Rules Update - June 2013

The following are official Rules Updates to a variety of skills. These changes are effective immediately and will be reflected in the Official Core Rulebook shortly. Please direct all your questions concerning these rules updates to the thread labeled Rules Update - June 2013: Questions in forum subheading “Realizing the Character / Rules Questions”. As always, we are striving to create a better game for everyone to enjoy, and we hope these changes help take a step towards accomplishing just that. Thank you.

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- The last paragraph in the section “Point Blank Range Rules” on page 30 of the Core Rulebook has been moved under the section “Archery Safety”. The section “Archery Safety” now reads as follows:

Remember that safety always comes first. If at any time you or your equipment is deemed unsafe, you will be asked not to use it until you can demonstrate that you know how to use it properly. If you fail repeatedly your archery privileges can be revoked permanently. Arrows that are damaged can splinter or shatter, either when fired or on impact. Damaged bows and arrows should be removed from use ASAP. It is against the rules to swat an arrow with a weapon.

Targeting an archer’s bow or arrow can be dangerous for everyone in the area, causing the bow to snap, or the arrow to fly haphazardly and in a dangerous fashion. If a non-archer is constantly found rushing archers in dangerous ways, or hitting their bows and arrows purposely, they will be punished accordingly. Likewise, it is against the rules for an archer to block an attack with a bow or crossbow, especially a strung or knocked one. In the interest of safety, any archer holding a bow with a nocked arrow, regardless of whether the string is drawn or not, should be treated as a non-combat character for the purpose of being attacked.

- The Literacy "Halfling" has been dropped from the game. Halflings are considered to speak Common as their native language. Any characters with the skill will have it removed from their card, and the build refunded.


- The Literacy "Katta" is being renamed "Jaxuarian" (Kiterians speak Bedouin or Common as their native language instead.)


- Jaxuarian have had the skill “Literacy: Jaxuarian” added to their Racial Skill List for 1 build.


- Celts have had the skill “Literacy: Gaelic” added to their Racial Skill List for 1 build.


- The section of the Core Rulebook labeled Character Retraining has been modified to read as follows:

Character Retraining

To reflect the manner in which knowledge and skills change over the course of a person’s life, and to allow players to revise their characters to adapt to changes brought about through role-play and development, Knight Realms permits a character to be edited by a process called retraining.

Every paid event a character attends they may unlearn up to 10 Build points worth of skills, career points, and/or Body points, unlearn one skill whose Build value exceeds 10 Build points, or unlearn one list. The skill(s), point(s), or list the character wishes to unlearn should be clearly noted in the Notes section of the character card before being turned in at the end of the event. The unlearned skill(s), point(s), or list will be removed, the total amount of Build points refunded between events, and those Build points will become available to spend at the next event.

You may remove skills from any list. However, you must maintain prerequisites for all dependent skills that you do not remove. You may remove any list, with the exception of profession lists that require that a character begin play with them (e.g., Wild Mage) or if by removing the list the character will no longer satisfy a requirement. To remove a list, you must remove all skills dependent on that list. If a skill is not dependent on the list that you want to remove but is only available at a higher cost from another source, the skill must be unlearned for all instances at the lower cost. However, the character may self-train at the higher cost before removing the lower cost version of the skill in order to retain the skill after removing the list. Points that were purchased from the list must be removed entirely, as well. In other words, skills, lists, and points that you choose to keep must satisfy all conditions of the rules that apply to your character possessing them.

The unlearning of skills or lists which have alignments associated with them (i.e. Necromancy, Cleric, Priest, etc.) must be discussed with and signed-off by the Director on your character card before being submitted in order to ensure this change does not have an impact on IG events and makes sense from an In-Game perspective.

All changes that you choose to make as a function of retraining must be approved by the Character Card Officer or the Director. The Director can deny any change for any reason at his discretion, regardless of the rules that govern the process stipulated here.

- The skill “Backstab Proficiency” has been updated to read:

Backstab Proficiency +1
Skill (Continuous), Proficiency
With this damage augmenting skill a character may add one to her weapon damage when attacking an opponent from behind and striking her in the back. This skill must be performed with a One-Handed or smaller melee weapon, Brawling, or Thrown Weapon. Damage is called normally. This skill is hand specific.

