TEXT: Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  1
  CHAPTER 1
  Character Creation
  The essential element of a Fantasy Role Playing Game is the Player Character. 
  This chapter describes the process of creating a character for your quest. 
  A character is created with Creation Points (CP) and Background Points (BP). In 
  general, Creation Points are used to create the physical and mental attributes of the 
  character. Every character starts with the same number of Creation Points. Back-
  ground Points are used to determine the skill ability of the character, and are dif-
  ferent for different age groups of beginning characters.
  Rules for creating characters who are not human (elves, dwarves, trolls, centaurs, 
  etc.) are in the Creatures Chapter.
  
  Creation Points
  CHARACTER CREATION
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  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  CREATION POINTS
  You start with 200 Creation Points (CP). In general, they are used to enhance char-
  acteristics, though they can be used for Benefits, as described below. The number 
  of Creation Points can be increased by taking Problems, as described below. One 
  background point is equal to one Creation Point.
  There are Seven Characteristics
  Characteristics start with a value of 10. If the player uses no Creation Points for 
  Characteristics, the character has a value of 10 for each characteristic. Use the 200 
  points to enhance these values at the rates given below. The maximum value for 
  any beginning characteristic is 18. 
  Characteristic Costs in Creation Points
  •
  STRength costs 10 CP per STR point
  •
  CONstitution costs 10 CP per CON point
  •
  DEX costs 10 CP per DEX point
  •
  SIZe costs 10 CP per SIZ point
  •
  INTelligence costs 20 CP per INT point 
  •
  POWer costs 20 CP per POW point
  •
  APPeal costs 5 CP per APP point
  Selling Down Character Points
  With GM permission, characteristics can be "sold down" to below 10 to gain 
  points to spend on other characteristics or other Backgrounds at a rate of
  •
  10 creation points for every decreased point of STR, CON, SIZ and DEX,
  •
  20 Creation Points for every decreased point of INT and POW
  •
  5 Creation Points for every decreased point of APP.
  Using Creation Points
  All Characters start with Creation Points. These are used to pay for: 
  •
  Characteristics as shown above
  •
  Benefits as described below
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  3
  Creation Points
  CHARACTER CREATION
  •
  Conversion to Background Points at a ratio of 1 CP = 1 BP
  Further Creation Points can be obtained by taking on Problems. 
  Each Problem Point gains the character 10 Creation Points. (maximum 150, for a 
  total of 350)
  Some Problem Points must be taken if the character is more than a youth. These 
  problem Points gain the character the “Benefit” to make use of an older Charac-
  ter’s Background Points
  Derived Characteristics
  There are several Derived Characteristics based on the basic Characteristics.
  Movement (MV)
  The move score is equal to (STR+CON)/2 [round normally] “strides,” which are 
  roughly equivalent to yards or meters. It is reduced by 2 for each STR multiple of 
  encumbrance (ENC) carried. Everyone gets a melee move action equal to move 
  score and a “free” movement of ¼ MV. These are not cumulative.  You can use a 
  second action to move again at the end of the round.  You can use both actions to 
  sprint twice your move rate at the end of the round.
  Movement can be increased by spending 20 CP per extra stride of movement.
  Spirit
  All characters have a Spirit equal to their POW x 5. This number is used in Spirit 
  Combat and for Luck Rolls, though Luck may be higher or lower based on Bene-
  fits taken or Problems accepted.
  
  Creation Points
  CHARACTER CREATION
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  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  Health 
  Every character has a Health rating equal to the average of CON & SIZ.
  Every humanoid body has seven Hit Locations, each of which has its own Hit 
  Points. Location Hit Points (HP) are based on the Health of the character and 
  computed as follows:
  •
  Leg, Abdomen and Head Hit Points are each equal to 1/3 Health
  •
  Chest Hit Points are equal to 4/10 Health
  •
  Arm Hit Points are equal to ¼ Health
  Round all fractions up. The total of all the Hit Points should be a little more than 
  2x the Health.
  Example: Esmeralda has a CON of 14 and a SIZ of 10. Her Health is 12. Her 
  Legs, Abdomen, and Head each have 4 Hit Points, her Arms have 3 Hit Points, 
  and her Chest has (4x1.2) 5 Hit Points. Her total Hit Points are 27, which is 3 
  higher than twice her Health of 12.
  Further Example: Gorbaz the Troll has a CON of 16 and a SIZ of 23. His Health 
  is 20. His Legs, Abdomen, and Head each have 7 Hit Points, his Arms have 5 Hit 
  Points, and His Chest has 8. His total Hit Points are 46.
  Every character has a personal healing rate equal to Health/10 in d3s, round frac-
  tions down; e.g. someone with 15 Health has a heal rate of 1D3. Someone with a 
  Health of under 10 has a heal rate of 1.
  The Health rating can be increased by expenditure of 20 CP per point. This may 
  raise location Hit Points.
  Damage Bonus
  To derive the character's Damage Bonus , divide the sum of STR and SIZ by 5, 
  rounding up, and subtract 4 from the result. It is possible to have a negative Dam-
  age Bonus. When doing damage, a player may choose to roll a Damage Bonus, 
  using the Intensity chart from the Magic section. Thus, if the damage Bonus is +2, 
  he can roll 1d4 instead of assuming a 2 point add to damage. If the bonus is +1, 
  roll 1d3-1.
  Damage Bonus can be raised by spending 50 CP per level of damage. Damage 
  Bonus cannot be raised more than 2 levels by this method.
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  5
  Background Points
  CHARACTER CREATION
  BACKGROUND POINTS
  In general, the age of the character determines how many Background Points are 
  available for Skill purchase and magic purchase. A Background point buys 15% 
  of an Easy skill, 10% of an Average Skill, and 5% of a Hard Skill. Skill bonuses 
  from Characteristics determine starting points for most skills. 
  Background Points 
  *  Adult characters must account for this as a 10 point Benefit and must take on a 
  Psychological Problem or Physical Problem to pay for it. It cannot be paid for 
  out of the initial 200 CPs. No Skill may be raised above 100%.
  ** Experienced characters must account for this as a 20 point Benefit and must 
  take two out of three from a Psychological Problem, a Physical Problem and an 
  Enemy to pay for them. It cannot be paid from the initial 200 CPs. No Skill 
  may be raised above 125%. 
  # each point of a divine or folk magic spell counts as 1 spell. Thus, a Young char-
  acter with Protection 2 and Bladesharp 3 has used up all of his spells. Each 
  individual sorcery spell counts as a separate spell. 1 BP = 1 spell.
  ! Wealth can be taken as equipment. See Equipment Tables.
  TABLE 1. Effects of Age on Background Points
  Age
  Skill Points
  Limits to Magic
  Starting Wealth
  Young (13-17) 
  30 (No Skill 
  over 75%
  No More than 5 
  spells#
  2xD100sp!
  Adult* (18-25)
  60 (No Skill 
  over 100%)
  No More than 15 
  spells#
  200xD6sp!
  Experienced** 
  (26-35)
  100 (No Skill 
  over 125%)
  No more than 20 
  spells#
  200xD10sp!
  
