[OoC] The Chronicles of Dorgnad's Creek

[Maeve]

Braver doesn't always mean more intelligent... Far from it, in fact XP

What I have some far:

Ranks:
Ranks are an indication of how well you can use a certain competence. People usually start at the lower rank and go up as they get older and gain experience. The three first ranks are pretty common, while the two others are limited to a handful of people.
When you start, your character can only have competences of the first three level, and only two can be considered "skilled". Don't worry, you will get better as the adventure goes on, so there's no need to try to make a uber-powerful character at the beginning.

• Novice: You have barely started to train. You are slowly understanding the basic notions needed to control this skill, but you would really need more practice before you can do anything good.
  
  
• Apprentice: You have started to train your skill and have done some interesting progress. You can now use the base without problem, and even a few special tricks. However, you still have problems if you need to rush things and in stressful situation, and your weaknesses are still visible. You should seek a master to help you get better.
  
  
• Skilled: After a rigorous training, you have learned to master your skill, with all the advantages and weaknesses it has. The main difference between this and the upper ranks is that you have not yet show the world what you are capable of.
  
  
• Renown: A skill so superior to the average that it brings you fame. This vary greatly from the regional hero to world-known master. People who reach this level often take promising apprentices under their wings to help them grow.
  
  
• Legendary: Extremely rare, the legendary skills are owned by only a few mortals in this land. People who are able to reach this level are considered to have been blessed by the gods and people often seek them out to learn from them. Thus, they are generally surrounded by other people sharing the same skill, but at a lower level of understanding.

Armors:
The armor's competences are divided by weight, and not by rank like the other skill. This is simply because putting on an armor isn't hard enough to require a ranking system. So, when choosing an armor competence for your character, you don't need to write a rank beside it. Also, even if a character that can wear a heavy armor could wear a light one without much problem, please pick what your character will wear most of the time.
Armor normally protects the neck, the shoulders, torso and arms. The heavier ones often come with leg protection too. Lighter armors are usually favored by people who move a lot or need to do precise work, since they make it easier to move. They are generally made of leather or thick fabric, sometimes reinforced with small metal pieces. Heavier armors offer more protection, but they are also bulkier and harder to move with. They also, obviously, weight more, and so your character will have to be able to carry it around, plus all the other things he wants to use.

• Light armors:
  Under 10lbs: You can only wear a tunic, robe, or other simple common clothes. They offer minimal protection, but can be enchanted to provide more. Useful for character that need to move a lot, or that are weaker and can't carry much.
  10-20lbs: Basic cloth and leather armor set can be worn. They offer just a small protection against direct hits, but eh, it's better than nothing!
  
  
• Medium armors:
  20-30lbs: Amongst the most common armor, the medium armors provide a good balance of protection and freedom of movement. They are also light enough to be carry easily. This lighter version suits any kind of fast moving fighter (thief, assassin, ranger and the like).
  30-40lbs: A bit heavier, the armors of this category are normally made of leather and hides, but reinforced with metal or other hard materials. They allow less movement, and their weight can be an issue for some people, but their protection is good against most hits.
  
  
• Heavy armors:
  40-50lbs: Most chainmail and scale armors enter in this category. Those type of protection suits melee fighters well, but their weight is a serious disadvantage for anyone not use to wearing one.
  Over 50lbs: This type of armor include the plate armor and other variations. Those armor are mostly worn for special ceremonies, and very rarely by actual fighter on missions, because they are heavy and noisy. However, they can be a lifesaver in certain situation, as they can block almost any hit.

Shields:
Shields are hard piece of material, usually wood or metal, attached to the arm and used to protect oneself. They vary in shape, size and color, though the basis always stays pretty much the same: a strong piece of material with handles on the back.

• Small Shields: Small shields are easy to wear and light to carry. They usually measures around 1' to 1'6" and are often attached to the arm instead of being hold with the hand, leaving it free for a weapon or torch.
  
  
• Medium Shields: Those shields normally cover the length of the forearm in width, and are 3 feet long or less. They have handles on the back and are kept in the hand, forbidding the use of a second weapon or other handhold item. They offer a good protection against direct hits and projectiles. They can also be worn on the back when carried.
  
