Here Be Dragons – Part II – Ability List

Adding Abilities

Here is part II of ‘Here Be Dragons’, my very short (and hopefully sweet) RPG. Part II covers all of the Abilities in the game. That’s skills and talents to you and me. If you haven’t read part I, go here.

Basic Abilities

Athletics (Body)

Running, jumping, swimming and climbing are all aspects of the Athletics Ability. You want to swing from a rope? That’s Athletics. You want to dive through an open window, roll on the ground to soften your fall and then spring to your feet and look good doing it? That’s the Athletics Ability.

Perks: Athletics Specialisation (Acrobatics, Climbing, Jumping, Running, Swimming, etc.)

Awareness (Mind)

You might have sharp eyes and ears, but they’re useless if you’re away with the fairies. The Awareness Ability lets you notice things, from finding clues at a murder scene, to realising you’re walking into an ambush and you forgot your gun.

Perks: Empathy, Forensics, Memory Recall, Spotting

Close Combat (Body)

When it comes to the rough and tumble of hand to hand fighting, you’ve got smarts. Use your Close Combat Ability to attack and defend in close quarter fighting.

Perks: Unarmed Combat, Improvised Weapons, Weapon Specialisation (Knives and Daggers, Swords, Mauls, Stick Fighting, etc)

Disguise (Mind)

You know how to disguise your appearance and mask your voice, or mimic others. It could be something as simple as changing your posture or putting on a uniform, or it might be something more complex like assuming someone else’s identity.

Perks: Blending In, Identity Theft, Impersonation, Secret Identity

Endurance (Body)

Useful for resisting poison and disease, but also for running long distances or surviving in extreme conditions. The Endurance Ability is an invaluable ally to any adventurer… or scumbag.

Perks: Disease Resistance, Environmental Resistance (Cold, Desert, Jungle, etc), Poison Resistance, Tireless

Persuasion (Mind)

You are Face from the A Team, or that guy that sold the Brooklyn Bridge (George C. Parker if you really want to know), or maybe you are just that girl at the bar getting drinks bought for her. Whatever, you have the gift of the gab and can wrap people round your little finger.

Perks: Confidence Trickster, Debate, Leadership, Seduction

Reactions (Mind)

Jack Burton would say it’s all in the reflexes and he is right. The Reactions Ability helps you avoid falling masonry, dodge out of the way of bullets screaming toward you or even catch a throwing knife before it pokes your eye out. It’s also used to determine your Initiative in combat. It’s an all around good Ability if you want to stay alive.

Perks: Balance, Coordination, Evasion, Lightning Reflexes

Stealth (Body)

The Stealth Ability enables you to tiptoe around, pressing yourself against walls to hide in the shadows and generally remain unheard and unseen.

Perks: Environmental Specialisation, Misdirection, Sleight of Hand

Willpower (Spirit)

Your determination and self control, sense of self and strength of will. Your Willpower Ability is useful for resisting outside influences trying to sway your mind, whether natural or otherwise.

Perks: Mental Fortress, Stubborn

Advanced Abilities

Academics (Mind)

You know stuff. Lots of stuff. Your breadth of knowledge spans everything from astrophysics, psychology and quantum mechanics to art, history and literature. It’s not all rocket science.

Perks: Specific field of study (Art, History, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Media, etc.)

Computing (Mind)

You know your way around a computer and can do most tasks. Skilled users might be able to build their own software, hack into systems or assemble their own computers from a pile of components.

Perks: Coding, Computer Assembly, Computer Forensics, Hacking

Cracking (Body)

Sometimes breaking down a door is not the best way of getting in or out. When you need subtly, a set of lock picks is your friend, or maybe an electronic override. All right, at a push you can use a hair pin or a paper clip you’ve been hiding under your tongue, or the security code you wrote down on the inside of your sleeve.

Perks: Improvisation, Electronic Systems, Safe Cracking

Driving (Body)

You know how to drive, ride and pilot vehicles and will most likely carry a licence. Skilled drivers are in high demand as getaway drivers, law enforcement officers and stuntmen.

Perks: Air Vehicles, Ground Vehicles, Space Vehicles, Water Vehicles, Riding Animals

Engineering (Mind)

If it’s electrical, mechanical or structural, you can pretty much figure out how to fix it. Either that or you can tell the explosive’s team where to put the bomb for maximum effect. Oh yes, you know how to set explosives as well.

Perks: Engineering Specialisation (Architectural, Demolitions, Repair, etc.)

Languages (Mind)

Everyone is fluent in their native tongue, but you have studied languages other than your own. You may not be fluent, but with practice you can get by and order two beers or something.

Perks: Language Specialisation (Specific language)

Psychic (Mind)

You are one of the rare few that has learned to harness their latent psychic abilities. You might be a telepath, able to read minds, share your thoughts and control others, or maybe you have telekinetic powers and are able to lift objects and people with your mind or shield you from harm, or perhaps you have powers that are a little more exotic.

Perks: Astral Projection, Body Control, Extra Sensory Perception, Pyrokinesis, Telekinesis, Telepathy

Ranged Combat (Body)

It’s not all guns, guns, guns. You can throw knives, string and shoot a bow, strip down a machine gun and reassemble it and do all sorts of things. Heck, to you even a tin of beans can make a good ranged weapon (ask Crocodile Dundee).

Perks: Archery, Throwing, Small Arms, Long Arms, Heavy Weapons

Sorcery (Spirit)

You strive to become a master of the arcane arts, able to bend reality to your will. You may have learned the basics from another practitioner, or perhaps you found a musty old book with forbidden knowledge.

Perks: Conjuration, Daemonology, Divination, Elementalism, Illusionism, Necromancy, Translocation, Transmutation