  Background Points
  CHARACTER CREATION
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  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  One Background point buys:
  1.
  a 15% increment of an Easy Skill
  2.
  a 10% increment of a Medium Skill
  3.
  a 5% increment of a Hard Skill
  4.
  One “point” of a Folk Magic Spell
  5.
  One “point” of a Divine Magic Spell
  6.
  One Sorcery Spell
  7.
  One point of Mana to be put into a Mana Vessel
  8.
  1 Creation Point
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  7
  Benefits
  CHARACTER CREATION
  BENEFITS
  Benefits are special talents and other additions to the basic capability of the char-
  acter. Some of these Benefits are special to certain races, and are given here in 
  case the player wants to play a character from another race. A more complete sys-
  tem for creating such characters will be given in the Creatures chapter. In a game 
  where gods bestow special abilities on characters, or characters earn such abilities 
  through Questing, some of the race-based Benefits could be bestowed upon a 
  character who normally would not be able to use them.
  Throughout the list below, reference is made to Benefit Points. These are obtained 
  by the taking of Problems and are identical in value to Creation Points. 
  •
  Benefit Points can be used as Creation Points unless specifically stated 
  otherwise. 
  •
  Creation Points cannot always be used as Benefit Points. 
  •
  Benefit Points are gained by the taking of Problems. 
  •
  Benefits than must be bought with Benefit Points rather than Creation 
  Points are indicated in the descriptions.
  The following list is by no means complete. It is meant as a guideline for creating 
  other benefits as long as they are mutually approved by the GM and the player.
  Some Sample Benefits
  1.
  Adept— Character is particularly adept at magic use. The character gains +1 
  to his Skill Category Bonus for a cost of 20 Points.
  2.
  Age— As stated above, an Adult character must spend 10 Benefit Points for 
  the privilege. An Experienced character must spend 20 Benefit Points. 
  3.
  Ambidexterity— The character is equally at home using either hand and is 
  considered to have trained with all skills and weapons with both hands. Costs 
  10 Points.
  4.
  Attractive— The character has the "certain something" that goes beyond a 
  good appearance or personal force of will. It adds +1 to character's Communi-
  cation Skill Category bonus for every 15 Points.
  5.
  Blind-Fighting— The character can fight without vision, including invisible 
  opponents. Cost is 40 points.
  
