<html>
<head>
<title>Crossfire Playerbook - Chapter 5</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Skills System</h1>
<h2><a name="5.1.0">Description</h2>
Under the skills system the flow of play changes dramatically. Instead of
gaining experience for basically just killing monsters (and disarming traps)
players will now gain a variety of experience through the use of skills.
Some skills replicate old functions in the game (e.g. melee weapons skill,
missile weapon skill) while others add new functionality (e.g. stealing,
hiding, writing, etc). A complete list of the available skills can be found
in table <a href="#table_skill_stats">skill statistics</a>. Appendix <a
href="appB.html">B (skills)</a> contains descriptions for many of the
skills. <p>
<em>Note:</em> The skills system is enabled as the default option
as of version 0.92.0<p>
<em>Note2:</em> The new skills/experience system is compatible
with character files from at least version 0.91.1 onward.
<a name="table_skill_stats">
<center>
<table border=1 cellpadding=5">
<tr><th>Skill</th><th>Experience Category</th><th colspan=3>Associated Stats</th></tr>
<tr><th></th><th></th><th>Stat 1</th><th>Stat 2</th><th>Stat 3</th></tr>
<!--#include file="skill_stat.html"-->
</table>
Skills</center>
<p>
<h2><a name="5.2.0">About experience and skills</h2>
<h3><a name="5.2.1">Associated and miscellaneous skills</h3>
In <em>Crossfire</em> two types of skills exist; The first kind, ``associated''
skills, are those skills which are <em>associated with a category of
experience</em>. The other kind of skill, ``miscellaneous'' skills,
are <em>not</em> related to any experience category.
<p>
The main difference between these two kinds of skills is in the
result of their use.
When associated skills are used <em>successfully</em> experience is
accrued in the experience category <em>associated with that skill</em>.
In contrast, the use of miscellaneous skills <em>never</em> gains
the player any experience regardless of the success in using it.
<p>
<em>Both</em> miscellaneous and associated skills can <em>fail</em>. This means
that the attempt to use the skill was unsuccessful. <em>Both</em>
miscellaneous and associated skills <em>can</em> have certain
primary stats <em>associated</em> with them. These associated stats can help
to determine if the use of a skill is successful and to what
<em>degree</em> it is successful.
<p>
All gained experience is modified by the associated
stats for that skill (table <a href="#table_skill_stats">skill statistics</a>) and then the
appropriate experience category automatically updated as needed.
<p>
<h3><a name="5.2.2">Restrictions on skills use and gaining experience</h3>
Neither a character's stats nor the character class restricts the
player from gaining experience in any of the experience
categories. Also, there are no inherent
restrictions on character skill use-any player may
use any <em>acquired</em> skill.
<p>
<center>
<table border=1 cellpadding=5><col align=center>
<a name="table_exp_stat_mod">
<tr><th>Average of associated stats</th>
<th>Experience gained multiplier</th>
<th>Average of associated stats</th>
<th>Experience gained multiplier</th></tr>
<!--#include file="statskmod.html"-->
</table>
How stats associated with a skill modify gained experience<p>
</center>
<p>
<h3><a name="5.2.3">Algorithm for Experience Gain under the skills system</h3>
<p>
Here we take the view that a player must 'overcome an opponent'
in order to gain experience. Examples include foes killed in combat,
finding/disarming a trap, stealing from some being, identifying
an object, etc.
<p>
Gained experience is based primarily on the difference in levels
between 'opponents', experience point value of a ``vanquished foe'',
the values of the associated stats of the skill being used and
two factors that are set internally <em>Note:</em> If you want to
know more about this, check out the skills_developers.doc.)
<p>
Below the algorithm for experience gain is given where player ``pl''
that has ``vanquished'' opponent ``op'' using skill ``sk'':<p>
<quote>
EXP GAIN = (EXP(op) + EXP(sk)) * lvl_mult * stat_mult<p>
</quote>
where EXP(sk) is a constant award based on the skill used,
EXP(op) is the base experience award for `op' which depends
on what op is (see below),
stat_mult is taken from table <a href="#table_exp_stat_mod">experience modification</a>,
and lvl_mult is:
<p>
For level(pl) < level(op):: <p>
<samp>
lvl_mult = FACTOR(sk) * (level(op) - level(pl))<p>
</samp>
For level(pl) = level(op):: <p>
<samp>
lvl_mult = FACTOR(sk)<p>
</samp>
For level(pl) > level(op):: <p>
<samp>
lvl_mult = (level(op)/level(pl)); <p>
</samp>
where level(op) is the level of `op', level(pl) is the level
of the player, and FACTOR(sk) is an internal factor based on
the skill used by pl.
