General skills
by Cab DavidsonStrength Based Skills.
Mighty Blow: The skill of focussing ones energy into one powerful blow. A successful skill check will cause an opponent in combat to lose up to three points of weapon mastery related armour class bonus, and give a -4 penalty to any saving throw to deflect. Due to effort needed for a mighty blow, each round in which the skill is used counts as two rounds when determining fatigue*.
Dwarf Throwing: The ancient and noble art of hurling dwarves, halflings, gnomes and other small humanoids. A skill much in favour amongst the pygmy mountain giants of Norwold, as a sport and also as a combat tactic in adventuring parties with both giants and dwarves. The effective range is never more than 30 feet (yards outdoors), and unless throwee possesses the skill 'right stuff' (q.v.) he or she will take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet thrown (save for half damage). An unwilling throwee must first be effectively grappled.
Dexterity Based Skills.
Spear Brawling: This unusual skill, developed independently by many cultures using the spear, allows a character to combine the use of spear and staff weapon mastery, i.e. the use of the defensive abilities and special column from the spear description, with the attacking and ranged possibilities associated with the spear. Each is made at the appropriate mastery level.
Right Stuff: The knack of landing on ones feet. A successful skill check allows a thrown character (see dwarf throwing, q.v.) to ignore all damage, or provides a +4 bonus to any save against falling or falling damage. Practiced by the halflings in and around Leeha, it has made possible some of their greatest feats of mountaineering.
*For fatigue in combat, I rule that after a number of rounds equal to a characters constitution that character suffers a -2 penalty to hit and damage, with an additional -2 per half constitution score in rounds thereafter.