  Benefits
  CHARACTER CREATION
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  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  6.
  Bump of Direction— Allows the character to always know what direction is 
  North, and helps him figure out the best route to where he wants to go. Costs 
  10 Points.
  7.
  Clever— The character is very quick at picking up and utilizing knowledge. It 
  adds +1 to his Knowledge Category Bonus for 15 Points.
  8.
  Coordinated— The character is more agile than his characteristics would indi-
  cate. It adds +1 to his Agility Skill Category Bonus for every 10 Points spent.
  9.
  Damaging— 50 Points allows the character to increase his Damage Bonus by 
  1 level. A maximum of two levels may be purchased in this way.
  10. Dark Vision— For whatever reasons, usually racial ability, the character can 
  "see" perfectly well in total darkness, including most magical darkness. Just 
  how he does so should be defined at creation, whether it is actually a sonar-
  like ability, infrared vision, incredibly acute sense of smell, or anything else. 
  There will often be limits on this vision. Costs 20 Points.
  11. Deft— The character is even more clever at creating and manipulating things 
  than his characteristics would indicate. It adds +1 to his Manipulation Skill 
  Category bonus for every 10 Points.
  12. Extra Action— The character gains one extra combat action per melee round 
  (see combat chapter). This takes place 10 DEX points after the second action, 
  even if it takes the character into negative DEX points. Cost is 100 Points.
  13. Extra Range— This character is particularly skillful with ranged weaponry. 
  Any weapon he shoots or throws automatically increases its short, medium 
  and long range effects by 50%. This Benefit can be taken twice. Cost is 30 
  Points.
  14. Famous— The character is famous and gains the benefits of Fame (gifts, con-
  tacts, renown, willing bed partners, respect). The cost can be increased or 
  reduced for extenuating circumstances.
  Local Fame
  10 Points
  Known in his starting vil-
  lage area
  Regional Fame
  20 Points
  Known throughout starting 
  land
  "World wide" Fame
  40 Points
  His name and deeds are 
  sung throughout the known 
  world
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
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  Benefits
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Easily Recognized
  +10 Points
  It is obvious he is who he 
  says he is.
  Fraud
  -10 Points
  The character didn't really 
  do the deeds.
  Could be Hazardous
  -10 Points
  Friends and associates of the 
  object of his fame may want 
  his hide.
  15. Fast— The character through training or talent moves faster than his charac-
  teristics would indicate. The character gains +1 Move for every 20 Points.
  16. Healthy— The character is healthier than his CON and SIZ would indicate. 
  Health increased in this fashion can increase Hit Points. Cost is 20 Points per 
  1 point of Health.
  17. Inherited Magic— The character has inherited a Magic Item or any other 
  important object,  10-50 points
  1 point of Sorcery
  5 Benefit Points
  (rarely have less than 2 
  points of Sorcery)
  1 point of Folk Magic
  10 Benefit Points
  1 point of Divine Magic
  20 Benefit Points
  Item of campaign importance20 Benefit Points (no more than one per char-
  acter)
  Inherited Magic must be purchased with Benefit Points.
  18. Invulnerability— The character is absolutely invulnerable to one form of 
  attack. This can be taken multiple times against different attacks. This is gen-
  erally a species-based Benefit (such as a werewolf being invulnerable to nor-
  mal weapons), but could be a divinely-bestowed Gift (such as Achilles 
  invulnerability to weapons). Gifts generally have a weak point.
  Minor Invulnerability
  10 Benefit Points
  (One form of poison)
  Major Invulnerability
  30 Benefit Points
  (One form of weapon, i.e. 
  blades)
  Great Invulnerability
  50 Benefit Points
  (All weapons, all divine 
  magic, etc)
  Invulnerability must be purchased with Benefit Points.
  19. Keen— The character is very quick on the pickup. It adds +1 to Perception 
  Skill Category bonus for every 15 Points.
  
  Benefits
  CHARACTER CREATION
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  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  20. Leaping— This allows the character to Leap his normal Movement Horizon-
  tally, or half his normal Movement vertically. This is normally a race-based 
  Benefit. This may be taken multiple times. The levels cost 10 Points each; the 
  later levels add 5 strides to the horizontal distance and half that to the vertical. 
  A successful Jump roll is necessary to land on one’s feet after this Leap.
  21. Lightsleep— The character is awakened easily whenever any change happens 
  to his sleeping environment. Costs 10 Points
  22. Luck— This Adds 1 to a character's POW for luck rolls. Each addition Costs 
  10 Points.
  23. Magic Manipulation— The character must have Magic Perception (below), 
  and with this Benefit automatically gains one extra success with every suc-
  cessful magic roll (see Magic Chapter). Cost is 50 Points. 
  24. Magic Perception—This is the ability to "see" the effects of magic. Depend-
  ing on the campaign world, the character can see the threads of magic that 
  hold the world together, the gods walking in the clouds, the little elemental 
  imps that actually perform magic actions, or whatever. A perquisite to being 
  able to do Sorcery or the higher forms of Folk Magic. Costs 30 Points.
  25. Natural Armor— The character has built in armor such as tough skin or hard 
  bones or an exoskeleton. Generally a benefit for non-human characters. Natu-
  ral armor does not stack with worn armor, but it will work in some cases 
  where worn armor will not, such as against some magic, from falls, etc. Cost 
  is 5 Points per point of armor.
  26. Night Vision— The character sees well in conditions of low light, taking no 
  penalties for dark conditions. Doesn’t work in total darkness. Costs 10 Points.
  27. Quick— The character moves quicker than his DEX indicates. Every 10 
  points gains 1 DEX point for the purpose of going first in a round, only. The 
  character may have no more than half his natural DEX in Quick. For example, 
  if a character has a 12 DEX, his Quick may increase it to no more than 18.
  28. Quick Draw— Allows the character to ready and use a weapon in one combat 
  action without penalty. Costs 20 Points
  29. Quick Shot— Allows the charact to reload a missile weapon and use it in the 
  next combat action without penalty. If the weapon takes more than one com-
  bat action to reload, this Benefit reduces that number of actions by one. Costs 
  50 Points
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
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  Benefits
  CHARACTER CREATION
  30. Special Background— Character History/Race, Connections  (Nobility,  
  Patron God, etc.)
  High Society Position, 
  40 Points
  Good Society Position, 
  20 Points
  Average
  0 points
  Low/Stranger
  20 Problem Points
  Very Low
  30 Problem Points
  31. Skills— Eclectic Training in either (1) skills someone with the character’s 
  background would not be expected to have or (2) skills not on the list which 
  must be approved by the GM (choose which skills). 10 Points per new Skill, 1 
  Benefit Point per increase in non-standard skill. 
  32. Toughness— Doubles character’s Health for the purpose of determining Hit 
  Location Points, only. Cost is 100 Points and can be taken once.
  33. Wealth— The character has either been born into wealth or gotten lucky pre-
  viously in his career. Like Age, this Benefit must be acquired with Benefit 
  Points.
  2x normal starting Wealth
  20 Benefit Points
  (see Table 1)
  4x normal starting Wealth
  40 Benefit Points
  (see Table 1)
  10x normal starting Wealth 60 Benefit Points
  (see Table 1)
  
