SELECTING NEW ATTRIBUTES

Characters earn their mettle when you define their attributes. When you select this option, Realms 'rolls' values for their positive attributes (left hand Attribute column) and their negative attributes (right hand column).

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES

Like you, your characters have certain levels of wisdom, dexterity and strength, among other statistics. In Arkania, the seven positive attributes are tracked numerically and, for newly created characters, range from 8-13.

? Courage (CR): High courage influences quick decisions, and provides a high amount of willpower. This can be of value in a fight, when trying to resist a spell or when conversing.

? Wisdom (WD): This measures the theoretical or 'bookish' knowledge a character has, memory, ability to plan ahead and to think in abstract terms. This makes it the basis of most magic.

? Charisma (CH): A character with high charisma will find it easier to influence others. Also, his team-mates will be more open to the character's suggestions.

? Dexterity (DX): This is needed to manipulate small objects. It affects disarming traps, opening locks and other manoeuvres which require sleight of hand. It also affects a magicians ability to cast a magic spell.

? Agility (AG): This measures the ability to move skillfully and to avoid sudden obstacles. It also helps characters to avoid blows in combat.

Strength (ST): More than just brute muscle power, this is also the knowledge of how to use it to its fullest. A necessity for moving heavy objects, using heavy weapons, strength also determines a characters maximum load.

? Intuition (IN): It's not necessarily anything you heard or anything you saw, but something just tells you that something's up. A character's intuition affects their ability to perform many skills and also influences a magic user's ability.
You'll see Realms initial roll on your screen. This roll, a 13 let's say, can be used for any of the seven attributes: you select which one depending on the Archetype you're hoping to create. After placing the first value, Realms will roll again until you have placed each roll with a positive attribute.

NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES

Next, you'll assign values for the negative attributes - just like you did for their positive attributes. Keep in mind that Archetypes have negative attribute requirements as well. The seven negative attributes, which range from 2-8 for new characters, are:

? Superstition (SN): Characters with high Superstition notice certain things, black cats and the like, and instantly understand their meaning. High superstition often makes a character particularly susceptible to magic.

? Acrophobia (AC): A fear of heights, leading to a distinct feeling of vertigo. A large acrophobia value can be a severe handicap when forced to cross a suspension bridge or standing at a cliff edge.

? Claustrophobia (CL): The fear of being buried alive which can set in when travelling narrow halls and low corridors.

? Avarice (AV): The urge to gather gold, jewelry and other precious items. A character gripped by avarice will often forget all else happening around them just to loot something that has caught their eye.

? Necrophobia (NE): A particularly terrifying fear of death and anything connected with it, especially the undead - mummies, zombies and skeletons. A character with a high necrophobia value will sometimes refuse to fight against the undead and
will instead run away.

? Curiosity (CU): A healthy amount of curiosity is something of a prerequisite for a true hero, but too much of anything is a curse, and so it is with curiosity. Magicians especially are often overcome with curiosity upon discovering old scrolls and magical artifacts.

? Violent Temper (VT): A character with a violent temper is easily insulted and quick to draw a weapon to right any perceived wrong.

TRAVELLING TIPS

While exploring dungeons, keep these things in mind:

? Put your characters with high perception, strength and agility in the front of your party. They'll have the best chance to notice traps before they're set off and will be able to open doors with a shove.

? Most dungeons are not lit - be certain you're carrying torches or a lantern, and a tinder box to light them. Magically gifted characters may also light the way with a Fiat Lux spell or Magicians may magically charge their wand to contain an automatic, inextinguishable, light spell. (See the Arcane Lore section of this manual for more information on Wand Spells.)

It's time to break out the adventuring gear and head for the signpost. As you travel through Thorwal, or any of Arkania's towns, you'll see signposts pointing the way to one destination or another. Typically, there are numerous signposts in a single town, each leading to a different destination. Among all the signposts, though, there are two basic differences:

Harbours: Signposts at the water's edge give you the chance to secure passage aboard ships travelling to various locales. Since ships come and go, the destinations found at these ports change daily. A word with the Harbour Master can offer you an expanded look at the harbour's traffic. When you step up to a port's signpost you'll receive the Port Options.

