Skills-Based BECMI — Cultural abilities rooted in the Known World Gazetteers
Overview #
Regional Skills represent the cultural knowledge, physical practices, professional expertise, and social capabilities that characters absorb from their homeland. They are not taught in the formal sense — they are absorbed through upbringing, community, and lived experience. This is why they may only be chosen at character creation. A character who leaves Ylaruam at age eight and grows up in Darokin does not automatically have Ylari Storytelling — they have whatever Regional Skills reflect where they actually grew up.
All Regional Skill choices are made at character creation and cannot be learned at later levels. This is the defining rule of the system and it is absolute.
The Two Mechanical Types #
Regional Skills use one of two resolution mechanics depending on their nature.
Type A — The Percentile Skill #
Regional Skills that represent practiced cultural abilities (riding, storytelling, navigation, crafts, codes of conduct) use the percentile progression first introduced in the Emirates of Ylaruam for Storytelling and Horse Riding.
Base Formula:
(Ability Score × 3) + (2 × Level)%
A character with CHA 14 using Storytelling at level 1: (14 × 3) + (2 × 1) = 44% The same character at level 9: (14 × 3) + (2 × 9) = 60%
The skill grows automatically with level — characters who practiced a skill their whole life become better at it as their overall competence increases, without dedicating additional slots to it.
Maximum: 95%. Results of 96–100 always fail regardless of score or level.
To use: Roll d% equal to or under the skill score. Equal to or under = success.
General Skill synergies: A related General Skill in the same domain adds a modifier to the percentile score:
- Relevant General Skill at 1 slot: +5% to the Regional Skill roll
- Relevant General Skill at 2+ slots: +10% to the Regional Skill roll
- Actively opposed by conditions (unfamiliar terrain, social hostility, time pressure): −10% to −20% as the DM judges appropriate
- Natural talent (ability score 16+): the ability score component already captures this, no additional modifier
Type B — The Trait #
Regional Skills that represent cultural conditioning, special access, or structural advantages (the Thyatian combat privilege, a code of honor, access to an exclusive network) function as on/off traits. They either apply or they do not. The DM determines when the trait is relevant; the character does not roll.
Slot Cost and Availability #
Human characters:
- Receive 2 free Regional Skills at character creation from their homeland
- May spend additional open skill slots to purchase more Regional Skills from their homeland (1 slot per additional skill)
- May purchase Regional Skills from a foreign region if their backstory justifies it (DM approval; costs 2 slots — 1 for the regional knowledge, 1 for the cultural outsider’s disadvantage)
Demi-human characters:
- Do not receive free Regional Skills
- May purchase 1–2 Regional Skills from a region where they have strong cultural ties (1 slot each, DM approval)
- Elves raised among humans may purchase human regional skills; Dwarves with significant surface trade experience may purchase relevant skills from their trading partners
Class restrictions:
- Some Regional Skills are available only to specific classes (noted per skill)
- A skill marked [Any] is available regardless of class
- A skill marked [Fighter/Guildsman] is available only to those classes
Bonuses, Penalties, and Synergies — Reference Table #
| Situation | Effect on Percentile Roll |
|---|---|
| Related General Skill (1 slot invested) | +5% |
| Related General Skill (2+ slots invested) | +10% |
| Ability score 16+ in governing ability | Already captured in formula |
| Working in familiar cultural context (home region) | +5% |
| Working in foreign or hostile cultural context | −10% |
| Under time pressure or distraction | −10% |
| Relevant equipment absent (no horse, no musical instrument, etc.) | −20% or attempt disallowed at DM’s discretion |
| Assisting a character with the same Regional Skill | +5% to the other character’s roll |
Part I — The Emirates of Ylaruam (GAZ2) #
The desert nation of Al-Kalim, founded on the Eternal Truth. Ylari culture prizes faith, hospitality, eloquence, and horsemanship above all other virtues. To be Ylari is to be defined by what you say and whether your actions match it.
Ylari Storytelling (CHA-based — Type A Percentile) #
The oral tradition is the Ylari’s most prized cultural inheritance. History, law, genealogy, and theology are preserved and transmitted through story. An Ylari who cannot hold an audience holds no status.
Score: (CHA × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character can hold an audience, navigate social situations through narrative, recall historical or legal information in a culturally appropriate form, and earn income as a storyteller (1d6 × 2 sp per performance at standard venues; multiply by audience quality modifier).
Synergies:
- Persuasion General Skill (1 slot): +5%
- Persuasion General Skill (2 slots): +10%
- Knowledge of local history or the Eternal Truth text (DM judgment): +5%
Penalties:
- Audience is hostile to Ylari culture: −15%
- Telling a story the audience already knows well: −10%
- Attempting in a language other than Ylari: −20% (or disallowed if the character does not speak it)
Cultural note: A successful Storytelling roll in a social encounter can substitute for a Persuasion roll, Reaction adjustment, or even a Negotiate check at the DM’s discretion. It represents the Ylari’s most sophisticated social tool.
