Your total attribute scores dictate how many development picks you will have available to spend on skills and abilities (see Chapter Five on abilities): Both during youth and ap- prenticeship, you receive one development pick for each point you have in each of your nine primary attributes.
At both steps of character creation, these development picks are assigned to three different pick classes, as shown on Table 4.1:
TABLE 4.1:PICK CLASSES
ATTRIBUTES PICK CLASS
Deftness, Nimbleness, Strength Physical
Vigour, Awareness, Will General
Bearing, Insight, Wits Mental
Skills (as well as abilities) can only be acquired with the appropriate kind of picks. Each skill has up to three govern- ing attributes (see Table 4.5), and each governing attribute belongs to a particular pick class. You may only purchase skill ranks with development picks from those pick classes
that the governing attributes of the skill in question belong to. In this way, your capability in any skill area is directly proportional to the natural aptitude you have for it.
The Blades skill, for example, is governed by De/Ni/St and may thus exclusively be increased with physical picks. The Physician skill, on the other hand, is governed by Aw/De/Wt and may therefore by purchased with any type of picks. The Bows skill, to give one more example, is gov- erned by Aw/De/St, which allows you to acquire ranks in it with both physical and general class picks.
If there are any picks left after you have purchased all de- sired and affordable skill ranks and abilities in one step of character creation, they may only be allotted towards the very next skill or ability that you wish to obtain with the same type of picks.
EXAMPLE: Menelor, the noble Dúnadan scholar from one of
our previous examples, has the following total attribute scores: De 13, Ni 12, St 12, Vi 14, Aw 14, Wl 17, Bg 18, In 17, and Wt 18. In total, Menelor has remarkable 135 development picks which he gets to spend twice: once during his youth, and once during his apprenticeship as a student of Saruman. Of these 135 picks, 37 are physical class type picks, 45 are general class type picks, and 53 are mental class type picks.
YOUTH
First, characters pick up certain skills while growing up, as they discover the world around them. These skills depend both on the character’s cultural background and his individu- al aptitudes. For each of the peoples described in Chapter Three, Table 4.2 lists a variety of skills that a character can obtain during his youth, having grown up within a particular culture. If you were raised in a different culture than your parents’, you should refer to the culture you have grown up in, instead of the one indicated by your race.
The numbers in the columns corresponding to the vari- ous peoples tell you how many skill ranks you may acquire at
most in a given single (sub-)skill—but you are not required to
acquire any, if a skill does not fit your liking or your charac- ter’s background story. Each skill is also listed with its gov- erning attributes, telling you which class(es) of development picks you can spend on it, and a learning difficulty. A skill’s learning difficulty determines how many development picks you have to spend in order to acquire a single rank; these picks can be obtained from any class to which one or more of its governing attributes belong to. (Please refer to the Master Skill List on page 76 to determine a skill’s governing attrib- utes and learning difficulty in cases where only whole skill categories are given in Table 4.2, instead of individual skills.)
While it is fairly easy to comprehend the basics of a lot of skills, it is harder to really master a few. Therefore, the num- ber of development picks required for obtaining a new rank increases with the number of ranks you already have. Table 4.3 tells you how many picks you must spend to acquire a given skill rank, based on the skill’s learning difficulty.
Within the cultural limitations suggested in Table 4.2, you should purchase skill ranks based on where and how your character was raised. After all, a Gondorian from a fish-
TABLE 4.3:YOUTH SKILL PICK COST LEARNING DIFFICULTY
SKILL RANK EASY AVERAGE HARD
1st 1 2 3
2nd and 3rd 2 3 4
4th and up 3 4 5
ing village in Anfalas learns different things than one who grew up in the bustling streets of Minas Tirith.
For the purpose of distinguishing such regional differ- ences and your character’s personal preferences, Table 4.2 occasionally lists entire skill categories, parent skills, or skill groups instead of a limited scope of specific skills. Select any number of suitable skills from Table 4.5 on page 76 and ask your Turambar if you are not sure whether a particular skill is appropriate for your culture. However, if a different num- ber of obtainable ranks is shown for a skill category and par- ticular skills within that category, any specifically listed skills may only be learned if any ranks are listed for them.
Your race’s description in Chapter Three informs you about your people’s favoured weapons, arranged into classes by their general type (melee or ranged) and overall popularity (i.e., class A weapons are more common than those listed under class B). You may acquire skill ranks for any number of weapons falling under the respective weapon classes, up to the rank limit given in Table 4.2.
