RULEBOOK

Gifts & Skills

Soltherra uses a two-tier system: Gifts (innate aptitude) and Skills (trained ability). When making a check, you pair a Gift with a Skill. The pairing is situational, not fixed.

Overview

  • Gifts represent what you are born with. Each Gift contributes 1d6 to a roll.
  • Skills represent what you have trained or acquired. A relevant Skill adds +1d6 to the roll.

The Six Gifts

GiftDescription
BodyPhysical capability — strength, agility, endurance, coordination
WitsPerception, reasoning, analytical thinking, precision
PresenceSocial magnetism, command, and personality
ResolveWillpower, mental fortitude, composure under pressure
ChannelingInnate magical aptitude, ability to sense and manipulate magical energy
AppealPhysical grace, aesthetic presence — the quality of being compelling to perceive

Every character has a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 in each Gift.

Skills

Skills are organized by category below. Categories exist purely as an organizational convenience — they have no mechanical meaning. Any skill can pair with any gift.

Athletics

SkillDescription
AcrobaticsTumbling, balancing, and agile movement
ClimbingScaling walls, cliffs, and other vertical surfaces
StealthMoving unseen and unheard
SwimmingMoving through water and staying afloat

Combat

SkillDescription
BrawlUnarmed fighting — fists, grappling, tackles
DefendingBlocking, parrying, and shielding against attacks
MeleeFighting with handheld weapons — swords, axes, spears

Marksmanship

SkillDescription
ArcheryBows, crossbows, and similar ranged weapons
GunsFirearms and gunpowder-based weapons
ThrowingThrown weapons and slings

Nature

SkillDescription
Animal HandlingWorking with animals, including riding
Plant KnowledgeIdentifying and using plants, herbs, and fungi
SurvivalNavigating, tracking, and thriving in the wilderness

Studies

SkillDescription
LoreHistorical, arcane, and scholarly knowledge
MedicineDiagnosing and treating injuries and illness
PoliticsUnderstanding power structures, factions, and diplomacy
TinkeringBuilding, repairing, and working with mechanisms
TradingAppraising goods, haggling, and commerce

Socializing

SkillDescription
CharmWinning people over with warmth and likability
CoercionIntimidation, threats, and pressure
EmpathyReading emotions, motives, and unspoken intent
EtiquetteNavigating social norms and formal settings
PerformanceActing, singing, storytelling, and public display
PersuasionConvincing others through argument and rhetoric

Subterfuge

SkillDescription
ConcealmentHiding objects, evidence, or intentions
DeceptionLying, misdirection, and disguise
StealingPickpocketing, lockpicking, and theft

Mindset

SkillDescription
AlertnessNoticing danger, ambushes, and hidden details
GritPushing through pain, fatigue, and hardship
Mental ResistanceResisting magical influence, fear, and mental intrusion
MeticulousnessCareful attention to detail and thoroughness

Channeling Skills

Casting spells from the spell catalog requires the Channeling gift paired with the appropriate channeling skill. A character without the Channeling gift cannot produce spell effects, regardless of their skill ranks.

That said, channeling skills paired with other gifts are entirely valid for narrative, non-spell-casting purposes. The skill represents knowledge of and familiarity with that energy type — spell casting is not the only thing you can do with that knowledge.

Wits + Fire: Fiera examines the enchanted forge, reading the heat signatures and energy residue to determine what was last crafted here.

Resolve + Mentality: Tharis feels the psychic intrusion pressing against his thoughts. He does not push back. He simply refuses to move. The intrusion finds nothing to grip.

Appeal + Restoration: The patient has refused treatment twice. Something about the way the healer speaks — calm, unhurried, as though the outcome were already certain — changes his mind. He extends his arm.

See Magic for full spell casting rules, including channeling, enchanting, and combat magic.

SkillDescription
ElectricityChanneling and controlling electrical energy
Enchant ItemImbuing objects with magical properties
FireCreating and manipulating flames
ForceTelekinetic and concussive magical effects
MentalityTelepathy, mental communication, and psychic effects
Release MagicDischarging stored or ambient magical energy
RestorationHealing and mending through magical means
Sense MagicaDetecting and analyzing magical auras and effects
VoidManipulating darkness, absence, and negation

Vitality

SkillDescription
Physical ToughnessReduces incoming damage in the Damage pipeline . Each dot reduces incoming damage by 5 points, applied before armor absorption.
Physical SpeedFree movement in combat. Each dot grants 1 free square of movement per round

Endurance

SkillDescription
Heavy LiftingCarrying, dragging, and sustained physical exertion
Poison ResistanceWithstanding toxins, venoms, and noxious substances

Floating Pairings

In Soltherra, Gift + Skill pairings are not fixed. The same skill paired with a different gift creates an entirely different fictional moment. The player describes what their character does, and the GM determines which Gift + Skill combination applies. This means every character approaches challenges differently based on their strengths.

Featured Examples

Channeling + Coercion: “I let a crackling arc of electricity dance between my fingertips as I repeat the question.”

Appeal + Melee: “My opponent hesitates — just a moment of awe — and that’s all I need.”

Resolve + Lore: “The cursed text tries to worm into my mind as I read it. I keep translating anyway.”

Explore Combinations

Select a gift and a skill below to see example pairings from the database.

Select a gift and skill to see example pairings.

Prepare

The Prepare mechanic allows a character to add a third die to any roll by spending time preparing with a relevant skill beforehand. See Combat Rules and detailed resolution sections when available.

Background Traits

Riches, Class, and Fame are set during character creation and cannot be upgraded with experience. They are not skills — they represent the character's social standing and resources at the start of play.

See Character Creation for how to build a character using these Gifts and Skills.