Skill Cards Set 3

[torilen]

I've added one new item to this set, as well as my other two:
I've listed which skills are combat-oriented, and which are not. The non-combat-oriented skills
are more for role-playing, and can be used to round out your character a bit more. If your group
wishes, you can even allow one combat-oriented skill AND one non-combat oriented skill each time
you're allowed a skill card.

This set includes, among others:
Skill: Tracking 1
Use: Ranger Heroes
The hero rolls 1 combat die once per hour. If enough skulls are rolled, the tracks are either found, or the hero has successfully continued to follow the tracks.
**Also have hide tracks

Skill: Maximum Spell Power
Use: Magical Heroes
Once per quest, the hero may cast a spell in which all variables are at maximum value. If combat dice (or red dice) are to be rolled by the caster, all are to be consider successful. This does not apply to rolls outside of the spell, or to dice the target would roll. This does not apply to spells from other sources (wands, staves, etc.).

Skill: Spell Scroll Writing
Use: Magical Heroes
Once, between quests, the hero may write a spell scroll of any spell he knows. Any of the chosen spells are not usable for the next quest. Writing a scroll requires a special quill (25 gold), special ink (75 gold), and special parchment (100 gold). The quill is reusable; the amount of ink and parchment is enough for one scroll.

Skill: Great Leader 1
Use: All Heroes
Once per quest, the hero may hire a single mercenary at 2/3 of the usual cost (round up to nearest whole number). If the hero does anything during a quest that would cause others to question his leadership ability, all Great Leader cards are reduced (for example, 3's must be traded for 2's, 2's must be traded for 1's, and 1's are removed from the hero).
**I have four levels of this - the fourth level actually allows a hero to hire a mercenary that is a hero also - a lower level hero, that is.

Skill: Stab in the Back
Use: Sneaky Heroes
Once per quest, if the hero finds himself behind a target (i.e. the target is facing completely away from the hero), the hero may attack the target. This attack cannot be defended against. The attack, however, must be completed with a light, quick weapon...nothing bulky that is cumbersome to use.

Skill: Dwarf Bloodline: Resist Poison
Use: Bloodline Heroes
Once per quest, hero may call upon the special abilities of his bloodline and resist 1 point of poison damage.

Skill: Damaging Spell 1
Use: Magical Heroes
Once per quest, the hero may cast a spell which causes damage and may add 1 additional combat die to the damage roll.
**Six levels of this.

skill cards set 3.pdf

As always - enjoy. I welcome comments.

[Gold Bearer]

Cool. I love creativity in rules but hate ambiguity, I think everything should be definite. What do you mean by "If the hero does anything during a quest that would cause others to question his leadership ability", and does light, quick weapon mean one handed blade? I take it you have to be a Dwarf to have a Dwarven bloodline, or are you saying some one screwed, or loved a Dwarf way back? I'll need to read your other rules to understand tracking.

I like the scroll writing ability. I had rules for making potions, including using alchemists benches (that would be good for finding supplies for your skill) but I didn't think of scroll writing. It looks like anyone can use scrolls in the US rules. I really don't like that.

I thought about using the directions that they're facing as a backstabbing rules for my thief but decided against using it because I didn't want to complicate it by adding direction. I should have done. It can be as simple as pick a direction for them to face at the end of their move. I think I'll have to update the thief.

Where are the merged spells, or are you saving them for level 4?

I can't get off this site now.

[torilen]

No merged spell cards yet.

I designed the dwarf bloodline mainly for those who are NOT the dwarf, though the dwarf can choose it, as well.
I also have troll bloodline and elf bloodline, so far.

It would have been really hard to describe situations that cause someone to question the hero's leadership ability
on one single card.
(I started making the cards after gimmeyergold made some, and gave me some ideas on how to design them...makes
it a lot easier to use the cards instead of making new sets of rules that people have to remember. What you see on the
card is what you get.)
I figured I would leave it up to the evil wizard and the gaming group to decide if something causes a question about a
hero's leadership ability. One of the biggest, of course, would be sending a hired mercenary into a situation to be used
as simple "cannon fodder", or leaving them behind to die when it is clear they could be saved with little worry. Things like that.

For light weapons - think dagger, short sword, rapier, hand axe, small hammer, whip, etc. I have my own equipment list, and
I THINK I put in whether a weapon was light or not.

[Gold Bearer]

Troll bloodline!?! Uwe, that's disgusting. They must have been REALLY drunk.

Still too ambiguous. Define "clear they could be saved with little worry". What if the man-at-arms survives. No rule should ever need debating.

Edit: Sorry if I'm coming across as an arsehole. I don't mean to be. I know I can be quite blunt.

[torilen]

Gold bearer,
I never got back to this Surprised right?

I agree that rules shouldn't ambiguous, and yes, the rules I've set up for the hiring of men-at-arms
skill leave a lot of room for questioning and possible argument over how it should work.

Unfortunately, it is much more of a roleplaying type of skill, compared to other rules in
HQ, and without writing what could be a full page of explanation, there is not much to
be done in the way of clarification. It would take me writing several examples of what could
be considered a failure of leadership. And even then, it would not cover every scenario, nor
would everyone agree with me on whether certain scenarios would be a failure of leadership.

The main problem I see with doing that, however, would be it would most likely turn
HQ fans off of wanting to use the skill. I've tried as hard as I can to create these rules
so that as many people might use them as possible. I know a lot of fans here at the inn
want to keep HQ as simple as it original was, which is why I made these into cards to
begin with...in keeping with the idea of weapon, armor, spell, and treasure cards.

And don't worry - I never take criticism as someone being...whatever one might be called.
I'm always looking for feedback. Helps me make things better.