<p>
There are three different cases for how EXP(op) can be computed:
<ol>
<li> <strong>op is a living creature</strong>: EXP(op) is just the base
experience award given in the <A href="../spoiler-html/spoiler.html">spoiler</a> .
<li><strong>op is a trap</strong>: EXP(op) = 1/(fraction of the time which the
trap is visible). Thus, traps which are highly <em>visible</em> get <em>lower</em>
values.
<li><strong>op is not a trap but is non-living</strong>: EXP(op) = internal
experience award of the item. Also, the lvl_mult is multiplied by
any <samp>magic</samp> enchantment on the item.
</ol>
<p>
<h2><a name="5.3.0">How skills are used</h2>
<centeR>
<a name="table_skill_cmd">
<table cellpadding=5 border=1>
<tr><td><samp>skills</samp></td><td> This command lists all the player's
current known skills, their level
of use and the associated experience
category of each skill. </td></tr>
<tr><td> <samp>ready_skill <skill></samp></td><td> This command changes
the player's current readied skill to
<samp><skill></samp>. </td></tr>
<tr><Td> <samp>use_skill <skill> <string></samp></td><td> This
command changes the player's current
readied skill <em>and</em> then executes it
in the facing direction of the player.
Similar in action to the <samp>invoke</samp>
command. </td></tr>
</table>
Skills commands<p>
</center>
Three player commands are related to skills use: <samp>ready_skill</samp>,
<samp>use_skill</samp>, and <Samp>skills</samp> (see table <a
href="#table_skill_cmd">skill commands</a>). Generally, a player will use a
skill by first readying the right one, with the <samp>ready_skill</samp>
command and then making a ranged ``attack'' to activate the skill; using
most skills is just like firing a wand or a bow. In a few cases however, a
skill is be used just by having it <em>readied</em>. For example, the
<samp>mountaineer</samp> skill allows favorable movement though hilly
terrain while it is readied.<p>
To change to a new skill, a player can use either the <samp>use_skill</samp>
or <samp>ready_skill</samp> commands, but note that the use of several
common items can automatically change the player's current skill too.
Examples of this include readying a bow (which will cause the code to make
the player's current skill <samp>missile_weapons</samp>) or readying a melee
weapon (current skill auto-matically becomes <samp>melee weapons</samp>).
Also, some player actions can cause a change in the current skill. Running
into a monster while you have a readied weapon in your inventory causes the
code to automatically make our current skill <samp>melee weapons</samp>. As
another example of this-casting a spell will cause the code to switch the
current skill to <samp>wizardry</samp> or <samp>praying</samp> (as
appropriate to the spell type).<p>
It is not possible to use more than one skill at a time.<p>
<h2><a name="5.4.0">Acquiring skills</h2>
Skills may be gained in two ways. In the first, new skills may
<em>learned</em>. This is done by reading a ``skill scroll'' and the
process is very similar to learning a spell. Just as in attempts to learn
incantations, success in learning skills is dependent on a random test based
on the learner's INT. Using your INT stat, look in the learn% column in
table <a href="chap2.html#table_pri_eff">primary stat effects</a> to find
your % chance of learning a skill. Once you hit 100%, you will always be
successfull in learning new skills. <p>
The acquisition of a <em>skill tool</em> will also allow the player to use
a new skill. An example of a skill tool is ``lockpicks''
<!--#include file="lockpicks.html"-->
(which allow the
player to pick door locks). The player merely applies the skill
tool in order to gain use of the new skill. If the tool is unapplied,
the player loses the use of the skill associated with the tool.
<p>
After a new skill is gained (either learned or if player has an applied
skill tool) it will appear on the player's skill roster (use the 'skills'
command to view its status). If the new skill is an associated skill, then
it will automatically be gained at the player's current level in the
appropriate experience category. For example, Stilco the Wraith, who is 5th
level in <samp>agility</samp>, buys a set of lockpicks and applies them. He
may now use the skill lockpicking at 5th level of ability since that is an
<samp>agility</samp> associated skill.
<p>
<a href="handbook.html"><img src="fig/book.gif">Back to table of contents</a><br>
<a href="chap4.html"><img src="fig/stairup.gif">Go to chapter 4</a><br>
<a href="chap6.html"><img src="fig/stairdown.gif">Go to chapter 6</a><br>
