Special Skill RankingsI thought it would be fun to rank the six Special Skills you can acquire in the game.
The two Special Skills I'd recommend that you get are
Spelling and
Charisma but this is mostly based on getting as much Amonour as possible to max out your Skill.
I'll list their uses, the number of quests they are used on (including from the 7 on the Quest Board and the Final Shivering Man Quest) and any extra Money or Amonour that results explicitly from their use.
(And cannot be gained through alternate means.)
6th: BrawlingUses 1, Quests Used 1/8, Direct Money Gain: 0 or 10 Gold, Direct Amonour Gain 1 or 3.
Details on Uses:
Use 1 (On Golden Path):
Quest: Accompany Garreau's Grand Caravan to Shazâar
Used when Goblin Wolf Riders attack Luquin Garreau's caravan.
Brawling allows you to fight the two enemies one at a time, rather than simultaneously.
Brawling also allows you to fight the two enemies without subtracting 1 from your Attack Strength.
These two enemies are:
1st Goblin Wolf Rider SK7 ST6
2nd Goblin Wolf Rider SK6 ST7
Making the reasonable assumption that you have Skill 12 Stamina 6 Luck 6 at this point the percentage win rate for this fight is:
With Brawling: 100.0%
Without Brawling: 99.8%
Positives:If you acquire it by escorting Valenore Musek's caravan then you gain 3 Amonour points that can be used for raising Skill.
If you acquire it by escorting Valenore Musek's caravan you gain 3 Second Chance Rolls and 3 Instant Death Rolls.
If you acquire it by escorting Valenore Musek's caravan you gain 6 Gold during training and a Strongarm Armband that will gain you an extra 4 gold when escorting Luquin Garreau's caravan.
If you acquire it at the Testing Grounds you get some fun Creature of Havoc crossovers.
Negatives:Acquiring it is tough, with just above a 10% chance of surviving the training (not factoring possible Second Chance roll use).
It's one use has a negligible effect if you have maximised your Skill.
It is only used once,
ONCE, during all of the fights in the game.
Overall:What a disappointment.
When seeing the names of the Special Skills, Brawling was the one I wanted.
Yet to even get it requires a lot of lucky dice rolls and then you can only use it once.
If I have a Brawling Special Skill then I at least want to use it in a bar fight, damn it!
5th Trap KnowledgeUses 2, Quests Used 2/8, Direct Money Gain: -3 Gold, Direct Amonour Gain 0 or 2.
Details on Uses:
Use 1 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Solve the Mystery of the Screaming Sky
Used in the Crimson Caverns to give a vague warning that a large boulder may be unstable.
Gives you the option to avoid having to make a Luck test to avoid a Stamina loss of 2 and a Skill loss of 1.
This luck test would then be then followed by a Skill test to avoid falling to your death in an underground river.
Use 2 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Pest Control in King Salamon's Mines
Used in the tunnel marked with a skull to warn it would be dangerous to proceed and allow you to turn back.
Entering the tunnel without Trap Knowledge would lead to death from the tunnel caving in.
Positives:If you pass a Skill test during training then you gain 2 Amonour points that can be used for raising Skill.
Warns against possible Stamina loss, Skill loss and death in the Crimson Caves and allows you to leave.
Allows you to avoid instant death if you go into the skull marked tunnel in King Salamon's mines.
Negatives:It costs 3 Gold to acquire.
Both of its uses still allow you to ignore it's advice and face the consequences.
The information about avoiding the skull marked tunnel can also be got from the Dwarf miners if you give them ale.
The information about avoiding the skull marked tunnel can also be got from the Temple of Logaan if your get the Lucky Special Skill.
Both of its uses are off the Golden Path so it would not be used at all on an optimal play through.
Only two uses in the game.
Overall:A decent idea for a Special Skill but it is only implemented twice and is useless unless you go the wrong way.
On subsequent plays through you would likely avoid these traps anyway.
The trap on the Golden Path where this Special Skill would be useful is the Orc Chieftain's chest.
You will want to open this chest to get the 20 Gold Pieces inside but must lose 1D6 of Stamina from a poisoned dart trap.
Trap Knowledge does nothing here, you would think trapped chests would be its bread and butter!
