Through the course of your adventuring, you will find it necessary to utilize your skills, powers, and other abilities in order to complete your tasks. Often, using these traits will require you to make a die roll to determine whether or not you are successful at completing your task. When you wish to use one of your skills, powers, or other abilities, simply tell your Gamemaster and he can alert you to any requirements or rules regarding the ability.

Using Skills

Skills are used to complete a wide variety of tasks, including jumping, Climbing, picking locks, reading maps, identifying religious symbols, and identifying the characteristics of a monster. Whenever you use a skill (unless there is no chance of failure), you will be required to make a Skill Check. To make a skill check, roll a d20 and add your Skill Check Bonus (found next to the skill on your character sheet). The result of your check is then compared to the threshold needed to succeed at the task, known as a Difficulty Class (DC) and determined by the GM (based on the difficulty of the task).

Some skills (or certain uses of a skill) are instead compared to an Opposed Skill Check made by an opponent. Some examples of opposed checks include Spot vs Stealth, Disguise vs Intuition, and Coercion vs Bravery. When a particular task calls for an Opposed Skill Check, the defending creature will also make a Skill Check (as described above). If your check meets or exceeds the defending creature's check, you are successful. If your check is less than the defending creature's check, you fail.

Social Encounters

Your character's Social Skills can be used to influence the feelings and actions of other characters. Sometimes this is as simple as changing how a character feels towards you, but it also allows you to convince characters to think or act in a specific way. More information on using social skills can be found in the Social Encounters section.

Casting Rituals

The Ritual Casting skill allows characters to perform varied and complex ritual magic. When you would like to cast a Ritual that you know, you need only have the time and the components necessary to do so. Remember though, that preparing for and casting a ritual can take a long time, and usually is reserved for times that you may do so safely (and without danger of attack). Some rituals have no chance of failure (provided that you are able to cast them uninterrupted), while others will require you to make a Skill check to determine success or failure.

Using Powers

Powers are special abilities that a character has learned and includes specialized attacks, casting magic, utilizing skills better or in specialized ways, and much more. Each power is unique and has a number of different properties that determine when and how they may be used, but the Effect line of the power is arguably the most important and determines what a power does. Other properties are described in more detail in the How to Read a Power section. In addition to the unique powers that you have chosen for your character, you may also use any of the innate abilities that all creatures can use.

When utilizing a power, you simply state that you are doing so to your Gamemaster. If you are in a Combat situation, the Action Type of the power will determine when the power may be used: either on your turn (as with Standard, Cast, Focus, and Recovery Actions), in response to a particular event (as with Interruptive, Reactive, Opportunity, and some Immediate and Free Actions), or at another time of your choosing (as with Immediate and Free Actions without a trigger and No Actions). See the Combat section for more information on using a power in Combat.

Once you have determined that you are using a power, you may determine if you are using any of the Powers Augments. Augments will increase a power's base function in some way, such as increasing the damage dealt, the number of targets, the area of effect, or the range of the ability. Augments can add extra effects to the power or change the power's effect or function. All augments have prerequisites for use and many require an increased energy cost (detailed below). Some augments are Stacking, indicating that the augment may be used multiple times, limited by the prerequisite ranks (and the cost of each use). Learn more about power augments in the How to Read a Power Augment section.

To utilize a power, you must pay any Energy Cost of the power (and its augments) before the power's effect can be realized. Energy Costs are typically paid in the form of Stamina or Resolve, but also Stamina Burn, Resolve Burn, and Karma. Some Augments will also have a Time Cost, in the form of Recovery, Cast, or Focus time increases. Learn more about Energy Costs in the Energy section.

After paying any costs associated with the Power, the effect of the power occurs. Sometimes, the effect will include conditions for success and failure, most commonly by requiring you to make an attack. Be aware that using some powers, especially those that allow a Ranged attack, grant an Opportunity to your opponent.

Cast and Focus Action Powers

When utilizing a power that is Cast Action or Focus Action, you must complete a Casting Time (CT) or Focus Time (FT) before the effect of the power is realized. During this time, you must maintain Concentration, or else you are unable to complete the action. Any energy costs associated with the power are not spent until after the Casting Time or Focus Time completes, and therefore they are not spent if Concentration is disrupted.

Back to Your First Session