Path/Road: Signposts at a village's edge note the way of roads and paths to other towns and follow the general layout of Arkania. For example, signposts to the east generally lead to eastern destinations. When you opt to travel on foot, you'll enter the Travelling Options.

PACKING YOUR BAGS

Before your characters head out of town, spend a few minutes with them. It may be several hours (maybe even several days) before you see a town or a merchant again. Make certain you're prepared for the trip:

? Check the amount of rations and water each character carries. If you feel it's not enough for the trip, buy more from a merchant. Pizza places do not deliver to the middle of Orc territory.

? How are your character's hunger and thirst levels holding out? Fill their bellies and quench their thirst before they leave. Otherwise, you may he forced to stop mid-route when a character complains of hunger pangs.

? Are your weapons and armour at their best? If not, visit a smith to make the necessary repairs.

? Are your characters well rested? If not, catch some shut-eye.

? Should you make a last-minute trip to a healer to treat disease, wounds or poison?

? Do you have a good selection of herbs, potions or other things that you might need? Also, don't ignore adventuring gear.

? Put your best character forward. If you're travelling in the wilderness, characters with strong Nature skills are best chosen to lead your party. They will also notice tracks and other landscape features that lesser skilled companions might miss. Characters travelling by boat are best led by a character skilled in survival skills. As the party waits in cramped quarters, and shares day to day life with the ship's company, such skills come in handy.

? Did you remember your travellers checks?

LEAVING TOWN VIA SHIP

Many of Arkania's settlements grew around bodies of water. These waterways allowed for easy passage of goods and generally offered settlers fertile, flat, land on which to build their homes. As sailing vessels evolved from small two-man craft to giant, merchant ships, Arkania's water towns developed thriving port industries — fishing, cargo and transportation amongst others.

These harbour towns generally service ships that travel along the coast to the next settlement. For the most part, the vessels travel to sizable cities, which generally offer good trade, and within a short range of their home port. In the large cities, however, there are often many destinations as ships come and go from all areas of Arkania to purchase and sell wares. Some large ports even offer transportation across the Gulf of Prem.

Whether your party travels across the Gulf or just up the coast, it will encounter all kinds of sailing vessels... from the custom cruiser yacht to a small, fisherman's dinghy. The smallest ships are generally capable of travelling 30 miles per day while the large trading ships can cover up to 120 miles per day. Often, the speed of a ship's travel, not to mention its direct route, is worth the price of a day spent waiting in town for a faster ship heading to your destination.

As your party nears such a harbour with plans of seafaring, you'll see its sign, and, stepping to the dock, will be offered the Harbour options.

Book a Passage: Is your party interested in a bit of seafaring? Select Book a Passage to make your reservations, Realms will show you a list of ships at anchor in the harbour and their destinations; this list changes as ships depart and new ships come in (see the Harbour Master for a complete schedule of expected ships). Check back if nothing available suits you.

If you're interested in a certain destination that's available, select it, and the ship's captain will tell you about his ship and the cost to board it. While he talks, listen carefully as the condition of his ship will affect your party greatly. The expensive ships generally travel the fastest, and luxurious ships offer your party a more restful (and healing) trip.

Your party may prefer to forego passage on a small, leaky, skiff even if its captain offers you free passage to your destination. On a Longship, for instance, your characters are expected to man the oars and won't get much of a chance to rest during the voyage. Other times, when your cash reserves are low, or if your party really, really, needs to get somewhere. any old ship will do.

Looking the current offerings over, you select the boat of your choice. Should you accept the captain's offer, he'll note the departure time before returning to his ship with your fare. You may board the ship now, or at any time before it leaves port. If you have a few hours on your hands you can head into town. However, keep your eye on the time (click the Time Tracker), and return before your ship's set to leave. Since you're not a dignitary, and the captain already has your money, he will not hesitate to leave without you.

Harbour Master's Office: For a small gratuity the Harbour Master has a world of information for the roaming party. He'll gladly tell you about all ships leaving the harbour and even those that are expected (within a reasonable time frame). For parties travelling to obscure destinations that are serviced rarely, the Harbour Master's knowledge is essential; he might be able to tell you of a small skiff leaving in two days that will, at long last, get you to your destination.

