Abilities

(Incomplete Section. I want to make abilities more like bonuses instead of classes. I don't want abilities to be based on attributes, but instead about equally useful for character of any attribute configuration.)

Abilities in Crusaders are special bonuses granted to characters based on their highest stats. These bonuses are separated into major and minor abilities. A character receives 1 major ability, based on his highest stat. He also receives 3 minor abilities, which he may select from in any combination based on his highest 3 stats. These abilities are selected at a character's creation and cannot be changed afterward.

Major Abilities
Nightvision: Through some amount of non-human blood somewhere in the character's lineage, they have inherited the ability to see in the dark as though it is day.

Blindsight: The character has learned to use their other senses to compensate for lack of vision. They fight with no penalty when blinded.

Minor Abilities
Observant: +1 to the Observation skill.

Survivalist: +1 to the Survival skill.

Sixth Sense: High perception grants the character forewarning of attacks. They may use their perception score instead of agility for initiative.

Major Abilities
Advisor: Learned in both tactical and political arts, you are able to prepare your allies before battle. The Advisor may only give his briefings if there is ample time, meaning it cannot happen while in combat or while danger is imminent. During a session, the Advisor rolls his knowledge skill. For each success he may grant a temporary +1 to himself and his group of any combination of skills of his choice. However, he cannot choose the same skill twice to 'stack' bonuses. These effects last for 24 hours and the briefing session can only take place once every 24 hours, to avoid confusion among allies.

Meditation: When stumped with a problem, you know to relax and meditate on it. A knowledge check, while not in combat may elicit the game master to give a clue about the current situation.

Minor Abilities
Scholar: +1 to any skill.

Mind over Matter:Through the use of logic and reasoning, you are able to push away the effects of pain. You may roll both resistance and willpower using your intelligence.

Major Abilities
Weapon Master: You are well versed in the use of many weapons. Switching between weapons for you is a free action, once a round. In addition, you do not adjust your action points down when switching to a weapon of lesser skill. However, you still start rounds with action points equal to skill you have with your current weapon. In addition, once a day you may make an obfuscation roll to retrieve a small hidden weapon; even if you have been thoroughly searched and disarmed.

Assassin: You are capable of striking opponent's vitals with pinpoint accuracy, given your enemy is not aware of your presence. Before combat begins you may make a sneak attack against one enemy. Roll your full weapon skill under your finesse. The attack automatically hits and deals damage equal to your successes.

Minor Abilities
Ambidextrous: You use both hands equally well. In combat, either one of your hands can count as your 'main hand', meaning you may alternate which weapon you hold generates action points freely.

Local Dartboard Legend: You may pick up and throw nearly any object with deadly force, using your small weapons skill.

Duelist: You gain an additional 1AP if you are in a fight with only one enemy of equal creature tier.

Major Abilities
Martial Artist: You replace your brawling skill with a "Martial Arts" skill. Martial Arts can be used in place of any situation where brawling may be used, but is rolled using agility instead of strength. In addition, as long as you are unarmed, you generate action points equal to your Martial Arts skill (you do not get the 2 additional AP for having two free hands). Your unarmed strikes deal 1 point of damage as if they were normal weapons. You may also attempt to parry incoming melee weapon attacks while unarmed, but such a parry counts as an advanced attack.

Lancer: You excel in mounted combat. As long as you are mounted, you have an additional 1AP during combat and are unaffected by wearing heavy armor.

Minor Abilities
Lightning Reflexes: You respond to surprise attacks with an Acrobatics roll instead of Observation.

Freerunner: Your movement speeds are calculated as if your agility was 10.

Like Water: When trying to escape from being grappled, you may roll your Brawling skill under your agility instead of strength.

Major Abilities
Berserker: You may equip a two-handed weapon in one hand, but only if you are wearing light or no armor. In addition, whenever you take damage, you gain a temporary 1 strength, to a maximum of 10. This effect ends at the end of combat or after 5 minutes, if not in combat.

Warrior: You may opt to take a reactive stance and go last, during combat. Doing so grants you an additional action point that can only be spent on DBP. Alternatively, you may also take an aggressive stance, leaping into combat on the same initiative as your highest initiative ally. Doing so grants you an addition action point that may only be spent on attacking.

Minor Abilities
Fighter: +1 Brawling.

Brute Force: Your unarmed attacks deal normal damage instead of non-lethal.

Beatdown: You receive an additional action point when fighting unarmed.

Major Abilities
Guardian: +1 to both block rating and parry rating.

Titan: Damage made against you is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

Minor Abilities
Tough: +1 natural armor.

Die Hard: When your HP is reduced to 0, you keep fighting as normal. You must still make endurance rolls vs death each time you are struck.

Iron Stomach: You gain +1 to resistance checks against poison and their effects.

Major Abilities
Commander: Your confidence and experience allow you to lead others. During combat situations, your allies are granted bonuses when working together to follow your commands. These commands must be simple enough for anyone to understand, such as "Attack" or "Defend This Position". When an ally is following a command, he receives +1AP for that round. Issuing a command consumes an action point. In addition, when allies under the effects of your commands are forced to make Willpower rolls, they may use your successes instead of their own.

Beast Master: Your special connection with animals allows them to understand you. Your Taming rolls may be used to 'talk' to an animal. The more complex the task, the more successes are needed.

Minor Abilities
Vengeful: When an ally falls in combat, you receive an additional 1AP each round for the remainder of combat.

Fearless: You are immune to the effects of fear.

Socialite: +1 Social.

Booming Voice: You speak with such audacity, your voice carries up to twice the distance of a normal person. In addition, both you and allies receive +1 to willpower rolls while within earshot of you.

Major Abilities
Battlemage: Instead of normal AP generation, each round you receive half of your equipped weapon's ranks (rounded up) and half of your ranks in your highest magic skill (rounded up).

Summoner: By earning the respect of souled beasts, you may obtain their arcane mark and summon them to do your bidding. You may know 1 summon per point of skill in Arcane magic. Summoning costs action points equal to the creature tier of the creature summoned. It also acts as a continuous spell for as long as the creature is summoned.

Minor Abilities
Spell Parry: You may attempt to parry projectile spells.

Mask Presence: When someone uses their truesight skill on you to judge your magic potency, you may counter their roll with a truesight check of your own. Each of your successes cancels out one of theirs.

Dispel: You may attempt to dispel continuous effects of magic that you understand. Roll your skill in magic of the same magic that was originally cast. Each success reduces the strength of the original spell by 1.