Class Specials and Resistances
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   In order to make the game more interesting, I felt I had to make a lot of unique specialties that most classes could have inherited, based on their nature. For example, spiders poison, spirits phase temporarily out of physical form, dragons have breath, and so on. I'm considering adding more if I feel that there is a need. For now, the specialties listed below will have to do. Keep note that some classes gain specials on promotion; they do not have such specials as starting classes. Tertiary classes, especially, have a lot more specialties than the primary classes.
   
    Each specialty is explained in full detail within its own category, in alphabetical order. Don't worry if you don't understand exactly what is meant by every number and statistic. Just get a general idea of what each one does and how to use them (and how to avoid them!).

    Char means character, being played by a player or an NPC used by the BM. I use this often as an abbreviation.
    Turn refers to a single players turn. They may move and perform an action, or just perform an action. This takes one turn.
    Round refers to the sequence of all turns that took place, from first to last. After all players have taken one turn, a round has been completed.
Automatic Abilities
   These are abilities that the character can look at and sigh in delight that they have them. They are used in the situations indicated. The abilities require no declaration to be used so that the char doesn't have to worry about them, whether the action would be an attack, defense, or any other action.
Phasing [automatic] (% = % chance of phasing) - Whenever a character is physically attacked in any way (including breath, but not magic), within their visibility (front or flank) there is a X % that they simply phase to the ethereal realm and return instantly, thus avoiding the attack entirely. The % denominated is cited as an autonomous number (cited in the class) plus bonuses listed. The phasing ability is used BEFORE the attacker makes their hit roll. If successful, no hit roll is made. If it fails, a normal attack roll is made.
Rage [automatic] (% = % chance of becoming enraged) - This can come in really handy, especially if the char plans on being hit a lot. The number indicated is the % of the char becoming enraged whenever they are hit in any way, physical or magical, that deals any amount of damage. If they become enraged, every hit they make from that point on will do an additional 25% physical damage and give the character a +10% chance to hit over all modifiers. Furthermore, a character that is enraged will ALWAYS COUNTER ATTACK. This is a warning to any character wishing to attack an enraged target. A character cannot be enraged if they are already enraged. This will cease to work when the character falls unconscious or deals a critical hit to relieve their anger. Until then, they remain especially angry (and powerful). The char can become enraged again in the same battle.
Regeneration [automatic] (# = HP recovered each turn) - This specialty bestows the char with a gain in HP equal to the number indicated at the beginning of each of their turns as long as they are alive & awake (above 0).
True Leader [automatic] (# = square radius around leader area of effect, including diagonal) - This natural ability comes with a number attached to it that reflects the radius of effect, including all diagonal directions, so that it is in the form of a perfect square centered around the char. The True Leader ability grants all surrounding allies within the field of effect (not including themselves) with a bonus of +10% to all hit rolls. Very few classes have this. Multiple true leader abilities on the same area does not accumulate.
True Warrior [automatic] (% # % = % of recovery, number of recoveries, % HP returned to) - It is an amazing thing to watch when someone dies...only to wake up just a moment later and ready to fight. That is just what this ability does. If the character falls between 0 and -19 (not -20 which is completely destroyed), they have a chance, indicated in the first number, of miraculously waking up and returning to an HP count indicated by the third number as a % of their maximum. If the roll fails to wake up, another roll is made next round and every round after until they do wake up or until someone decides to end all possibility of such a thing occuring by mutilating their corpse (bringing them to or below - 20). They will resurrect as many times as is indicated by the second number, but no more. This is, most likely, the rarest special ability in Skure.
Undead Tolerant [automatic]- All physical attacks towards undead are at a +25% bonus in damage. All undead attacks towards the char with this ability are at a -25% damage penalty.
Shadow Walker [automatic]- A *NEW* ability introduced on March 25, 2004. The Shadow Walker ability makes the class completely immune to all Attacks of Opportunity. It can come in extremely handy.
Abilites Upon Attacking
   The abilities below in red are those that take effect upon a successful hit, often an added effect over and above the physical damage that is dealt from the attack. If the character misses, these abilities do nothing. They have no effect outside of a hit. Usually more offensive characters have these abilities.
Backstabbing [upon attack] - If a char attacks an opponent directly from the flank or rear, the attack damage is boosted by 50% (for flanks, instead of 25%) and 100% (for rear, instead of 50%) respectively.