  Extra Benefit Points From Problems
  CHARACTER CREATION
  12
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  EXTRA BENEFIT POINTS FROM PROBLEMS
  Benefit Points (BP) are gained by taking Problems, which are measured in Prob-
  lem Points. One Problem Point taken equals one Benefit Point to spend on Bene-
  fits or Characteristics. Sometimes a Problem can actually be a Benefit as well as a 
  Problem. Remember that a Problem that is not a Problem does not deserve Points.
  Most campaigns should have a limit on how many Problem Points can be taken. 
  In most cases, a limit of 150 is appropriate.
  Some Sample Problems
  1.
  Allergies— There are environmental situations that can harm and actually kill 
  the character. Some of these allergies are racial or species based, though it is 
  possible that someone of the wrong species might have one as a Curse. In that 
  case, call it a Curse but use the Allergies values. If the character is caught in 
  the environmental situation, he takes a minimum 1 (or 1d3-1) Health Point of 
  damage every round. Multiply the number of Problem Points by the level of 
  intensity. If 2 (1d4) Health Points, multiply by 2, etc.
  Examples of Allergies
  Sunlight
  10 Problem Points
  Only if the character's skin is in 
  direct sunlight
  Holy Symbols
  10 Problem Points
  Only if the character is within 6 
  strides of the object
  Pollen
  10 Problem Points
  Only if the character is not masked 
  against it.
  2.
  Day Blind— This is commonly a problem with characters who have Dark 
  Vision or Night Vision. Sunlight does them no harm, but they cannot see well, 
  losing two successes with any Perception Roll involving vision under sunlit 
  conditions.
  3.
  Dependents— This represents servants or other followers who are with the 
  character most of the time and may need to be protected or rescued. The char-
  acter has to feel an obligation to the Dependent or the Dependent is worth 
  nothing. By definition, a Dependent is not someone competent to take care of 
  themselves in the situations of adventure, despite whatever competency they 
  may have as cooks, hunters, etc. The point value depends mostly on just how 
  close the Dependent is to the character.
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  13
  Extra Benefit Points From Problems
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Close Friend/Companion
  40 Problem Points Remember this is not an 
  adventuring companion
  Associate
  30 Problem Points
  Servant
  20 Problem Points
  Occasional contact
  10 Problem Points
  4.
  Disadvantageous Background— There is something in the character's past 
  that might catch up with him, or definitely will catch up with him.
  Cursed
  10-50 Problem Points
  This may be something like the 
  result of a broken geas (q.v.) or 
  some other affliction that must 
  be worked out with the GM.
  Dread Secret
  10-30 Problem Points
  The character has a skeleton in 
  the closet that he and the GM 
  must work out and which the 
  GM may toss at him when he 
  least expects it.
  5.
  Disadvantageous Characteristics— This is essentially the "Sell Back" option 
  stated before that allows characters to lower their Characteristics below the 
  starting point.
  Lower STR, CON, DEX, SIZ 10 Problem Points
  Per point reduced
  Lower INT, POW
  20 Problem Points
  Per point reduced
  Lower APP
  5 Problem Points
  Per point reduced
  6.
  Disadvantageous disabilities— This is a disability that means the character 
  cannot do something almost anyone else can do. 
  Examples of Disadvantageous Abilities for Fantasy Campaign
  Cannot cast Magic
  20 Problem Points But can use magic items
  Totally Cannot Use Magic 40 Problem Points Including most magic items
  7.
  Enemies— Everyone picks up enemies. Some are important, some are barely 
  noticeable.
  Annoyance 
  10 Problem Points
  Someone who pops up occasion-
  ally to harass the character. Per-
  haps it's a bill collector, or a 
  neglected mistress. Basically a 
  role-playing hazard.
  