- In the section “Falling Damage” on page 29 of the Core Rulebook, the paragraph under the table in this section has been updated to read:

A non-weapon, physical defense or the skill Athletic Feat will remove 10 feet from the total distance fallen. Only one defense may be called per fall. Having skill Tumbling allows a character to consider all falling damage to be 10 feet shorter while the character is conscious and may be combined with a defense skill as noted.

- The skill “Tumbling” has been updated to read:

Tumbling
Skill (Continuous), Defense, Movement
With this skill, a character can immediately stand up after being struck by a knockdown effect that would normally require her to remain on the ground for five seconds, unless that effect leaves her otherwise incapacitated. This skill will also allow a character to consider falling damage to be 10 feet shorter while the character is conscious.

- The skill “Smuggling” has been updated to read:

Smuggling
Skill (Per Event), Social
This skill allows a character to purchase items from the Illicit Goods list, to a maximum value of 40 gold pieces an event. In addition, plot writers may be authorized to offer other items available for smuggling on a month-to-month basis. All purchases must be made at the beginning of an event, before you have begun playing the character, as these goods represent acquisitions that were made between the previous event and the current one. You cannot purchase goods for events that you do not attend. The limit of 40 gold pieces is for each instance of this skill that the character possesses.

- The skill Refresh Disguise has been renamed to Extend Disguise and the description of the skill has been updated to read:

Extend Disguise
Skill (Periodic)
This skill allows a character to extend the duration of her disguise by an additional hour. This skill can be used twice on a single disguise skill use.

- The Promotional skill Alter Ego has been updated to read:

Spy – Alter Ego
5 Build; Skill (Continuous)
This skill allows a character to utilize full Alter Ego disguises that she can reliably repeat time and again, and which mask personal quirks and all other resemblances to her actual self. The character must expend a disguise skill that allows her to create the desired Alter Ego, and she can use the skill Extend Disguise to sustain it for as long as she is able, without regard for the normal limit on the use of that skill. All Alter Ego names and basic details (race, gender, apparent age) must be indicated in the notes section of the character card. A character may maintain any number of Alter Ego disguises at a time.

- The skill Stealth (both in the Core Rulebook and the Advanced Rulebook) has been update to read:

Stealth
Skill (Continuous), Proficiency, Headband (Yellow)
This skill allows a character to move while using the skill Hide in Shadows. The character must remain in the shadows and can only move at a heel-to-toe rate while concealing herself with this skill. The characters movement makes no in-game sound regardless of any sounds their movement might create. However, if the character speaks or takes offensive action towards another being, she becomes immediately visible. Further, a character utilizing this skill will remain concealed while utilizing skills with the Movement trait (such as Climb, Expert Escape/Entry, etc.), utilizing self-augmenting alchemy (such as drinking a potion, applying a poison to their weapon, etc.), or accessing items they possess on their person (such as pulling a Fire Bomb out of a pouch, unsheathing a weapon, etc.). This skill requires the use of a yellow headband, and must be used with the skill Hide in Shadows.

- The skill Fence has been update to read:

Fence
Skill (Continuous), Knowledge, Social
With this skill, a character is connected to the criminal underworld enough that she has achieved membership in the local chapter of the Rogue's Guild. The primary point of contact for guild membership is The Fence. This skill may only be taught to PCs by those select individual who represent The Fence or The Fence himself and may be taken away without the PC's consent. For complete details on how to utilize this skill, refer to the Rogue Rules section of the Core Rulebook.

- The Illicit Goods List section of the Core Rulebook on page 286 has been updated to read as follows:

Illicit Goods List
The following table lists the items normally available to a character with the skill, Smuggling. Other items may be made available by plot at certain times, but you cannot request items.

