Physical Skills

PHYSICAL SKILLS

Physical Skills are those which involve the core physical capabilities of the character, often involving grace and power.

  • Finesse
  • Stealth

FINESSE

The Finesse skill is proficiency with subtle, graceful, and perfect movement and attention to detail.

Rank 1: Conceal

The scoundrel may Exert in order to hide items in secret caches or locations, as well as hide objects on their person.  Any item can be covered in a black cloth with a “Hidden” tag. Such items can only be located by characters with the Vigilance Skill.

Items hidden on one’s person can be covered with a black cloth as well and excluded from the results of a Search by someone with the Vigilance Skill and may not be targeted by Pickpocket. Containers of smaller items may not be hidden this way.

Rank 2: Pickpocket

The scoundrel may lift small items off unsuspecting marks. If the scoundrel is able to place a clothespin on another character’s clothes, purse, or satchel without being caught, they may then claim an item from the pinned article. Long cloak edges are not valid targets.

At their request (if they don’t wish to do so personally), a Marshal will go to the target after a time and retrieve a random item from any items they may have.  If the scoundrel suggests a specific item they believe their mark has, the Marshal will take that item specifically. If the item is not there, the attempt fails.  Characters who have been pickpocketed do not notice it missing until the end of the scene. This can also be used to place items on a character, if desired.  

Rank 3: Lockpicking

The scoundrel has nimble fingers and a careful touch. Tumblers and pins shift at their knock. After a full minute of fiddling with a lock prop, the character may Exert to open any Basic Lock, as well as relock it afterwards, hiding evidence of the character’s tampering. Advanced Locks take an hour of fiddling to open. Requires thieves’ tools.

Rank 4: Escape Artist

Able to gracefully move into tight positions without difficulty, the scoundrel may quickly go where others cannot.  The scoundrel may use the Ignore hand sign when opening or closing doors, able to slip in unnoticed.  Additionally, they may enter or exit rooms through any window large enough to fit through (even if it doesn’t open in real life) and can use the Ignore sign to do so.

In a Trial, the character may bypass certain otherwise-impassable walls or obstacles, which will have a special mark indicating Slip can be used.

This ability also allows the scoundrel to escape ropes, manacles, and most other forms of confinement

Rank 5: Sleight-of-Hand

The scoundrel’s hands are a blur, moving at a speed that is too fast to follow. Whether distracting with one hand and pilfering pockets with the other, or sliding a secret blade between ribs, the scoundrel is an unparalleled master of sleight of hand.

The scoundrel gains the following options

  • Retroactively pickpocket any character that they have obviously touched during the scene. Being on either side of a Grab always counts for this.
  • The scoundrel may Exert to call “Stealth Strike” on a target within arm’s reach using a light weapon the scoundrel has on their person. This may be used to deliver Poison
  • Freely cheat in any game of chance, choosing die outcomes or the exact hand of cards they are dealt. This may only be noticed by a character who is Alert.

STEALTH

The Stealth skill is training in careful balance, concealment and quiet grace that allows the user to remain unseen whether still or moving.

The Stealth Skill interacts heavily with the Stealth Condition, referenced here from the Core Rules.

STEALTH

The character is somewhere nearby, unseen.  Their player crosses their arms in the “Ignore” hand sign, and should be ignored and not interacted with by most game effects.

  • Characters in Stealth can observe without interacting.  Further abilities in the Stealth Skill allow more interaction, including attacks.
  • Stealth is not effective against someone who sees them enter Stealth, so long as line of sight is not broken.   That character may call Reveal against them by interacting with them.

Resolution: The stealthed character is Revealed, or exits Stealth.

(Read more about Game Effects)

Rank 1: Hide

The character may enter the Stealth condition if they can crouch down low and meet any of the following conditions:

  • In deep darkness
  • Against a wall or other large surface
  • Behind at least partial cover, like a table

Once in Stealth, the character may not take any steps or actions, but remains hidden until they do.

 Rank 2: Swoop

While in Stealth, the character may take either three steps or perform a tumble.  If the character ends up in a legal location to enter Stealth per Hide, they may remain in Stealth.

 Rank 3: Murder

The character may attack from Stealth to devastating effect.  Using an Hit or Strike from a weapon no longer than 48”, (which can include arrows or spells) the character may attack from Stealth and add the Stealth Quality to the attack, preventing the use of Parry or Dodge defenses unless the character is also Alert.  

If the character is able to, they may gently place the weapon across an unarmored area of the body, such as the throat before they strike.  Using the Murder ability causes the character to exit Stealth.

 Rank 4: Lurk

Once the character has been in Stealth and unmoving for at least a minute, they are able to find the best possible position for escape and concealment.  The character becomes immune to Reveal and Tracking as long as they do not move, and may escape from the scene at will by using the Ignore sign to leave at least 100 feet away.

 Rank 5: Shadow

Interacting with the environment does not break Stealth.  The character may open, creep through then close a door, remove an unsecured item from a table, even speak out loud, their voice echoing from a difficult to find location.   Reply “Stealth” if challenged by characters whether they see you. Changes to the room may be noticed at the end of the scene. Attacks made from Stealth still reveal the character.