4th World LoreUses 4, Quests Used 4/8, Direct Money Gain: -4 Gold, Direct Amonour Gain 1.
Details on Uses:
Use 1 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Rid the Slime & Swine Guttery of the Rattapillar
Used to identify the Rattapillar as a Spit Maggot.
Allows the option to use salt to instantly kill the Rattapillar.
If you don't use salt it allows you to avoid the Rattapillar's spit.
Use 2 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Accompany Garreau's Grand Caravan to Shazâar
Used to warn you of the dangers of predators at an oasis.
If this warning is heeded then you miss out on 4 Stamina, 1 Amonour and 2 Provisions!
Use 3 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Solve the Mystery of the Screaming Sky
Used in Trolltooth Pass to recognise a flying vessel as the Galleykeep, the airborne headquarters of Zharradan Marr.
Use 4 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Collect Cauldronweed for the Witches of Dree
Used in a clearing in Bu Fon Fen to avoid falling in a sinkhole.
(The sinkhole can also be avoided by going the correct way or by passing a Luck Test.)
(The sinkhole could be escaped from with Spelling or a rope.)
Positives:If you acquire it then you gain 1 Amonour point that can be used for raising Skill.
Removes the possibility of dying by falling in a sinkhole in Bu Fon Fen.
Allows you to kill the Rattapillar without a fight.
You get an extra Zharradan Marr name check in the Trolltooth pass.
Negatives:
It costs 4 Gold to acquire.
You lose 2 Stamina when acquiring.
Acquiring it requires the knowledge of Hamaskis' parents.
There is, as far as I can tell, no indication within the book as to Hamaskis' parents are, so it is a 1 in 3 guess.
All of its uses are off the Golden Path so it would not be used at all on an optimal play through.
It advises missing out on the Oasis and the 4 Stamina, 1 Amonour and 2 Provisions you would find there!
Overall:Using knowledge to aid your adventure is a nice idea.
Unfortunately its best use, killing the Rattapillar, is on the starter Quest that you probably wouldn't play after a few adventures.
The fact your knowledge advises you to miss out on a nice Stamina and Provision bonus, whilst realistic from a risk avoidance point of view, isn't great for World Lore's ranking.
However, the instant kill of the Rattapillar along with the complete removal of the sinkhole option put it above Trap Knowledge for me.
3rd LuckyUses 16, Quests Used 7/8, Direct Money Gain: 0 Gold, Direct Amonour Gain 0.
(No direct gains as you could pass the Luck tests without this special skill.)
Details on Uses:
Use 1 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Rid the Slime & Swine Guttery of the Rattapillar
Will always pass the luck test to avoid the spit of the Rattapillar and the 2 Stamina lost.
Use 2 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Accompany Garreau's Grand Caravan to Shazâar
Will always pass the luck test to avoid the Gretch's ambush and the 3 Stamina lost.
Use 3 (Off the Golden Path)
Quest: Solve the Mystery of the Screaming Sky
Will always pass the luck test to successfully hide from the Blood Orcs in Trolltooth Pass.
This avoids a simultaneous fight against:
1st Blood Orc SK7 ST7
2nd Blood Orc SK7 ST6
And the following one at a time fight against:
1st Tooki SK8 ST10
2nd Tooki SK8 ST10
Use 4 (Off the Golden Path)
Quest: Solve the Mystery of the Screaming Sky
Will always pass the luck test to avoid twisting your ankle on the boulder in the Crimson Caverns.
This avoids the loss of 2 Stamina and 1 Skill.
Use 5 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Collect Cauldronweed for the Witches of Dree
Will always pass the luck test in a clearing in Bu Fon Fen to avoid falling in a sinkhole.
(The sinkhole could be escaped from with Spelling or a rope.)
Use 6 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Collect Cauldronweed for the Witches of Dree
Will always pass the luck test to be successful in haggling with a Cursewitch in Dree.
Will gain an extra 2 Gold Pieces for the Cauldronweed with successful haggling.
Will learn of the items required to break a curse.
Use 7 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Obtain the Horn of the Black Unicorn
Will always pass the luck test to successfully creep up on the Black Unicorn.
