Terrain Lore

Key facts

Characteristic

Intuition

Overview

Terrain Lore is regional geography as practical knowledge: which valleys flood in spring, where a mountain range can be crossed and at what cost, what a marsh does to a supply train, which coastline hides usable anchorages. It is an Intuition skill because it is a traveler's sense of country rather than a scholar's list. It comes up in journey planning, when choosing where to make a stand, and whenever the Director asks whether the party knows what lies two days ahead.

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: Tier 3 recalls the region's routes, hazards, and a usable feature such as a ford or a shelter. Tier 2 gives the general character of the land. Tier 1 gives nothing, or a dangerously outdated picture. Edges and banes: Familiar regions, recent travelers' accounts, or a good map grants an edge (+2). Distant lands, terrain reshaped by war or magic, and underground or otherworldly geography impose a bane (-2).

Tips and playstyle

Best for: Parties running overland campaigns, and heroes who want to choose the ground before the enemy does. Character concepts: Nomadic culture drover, Laborer career caravan hand, a wilderness scout who mapped the frontier. Synergies: Navigate for the route itself, Nature for weather and living things in it, Tactics for turning terrain into an advantage.

Frequently asked questions