  Extra Benefit Points From Problems
  CHARACTER CREATION
  14
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  Rival 
  30 Problem Points
  Someone of equal power to the 
  character who vies with the 
  character for a goal. The rivalry 
  might be a friendly or not-so-
  friendly competition for a girl or 
  a job, or a rivalry over who is the 
  best swordfighter in town that 
  will eventually have to be 
  decided in the arena.
  Threat 
  50 Problem Points
  This is an enemy of equal or 
  greater power who wants the 
  character dead. It might be an 
  individual of great power, or an 
  organization. The threat has to 
  be real, however, or it is just a 
  rival or annoyance.
  8.
  Honor Problems— The character suffers honor problems that can influence 
  how he acts and what he thinks. Remember that a problem that is not a prob-
  lem is not worth points. If the Problem might influence the character, it is 
  worth 10 points. If the character must make a regular INT roll to avoid acting 
  according to the Problem's dictates, it is worth 20 points. If the Character must 
  make an INT roll with extra successes to not follow the dictates of the Prob-
  lem, it is worth 30 points. Some sample Honor Problems include:
  Follows Code
  10-30 Problem Points
  This can be a code of chivalry, 
  or never give a sucker an even 
  break. 
  Bound to Serve
  10-30 Problem Points
  The character is a "slave to 
  duty" and must follow any right-
  ful command.
  9.
  Ill Health— The character has worse Health than his characteristics might 
  indicate. He gains 20 Problem Points for each Health point lost.This affects 
  Hit Point Location Points.
  10. Less training— The character has less training than a normal person of his age 
  for whatever reason. This gains Problem Points equal to the number of Back-
  ground Points not taken.
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  15
  Extra Benefit Points From Problems
  CHARACTER CREATION
  11. Notoriety— The character is known for some heinous crime or series of 
  actions. If recognized, he might be reviled or attacked for what he has done.
  Local Area
  10 Problem Points
  His misdeeds are only known 
  in his starting village area
  Regional
  20 Problem Points
  His misdeeds are known 
  throughout the local land.
  "World Wide"
  40 Problem Points
  His misdeeds are sung 
  throughout the Known Worlde
  Easily Recognized
  +10 Problem Points
  He is easy to recognize as the 
  subject of all the hatred
  Actually Innocent
  -10 Problem Points
  He didn't really do it, and can 
  perhaps persuade local people 
  of his innocence
  Could be Beneficial
  -10 Problem Points
  While hated and hunted in 
  most places, there are areas 
  where his deeds are looked on 
  as heroic
  12. Physical and/or Mental Disability— This can be a psychological problem like 
  Claustrophobia, or a physical one like a missing hand or only having one eye. 
  If the problem occasionally impairs the character slightly, it is worth 10 Prob-
  lem Points
  If it impairs the character greatly for short periods, or  slightly continuously, it 
  is worth 20 Problem Points
  If it impairs the character greatly continuously, it is worth 30 Problem Points
  13. Slow— The character is slower than his Characteristics indicate. For every 
  Movement Point lost he gains 20 Problem Points.
  14. Social Encumbrances— A character may have obligations and pressures 
  entirely outside himself that have an effect on what he can and cannot do. The 
  actual number of points available for the Problem depends on the frequency 
  and importance of the obligation.
  Examples of Social Incumbrances
  Quested by god
  30 Problem Points
  The patron god of the character 
  has given her a quest that takes 
  up time and energy. This can be 
  
  Extra Benefit Points From Problems
  CHARACTER CREATION
  16
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  something like seeking the Holy 
  Grail, or the 12 labors of Her-
  cules.
  Sworn to Leader
  10-50 Problem Points
  The character is sworn to follow 
  a particular leader and must fol-
  low his orders whenever they 
  arrive.
  Sworn to Group
  10-30 Problem Points
  The character is part of a group 
  and must respond to requests 
  and commands from the group.
  Geas
  10-50 Problem Points
  This can be almost anything, but 
  it is a rule imposed on the char-
  acter by a strong outside force 
  that the character must follow or 
  lose Luck (his Luck roll goes 
  down by the number of Problem 
  Points taken for it and this con-
  dition lasts until he has atoned in 
  some fashion). This is a very 
  Celtic Problem, and it is often 
  couched in obscure terms. 
  Example, a character is told he 
  cannot kill a goat in a castle. He 
  finds himself in the ruin of an 
  old holding fighting a foe with a 
  goat head on his shield. Does 
  this count? Very likely.
  15. Vulnerability— The character is especially vulnerable to certain substances or 
  enchantments. For every 10 Problem Points, any blow from the substance 
  adds one intensity to the damage. Thus, a silver weapon that normally does 
  1d8 would do 1d10 to a silver-vulnerable target.  Many races with this afflic-
  tion also have the Allergy to the substance, so they take Hit Point and Health 
  Damage with the same blow. If the vulnerability is very common, such as cold 
  iron weapons, the Problem Point return is doubled. Thus, if trolls take two 
  intensities of damage from iron weapons, they would get 40 Problem Points.
  
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  17
  Extra Benefit Points From Problems
  CHARACTER CREATION
  16. Wrong Size— This is largely a race/Species-based disability. It basically 
  means that the character is the wrong size for most of the house, furniture, and 
  other accouterments of local civilization.
  Way Too Big
  50 Problem Points
  The character is a giant in a 
  human-sized world. Elephants, 
  Dragons, Giants, and Dinosaurs 
  are this big
  Too Big
  20 Problem Points
  The character is generally too big. 
  Trolls and Ogres and Grizzly 
  Bears are this big.
  Small
  20 Problem Points
  The top of the character's head 
  comes up to the belt of most peo-
  ple around her. Halflings and 
  Ducks and Goblins are this small.
  Tiny
  50 Problem Points
  The character is a miniature in a 
  normal world. Pixies and mice are 
  this small.
  
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
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  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  SKILLS
  See Combat for overall description of skill use. Short description below.
  Determining # of Successes (the short form)
  •
  Rolling within the needed % but more than ½ the needed % = 1 success
  •
  Rolling within ½ the needed % but greater than 1/10 the needed % = 2 
  successes
  •
  Rolling within 1/10 the needed % but greater than 1/100 the needed % = 3 
  successess
  •
  Rolling within 1/100 the needed % = 4 successes (normally this is an 01 
  until the %ile gets over 150)
  Player character with the higher number of successes wins. Having many extra 
  successes is often a benefit.
  Beginning Skill Ability
  All Skills are divided into one of six categories. Initial ability with that category is 
  determined by intitial characteristics. Note that most of the skill categories have 
  INT as a major contributor. This is why INT is so costly in character creation.
  Skill Categories
  Agility [STR+DEX]
  Communication [APP+INT]
  Knowledge [INT+CON]
  Magic [INT+POW]
  Manipulation [INT+STR}
  Perception [POW+CON]
  Skills Available
  The following is a hopefully complete list. Fuller descriptions will be in the 
  upcoming Skills chapter. Indented Skills are subsets of the skill preceding them. 
  Pick one of the subsets, or an overskill and then increase subsets within the over-
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  19
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  skill. Once a character has been created and started on his Quest, only subsets can 
  be increased with Experience rolls.
  Simplified Skill Systems
  For those players who would rather not track the number of small skills provided, 
  it is possible to play the game at a higher level of abstraction.
  You can play with just the Overskills and no subsets. Cost of an Overskill is the 
  same as shown in these rules. Experience rolls to increase the Overskill should be 
  1d4-1, rather than 1d6-1.
  For those who want to make life very simple, and for those GMs who want to cre-
  ate quick and easy NPCs for the PCs to interact with, characters can be created 
  with just the Skill Categories. When creating PCs using this system:
  •
  It takes 10 Background Points to increase a skill by 5%, period. 
  •
  Skill (which is to say category) increases by Experience are 1 point, 
  period.
  
