Skill Changes

[SN]

Character Skills:[/B]

Many skills have been modified, turned off, or replaced to better balance and fit in with EFU's unique design.

Please note that skills requiring training (Animal Empathy, Perform, Tumble, Open Lock, Disable Device, Set Trap, Pick Pocket, UMD) will require at least 1 point spent on the skill for item bonuses to apply.

For example: if your character has boots with +5 Tumble on them, but does not have a single point spent in Tumble skill, the +5 will not apply.

[hide=Animal Empathy]Animal Empathy:
If an animal is AE'd while attacking another player, it will continue attacking until commanded to do otherwise.  A dominated animal can be spoken through with the voice command "/v d [insert text]".  This does not mean your character can talk through animals, it just makes you capable of emoting things like: [growls menacingly at Joe Blow].  The "Control Companion" player tool also allows for greater control of dominated creatures.  The voice command "/c recall" will teleport a stuck/stubborn animal to your side as long as you are not in combat.  Also, the higher this skill, the less likely animals will attack you.
[/hide][hide=Appraise]Appraise:
You should not role play being good at haggling without ranks in this skill. DMs will use appraise as a skill check for negotiating prices in any kind of RP interaction. High appraise may reveal special items in shops. High appraise may reduce the cost of brewing potions and crafting wands.
[/hide][hide=Bluff]Bluff:
Generally unchanged. It is however frowned upon to roleplay being a good liar without ranks in this skill.  DMs may also use this skill to determine ability at things such as disguise and forgery.
[/hide][hide=Concentration]Concentration:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Craft Armor/Weapon]Craft Armor/Weapon:
Disabled.  With the proper EFUSS skills it may be possible to craft something.
[/hide][hide=Craft Trap]Craft Trap:
Now represents the "Engineering" skill.  EFUSS will now add +1 Craft Trap per 5 EFUSS Engineering ranks (for a max of +2).
[/hide][hide=Discipline]Discipline:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Heal]Heal:
Healing kits will heal 1 hp/round a total of the difference between the heal check and a DC of 11 (i.e. a Heal check of 17 will heal 6 hit points over 6 rounds).  The DC is 21 while in combat.  There are various qualities of herbs that can heal more than 1 HP/round. Also, feat Skill Focus: Heal will further improve the ability to use the healing kits. Healing kits do not cure disease or neutralize poison.  Salutatory Tonics cure disease and Antitoxins neutralize poisons with a successful heal check. Heal is also used in Herbalism skill.
[/hide][hide=Hide]Hide:
Generally unchanged. A stealthed or invisible character that appears transparent has only been heard and not spotted, and cannot be identified. While this is hard to enforce, players are kindly asked to abide by this rule.
[/hide][hide=Intimidate]Intimidate:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Listen]Listen:
Generally unchanged. A stealthed or invisible character that appears transparent has only been heard and not spotted, and cannot be identified. While this is hard to enforce, players are kindly asked to abide by this rule.
[/hide][hide=Lore]Lore:
Generally unchanged. Note that the "Identify" spell no longer gives a boost to Lore, but instead identifies three unidentified items in your inventory.  "Legend Lore" still provides a Lore boost. Lore is also used in the Alchemy and Herbalism skills, gives a small bonus to the Tracking ability of Rangers/Druids, and is used in EFU's custom Necromancy system.
[/hide][hide=Move Silently]Move Silently:
Generally unchanged. A stealthed or invisible character that appears transparent has only been heard and not spotted, and cannot be identified. While this is hard to enforce, players are kindly asked to abide by this rule.
[/hide][hide=Open Lock]Open Lock:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Parry]Parry:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Perform]Perform:
EFU has a unique bard song system featuring 40+ setting-specific songs, usable through songbooks.  Bard level is used to determine the strength of bard songs, not Perform. Every 3 points in Perform will add 1 round of Bard/Curse song however. More details can be found under the Bard Class description.
[/hide][hide=Persuade]Persuade:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Pick Pocket]Pick Pocket:
Bioware Pick Pocket disabled. EFU uses a custom Pick Pocket system.

