Skill Specifics

All skills listed in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook are available (PFSRD | PFRPG, pages 86-109). Several of these skills have unique applications in MIDNIGHT, while two new Knowledge skills replace those from the core rules that are obsolete on Aryth in the Last Age. The skills and applications below should be considered standard in any MIDNIGHT game, as they take into account the situations and environments found on Eredane in the Last Age.

Favored Region (Skill Bonus)

The races of Eredane have always lived close to the land, depending on it for their livelihoods and reveling in its beauties. Since the fall of Shadow, that connection has only been strengthened. In these dark times, survival means knowing the land from which you come and using it as your best weapon and best defense against the forces of Izrador. Each race presented below considers a distinct area of Eredane to be a favored region. Members of the race gain Knowledge (local: favored region) as a class skill, and also gain a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks and Knowledge (nature) checks (assuming they have ranks in that skill) when in their favored region.

Appraise

With gold and jewels holding little value across Eredane, Appraise is less useful for general pricing of treasures found while adventuring. Where the skill does become useful is in bartering for goods and services, during which the Appraise skill can be used as normal to determine the appropriate vp an item should be worth in the local area; such estimates do not take into account the buyer’s or seller’s specific personal circumstances, however.

Special: A character with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (local) for the area he is in gains a +2 skill check bonus on all Appraise checks made to determine the value of a good or service in that area.

Bluff

Bluff is an essential skill for rebellious heroes who must often navigate enemy-ridden cities to gather the supplies and information they need. The ability to lie convincingly can ease a PC by a bullying orc patrol, convince a collaborator to unload useful information to the wrong people, or even just help a desperate party get enough food to survive for another day.

In areas where the Shadow is dominant, such as a city or military encampment, bluffing agents of Izrador is more difficult than normal. It is difficult to pull off a ruse in an occupied area, not to mention the fact that some orcs and legates do not care what excuses are given by those they control. Still, the political infighting among Izrador’s ranks can be used against them by skilled manipulators. The table below presents examples and modifiers for specific uses of the Bluff skill within the world of MIDNIGHT. Where one overlaps with one of the more general circumstances provided in the PFRPG, the modifiers do not stack.

Bluff Modifiers in Occupied Eredane
Modifier	Circumstances
+5	The Bluff works for the target’s allies or against opposing factions within the Order of Shadow or the military ranks. Example: "Simply by letting us in the gate, you will have ensured the destruction of Captain Zenrik. You know, the one who’s sleeping with your sister?"
+5	The threat of Shadow-intervention is believable. Example: "Legate Tomas is on his way here now and he’s looking for trouble."
-5	The target is in a position of authority where the Shadow rules. Example: "Even if I believed you I wouldn’t let you in without a token from Lord Barak."

Diplomacy

Diplomacy is better suited for use with common folk or other rebels rather than with the forces of the Shadow, who are not given to negotiate with anyone outside of their command structure. It can be an essential skill when looking for a place to hide or trying to gain the aid of locals, who will be risking life and limb to aid suspicious strangers.

Add 5 to the DC to achieve a new attitude when using Diplomacy with strangers in MIDNIGHT, who usually start with an attitude of Unfriendly. This can be somewhat mitigated with circumstance bonuses in areas where the Shadow’s grip is not so strong, but in general the common folk of Eredane are careful with their allegiances, as giving the slightest aid to rebels or fey folk carries penalties from hard labor to death, depending on who catches them.

Intimidate

Intimidate is a dangerous skill to use in occupied lands—failure might get a character reported to the authorities, imprisoned, or worse.

Intimidate checks against orcs or legates in occupied territory suffer a –2 penalty since the target feels quite comfortable in the knowledge that he is in a dominant position. Likewise, Intimidate checks made against low-level orcs or collaborators trapped away from their usual comfort zone gain a +2 circumstance bonus. This bonus does not apply to legates or high-ranking members of the occupying army.

Knowledge

Knowledge (the planes) and Knowledge (religion) are not used on Aryth. The other planes have been vacant for too long for knowledge to have been passed down about them— they exist now only in legend. Likewise, there is no god other than Izrador, and even his divinity is questioned by the majority of Eredane’s population. All that exists is the Shadow in the North, his legates, and his armies, and knowledge of them is far more useful and important to the denizens of the conquered lands. The following are new Knowledge skills in MIDNIGHT.