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  20
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  SKILL LIST
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  Athletics
  Agl
  M
  Balance
  Agl
  E
  Climb
  Agl
  E
  Jump
  Agl
  E
  Swim
  Agl
  E
  Tumble
  Agl
  E
  Ride
  Agl
  H
  Ride <exotic flying beast>
  Agl*
  H
  Ride <exotic groundbeast>
  Agl*
  M
  Ride <flying riding beast>
  Agl*
  M
  Ride <riding groundbeast>
  Agl
  E
  Present
  Com
  H
  Debate
  Com
  E
  Instruct
  Com
  M
  Intimidate
  Com
  E
  Orate
  Com
  M
  Throw
  Man
  M
  <Weapon>
  Man
  E
  Accuracy
  Man
  E
  Distance
  Man
  E
  Persuade
  Com
  H
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  21
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Bargain
  Com
  M
  Beg
  Com
  E
  Bribe
  Com
  E
  Fast-talk
  Com
  M
  Seduce
  Com
  E
  Boat
  Agl
  M
  Row
  Agl
  E
  Sail
  Agl
  E
  Physician
  Know
  H
  First Aid
  Know
  E
  Treat Disease
  Reas
  M
  Treat Poison
  Know
  M
  Brawl
  Man
  M
  Grapple
  Man
  E
  Punch
  Man
  E
  Play Instrument
  Man
  H
  <complex instrument>
  Man
  M
  <simple instrument>
  Man
  E
  Ceremony 
  <type>
  Mag*
  H
  Enchant <type>
  Mag
  H
  Sanctify <purpose>
  Mag
  M
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  22
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  Summon <entity>
  Mag
  M
  Teleport Circle
  Mag
  M
  Read/Write
  Know*
  H
  <common language>
  Know
  E
  <foreign language>
  Know
  M
  <other species language>
  Know
  H
  <ancient language>
  Know
  M
  <dead language>
  Know
  H
  Perceive
  Per
  H
  Listen
  Per
  M
  Scan
  Per
  M
  Search
  Per
  M
  Track
  Per
  M
  Custom 
  Know*
  H
  <foreign> Culture
  Know
  M
  <local> Culture
  Know
  E
  <unknown> Culture
  Know
  H
  Defense
  Agl
  H
  <exotic weapon> Parry
  Agl*
  H
  <standard weapon> Parry
  Agl
  M
  Dodge
  Agl
  M
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  23
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Shield Parry
  Agl
  E
  Perform
  Com
  M
  Act
  Com
  M
  Dance
  Com
  E
  Sing
  Com
  E
  Devise
  Man
  H
  Craft <thing>
  Man
  M
  Lockpick
  Man
  M
  Mechanician
  Man
  M
  Trap
  Man
  M
  Magic
  Mag*
  H
  Folk Magic
  Mag
  E
  Prayer
  Mag
  M
  Sorcery
  Mag
  M
  Drive 
  Man
  H
  <animal drawn vehicle>
  Man
  E
  <self-propelled vehicle>
  Man
  M
  Speak 
  Com
  H
  <alien species language>
  Com*
  H
  <body language>
  Com
  M
  <foreign language>
  Com*
  M
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  24
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  <local language>
  Com
  E
  <unspoken language>
  Com*
  H
  Spirit Skills
  Mag*
  H
  Command Spirit
  Mag
  M
  Persuade Spirit
  Mag
  M
  Summon Spirit
  Mag
  M
  Stealth
  Agl
  H
  Hide
  Agl
  M
  Sneak
  Agl
  M
  Sleight
  Man
  M
  Hide Action
  Man
  E
  Pickpocket
  Man
  E
  Conceal
  Man
  M
  Offense
  Man
  H
  <exotic weapon> Attack
  Man*
  M
  <hand to hand> Attack
  Man
  E
  <ranged weapon> Attack
  Man
  M
  <standard melee> Attack
  Man
  E
  Maneuver
  Man
  H
  Historical Lore 
  Know
  H
  Ancient History
  Know*
  H
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  25
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Local National History
  Know*
  M
  Local Recent History
  Know
  E
  General Magic 
  Lore
  Know
  H
  Own Cult Lore
  Know
  E
  Specific Magic Lore
  Know*
  M
  General Natural 
  World
  Know
  H
  <specific beast> Lore
  Know*
  E
  Animal Lore
  Know
  M
  Chaos Lore
  Know*
  M
  Human Lore
  Know
  M
  Otherworld Lore
  Know*
  M
  Plant Lore
  Know 
  M
  General Physi-
  cal World
  Know
  H
  <specific substance> Lore
  Know*
  E
  <specific terrain> Lore
  Know*
  E
  Mineral Lore
  Know*
  M
  Music Lore
  Know
  M
  Weather Lore
  Know
  M
  Evaluate
  <subject>
  Know*
  M  
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  
  SKILLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  26
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  * Skills identified with an asterisk must have at least one Skill Point spent on them 
  or they are not known at all. GMs may assign this quality to other Skills on this 
  list.
  Combat Skills
  MANEUVER SKILL: This is the ability to move either yourself or your foe in a 
  combat. If you want to fake him over to a cliff, this is the skill. It is used to break 
  up shield walls, change the combatant’s facing, and generally move in combat 
  without leaving oneself open (can’t use Parry or Dodge without blowing next 
  action). Not necessary if just standing up and slugging.
  MARTIAL ARTS. This Overskill reflects the true dedication to combat of the 
  samurai, housecarl, Viking, or other professional fighter. It has a number of other 
  applications in combat that are addressed in the Combat chapter.
  A note on using unopposed skills over 90%. 
  The GM will frequently add a difficulty to a skill because of circumstances :
  1.
  Environmental conditions and the like. Climbing a difficult cliff might be -
  30%; scaling an overhang might be -75%; reading a scroll written in an 
  obscure variant of a language you know might be -50%; knowing a vital but 
  little-known fact might be -70%.
  2.
  Self-imposed conditions. A smith can try to make a normal sword at normal 
  %ile. He can try to make a superior weapon at -30%, a master weapon at -
  60%, and a weapon of renown at -90%. critical "hits" increase the "level" of a 
  creation by 1.
  Martial Arts
  Know*
  H
  Hand to Hand Defense
  Know
  M
  Hand to Hand Offense
  Know
  M
  Weapon Defense
  Know
  M
  Weapon Offense
  Know
  M
  TABLE 2. Skill List
  Overskill
  Subskill
  Category
  Difficulty
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  27
  TRAINING
  CHARACTER CREATION
  TRAINING
  One can train during all of the time not required for socializing or other tasks. 
  Normally, one socializes at least one day per week, in order to keep up existing 
  contacts. If one socializes more than that, one gets more contacts (see contacts).
  There are three kinds of training : Instruction, Practice, and Research.
  •
  Instruction requires an instructor who is better than you at the skill and 
  knows Instruct skill to at least 2/3 of your skill being trained. It also 
  requires proper equipment.
  •
  Practice requires equipment and a partner of similar skill.
  •
  Research requires nothing special except access to training facilities, 
  whether libraries or gymnasium facilities.
  Training Time
  To increase a 01-10%ile skill by 1d6 requires 1 day of instruction, two days of 
  practice, or 4 days of research. add 1/2/4 days per 10%ile higher your skill is (e.g. 
  a 41-50% skill needs 5/10/20 days).
  Note : double for hard skill; halve for easy skills.
  the instructor must succeed in his Instruct roll; the practicer or researcher must 
  succeed in a skill gain roll—See Experience, below.
  Characteristics Training: 
  It is possible to train certain characteristics up, much as a modern day weight 
  trainer, or someone studying martial arts, or someone embarking on a fitness 
  regime can be expected to become stronger and faster and healthier. Similarly, 
  someone who trains their mind can be expected to become better at using it.
  At the same time, there are limits to this kind of training.
  •
  STR, CON, DEX, and APP can each be increased by training to (original 
  characteristic rating) * 1.5, or 21 at most (for humans).
  
