5. Skills

Open Tale has active and passive skills. An active skills is triggered by the player and requires a roll for a certain attribute to account as its Skill Power (SP). Passive skills are triggered by in-game circumstances in order to enhance something that the character already does.

For organization purposes, this chapter is divided in two subsections which contain exhaustive lists of each type of skills:

  1. Active skills
  2. Passive skills

5.1. Active skills

5.1.1. Strength-based skills

Frenzy

  • Hits all characters within a distance of 1 du, so beware of friendly fire.

  • The damage on each victim is equal to the SP minus its Defense. Damage amounts below 1 have no effect.

  • The caster receives a Frenzy mark of level SP, which lasts until the beginning of its next turn.

  • A character with a Frenzy mark loses one point of Defense, Resolve and Toughness.

Enrage

  • The caster receives an Enraged mark of level SP, which lasts until the end of its next turn.

  • A character with an Enraged mark rolls for Strength with Advantage.

  • A character with an Engared mark is unable to cast Enrage.

Bash

  • The maximum range is equal to 1 du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Toughness, the target gets marked with a Bash mark of level SP.

  • A character with a Bash mark rolls for Motion with the Disadivantage modifier.

  • The Bash mark wears off in the end of the target’s next turn.

Demoralize

  • The maximum range is equal to 1 du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Resolve, the target gets marked with a Demoralized mark of level SP.

  • A character marked with a Demoralized mark of level X has all of its rolls scores decreased by X - Resolve points.

  • The Demoralized mark wears off in the end of the target’s next turn.

Strong Kick

  • The maximum range is equal to 1 du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Toughness, the target gets pushed by a distance equal to the SP subtracted by the target’s Toughness, in du.

  • The path of the push is defined by the kicker.

  • If a collision happens, the characters involved in the collision receive 1 damage, each.

  • The maximum number of colliding characters is 2.

Provoke

  • The maximum range is equal to the Strength level, in du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Resolve, the target gets marked with a Provoke mark of level SP.

  • A character with a Provoke mark isn’t be able to target anyone else but the character who casted Provoke on it.

  • A character with a Provoke mark gets Advantage on all of its rolls.

  • The Provoke mark wears off in the end of the target’s next turn.

Harden

  • The caster receives a Harden mark of level SP, which lasts until the beginning of its next turn.

  • A character with a Harden mark of level X receives a bonus of X/4 (rounded up) points of Defense.

5.1.2. Dexterity-based skills

Careless Stab

  • The maximum range is equal to 1 du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Defense, the target receives damage equal to the difference between the SP and the target’s Defense with a bonus of one third of the caster’s Dexterity.

  • The caster receives a Careless mark of level SP, which lasts until the beginning of its next turn.

  • A character with a Careless mark loses two points of Defense.

Focus

  • The caster receives a Focus mark of level SP, which lasts until the end of its next turn.

  • A character with a Focus mark rolls for Dexterity with Advantage.

  • A character with a Focus mark is unable to cast Focus.

Expose Weakness

  • The maximum range is equal to 1 du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Toughness, the target gets marked with an Exposed mark of level SP.

  • A character with an Exposed mark of level X has X/4 (rounded up) less points of Defense.

  • The Exposed mark wears off in the beginning of the target’s next turn.

Distractive Shadow

  • The maximum range is equal to 1 du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Resolve, the target gets marked with a Distracted mark of level SP. Otherwise, the caster receives an Exposed mark of level SP.

  • A character with a Distracted mark, when attacking or using a skill against the caster of Distractive Shadow, will attempt to hit its shadow instead, completely missing the offensive attempt.

  • The Distracted mark wears off in the end of the target’s next turn.

Crippling Poison

  • The maximum range is equal to the Dexterity level, in du.

  • If the range is 1 du, add 1 point to the SP.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Toughness, the target gets marked with a Crippled mark of level SP.

  • A character with a Crippled mark will have the Disadvantage modifier applied to its next rolls for Motion.

  • The Crippled mark wears off in the end of the target’s next turn.

Intoxicating Poison

  • The maximum range is equal to the Dexterity level, in du.

  • If the range is 1 du, add 1 point to the SP.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Toughness, the target gets marked with an Intoxicated mark of level SP and receives 1 point of damage.

  • A character with an Intoxicated mark of level SP will receive SP - Toughness damage in the end of its next turn, removing the mark.

Heavy Shot

  • The maximum distance is equal to 5 + Dexterity, in du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Defense, the target receives damage equal to the difference between the SP and the target’s Defense with a bonus of one third of the caster’s Dexterity.

  • The caster receives a Heavy mark of level SP, which lasts until the end of its next turn.

  • A character with a Heavy mark is unable to move.

5.1.3. Magicy-based skills

Magical Bolt

  • The maximum range is equal to 5 + Magicy, in du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Defense, the difference between them represents the damage done.

Magical Bomb

  • The maximum range is equal to Magicy, in du.

  • The explosion hits a target and all characters around it, so beware of friendly fire.

  • For each victim, if the SP is higher than the victims’s Defense, the difference between them represents the damage done.