Go On Board: If you've booked a passage on a vessel, select Go On Board when you're ready to leave town. After selecting this option you'll spend your time chatting with other shipmates or looking for fish over the sides of the ship. Once you board a ship you are on board until it reaches its final destination and have no influence on the ship's course.

Leave Harbour: If your ship hasn't come in, or if it's not going to be leaving for a while, select Leave Harbour to return to town.

HEADING OUT ON FOOT

Dust off the backpack and put on your best leather boots... your characters are out for a bit of that heel-to-toe shuffle. Anywhere your party finds a land locked signpost. Arkania offers this type of adventure... Just step up to the signpost to discover where the road or path heads. Keep in mind that each city typically has more than one signpost, so checking around, you'll find roads to more than one destination. When your party reaches such a signpost, you'll see a screen similar to the one below:

(Ed Note: Screen is a map of Arkania)

Description: Move the pointer to any area on Arkania's map and click with the LMB. You'll see a description of the area, its peoples and local climate. While your party can't travel to any old location you click on (remember, you're heading out on a specific road to a specific place), this Feature allows you to see Arkania's geography and demographics quickly. Reviewing this map can be very useful in planning your routes across Arkania or, for the curious adventurer, finding out about Arkania's many towns and cities. However, sometimes dirt tracks or wilderness routes will not be so obvious. It may be necessary to check the possible destinations by actually investigating a settlement's journey points (signposts) to find these hidden routes.

Travelling Options: Click the RMB to show you the paths available from this signpost's road. You will see your current location highlighted with a pulsing blue circle, and the targeted destination will be highlighted in red. If the destination is OK with your party, select it and you're off. You may also select BACK to return to the town you're currently in. If you decide to travel, Realms will show you your party's progress on the map and will deposit you safely at your destination... unless your party experiences one of the hazards of travelling. These hazards are collectively grouped in the later sections of this manual - Adventuring and Combat.

TRAVELLING TIME

Under normal circumstances, and decent travelling conditions, your party can cover about 30 miles per day. Depending on the season and road conditions this distance could be reduced. Wilderness travel, along hidden and overgrown routes, can be tremendously difficult decreasing your maximum travelling distance to approximately 15 miles per day.

In a world filled with creatures of untamed decorum, things such as easy trips and experience for the asking aren't the norm. While your party travels from one point to another it may encounter certain problems. Perhaps it's a bandit demanding all the party's money. Yet, it could be a kindly old sage, wounded by an Orc attack. Will you spare all your astral points to heal him? And if you do, will he leave you coins in thanks or will he stiff you and your companions once he's restored? These, and many other questions, face any party in Arkania's wilds.

HUNGER AND THIRST

The most common problems of adventuring are hunger and thirst. While on the trail your characters use energy, and naturally, they need food and water to continue apace. When your characters are hungry or thirsty Realms will let you know. Although the computer's CPU will not growl, you'll see a message telling you that your characters are in need of nutrition. Just click the RMB to stop their progress. Soon, you'll be at the camp options (covered later in this section).

While in camp, review your characters, fill their bellies and quench their thirst. If you're out of rations and your skins are dry, try your hand at Replenishing Supplies (also covered in the Camp options later in this Section). Should you choose to ignore your characters hunger and thirst, starvation and dehydration are virtually inevitable.

ELEMENTS

Your warrior's limbs will barely move, and your elf's ears have a light coating of frost on them. Welcome to the elements. When your party travels through snow or the scorching heat of Summer, the weather affects them and their rate of travel. Crossing through the woods in the height of winter dressed in your Miami finest might cause frostbite, not to mention the extra effort required to traverse seven foot high snow-banks. Make sure that your party is appropriately equipped for the weather they may travel through. While travelling through such extremes check your characters often to be certain they're not overly exposed to the elements. Right click to stop travelling and make Camp, covered later in this section.