This will allow you the chance to bind the Black Unicorn with a rope. (If you have one.)
Use 8 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Will always pass the luck test to gain the number of knocks required to enter the House of the Behemoth from a member of the Sister of the Brotherhood.
Use 9 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Will always pass the luck test to knock at the House of the Behemoth at the correct meeting time if you do not know it.
This avoids you being immediately thrown into the Chaos Spawn's pit and allows you to take the Ordeal by Dilemma.
Use 10 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Will always pass the luck test if the Sisters of the Brotherhood are unsure of your answers from the Ordeal by Dilemma after using the Charisma Special Skill.
This avoids you being immediately thrown into the Chaos Spawn's pit and grants you an audience with Cardinal Zyn.
Use 11 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Will always pass the Luck test if the Chaos Spawn is freed from its chain avoiding you having to fight it.
Chaos Spawn SK10 ST12
Use 12 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: None/Dream
Will always pass the luck test trying to tiptoe past the sentry post avoiding the fight:
Orc SK6 ST5
Use 13 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: None/Dream
Will always pass the luck test trying to steal a box containing 1 Gold and avoiding the fight:
Orc SK6 ST4
Use 14 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: None/Dream
Will always pass the luck test when trying to leave the dining room and avoiding the fight (one at a time):
1st Orc SK6 ST4
2nd Orc SK5 ST3
3rd Orc SK6 ST4
4th Orc SK5 ST2
5th Orc SK4 ST4
Use 15 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: The Shivering Man
Will always pass the luck test if you have the Charisma Special Skill, an Amonour less than 25 and no Golden Oak Leaf to convince the Elves of Erin Durdinath that you are an honourable soul and avoid instant death.
Use 16 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: The Shivering Man
Will always pass the luck test so that Healing Hans will have some Medusa Grass if you do not, and so avoid the failure of the quest.
Positives:When you acquire it, you gain 3 Second Chance Rolls.
You will never fail a Luck test (outside of battle).
This is useful as your Luck will be below 7 making it more likely to fail than pass a Luck test with this Special Skill.
You will not lose a Luck point when testing your Luck (Allowing more Luck for using in Battle if need be.)
It is most useful for allowing you to automatically pass the Luck test to avoid the loss of 3 Stamina before the Gretch battle. (The hardest battle you'll face.)
Allows you to pass the Luck test to gain an extra 2 Gold Pieces for the Cauldronweed with successful haggling.
Getting a full list of items required to break the curse is useful for adventures before you manage to complete the quest.
Allows you to avoid two VERY easy fights on the golden path in the Dream.
Ties into the opening and ending of the book and the appearances of the Leprechaun.
Possible hint not to take the Black Unicorn's Horn.
Possible hint to avoid the skull marked tunnel in King Salamon's mine.
Possible hint not to follow the footprints in Bu Fon Fen.
Possible hint that a 'Summoner of Dwarfs' is found in the Bazaar.
Possible hint that you will need Shrieker Blood.
Possible hint that you will need Medusa Grass to break a curse.
Possible hint that the lizard of Shazâar has Medusa Grass.
Possible hint that the curse can be broken by the breath of the one who spoke it.
Negatives:It doesn't give you any extra Amonour during training for that can be used for raising Skill.
You will not be able to raise your Initial Skill to 12!!
Most of the automatically passed Luck tests can be mitigated in other ways.
The two luck tests on the Golden Path against the Orcs in the dream only allow you to avoid two approximately 100.0% win fights.
Overall:A ridiculously overpowered Special Skill, how I would like to have this in some of the other books.
However by its very nature, none of the uses of Lucky give an effect that could not be obtained by passing a Luck test.
The fact that the appearances of Billick O'Doone, the Leprechaun, are tied into the Lucky Special Skill leads me to believe that the authors intended you acquire this Special Skill.
If you got a single little Amonour point during the Lucky training then it would be ranked in second position.
However the
HUGE negative of not being able to raise your Initial Skill to 12 leaves this Special Skill languishing down in 3rd place.
2nd CharismaUses 6, Quests Used 5/8, Direct Money Gain: 1D6 - 3 Gold and 1D6 +6 Salacoins, Direct Amonour Gain: Ceiling(1D6/2).
