Skills

Skills are handled in very broad strokes in FS3. Note that you don't have to have a Skill on your +sheet to attempt it (within reason — some things simply require some kind of training or knowledge). Also, some uses of Skills should only be tried if your background justifies it. For instance, a brawler with high Fighting that picks up a rapier for the first time might muddle through a fencing duel, but will probably be slaughtered by a mediocre swordsman who has focused on fencing. Likewise, just because you have a high Healing skill doesn't make you a surgeon.

Skills can be increased with the expenditure of XP.

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A Note on Quidditch Skills & Attributes

Quidditch players need a number of Skills and Attributes to be successful, and they tend to specialize based upon the position that they play. Obviously, all Quidditch players need Broomflying, but there is also an action skill for each of the Quidditch Positions. These skills (and their ruling attributes) are:

Beater (Body)
Chaser (Reaction)
Keeper (Reaction)
Seeker (Reaction)

This same idea can apply to other sports (e.g. Body is helpful for rugby, Marksmanship makes for a good cricket bowler, etc.), but non-Quidditch sports can also be represented with a single Skill. This is mostly an issue of balance; it is relatively rare for other sports to get any screentime and it would be an unfair penalization to subdivide those skills.

Action Skills

The Action Skills (and their ruling Attributes) are as follows:

  • Awareness: Noticing things and being aware of your surroundings. (Mind)
  • Driving: The ability to drive Muggle land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, lorries, tanks, etc. Generally, this Skill is only rolled in extraordinary circumstances, such as vehicular combat, driving exceptionally fast or in dangerous conditions, etc. (Reaction)
  • Fighting: This skill represents how well you can fight hand-to-hand, or with hand-held weapons, such as axes, swords, spears, etc. It also measures how well you can maneuver to avoid incoming attacks. (Body)
  • Marksmanship: The talent for being able to shoot or throw something at a target using a gun, cannon, bow and arrow, crossbow, siege weapon or anything you can pick up and hurl one-handed (generally, heavy objects requiring two hands are inaccurate and use just Body to hurl). (Reaction)
  • Medicine: Knowledge of the Muggle methods of healing the body and treating illness. Wizards rarely have this kind of understanding of healing, as they rely upon entirely different methods and philosophies to tend to the infirm. (Mind)
  • Muggle Lore: This Skill will serve as a gauge of how knowledgeable a character is of general Muggle culture, history, and politics. Note that while Muggles will have less need to roll this Skill, they still need it to have a general knowledge of their world. Many characters will have more specialized areas of knowledge, represented by Background Skills such as World History, Indian Culture, or Theology. (Mind)
  • Piloting: The ability to pilot Muggle aircraft. Generally, this Skill is only rolled in extraordinary circumstances, such as aeriel combat, fancy maneuvers, flying in extreme weather, etc. (Reaction)
  • Stealth: The ability to go unseen, move silently, or use sleight of hand. To determine if an observer would spot someone sneaking: +roll <Sneaker>=Stealth vs <Spotter>=Awareness. (Body)
  • Wizard Lore: This Skill will serve as a gauge of how knowledgeable a character is of wizard culture, history, and politics. Note that while many wizards will have less need to roll this Skill, they still need it to have a general knowledge of their world. Many characters will have more specialized areas of knowledge, represented by Background Skills such as Magical History, Goblin Culture, or Pure-blood Lore. Note that any Muggle character with this Skill will need reasonable justification in their background. (Mind)
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Wizarding Skills

Wizarding Skills are only available to wizard characters, and in some cases, other Beings that are part of the wizarding world. Unless otherwise stated, all Wizarding Skills are linked to the Mind Attribute.

The following four Skills are generally considered the "core" magical skills. Most spells are cast with one of these four Skills.

  • Charms: The branch of Charms magic dealing with corporeal effects, such as levitation, the Knockback Jinx, unlocking spells, etc.
  • Glamers: The branch of Charms magic dealing with mental effects, such as Cheering Charms, Memory Charms, the Imperius Curse, or sleeping spells.
  • Transfiguration: The branch of Transfiguration magic dealing with altering the physical shape and nature of a thing.
  • Conjuration: The branch of Transfiguration magic dealing with creating something out of nothing, as well as Vanishment.

The remaining Wizarding Skills are a bit more specialized.