• History (the Old Gods)
• Local (Central Erenland, Endless Ocean, Erethor, Northern Marches, Northlands, Kaladrun Mountains, Icewall Mountains, Pale Ocean [includes White Desert and Island of Asmadar], Sea of Pelluria, Southern Erenland)
• Shadow (legates and their magic, the Order of Shadow, the armies and generals of Izrador, religious practices and worship of Izrador, black mirrors)
• Spirits (elementals, true fey, outsiders, undead, the Lost, the Eternal, the Whisper)

Linguistics

Eredane’s rich variety of languages are one of the few artifacts that remain from the time before the Shadow fell. Some of its languages are more developed than others, and some are falling more and more into disuse as Izrador’s influence crushes native cultures. Also, reading and writing may not be taught in most of occupied Eredane, and thus literacy has fallen to drastically low levels. Because of these factors, languages in MIDNIGHT are handled slightly differently from those in the core rules.

First, all characters are considered to be illiterate, even in their native language. In order to become literate, a character must first find someone who can read and write the language, which can be a quest in and of itself. The character must then spend two skill points to acquire literacy in a language, at which point he gains the same level of written competence as he has competence in the spoken language. From that point forward, if the character spends more points to increase his competence in a language, his competence in the written version of that language also increases. When languages are listed in character write-ups and stat blocks, an asterisk (*) after the language denotes literacy.

Language Competence

Most languages of Eredane have three levels of competence: pidgin, basic competence, and fluency. One skill point spent on a language allows the character to learn the pidgin version of it, which lets a character understand and recite only basic grammatical structures and words. Two skill points grants basic competency in both speech and comprehension, while three skill points buys fluency. When languages are listed in character write-ups and stat blocks, a (1) after the language represents pidgin competence, while a (2) after the language represents basic competence. If there is no number in paranthesis after the language, the character is fluent in that language.

Some languages, like Black Tongue or Snow Elf Patrol Sign, exist only to convey simple terms and meaning within a very limited scope (in this case warfare), and therefore have no level of competence above pidgin. Others, like High Elven, are so complex and intricate that a pidgin level of competence is meaningless, and only begin to make sense at the basic competence level.

Most characters begin play with fluency in at least one their automatic languages and varying levels of competence in other automatic languages. Additionally, rather than gaining bonus languages for high Intelligence modifiers, starting characters instead gain two skill points per Intelligence bonus to spend on automatic or bonus languages. Characters may not begin play with skill ranks in languages other than those listed as automatic or bonus languages.

Some languages provide a variation on synergy with one another. When a character gains a level of competence in a language (called the primary language) that provides some level of competence in another language (called the related language), his competence in the related language immediately increases. If the character already has that level of competence in the related language, then he gains no benefit from the competence increased granted by the primary language.

A character that learns or improves a language after 1st level can only advance it with one skill point per level, mimicking the natural growth of linguistic mastery over time. Thus, a character who begins play with a pidgin understanding of Norther could not spend two skill points at 2nd level to grant fluency with the language—he can spend one point to gain basic competency, and then another at 3rd or higher level to gain fluency with the language. A character can advance as many languages as he wishes at each level, but only one level of competency at a time.

If you are less than fluent in a language you are attempting to use with certain skills, you may suffer penalties on skill checks with them, as shown on the table below.

See Languages of Erendane for a full list of languages and descriptions of each.

Language Competency Modifiers*
Competence	Bluff	Diplomacy	Intimidate	Sense Motive
None	-30	-30	-5	-20
Pidgin	-5	-5	-2	-5
Basic	-2	-2	--	-2
Fluent	--	--	--	--

* At the DM’s discretion, these modifiers may not apply to actions in which language plays no part, such as feinting during combat or using someone’s body language as the object of your Sense Motive skill.

Stealth

PCs in MIDNIGHT often find themselves on the run, and Stealth can be an essential skill for staying alive.

Ambush: Ambushes are an important tactic for the outlaws who oppose Izrador’s rule. A character can substitute his own ranks in Stealth for that of his companions if he spends five minutes per additional person surveying the terrain, explaining the situation to the others, and preparing camouflage for them. Only those present during this time can take advantage of this bonus. A character may not hide others if they are moving, and the Stealth check must be made immediately after the period of explanation or it cannot be shared. If a poor Stealth check is rolled when setting up an ambush, a new check may be rolled for every additional five minutes spent preparing a single person’s hiding spot. This use of the skill assumes that the individuals being hidden are Medium. Small or smaller creatures require half the time to prepare for an ambush, and the time required for all other creatures doubles for each size category they are above Medium.