Ylari Horse Riding (DEX-based — Type A Percentile) #
Every Ylari child learns to ride. Horse ownership is status; horsemanship is identity. The riding style of the desert is different from the military cavalry of Thyatis — it emphasizes endurance, desert navigation, and the bond between rider and animal over battlefield control.
Score: (DEX × 3) + (2 × Level)%
Modifiers to score (applied before rolling):
- Born in the Saddle (regional variant for nomadic clans): +6%
- Military Cavalry Training (acquired separately): +3%
- Levels 1–4: −3% (youth’s inexperience; remove at level 5)
- Level 10+: +3% (lifetime of experience)
- Dwarf attempting: −12% (racial incompatibility)
- Halfling attempting: −6%
What it does: Allows the character to ride effectively in combat, perform mounted maneuvers, survive long desert crossings on horseback, and read a horse’s condition and temperament.
Synergies:
- Animal Handling General Skill (1 slot): +5%
- Desert Survival (see below, 1 slot): +5% on endurance crossings specifically
Penalties:
- Unfamiliar breed or unusually difficult horse: −10%
- Night riding without desert experience: −10%
- Mounted combat in tight quarters (dungeon entry, bridge): −15%
Ylari Desert Survival (CON-based — Type A Percentile) #
The ability to find water, read weather, navigate by stars, identify safe and unsafe desert flora, and manage heat exhaustion is innate to anyone raised in the Emirates.
Score: (CON × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a successful roll, the character can extend water rations, identify a safe resting place, navigate by night sky, and recognize the signs of an oncoming sandstorm before it arrives. Failure means they manage as a normal traveler.
Synergies:
- Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +5%
- Foraging General Skill (1 slot): +5%
The Eternal Truth — Honor Code (Type B Trait) #
Available to: Any Ylari human character (mandatory if the character is devout; optional for secular Ylari)
A character who follows the Eternal Truth — Al-Kalim’s code of conduct — gains the following trait properties:
Hospitality recognition: Any Ylari NPC immediately recognizes a fellow follower of the Truth and grants at minimum a Neutral reaction, regardless of prior context. This applies in all nations of the Known World where Ylari communities exist.
Oath-binding: When a character of the Eternal Truth makes a formal oath (witnessed by another believer), the social and political weight of that oath is significant. Breaking it reduces all Reaction rolls with Ylari NPCs by −2 permanently (DM’s record).
Restricted behavior: The character may not attack a guest under their protection, may not lie to another follower of the Truth in a formal context, and must offer hospitality if they have means to do so. Violations are noted by the DM and affect reputation.
This is a two-edged trait — the social benefits are real, but so are the restrictions.
Part II — The Republic of Darokin (GAZ11) #
Commerce is Darokin’s religion and its language. Every Darokinian understands that information, relationships, and timing are worth more than force. The Republic has survived surrounded by powerful neighbors by being indispensable to all of them.
Darokinian Appraisal (INT-based — Type A Percentile) #
The ability to estimate the value of goods, assess the quality of craftsmanship, detect forgeries, and recognize when a price is manipulated.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a success, the character can estimate the SP value of any trade good, artisan product, or gem within 10%. On a failure, their estimate is off by up to 50%. On a natural roll of 95–100, they confidently give a wrong estimate (DM rolls secretly).
Synergies:
- Bargaining General Skill (1 slot): +5% and the character can act on their appraisal in the same social exchange
- Gemcutting or Jeweler General Skill (1 slot): +10% for gems and worked metal specifically
Darokinian Negotiation (CHA-based — Type A Percentile) #
The formal Darokinian art of reaching agreement — not persuasion by charm, but structured negotiation through information, leverage, and compromise. This is distinct from the Persuasion General Skill and from Ylari Storytelling.
Score: (CHA × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: In a formal negotiation context (trade deal, peace agreement, contract terms, ransom discussion), a successful roll moves the other party one step toward the character’s desired outcome — from Hostile toward Unfriendly, from Unfriendly toward Neutral, etc. Multiple rolls in a single session may be attempted but each subsequent roll is at −10%.
Synergies:
- Persuasion General Skill (1 slot): +5%
- Appraisal (see above, 1 slot): +5% in commercial negotiations specifically
- Knowledge of the other party’s cultural values (DM judgment): +5%
Important distinction: Persuasion works on emotion and impression. Negotiation works on interest and information. A character may use both in sequence but the modifiers do not stack.
Darokinian Merchant Network (INT-based — Type B Trait) #
A Darokinian character has access to the Republic’s informal but pervasive commercial intelligence network. Through this network:
- In any city or town on a major trade road, the character can locate the local Darokinian merchant community within 1d4 hours
- Through that community, they can learn the current price of major commodities, any recent notable events affecting trade (bandit activity, new tariffs, military movements), and the reputation of major local actors
- The information is generally 1–4 days old and reflects commercial rather than military or political intelligence
This network does not give the character money or goods — it gives them information. Information is Darokin’s primary currency.