Blood Lust [upon attack] - There is a spell that yields a similar effect, but what blood lust does is raise the attacker's attack rating by 15% for each and every successful hit (15% from the first hit and cumulative from there on in - 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, to a max of 100%, being doubled). It is an automatic ability that is very useful for offensive classes. If an attack fails to hit, the bonus resets to zero and begins again.
Consume [upon attack] (% = % chance of being eaten) - Gulp. This ability only works on critical hits and is much like the critical kill. The target must have a smaller size than that of the consumer. The % shown is the chance of the target being instantly eaten by the attacker and thus cannot be healed or even revived for the rest of the fight.
Critical Kill [upon attack] [size differential modifier] (% # = % chance of instantly killing target of size #) - A rare ability that has implications relating only to critical hits. For reasons pertaining only to classes with this ability, those classes are able to instantly destroy their opponent upon a single critical hit, dropping the poor opponent to -10. They can still be revived, but not healed, obviously. The % indicated is that of dealing out the critical kill upon a critical hit only. This has no effect on normal hits.
Element Damage (Type % (#) = % of physical damage converted to element, (possible extra element damage) ) - Certain classes, especially the elementals, deal elemental damage in their regular attacks. The type of element is shown as well as the % of their physical damage that is converted to that type of element; the remainder of this conversion still counts as physical but the % converted can be increased/decreased in damage if the target is weak/strong to that element (respectively). There is also extra damage of the element type that is added to the physical damage in a normal hit over and above the conversion. The damage type is not limited to the four elements. Some later classes, such as spiders in their promotion, add extra poison damage, counted as an ailment.

    This is a complex ability, so let's show an example. A fire elemental has 30 attack and the Fire Damage ability at 40% Converted 25% Added. This fire elemental attacks a char that has 10 defense and a weakness to fire of 50%. Clearly, one can see that this is already going to be a strong hit. The damage would be calculated as follows: 30 attack - 10 defense = 20 base damage. 40% of this is converted into fire damage - 8 damage; the remaining 12 is purely physical. With 50% weakness, 8 damage becomes 12 damage. The victim suffers 12 physical and 12 fire damage, totalling 24. Then, because the hit was successful, 25% added fire damage comes in. 25% of 24 is 6. Again, 50% weakness turns this 6 into 9 (+50% damage). A total of 33 damage results (12 physical, 12 fire converted, 9 fire added on).
Heavy Charging [upon attack]- This rare ability belongs to characters who have a fast gallop and, often, a strong blunt or sharp weapon that has a powerful punch with a lot of momentum. It gives +100% damage to all successful charges instead of the standard +50% and also gives +5% chance to hit over and above all other modifiers.
Heavy Critical [upon attack] - This is a passive ability that just makes all critical hits do X3 damage instead of X2. It is much more common than the deadly critical kill mentioned above.
Petrify [upon attack] (% = % chance of being turned to stone) - A very rare ability, indeed. The % shown is the chance of the target being turned to stone upon a successful hit, no matter what size they are. They do receive a chance to "break out" of their encasement every turn, which is their strength rating X4. They can also be cured back to normal form. The big danger with being petrified: if the target turned to stone takes a critical hit, they are automatically killed (to -10), broken into pieces; they can still be revived. However, a petrified target will not be damaged from normal hits; all spells and elements towards them do -90% damage because they are completely turned to stone.
Stun [upon attack] [critical modifier] [size differential modifier] (% # = % chance of stunning opponent of target size #) - One of the more common abilities, stunning an opponent knocks them senseless for their next turn, keeping them from doing anything, even moving. They wake up the turn after they were stunned, unless stunned again. The % shown is the chance of stunning an opponent upon any hit, no matter what damage is dealt. This is modified by the size differential (see bottom of this page). It is also modified by the critical modifier (+50% success rating on critical hits).
Resistances
   Resistances are specified in the resistances section of the classes, not under the abilities. Resistances are always automatic and the character does not need to worry about their existence. Each one specifies which category of effects are resisted.
Ailment Resistance [resistance] (% = % of effect failing to work) - This resistance refers to physical effects including: poison, paralysis, gore, blind, and sleep. The % indicated is the chance of a "successful" ailment effect upon the char instantly failing. If it does not fail, then the ailment takes full effect. This does not include life draining.
