JL: Mind

Gaming

Grunt RPG

Mind

Grunt Role Playing Game Mind Actions #4. B

NOV/9/24

Skill & Mastery

Before we get to mind actions, it is important to understand that this Umbrella Ability and it’s components afford skill development, to include Body and Spirit Skills.

What skill gets the character in action is an advantage re-roll when performing an action governed by that skill, like a swordsman using a sword. It also averts unskilled Disadvantage rerolls. Unless noted in a scenario, the heroes all start play with weapons and tools they are skilled with.

In some very specific actions, skill will be acquired by a 1d6 specific ability check. Most actions are learned in a more general way. The swordsman, needs body mechanics [Knit], understanding of the tool [Kit] and a framing of the weapon in the context of a battle, brawl, rout or duel [Wit]. So learning the sword is a general 1d20 pursuit.

Skills in Grunt are semi-generalized and loosely applied, based on my experience in combat sports, to include over 650 stick fights and over 220 [dull] machete duels. A man who can fight in any context: kenpo, boxing, wrestling, MMA, is almost always a blade man or stick fighter you can’t trifle with after a single sparring session. Men were designed to wield weapons.

In the case of specific skills, these will be enumerated below.

Basically, sports without equipment, like running are pure Knit. In the case of such a skill like climbing, considered a knit skill in free climbing, if the climb is so hard, like the Sogdian Rock, as to require equipment, have the hero make a Kit check for disadvantage. If he makes it, give him a climbing rig skill, so that this check is no longer required. Grunt is designed to put heroes under pressure that requires improvement in action.

Mastery is a concept that implies the ability to teach a warrior skill to one with no skill or with or without related experience. To instruct a person, in lets’ say swordsmanship, the swordsman must make a Wit [teaching] check and the student must make a Knit [physical learning] check.

The GM should set the training cycles. I recommend a week.

To instruct a gunman, the master gunfighter would make the Wit check and the gunman must then make a Kit check, since, the gun is a machine, a complex tool, where the sword is a simple tool, more of an extension of the body.

Skill

Whether instructed by a master or learning in action the use of the fist, the sword, spear, handgun, etc., once a skill is acquired it is used for three things.

-1. A lack of skill in an action requires a Disadvantage check. If this fails and the hero survives the action, he may make a Wit check to determine if he has acquired the skill. If he was successful, he has learned enough to get the deed done and has the skill.

-2. A skilled hero may declares that he is using his skill to seek Advantage. He must make a 1d6 Knit, Kit or Wit check, depending on the action and the situation. If he makes his Advantage check he gains a re roll.

-3. A skilled character, may acquire mastery, the ability to teach as described above, by declaring his intent, then making rolling 1d20 and 1d6 together, for a simultaneous Mind and Wit Check. If both are successful, he has mastered the salient point of the art and may attempt to pass it on, as described above.

Knit

The ability to coordinate body actions: balance, time & measure, eye-hand coordination, etc.

Running, Jumping [a pole vault would require a Kit check for Advantage or Disadvantage], swimming, diving [unless an air reservoir helmet is used, in which case a Kit check is required], lifting [unless a lever or other tool is used, in which case its an overall action], wrestling, pankration, boxing [except if gloves or gauntlets are used, in which case a Kit check must be made to gain an advantage], riding, making love with vampire queen to stave off death…

Kit

Equipment repair and operation, such as gun smithing, artillery operation, lock picking, operating vehicles, flying planes balloons or gliders, etc. Navigation, unlike wilderness guiding, is a function of Kit instead of Wit because tools are used, such as load stone, plumb bob depth readings, compass, sextant, journal. The difference between Kit and Wit can be very slim and in certain cases, such as navigating without equipment like William Bligh steering that open boat for 3,000 miles, then Navigation would switch to Wit.

If the GM cannot make up his mind between two governing specific skills, like Kit and Wit in wayfinding at sea, then combine the two and have him make a 2-12 check.

