This Subskill allows you to understand more about the local power struggles in The Land, from Kings to Chieftains. You can understand what motivates a local noble; the exploitable habits of a Goblin Tribe; or the shortages in supplies that you can sell to a village. This skill is most useful when trying to determine where any group that they interact with fits into the local political arena. A Politics Subskill check can be substituted Read more…
The ability to notice the world around you is paramount to seeing an attack coming towards you. This skill can be used instead of moving to look for a target, and is passively used by your auditor to determine if something can sneak up on you. You gain a bonus to your Passive Perception equal to your ranks in this Subskill. When you acquire rank 2 of this Subskill, you ignore penalties on ranged attacks Read more…
Knowing one’s enemy is paramount to survival, and The Land offers many types of enemies to know. This Subskill allows your mind to better understand the ecologies, special attacks, defenses, and general lore around a non-civilized creature in The Red Venom Plains. A Monster Lore Check will allow the character to get general information about the monster they are fighting. Rather than a full Subskill, this check is applied as a bonus equal to your Read more…
Metagaming represents a character’s uncanny ability to grasp knowledge or insights that they logically should not possess, as if drawing upon experiences from another life or a reality beyond their own. This skill allows characters to intuitively understand traps, combat tactics, or environmental hazards they have never encountered—or even recognize an enemy’s weaknesses before seeing them in action. Whether attributed to a sense of déjà vu, visions from a past life, or an unexplainable gut Read more…
Intuition represents a character’s ability to read between the lines, pick up on subtle cues, and gain a deeper understanding of a situation beyond what is immediately apparent. Whether sensing hidden motives during a tense negotiation, recognizing an unspoken threat in an otherwise calm environment, or predicting an enemy’s next move in combat, Intuition enables characters to make informed decisions based on instinct and observation. It is a skill rooted in perception and emotional intelligence, Read more…
This arrow or bolt has a blunt tip that does one die step less damage (so a d8 base becomes d6), but does bludeoning damage instead of piercing. Because of this, it can be used to do non-lethal damage to a target. Weight: 0.1; Cost: 1 GP each; Rarity: Uncommon
Some lands are cold and baron, and the very air stings your skin. Ranks in this Subskill will increase your ability to survive in a place where existence is pain, and only the strongest (and those with cold resistance) survive. This Subskill bonus is applied to any standard Survival check you make while in a polar environment; however, its bonus can also be applied to other Subskills you may have that work in a polar Read more…
Combat is about more than reducing a target’s Hit Points; often, non-damaging methods work best in a situation. You gain a bonus to Athletics checks made to grapple a target equal to your ranks in this skill. When you have rank 2 or higher in this skill, you may make an opposed grapple check to switch places with an adjacent target, assuming the switch can be made legally (it will not work if you are Read more…
This Subskill allows your mind to remember more about the geography of The Red Venom Plains. When making a skill check your character is attempting to determine where they are, or some details about the terrain surrounding them (such as favorable paths through mountains), you gain a bonus to your History or Perception checks equal to your ranks in this skill. You also gain a bonus to Survival checks when attempting to determine time or Read more…
Gambling embodies a character’s ability to embrace risk, read situations, and tilt the odds in their favor when engaging in chance-based endeavors. While its most obvious application is in games of chance—such as cards, dice, or roulette—Gambling goes far beyond the gaming table. This skill represents a knack for taking calculated risks in unpredictable situations, relying on luck, intuition, and a bit of flair to succeed. Whether betting everything on a high-stakes game, bluffing in Read more…
Requirement: Your character must have a dexterity of 12 or higher to learn or use this Subskill. If your Dexterity drops below 12, you are unable to benefit from it. Knowing how to tuck-and-roll is an often ignored ability that can help you in the end. This Subskill allows a character to fall further safely and may help the character reduce the damage they take if they fall further. All creatures and characters can drop, Read more…
Some instruments are either so rare or so complex that learning to use them is a skill onto themselves. You can only learn exotic instruments by spending Personal Time with someone skilled in their usage, but powerful artifacts are made for those that can use them. Each rank in this Subskill gives you proficiency with certain exotic instruments; many of these instruments have individual bonuses.
