Your characters had some sort of occupation before they became adventurers. Your character may yearn for the simpler life they previously had, or may be glad to be free of its drudgery, but their past life will give them some skills.
Each skill is part of a field. The field is what gives the character a bonus when using their skills. In Gods & Monsters, characters are not specialists; they are doctors and scientists rather than surgeons and chemists. Any new skill within a field is just a few mojo away.
When a character gains a new skill within a field, they gain the full benefit of their field bonus. A historian with Historical Science + 4 who learns the Frankish History skill will immediately gain a bonus of 4 to rolls involving Frankish history.
- Where does a particular skill belong?
- Some skills may fit within more than one field. For example, Elvish might be learned as a skill under Language Science, or as a skill under Elvish Culture. In some cases, the usefulness of a skill will vary depending on which field the character has it with.
- Arts, Crafts, and Sciences
- There are four basic kinds of fields: Arts, Sciences, Crafts, and Cultures. Arts will have a tendency to use charisma or perception; Sciences will have a tendency to use intelligence or reason; and Crafts will have a tendency to use wisdom or willpower. However, it is only a tendency. The action determines the ability rolled against or the reaction made. For Survival Craft, for example, tracking is likely to be always a perception roll. For the…
- Special fields and skills
- Some special fields and skills are available only to a single archetype. The monk and thief archetypes have several fields and skills available only to them. Warriors are the only ones with weapon fluency, for example. Such special skills often bring with them specific benefits. But these skills are also normal skills in the sense that they can be used for ability rolls or reaction rolls. A warrior trying to determine the function of an…
