Player's Guide to RuneSword II - OS: Skills

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Skills

Skills are used in RS to accomplish many tasks. They can be used to cast spells, wield weapons with greater force, or anything in between. Anything that can be imagined can become a skill.
Starting characters (in Eternia and several other worlds) receive 60 skill points to spend, but not all need to be spent during character creation. Skills are either "Active," which means that they are alway in effect, or "Choose," which means they must be selected as an action. When purchased, skills are at Novice level. Skills may be increased at any time, as long as the character has sufficient skill points. The levels are:
Some skills may not be increased beyond a certain level. For example, the Deflect skills, gives 100% immunity to damage due to arrows at the Novice level. It cannot be raised because raising it would confer no added bonus.
One example of the selection of skills available for a race is the Northlanders skill list. Below is a list of skills common to the world of Eternia. Other worlds may have other skills available.

Name Cost Type Max Lvel Description
Acrobatics 7 Active Infinite Special abilities in tumbling and jumping. +1 agility each time you increase acrobatics.
Ambidex 16 Choose Infinite Enables you to wield 2 one-handed weapons at the same time. The 2nd weapon costs no action points and has a +2 to hit per skill level. Use Ambidex to designate the 2nd weapon; this choice lasts until you unequip the primary weapon. If you get this skill, don't bother with shields.
Appraise 4 Choose Master +1 Assess value of any item. Accuracy increases per skill level, and at Master +1, it’s spot on.
Arcane Lore 5 Active Infinite Gives a bonus to Intelligence rolls concerning history and magic. Also gives resistances to mind and evil-based attacks at +10% per skill level.
Athleticism 12 Choose Infinite Gives +4 to action points 2 times per day. The bonus increases +2 and gets 2 more uses per skill level. Also gives bonus to jump, swim, and climb rolls.
Axe 25 Active Infinite Gives +2 to hit and +2 to damage per skill level with axes.
Backstab 14 Choose Master +5 Give 5% chance of instantly killing foe on a successful hit with a dagger, but uses all of the attacker’s action points. You get a +5% chance per skill level.
Bardsong 18 Choose Master You must possess a quality musical instrument, though it need not be in hand. Twice per day, this gives +5 action points for all party members for 3 turns. Additional levels enable you to use Bardsong 2 more times per day.
Battle Armor 11 Active Master This skill is a must for wearing body armor because it negates body armor's action point penalty. Novices can wear leather, Adepts can wear scale, Experts can wear chain, and Masters can wear plate.
Bloodshield 14 Active Master +6 A miss on an incoming short-range attack gives you a 25% chance of bashing the attacker for 2d8+2 damage with an equipped shield. You get a +5% chance per skill level.
Body Building 7 Active Infinite Gives +1 to strength per skill level.
Bow 25 Active Infinite Gives +2 to hit and +2 to damage per skill level with bows.
Charge 5 Choose Novice Target a foe to rush across room with movement bonus and +4 to hit. Charger suffers a –4 Defense penalty for the next turn.
Cleave 6 Choose Master When you kill a foe with a short range weapon, you follow through for an additional “free” attack with +2 Attack. More levels adds +2 to the Attack bonus.
Club 25 Active Infinite Gives +2 to hit and +2 to damage per skill level with clubs.
Critical Strike 7 Active Infinite Gives +5% chance per level of landing attacks on target’s most vulnerable location.
Dagger 25 Active Infinite Gives +2 to hit and +2 to damage per skill level with daggers.
Deflect Arrows 6 Active Master You dodge or deflect all arrow attacks.
Evasion 8 Active Master +2 Gives +1 defense per skill level. You must have 17 agility to raise evasion to Adept level, and 21 agility to raise it to Master level.
Fencing 10 Active Master +6 When wielding a sword, you have a 20% change of disarming short-range attackers when they miss. You get a +5% per skill level.
Fine Arts 7 Active Master +1 Diplomacy and music abilities that enable you to engage all levels of society in a pleasant, persuasive manner. You also get +1 Intelligence per skill level. Fine Arts is necessary to use magical instruments.
Greedspell 20 Choose Infinite Enables you to cast spells from the Greed school. Hallmarks include treasure recovery, cleverness, and illusions of grandeur. You gain additional spells and increase the power of some spells per skill level.
Healing Hands 17 Choose Infinite May heal 1d10 health up to 6 times per day. During combat, you must be in close range to the target. An additional 1d10 is healed per skill level.
Health 15 Active Master +1 Gives +10 to health and maximum health per skill level.
Heroism 9 Choose Infinite Once per day, you can make your next successful hit do more than double damage. You get 1 more use, 1 more heroic hit per use, and a bit of extra damage per skill level.
Leadership Bonus +1 per skill level to damage to to hit rolls for entire party for 3 turns. Can be used +1 times per day per skill level.
Lunaspell 20 Choose Infinite Enables you to cast spells from the Lunacy school. Hallmarks include loss of senses, necromancy, and madness. You gain additional spells and increase the power of some spells per skill level.
Lustspell 20 Choose Infinite Enables you to cast spells from the Lust school. Hallmarks include enticing deceptions and enlisting aid from others. You gain additional spells and increase the power of some spells per skill level.
Mad Rush 8 Choose Master Improved version of Charge still taught by beserkers in Morea. Gives +6 to hit against target. For each level above Novice, it also bestows +3 damage. User suffer –2 Defense for 1 turn.
Martial Arts 28 Choose Infinite Short-range attack that costs 7 action points, has a +1 to hit, does at least 4d4 damage, and has a 20% chance of inflicting special martial arts effects. At Novice level, the special effects are simply bonus damage or stunning. By Master level, the special effects include all sorts of results, including instant death. You get a +1 to hit, more damage, and an increased chance of special effects per skill level. When using Martial Arts, you cannot wear armor or hold anything in hand. Note that you must unequip armor before combat begins. Once you click it on your turn, you stay in Martial Arts mode as long as an enemy is in short range (you can just click again on the target to attack with Martial Arts again).
Perfect Hit 6 Active Master +1 Rolling 10 above the target’s defense does more than the usual double damage. Adding more skill levels makes you do extraordinary damage in such cases.
Pick Locks 5 Active Infinite Gives +20% chance to pick locks. You get +5% per skill level.
Pridespell 20 Choose Infinite Enables you to cast spells from the Pride school. Hallmarks include bravery, intimidation, and increased abilities. You gain additional spells and increase the power of some spells per skill level.
Remove Traps 6 Active Infinite Gives +10% bonus on finding and removing traps per skill level.
Revelspell 20 Choose Infinite Enables you to cast spells from the Revelry school. Hallmarks include healing, distraction, and immunities. You gain additional spells and increase the power of some spells per skill level.
Revive 13 Choose Infinite You can bring "dead" party members back to life once per day as long as the target has –5 health or more. You get 1 more use and can revive characters with 5 less health per level.
Staff 25 Active Infinite Gives +2 to hit and +2 to damage per skill level with staves.
Sword 25 Active Infinite Gives +2 to hit and +2 to damage per skill level with swords.
Whirlwind 10 Active Master Give 15% chance of striking other enemies in close range when you kill a foe with a short range weapon. Bonus 15 % to the chance and +1d8 damage per skill level.
Wizardry 4 Choose Infinite Reduces chance of target saving against spell effects by 5% per skill level.
Wrathspell 20 Choose Infinite Enables you to cast spells from the Wrath school. Hallmarks include elemental fire, direct damage, and rage. You gain additional spells and increase the power of some spells per skill level.