  TRAINING
  CHARACTER CREATION
  28
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  •
  POW can be increased through training and through magic use experi-
  ence. Any time a character’s magical attack succeeds against a target’s 
  resistance roll, POW can be increased through an experience check. . 
  •
  SIZ can be altered by 1 point either way through role playing circum-
  stances such as starvation or gluttony that could be expected to increase or 
  decrease weight. This alters weight, not height.
  •
  INT cannot be raised normally.
  Characteristic Training Experience Roll
  To determine if Characteristic Training is successful, the character must succeed 
  in an Experience Check by multiplying his current characteristic rating by 5, then 
  rolling over that amount on percentile dice. 
  •
  A roll of 96 or more is always successful. 
  •
  The Learning Bonus described under Experience (below) applies to all 
  Training gains.
  Characteristic Training Time
  To increase a characteristic by instruction one point requires 30 days each for the 
  first two points, then 60 days each for the next two, then 120, etc. 
  Practice requires twice as long and research 4 times as long. 
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  29
  Experience and Training
  CHARACTER CREATION
  EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING
  If a character has just attained Experience Points through a game event, he must 
  make all Experience Rolls immediately after the event. The character cannot train 
  until all experience has been dealt with. Experience Points reflect the insight the 
  character has gained in use of the skill because of the activity.
  Experience, the Best Teacher
  Characters can increase their skills through experience. Every time that a skill is 
  successfully used or the GM tells the player that failing in its use was instructive, 
  the player puts a check mark next to the skill. 
  At the end of the adventure, the GM will give the players 1-10 Experience Points 
  based on their activity in the game. The number of experience points tells the 
  player how many times he may try to improve one of the checked skills through 
  experience.
  Experience gains in skills can only be attained immediately after the adventure 
  (game time). Any Experience Points gained and not used are lost unless held for 
  gaining later Benefits (see below). If for some reason the character has more 
  Experience Points than he can use, he should negotiate with the GM to see if there 
  was a skill he might have used that was ignored that could be increased, or save 
  the points for later Benefit purchase. 
  Experience points can be spent for Experience rolls only immediately after 
  gained. Any not spent at that time must be saved for Benefit purchase later.
  Learning Bonus
  A character has a learning bonus based on his Intelligence and current Power. 
  Average the two characteristics to determine the bonus. Note that the vagaries of 
  POW acquisition may make this number different every time the character 
  attempts to use experience. Additional POW from a Vessel, Ally, or Fetch does 
  not count in this calculation.
  This Bonus is added to any Experience roll after the roll is made.
  The Learning Bonus is NOT applied to Power Gain Rolls. See Magic Chapter.
  
