Draw Steel skill
Alertness
Alertness is a skill in Draw Steel: Noticing ambushes, tails, traps, and small changes in a room before they become problems.
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Key facts
- Characteristic
- Intuition
Overview
Alertness is the habit of paying attention: the extra shadow in an alley, the guard who stopped talking, a floor tile that sits lower than its neighbors. It is an Intuition skill because it depends on gut recognition rather than a deliberate search. It comes up constantly. The Director calls for it when something is about to happen that a watchful hero could catch: an ambush forming, a pickpocket closing in, a change in wind before a storm.
How it works
Characteristic: Intuition. Skill group: Intuition skills. Test: 2d10 + Intuition; 11 or lower is tier 1, 12 to 16 tier 2, 17 or higher tier 3. Training grants a benefit and unlocks attempts untrained heroes cannot make. How it is used: Often rolled against a hiding creature's Hide or Sneak test. Tier 3 spots the threat with time to act. Tier 2 notices something is off but not what. Tier 1 walks straight in. Edges and banes: A good vantage, quiet surroundings, or a warning from an ally grants an edge (+2). Fog, noise, exhaustion, or a distraction imposes a bane (-2).
Tips and playstyle
Best for: The party's point person and anyone who takes watch, since a failed watch is how surprise rounds start. Character concepts: Watch Officer career veteran, Warden who lived in wild country, Agent trained to spot tails. Synergies: Search for deliberate looking once you know something is there, Track to follow what you noticed, Read Person to tell nervous from hostile.
Frequently asked questions
How does Alertness differ from Search?
Alertness is passive noticing while doing something else. Search is spending time looking at a specific area on purpose.
Can only one hero roll Alertness for the group?
Usually everyone present rolls, and the Director uses the best result. One trained hero on watch protects the whole camp.