Damage Resistance [resistance] (% = % of physical damage reduced) - A very rare resistance, damage resistance lowers the total amount of physical damage dealt to the char. No char can exceed 90% in this category. Note that the damage blocks only direct hits; it does not include any forms of magic (unless they specify physical damage), ailment damage, or breath. A hit may not do less than 1 damage, either.
Magical & Elemental Resistance [resistance] (% = % of effect and/or damage negated) - Some characters can resist certain forms of magic and the elements. Some are even immune (Denoted as -100%). The resistance to is based on the type of spell or elemental attack, whether it is a fire, ice, or even dark-based attack. So if a char resists fire magic to a level of -75%, any fire spell that would normally deal 8 damage would instead deal 2. Decimals are rounded up.
    Resistance to magic itself relates to that of all spells. 50% resistance to magic means that all spells that do not benefit the character have half their normal effect. Breath, as is mentioned later, does not fall under magic in terms of resistance. It is considered strictly elemental.
Uncursable [resistance] (% = % of curse instantly failing) - Much like ailment resistance, the uncursable ability relates to the chance of a curse failing to work on the target. If the resistance roll suceeds, the curse fails. If not, it is treated normally and the curse takes a full effect. Curses include level, statistic, life, and magic draining, as well as many spells classified as curses.
Zero-Damage Defense [resistance] - While damage resistance can never exceed 90%, some classes have a full 100% defense against certain weapons. Skeletons, for example, have this resistance against bows, meaning bows can never do any damage to skeletons. This resistance always specifies its source of resistance.
Ailments
   The ailment category of abilities centers on those that inflict upon the physical, functioning body in some way so as to hinder or cause pain. Since undead do not have functioning, living bodies, ailments have no effect upon them. Those that do not have resistance to ailments can find themselves quite irritated by what ailments can do. They usually have longer term effects, although which are easily cured.
Blind [ailment] [critical modifier] (% # = % chance of inflicting blindness, turns blinded) - This can be particularly brutal, especially in one on one combat. The first % represents the success of causing blindness in the victim upon a hit (penalizing the victim -30 to all attacks and lowering movement by half, rounded down; flyers can go no higher than low elevation). The number afterwards represents how many turns the blindness lasts unless cured beforehand. This ability does nothing against targets already affected by blindness. It falls under the critical modifier for critical hits (see bottom of page).
Goring [ailment] [critical modifier] [size differential modifier] (% # = % chance of being gored on target size #) - Being gored always occurs when a character drops below 50% HP, but this ability makes it occur on any hit. Gored characters are, to be blunt, bleeding to death from nasty stab wounds and heavy cuts, enough to weaken them considerably over time. The % shown is the chance upon a successful hit of goring the opponent. Goring reduces the target's HP by 5% of their maximum (no less than 1, rounded down) at the end of each turn until the character is dead or healed. A single healing spell that replenishes any amount of HP removes the gored ailment. Life draining will also remove goring. Remember, like stun or paralyze, the goring ability falls under the auspices of both the size differential and critical modifiers. Remember, if a character falls below half of their max HP, they are automatically gored (if it is applicable - undead cannot be gored).
Paralyze [ailment] [critical modifier] [size differential modifier] (% # = % chance of inflicting paralysis on target size #) - This is one ability that deals with the size rating of the victim. The ability is denominated as a %, which is the chance of paralysis setting in upon a hit; it falls under the size differential after this. Once a victim is paralyzed, they receive a roll every turn to come out of their paralysis; the chance of breaking free is their size X5, so that a size 7 char would have a 35% chance of breaking free. Characters are not broken free if they are hit in any way. They must break free themselves or be cured. If that happens, they play out their next turn, not the turn they just broke free from. Paralysis also falls under the critical modifier.
Poison (basic) [ailment] [always successful on a critical hit] (% # = % chance of inflicting poison, damage taken per turn) - The difference between standard poison and basic poison is that the latter type does not deal cumulative damage. If a target is already poisoned in any way, this ability will do nothing. If regular poison strikes a character that has been inflicted with basic poison, the basic poison is negated and the regular poison takes over. Basic poison does no more damage after its victim has fallen to 1 HP, thus it cannot kill. It remains, though, so if the character is healed from 1 HP to, say, 10, the basic poison will resume its effect. This ability is always successful on a critical hit.