Limitation: The network only functions where Darokinian merchants have presence. Deep wilderness, isolated Karameikan villages, and politically hostile environments (Shadow Elves, Ethengar under active conflict) have no network access.
Darokinian Craft Skill (Variable Ability — Type A Percentile) #
At character creation, the Darokinian character selects one craft or professional skill from the Darokin skill list. This becomes their Regional Skill, using the percentile formula.
Available crafts and their governing ability (partial list):
| Craft | Ability | Craft | Ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armorer | INT | Bowyer/Fletching | INT |
| Bargaining | INT | Blacksmithing | INT |
| Brewing | INT | Cabinetmaking | INT |
| Farming | INT | Finance | INT |
| Gemcutting | INT | Glassblowing | DEX |
| Leatherworking | DEX | Mining | INT |
| Navigation | INT | Persuasion | CHA |
| Riding | DEX | Ropemaking | DEX |
| Shipbuilding | INT | Ship Sailing | INT |
| Stonecutting | INT | Weaving/Spinning | DEX |
The DM and player may agree on any reasonable craft not listed, with an appropriate governing ability.
Score: (Governing Ability × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character can practice their craft at a professional level. At 40–60%, journeyman quality. At 60–80%, master quality. At 80%+, work of exceptional quality that commands premium prices.
Income potential: A Darokinian craftsperson who takes downtime can earn (Skill% × 0.1) sp per day of work, rounded down. A character with 65% Finance earns 6–7 sp/day as a financial consultant.
Part III — The Thyatis and Alphatia (Dawn of the Emperors) #
Thyatis is the military-commercial empire, blending Greek, Roman, and Byzantine traditions. Alphatia is the magical empire, where spellcasters are the ruling class. Both produce characters with capabilities that reflect their empire’s priorities.
Thyatian Military Training (Type B Trait — [Fighter, Guildsman Headsman only]) #
In the Dawn of the Emperors supplement, the precedent was established that Thyatian characters could access Fighter Combat Options before the normal 9th-level threshold. This Regional Skill formalizes that precedent.
Effect: A Thyatian Fighter or Guildsman Headsman may use Fighter Combat Options (Smash, Parry, Disarm, and other options as defined in the RC and the Skills-Based BECMI combat rules) beginning at 1st level rather than 9th level.
Prerequisite: The character must have received formal military training — either as a citizen-soldier, a noble’s household guard, or a gladiatorial trainee. This is a background condition established at character creation.
What this does not grant: It does not grant access to Weapon Mastery ranks above the character’s normal progression, CB enhancements, or any other combat system beyond the Combat Options.
Important design note: This Regional Skill represents the precedent from Dawn of the Emperors exactly — Thyatian characters receive military training that other cultures do not, giving them access to advanced combat techniques earlier in their career. It is the most mechanically significant Regional Skill in the system.
Thyatian Law (INT-based — Type A Percentile) #
Thyatis has the most developed legal code in the Known World — Roman-style civil law applied to commerce, property, crime, and military conduct. A Thyatian who knows the law can navigate situations that would be opaque to foreigners.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: In any legal or quasi-legal situation in Thyatian territory (or territories with Thyatian legal influence — Karameikos, parts of Ierendi), a successful roll allows the character to invoke relevant law to their advantage — dismissing spurious charges, identifying valid claims, or knowing which magistrate to approach.
Synergy:
- Persuasion General Skill (1 slot): +5% in court or formal legal contexts
Thyatian Cultural Literacy (CHA-based — Type B Trait) #
Thyatis is a multicultural empire. A native Thyatian knows how to read the cultural markers of the various subject peoples — Traladaran, Ylari, Hattian, Kerendan, Thyatian proper — and adjust their social approach accordingly.
Effect: The character may make a CHA roll (1d20 ≤ CHA) before a social encounter with a non-Thyatian NPC. On success, they identify the NPC’s cultural background and gain +1 to the Reaction roll with that NPC. This represents recognizing and correctly deploying cultural courtesy signals.
Alphatia — Core (Any Alphatian Kingdom) #
All Alphatians share one baseline Regional Skill regardless of which kingdom they come from:
Alphatian Arcane Tradition (Type B — Magic-User, Elf, Cleric) #
Trained in the Alphatian system of magical classification:
- Automatically identify the school of any spell effect observed (no roll required)
- +10% to magical or theological research (time and cost savings)
- Access to the Alphatian Library Network in any city with Alphatian presence (2d6×10 sp per research question)
For Clerics: The Library Network applies to divine research and theological questions. Identification ability applies to divine spell effects.
