Basic | Leveled | Percentage

In the Forge RPG, skills are what define a character’s abilities and they must be learned, studied, and honed. Each character is limited to the number of skill slots he can fill and each skill requires its own number of skill slots to learn. Some skills require only one skill slot while others can require three, five, or even 10. Although any character can learn any skill, it is essential to consider what skills are more suitable to a person’s characteristics prior to study. For example, a person with a high dexterity will find it advantageous to learn skills that require agility rather than strength or intellect.

Skills are divided into three main categories: basic, percentage, and leveled. Each category of skills behaves in its own unique way.

Basic skills – These skills exist primarily for character development. Although some have chances of success based on characteristics, these chances never increase.

Percentage Skills – Percentage skills have a skill base that ranges between 1 to 100%. The initial skill base is determined using the person’s characteristics. Each time the skill is used successfully, the character gains a credit toward skill advancement. When the game master gives permission, a player can roll 1d100 for each skill credit. If he rolls higher than this current skill base, he gains +1%. Once a percentage skill achieves 100%, the person can no longer advance in the skill.

Leveled Skills – Like percentage skills, leveled skills start with a skill base that is determined by the person’s characteristics. However, leveled skills also have a level associated with them. Characters start at level 1. When they successfully use their skill, they receive a credit toward skill advancement. Just like percentage skills, players can roll 1d100 for each credit to determine if they gained knowledge in their skill. With leveled skills, a person must roll equal to or lower than their skill base to advance. And, when they reach 100%, they gain a level, recalculate their skill base using their characteristics, and subtract 4% per level. With each level gain, a character achieves a bonus (e.g. greater chance to hit, more damage, or higher chance of success). The maximum level a character can attain in a given skill is determined by her characteristics.

Characters will find that at the beginning of their percentage skill career, it will be harder to successfully use their skill, as the starting skill bases are low. However, as they earn credits, it is easier to advance since they must roll higher than their skill base on a 1d100. As they achieve a mastery of their percentage skill, they will find it easier to use their skill and gain credits, since their skill base is so high, but it will be harder to advance because they must roll higher than their skill base on 1d100 for each 1% increase.

Leveled skills are almost the reverse. At the beginning of each level, characters will find it harder to increase their skills since they have to roll equal to or lower than their skill base to advance. But, as they become familiar with their skill, they advance more quickly until they reach 100%. At that point, they gain a level and their skill base is recalculated with a -4% modifier per level. Each successive level is harder to learn initially. Eventually, the -4% cumulative modifier will reduce a person’s skill base to 0%, at which time further advancement is impossible.

One credit toward skill advancement is earned each time a skill is used successfully. A player must keep track of these credits until the game master determines that advancement is possible. At that time, each player rolls 1d100 for each skill credit, following the appropriate rules for percentage and leveled skills. Each credit equals one roll. Once the credits are used, they must be erased.

There are two exceptions that disqualify a character from earning a credit toward skill advancement.

- First, if a character receives any positive modifier to a skill attempt (e.g. game master discretion, magical intervention, or random occurrence), no credit toward advancement is earned. This is because the character had help in performing the skill and was not forced to push his knowledge to the limits.

- Second, if a skill is used successfully but there was nothing to gain from the success (e.g. successfully finding a trap that did not exist or using the tracking skill when there is nothing to see). Since there was nothing to find, the skill’s success is nullified.