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8/18/2017 9:55 pm  #1


Secondary Skills

Sorry if this has been discussed. I did a search but didn't come up with anything.

How does everyone use the Secondary Skills? To inform what Characters can do? Do you use any sort of roll? 

My wife will be making a Beastmaster (which doesn't exist as a class, but I'll just go with Ranger and give her a war dog or wild cat of some type.) She'll take Animal Handler, and I'm just trying to think of how to incorporate it.

I come from the days of oD&D, but my old school GM skills have gotten rusty in the mire of modern RPG's that I've just emerged from.


"But not all men seek rest and peace; some are born with the spirit of the storm in their blood" -REH
Rambling Conan Blog

 
 

8/19/2017 3:38 am  #2


Re: Secondary Skills

They're generally just for fluff, IMO, and are meant as a springboard for off-the-cuff rulings.

Example: The party manages to capture a giant ferret that's been plaguing Farmer Eustace's cockatrice coop. One of the characters has Animal Handler, so the player of that character announces that they wish to train the giant ferret as a side-kick. The DM then decides that if the character spends 100g.p. and one week per HD of animal, the trainer has a 4:6 chance of success.

At least that's how it worked in AD&D...
 


"I, Satampra Zeiros of Uzuldaroum, shall write with my left hand, since I have no longer any other, the tale of everything that befell Tirouv Ompallios and myself in the shrine of the god Tsathoggua..."
 

8/19/2017 7:15 am  #3


Re: Secondary Skills

foxroe wrote:

They're generally just for fluff, IMO, and are meant as a springboard for off-the-cuff rulings.

Example: The party manages to capture a giant ferret that's been plaguing Farmer Eustace's cockatrice coop. One of the characters has Animal Handler, so the player of that character announces that they wish to train the giant ferret as a side-kick. The DM then decides that if the character spends 100g.p. and one week per HD of animal, the trainer has a 4:6 chance of success.

At least that's how it worked in AD&D...
 

This is how I play it, too, and have a greatly expanded list of Secondary Skills (which are really more like backgrounds). I also factor in race and class for determining the Non-standard skill roll (e.g., my group's Cleric of Apollo can do first aid/healing at 5:6 most times).


"It is all very well to point out that the man lacks facility; as he asserts, sheer force can overpower sophistication."
Jack Vance, Rhialto the Marvellous
 

8/19/2017 8:22 am  #4


Re: Secondary Skills

Awesome guys, thanks! That's perfect. I'm really looking forward to this return to judgement calls and actual roleplay.

Rhialto - what do you allow First Aid to accomplish? Do you give some HP?


"But not all men seek rest and peace; some are born with the spirit of the storm in their blood" -REH
Rambling Conan Blog

 
     Thread Starter
 

8/19/2017 8:49 am  #5


Re: Secondary Skills

Grimmshade wrote:

Sorry if this has been discussed. I did a search but didn't come up with anything.

How does everyone use the Secondary Skills? To inform what Characters can do? Do you use any sort of roll? 

My wife will be making a Beastmaster (which doesn't exist as a class, but I'll just go with Ranger and give her a war dog or wild cat of some type.) She'll take Animal Handler, and I'm just trying to think of how to incorporate it.

I come from the days of oD&D, but my old school GM skills have gotten rusty in the mire of modern RPG's that I've just emerged from.

Welcome to the boards, Grimmshade! Methinks your wife will like the new Huntsman subclass, coming soon to a hardcover near you.

 

8/19/2017 8:57 am  #6


Re: Secondary Skills

DMPrata wrote:

Welcome to the boards, Grimmshade! Methinks your wife will like the new Huntsman subclass, coming soon to a hardcover near you.

:O 
That's awesome!
 


"But not all men seek rest and peace; some are born with the spirit of the storm in their blood" -REH
Rambling Conan Blog

 
     Thread Starter
 

8/19/2017 8:09 pm  #7


Re: Secondary Skills

DMPrata wrote:

Methinks your wife will like the new Huntsman subclass, coming soon to a hardcover near you.

Sweet.

Last edited by foxroe (8/19/2017 8:10 pm)


"I, Satampra Zeiros of Uzuldaroum, shall write with my left hand, since I have no longer any other, the tale of everything that befell Tirouv Ompallios and myself in the shrine of the god Tsathoggua..."
 

8/20/2017 9:41 am  #8


Re: Secondary Skills

Grimmshade wrote:

Awesome guys, thanks! That's perfect. I'm really looking forward to this return to judgement calls and actual roleplay.

Rhialto - what do you allow First Aid to accomplish? Do you give some HP?

Yes, and I play a fairly different way overall, with all HP (which model grit, fatigue, etc.: not injuries) recovering overnight. Even 1st level characters in my games are heros, never zeros. First Aid, healing, etc. also allow one to heal "serious wounds", which are damage done directly to CON.


"It is all very well to point out that the man lacks facility; as he asserts, sheer force can overpower sophistication."
Jack Vance, Rhialto the Marvellous
 

8/20/2017 2:19 pm  #9


Re: Secondary Skills

That's cool.
I'm thinking of adding a Hero point system to my game, because I also want characters to be slightly more heroic, or at least slightly less fragile. I'm going to be using AS&SH for Conan style RP.
I think I'll also use First Aid to heal a few HP.


"But not all men seek rest and peace; some are born with the spirit of the storm in their blood" -REH
Rambling Conan Blog

 
     Thread Starter
 

8/20/2017 9:13 pm  #10


Re: Secondary Skills

There are pretty extensive rules on wound recovery given on page 224 of the PM. I would allow First Aid to improve upon those rules (slightly) - I would also not allow it to "outshine" Healing/Curing spells and potions, or the Brink of Death spell (e.g. First Aid could stop the 1hp per round "Death's door" loss and maybe even recover a few HP's, but not bring the character back to 1 HP).


"I, Satampra Zeiros of Uzuldaroum, shall write with my left hand, since I have no longer any other, the tale of everything that befell Tirouv Ompallios and myself in the shrine of the god Tsathoggua..."
 

8/21/2017 10:54 am  #11


Re: Secondary Skills

That sounds pretty good.
I probably haven't quite reached the healing/wound recovery rules in my reading yet.
I definitely don't want super quick full recovery like 4e/5e.


"But not all men seek rest and peace; some are born with the spirit of the storm in their blood" -REH
Rambling Conan Blog

 
     Thread Starter
 

8/21/2017 7:33 pm  #12


Re: Secondary Skills

I recommend that no secondary skill be allowed to eclipse the shaman's medicine man​ ability.

 

8/22/2017 11:08 am  #13


Re: Secondary Skills

Cool, that Shaman ability is a nice measuring stick.


"But not all men seek rest and peace; some are born with the spirit of the storm in their blood" -REH
Rambling Conan Blog

 
     Thread Starter
 

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