At the Tavern
Brawl
Well… Brawl, that is! Bare-handed, following the rules or not, one versus one or in a mess… So Brawl can actually be a very usefull Skill in bars or in their vicinity but not only there! A special section is dedicated to such Fights in the rules regarding Encounters.
That Skill is also used in the case of fighting with self-made weapons or any other weapon than fire arms (refer to Popguns & Shot) or weapons with a blade and handle (refer to Sabres & Other Blades). That definition also includes objects which are thrown to the head of the opponent, such as bottles of rum or shuriken. The field of application of that Skill is thus, as one can see, quite wide…
A precise type of weapon can be chosen as a Speciality. Some types of exotic or rare weapons (Like Shuriken – under the condition that the Character know the weapon at all, which for that example is not guaranteed out of Nip'On Land…) must have been taken as a Speciality to be used. If the Level in the Speciality for such a weapon is zero, then the Game Master will systematically apply an appropriate Malus to the Character who however tries to use it.
That Skill is most often used in combination to Nimbleness, less frequently with Strength.
Level 0 : « No, no! I do not say that because my buddies went while yours stayed… »Level 10 : « Some days… you don't tease me! »
Parched Throat
Ability of the Character to drink alcohol… and to remain able to do something else! For details, please check the section dedicated to Alcohol and Poisons further in those rules. That Skill is commonly used in combination with Constitution, possibly if you Got a Nerve! in some cases, like when involved in a drinking competition between Pirates.
Level 0 : « For me?… Orange juice, please… » (Shame on you!)Level 10 : « That bottle? Well, I found it at the Drugstore… Actually, not bad at all! »
KGB (Knock yer Grog Back)
It is more or less the same thing as the previous Skill but at the same time it is not exactly that… One cannot drink Grog just like that, without thinking about it: some even lost their life doing that! Do you want the recipe? There are a lot of them even if they share similarities from one island to the other… So, catch hold! On a base of rum and kerosene, one mixes in sulfuric acid, synthetic sugar, acetone, axle grease and battery acid. To spice the whole thing up, one can add many original ingredients but it is quite common to use peperoni and lemon juice… And avoid giving some to your dog!
As well as for Alcohol, a specific section is dedicated to managning the effects of KGB (Knock yer Grog Back). The effects are most rarely moderate so, take car! With Grog, it is maybe more frequently a matter of having Got a Nerve! than of Constitution because, at any rate, it is not very good for the health!
Level 0 : « I heard Grog is not very good for my stomach ulcer… »Level 10 : « Yer the keeper, here?! Yer Grog smells like me bilges! No' enough sulfuric acid! »
Make All Sorts of Faces
Ability to clown around, but also to disguise effectively. This Skill may seem innocuous, however a well-placed grimace in an Pass of Arms can destabilize your opponent… Think about it! There are a thousand ways to turn situations to your advantage, clowning around is one of them. As for the ability to disguise yourself, it will quickly become obvious to our budding pirates that it is not a luxury to move around quietly on certain islands…
One last point of importance: this Skill also allows you to hide your emotions taking a posture or making a face. Indeed, controlling your body and face for the purpose of exaggeration also allows you to control them in order to imitate emotions that you do not really feel. This ultimately shows the enormous usefulness of this Skill.
Level 0 : « Are you smiling at me? »Level 10 : You usually defeat your opponents without even touching them with the saber, and they don't hold it against you either: they just crack up in laughter as soon as you start your impossible gestures! You'd even make a sea monster choke on its laughter… If it gave you the time to…
Poker Play
The Poker Game Skill covers of course the capacity to play that most noble game but also many other games where the « bluff » factor takes some importance, combined with some tactical thinking. That game is so representative of the Pirates of the Known World that, actually, that Skill serves also in situations which often have absolutely nothing to do with a card game but where « bluff » becomes important. For instance, even a salted Captain may require his full Poker Game Skill to successfully accomplish an unusual manoeuvering in a Naval Fight… A Roll versus (Poker Game + Naval Battle Tactics) will perhaps be necessary.
That Skill is often used by those who have Got a Nerve, sometimes it is used with Cleverness. It can also frequently be used in combination to other Skills as we just saw in the previous example. To execute a Feint in a pass of arms, (Poker Game + Sabres & Other Blades) can prove very useful.
Resisting the use of that Skill requires, according to the case, to make sure one Won't Get Nabbed! or the Poker Play Skill itself.
Level 0: « Aer… Matey? What should I do with four aces in hand? Open at eighty, no-trump? »Level 10: « I played already several times even me poor o' grand'ma and… always got me booties back! »
Rumours & Mess-About
That Skill not only consists in telling all sorts of stories, with the aim to inform, deform or also to reveal secrets or diffamate, in public or in private situations, but also in listening to and getting information about what is going on on the place. That capacity is essential to pick the good tips at the right time, avoid problems or, on the contrary, create some for others (and possibly again create oneself some more at the end of the day…)…
One often uses that Skill with Perception, Got a Nerve! or Cleverness. The most salted ones are able to use it in combination to Smooth / Bootlick Things: there's not limit to false compliments to be understood between the lines! Beware however not to mix up that Skill with Won't get Nabbed! which is used to convince, deceive or unveil similar attempts against oneself. Level 0 : « Well, that's the story of, aer… a guy and… aer… Wait! I didn't finished! »
Level equal to or higher than 6: you are skilled to tell incredible stories and people tend to believe them, be they true or not. That may bring you great fame, up to you to decide if you're ready to risk loosing the face if a Pirate puts you to proove your sayings!
Level 10 : « So, ya see, that curs' scallywag there? 'Told me he'd slice your throat. So ya know, me… I tell you that, told you nothing as well. But ye'd better take some precautions or even the initiative if ye've the guts! »