Elric - untrained skills

[zencadet]

Bearing in mind that I don't actually have RuneQuest (yet - I'll probably pick it up at some point) I've noticed that nowhere in Elric does it tell you how to handle someone attempting to do something they're not trained at or that's not listed.

For combat this is covered by the Base Close/Ranged Combat, but say Character A wants to try disguising themselves, but they don't actually have the Advanced Skill: Disguise. Would they still roll against the base CHA?

Meanwhile, Character B actually has it, gained (most likely) during character creation as a result of background/profession and/or freebie points, but they have not put any extra points into it for whatever reason so they, too, would be rolling against their base CHA.

Does this mean that Character A and Character B both have equal chance (excepting certain common sense situations like Language, etc.) ... or is there some kind of penalty that is incurred by the untrained character?

 

[Rurik]

By definition, a Basic Skill is one that everybody has a base chance in (based on their characteristics) and so anyone may try.

Advanced skills you do not have a base chance in until you learn the skill. Once you learn the skill you get the base chance listed for it.

So strictly according to the rules if Disguise is listed as an Advanced Skill you can only use the skill if you have it.

If you want to allow users without the skill to try it I will make the following suggestions:

Allow them 1/2 the base (so 1/2 CHA in this case), or

Allow them to get the 5% automatic success even though their skill is 0% (so the succeed on an 01 to 05), or

Give them a base chance of 0% but apply modifiers to it. For example, they are wanted but want to sneak out of town, so decide they will try to disguise themselves as peasants and wait until market day is over and pass through the gates with the trongs of peasants leaving the market. You could rule that is actually Easy (+40%) or even Very Easy (+60%) - they are not trying to look like anyone specific, just a random peasant among many, and let them roll at 40% or 60%.

 

[zencadet]

Give them a base chance of 0% but apply modifiers to it. For example, they are wanted but want to sneak out of town, so decide they will try to disguise themselves as peasants and wait until market day is over and pass through the gates with the trongs of peasants leaving the market. You could rule that is actually Easy (+40%) or even Very Easy (+60%) - they are not trying to look like anyone specific, just a random peasant among many, and let them roll at 40% or 60%.

Are these ad hoc modifiers you're quoting or is there a list somewhere? I had a conversation with a friend who runs RuneQuest and he mentioned modifiers existing, but there is no mention of modifiers in the Elric rulebook. Do they not exist in Elric or are you just expected to know how RuneQuest does it and apply it?

I'm of the school of thought that allows players complete believability in action. Therefore, trying to speak a language that they have no knowledge of would be a "not a chance" situation, but anyone can dress in peasant clothes and try to walk past a gate so should be given the opportunity to pass regardless of training. There are situations when saying "No, you can't do that" makes no sense to me, which is why I'm posting this query.

 

[Rurik]

The Modifiers are in the RQ rules in the skills chapter. If they are not in Elric they probably should be.

There is an excellent version of the combined RQ SRD on the MRQWiki here:

http://mrqwiki.com/wiki/images/a/ac/RuneQuestSRDLuxury.pdf

The Modifers are listed at the beginning of the skills section.

I like the idea of using the modifiers in this case. Trying to pass oneself off as a the Duke of Wobegone to gain entry to a ball* is not something someone without the disguise (and possibly acting) skill should be allowed to pull off. Dressing like a peasant and leaving in a throng of peasants should be possible.

*Of course you better make sure the real duke won't also show up - but experienced parties I'm sure will have taken care of this...

 

[zencadet]

My memory sucks. I just had a look at the rulebook again and noticed that the modifiers are included in Elric -- I was getting mixed up over the fact that it doesn't clarify how to handle someone attempting untrained skills.

I agree with your logic that it should be purely based on modifiers. Therefore, in my example above character A with a base Disguise at CHA (e.g. 16) throw on peasant clothes and attempt to walk past a guard looking for him amongst a throng with a 36 or 56% chance while character B would be doing it at 20% or 40%.

That works for me. Thanks.