Alphatia — Kingdom-Specific Regional Skills #
Characters from specific Alphatian kingdoms choose one kingdom skill in addition to the shared Arcane Tradition. These represent the distinct cultures that Bruce Heard detailed on his blog. A character from Alphatia names their kingdom at character creation.
Ambur — Astronomer’s Eye (Type A — INT) #
Ambur is the stargazing kingdom. Heavy control over optical magic and telescopic knowledge makes Amburites the finest astronomers and observers in the empire.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a success, accurately predict weather for the next 48 hours by star and cloud reading; identify a creature’s rough power level by observation (within 2 HD); read concealed messages in star-pattern ciphers; and estimate the time, date, and cardinal direction with precision in clear conditions.
Synergy: Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +5%.
Ar (Floating Ar) — Aerial Attunement (Type A — DEX) #
Ar’s floating islands and sky districts produce people who are naturally comfortable at altitude and instinctively understand air currents, sky navigation, and the behavior of airships and flying creatures.
Score: (DEX × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: No penalty to skill rolls, attack rolls, or saving throws caused by altitude or height (most creatures suffer −2 to unsteady platforms; Ar natives are immune to this). On a success, can estimate wind speed, direction, and duration of current weather pattern from the sky’s appearance alone. Additionally, the character may identify an airship’s class, approximate speed, and likely crew size at visual range.
Synergy: Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +5%.
Bettellyn — Servant of the Seven (Type B — Cleric and Lawful characters only) #
Bettellyn is a theocracy of zealous Lawful faith built around the Seven Archons. A character raised there has an unshakeable moral framework.
Effect: The character gains +2 to all saving throws vs. Charm and Domination effects — their faith provides a structural resistance to having their will overridden. Additionally, when interacting with Lawful NPCs in any setting, the character may identify themselves as a follower of the Seven Archons and receive a minimum Neutral reaction from any Lawful NPC (even without shared faith — the discipline of Lawful conviction is respected).
Restriction: The character must behave Lawfully in observable actions. A Bettellyner who acts chaotically in public loses this trait’s benefits until they make formal atonement (DM’s judgment).
Greenspur — Bureaucratic Mastery (Type A — INT) #
Greenspur is the most documentation-obsessed realm in Alphatia. Its accountants and lawyers are hired across the empire. A Greenspurian character knows how to navigate, create, and weaponize official process.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: In any situation involving legal documentation, official permits, financial records, or institutional authority, a success allows the character to find a relevant regulation in their favor, detect financial fraud or document forgery, produce convincing official-looking paperwork from memory, or know exactly which office to approach and how to phrase a request to get results.
Synergy: Darokinian Negotiation or Thyatian Law (if purchased as a secondary Regional Skill): +10% in legal-commercial contexts specifically.
Haven — Warrior-Artist (Type B — Any) #
Haven combines artistic mastery with military precision. Its warrior-artists study the Art of War as a discipline of beauty, and the result is fighters who are both aesthetically impressive and genuinely dangerous.
Effect: The character has developed an artistic discipline (painting, music, architecture, performance — chosen at character creation). When the character demonstrates this art publicly before a social encounter, they may make a CHA roll (1d20 ≤ CHA). On success, all NPCs in the immediate social context have their initial Reaction improved by one step for the duration of that scene. This is a one-time opening impression — it cannot be used again in the same social context.
Additionally, the character’s combat style is noticeably refined. When an opponent observes the character in combat for the first time, the DM rolls a Morale check for the opponent at −1 (the visual impression of Haven’s Art of War is subtly intimidating even to experienced warriors).
Randel — Mage-Knight Tradition (Type B — Fighter or Magic-User only) #
Randel’s defining cultural institution is the mage-knight — a warrior-wizard who draws on the ferocity of dragons buried in magical memory. Not every Randelese is a mage-knight, but every Randelese has grown up around them.
Fighter version: The character has trained alongside mage-knights. They may identify a spellcaster’s approximate level and school of specialty by observing one round of combat (no roll — automatic). They also receive +1 to all saving throws vs. spells cast by Magic-Users specifically (they know the body language, the preparation cues).
Magic-User version: The character has been trained in Randel’s martial-arcane style. They may wear leather armor without spell failure at all levels. At level 5+, they may cast spells while engaged in melee without the standard −2 penalty to the spell roll (using BECMI’s interruption rules).
Stonewall — Mundaner’s Tenacity (Type B — Any non-spellcasting class) #
Stonewall is the only Alphatian kingdom where non-spellcasters hold meaningful social power. Its thieves, craftspeople, and warriors have developed a fierce independence and resistance to magical intimidation that is unique in the empire.
Effect (non-spellcasters only): +2 to all saving throws vs. Charm, Domination, and any magic that affects the will or compels action. This represents a lifetime of resisting the social and magical pressure of living as a non-caster in a spellcaster empire. Additionally, the character automatically knows when a spell has been cast targeting them, even if the effect fails — they feel the attempt.