Poison (standard) [ailment] [always successful on a critical hit] (% # = % chance of inflicting poison, damage taken per turn) - A more common ability (at low damage levels) but no less powerful, poison saps away energy over the entire battle or until cured. The first number represents the % of the poison being inflicted upon a successful hit, the second number is the amount of damage taken each turn until death or the ailment is cured. Undead cannot be poisoned.
    The poison of this type is particularly nasty because it is cumulative upon successive hits. So, if a character inflicts poison on a foe that deals 3 damage every turn, a second infliction will result in the foe taking 6 damage per turn from that point forward. This ability, like the one above, is always successful on a critical hit.
Sleep [ailment] [critical modifier] [size differential modifier] (% # = % chance of inflicting sleep on target size #) - Needless to say that this is more or less a weaker form of paralysis. The rules apply in the exact same fashion, including the size rating "wake" check (see Paralyze above) and reduction in chance of success. The only difference with sleep is that any hit, including magic, that deals damage upon the sleeping target instantly wakes them up, allowing them to play next turn.
Curses
   The curses affect character statistics in a negative way. They are a spiritual form of ailment that impacts the physical indirectly, if you will, and can affect just about every class equally, save for those that have specific resistance to curses. A lot of the undead classes have cursing abilities which enhances their reputation for being dangerous. Curses can be dispelled but not cured.
Level Drain [curse] [always successful on a critical hit] (% # = % of successfully draining levels, # levels depleted) - This clearly has to be one of the most damaging special abilities. When a character is depleted in levels, they are unable to use any spells that stand above their new cursed level, use abities relating to level as their new cursed level, and suffer a loss in all statistics (Max HP [and current], attack, defense, and speed) equal to 2 per level. The first % is the chance of inflicting the level drain and the # after specifies the number of levels depleted. A character can never fall below level 1. This curse lasts for the duration of the battle or until dispelled or cursed. Multiple hits are cumulative.
    Let's go through an example. A char has this level draining ability: 20%, 2 levels. They attack an enemy who has the following stats: Level 12, 40 HP, 25 Attack, 20 Defense, 30 Speed. The char strikes a hit on this enemy and rolls 91% on the drain, which is successful (100 - 20% chance = 80 roll needed; 91 > 80, drain successful). The enemy is drained as follows: 2 levels and 2 to all statistics. They now have the following stats: Level 10, 36 HP, 21 Attack, 16 Defense, 26 Speed. These stats will remain so until the level drain curse is cured or dispelled.
Life Drain [curse] [cannot affect undead] (% = % of damage dealt that is absorbed) - In order for the life draining ability to work, a certain assumption is made about the attack by the char. For example, if a giant bat drains life out of their enemy, it is assumed that it bit them. Likewise, ghosts are assumed to touch their opponents to drain life. The % shown is the amount of damage dealt that is gained by the attacker. So if a character has 50% life draining ability, and they deal 20 damage in an attack on an enemy that resists neither curses nor has undead status, the character gains 10 HP. Life draining does not add extra damage to any attack. The attacker's HP as a result of the drain cannot exceed their maximum.
Magic Drain [curse] (% = % of magic depleted from CURRENT (not maximum) amount) - Magic draining depletes the magical forces held within the char. A successful hit by a char depletes the % indicated amount of magic in its opponent, a % that is equal to the opponent's current amount of essence. So, if a char has 25% magic draining ability, and they hit an enemy who has 12 essence out of 18, the enemy loses 3 essence. The ability does not allow a char to actually steal essence.
Statistic Drain [curse] [always successful on a critical hit] (Type % # = Statistic, % of success, % drop) - This is a more complex curse that always works upon a critical hit. It is specified in the following ways. It first specifies which statistic is depleted: attack, defense, or speed. It then specifies the first number indicated as a % of the drain actually occurring on a hit. So if this number is specified at 25%, that means, in terms of odds, 1 attack in 4 will cause a drain. The second number specifies the percentage of the (current, natural [weapon and armour bonuses are not included in the drain]) statistic that is drained for the duration of the battle or until dispelled or cured. Multiple hits are cumulative.
