Heroes in the Living Death setting are already much more skilled than ordinary people. But since these characters, as the elite forces of good who oppose the Red Death, often brush up against the peculiar and supernatural, they often acquire unusual and even strange talents than are typical of Masque of the Red Death player characters. Here are some special proficiencies some more like special powers which heroes in the Living Death campaign may use. Since they are not strictly skills but more like weird talents, they are called knacks.

Despite the name, these knacks operate exactly as proficiencies. Heroes may acquire them just as they do ordinary proficiencies. Success or failure of a knack is based on a proficiency check. Note that a natural roll of 20 always causes a knack to fail, sometimes with undesirable results. In many cases, the knack descriptions appear in general terms (i.e., a hero with keen sense-hearing has the best possible human hearing). The exact limits of these knack will appear in the appropriate individual encounters of Living Death tournaments. For example, in one encounter an author may write for the DM, "Heroes with keen sense-hearing may detect the sound of breathing from the closed wardrobe."

Those playing Masque of the Red Death at home may be interested in the article "Psychic Proficiencies" by William W. Connors (Dragon Magazine #212). Those powerful psychic powers are not available to heroes in the Living Death setting...yet.

Acquiring a Knack

Since they are unusual and often powerful, knacks cost more slots than most other proficiencies. Furthermore, a Living Death hero may begin the game with only one knack. The hero may gain additional knacks only when he acquires a new nonweapon proficiency slot by advancing in level. For example, a soldier (warrior) character may begin at first level with one knack. Thereafter, he may not gain another knack until reaching third level; even then, he must have saved one proficiency slot in order to gain a knack that costs two slots, or have saved two to gain one that costs three. A player may "reserve" as many proficiency slots as desired but may assign proficiencies and knacks to his hero only between tournament sessions, not during an adventure.

Knack Descriptions

Ambidexterity: This knack does not allow a hero to fight with a weapon in each hand without penalty (though it does reduce the penalty by 2, for a-0 /-2 penalty). Rather, it allows a hero to use either hand as his "lead" hand. For instance, an ambidextrous character with only one hand free could use it at no penalty to throw a coat button though his the bars of his prison cell. Likewise, a warrior fencing left-handed could change hands without penalty; but should he choose to fight with a weapon in each hand, he must still designate one as the "lead" hand.

Animal Affinity: Similar to the ranger's ability to modify the reaction of animals, this knack allows the hero to modify the reaction of a particular category of animal (dogs, wolves, domestic cats, great cats, horses, birds, etc.). A successful proficiency check requires the animal to make a saving throw vs. rods. Failure of the saving throw means that the hero can move the animal's reaction up to two categories (from hostile to cautious, or from cautious to friendly). Even if the saving throw fails, as long as the hero's roll for animal affinity was successful, the animal in question will prefer to attack others before the hero.  Failure of the proficiency check means that the animal's reaction simply does not change, though a natural roll of 20 actually worsens the animal's reaction to the hero by two categories.

Calculator: Heroes with this knack are able to calculate arithmetic values with lightning speed. Those with this talent can balance long tables of calculations in their heads in one-tenth the time it would take an ordinary person. Failure of the proficiency check indicates that the calculation is dramatically incorrect, but the hero realizes he has become muddled. If the check fails on a natural 20, the hero is quite certain that he is correct, even though he is absolutely wrong.

Connoisseur: Heroes with this knack are excellent judges of painting, cuisine, winemaking, or brewing. Note that this is not simply a special interests proficiency; rather than simply conveying knowledge of the subject, this knack gives the hero an exquisite appreciation for the art of his field. If the hero has both a special interest in a field and is also a connoisseur of it, then either proficiency check is made at a +2 bonus.

On a successful proficiency check, the hero may not only identify the peculiar qualities of the work (i.e., naming the vineyard and year of a wine), but may also make fine value judgments and commentary about the work. This knack is especially useful in determining the difference between an original or authentic work and an imitation.

When first taken, this knack must be limited to a particular category: cuisine of a nation, wine, beer, liquors, painting, sculpture, music, and so forth. Furthermore, the hero may specialize in a particular subcategory of the chosen category, be it Tuscan cuisine (rather than just Italian), Belgian brewing, 16th Century sculpture, etc. In his specialized category, the hero gains a +2 bonus to the proficiency check. Failure of a connoisseur proficiency check means that the hero has failed to grasp some important qualities of the work; failure on a natural roll of 20 means that the hero makes a blindingly bad judgment - potentially embarrassing if other connoisseurs of the same field are present.

Estimator: Those with this knack can make quick and accurate guesses about a chosen value. When a hero first chooses this talent, it must be for only one of those three values: numbers, weights, or distances. It is possible for a hero to take this knack a second time in a different value.