  
• Large Shields: Anything that is bigger than the medium shields enter in this category. Those are hard and heavy shields, made to block almost any hit coming the wearer's way. They can sometimes be almost as tall as one person, so that they can easily hide behind it if needed be. They are a mess to carry though, and are not very practical in close melee battles.

Helmets:
Helmets are anything that cover partially or completely a head. They offer minimal protection and are often worn only for the look, but couple with a good armor, they can prevent your head from being crushed at the first blow. They are also often enchanted to offer greater advantages to their wearer. Anybody can wear a helmet, even if they are not used to it.


Weapons:
Weapons are anything you use to fight. Although you could jsut go around a pick up the closest object to throw it at your opponent, it isn't a very efficient way to fight, especially when you ran out of ammunitions... Weapons are divided by group, according to their size and the way they do damage. Even if the look different, the way to manipulate them don't change much. For example, someone used to fighting with a club will usually quickly understand how to fight with a hammer, since they both work in the same way.

• Blunt Weapons:
  Small: Clubs, light hammers, light staffs
  Medium: Reinforced clubs, heavy hammers, flails and morning stars
  Large: Two-handed hammers, large staffs, dire maces and the like
  
  
• Cutting Weapons:
  Small: Daggers, knives and short swords
  Medium: Rapiers, axes, broadswords and the like
  Large: Two-handed swords and axes
  Polearms: Anything that is a mix of staff+blade: scythe, polearm, naginata and the like
  
  
• Piercing Weapons:
  Small: Stakes and the like
  Medium: Light spears, forks and the like
  Large: Large spears, tridents and the like
  
  
• Ranged Weapons:
  Small: Slings and the like
  Medium: Light bows and crossbows
  Large: Heavy bows and crossbows
  Projectiles: Throwing knives or axes, darts, or anything that you can throw without the use of another piece of equipment

Magical Skills:
The world is covered by a strange energetic currents, known by different names depending of where you are and who you speak to. Some powerful creatures, often coming from other planes of existence, also possess mighty powers and sometime agree to sharing them with mere mortals. Some people have learned to tame that energy and make it act the way they want, becoming wizards, sorcerers, priests, druids or shamans. Magic is normally separated in three categories, depending of its origins and methods of usage.

• Holy Magic: To use that kind of magic, a person must convince a magical being, of referred to as god, of giving her some powers, often by praying or doing some offerings. It is the most common form of magic among priests and clergy members. Holy magic is often used to heal and cure the various wounds and infections, although it can also be used the other way, to harm and poison people. It is mostly a defensive and curative form of magic, concentrating on augmenting (or decreasing) certain physical characteristics and not that much on direct damage-doing spells. However, people who have earned the favors of a god or goddess can sometimes receive magical weapon or damaging spell to help them in their quest. This means lower level priests are rarely able to make a correct damaging spell.
  
  
• Sorcery: Often misunderstood, this magical discipline is in fact more of a talent than anything else. People born under certain circumstances, mainly female, seem to be able to manipulate the surrounding magical field without needing any kind of prayer or formula. Unlike mage, the sorcerer doesn't need to learn spell, as it is "in her". They must, however, learned to control their power, otherwise it can become a real danger. They can become very potent in their discipline if they have the will to, though they will always be a bit weaker than a mage of the same level. The sorcery skills are often element-base, and one person is rarely able to get powers belonging to other elements.
  
  
• Wizardry: This form of magic is mostly common among wizards and mages. It consist of gathering the surrounding magical energy and turning it into what you want. Though it is often aimed toward direct damages, various schools have formed through the years, each concentrating on a specific aspect. Long studies are required to become a successful mage, since the apprentices have to memorize all the gestures, words and reagents require to obtain the result they wish. Incorrect manipulation can result in an awful mess. Obviously, the most difficult spells are a pain to learn, but their effect is said to be totally worth it. Wizards will often stop after they have learned a few basic spells and head on a journey to perfect their understanding of the magical force.