  Experience and Training
  CHARACTER CREATION
  30
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  Using Experience Points
  The player can improve a skill by 1d6 %ile points if he rolls over the current %ile 
  in the skill with %ile dice. Roll d%ile and add the Learning Bonus to get the final 
  Experience Roll. Any Skills, including those already over 100%, can still be 
  improved with a roll of 96 or more.
  The player may attempt to improve a skill as many times as he has Experience 
  Points, but a skill may only be improved once. Example: Hagar  gained 6 Experi-
  ence Points. He wants to improve his Sword Attack skill. The skill is currently 
  82%. His first roll is 35, failure. He tries again and gets 42, again failure. He tries 
  again and gets 15, another failure. His fourth try is 92, success, and he rolls 1d6 
  to get a 3, increasing his skill to 85%. And he still has two rolls to put toward 
  increasing some other skill.
  Players with no faith in their dice luck can put 1 %ile toward a checked skill for 
  every Experience point without rolling. However, they have to start with the low-
  est checked %ile skill and work up. Example: Hagar from the previous example 
  decides to go the easy way. However, being very active in the previous adventure, 
  he has accrued checks next to 8 skills. The highest skill he has is his Sword Attack, 
  so he has to put his 6 Experience Points toward 6 of the other skills that were 
  lower than his Sword Attack. 
  Example Of Effect Of Characteristic Training On Skills
  Sleight is a Manipulation Skill. It has Hide Action and Pickpocket as sub skills. 
  Let's say that Cosmo the Merry Manipulator has an initial Manipulation of 30. 
  Thus, his Sleight is 30. Cosmo's player doesn't bother to buy up these skills. How-
  ever, he has occasion to pick a pocket and succeeds. He rolls his Experience roll 
  and gets 2 %iles, which he applies to Sleight, which automatically ups the sub-
  skills. Deciding that picking pockets is very useful, Cosmo's player arranges with 
  the GM for Cosmo to apprentice to a surreptitious extraction expert and trains his 
  pick pocket skill up to 55%. His Sleight and Hide Action are still at 32%. Embrac-
  ing the life of a rogue, Cosmo decides to get some Dexterity training or embarks 
  on a self improvement course. When he gains a point of DEX, his Manipulation 
  goes up to 31. Since all of his Sleight skills are at a minimum of 32, nothing hap-
  pens to them. However, his Play Instrument skill goes up to 31% because he's 
  never improved that ability. When he adds another point of DEX, the Play Instru-
  ment goes up another point, but his Sleight skills stay the same. However, when he 
  
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  31
  Experience and Training
  CHARACTER CREATION
  adds yet another point of DEX, the Sleight and Hide Action skills now move up to 
  33% (his new Manipulation Bonus) along with his Play Instrument skill). His Pick 
  Pocket of 55% remains the same.
  Using Experience to Puchase Further Benefits
  Experience points may be saved for the purpose of purchasing Benefits that the 
  character did not start out with. One Experience Point equals one Benefit Point. 
  Many Benefits cannot be purchased after the character is created. For instance, if 
  the character did not start with Dark Vision, the character is unlikely to gain Dark 
  Vision later except through the events of the game. Benefits gained this way do 
  not have to be paid for.
  However, if a character wants to gain something like Blind-Fighting later in his 
  career, this can be attained with Experience Points. Benefits gained in this way 
  should be based on the actual activities of the character. Gaining Blind-Fighting 
  when every battle has been fought in full sunlight with no darkness or blinding 
  spells is not reasonable. Suddenly gaining Blind-Fighting when the focus of a 
  game suddenly shifts to underground encounters from a surface game is also 
  unreasonable until the character has some fighting-in-the-dark experience.
  Experience Point Expectations
  Experience Points can be given out as both group awards and individual character 
  awards. Total Experience Points given to an individual (including group awards) 
  should not exceed 10.
  A group award gives the same Experience Points to each member of the group for 
  group successes. An individual award gives Experience Points to one member of 
  the group for that character’s activities.
  Some Sample Group Awards
  1.
  Participating in adventure = 1 Point (generally automatic)
  2.
  Successful encounters = 1-3 Points (depending on importance of encounter)
  3.
  Successful adventure = 2-5 Points (depending on importance of adventure)
  4.
  Good teamwork - 1-2 Points (goals accomplished through teamwork - some 
  members of group may not get this award, depending on their actions)
  Some Sample Individual Awards
  1.
  Participating in adventure = 1 Point (given if player is present for game)
  
  Experience and Training
  CHARACTER CREATION
  32
  Steve Perrin’s Quest Rules
  2.
  Good roleplaying = 1-3 Points (Playing in character to advance gameplay)
  3.
  Notable Feat = 1-2 Points (Saving the group, exceptional bravery, etc.)
  4.
  Entertaining = 1 Point (Given if the player entertained his fellow players)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Runequest and Glorantha (d100)/RuneQuest (d100) [multi]/Runequest 1 (Mongoose)/RuneQuest I - Perrin Rules.pdf