The peddler travelled the length and breadth of Darken Vale. Every obscure trail and backway was etched into his memory. Every hamlet, trade camp and settlement knew him, and he knew them. His services were welcome, and in many cases in great demand whenever he made an appearance. Packs, chests and pouches were all piled high on the mule-drawn cart behind him. Herbs, foodstuffs, bolts of cloth, pots and pans, shoes and boots, tools and farming implements, toys, clothing, liquor and weapons all jostled against their rope restraints as the cart bounced up the rutted track. On his back, the merchant wore a pack containing his most valuable items and tools. His surgeon’s tools- crafted in the city and of fine quality- were wrapped carefully in a linen roll. Potions of life restoration and magical rejuvenation rested in individually wrapped straw containers. A small coffer hidden at the bottom of that pack contained his wealth and most priceless riches. Equally, the peddler could shoe a horse, deliver a baby, measure up a body for clothing and shoes, prescribe ointments to alleviate minor ailments and offer advice and guidance on how to best make crops grow, blights diminish and sicknesses disappear. For the next settlement that was on his route, his arrival would be the highlight of the season.
Levels at which Non-Merchant classes can gain professions:
1st Profession: Lvl 0
2nd Profession: Lvl 5
3rd Profession: Lvl 10
4th Profession: Lvl 15
Gathering & Gathering- specific Skills
Players that want to go out into the Vale and search for materials to fuel their profession abilities can do so. Certain professions, however, have a natural affinity for this because their trade links naturally to the collection of specific materials.
Any player can notify an Elder that they are ‘gathering’ for a specific amount of time. Normally, this will be in increments of 10 minutes, up to 1 hour maximum. After the time has elapsed, the player can return to the Elder who will roll 1d6 per 10 minutes that they spent gathering. The total number rolled on these dice is the number of materials the player has found.
Note: All materials must be of the same type- a player cannot ‘mix & match’ at their convenience.
The professions that have gathering- specific skills are:
Blacksmith- Mining- Iron Ore
Enchanter- Gem-cutting- Enchanting Elements
Herbalist- Botanist- Herbs
Leathersmith- Skinning- Leather
These are all Lvl 1 abilities that need to be purchased within the individual professions.. When a player uses their gathering specific skill to search for profession-specific materials, they get +1d6 added to the total that the Elder rolls after their gathering time.
Any player who wishes to improve their gathering skills can take the Gathering- Foraging ability below.
General Skills
The General Skills described below are available to all classes & races, unless individually noted. These represent skills that are not linked to a particular profession, but are available to all players if they choose.
Loot Chest + Lock (Lvl 0)
Passive effect. Allows a character to keep their in-game lootable items in a secure chest in a location designated by the game Elders. This is a small chest or box that includes a 3-digit combo lock to represent the character’s chest lock. On the bottom of the Loot Chest, a player must write the following:
· Character’s name- to show ownership.
· The 3 numbers of the combo lock written in the wrong order.
Only the owner can open a Loot Chest at any time. Any other player that wants to try and ‘break into’ the Loot Chest must have the Lock Picking ability and a set of lock picks. They then must roleplay ‘picking’ the lock by trying the 3 numbers listed on the bottom of the in every combination until they are successful.
Loot Chests can have further traps and enchantments placed on them (See below & the Herbalist & Enchanter professions.)
Field Dressing (Lvl 1)
Heal effect. Player can carry 1 Small bandage and is able to heal one damaged/ inoperable arm or leg to allow the limb to carry on being used. The character must wrap the limb in bandage (2x revolutions & tied securely) before the limb is considered healed. If the bandage ever works loose or falls off, the effect is lost.
The bandage can be removed upon re-spawning or if further healing is given. If the limb is wounded again whilst bandaged, it is unusable until healed again.
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Cleave (Lvl 2)
Damage effect. Call: ‘Cleave’ before an attack is made. Allows a player armed with a 2- handed weapon or a ‘bladed’ Long or Short Polearm to perform a Cleave attack. The call must be made before the blow lands- no call, no effect & both hands must be holding the weapon at the point of impact to take effect.
Shields hit will lose 1 Cleave Point and weapons hit will lose 1 Shatter Point, which could destroy them. Cleave and Shatter Points are detailed in the individual entries in the Weapons & Shields section.
Gathering- Foraging (Lvl 3)
Passive effect. Choose one type of material (Iron Ore, Lether strips, etc.) Player gains +1d6 to their Gathering total when they search for this material. This ability can be taken multiple times & applied to a different material. Stacks with any profession Gathering skill for a +2d6 bonus.
Set/ Disarm Loot Chest Trap (Lvl 2+ Rogue / LVL3+ Ranger)
Damage effect. Allows a character to set booby traps in a Loot Chest or disarm such a trap if they spring one themselves.
Set Trap: Player can place small bells in the top of a Loot Chest so they make noise when opened & indicate a trap has been sprung. This can be the player’s own Loot Chest or someone else’s- whereby the owner will spring the Loot Chest Trap.
The character that springs the trap takes 1 damage to the arm and cannot loot/ use the Loot Chest. Once sprung, the trap is useless and a new one must be set. The bells must be set aside as a reminder of this.
