9

(Previous Part: 8)

You open the door, just as the man who called out earlier is again about to knock. He grimaces, staring you in the eye as if expecting you to speak. When you don't, his look turns from expectation to frustration. You find yourself growing somewhat concerned.

The man in front of you is an imposing force. He stands several inches taller than you, with layers of clothing covering his broad frame. His beard is neatly trimmed, but a coarse shadow has started to spread across his cheeks where the morning shave fails to hold through the night. Dark, leathery skin from years of working in the sun—his black eyes bear the weight of a man who has never had a moment to stop fighting.

Unexpectedly, he grabs you by the lapels of your wool coat, violently pulling you closer.

“Tell me what you saw this time, Aidan!”

• If you answer, "How about you let go of me first?" Go to 10.
• If you do something else, comments below and your story will continue as soon as possible.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons of James Beckwourth, not necessarily a
character portrayed in this story. Used for illustration purposes only.)

8

(Previous Part: 4, 5, 6)

The cold night air chills your barely covered form, and you quickly find you want to cover yourself. On the chest of drawers that separates and splits the seat on the near side of the wagon, is a small stack of neatly folded clothing:

• a long wool coat
• a simple shirt
• a pair of pants

On the floor below rests a pair of boots, worn but shined like new, and a small covered pot. You quickly pull on the clothing, which fits perfectly. If these aren't your clothes, someone is very familiar with your size. (Add these clothes to your equipment list.)

Suddenly, a forceful knocking strikes at the door.

“Are you awake yet?” The voice is deep and unfamiliar.

• If you answer the door, go to 9.
• If you do something else, comment below and your story will continue as soon as possible.

7

(Previous Part: 3)

You rolled a 20, and achieve a dramatic success. You may take 1 Hero Point, to be used at any time as a 1-point skill check modifier or to nullify a dramatic failure. OR, you may show an exemplary performance in the action you are currently taking.

• If you would like the Hero Point, mark it on your character sheet and go to 6.
• If you would like the performance upgrade, continue reading.

6

(Previous Part: 3)

Your skill check exceeded DC 10, and you have succeeded.

5

(Previous Post: 3)

Your skill check failed to exceed DC 10, and you have failed.

4

(Previous Part: 3)

You rolled a 1, and suffer a dramatic failure.

Gameplay: Using Skills

When taking an action, characters make use of Abilities and Skills to make a "skill check" to determine how well they do. This skill check involves a dice roll where the higher the result of the roll, the better the character does. Open Game Content (OGC) provides rules for making skill checks, but there are two additional House Rules to keep in mind when making such checks. These additional rules are not typical of OGC. For this reason, they will be noted below in the Using Skills discussion, and clearly marked as "House Rules" for use within The Lovecraftian Traveller.

Unless otherwise marked as "House Rules," the following material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a. The text may have been modified slightly from that of the System Reverence Document (v.3.5) or Modern System Reference Document.


USING SKILLS
To make a skill check, roll 1d20. The total of the die roll will then be added to the following:

• Ability Modifier. Add the Ability Modifier for the Skill's key Ability (the Ability associated with the skill's use). The key Ability of each Skill is noted in its description.
• Skill Level. Add the number of points in the Skill being used. Unless otherwised noted in the Skill description, a skill check can be performed even if the character has no rank in the applicable Skill--doing this is called making an "untrained skill check."
• Miscellaneous Modifiers. Add any modifiers provided by other game mechanics (armor penalties, Feat bonuses, magical modifiers, etc.)

The sum of the numbers gathered in a skill check are then compared to the Difficulty Class (DC). The DC is provided by the GM, but generally follows the list below.

DIFFICULTY CLASS
0: Very easy
5: Easy
10: Average
15: Tough
20: Challenging
25: Formidable
30: Heroic
40: Nearly impossible

HOUSE RULES: DRAMATIC FAILURE
When a skill check is performed, any roll that fails to meet or exceed the DC is considered a failure. If, however, the d20 roll lands on a "1" (even if the character exceeds the DC with the use of modifiers) this is considered a dramatic failure. Such a failure may simply be amusing for skill checks between 0-15 DC, but could risk injury or death for skill checks between 20-40 DC.

HOUSE RULES: DRAMATIC SUCCESS
Any roll that succeeds to meet or exceed the DC, other than a dramatic failure, is considered a success. If, however, the d20 roll lands on a "20" (meaning the die itself lands on a "natural 20," or a 20 without the use of modifiers) this is considered a dramatic success. Such a success allows the character to show an exemplary performance in the action they are currently taking. Or, the player may take a "hero point." A hero point may be used at any time during the game to add a 1-point modifier to a skill check, or to nullify the effects of a dramatic failure.

Click here for more information on Rolling Skills

3

(Previous Part: 1, 2)

Slowly, you slip out of bed, finding it quite chilly as the blankets fall away. You quickly realize you're dressed only in your undergarments, but are determined to find some clue regarding your situation. Where are you? Who are the people outside? Are you in some sort of danger?

You move softly across the floor, not wanting to rock the wagon as you investigate. You carefully search through the contents of the shelves and inside the cupboard.

Perform a Search (INT) skill check with a DC of 10.

If you roll a 1, go to 4
If you fail the skill check, go to 5
If you succeed at the skill check, go to 6
If you roll a 20, go to 7

Gameplay: Ability Modifiers

The following material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a. The text may have been modified slightly from that of the System Reverence Document (v.3.5) or Modern System Reference Document.


Whenever you attempt an action that has some chance of failure, you roll a twenty-sided die (d20). To determine if your character succeeds at a task you do this:

• Roll a d20.
• Add any relevant modifiers.
• Compare the result to a target number.