  • Ancient Runes: The study of magical runes, glyphs and wards. Used for casting a number of spells with permanent and semi-permanent effects. Also useful for translating ancient wizarding texts and documents. This is a skill linked to an Elective Class, only take it if you take Ancient Runes as one of your two electives in Third Year and up.
  • Apparition: Apparition is the ability to instantly vanish from one location and reappear in another. This Skill is taught halfway through Fifth Year at Hogwarts. See Magic Rules for complete details on using this skill.
  • Arithmancy: The study of the magical properties of numbers. It can be used to predict and refine the behavior of magic (not on the fly, though…it takes preparation). This is a skill linked to an Elective Class, only take it if you take Arithmancy as one of your two electives in Third Year and up.
  • Beater: The skill set that a Beater uses during Quidditch.
  • Broomflying: A wizard's ability to handle a magical broom, and an essential Skill for Quidditch players. Unlike other Wizarding Skills, this Skill is linked to the Body Attribute.
  • Chaser:The skill set that a Chaser uses during Quidditch.
  • Creature Lore: Knowledge of magical creatures (learned in Care of Magical Creatures class). This provides no knowledge of mundane animals. This is a skill linked to an Elective Class, only take it if you take Care of Magical Creatures as one of your two electives in Third Year and up.
  • Dark Defense: Knowledge of how to protect against and fight the Dark Arts (learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts class), including knowledge of (but not training in) Dark magic and Dark creatures.
  • Divination: Knowledge of the various methods of soothsaying and fortune-telling, including astrology, tarot reading, crystal gazing, tea leaf reading, etc. This is a skill linked to an Elective Class, only take it if you take Divination as one of your two electives in Third Year and up.
  • Herbology: Knowledge about the magical properties of plants, and how to locate, tend, and harvest them.
  • Keeper: The skill set that a Keeper uses during Quidditch.
  • Potions: The ability to create magical elixirs, draughts, and other mixtures for a variety of effects. This is one of the few ways to delay magical effects.
  • Seeker: The skill set that a Seeker uses during Quidditch.

Every Wizard takes Astronomy as a Core Class at Hogwarts. However muggles have it as a science as well. So it is listed in two places for this reason and is found on the +sheet under Background Skills.

  • Astronomy - Astronomy: The scientific study of celestial bodies, their nature, magnitudes, motions and revolution.
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Background Skills

Background Skills are all freeform, meaning you can make them up yourself (within reason). The list below is just a collection of ideas. When naming your Background Skills, try to keep the names concise. Your character sheet only allows 15 space to show a skill name, so names that are more than 15 characters long (including spaces) will be cut off.

It is recommended to take at least one or two Background Skills that are not directly related to magical study or one's profession. Things like hobbies, fields of interest, trivia, etc, help to flesh out a character beyond being a wizard and what they do for a living.

The default ruling Attribute for Background Skills is Mind. If you wish, you can customize Background Skills so that they can be linked to a different ruling attribute. For information on this process please see: +help +rulingattr, in game.

Background Skill Suggestions

This list is a work in progress. Descriptions will eventually be added for all of the suggestions below.

Social Skills Are Not Mind Control

It may seem counter-intuitive, but when it comes to using social skills to manipulate, cajole, or otherwise influence another's behavior, it should not be an Opposed Roll. But why not? It's pitting one's skills against another, right? Not exactly.

Social skills are rooted in social RP, and do not have a direct and obvious effect like a combat skill does. In other words, they are not mind control. No matter how well you roll Fast Talking, Manipulation, or Intimidation, another character can never be forced to behave according to your desires. All your roll is there for is to give the other player a sense of just how convincing, smooth, or frightening your character is. Then they choose their character's reaction accordingly.

Note that this does not apply to skills like Lying or Half-Truths. When attempting to deceive somebody, that is a direct challenge to their ability to pick up on tells that indicate a lie. While no person is a perfect lie detector, they should have a chance to figure out that something is off. In cases like this, make an Opposed Roll against your target's Mind plus any appropriate social observation skill.

Social Skills

Most social skills would be associated with Presence (+rulingattr <Skill>=Presence). Note that "Persuasion" and "Deception" are considered too broad in application as skills.

  • Charisma: Swaying others' general opinion of oneself. This is not a direct persuasion ability, but can be used to improve reactions to other social skills. This should not be used more than once per scene on a given person.
  • Conversation: Keeping others occupied and interested through verbal interaction.
  • Empathy: Getting a sense for another's emotional state.
  • Fast Talking: Persuasion through overwhelming someone with argument or rapid-fire information.
  • Half Truths: Blending truth and lies to deceive.
  • Interrogation: Questioning suspects and witnesses, and reading their reactions.
  • Intimidation: Compelling cooperation through fear.
  • Lying: Telling outright, bold-face lies with a straight face.
  • Sincerity: Convincing another that one truly believes what one says.

Muggle Sciences

These are generally unknown to those raised in the wizarding world, and would require special study to learn and understand. The single exception to this is Astronomy, which is equally fascinating to wizards (not to be confused with astrology, which is an aspect of Divination).

