Skill

Character Creation in Age of Intrigue
Character Creation Application Rank Period Names Wealth Level Housing Benefit Challenge Skill Religion Politics Country of Origin Reputation Fashion Inventory

Within reason of their education and class, characters can assume to have any number of skills, but only of a moderate level. So all courtiers can dance, ride horse etc. They are just not exceptional at it.

Talented

At character creation a PC selects two skills to be talented at. This means that they are experienced with the skill and stand out from the crowd with it. Choose wisely as this may be your way to gain attention. Your skill level must make sense for you age, education, and class. If you are a 22 year old, you cannot assume to be equivalent with a 42 year old with the same skill, but you will stand out from your peers as talented with the skill.

Gaining New Talented Skills

If you try to train new skills both in Season and in Recess you may gain a new talented skill, but we will not grant that till at least two seasons have passed. You will not gain more than two skills per game year.

Loosing Talented Skills

If you do not use your skill explicitly in Season nor mention its upkeep in Recess your experience with it will wane. Theoretically it is possible to thus loose talented skills, though you will be warned in your Player Compendium if that threatens.

Gifted

If you choose a skill to be more than talented, you can select it as a gift. That is a benefit. It can only be chosen at the start. If you are gifted with a skill you most definitely stand out from the crowd and if appropriate will gain admiration or envy from your peers. These factors will be pulled into play by the mods. Taking a gifted skill gains you an advantage over people with the same skill at talented. As with talented skills, gifted skills must also make sense for your age, education, and class; you are gifted among your peers (those of similar age, education, & status).

Because a gifted skill is a benefit, it does not count towards the two skill slots at the start of character creation.

Class & Gender Matters

Some skills are not available as a standard moderate skill for your class (Gentry or Commoner) or gender. In most cases they can still be picked up as an unique skill but you can't assume to know them without selecting them. We will expect an IC explanation why your character has this skill in the background section of the charactersheet.

Training

Training threads can be a good excuse for social interaction and are thus encouraged as a form of PC to PC thread. They will however be only lightly moderated by use of the Moderator Advice thread in our compendium where we tell you what to expect and what to take into account.

You can mention training in the background as a method of upkeep. For example:

"Mulgrave arrived home exhausted. He had spent the entire afternoon riding in St. James Park. The Earl was longing for a bath and thus was unpleasantly surprised when his manservant announced he had a visitor."

It has not been written out, but it was established that it did happen.

Recess is recommended to mention skill upkeep issues.

List of Skills

• X = available as talented/gifted (standard for class)
• 0 = available as an unique skill (not standard, cannot be assumed IC, thus needs explanation if chosen)
• - = not available

Skills in the not available section will cost you extra in necessary points for challenges and need a realistic IC reason.

Skills will not be character traits (which in turn can be benefits/challenges). They will also not be something that is entirely based on the real life capabilities of a person describing it (like oratory).

Skills overview

Name	Feminine Skill	Masculine Skill	Gentry	Commoners
Art
Painting	0	0	0	0
Sculpting	0	0	0	0
Musical Instrument	0	0	0	0
Singing	X	X	X	X
Composing	0	0	0	0
Creative Writing	0	0	0	0
Acting	X	X	X	X
Dancing	X	X	X	0
Architecture	-	0	0	0
Home Interior Design	X	0	X	0
Needlework	X	-	X	0
Knowledge
Literacy	X	X	X	0
Foreign Language	X	X	X	0
Medicine	-	X	X	0
Natural Philosophy	-	X	X	0
Astronomy	-	X	X	0
Theology	-	X	X	0
Law	-	X	X	0
Physics	-	X	X	0
Botany	-	X	X	0
Mathematics	-	X	X	0
Poison	X	X	X	X
Culture	X	X	X	0
Sport & Hobbies
Hawking and Falconry	X	X	X	0
Hunting	X	X	X	0
Horse Riding	X	X	X	0
Horse Racing	0	X	X	0
Carriage Driving	0	X	X	X
Gourmand	0	0	0	0
Gardening	X	0	X	0
Swimming	0	0	0	0
Intrigue
Espionage	0	0	0	0
Forgery	X	X	X	X
Disguise	0	X	X	X
Hiding in Shadows	X	X	X	X
Deceit	X	X	X	X
Lip Reading	0	0	0	0
Picking Locks	-	-	-	0
Acrobatics	-	0	0	0
Combat
Fencing	-	X	X	0
Shooting	-	X	X	0
Dagger Wielding	0	0	0	X
Dagger Throwing	-	-	-	X
Soldier	-	X	X	X
Occupation
Business	-	0	0	X
Criminal Contacts	-	-	-	X

See Also

• Dancing Lessons
• Language Lessons
• Music Lessons
• Singing Lessons
• Challenge
• Benefit