Blending In: If the PCs do not want to be noticed, rather than opposing the PCs’ Stealth checks with the Perception checks of every patrolling orc they pass by, assume that they manage to pass through a Shadow-controlled area unnoticed and unharassed if they each meet the DCs below on their Stealth checks. If they fail, they draw the attention of an orc patrol, hobgoblin guard, legate tithe-master, etc. In some cases, such as a party of all-Dorn PCs in the Northlands, this might mean nothing more than that the PCs must cower for a few minutes to appease their questioner. In others, such as if there are fey among the party or they are carrying noticeable weapons, discovery can be a death sentence. What happens after the PCs are discovered depends on who they are, where they are, their ability to Bluff their way out of a bad situation, and a host of other circumstances. The DM may call for a Stealth check once per day, once per hour, or however often you deem appropriate, depending on the level of danger you want the PCs’ journey to have. When the PCs attempt to sneak past specific guard points (for instance, the gate to an enemy-occupied city), opposed Perception and Stealth checks are in order.

Modifiers: While most Stealth checks are modified by armor check penalties and the like, these Stealth checks are made to blend in with a crowd or make oneself beneath notice more than to actually hide. Therefore, additional modifiers are necessary.

Race: The cities and towns of MIDNIGHT do not have the same diversity of races as those in other settings. If a human character of a culture not normally found in an area attempts to blend in with crowds, he suffers a –2 penalty on his Stealth check. Elves and halflings can attempt to pass as human adults or children, but still suffer a –4 penalty to their checks to blend in. Finally, dwarves, orcs, and dworgs are the most noticeable of races due to their bulk and stature, suffering a –8 penalty to Stealth checks to avoid notice. Though a dworg can pass for an orc and orcs have fairly free reign, it is still unusual to see the chosen of Izrador traveling alone or with a small group of other races. Any orc not traveling as part of a patrol or warband and not bearing the markings of the unit attached to the area is likely to be stopped and questioned.

Weapons: The Shadow’s guards have learned to notice the shapes of weapons, even hidden ones, out of the corner of their eyes. Even a sword hidden beneath a coat can be noticeable because of the effect it has on a person’s walk or the strange bulges it produces beneath the clothing. PCs bearing one or more one-handed weapons suffer a –4 penalty to their checks to blend in, while those with the temerity to carry two-handed weapons suffer a –10 penalty on their checks to blend in.

Survival

After a single run-in with the forces of Shadow, most characters will be forced to live in the wilderness, at least for a time, and traveling across the vast expanses of Eredane requires knowledge of the land and how to live off of it. Additionally, PCs often find themselves hunted by forces of the Shadow or having to infiltrate areas with heavy patrols. In addition to foraging for food and tracking foes, Survival becomes quite literally a skill that keeps the PCs from a gory and violent death.

In the uses of the Survival skill below, the character making the checks is referred to as the “guide.”

Foraging: The world of MIDNIGHT is a harsh place, and competition for food is fierce, especially in lands dominated by the Shadow’s armies.

Evading Patrols: Rather than opposing the characters’ Stealth checks with the Perception checks of every orc in the patrols they pass near, assume that a party manages to pass through a Shadow-patrolled area undetected if their guide meets the DCs on the table below on his Survival checks. If he fails, the party draws the attention of the patrol. When attempting to evade patrols, the natural terrain determines the check’s DC, as shown on the table below; however, the guide also suffers penalties or bonuses to his check similar to the modifiers listed under the Survival skill in the PFPRG (page 107). Rather than acting as penalties and bonuses to the Survival DC, the listed modifiers (in which “group being tracked” refers to the guide’s own group) instead act as penalties and bonuses to the guide’s Survival check.

The DM may call for a Survival check once per day, once per hour, or however often he deems appropriate, depending on the level of danger he wants the characters’ journey to have. When the characters attempt to sneak past specific guard points (for instance, past a well-guarded bridge or through the pickets of an enemy encampment, opposed Perception and Stealth checks are in order.

Counter-tracking: Unlike in the core rules, hiding one’s tracks in MIDNIGHT is far too important to be represented by a simple DC modifier to a foe’s Survival DC. Instead, whenever a party attempts to hide its trail (which requires that they move at half speed), the guide makes a Survival check with a DC dependent on the surface over which the party is being tracked (see table below). For every 2 points by which the guide beats the DC, the DC to track the party increases by 1.

Foraging DCs by Region Region DC Aruun 15 Caraheen 10 Central Plains 15 Highhorn Mountains 15 Icewall Mountains 20 Island of Asmadar 10 Kaladrun Mountains 15 Miraleen 10 Northern Marches 20 Northlands 15 Sea of Pelluria 15 Southern Erenland 15 Veradeen 15 Westlands 20 White Desert 20	Evading Patrols Circumstances Survival DC Open terrain or thick forests 15 Hills or light forests 10 Mountains or grasslands 5 Permanent magic item or ongoing spell effect +1/caster level* Per additional item or effect +1
	Counter–tracking Surface DC Very soft ground 20 Soft ground 15 Firm ground 10 Hard ground 5

* This modifier is only applied if the DM determines that an astirax is in the area, and only applies to the most powerful magic effect on the party.