TERRAIN

Walking through one of Arkania's many fjords, your Magician suddenly drops from sight leaving only a fading 'yelp!' and a sliding footprint behind. Arkania's crash course in 'An Up Close Look at Geography' can hit your party at any time during their adventure. Whether it be a gaping cliff that your party failed to discover in all their merry making or a simple step that triggers an avalanche of snow, such geographic disasters are not uncommon. When your party experiences such an event, Realms will report the damage. Of course, your party can defend itself against such happenings by appointing a nature lover to lead the party. They are more likely to notice such things, given their appreciation for, and understanding of, the outdoors.

A GOOD PLACE TO REST

Occasionally, your characters will notice a particularly comfortable looking resting place. Its grass is mossy green, providing a comfortable ground to recline on. A brook trickles past, and the tracks of watering game haunt its sides. You may decide to set camp, ending the journey earlier than planned. While the party won't cover the maximum distance for the day, they may rest more easily, enjoy more of its benefits, and rise the next morning full of energy. And, if the game is as good as the tracks hinted, they may well leave with full bellies and packs.

FORCED MARCH

Sometimes, a tempting camping spot may not be enough to get your party to stop. You know you can reach your destination before nightfall. You're fairly certain you can make it, and so decide on a forced march, keeping your party moving longer than it normally would. Just right click while travelling on the Journey Map and select Force March to push your party on. Keep in mind, however, that there are no guarantees your party will reach its destination before nightfall or before everyone is tripping over everyone else from sheer exhaustion. Camping will then be necessary. Your party, worn out from the day's efforts, will likely require more sleep than a simple night's rest can offer and certainly won't he able to exert the extra energy two nights in a row.

SCOUTING

As your party travels along, the lead character keeps a careful watch for any interesting features... a neat grove of herbs, a collection of Karen tracks or perhaps your party heard a rumour in town about a wild magician who roams these parts. Should your character notice anything out of the ordinary that might help your party, or if rumours begin turning to fact, Realms will let you know.

CAMPING EN-ROUTE

As the night fills, so too do your characters' eyelids. Around 8pm, your adventurers will make camp for the night. Although they may not he tired, hungry, or otherwise in need of rest, they do know well the dangers of traversing Arkania in the dark. And so, being intelligent characters, they make camp for the night automatically at 8pm. Characters may also force a camp at any time mid-route, should they need to gather supplies, heal a wounded comrade or dash off a magic spell or two. To force a Camp, click the RMB. When your party forces a camp, or settles in at 8pm, the marshmallows come out, and camp-fire pvssyr begins. While here, your characters may perform various activities.

Set Guard Duty: While your characters sleep, who knows what creatures may creep out of the forest and into your sleeping bag. To protect your party from ambushes, rogues and other dangers of the night, Set Guard Duty before going to sleep for the evening. When you select this option Realms will ask you to select a character to stand guard for each of three shifts. Characters with high danger sense and intuition make the best guards, but be certain they get their fair share of sleep, too. Characters who stand guard cannot do other activities like hunting, so you might want to take care of other duties before setting guards and going off to sleep.

Replenish Stocks: As your party travels through Arkania's outback they may use up their rations and drain their water-skins dry. Whenever your characters make camp and you're running low on supplies, it's a good idea to try replenishing your stock. Select Replenish Stocks and a character to do the hunting. Generally, characters skilled in nature and perception have the best chance of success. Keep in mind that you can Captain two expeditions in a night, and each character may hunt only once. If all goes well, though, Realms will tell you about the grub you found; the food and water will he used immediately or stored for future use, depending on the needs of the team. On the other hand, should your attempt fail you're free to try again, one more time, with another character.

Use Skill: Leaning heavily against a tree, your hunter slowly lowers himself to the ground. He is wounded, no doubt, and your healer goes to his side. Selecting Use Skill, the healer can do wonders: Treat Wounds, Treat Disease or Treat Poison. Select a skill to perform, and, if necessary, a person to perform it on. Depending on the skill level of the character, life points may be restored to the Wounded, or the poisoned and diseased may be cured. Characters wishing to spend their time brewing magic of healing potions may opt to use the Alchemy skill. To mix potions the character must have:

An Alchemy set
All necessary containers
All necessary herbs
An appropriate recipe

Needless to say, a solid skill in Herb Lore and Alchemy helps. When your character mixes his brew Realms will let you know the outcome. Regrettably, if the alchemist puts together a brew that melts the very jars in which it was concocted they will fail the attempt and all the ingredients and containers used in the mix will be lost (after all, who wants a potion that doesn't work or a flask with residue of 'eau de l'attempt' on it?).