Enchanting allows characters to imbue objects with magical power, creating wondrous items that can alter the course of any adventure. From forging swords that blaze with elemental fire to crafting rings that grant invisibility or amulets that shield against dark curses, Enchanting is the art of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. This skill enables characters to infuse everyday items with spells and mystical properties, ensuring that their creations are as unique and powerful as Read more…
The desert sands bake the life from all things, but life always finds a way, and with your knowledge so will you. This Subskill increases your chance of finding the basics of life within a desert. Ranks in this subskill will increase your ability to survive in a place naturally hostile to outsiders. You gain a bonus to Survival checks made in a desert equal to your ranks in this Subskill. Additionally, its bonus can Read more…
Construction represents a character’s knowledge of architecture, engineering, and structural design. This skill is invaluable for evaluating the integrity of buildings and infrastructure, such as determining whether an old bridge can safely bear weight or identifying weak points in a defensive wall. Beyond assessment, Construction also allows characters to design and build structures, whether it’s crafting barricades to fend off an attack, erecting fortifications to secure a stronghold, or repairing damage to a key location. Read more…
Lumber is one of the easiest and most abundant resources available, some say it grows on trees. Your knowledge of this Subskill will allow you to construct siege weapons and cabinets. You also understand the construction techniques used to make constructs, and how to best avoid them. You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class per rank in this Subskill when you are attacked by a Construct, as you can anticipate its movements. When Read more…
Brewing allows characters to craft potent drinks that do more than quench thirst—they can empower the body, sharpen the mind, or bolster the spirit. By mastering Brewing, a character can create ales, tonics, elixirs, and other beverages that temporarily enhance abilities, grant resistance to certain effects, or even provide unique magical benefits. Using ingredients gathered during adventures—like enchanted hops, magical herbs, or rare waters from mystical springs—Brewing becomes both a creative outlet and a powerful Read more…
Unless you are born of it, a swamp will try to absorb you into its mud. This Subskill increases your chance of finding the basics of life within a swamp or marsh. Ranks in this Subskill will increase your ability to survive in a place naturally hostile to outsiders. This Subskill bonus is applied to any standard Survival check you make while in a swamp; however, its bonus can also be applied to other Subskills Read more…
Knowing the right places to hit your enemy or heal your allies will make you much more effective. Each rank of this Subskill gives you a bonus to damage when you score a critical hit. Additionally, the amount of Hit Points you heal with a healing spell or item that heals at least 1d4 is increased by 1 per rank, as you understand where to best apply the healing magic. You can only advance in Read more…
Trade is the cornerstone of economic savvy and financial success. This skill reflects a character’s ability to negotiate favorable deals, assess the value of goods, and maximize their profit from both commerce and craftsmanship. Each rank in Trade reduces the prices characters pay when purchasing from vendors, representing their knack for haggling and identifying fair deals—or persuading merchants to offer discounts. Additionally, Trade enhances a character’s earning potential during Downtime, increasing the monetary rewards gained Read more…
Thievery represents a character’s ability to perform precise and discreet actions with their hands, often in situations where subtlety and dexterity are paramount. Whether picking a pocket, lifting a key from a distracted guard, or slipping a vital item out of plain sight, Thievery is the art of stealthy manipulation. Characters skilled in Thievery excel at bypassing locks, disabling traps, or performing other delicate tasks that require a steady hand and a sharp eye. This Read more…
As with all things in life, Swimming will allow you to float effortlessly, or sink like a rock. A Swimming Subskill check can be substituted for a Athletics check while you are attempting to make a Subskill check. At Rank 2 of this Subskill or higher, only need one hand and two feet to swim effectively, leaving a hand free for other actions. Additional perks will be unlocked at higher levels of this skill, as Read more…
Sailing represents a character’s ability to navigate and command vessels across rivers, seas, and oceans. Whether steering a small fishing boat through treacherous currents, captaining a mighty warship in naval combat, or charting a course through uncharted waters, Sailing is essential for adventurers who seek to explore the vast waterways of the world. This skill encompasses not only the technical aspects of maneuvering a ship—such as managing sails, reading the wind, and avoiding hazards—but also Read more…
Not every combat turn is move and fight, and having a practiced stride can be the difference between saving an ally or watching them fall to an enemy. Running both increases your ability to move quickly, and increases your speed when moving. You may use this Subskill in lieu of an Athletics check when you are running, such as when a skill challenge calls for an overland Athletics check. Additionally, for each rank you have Read more…
Riding encompasses the mastery of handling and controlling animals used for transportation, combat, and utility across various terrains and environments. Whether mounted on a galloping warhorse, guiding a mighty griffon through the skies, or steering a sea serpent through treacherous waters, a skilled rider can seamlessly bond with their mount to achieve unmatched speed, maneuverability, and coordination. This skill extends beyond simply staying in the saddle; it includes the ability to calm a spooked animal, Read more…