Note: Stonewall has no magic-user or elf variant. The entire point of the kingdom is non-magical resilience. #
Part IV — The Grand Duchy of Karameikos (GAZ1) #
Karameikos is a young nation built on an old culture. The Traladarans have lived here for centuries; the Thyatian settlers for decades. The tension between the two produces a character culture that is simultaneously martial, mystical, and commercially opportunistic.
Traladaran Singing (CHA-based — Type A Percentile) #
The Traladaran tradition of sung history — the Traldar legends, the Dark Years ballads, the songs of Halav — is the cultural bedrock of the native Karameikan people. A character raised in Traladaran culture knows these songs and how to use them.
Score: (CHA × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: Functions similarly to Ylari Storytelling but in the Traladaran cultural context. Additionally, a successful roll while singing a Halav battle-hymn before combat grants all Traladaran-heritage allies within earshot +1 to their first Morale roll of the encounter.
Traladaran Mysticism (WIS-based — Type A Percentile) #
The Traladaran people have a folk-religious tradition rooted in the old Traldar culture — the Three Traldar Immortals (Halav, Petra, Zirchev), dream interpretation, omen-reading, and an intuitive awareness of supernatural presences.
Score: (WIS × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a successful roll, the character can recognize supernatural influence in an area (not identify it specifically, but know it is present), interpret a recent dream for a relevant personal omen, or identify a Traladaran artifact or tradition by its symbolic significance.
Synergy:
- Knowledge (Mystara religion) General Skill (1 slot): +5%
Karameikan Survival (CON-based — Type A Percentile) #
The frontier nature of Karameikos — wilderness roads, monster activity, political instability — produces a class of people who are simply better at staying alive in difficult conditions than those raised in more settled nations.
Score: (CON × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: Reduces the penalties of forced march, food rationing, and hostile weather by one severity step. On a successful roll, the character can identify the safest route through a wilderness area they have never visited but that shares terrain type with their home region.
Thyatian Colonist’s Advantage (Type B — Thyatian-heritage characters in Karameikos) #
A character of Thyatian descent raised in Karameikos has access to both colonial social networks and native cultural knowledge — the most practically useful combination in the Grand Duchy.
Effect: The character has Thyatian noble or merchant connections and Traladaran street awareness. When navigating Specularum or other major Karameikan settlements, the character always knows the current political mood of the Thyatian administration and the Traladaran underground simultaneously. They receive +1 to all Reaction rolls with both Thyatian officials and Traladaran NPCs, as they fluently code-switch between the two cultures. They also know which neighborhoods are safe, which taverns are watched, and who the current brokers of information are.
Specularum Street Wisdom (Type A — CHA) #
Characters raised in Specularum have a particular urban fluency — knowing which information brokers are honest, which guards are bribeable, and how to navigate the layered social world of the capital.
Score: (CHA × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: In any urban settlement, a successful roll locates a specific piece of publicly known information within 1d4 hours (current political mood, local significant NPCs, location of specific types of establishment). In Specularum itself, the roll is made at +10%.
Part V — The Emirates of Ylaruam Adjacent Regions #
Northern Reaches — Northman Seamanship (DEX-based — Type A Percentile) #
Ostlanders, Vestlanders, and Soderfjord folk are among the finest sailors in the world — but their seamanship is distinct from Minrothad and Ierendi nautical skills. Northman sailing is open-water, long-voyage, storm-weather sailing.
Score: (DEX × 3) + (2 × Level)%
Synergy:
- Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +10% (unusually strong synergy — Northman navigators are defined by their navigation skill)
What it does: In addition to standard seamanship competence, a successful roll in storm conditions reduces the ship’s danger level by one step. At level 5+, the character can estimate weather 24 hours in advance with a successful roll.
Northern Reaches — Berserker Courage (CON-based — Type B Trait — [Fighter only]) #
Not all Northmen are berserkers, but many have been trained in or naturally possess the tradition of battle-rage that their culture celebrates.
Effect: Once per combat, the character may declare Berserker Courage at the start of their action phase. For the remainder of that combat:
- +2 to all attack rolls
- −2 to AC (they fight without regard for defense)
- Immune to magical fear effects
- Cannot retreat, withdraw, or parry — they must advance toward the nearest enemy
- When the combat ends or the character reaches 0 HP, they immediately make a CON roll (1d20 ≤ CON). Failure means they are Exhausted (CB exhaustion state) for 1d6 turns.
Northman Rune Lore (Type A — INT) #
The Northern Reaches tradition of runic magic — carved into weapons, shields, and doorposts as protective and empowering inscriptions.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character can read, identify, and create simple runic inscriptions. Creating a protective rune (carved into a door, shield, or object over 1 hour of work) gives that object a +1 to any one saving throw category for 24 hours. On a successful roll, the rune holds; on a failure, it is simply inert. A character cannot have more than their INT modifier in active runes at any time.