    Let's do an example of this. A char has this statistic drain ability: Defense 35% - 20%. They attack an enemy who has 40 defense. They make a successful hit and roll 82% on the drain, which is successful (100 - 35% chance = 65 roll needed; 82 > 65, drain successful). The character takes normal damage from the attack and is drained 20% of their defense, which is 8. They now have a cursed amount of 32 defense.
Class-Specific Abilities
   Some of these abilities could be classified into other categories. This category has been created for simplicity. These abilities are class-specific only, meaning certain groups of classes have them and nobody else. Some involve resistances, some are used abilities. Either way, they are limited strictly to class categories - dragons, worshippers, and the like. The abilities themselves and what they entail reflect the nature of those class categories.
Dragon-form [class-specific] - Only dragons have this ability, obviously. What it does is make the char resistant to all magic spell effects, ailments, and curses based on their level (1% per level; Level 20 means 20% resistance). This is one factor that contributes to the fact that dragons, at high levels, are undoubtedly the strongest of classes.
    There is one thing to be warned about in this resistance. It does not aid in resisting magically damaging spells, only ones that have an effect, either negative OR positive. If a char plans to cast a boost spell on their level 50 dragon ally, there is a 50% chance that the boost spell will do nothing. Dragon-form resistance does not have any bearing on items equipped.
Nexus Worshipper [class-specific]- All physical attacks convert either 25% (default) or 50% of their physical damage into light damage. All light damage towards Nexus Worshippers are reduced to 0. However, dark damage towards Nexus Worshippers are boosted 50%. Note that this weakness is often removed as a class promotes.
Undead [class-specific] - Obviously, only undead characters have this ability, and it simply gives them 100% resistance to ailments. Undead cannot be gored, poisoned, paralyzed, turned to stone, blinded, or put to sleep. Undead also have 100% resistance to life draining. The drawback, however, is that any spells that heal do nothing to undead chars. Spells that replenish HP will not help undead in any way. MP replenishment still works. Drinking potions that heal HP have no effect. Thus, unless the undead char has some sort of regenerative ability, it cannot recover HP once it has been hit.
Voleron Worshipper [class-specific]- All physical attacks convert either 25% (default) or 50% of their physical damage into dark damage. All dark damage towards Voleron Worshippers are reduced to 0. However, light damage towards Voleron Worshippers are boosted 50%. Note that this weakness is often removed as a class promotes.
Action (Used) Abilities
   The following abilities are those that have to be declared during, or at the end of, a turn. If they are not declared, these abilities do nothing. They count as an action like an attack or using an item, and so on. Some are common (magical abliities) while others are very rare (stunning roar).
Breath [used ability] (Details on breath in magic section) - Many classes have some sort of breath which relates to an elemental form of damage, including the main elements plus non-elements, like poison or sleep. Details are shown in the magic section. Some have wide areas that hit multiple targets, other breaths hit a single target with a very powerful effect. In all cases, they deal either damage, an ailment, or sometimes both. See the Breath Ability.
Magical Abilities - A character can possess any one or more of the following magical abilities: mage, cleric, and energy. The choice of components and the corresponding spells in these categories is listed under the main page.
Stealth [used ability] - This ability is declared at the end of the turn and does a number of things. First of all, it makes the character impervious to flank attacks. All flank attacks are treated as front attacks. Secondly, all attacks coming at the player while in stealth (whereby they are making an attempt to blend with and hide within their surroundings) are at a -15% penalty (as if the character was defending). Finally, the first attack (only) to come at the player who uses stealth is subject to an immediate counter-attack. The other bonuses stay until the player does something else, like defend. In conclusion, players with this ability never need to just go into a counter-position.
Stunning Roar [used ability] [size differential modifier] (% # = % chance of roar stunning target(s) of size #) - Scary stuff. A roar counts as an action that ends the character's turn. Anyone in a X by X radius (displayed in the class list) ahead of where the char is facing has a chance of being stunned for the round. A roll is made at the % indicated that is the success of the roar inflicting the stun effect, which is the success of the roar inflicting the stun. Only one roll is made against all characters within the radius. This can be a brutal ability if there are many targets within the area of effect.
    Note that the roar cannot be used again for 2 turns after its use. It takes a lot of energy to make that much noise!
