Learning New Skills

[OrcFighterFTW]

A recent topic was created asking about how to acquire new skills (viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8221&p=101445#p101445). In the course of the thread, it appears that I was told incorrectly and was actually prevented at a game from learning a new skill that I apparently should have been able to learn. The rulebook is very unclear on several things, so I'm asking ARC the following related questions so a complete answer to the overall question can be given:

1) What does it mean to "know" a skill?

2) Do you have to be able to use a skill to "know" it for the purposes of learning the next skill in progression or can you have a learned but unpurchased skill on your card and still be able to learn the next skill?

3) How does question #2 relate to spells?

[Specifically, I was prevented from learning 5th level spells because I had only purchased one level 4 spellslot, and therefore did not meet the spellslot prerequisite for buying the 5th spellslot, so I could not yet learn the 5th level. This was explained to me by a Marshall and several experienced players agreed that that's how it works.]

4) Are prerequisites only for the OOG purchasing of skills? i.e. can you learn every skill in the game in one weekend (in theory) and then buy them as necessary? OR do prerequisites need to be known/usable in-game to learn the next skill progression?

5) Also, do you need to be taught "teacher" or can you just buy it similar to CM/race skills?

Basically, could you clearly explain the out-of-game and in-game processes for learning skills?

Thanks.

 

[Polare]

Good afternoon,

Most of these questions should probably be answered by your chapter's Logistics staff. While many of your questions are not adequately explained in the rulebook, they *are* pretty locked-down by virtue of the common Logistics database - so they're not really clarifications or interpretations, just finding the right source for the information. I'll take a crack at them, but ARC is more about rules interpretations where things are fuzzy - this might not be the best place to ask these questions.

Here's the basic cycle for learning and teaching:

Character "S" wants to learn One-Handed Edged. At an event, they talk to Character "T" and ask for teaching. Character "T" has One-Handed Edged on their character card listed as purchased one time, as well as Teacher listed as purchased at least one time, as well as an unused Teacher card for the day, so they agree.

T and S roleplay the teaching of the skill. Afterwards, T fills out the Teacher card and hands it to S.

At the end of the event, S turns in the Teacher card with their Life tag to Logistics staff. After the event, Logistics staff add "One-Handed Edged" to S's card as purchased 0 times. Now, when S gets the appropriate amount of build, they can contact their Logistics staff and say "Please buy One-Handed Edged for my character". Once they have done so, they will now have One-Handed Edged listed as purchased 1 time on their card at the next event they play, and they can use One-Handed Edged weapons as well as teach it themselves.

So, to sum up:
- If a skill is not on your card at all, you can't purchase it or teach it.
- If it's on your card as "0", you can purchase it but not teach it.
- If it's on your card as anything above "0", you can teach it (and may be able to purchase more of it without further learning if it's a skill you can purchase multiple times).
- Any skill can go on your card as "0" no matter where you are in terms of prerequisites, but may only be purchased once its prerequisites are satisfied.
- The only skills that do not use this system are those listed in the "Racial Skills" section of the rulebook.

edit: There are some other exceptions, such as "Back Attack" and "Critical Attack" if you have Backstabs or Proficiencies respectively, as well as weapon skills part of other weapon skills (One-Handed Master teaching One-Handed Edged, for instance).

Hopefully this answers your questions. If you have further questions, you will probably be better off contacting Logistics staff (local or National) for more answers.

-Bryan Gregory
ARC