Synergy: Klantyre Runic Awareness (if purchased as a secondary skill from another region): +10% and the character can read Klantyre runes as well as Northern ones.
Ethengar — Steppe Riding (DEX-based — Type A Percentile) #
Distinct from Ylari Horse Riding. Steppe riding is about mounted archery, the relationship between a rider and their mount at full gallop, and endurance crossings of the open steppe.
Score: (DEX × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character suffers no HR penalty for firing a missile weapon while mounted and moving. At level 5+, they may fire a missile weapon as part of their move action (the famous Parthian shot) without it counting as their action for the round. Additionally, the character and their mount move as one — mounted HP total is the combined mount HP + character HP when calculating retreat thresholds.
Synergy:
- Bow or Composite Bow Weapon Mastery (Skilled rank or above): +5%
Ethengar — Steppe Survival (CON-based — Type A Percentile) #
Ethengar survival is distinct from Ylari desert survival — the steppe is cold, open, and featureless rather than hot and sandy. Wind reading, camp construction, predator awareness, and herd-reading are its components.
Score: (CON × 3) + (2 × Level)%
Ethengar Shamanic Awareness (Type A — WIS) #
The shamanic tradition of Ethengar gives its people a folk awareness of the spirit world that manifests as practical intuition.
Score: (WIS × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a success, sense the presence of supernatural entities (undead, summoned creatures, spirits) within 30 feet before they reveal themselves. Additionally, the character can identify which Immortal a Cleric serves by observing their behavior and ritual habits for 10 minutes — the shamanic tradition has a broad comparative theology. At level 9+, the character can communicate basic concepts to animal spirits and nature spirits (not full conversation — intent and direction only).
Ierendi — Island Seamanship (DEX-based — Type A Percentile) #
Ierendi sailing is pleasure-voyage, fishing, and inter-island navigation — more instinctive and less heavy-weather than Northman seamanship, but highly effective in the warm southern waters.
Score: (DEX × 3) + (2 × Level)%
Synergy:
- Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +5%
Ierendi Pearl Diving (Type A — CON) #
The warm waters of Ierendi have produced expert free-divers. Pearl diving and underwater work are practical skills for anyone raised on the islands.
Score: (CON × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character can hold their breath for (CON score ÷ 3, rounded down) minutes rather than the standard 1 round per CON point. On a successful skill roll, they can locate pearl oysters or other underwater valuables in a search area (1d6 × 10 sp worth per success in productive waters). They suffer no movement penalty when swimming underwater and can navigate confidently in low-visibility coastal waters.
Synergy: Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +5%.
Ierendi Crown Competitor (Type B — Fighter, Guildsman, Mystic) #
The annual Crown Tourney of Ierendi selects its ruler by combat. Even non-champions have trained in this tradition.
Effect: The character has competed in or intensively trained for the Crown Tourney tradition. They gain +1 to initiative in any single-combat situation (one-on-one or clearly separated from group fighting). Additionally, they may never be caught without a usable weapon — they can always improvise an effective weapon from environmental objects (a torch, a chair leg, a rope) at no HR penalty relative to their unarmed HR. This represents Crown Tourney training in adaptive combat.
Minrothad — Merchant Guild Awareness (INT-based — Type B Trait) #
A character raised in Minrothad knows how the Guild system works at an intimate level. They have guild contacts, understand the unwritten rules of inter-guild courtesy, and know which information channels are reliable.
Effect: When dealing with any Minrothad Guild member anywhere in the Known World, the character may identify their Guild affiliation on a successful INT roll. Additionally, the character’s base Reaction with Minrothad Guildsmen is improved by one step (Hostile → Unfriendly, Unfriendly → Neutral, etc.).
Minrothad Maritime Craft (Type A — DEX) #
The Minrothad Guilds’ two dominant elf clans — Meditor (seafarers) and Verdier (ship-builders) — have defined the maritime culture of the islands. A character raised in Minrothad absorbs this craft tradition.
Score: (DEX × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a success, the character can navigate by the stars and sea currents without instruments, estimate a ship’s cargo capacity and seaworthiness at a glance, and perform emergency repairs on a damaged vessel (restoring 1d6 hull points over 1 hour of work). Additionally, the character is fluent in maritime trade signals — the flag codes, lantern patterns, and whistle systems used by Minrothad traders.
Synergy: Navigation General Skill (1 slot): +10% (same unusually strong synergy as Northman Seamanship — Minrothad navigators are equally defined by formal navigation training).