[hide=EFU Pick Pocket mechanics explained]Short story:Rogues (from version 1120 of EFUA) get pick pocket and a neat little tool called "Examine Mark" which reveals information about creatures that you target the tool with, depending on your rogue levels and spot/heal skills. Both of these new toys are accessible from the Player Tool menu.

And for people who are deeply interested in the actual mechanics, here is what Pick Pocket and Examine Mark actually do. Or in other words,[hide=Really, REALLY long story:]
[LIST=1]

• Added the Pick Pocket player tool, which is available to all PCs who have invested at least 1 point in the Pick Pocket skill.[LIST=1]
  
• Rogue level is added to all pick pocket skill checks
  
• You cannot pick pocket:[LIST=1]
  
• Yourself
  
• DMs
  
• Anyone that you've attempted to pick the pocket of in the last 30 minutes (unless the last attempt happened during a previous EFU session)
  
• While in combat
  
• NPCs
  
• Targets that you can't see
  
• Anyone further away than RADIUS_SIZE_SMALL

• The thief is made to face the target as he is attempting a pick pocket attempt.
  
• To successfully pick a pocket, there are two phases of rolls:[LIST=1]
  
• Detection Rolls[LIST=1]
  
• The target receives a check calculated as follows:[LIST=1]
  
• The DC that the target must obtain to successfully detect the thief is the pick pocket skill of the thief.
  
• The opposed roll is d20 + spot skill + modifier. The modifier is the sum of the following factors:[LIST=1]
  
• -5 if the target is not seen
  
• -5 if the target is not heard
  
• 5 if the target is in detect mode or an elf
  
• 5 if the target is in a pi/3 field of vision

• The roll is silent.
  
• If the target rolls a 20 then the thief is automatically spotted.
  
• If the target spots the thief's attempt, but the thief is not actually seen, then:[LIST=1]
  
• The target will see the floating message: "You swear that someone just tried to pick your pocket..."

• Otherwise:[LIST=1]
  
• The target will see the floating message: "(Thief's name) just attempted to pick your pocket!!!"

• In both cases:[LIST=1]
  
• The pick pocket attempt automatically fails. Don't bother with the acquisition roll.
  
• The thief must make a bluff roll vs DC 15. If he succeeds:[LIST=1]
  
• He receives the floating message "(Target's name) just detected your pick pocket attempt, but you have remained calm and inconspicuous despite  your failure."

• If he fails:[LIST=1]
  
• He  receives the floating message "(Target's name) just detected your pick  pocket attempt. Failing to conceal your shock, your guilt is blatantly  apparent!"
  
• Stealth mode, if active, will cancel.
  
• The message [Just tried to pick (Target's name)'s pocket!] will be spoken by the thief in red.
  
• The thief plays the steal animation.

[/list] [/list]

• Everyone within RADIUS_SIZE_COLOSSAL who sees the thief also gets a spot roll to detect the pick pocket attempt.[LIST=1]
  
• The roll is silent.
  
• The DC is calculated as the pick pocket skill of the thief.
  
• The DC is compared against d20 + spot skill + modifier for all observers. The modifier is the sum of the following factors:[LIST=1]
  
• -1  for each 1/2 metre the observer is from the thief (RADIUS_SIZE_COLOSSAL  is 10.0m, so the maximum negative spot modifier for distance is -20).
  
• +5 if the target is in the observer's pi/3 field of vision.
  
• +5 if the observer is in detect mode.

• If the observer makes a successful roll, then he receives the  floating message: "You see (Thief's name) trying to pick (Target's  name)'s pocket."
  
• If the observer rolls a 20, then the thief is automatically spotted.
  
• The observations of third parties have no role in determining the ultimate success or failure of a pick pocket attempt.

[/list]

• Acquisition Roll[LIST=1]
  
• The thief makes a pick pocket roll against the target's pick pocket DC
  
• The pick pocket DC is calculated as the sum of the following factors[LIST=1]
  
• 25
  
• The target's wisdom score
  
• 1/2 of the target's pick pocket skill
  
• - 5 * log_10 (target's gold + 1)

[/list]

• If both rolls are successful, then the target's pocket is  picked. If not, the thief receives the floating message: "You fail to  pick your mark's pocket."

