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Academic Skills

Realm of Strife™ > Secondary Skills > Academic Skills

Academic skills are a school of Secondary Skills that allow a player character to have knowledge and expertise in a particular field of study. This includes fields of study in cartography, diplomacy, history, linguistics, lore, naturalism, and theology.

While possessing fewer direct combat oriented effects, Academic skills are very useful for roleplaying and adventuring, providing special knowledge and the ability to understand various aspects of the Realm of Strife and beyond. This allows for solving puzzles, uncovering mysteries, making important decisions, and gaining an advantage over other characters and creatures that are encounter through ones travels.

Academic skills also provide an excellent mechanic for GMs to add depth and immersion in the game world, by allowing players to better understand the context and significance of their actions. Having a party member with strong academic skills can be a valuable asset, providing knowledge and expertise on the player’s journey, and in some cases providing information that can prove invaluable in combat.

Cartographer

Whether as an experienced traveler or a well studied scholar, cartography skills allow characters to create maps of the world around them. This can include mapping out cities, landscapes, political regions, dungeon layouts and cave systems. Often these are committed to memory, and can assist in navigation.

With advanced cartography skills, a player character may also be able to create detailed topographical maps, showing elevations and other important details. This can be a useful tool for navigating difficult terrain, planning quests, and avoiding hazards. Additionally, well-crafted maps can be valuable assets to a party, providing valuable information and strategic advantages.

Spirit and Faith classes often use their particular skill sets to annotate maps with useful information, which can even be encoded or hidden from those without the proper knowledge to access it.

Requires: relatively high Wisdom or Perception, and Cartographer’s tools.

Diplomat

Diplomats are trained statecraft, negotiation, diplomatic etiquette, cultural practices, current events, and politics. A skilled diplomat can effectively communicate and negotiate with non-player characters and parley with opposing forces. This can include persuading others to see their point of view, negotiating trade deals, and resolving conflicts peacefully.

With high diplomacy skills, a player character may be able to sway the opinions of others and potentially even convince hostile characters to join their cause. This can be a valuable ability, as it allows a player to avoid costly battles and find creative solutions to problems. Additionally, strong diplomatic skills can open up new quests and unlock valuable rewards.

Spirit and Faith classes make for particularly effective Diplomats, especially when dealing with groups that do not possess any skill or knowledge in maters of Spirit or Faith.

Requires: relatively high Charm or Wisdom, and a Parley flag or banner

Historian

Academic training as a historian allows a unique and privileged understanding of the world and local history. This can include knowing the backstory of important characters and events, as well as being familiar with ancient civilizations and customs. They can easily recall significant dates and lineages, and possess a wealth of knowledge regarding historical characters and past conflicts.

They may also be able to uncover hidden historical secrets and gain access to valuable knowledge and artifacts. This can be useful for solving puzzles, making important decisions, and gaining an advantage over other characters. Additionally, historian skills can add depth and immersion to the game world, allowing a player to better understand the context and significance of their actions.

A Historian’s knowledge pairs well with Spirit and Faith classes, providing bonuses to Resistances at higher ranks.

Requires: relatively high Intellect

Linguist

Linguist skills allow a character to understand and speak multiple languages. This can include both common and rare or exotic languages, such as the language of a particular race or faction, that would not normally be known. They are highly valued as translators, an possess skills in deciphering ancient texts, understanding hidden messages, deciphering codes, or even creating written cipher sof their own. This can be useful for uncovering secrets, gaining access to otherwise inaccessible areas, or communicating with allies in secret.

Additionally, strong linguistic skills can improve a player’s ability to communicate with non-player characters, potentially leading to new quests and rewards.

Mages, Battlemages and Wizards also benefit from the Linguist skill by becoming more adept at memorizing powers from their spell books.

Requires: relatively high Intellect

Loremaster

The Loremaster skill was developed in part by mitchell Toth, as a runner up to the 2021 IdeaForge contest, a perk for members of the Realm of Strife Patron’s Guild.

Loremasters possess extensive knowledge and understanding of legends, folklore and mythology. With their deep understanding of the more mystical aspects of the Realm of Strife, and often the Realms of Origin as well, a loremaster is able to provide valuable insights and advice to their fellow players. Ever thirsting for more mystical knowledge, they are adept at uncovering secrets and hidden lore.

Their knowledge can be useful for role-playing purposes, allowing a better understand of the game setting and its inhabitants. It is also directly useful in combat, providing pertinent facts and information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of a mystical nature, such as Realm Denizens, Dragonkind, Fey Creatures, Aberrations and Monsters. Having a loremaster in a party can be a valuable asset, providing wisdom and guidance on the player’s journey.

The Loremaster skill pairs well w ith Spirit classes as at higher ranks it grants beneficial modifiers to a chosen School of Spirit powers.

Requires: relatively high Intellect

Naturalist

Naturalists are skilled at understanding and interacting with the natural world and environments. This can include knowing the behavior and habits of different species of plants and animals, as well as being able to identify useful resources in the wild. Their knowledge is of an academic nature, and does not necessarily correlate with actual survival skills.

A Naturalist’s knowledge can still be of value while adventurer however as they can recall useful facts and information regarding local weather patterns, landforms, lunar cycles, tides, and such systems of the natural world. In combat, they can provide pertinent information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of many natural creatures of the Second and Third Creation, including Beasts, Plants, Primitives, Humanoids, Greenskins, and Anthromorphs.

At higher ranks, the Naturalist skill provides invaluable bonuses for Faith and Spirit based healing powers.

Requires: relatively high Intellect or Wisdom

Theologian

Theologians are well versed in the sacred texts of their religion and often other religions as well. They spend a great deal of time in study and consider themselves experts in interpreting the meaning of sacred texts as well as dreams and visions.

Their studies often include in-depth knowledge of creatures such as Demons, Devils, Hell Fiends, Angels, Nephilim or the undead. They are also well versed in topics related to a variety of religions, rites and rituals, deities, cult practices, religious institutions, and cultural belief systems. These learned scholars are often among the wisest teachers in the land.

Naturally, the Theologian skill is useful for Faith classes, granting beneficial modifiers to a chosen Faith path at higher ranks.

Requires: relatively high Intellect or Wisdom