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Chapter 3: Abilities
more experiences that are remembered accurately.
Those who do not remember and reflect upon the
majority of their lives are more likely to make unwise
decisions. The Earliest Memory is determined
by this sub-ability, though it is unaffected by aging.
For example, an old character does not remember
more of their childhood than when they were a
young adult. Reflection affects skills (see Chap. 8:
Skills) such as Constellations, Etiquette, Remember
Detail, and Weather Prediction.
Skill Modifiers
Each ability and sub-ability has a Skill Modifier.
Whenever a skill is used or must be checked,
abilities may modify the roll of a skill. Individual
skills may use skill modifiers from multiple abilities
or sub-abilities. Information on skills and how Skill
Modifiers function may be found in Chapter 8: Skills.
For example, if a character attempts to attack
another, intending to hack a cleaver into their
head, the character must consult a skill for that particular
weapon. If this character is skillful, then they
will probably kill their foe.
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Ability Checks
Instances in the game may occur when abilities
need to be checked. For instance, a slovenly
chambermaid offers herself to a strapping young
character if and only if he can expediently repeat a
tongue-twister of her choice. Driven by hormones,
the young male agrees, and asks “What is the tonguetwister?”
The chambermaid challenges “Huge hung
hero hunks hastily hump horny heaving hot whores.
How‘bout it, huh?” To make an ability check, roll
3d10 and apply the Skill Modifier to the result. A 6
or less always represents failure or a fumble. This
number may be compared with a difficulty threshold
(TH) determined by the Aedile or the roll of
another player. In the example provided above regarding
tongue-twisting, the Aedile may have secretly
decided the TH to be 20. The player of the strapping
young character tests his character’s Enunciation
sub-ability at the moment by rolling 3d10 and
applying the Skill Modifier from Enunciation to the
roll. He rolls 11 and the Aedile tells him that he
tried to say it faster than he was capable at the moment.
To the dismay of the character, the chuckling
chambermaid abandons him for a lad with a
more nimble tongue.