Infiltrate, Jump, Knowledge

INFILTRATE skill is used to hide from an enemy or strike with surprise (p.12). This skill is also used to bypass security measures thereby gaining entry into a building or location.  By taking advantage of cover, shadows and terrain features, characters are able to advance unseen and unnoticed.  Infiltrating characters may move slowly,   d6” per round.   

 

            Infiltrate is an opposed roll, player’s infiltrate skill versus opponent’s reflex save, the latter dice being rolled behind the GMs screen. The infiltrating character will gain the following modifiers to his die roll based on environment  

 

+4                    crowded street, warehouse or barn

+2                    forest, ruins or private home

 - -                    mountains or dungeon, hanger

 -2                    hills or armory, jed’s palace

 -5                    sea bottoms, calots or jeddak’s palace

 -8                    sterile plane or extreme security

            If opponent does not have dark or infra- vision, then these die roll modifiers also will apply:

 

  +2                  If low light; dusk, full moon

  +5                  If dark; twilight or moonlight

  +9                  If pitch black; unlit dungeon

 

            You may not infiltrate if under constant or direct observation; however, if a sufficient diversion is obtained, such as combat, bluff or explosions, an enemy’s gaze may be averted long enough to allow a infiltrate check against a targeted opponent.  If a character is in hiding, he adds his infiltrate skill to the first ATTK with a ranged weapon against an unaware opponent who is being aimed upon.

JUMP skill is used to leap either horizontally or vertically.  When making jump checks it is assumed that the character has had a chance to make a reasonable (one to two ads) running start.  Roll the dice and add appropriate modifiers subtracting one per 10# of mass carried; the final result is either the character’s vertical reach or half the distance he leaped horizontally, i.e.; a result of ‘12’ means character can scale a twelve sofad wall, or grab a tree limb twelve sofads  off the ground or leap across a 24 sofad  chasm.

 

                “I do not need a better reply, there is but one man upon Barsoom who can bounce like a rubber ball.  By the mother of the further moon, John Carter, how came you here, and have you become a Darseen that you can change your color at will.”                          (PM XXI)

 

 

KNOWLEDGE skill implies an extensive understanding of a scholarly, academic or scientific discipline.  Knowledge is acquired after extensive study (3- 5 yrs @ 100-600gc each year) at a university or upon completing an apprenticeship (2- 8 yrs, but ‘free’) under a master or sage.  Knowledge skill throws can be used to recall information or trivia about a location, situation or item. 

 

          Knowledge skill throw may also be used to ascertain details about an associated monster’s statistics, attributes and weaknesses; in the latter instance, DC equals 8+ hit dice of creature in question.  Below are some sample categories (d10) of knowledge skill:

            

<1>       Astronomy

 (planets, stars, physics, spaceships)

<2>         Computers

                (programming, messaging, repairs)

<3>  Dungeon Crawling

(caves, subterranean rivers, dungeons,

 aberrations, oozes, troglodytes, undead)

<4>         Gunnery

(cannons, rapid fire guns, shotguns)

<5>       History

(races, cultures, wars, migrations, nobles)

<6>       Mechanical

                (fliers, machinery, appliances, firearms)

<7>       Mythology

(deities, cults, religion, customs, origins)

<8>         Navigation

(cartography, compass,  sextant)

<9>         Psychiatrist

(psychosis, neurosis and personality)

<10> Surgeon

(transplantation, trauma, first aid)


Artwork from
Mike Hoffman

looted from Damon's
Art of Barsoom blog ;check it out - - >