Item	Price
Disguise Enhancement Kit	2 gp
Lock Pick Set (set of 5)	2 gp
Mini-Blade	2 gp
Smoke Bomb	8 gp
Tools of the Trade	5 gp
Rank 1 Poison	3 gp
Rank 2 Poison	5 gp
Rank 3 Poison	10 gp
Rank 4 Poison	16 gp
Rank 1 Necromancy Scroll	5 gp
Rank 2 Necromancy Scroll	10 gp
Rank 3 Necromancy Scroll	15 gp
Rank 4 Necromancy Scroll	20 gp
Rank 1 Dark Pantheon Psalm	5 gp
Rank 2 Dark Pantheon Psalm	10 gp
Rank 3 Dark Pantheon Psalm	15 gp
Rank 4 Dark Pantheon Psalm	20 gp

Lock Pick Set
A Lock Pick Set represents a set of five (5) picks which allows a character to pick a basic lock instantaneously, and a complex or masterwork lock in one half the standard duration. One Lock Pick and the appropriate skill are both expended in the effort. A Lock Pick Set is considered a Trinket.

Disguise Enhancement Kit
A Disguise Enhancement Kit allows a character to add one hour to the duration of a disguise. The kit and the appropriate skill are both expended in the effort. The disguise can be extended using the skill Extend Disguise without the expenditure of additional kits. Only one kit can be applied to a disguise. A Disguise Enhancement Kit is considered a Trinket.

Mini-Blade
A very small, sharp, fragile blade used to cut openings into pockets or pouches in order to gain access to their contents. When used this item allows the use of the skill Pick Pockets without the need to attach a clothes pin. The character need only be observed by a Rules Marshal to be standing within arms reach of the intended pocket or pouch for 10 seconds. Both the Mini-Blade and the skill are expended in the effort regardless of the result. A Mini-Blade is considered a Trinket. You must have the skill Fence on one of your lists to be able to use this Trinket.

Smoke Bomb
These are an exotic alchemical product, the secrets of which have never been unlocked, nor is the origin of how these items makes it into the black market known. When used, a Smoke Bomb allows a character to call a hold and proceed to take 10 strides in any direction towards the closest shadow. Once reached the character must immediately expend a use of the skill Hide in Shadows. If the Smoke Bomb is used and there is no shadow within 10 strides of the character or the character does not have an available use of the skill Hide in Shadows, the Smoke Bomb is expended and the character remains in the spot where they used the Smoke Bomb. A Smoke Bomb is considered a Trinket. You must have the skill Fence on one of your lists to be able to use this Trinket.

Tools of the Trade
This is a tool kit with crude materials a rogue could use in a pinch, to allow themselves to use their abilities at a later time, or for another person to make use of the rogue's talents. When used, the Tools of the Trade allows a rogue to fashion a simple trinket that will emulate one of the skills they currently have, and allows the user of the trinket a use of the skill. The Tools of the Trade is capable of allowing a rogue to make a trinket which emulates one of following skills: Balancing Pole (Athletic Feat), Stiletto Point (Body Shot), Noosed Rope (Quick Bind), Marked Cards (Second Chance), Disguise Kit (Expert Disguise), Makeshift Lock Pick (Pick Complex Locks), Improvised Trap Tools (Disarm Traps), Sack of Rocks (Waylay), Shadow Wraps (Hide in Shadows), or Emergency Kit (Advanced Entry Escape). The item must be chosen at time of the use of the Tools of the Trade trinket, the resulting temporary trinket must be a skill possessed by the rogue creating it, and a use of the skill must be expended as a cost for creating the temporary trinket. Due to the makeshift workmanship, the resulting trinket expires at the end of the event. Crafting one of the Tools of the Trade takes one minute of uninterrupted RP, and, when finished, must be noted on the recipients character card denoting the character who created the trinket, their character card number, and the created trinket. Tools of the Trade is considered a normal Trinket until used to create a skill specific Trinket which expires at the end of the event. You must have the skill Fence on one of your lists to be able to use this trinket, or a trinket created by Tools of the Trade.

A note - the wording on needing Fence was updated on the Rogue trinkets. Please re-read the post if this pertains to your character.

The card system has been updated with these changes as well.

Thank you guys and gals for all the hard work! I feel like I can speak for all of us when I say we really appreciate it.

Smoke bomb count as a movement ability then?

Chris d