Magical Burst

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Defense, the difference between them represents the damage done.

  • The range is equal to one third of the SP, in du. Every character within this range gets hit, so beware of friendly fire.

Magnify

  • The caster receives a Magnify mark of level SP, which lasts until the end of its next turn.

  • A character with a Magnify mark rolls for Magicy with Advantage.

  • A character with a Magnify mark is unable to cast Magnify.

Occult Force

  • The maximum range is equal to the Magicy level, in du.

  • If the SP is higher than the target’s Toughness, the target gets pushed by a distance equals to the SP subtracted by the target’s Toughness.

  • The path of the push is defined by the caster.

  • If a collision happens, the characters involved in the collision receive 1 damage, each.

  • The maximum number of colliding characters is 2.

Heal

  • The maximum range is equal to 5 + Magicy, in du.

  • Heals the target by one third of the SP.

Bolster

  • The maximum range is equal to the Magicy level, in du.

  • The target receives a Bolster mark of level SP.

  • The Bolster mark wears off in the end of the target’s next turn.

  • A character with a Bolster mark of level SP, when rolling for its highest attribute, cannot get a final score lower than SP.

  • Characters marked with Bolster are not allowed to cast Bolster.

Dispell

  • The maximum range is equal to the Magicy level, in du.

  • Removes any mark of level below SP

5.2. Passive skills

5.2.1. Close-range combat

Thirst for Blood

If an attack made with a close-range weapon brings the target’s HP down to 0, the player may choose another target. Upon choosing it, the character moves towards it and, if possible, attacks it with another close-range attack.

The path towards the new target must be the shortest known one. The score for the movement range is calculated with a new roll for Motion and the damage dealt to the new target is equal to the excess of damage dealt to the previous one, piercing the new target’s Defense.

Dash Attack

When performing a close-range attack on a target right after moving from a cell that is not adjacent to that target to a cell that is adjacent to that target, the AP gets a bonus of 1 point.

Dash Attacks can hit multiple targets if the restrictions are satisfied.

Side Slash

When performing a close-range attack on a target right after moving from a cell that is adjacent to that target to another cell that is also adjacent to that target, the AP gets a bonus of 1 point.

Side Slashes can hit multiple targets if the restrictions are satisfied.

Vengeful Scar

On the first turn after getting hit by a long-range attack, the character rolls for Motion with a Advantage modifier if moving towards the attacker through the shortest known path.

Confident Blow

On the first turn after completely defending an attack or a skill from a target, when attacking that same target, apply the Advantage roll modifier.

Made of Stone

Upon completely defending an attack or a skill, the character’s Defense is increased by 1 until it moves or gets hit.

Defensive Nerves

Upon completely defending an attack or a skill, the character is healed by 1 point. If the agressor rolled with an Advantage modifier, the healing amount is 2, instead.

Die Hard

If the character’s health is below one quarter of its maximum Health Points, add one third of its Strength to the character’s Defense.

5.2.2. Long-range combat

Deadly Tower

If the character hasn’t moved since the last attack with a long-range weapon, when rolling for Dexterity to perfor an attack with a long-range weapon, add 1 extra point to the AP. This (cummulative) effect only wears off upon moving.

Sharp Shooter

The character becomes able to attack more than 1 target at the same time with a long-range weapon without applying the Disadvantage roll modifier.

True Sight

When attacking with a long-range weapon, the maximum range limit is increased by half of the character’s Dexterity (rounded up).

Double Strafes

When attacking with a long-range weapon and the outcoming AP is a multiple of 3, a second attack with the same AP is triggered and the character can hit another enemy within the attack range.

Trickery Casts

When rolling for Motion after rolling for Magicy in the same turn, apply the Advantage modifier.

Bouncing Energy

When the SP of Magical Bolt is a multiple of 3, another enemy can be chosen to be targeted as well. The new enemy must be within the Magical Bolt range (from the first target).

Bigger Bombs

Magical Bombs can have radii of 2 du instead of 1 du, if intended by the caster.

Hazard

After casting Magical Burst and calculating the explosion range, the damage is increased by the number of victims within the area of effect.

Burst Mastery

The character becomes able to limit the radius of Magical Burst as intended.

Urgent Healer

When casting Heal on a target who’s below one third of its total Health Points, apply the Advantage modifier.

Source of Health

When the SP of Heal is a multiple of 3, another character can be chosen to be healed by the same amount. The new target must be within the Heal range (from the caster).

Brave Medic

When casting Heal on someone else from a distance of 1 du, add one third of the character’s Magicy to the amount healed.

Dispellary

When successfully dispelling a mark, the character becomes able to dispell another mark whose level is lesser than the first one’s. This second mark dispell does not trigger Dispellary.

Dispell Mastery

When dispelling a mark of level X, reaching a skill power of X - 1 is enough to succeed.

Skilled Dispell

Upon successfully dispelling a mark, the excess of SP can be used to heal or to deal direct damage to the target.

Divine Bolster

Characters under the effect of your Bolster marks are also blessed with one extra point of Defense, Toughness and Resolve.