Skills & Virtues

Direction Sense

Lock Pick & Trap Use

Luck

Prayer

Spellcraft

Truthsense

Virtues

SKILLS
Skills are abilities that can accomplish some of the same effects as magic but are not truly magical.  The big difference between a spell and a skill is, a skill cannot be dispelled by magic.  Remove trap could be dispelled by say a nearby sigil.  A thief using the Lock Pick skill cannot be foiled that way.

Currently the skills are:   Direction Sense, Lock Picking, Luck, Prayer, Spellcraft, Trap Use and Truthsense.  

Once, long ago their was Common Sense too but since no-one in the group could ever afford to have as many points as they needed in order to survive, we decided to just drop the skill and let the mayhem ensue unhindered by the occasion point here and there.

You will often see skills referred to as skill points or skill cards.  Just to alleviate any confusion, they are really the same thing.  Players will get one card for each skill point they have.  Skill Level refers to the max number of skill points someone possess, not how many cards/points they have left.

The above skills can be broken into two groups. 
The first are the Static Skills (Direction Sense, Lock Picking, Spellcraft, Trap Use and Truthsense).  These  skills require you only to use one skill point per use.  The number of Static Skill points (Skill Level) you have determines two things. 
    1) How many times you can use a skill per Adventure
    2) How powerful each use of the skills use is. 
Using Lock Pick again as an example, a thief with three points in LP can use the skill three times.  He or she could also open any 3rd level or lower lower lock on each one of those uses.
The second group of skills are the Adjustable Skills (Luck & Prayer). These skills require you to use one skill card for each level of effect you are trying to achieve.  In other words, if you were praying for a 3rd level spell, you would need to rip three prayer point cards. 

Players can purchase one skill point a year.  They need not purchase that skill during the year.  A running total is kept for Skill, Spell and Spell Upgrades.

VIRTUES
The source of the power of the Virtues is unknown to me.  They are the guides towards righteousness and are bringers of fortune for the virtuous or bearers of ill for the wicked.

Notes: As they are closely tied subjects you can reach info about the Gods through the Prayer page and info about traps and poisons through the Lock Pick & Trap Use page