Use Magic: Magicians aren't just known for sitting back during leisure times to gossip. They are, by the by, not interested in Ian the Brave's hacking of an Orc or Sir Shaun of Crispy's escapades in one of Arkania's taverns. Instead, Magicians use the quiet of camp to meditate or to empower their mighty wands. When you select Use Magic, characters may do just that.

Meditate: Generally reserved for Magicians of either six, meditation focuses a character's energy on their magic power so dramatically that it drains the Character physically. Doing so, they converts life points (LP) to astral points (AP). Other magic-using Archetypes who carry at least one dose of Thonnys in their packs may meditate as well.

Wand Spell: Available only to Magicians or Magiciennes, this option allows the magic user to attempt a transfer of some of their astral points to a magical wand. Cloaked in darkness, the Magician spends hours focusing his mind, his magic and his energy over the wand until it accepts the spell itself. Taking a lot of time, the transfer of energy also consumes many astral points, but is permanent once charged. Should your character choose to cast a Wand spell, regardless of success or failure, they will be unable to perform any magic for the remainder of the camp. (For the exact method of transfer, refer to the Arcane Lore section of this manual.)

Cast Spell: During camp characters may require healing, or other spells that may give your party an advantage over the elements. To cast a spell, select this option, a magically talented character, the spell group and the spell itself. (For further information on spells refer to the Arcane Lore section of this manual.)

Gather Herbs: Used in every alchemist's potion, herbs are a source of magical power for the party and are plentiful in Arkania's forests. Selecting this option, you'll choose a character for the search and send them off for a time. While a character's success depends upon the area searched, those skilled in Herb Lore and Perception find herbs more quickly and are generally better at identifying herbs than less skilled companions. When the character returns, you'll be told of their discoveries.

Sleep: Ah, rolling back their bed-rolls your characters settle in for the night to awaken at 8am sharp (those medieval alarm clocks, you could count on them). Before opting to Sleep complete all your other camp business... healing, meditation, setting guard, etc. As your characters sleep they replenish both astral and life points - But, then again, they may not sleep so well. (See Combat for more information on attacks against sleeping parties.)

The residents of Arkania possess much information that may be useful to your party. Sometimes they can be persuaded to send a few titbits your way. That is, of course, if you strike the right note with them. Some prefer flowery small-talk whilst others would rather you get straight to the point.

SKILLS

All Arkanian characters need certain skills to survive in their sometimes friendly, oft-times hostile, environments. In Realms. these skills are broken down into seven groups which all Archetypes have the ability to develop: Combat, Body, Social, Nature, Lore, Craftsmanship and Intuition.

Skills range from -20 to +18. Those on the lower end of the scale would have trouble pickpocketing an empty pair of trousers while those on the high side could steal money from a man counting it. Some skills, too, are harder to increase than others.

When your characters attempt to perform certain actions Realms checks the action against your character's skill level to determine the action's success. A highly skilled character (+18) will most likely perform the action with ease. His inept companion (-20) will almost invariably fail. However, regardless of a character's proficiency in a skill, they may attempt to use it.

COMBAT SKILLS

A character's combat skills determine how well they hold up, both offensively and defensively, against foes. These values are used to calculate a character's attack (AT) and parry (PA) values. On reaching a new level, combat skills can be raised by 1 point.

? UNARMED: This skill encompasses boxing, wrestling and kicking. It is a skill to fall back on, in case the character's weapon breaks.

? EDGED WEAPONS: This skill governs the use of all weapons used in a striking fashion, which includes the majority of edged weapons (sabre, cutlass, etc.). and also some blunt weapons such as the Mace and Morning Star.

? POINTED WEAPONS: Epee, Rapier and Foil, as well as all knives and daggers, are included in this category.

? SWORDS: Swords are used as striking weapons but can be used to pierce as well. They are handled easily and are readily available.