Minrothad Commerce Code (Type A — INT) #
The Minrothad Guilds have a formal commercial code — standardized weights, letters of credit, commodity grading, and dispute resolution. A Minrothad-raised character knows this system cold.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: When operating within any formal commercial transaction anywhere in the Known World, a successful roll allows the character to identify whether the other party is operating in good faith, spot off-standard weights or measures, invoke Minrothad arbitration protocols (in any port that recognizes the Guilds’ trading rights — most of the Known World’s major ports do), or determine the fair market value of a nautical commodity within 5%.
Synergy: Darokinian Appraisal or Negotiation (if purchased as secondary Regional Skill): +5%.
Glantri — Arcane Sensitivity (INT-based — Type A Percentile — [Any, but most useful to Magic-Users and Elves]) #
Raised in a nation where arcane magic is the basis of political power, a Glantrian character has developed an instinctive awareness of magical phenomena.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a successful roll, the character can sense that magic has been used in an area within the last hour (not what type or by whom). Additionally, they have a +5% bonus to identify a magical item’s general school of magic when examining it.
Glantri — Political Intrigue (CHA-based — Type A Percentile) #
Glantrian politics is a labyrinth of noble houses, secret societies, and competing arcane schools. A native Glantrian is fluent in the language of implication, rumor, and deniable suggestion.
Score: (CHA × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: In any political social encounter — court, noble house dinner, secret meeting — a successful roll allows the character to correctly identify the hidden agenda behind a stated position, or to communicate a suggestion in a way that the speaker can plausibly deny.
In addition, characters from specific Principalities may choose one Principality-specific skill:
Boldavia — Gothic Lore (Type A — INT) #
Boldavia is the horror principality — vampires, undead, dark forests. Its people know the signs.
Score: (INT × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: On a success, identify the specific type of undead encountered before engaging (no additional roll needed — the identification is part of the skill success). Additionally, the character knows local folklore about undead behavior and weaknesses — +5% to any roll involving harming, turning, or escaping undead, on top of normal Cleric Turning.
Klantyre — Runic Awareness (Type A — WIS) #
Klantyre’s Scottish-analog culture preserves folk knowledge of runic patterns, ancestor-spirits, and the old magical traditions that pre-date formal Alphatian schooling.
Score: (WIS × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character can read and interpret runic inscriptions without a language roll (they may not speak the language, but they understand the magical intent of the runes). On a success, identify whether a runic inscription is protective, harmful, activating, or decorative. At level 5+, can identify the specific effect of a protective rune before triggering it.
Aalban — Iron Will (Type B — Fighter, Guildsman) #
Aalban’s Hattian culture prizes discipline and resistance to outside influence.
Effect: +1 to all saving throws vs. Charm and Command effects. Additionally, the character is immune to morale penalties from numerical disadvantage — they never suffer the −1 penalty when badly outnumbered. Their personal discipline holds regardless of odds.
New Averoigne — Laterran Mysticism (Type A — WIS — Magic-User only) #
New Averoigne’s French-analog culture brought the alien Laterran tradition to Glantri — magic that predates Alphatian classification and operates on different principles.
Score: (WIS × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: The character can recognize Laterran-tradition magic items and spells by their distinctive resonance — they feel slightly “off” compared to standard Alphatian construction. On a success, identify a Laterran-origin item or effect when examining it. Additionally, +5% to any research roll involving pre-Alphatian magical traditions, Traladaran mystical artifacts, or old-world magical objects.
Bergdhoven — Noble’s Bearing (Type B — Any) #
Bergdhoven’s Alphatian-Nordic aristocracy combines old-world arrogance with genuine confidence.
Effect: The first time the character meets any NPC, they may make a CHA roll (1d20 ≤ CHA). On success, the NPC perceives them as socially higher status than they actually are for the duration of that scene — this affects the NPC’s deference, their willingness to answer questions, and the terms they offer in commercial transactions. On failure, the NPC simply reacts normally.
Atruaghin Clans — Clan Animal Affinity (WIS-based — Type B Trait) #
Each of the five Atruaghin clans is associated with a totem animal. A character from the clans has an innate connection to that animal.
At character creation, choose one:
- Children of the Elk: Understand and calm deer, elk, and similar herbivores; +2 to all rolls involving woodland navigation
- Children of the Tiger: Natural predator — +1 to initiative and +1 to the first attack roll in any combat encounter
- Children of the Horse: As Steppe Riding but applies to the Atruaghin plateau terrain; horse-bond means mount never needs a Morale check when ridden by this character
- Children of the Turtle: Exceptional swimmer; movement in water at full land speed; +4 to all saves vs. cold
- Children of the Bear: +2 to STR checks involving breaking, holding, or lifting; once per day, may enter a defensive stance granting +1 AV for one round
Atruaghin Clan Craft (Type A — Variable) #
Each of the five clans has a dominant craft tradition passed down through generations. Choose one at character creation to match your clan.
