ot 5pm)
Concentration (Conc): This Skill requires 3 or more “counts” of Concentration before it can be used. Concentration counts are spoken in a firm voice and never whispered unless specified as such.
Conceal: These Skills hide or secret away a person or an item from plain sight. Perceive skills are needed to see them
Cure: This Skill cures a specific type of effect from its target.
Defense: When used, this Skill allows its user to negate attacks upon their person. Defense Skills are usually Active Skills.
Disarm: These Skills disarm or unlock “Devices” such as traps and locks.
Escape: These skills briefly place their user out of game, preventing others from following them except through Pursuit skills.
Imbue: These Skills grant a beneficial effect to their target. However, they may be automatically resisted or refused if the target deems so -- unlike an attack.
Focus: This Skill uses up Focus, a resource that represents willpower and energy. Once expended, Focus may only be replenished by a 10 minute Rest.
Inquiry: These Skills allow their user to delve into another person’s details, discerning things about their target through observation and deduction.
LOS: This Skill requires that you maintain Line of Sight with your target before using it.
Parley: This Skill requires 10 or more seconds of close range conversation with the target before it works.
Periodic: Once used, a Periodic Skill may not be used again until the next Period. Periods begin and end at “the 5s” (5am or 5pm).
Pursuit: These Skills allow their user to go out of game in order to follow/chase a person using Escape skills. While you cannot attack during this time, you re-enter the game near your target.
Rest: This Skill enhances and augments a Rest action, which usually requires 10 minutes.
Ritual: This Skill expends a significant amount of effort and magical energy to create a magical effect or imbue allies with etheric power. Once performed, Craft or Ritual Skills may not be used again until the next Period (at 5am or 5pm)
RP: This Skill requires 10 seconds or more of a specific role-play, such as meditation, exorcism, or a similar activity.
Perceive: These Skills allow their user to peruse their environment and observe details that they would not ordinarily see, such as hidden creatures.
Aftereffect Skills: These Skills have a specific Effect or Ability that is only usable if a specific condition is fulfilled or a specific action is performed. For example, the Battle Bracing Skill allows you to gain “Resolve 1” as an Aftereffect as a response to using the Dodge, Parry, or Block defense.
Take note, you may only use one Aftereffect at a time in response to a specific action or event. Aftereffects may never trigger other Aftereffects.
Self-Inflict: These Skills inflict damage or a Control effect on the user. Such effects cannot be negated by the user or redirected to someone else, although they can be cured or healed.
Toughness: This Skill increases the maximum HP of those that take it.