PLAYER’S TIP: Note that your character’s youth develop-
ment is the only time in his entire life that he will be allowed to obtain talents, while edges, skills, and skill specialties may be acquired at any point.
Also note that if it’s appropriate, it’s usually the best to as- sign your free hobby and language skill ranks (see the box on page 36) before or immediately after youth development be- cause they cannot be used to obtain a skill rank greater than 4.
A
SSIGNINGS
PECIALTIESAfter you have recorded all skills and ranks developed during your character’s youth on his Skill Sheet, you may as- sign one culturally appropriate specialty to each skill for free.
You will likely want to assign more than one specialty, because any time a specialty is asked for that you do not have, you suffer a –3 penalty on your skill test. Additional special- ties can be acquired just the same way as ranks. Based upon a skill’s learning difficulty, simply pay the number of develop- ment picks required for obtaining its second rank, and you may then assign a second specialty. This process can be re- peated at the same pick cost as often as you wish, provided that each of the selected specialties is culturally appropriate.
APPRENTICESHIP
Considering his cultural and family background, your character’s skill development is somehow limited during his youth (i.e., by the maximum number of ranks obtainable in a skill, as given in Table 4.2). But after his early years, becom- ing more and more independent as he grows up, he will even- tually find his own way to look onto the world and try to live up to his individual endowments and preferences.
TABLE 4.2:YOUTH SKILL DEVELOPMENT
SKILL ATTRIBUTES LEAR
N ING D IF FIC U LT Y N OL D O R S INDAR SILV AN E LVE S D WA R VE S H OBBI T S D Ú NE DAI N , C OA ST D Ú NE DAI N , I NL AND C O RSA IRS B EOR N IN G S E R IADO R IANS G O NDO R IAN S L A KE - M EN R O H IR R IM W OOD M EN D O RW IN RI M D U NL ENDI NG S E A ST ERL IN G S H AR ADR IM V AR IAG S L O SS O TH W O SE S Artistic
Any skill Varies Varies 8 8 8 6 5 5 6 5 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 6 4 5 5 5 4 Athletic
Acrobatics Ni/Ni/St Hard 3 3 5 0 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 2 4 2 4 3 2 2 2 3 Climb De/Ni/St Average 1 2 4 2 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 5 1 5 1 1 1 1 4
Jump Ni/St/St Easy 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Run Ni/St/Vi Easy 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Swim Ni/St/Vi Average 3 3 4 0 0 6 3 6 3 2 3 4 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 3 3 Combat
Armour Ni/St/St Easy 1 1 0 4 0 2 2 2 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 Dodge Aw/Ni/Ni Hard 3 3 4 1 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 Melee, Class A* Varies Varies 2 2 2 5 1 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 Melee, Class B* Varies Varies 1 1 1 2 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Ranged, Class A* Varies Varies 2 3 4 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 3 2 3 4 5 Ranged, Class B* Varies Varies 1 2 3 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Warfare In/Wl/Wt Hard 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 Craft
Any skill‡ Varies Varies 6 6 7 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 Armoursmith De/St/Vi Average 4 2 0 5 0 2 2 2 0 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 Goldsmith Aw/De/Wl Hard 6 4 2 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Seafaring De/Ni/St Average 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 6 0 0 2 3 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 3 0 Shipwright De/St/Wt Hard 0 5 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Stonecraft Aw/De/St Average 4 0 0 8 1 4 4 3 0 2 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Weaponsmith De/St/Vi Average 4 2 1 5 0 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 Healing
First Aid Aw/De/Wl Easy 3 3 3 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 Herbcraft Aw/In/Wt Hard 3 3 4 1 4 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 3 2 3 1 4 Physician Aw/De/Wt Hard 3 3 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 Lore
Any skill‡ Varies Varies 5 4 3 3 1 3 3 1 0 1 4 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Culture Lore† Bg/In/Wt Easy 8 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 History In/Wt/Wt Hard 7 6 5 5 3 4 4 4 2 3 4 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 Language* Aw/Bg/Wt Varies 6 5 4 5 5 6 6 6 5 4 4 5 4 5 6 4 4 4 3 3 0 Nature Lore Aw/In/Wt Hard 3 3 5 1 4 3 4 3 5 4 3 3 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 5 6 Region Lore† Aw/Aw/Wt Easy 6 6 7 6 6 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 Outdoor