| Clan | Craft | Ability | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children of the Elk | Leatherworking | DEX | Hide preparation, tent-making, winter garments |
| Children of the Tiger | Hunting Craft | DEX | Tracking, trap-setting, field butchery |
| Children of the Horse | Horse-breeding | WIS | Judging bloodlines, training, tack-making |
| Children of the Turtle | Fishing/Diving | CON | Net-fishing, shellfish harvesting, canoe navigation |
| Children of the Bear | Stonecraft | STR | Basic stone tools, shelter construction, rockfall knowledge |
Score: (Governing Ability × 3) + (2 × Level)%
What it does: At 60%+, the character produces goods of quality that would command premium prices in any market. At 80%+, the work is recognizably exceptional — an Elk Clan leatherworker at this level produces items that are recognizable as Atruaghin high-craft. The character can earn (Skill% × 0.05) sp per day of dedicated craft work.
Part VI — The Rules of Regional Skill Selection #
What Can Be Chosen #
At character creation, the player selects Regional Skills from the region where their character was raised, not where they were born. A Thyatian-born character raised from age 3 in Ylaruam has Ylari Regional Skills.
The DM approves all selections. Multiple Regional Skills from different regions are possible only if the character’s backstory explicitly supports time spent in each — and the DM is the final arbiter of whether the backstory justifies it.
What Cannot Be Chosen #
- A Regional Skill from a region the character has never lived in, regardless of how much they know about it
- Regional Skills acquired through education (reading about Ylari horsemanship does not give the Regional Skill)
- Regional Skills from a region the character was expelled from as an infant or visited briefly as a tourist
- The Thyatian Military Training Regional Skill without a military background established in the character’s history
Cross-Cultural Characters #
A character raised in a border region or a multicultural city (Specularum in Karameikos, for example) may select Regional Skills from two different cultural traditions — one from their dominant culture, one from the secondary culture they absorbed. This is particularly appropriate for:
- Traladaran characters in Karameikos (both Traladaran and Thyatian Regional Skills available)
- Characters from Minrothad (the merchant-state has strong Thyatian, Karameikan, and Ylari commercial connections)
- Children of diplomats, merchants, or military families stationed abroad
The Demi-Human Exception #
A Dwarf from Rockhome already has Dwarven Detection and Dwarven Concentration as Class Skills — these represent the same cultural inheritance that a human Rockhome character would express as Regional Skills. A Dwarf who grew up in Darokin’s merchant culture (common — Dwarven craftspeople are well established there) may purchase 1–2 Darokin Regional Skills: typically Appraisal and a Craft Skill.
An Elf from Alfheim who has spent decades in Karameikos before beginning play may purchase Karameikan Survival or Traladaran Mysticism (the latter reflecting genuine spiritual resonance between Elven and Traladaran folk-belief). The DM decides if the backstory supports this.
Quick Reference — Regional Skills by Gazetteer #
| Region | Skills Available | Type | Governing Ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ylaruam | Storytelling · Horse Riding · Desert Survival · Eternal Truth | A | CHA |
| Darokin | Appraisal · Negotiation · Merchant Network · Craft Skill | A | WIS |
| Thyatis | Military Training · Thyatian Law · Cultural Literacy | A | CON |
| Alphatia (core) | Arcane Tradition (Magic-User/Elf/Cleric) | A | CHA |
| Alphatia: Ambur | Astronomer’s Eye | A | DEX |
| Alphatia: Ar | Aerial Attunement | A | CON |
| Alphatia: Bettellyn | Servant of the Seven | B | — |
| Alphatia: Greenspur | Bureaucratic Mastery | A | INT |
| Alphatia: Haven | Warrior-Artist | A | CHA |
| Alphatia: Randel | Mage-Knight Tradition | A | DEX |
| Alphatia: Stonewall | Mundaner’s Tenacity | B | — |
| Karameikos | Traladaran Singing · Mysticism · Survival · Thyatian Colonist · Street Wisdom | A | INT |
| Glantri (any) | Arcane Sensitivity · Political Intrigue | A | CHA |
| Glantri: Belcadiz | Duellist’s Precision | B | — |
| Glantri: Erewan | Sylvan Archery | A | varies |
| Glantri: Boldavia | Gothic Lore | A | DEX |
| Glantri: Klantyre | Runic Awareness | A | CON |
| Glantri: Aalban | Iron Will | A | DEX |
| Glantri: New Averoigne | Laterran Mysticism | B | — |
| Glantri: Bergdhoven | Noble’s Bearing | B | — |
| Northern Reaches | Northman Seamanship · Berserker Courage · Rune Lore | B | — |
| Ethengar | Steppe Riding · Steppe Survival · Shamanic Awareness | A | INT |
| Ierendi | Island Seamanship · Pearl Diving · Crown Competitor | B | — |
| Minrothad | Guild Awareness · Maritime Craft · Commerce Code | B | — |
| Atruaghin Clans | Clan Animal Affinity · Clan Craft | A | WIS |