? AXES: Axes and hatchets are favoured weapons of the northern Arkanians and are easy to find. Axes, like the orc hook or the barbarian war axe, do a lot of damage, but require a lot of skill to handle.

? POLE ARMS: This skill is used not only for spears and pole arms, but also for quarterstaffs and double fleurs.

? TWO-HANDED SWORDS: This skill governs all two-handed swords such as the Tuzakian or the Rondracomb. Normally, only warriors learn to handle these awkward weapons.

? MISSILE WEAPONS: The most common types of missile weapons are the various types of bows and the crossbow.

? THROWING WEAPONS: Throwing weapons include all javelins, throwing knives, and throwing hatchets such as the Francesca.

BODY SKILLS

Body skills are used to regulate all athletic actions such as climbing, hiding or riding. For a character to succeed in an action that requires a Body skill, good values for strength and agility are a must. Depending on the skill, other attributes may play a part in an action's success as well. These statistics are listed in parentheses following the skill's name. When characters gain an experience level, Body skills may be increased by up to 2 points.

? ACROBATICS (CR/AG/ST): Somersaults and cartwheels are a useful way of earning money by performing for an audience. Acrobatic reactions to unexpected situations rely more on Physical Control skill.

? CLIMB (CR/AG/ST): Climbing is always risky, especially at great heights where the smallest slip can have grave consequences. Along with the skill level, success also depends on whether the character is using any specialized equipment.

? PHYSICAL CONTROL (CR/IN/AG): A successful check against this skill allows a character to reduce the consequences of a fall, to escape an opponent's grip or to squeeze through a narrow crack.

? RIDE (CH/AG/ST): This is the ability to ride horseback, doing daring manoeuvres, without falling flat on one's face.

? STEALTH (CR/IN/AG): The ability to move without a sound. The probability of success also depends on the ground walked on and on the type of armour worn. Little clangs, jingling and creaking, and the crunch of dried leaves underfoot have a tendency to alert a potential target.

? SWIM (CR/AG/ST): Determines how long a character can keep their head above water. Any kind of armour is a large hindrance to the swimmer.

? SELF CONTROL (CR/ST/ST): The ability to take damage without letting pain get the better of you. With a high self control characters feel the wound, note its presence, but do not react to it. Thereby, allowing them to continue acting with accuracy and skill.

? DANCE ('CH/AG/AG): Like Acrobatics, dancing offers many a crown to a sufficiently skilled dancer performing to an appreciative audience.

? HIDE (CR/IN/AG): The ability to find a hiding place, quickly and quietly.

? CAROUSE (WD/IN/ST): The ability to hold oneself in check while visiting taverns, it affects the amount of beer, brandy and wine a character can drink before they become intoxicated.

SOCIAL SKILLS

Social skills help (or hinder) characters in the social situations they encounter in towns and cities. Attributes in parentheses affect the skill's chances of success. Social skills aren't much use in the wild, unless you encounter a particularly talkative rabbit. When characters gain a level, Social skills may be increased by up to 2 points.

? CONVERT (WD/IN/CH): The ability to convince others that your point of view is the correct one, especially in regard to religious matters. (No, really, Norm, Ifirn said that if you give me your sword, half your rations and dive head-first into that stable over there, you'll be granted a miracle.)

? SEDUCE (IN/CH/CH): An ability to attract members of the opposite six. When looking for assistance, it helps if your target is attracted to you.

? HAGGLE (CR/WD/CH): A good haggler knows how to smooth talk. In markets, the best hagglers can get discounts of up to 50% from a merchant.

? STREETWISE (WD/IN/CH): Helps a character find his way in a strange town. It also helps them find unguarded shortcuts, to avoid the city guards and where to beg for the highest take.

? LIE (CR/IN/CH): The ability to make your opponent believe anything you tell him. (Ah, No. That wasn't me who took your money. It was, ah, it evaporated. Yeah. That's been happening to me a lot, too.)

? HUMAN NATURE (WD/IN/CH): Allows you to judge the probable reaction of NPCs to your party.

? EVALUATE (WD/IN/IN): This skill helps to estimate the value of artifacts and other useful items.