• A successful pick pocket attempt means:[LIST=1]
  
• If  the target has no gold, then the thief receives the floating message:  "You successfully pick your mark's pocket, but there is no gold to  take!"
  
• If the target has gold, the thief receives a random  amount of gold between 1 and N, where N = min{(target's gold) / 10, 10 +  rogue level}.
  
• If the target loses gold, the thief sees the floating message "You successfully pick your mark's pocket."
  
• If the target loses gold, the target sees the message "(OOC: You don't notice some of your gold go missing)"

[/list]

• Added the Examine Mark player tool (available to 4th level  rogues) which reveals the following information about a target non-DM  creature that the examiner can see:[LIST=1]
  
• Is the target in detect mode?
  
• Is the target in stealth mode?[LIST=1]
  
• If  so, AND if the examiner has at least 5 rogue levels, AND if the  examiner has at least 7 spot, a bounded approximation of the hide and  move silently skills is shown to the examiner (where the upper and lower  bounds are calculated from a Fibonacci sequence of initial values 2 and  3)

• (If the examiner has at least 6 levels in rogue and 7 spot  skill) How high is the target's spot skill? The answer is given as a  bounded approximation, where the upper and lower bounds are calculated  from a Fibonacci sequence of initial values 2 and 4.
  
• (If the  examiner has at least 8 levels in rogue and 14 spot skill) How high is  the target's listen skill? The answer is given as a bounded approximation, where the upper and lower bounds are calculated from a Fibonacci sequence of initial values 2 and 4.
  
• (If the examiner  has at least 6 levels in rogue, AND his spot skill + rogue levels - 5 is  higher than the target's pick pocket skill / 2 + wisdom score - 5 *  log_10 (1 + (target's gold)) How much gold does the target have? The  answer is given as a bounded approximation, where the upper and lower  bounds are calculated from a Fibonacci sequence of initial values 10 and  20.
  
• (If the examiner has at least 7 levels in rogue and 5 spot  skill) What is the approximate net mass of the target's carried  possessions? The answer is given as a bounded approximation, where the  upper and lower bounds are calculated from a Fibonacci sequence of  initial values 2 and 3.
  
• (If the examiner has at least 8 levels  in rogue, 11 heal and 11 spot) What are the precise values of the  target's current and maximum hit points?

[/list][/hide][/hide]
Some NPCs have dialog options to allow you to try to pick his/her/it's pocket as well.
[/hide][hide=Search]Search:
Unchanged. Used in the Tracking ability of Rangers/Druids.
[/hide][hide=Set Trap]Set Trap:
Generally unchanged. Traps against NPCs should be used in moderation, excessive use of traps used in a method that clearly is exploiting limited AI should be avoided. Traps in PvP should be used tastefully - they should not be stacked, and you should generally limit yourself to one direct damage trap and one disabling trap at a time. Exceptions may be possible, if so consult with a DM for situational use.
[/hide][hide=Spellcraft]Spellcraft:
Generally unchanged, though also used in Alchemy skill as well as EFU's custom Necromancy system.
[/hide][hide=Spot]Spot:
Generally unchanged, though used in many custom EFU systems, such as Tracking ability of Rangers/Druids. A stealthed or invisible character that appears transparent has only been heard and not spotted, and cannot be identified. While this is hard to enforce, players are kindly asked to abide by this rule.
[/hide][hide=Taunt]Taunt:
Unchanged.
[/hide][hide=Tumble]Tumble:
Grants +1 bonus to AC for every 5 points in your total modified Tumble skill or total ranks, whichever is lower (i.e. a modified Tumble score after armor/shield check penalties and item/ability bonuses of 7 will result in +1 AC, even if you have 10 or more ranks).
[/hide][hide=Use Magic Device]Use Magic Device:
Balanced for EFU. Crafted wands have a DC of (15 + spell level).  Scrolls have a DC of (25 + spell level).  Failed UMD checks do not result in loss of a charge or scroll.
More information on UMD and its' mechanics, specifically Use Magic Device Item Cost Table, can be found here.[/hide]



Thanks to Pup for his post in Player compendium about skill changes, from which this has been created..