Architecture

Key facts

Characteristic

Reason

Overview

Architecture covers how structures stand and how they fall: which wall bears the roof, where a castle's builders would hide a sally port, whether a bridge will take a wagon, what a floor plan says about the missing space behind it. It is a Reason skill because it draws on learned principles and comparison to known styles. It comes up when scouting a fortress, finding a route through a dungeon, planning a collapse, or dating a ruin by its construction.

How it works

Characteristic: Reason. Skill group: Reason skills. Test: 2d10 + Reason; 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: Tier 3 gives a precise read: the exact weak point, the concealed space, the safe path. Tier 2 gives a general assessment. Tier 1 misjudges the structure, which can mean a wrong turn or a wall that gives way. Edges and banes: Plans, time to inspect, or a familiar building style grants an edge (+2). Darkness, rubble, alien construction, or pressure imposes a bane (-2).

Tips and playstyle

Best for: Planners who like to know the layout before the fight, and anyone who breaks into or out of fortified places. Character concepts: Artisan career mason, dwarf raised in delved halls, Soldier who served on siege works. Synergies: Engineering for the machines inside a wall, Search for the door Architecture says must exist, Tactics for turning a floor plan into a battle plan.

Frequently asked questions