Other Skills:
This basically cover anything that isn't armor, weapon or magic. If you need any information about what each competence does, just ask. I'll update the list as the game goes. If you'd like to see something add anything, again, just ask!

• Communication: Animals
  
• Communication: Elements
  
• Communication: Plants
  
  
• Companion: Animal
  
• Companion: Elemental
  
  
• Crafting: Accessories
  
• Crafting: Armors (Light)
  
• Crafting: Armors (Medium)
  
• Crafting: Armors (Heavy)
  
• Crafting: Capes
  
• Crafting: Helmets
  
• Crafting: Magical Items
  
• Crafting: Potions
  
• Crafting: Shields
  
• Crafting: Traps
  
• Crafting: Weapons (Blunt)
  
• Crafting: Weapons (Cutting)
  
• Crafting: Weapons (Piercing)
  
• Crafting: Weapons (Ranged)
  
  
• Detecting Traps
  
  
• Disarming Traps
  
  
• Enchanting Items
  
  
• Familiar
  
  
• Hide in Shadows
  
  
• Lock Picking
  
  
• Persuasion
  
  
• Pickpocket
  
  
• Repairing: Armors (Leather)
  
• Repairing: Armors (Metal)
  
• Repairing: Armors (Other)
  
• Repairing: Shields
  
• Repairing: Helmet
  
• Repairing: Capes and Accessories
  
• Repairing: Weapons (Blunt)
  
• Repairing: Weapons (Cutting)
  
• Repairing: Weapons (Piercing)
  
• Repairing: Weapons (Ranged)
  
  
• Setting Traps
  
  
• Silent Walk
  
  
• Trade Sense

I really write too much...

[KoyiTar]

LMAO. I hope I got my competences right. I put skilled for my lock pick apprentice for my throwing knives and novice for my dagger. She doesn't use it often enough to be called apprentice worthy really.

Can anyone tell I prefer ranged fighters lol.

[Keylaleigh]

I think I did my competences correctly...

[KoyiTar]

I think I did mine pretty ok. She uses her lockpick alot in fact she trained under the leader of the guild in order to figure it out better.

[Keylaleigh]

Yeah, I got the basics down, but I had trouble wording the "everything else" part.

[Maeve]

I think they were fine last time I checked.
You will always be able to edit them before the game starts anyway, and even after (like if your character becomes better at something).

Done with armors, now onto weapons... Fear the even bigger wall of text XP

Edit: Strange, weapons didn't take that much finally... Anyway, edited the competence post (first of the page). I hope you can understand what I wrote <.<;
Now I just have the magic and other categories to do. Yay!

[Tsemara]

Other catagories?! Like singing ranks for a bard? Sewing for seemstresses? Baby catching for midwives? Deer in the headlights for deer caught in headlights? Playing dead for possums?

[Maeve]

Yes, sort of... XP

Basically, other is what I use for anything that isn't weapon, armor or magic. So picking locks, disarming traps, negotiating, singing, playing a musical instrument, repairing items, making potions, etc., goes in that category.

And isn't being caught in headlights a weakness? I hardly see someone learning how to do that XP

[Tsemara]

Please excues me while I smack my muse upside the head. They are being very wierd lately.

This is true. It certainly is a weakness. But not everyone can be super special awesome. And I suppose it would be more of an instinct, than a learned skill.

[Maeve]

Weird muses are weird... and sometime annoying. <.<*

True, instinct it is. But anyway, it doesn't enter the competence anyway ^^

Also, added magical skills to the list! Tell me if you want anything to be added.

[Atraea]

[Keylaleigh]

Time to re-edit everything!

EDIT: It is done!

[KoyiTar]

Ok I have edited my compenticies and the like I might edit my bio a bit more because the more I look at it I don't like some of it.

[Atraea]

Okay, all done...pretty sure I did those right...

[Maeve]

Sorry, didn't have much time to work on anything today. Got my hair cut this morning, then I spent the day cutting strawberries... Thank god that's over!

I'll go check what you've done, mostly out of curiosity. If you want any of the "other" skills (lockpicking and such), you can just go ahead and add them too. I'll be writing them soon, but pretty much everyone understand what lockpicking is anyway...