Numbers estimators may guess the number of books on a shelf or the number of pedestrians on a busy street. Weight estimators often work at sideshows but can also guess the weights of much larger objects than human beings. Distance estimators are valued as scouts in the military.

On a successful proficiency check, estimators can guess values within 10% (roll 1d10) of the actual value after 1-4 rounds of observation. Failure means that the estimator is uncertain and realizes it; failure on a natural roll of 20 means that the hero is 20-80% inaccurate but is sure that he is correct.

Feign Death: A successful use of this knack places the hero in the same cataleptic state created by the third-level wizard spell of the same name. The hero can maintain the feign death condition for up to one hour plus one turn per point under his knack score he rolled on the check. For example, a character with a Constitution of 13 (and thus a knack score of 12) rolls a 9 on his check. He may feign death for one hour and three (12-9=3) turns.

Failure of the proficiency check indicates that the hero cannot achieve the cataleptic state and is merely "playing dead." A successful Charisma check allows the ruse to convince a casual viewer, but failure means that the hero inadvertently gives away some tell-tale sign of life (breathing, movement of the eyelids, etc.). On a natural roll of 20, the hero not only fails to feign death but also makes some clear sign that he lives (a sneeze, for instance).

Keen Sense: Heroes with this knack must choose one of the five basic senses to enhance: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. This knack gives the hero the highest possible human perception with the chosen sense. A hero with keen sense-sight can see as far and as clearly as the best sharpshooter; one with keen sense-taste can detect the most subtle trace of poison in his dinner, as long as a human could do so.

Failure of this knack indicates that the hero's senses operate no better than human average, not that the hero becomes desensitized or gains false information. Heroes who begin the game with this knack may later upgrade it to uncanny sense by assigning an additional proficiency slot to it.

Light Sleeper: Heroes with this knack are wakened by the slightest disturbance nearby. Whenever an assailant sneaks up upon a light sleeper, the sleeper may make a knack check. Success indicates that the hero wakes instantly and is completely aware of his surroundings without the usual grogginess and disorientation. Failure simply means that the hero has normal chances to wake (if any are given in the scenario); failure on a natural 20 means that the hero can be awakened only by loud sounds or shaking.

Mimicry, Sounds: This knack lets the hero imitate non-articulated sounds such as the call of a bird, the click of a pistol cocking, or the sound of tearing paper. In the case of known animals or sounds the hero has heard before, a successful proficiency check indicates that the sound is indistinguishable from the original. If the hero wishes, he can imitate the particularly annoying bark of Mrs. Whimsley's English terrier or the familiar cough of James, her butler. Failure of this check simply means that the mimicry is unconvincing.

Mimicry, Voice: Much more refined than sound mimicry, voice mimicry allows the hero to imitate exactly the voice of another person. The hero must have had the opportunity to hear the voice of the one he wishes to imitate. If the voice has been heard only once for no more than a few minutes, the proficiency check is made at a -6 penalty. If the hero has heard the voice he wishes to imitate for at least an hour, the roll is made at a -4 penalty. If the hero is at least casually acquainted with his intended subject and has heard the voice several times for hours at a time, the roll is made at only a -2 penalty. Only if the hero is very familiar with his subject (acquainted for months) does the roll suffer no penalty.

Perfect Pitch: Those with this knack can identify any single note played or sung with perfect accuracy. If the hero also has the singing proficiency, he can duplicate any particular note at will. Furthermore, if the hero makes a successful proficiency check at a -4 penalty, he can produce a note capable of shattering thin glass within a 20' range.

Perfect Memory: Heroes may gain this knack in one of two areas: auditory or visual memory. Those wishing to have both knacks must acquire them separately. A successful roll with this proficiency allows the hero to remember any key bit of information the player may have forgotten. For instance, a player whose detective hero has perfect auditory memory may ask the DM whether the voice he heard from behind a curtain seemed familiar, or whether he had heard the music playing in the hotel lobby before.

In cases in which the hero may have subconsciously observed something but the player did not specifically state so (i.e., the hero visited a house, but the player didn't specifically state he was looking at the address), the DM may allow a proficiency check at a -10 penalty.

Speed Reading: A hero with this talent can read and comprehend any language he already understands ten times as quickly as normal. A book that would normally take four hours to read would take the speed reader only 24 minutes. While the hero with this knack retains what he has read just as well as anyone who had read it at the normal rate, this talent does not convey any special understanding or retention of the material read.

Uncanny Sense: This knack is like keen sense, but a hero with uncanny sense exceeds even the highest human levels in his chosen sense. A hero with uncanny hearing has the auditory sensitivity of a dog, able to detect sounds even outside the normal human range; one with acute touch could feel and even make out the faint impressions left on a sheet of paper left under one on which a note was written.

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This page last updated 10/13/98.  For problems/questions/comments regarding the pages contact the webmaster.