If the result equals or exceeds the target number, your character succeeds. If the result is lower than the target number, you fail.

Each Ability offers some sort of modifier to rolls dependent upon it. Below is a list for modifiers available at the beginning of gameplay. The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that Ability. You also use the modifier with some numbers that aren’t die rolls. A positive modifier is called a "bonus," and a negative modifier is called a "penalty."

ABILITY MODIFIERS
(Levels 1 - 19)

Level 1: Modifier -5
Level 2-3: Modifier -4
Level 4-5: Modifier -3
Level 6-7: Modifier -2
Level 8-9: Modifier -1
Level 10-11: Modifier 0
Level 12-13: Modifier 1
Level 14-15: Modifier 2
Level 16-17: Modifier 3
Level 18-19: Modifier 4

Your Character: The Abilities

Each Ability partially describes your character and affects some of his or her actions.

The following material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a. The text may have been modified slightly from that of the System Reverence Document (v.3.5) or Modern System Reference Document.



STRENGTH (STR)
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for characters who will be physically active, taking part in combat, or carrying large amounts of equipment.

You apply your character’s Strength modifier for:

• Melee attack rolls.
• Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon (including a sling). (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only one-half the character’s Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive one and a half times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow.)
• Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. These are the skills that have Strength as their key ability.
• Strength checks (for breaking down doors and the like).

DEXTERITY (DEX)
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor or no armor at all, and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.

You apply your character’s Dexterity modifier for:

• Ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, crossbows, and other ranged weapons.
• Armor Class (AC), provided that the character can react to the attack.
• Reflex saving throws, for avoiding attacks that you can escape by moving quickly.
• Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, and Use Rope checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key ability.

CONSTITUTION (CON)
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.

You apply your character’s Constitution modifier for:

• Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1—that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he or she advances in level).
• Fortitude saving throws, for resisting poison and similar threats.
• Concentration checks. Concentration is a skill, important to spellcasters, that has Constitution as its key ability.

If a character’s Constitution score changes enough to alter his or her Constitution modifier, the character’s hit points also increase or decrease accordingly.


INTELLIGENCE (INT)
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for certain spell users because it affects how many spells can be cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.

You apply your character’s Intelligence modifier for:

• The number of languages your character knows at the start of the game.
• The number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.)
• Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Knowledge, Search, and Spellcraft checks. These are the skills that have Intelligence as their key ability.

Some spell users gains bonus spells based on her Intelligence score. The minimum Intelligence score needed to cast these spells is 10 + the spell’s level.

A character does not retroactively get additional skill points for previous levels if she increases her intelligence.


WISDOM (WIS)
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.

You apply your character’s Wisdom modifier for:

• Will saving throws (for negating the effect of charm person and other spells).
• Heal, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key ability.

Some spell users get bonus spells based on their Wisdom scores. The minimum Wisdom score needed to cast these spells is 10 + the spell’s level.


CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. It is also important for clerics, since it affects their ability to turn undead. Every creature has a Charisma score.

You apply your character’s Charisma modifier for:

• Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Use Magic Device checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key ability.
• Checks that represent attempts to influence others.
• Turning checks for attempting to turn undead.

Some spell users get bonus spells based on their Charisma scores. The minimum Charisma score needed to cast these spells is 10 + the spell’s level.

Character Creation: Ability Score Generation

Prior to taking an action that requires a roll, you need to determine your Ability Scores. Open Game Content provides rules for using character Abilities in game, but it does not provide rules for determining the character's Ability Score. For this reason, it is necessary to refer to a published document other than the System Reference Document or Modern System Reference Document to determine Ability Scores within The Lovecraftian Traveller. It is recommended that both the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook and the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game be purchased to create a character in The Lovecraftian Traveller. Although any Open Game Content compatible core rulebook can be used (with GM approval), the methods used to determine a character's Abilities by the Player's Handbook and d20 Modern are considered appropriate for use with this game.

HOUSE RULES: FLAWS & THE ABILITY POOL
The following House Rules may be used to determine Ability Score in The Lovecraftian Traveller, and allows for the addition of character flaws at the beginning of the game. It should be noted, however, that these House Rules will create a weaker character than that developed through standard Ability Generation (as described in the Player's Handbook and d20 Modern).

The Ability Score for the average human is 10, without some sort of ability flaw, your character will start with 10 points in all abilities. Each of these scores can be increased (or, potentially, decreased) over the course of the game. When an Ability score changes, all attributes associated with that score change accordingly. During character creation, the initial Ability score can be modified.

If there are any Abilities you would like your character to have a flaw in, determine the specifics of the flaw, remove points from that Ability, and write the removed number removed down as your "Ability Pool." You are not allowed to add any points to flawed Abilities during character creation. For some flaws, the GM may determine additional points need to be removed from the Ability during character creation, and may limit the amount the Ability can be increased during game play. During character creation, you may not remove more than 9 points from any individual Ability. Consult with the GM before taking any flaw.

Next, roll 1d20 (one 20-sided die--feel free to use the Dice Roller in the Gameplay Links), and add the number rolled to your Ability Pool. The total number of points in this pool may now be distributed amongst any Abilities which do not have a flaw. Each Ability Pool point is equal to one point in the Ability you choose to apply it to. During character creation, you may not take more than 18 for any individual Ability as its total Ability score (starting points + character pool points). If all available points have been distributed, but additional points remain in your Ability Pool, the GM may offer an item(s) or story element equal to the value of the points. The value of the points relative to equipment and story elements is solely determined by the GM, and excess Ability Pool points are worthless after character creation is completed.

Click here to view your Abilities
Click here to view your Ability Modifiers