Super Defense [used ability]- When defending at the end of the turn, the char with this ability has a -50% physical damage resistance modifier as opposed to the standard -25%. It also benefits the defender with a -25% for an attacker to hit instead of the usual -15%. Useful for holding up the front line.
Movement Types
   Ground movement is the default type, meaning that the char cannot move on top or through obstacles of any sort and are fully susceptible to land effect all the time (which can be a good thing for defensive tactics). These two movement types have their own impacts and are considered bonuses though both have slight drawbacks. The player faces a greater challenge when movement becomes more complex, but it gives them room to play a better game.
Climbing - Some classes, mostly humanoids, can climb vertical distances, which allows them to move on top of or over obstacles. In the case of moving on top of obstacles, if the character is there at the end of the turn, any chance to hit them drops 15%, giving added hit evasion.
Flying - Many classes move by flying, giving the character the ability to move over all obstacles when above ground, including characters (though they cannot end their turn on the "same" square). There are three heights when flying, and some characters with flying cannot fly to all of them.
    Low (L) flying means the character is hovering maybe a meter off the ground, keeping them within melee range but allowing them to go over obstacles.
    Mid (M) flying means the character is out of melee range, maybe 5 to 10 meters in the air. They can still fight long range, and be hit from long range, giving them a distance directly from the ground equal to about 3 squares.
    High (H) flying puts the character out of melee and long range (out of archery range), at about 30 meters in the air or so. The flying character at this height can take no fighting action and is safe with a few exceptions. Some spells, especially, can target characters who are flying, like thunderbolt. Be warned.
    All flying characters can move between heights, including ground. While flying, no defense bonuses for the square they are occupying are taken into effect. Thus, when flying, all land effect equals 0 for that char. They may land on top of obstacles as climbers do, thus receiving the +15% hit evasion bonus.
    One more thing to mention with flyers. If a flyer is in mid air and they happen to be affected by an ability that stuns or paralyzes them or some effect that stops their movement, they fall to the ground and take physical damage equal to the following equation:
    Low flying: Damage = Size
    Mid flying: Damage = Size * (Max HP / 30) (no less than 1, rounded up)
    High flying: Damage = Size * (Max HP / 20) (no less than 1, rounded up)
Ability Modifiers
Size Differential - The size differential is a modifier that is based around the size of the target that is potentially being affected by the ability versus the size of the user. All abilities with this modifier are denominated as a %-# for success. The % is the chance of the ability taking effect on a target with size #.
    For example, a paralyzing ability for a character is 40%. The character has a size rating of 7. This is denominated as 40% - S7. If the character attacks and hits a target of size 7, there is a 40% chance of paralyzing the target. The size differential comes into play (which is often) when the character attacks a target of a different size then themselves.
    For each size smaller than that of the user of the ability, success is multiplied by 1.2.
    For each size larger than that of the user of the ability, success is multiplied by 0.8.
    Again, if the character with the paralyzing ability above (40% - S7) attacks a target of size 8, success of paralyzing the target is 32% (40 * 0.8). Size 9, success is 26% (40 *0.8*0.8). Size 10, success is 20%. Success can go as small as 0%, in which case it always fails. Note: a character cannot use any lethal ability on another if the character they are targetting is over 3 sizes larger than they are (i.e. Critical Kill from a size 7 character can never work on a size 11 or up).
    Once more, if the character with the same ability above (40% - S7) attacks a target of size 6, success is 48% (40 * 1.2). Size 5, success is 58 (40 * (1.2 * 1.2)). Size 3, success is 83% (40 * (1.2 * 1.2 * 1.2 * 1.2). Anything over 95 is rounded to 95% - no ability can go above 95% success.
Critical Modifier - This a very simple modifier. All abilities with this modifier have a 50% bonus to their base success on critical hits or better (i.e. success is multiplied by 1.5). This 50% bonus is not ADDED to the percentage successes; the bonus is multiplied in.
    Here's an example. A paralyzing ability of 30% - S8 has a success on a critical hit of 45% - S8. The 45 comes from the 30%  X 1.5, thus factoring in the bonus as a multiplier. The critical modifier has no bearing on the size differential or any other change.
Always Successful on a Critical Hit - Few abilities have this modifier, namely poison. If a character with this modifier strikes a critical hit (or better) on a target, the ability automatically works.
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