Note that many pirate captains were forced into their post by sailors who did not have the brains or knowledge to navigate. The fact that some captains were the only person of the crew who could navigate sometimes saved them. This was the case with Fletcher Christian, captaining the ship he and the crew took from Bligh in the mutiny on the Bounty, and especially with Black Bart Roberts.

Wit

Perceiving conditions or unfolding actions, planning, guiding, wayfinding. For instance, where the shipwright builds the ship and the carpenter prepares it, the pilot guides it through treacherous waters and the navigator charts the course with devices [exceptions noted above], the wilderness guide is engaged in something more akin to the cavalry troop’s captain, framing mind’s eye view of the situation and adapting a course of action.

Where the gunsmith uses Kit, and the rifleman uses his entire being in a Body Check deploying his weapon, it is the Wit of the squad leader that prevents the riflemen under his command from being caught in a cross fire or placed in enfilade, while seeking to place the enemy at such a Disadvantage. Whether or not the troop of Texas Rangers or the band of Comanches they are hunting meet in battle will have to do with the duel of Wits between the guides. Once the foes have encountered each other, the Wits of the battle commanders will determine Advantage and Disadvantage. In the case of the tribal band leader, the guide and leader are typically one in the same.

Archery

The potential draw of a bow is rated from 1 [child’s bow] to 6 [the bow of Odysseus]. If one has a strength of 3 and seeks to use a 4 bow, then his arrow only travels a 3 range and does 3 damage. Strength is not added to an arrow, so much as Strength is required to use the bow to its potential. So, a bow of 5, drawn by an archer with a 5 strength will do a base 5 damage.

Damage with all mechanical weapons has a base [Of course, with guns, there is no strength requirement to use the base.] Also, disadvantage for lack of skill is potentially terrible: a check is made against Knit, and then against Kit, and Wit to see if the use of the weapon is even understood, with a possible 3 Disadvantages for the unskilled archer or gunman.

Example of Archery

The unskilled archer, Joe peasant picking up a bow, which he is strong enough to draw, having a 3 and the bow being a 3 draw, must make a Disadvantage check against Knit, Kit and Wit, failing none, one, two, or in this cruel case all 3.

In the meantime, his foe, the Cretan Mercenary Archer Eurybolos, who is a master archer, with a strength of 4 and a bow that draws 4, makes an Overall body Advantage check.

Eurybolos has a 12 pathos and rolls a 9, for a 3 difference.

Joe has a 6 pathos and rolls a 4, for a difference of 2.

The difference is 1 in favor of Eurybolos. This means he may do 1 action before Joe, the section action being simultaneous, then Joe goes at the same time as Eurybolos. If the peasant had rolled a 3, all actions would be simultaneous. If Joe had rolled over his 6 pathos the enemy would commit all actions first. More on this under War.

Joe, on the other hand, has to make 4 successful rolls to hit. Joe is screwed. So let’s see what happens to him.

Eurybolos rolls a 10 against his 12 Body, striking Joe with an arrow. The arrow does a 4 damage [Strength/Bow Draw] and the Knit of 4, for 8 +…

But Joe’s home spun tunic, helps, right?

Sorry, Joe, there is more shit sliding down Reality Mountain.

Joe’s Agility of 2 does reduce damage by 2, from 8 to 6, placing Joe at 1 HP and disabled.

Unused Advantage!

Yes, you gamers though you had me—and I thought you did, wondering how better fighters would get multiple attacks—but Joe’s wondering on the armor quality of his bundled up homespun tunic, well that pissed off War.

Eurybolos [who will be speared at Thebes, Joe] has an unused Advantage. That means he gets another shot.

Adding to the 6 points Joe is eating, Eurybolus rolls a 3 against his 12 Body, meaning that he hit Joe with another arrow. Joe takes 4 [strength/bow draw]+4 [for knit] to = 8, less his 2 agility, for 6, which wipes out his last remaining hit point and kills him at -5.

Hit Points Note

0 = KO’d

-1 to -3 various levels of maimed

4 and lower through Death’s door.