  • Anatomy: The medical and/or scientific study of all physical aspects of the human body.
  • Astronomy: The scientific study of celestial bodies, their nature, magnitudes, motions and revolution.
  • Biology: The science of life - including physiology, morphology, origin, development and distribution.
  • Botany: The scientific study of plants.
  • Chemistry: The scientific pursuit of the different kinds of matter from which the globe is composed.
  • Geology: The scientific study of rocks, minerals and earths, and their formation, structure and history.
  • Mathematics: The science of numbers and equations, to decipher quantity, mass, magnitude, and etc.
  • Physics:The science of mechanics, dynamics, light, heat, sound, electricity and magnetism.
  • Psychology: The branch of knowledge which deals in the study of the human mind and emotions.
  • Zoology: The science of natural history and the study of the animal kingdom.

Crafts

  • Blacksmithing: The skilled art of forging metal.
  • Carpentry: The art of cutting, framing and joining timber to build structures or ships.
  • Forgery: The less-than-legal skill of counterfeiting a document, work of art or signature.
  • Mechanics: The hands-on art of making and repairing machinery.
  • Tinkering
  • Woodworking
  • Wandlore: The study of the crafting of wands. This is one of the most difficult skills to master in the wizarding world. Novice levels indicate only familiarity with the art, and can be used to identify and appraise wands and their qualities. A character must be at least Proficient to craft even the simplest of wands. Wandlore requires staff permission to acquire as a skill.
  • Weaving

Trades

  • Agriculture
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Cartography
  • Midwifery

Domestics

  • Budgeting
  • Cooking
  • Cleaning
  • Child Rearing
  • Gardening
  • Grooming
  • Knitting
  • Laundry

Games

  • Board Games
  • Card Games
  • Chess: Includes wizard's chess.
  • Exploding Snap
  • Gobstones

Creative Arts

  • Basketweaving
  • Painting
  • Photography
  • Sculpting
  • Sketching

Performing Arts

  • Acting
  • Dancing
  • Singing
  • A specific instrument

Fields of Knowledge

  • Art History
  • Economics
  • Literature
  • Magical Law
  • Magical History
  • Military History
  • Muggle History
  • Muggle Law
  • Mystery Novels
  • Philosophy
  • Poetry
  • Politics
  • Quidditch Lore
  • Sports Trivia
  • Tactics
  • Writing

Specialized Magical Lore

  • Artefact Lore
  • Dragon Lore
  • Magical Theory: The study of the higher concepts that guide and limit magic. An essential skill for developing new spells.
  • Spirit Lore

Professions

Professions tend to cover a broad range of other skills. However, the application of those skills will be specific to the profession. For instance, a Journalist skill could be rolled to write an article for a newspaper, but not to write a novel. Likewise, it can be used to interview a subject, but not to cross-examine a witness in court.

  • Accountant
  • Alchemist
  • Apothecary: The precursor to the Muggle pharmacist/druggist. Not to be confused with wizard potioneers.
  • Artist
  • Athlete
  • Author
  • Baker
  • Banker
  • Barber
  • Bartender
  • Broommaker
  • Butcher
  • Candymaker
  • Carpenter
  • Cobbler
  • Cook
  • Entertainer
  • Farmer
  • Gardener
  • Herbalist
  • Housekeeper
  • Janitor
  • Journalist
  • Lawyer
  • Librarian
  • Naturalist
  • Seamstress
  • Waitress
  • Wheelwright
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Language Skills

Following are some sample Language Skills. This list only begins to scratch the surface of the possible languages spoken in the world. The languages found in bold need special permission and approval to be taken/used.

  • Aboriginal
  • Afrikaans
  • Ancient-Aramaic
  • Ancient-Greek
  • Arabic
  • Bulgarian
  • Cajun
  • Cambodian
  • Cantonese
  • Cherokee
  • Cheyenne
  • Chirpwarble
  • Cloptrop
  • Cockney Slang
  • Creole
  • Cudmumble
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • Egyptian
  • Finnish
  • French
  • German
  • Giant
  • Glurblurble
  • Gobbledegook
  • Greek
  • Hakka
  • Hawaiian
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Hisskratch
  • Hungarian
  • Indonesian
  • Inuit
  • Irish Gaelic
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Jive
  • Korean
  • Latin
  • Lithuanian
  • Mandarin
  • Mermish
  • Mohawk
  • Navajo
  • Nigerian
  • Norwegian
  • Parseltongue
  • Persian
  • Pictish
  • Polish
  • Pouchley
  • Portuguese
  • Punjabi
  • Romanian
  • Romany
  • Russian
  • Sanskrit
  • Scaleform
  • Scottish Gaelic
  • Seminole
  • Serbo-croatian
  • Shelta
  • Sign-language
  • Sioux
  • Skweek
  • Slovak
  • Spanish
  • Swahili
  • Swedish
  • Syriac
  • Tahitian
  • Thai
  • Tibetan
  • Troll
  • Turkish
  • Ukranian
  • Vietnamese
  • Welsh
  • Wuffrowl
  • Yiddish
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