Chapter 3Skills

A character is standing at the edge of a swift-flowing river. How is the player going to get him across? He could swim, although it would be risky due to the current and the weight of his armor and equipment. He could try hopping across the stones that are lying in the river. Of course, they may be slippery and he’ll risk falling and possibly injuring himself or drowning. He could try to use the rope in his backpack to lasso a tree stump across the river and pull himself across. If he’s tied to the end of the rope, he won’t risk getting swept away.

The one common feature of these different ways for the character to try to cross the river is that they all require him to use a skill — swimming, balancing, or rope handling. If the ...

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