NATURE SKILLS

Nature skills are a must for survival in the wilderness. They help characters to feel at home with the land and are generally used whenever a party ventures outside town. Following each skill name are the attributes that influence a character's success. When characters gain levels, these skills may he increased by up to 2 points.

? TRACK (WD/IN/AG): This skill is used to find animal tracks and judge the species that left them (wild pig, Karen... maybe a human?).

? BIND (DX/AG/ST): Knowledge of ropes and knots helps when tying up game and in freeing oneself, should you be bound and gagged by someone else.

? ORIENTATION (WD/IN/IN): A well-honed sense of direction can be very useful, not just in wilderness but also in dungeons.

? HERB LORE (WD/IN/DX): Not just the knowledge of where to find herbs but also the ability to correctly identify and prepare them.

? ANIMAL LORE (CR/WD/IN): Knowledge of animals is especially important in combat, when knowing where to find a vulnerable spot can mean the difference between life and death.

? SURVIVAL (IN/DX/AG): Just the skill you need to find a good spot for setting up camp, a source of water or rich hunting grounds.

LORE SKILLS

Almost all knowledge can be covered by a Lore skill, and in many cases Lore skills define a character's art. Attributes that affect the skill's performance follow the skill name. When characters gain new levels, Lore skills may be increased by up to 3 point.

? ALCHEMY (CR/WD/DX): This skill governs the recognition and, most importantly, the preparation of potions and elixirs.

? ANCIENT TONGUES (WD/WD/IN): This skill will allow your character to identify ancient scrolls.

? GEOGRAPHY (WD/WD/IN): The lore of far-off countries.

? HISTORY (WD/WD/IN): Knowledge of oral and written history.

? RITUAL (WD/IN/CH) Knowledge of the various rituals connected with the Twelve Gods.

? TACTICS (CR/WD/CH): Knowledge of successful combat movement.

? READ/WRITE (WD/WD/DX): The ability to read and write in your native tongue. Quite a rare skill in Arkania.

? ARCANE LORE (WD/WD/DX): This skill allows characters to recognize an artifact or judge a spell's effect. An absolute must for magic users.

? TONGUES (WD/IN/CH): This skill determines how many foreign languages a character speaks, and how well they speak it.

CRAFTSMANSHIP SKILLS

Craftsmanship skills are based on a character's ability to influence situations or people with their hands and mind. All Craftsmanship skills are honed by constant use and practice. Following the skill name are attributes affecting the skill. On reaching a new level, these skills may be increased by up to 2 points.

? TRAIN ANIMALS (CR/IN/CH): Used to tame and train animals such as horses, hounds or falcons.

? DRIVE (IN/CH/DX): The skill of handling carts, coaches and sleds.

? CHEAT (CR/CH/DX): A skill that promises substantial monetary rewards - as long as no one notices you are playing with a marked deck or loaded dice. Should that happen, expect precious little mercy.

? TREAT DISEASE (CR/WD/CH); TREAT POISON (CR/WD/IN); TREAT WOUNDS (WD/CH/DX): A number of your team members should be proficient with these healing skills, especially TREAT WOUNDS... a very commonly used skill for adventurers in Arkania. Untreated wounds often lead to infection and disease.

? INSTRUMENT (WD/IN/DX): Using this talent and the appropriate instrument, a character can make some crowns at a tavern - provided they hit the right note and mood of the audience.

? LOCKS (IN/DX/DX): An essential skill for survival in towns and dungeons. It includes the picking of locks on doors and chests.

? PICKPOCKET (CR/IN/DX): Using this skill is a risky endeavour with a lot of promise for either silver crowns or gold... or a pummelling if you're caught.

INTUITIVE SKILLS

Intuitive skills are not trained but are improved primarily through practice. They are, somewhat, the character's sixth sense. Because of this they can only be improved by 1 point when characters gain a level.

? DANGER SENSE (WD/IN/IN): This skill provides a warning to characters of immediate dangers posed, for instance, an ambush or a trap.

? PERCEPTION (WD/IN/IN): This skill allows you to notice hidden signs, secret doors, movement on the horizon or sounds behind a locked door.