Any skill‡ Varies Varies 4 4 4 3 4 2 5 2 6 4 2 3 4 6 3 5 5 6 4 6 7 Ride Bg/In/Ni Average 3 3 3 0 0 3 3 2 2 3 2 0 8 0 4 0 7 6 7 0 0 Survival Aw/Wl/Wt Average 1 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 5 3 2 2 3 5 2 4 3 3 3 6 6 Teamster Aw/De/Ni Average 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 3 0 6 3 5 5 0 Perception
Observe Aw/Aw/Aw Easy 5 5 5 4 6 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 Search Aw/In/Wt Easy 1 2 4 2 3 2 4 2 5 3 2 2 3 5 2 4 3 3 3 6 6 Track Aw/In/Wt Average 1 2 4 2 2 1 4 0 4 2 0 1 2 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 6 Social
Any skill‡ Varies Varies 6 5 4 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 4 2 2 2 1 1 Discern Bg/In/In Hard 4 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 2 3 Intimidate Bg/Bg/Wl Average 2 1 1 3 0 2 2 2 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 3 3 1 2 Steward Bg/Wl/Wt Average 3 1 0 2 1 3 3 2 0 0 1 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 Lead Bg/In/Wl Hard 2 2 1 2 0 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 Stealth
Any skill‡ Varies Varies 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Hide Aw/Ni/Wl Easy 3 4 5 2 6 1 3 1 4 2 1 1 1 4 1 3 1 1 2 4 5 Locks Aw/De/De Average 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sneak Aw/Ni/Ni Average 3 4 5 0 6 1 3 1 5 2 1 1 1 5 1 3 1 1 2 4 5 Traps Aw/De/Wt Average 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 *: See the description of the character’s race in Chapter Three on culturally appropriate weapons or languages. If no ranks can be acquired
in a ‘Class B’ weapon skill during a character’s youth, he may learn the skill during his apprenticeship (Turambar’s discretion). †: Normally, a character may only learn a skill pertaining to his own culture of origin or homeland.
In game terms, you get to pick your skill ranks more freely. More often than not, skill development is only limited by the time and dedication you can afford for practising, as represented by your available picks.
Of course, Turambari who are concerned that their play- ers might create over-powered champions instead of well- rounded roleplaying characters may rule that no character may start with more than 6 ranks in any Combat skill (or
more than 9 ranks, if any ranks from occupations are added). As in your character’s youth development, you once more receive one development pick for each point you have in your nine primary attributes’ total scores. With these picks, you may acquire any number of ranks in any skill, provided you can pay the due cost with picks from the suitable class(es) as indicated on Table 4.1. However, a Turambar may still rule that a particular skill is culturally or otherwise inappropriate for your character, and you must have certain abilities to pick up skills related to spellcasting and other forms of magic.
Table 4.4 below tells you how many picks you must spend to acquire a given skill rank, based on the skill’s learn- ing difficulty. If you have already picked up some ranks in a skill during youth or hobby development, these ranks are counted in: For example, if you have already developed three ranks in Ride (a skill of average learning difficulty) and wish to pick up a fourth rank, you must pay 6 picks.
TABLE 4.4:APPRENTICESHIP SKILL PICK COST LEARNING DIFFICULTY
SKILL RANK EASY AVERAGE HARD
1st 1 2 4 2nd and 3rd 2 4 6 4th to 6th 3 6 8 7th to 10th 5 8 10 11th and up 8 10 12
A
SSIGNINGS
PECIALTIESAfter you have recorded all skills newly developed during apprenticeship (including any hobby skills and skills from oc- cupational packages) on the Skill Sheet, you may assign any
one specialty to each of these new skills for free. Hence, each
developed skill should have been assigned one free specialty at the end of this step of the character creation process.
Additional specialties can be acquired the same way as skill ranks. Based upon a skill’s learning difficulty, simply pay the development picks required for obtaining your second— or greater—skill rank, with the number of specialties you al- ready have determining the pick cost of which ‘rank’ (i.e., 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on) you have to pay.
O
CCUPATIONSIn a world like Middle-earth, most people need to earn their living by working in an everyday job. The heroic charac- ters taking part in a typical Ambarquenta game are certainly an exception to this, as are most Elves. Still, it can add much flavour to a character’s background story if he has undergone some kind of occupational training and works in that job for some time before he sets out on his first adventure.
Appendix A presents a variety of typical occupations, along with their associated skills and earnings (see page 320).