Disarm: Allows a character to carefully open a Loot Chest and disarm a Loot Chest Trap. This must be roleplayed over 2 minutes. Once disarmed, the bells must be set aside as a reminder of this.
Ground Traps (Lvl- Varies)
Ground traps give a cunning player new ways to hamper and slow down their opponents. The unrivalled master of trap setting is the Ranger class, who has access to more advanced and sophisticated traps, but all classes can learn and utilize the basic Ground Trap.
Trap Guidelines
All traps must be set up correctly in order to observe correct health and safety considerations. All traps must break away with the slightest touch and can't be secured to anything that would force a player to trip and fall.
Two small sticks without sharp ends are used to tether each end of the trap into the ground, with a length of string, twine or hemp line suspended between them.
Trap lines should not exceed 1 metre in length.
- Traps should not be more than 12" high off the ground.
- The trap must have a bell attached to each end of the line to make a ‘jingling’ sound to signify that the trap has been sprung. No sound, no effect.
Trap lines must be a specific colour, dependent on the particular trap skill- so if a character spots a trap, they can know right away what it does, even if they don't see the tag.
Use common sense when setting a trap. If trap placement would potentially present a safety hazard to players in any way, DO NOT SET THE TRAP. This includes setting traps on dangerous ground, sensitive vegetation, etc. If Elders decide that a player has been setting traps dangerously or irresponsibly, penalties will be issued.
Players can set as many traps as they have the physical materials for. All trap lines must have the player’s name on them in order to be game-legal. Lines and bells must be inspected by an Elder at the start of an event to be cleared for use.
Basic Ground Trap (Lvl 2)
Alter effect. Trap Line Colour: Brown. A player that springs this trap cannot move for 5 minutes unless released by the Trap Mastery skill. The trap line should read "Basic Ground Trap- You cannot move for 5 minutes".
Trap Mastery (Rogues and Rangers only)
Passive effect. Call: ‘Trap Mastery’. Allows a player to detect, disarm, and free other characters from Ground Traps. Must roleplay freeing players from the trap, and requires lock pick tools to be successful.
Snap Trap (Rangers only)
Unblockable effect. Trap Line Colour: Black. A player that springs this trap takes 1 damage (Unblockable) to the leg and cannot move for 5 minutes unless released by the Trap Mastery skill. They should roleplay being in great pain as this trap has closed around their leg. The trap line should read "Snap Trap – You take 1 damage (Unblockable) to the leg and cannot move for 5 minutes.”
Poison Trap (Rangers only)
Alter effect. Trap Line Colour: Green. A player that springs this trap is poisoned by the particular poison placed upon the trap. A dose of poison must be placed upon the trap before it is set- the player does not need to be a Herbalist or have the Poison Weapon skill to do this. The trap line should read "Poison Trap – You have been poisoned with (Name here) poison.”
Flaming Trap (Rangers only)
Unblockable effect. Trap Line Colour: Red. A player that springs this trap takes 1damage (Unblockable) to the body and is set on fire for 30 seconds. They should roleplay being in great pain and flail about as the flames engulf them. The trap line should read "Flaming Trap – You take 1 damage (Unblockable) to the body and is set on fire for 30 seconds.”
Poison Weapons (Lvl 4)
Passive effect. Allows you to apply a dose of poison to a weapon's blade or to 3 arrows. This must be represented by a green ribbon tied to the weapon. If the poisoned weapon strikes a target, the poison affects them immediately and the ribbon must be removed. If the poisoned weapon strikes a weapon, piece of armour or a shield it is not expended and can be used again.
Waylay (Lvl 6)
Alter effect. Allows a player to use the blunt end or handle of a weapon to roleplay hitting another character in the back of the head and knocking them out for 5 minutes. Do not actually hit someone with force on the head- only lightly tap them. A knocked out character will wake up if they take damage. Characters wearing helms cannot be Waylaid.
Scribe Magic Scroll
(Mage- Lvl 10, Cleric, Druid, Necromancer- Lvl 12)
Passive effect. A magic transcribe a spell that they know onto a piece of parchment so that it can be released at a later time.
Creation: A player can write any Area or Touch type spell (not class ability) that they know onto a scroll. ‘Spells’ from the Mental/ Psychic element cannot be placed onto scrolls. The spell must be cast during the scroll-making process, with mana expended as normal, plus an extra 3 mana to ‘trap’ the spell within the arcane writing on the scroll. The scroll is sealed with wax or tied with ribbon to complete the process. A character can make as many scrolls as they have time and mana to produce, but can only carry 1 sealed scroll at a time. Other characters can carry scrolls, of course.
Casting: Any character able to cast spells can read a scroll. This means some classes cannot read scrolls until higher levels, and a few classes not at all. Once the seal is broken/ ribbon opened, the magic within the scroll is activated and the spell effect resolves immediately.
Shank (Lvl 15)
Damage effect. Call: ‘Shank’ and touch a Dagger or Short Sword to the target’s back. Target is killed immediately. Must roleplay looking for a gap in target’s armour/ vital spot before making the call. Use once per battle.
SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONS ARE:
