Nature Lore: This skill is the knowledge of common plant and animal life forms of one specific terrain: desert, forest, jungle, mountain/hill, open sea, plains, or arctic. The character can gain several Nature Lore skills by spending one skill slot for each different terrain he learns. This skill gives the character knowledge of such things as edible and poisonous plants, healing herbs, and signs of unnatural danger (such as unusual quiet, absence of normal plant or animal life, atypical animal behavior, etc.). When the character uses this skill in his home territory, he receives a – 2 bonus to the die rolled for the skill check. When he uses it in territory very similar to his home, he receives no bonus. The less it resembles his own home territory, the greater the penalty he will receive, up to a +4.
🌿 Racial Variants #
| Variant | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elven | Photosynthetic Memory | Elves “feel” the health of the soil. They can identify if a plant is poisonous even in the winter or when it is withered, as they recognize the plant’s spiritual “signature.” |
| Dwarven | Subterranean Mycology | Dwarves specialize in the “Nature” of the dark—fungi, molds, and lichen. They treat Caves/Indoors as a valid terrain for Nature Lore, identifying edible mushrooms and “bad air” mosses. |
| Halfling | The Harvester’s Eye | Halflings focus on yield. They are +2 to find “Healing Herbs” because they have a genetic knack for finding the most potent, nutrient-rich specimens in any patch of green. |
| Gnomish | Pollination Logic | Gnomes track the “vectors” of nature—insects and birds. They can predict a change in weather or the arrival of a predator by observing the flight patterns of local bees or dragonflies. |
🗺️ Terrain-Specific Variants #
- The Forest/Jungle “Root-Walker”
In the dense canopy, Nature Lore is about Verticality and Decay.
- Specialty: Canopy Reading. They can identify the safety of a path by the types of moss growing on the trunks. They gain a +2 bonus to detect “Unnatural Danger” from arboreal predators (like giant spiders or panthers).
- The Desert “Well-Finder”
In the wastes, Nature Lore is about Water-Storage.
- Specialty: Succulent Extraction. They know which cacti hold water and which hold poison. They can “read” the distant shimmer of the air to distinguish a true oasis from a magical mirage or heat distortion.
- The Plains “Wind-Listener”
In the open grasslands, Nature Lore is about Migration and Horizon.
- Specialty: Herd Intuition. They can identify the size and species of a creature simply by the way the grass is bent or the scent carried on the wind. They can predict stampedes or predator movements hours in advance.
- The Arctic “Ice-Tunneler”
In the frozen north, Nature Lore is about Sub-Zero Survival.
- Specialty: Thermal Insulation. They know which snow-types are safe for digging shelters and which plants can be boiled into a tea that prevents frostbite. They are experts at identifying “Thin Ice” and hidden crevasses.
⚖️ The “Home Territory” Mechanic #
As per the rules, the -2 bonus (making it easier to succeed) applies in home territory, while penalties apply in alien lands.
- The “Unnatural Danger” Clause: If a character succeeds on a Nature Lore check by 5 or more when sensing danger, they don’t just notice “unusual quiet”—they can identify the source (e.g., “The birds are quiet because there is an Undead presence nearby, not a living predator”).
🌲 Synergy with Other Skills #
- Nature Lore + Healing: If a character uses herbs they gathered themselves with Nature Lore, the Healing roll gains a +1 bonus.
- Nature Lore + Hunting: The character can “Automatically Supply” food even in “Poor” areas if they are in their Home Territory.