Details on Uses:
Use 1 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Pest Control in King Salamon's Mines
Used to talk to the dwarf miners.
Discover that the pests are Rock Grubs and Grannits.
Learn that the Shivering Man is hiding out in the lower levels of the mine.
Use 2 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Collect Cauldronweed for the Witches of Dree
Will always be successful in haggling with a Cursewitch in Dree.
Will gain an extra 2 Gold Pieces for the Cauldronweed with successful haggling.
Will learn of the items required to break a curse.
Use 3 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Obtain the Horn of the Black Unicorn
Will allow you to successfully approach the Black Unicorn.
This will allow you the chance to bind the Black Unicorn with a rope. (If you have one.)
Use 4 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Gain the number of knocks required to enter the House of the Behemoth from a member of the Sister of the Brotherhood.
Use 5 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Will allow a Luck test if the Sisters of the Brotherhood are unsure of your answers from the Ordeal by Dilemma after using the Charisma Special Skill.
Passing the Luck test will avoid being immediately thrown into the Chaos Spawn's pit and grant you an audience with Cardinal Zyn.
Use 6 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: The Shivering Man
Will allow a Luck test if you have an Amonour less than 25 and no Golden Oak Leaf to convince the Elves of Erin Durdinath that you are an honourable soul and avoid instant death.
Positives:
When you acquire it you gain 1-3 Amonour points that can be used for raising Skill.
Allows you to gain an extra 2 Gold Pieces for the Cauldronweed with successful haggling.
Getting the list of items required to break the curse is useful for adventures before you manage to complete the quest.
Will help to reinforce that the location of the Shivering Man is in the Silver Mine.
You will be able to use it a few times on the Golden Path.
If you are lucky with dice rolls during your training you may make a profit of 4.2 Gold.
Negatives:
I costs 3 Gold to acquire and if you are unlucky with dice rolls you may a loss of up to 1.7 Gold during your training.
After the introduction to Rodriguez near the start of the game it would have been nice to use this skill to collect gold and get free rooms for the night between quests.
It isn't as useful as Lucky and if you got a single Amonour point during Lucky training then Lucky would be more desirable.
Overall:A nice Special Skill to have.
Though it isn't amazingly useful, like the 3rd and 1st placed entries, it will guarantee you can make enough Amonour to reach an Initial Skill of 12 before the Quest Board.
1st SpellingUses 10, Quests Used 7/8, Direct Money Gain: -4 Gold, Direct Amonour Gain: 3.
Details on Uses:
Use 0 (On the Golden Path)
During Training
Spell Word: FIRE
Gains the Spelling Special Skill.
Use 1 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Rid the Slime & Swine Guttery of the Rattapillar
Spell Word: VERMIN
Avoids the initial attack of the Rattapillar and the 2 Stamina lost.
Use 2 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Accompany Garreau's Grand Caravan to Shazâar
Spell Word: SHIELD
Shields you from the Hill Goblins' arrows and avoids the loss of 1D6 of Stamina.
Gains you 1 Amonour.
Use 3: (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Solve the Mystery of the Screaming Sky
Spell Word: INVISIBLE
You will successfully hide from the Blood Orcs in Trolltooth Pass avoiding, at best, a fight, one at a time, against:
1st Tooki SK8 ST10
2nd Tooki SK8 ST10
Use 4 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Collect Cauldronweed for the Witches of Dree
Spell Word: VINE (No S on the end, though there is no indication of this in the clue.)
Allows you to escape the sinkhole in Bu Fon Fen if you do not have a rope.
If you don't have Spelling here you will die.
Use 5 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Collect Cauldronweed for the Witches of Dree
Spell Word: FOG
Allows you to escape the Toadmen when surrounded in Bu Fon Fen.
If you don't have Spelling here you will die.
Use 6 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Obtain the Horn of the Black Unicorn
Spell Word: CALM
Subdues the Black Unicorn allowing you to approach.
Avoids having to use the Charisma/Lucky/Pass a Luck Test and then successfully pass a Skill Test to use the rope.
Use 7 (On the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Spell Word: CHAOS
Allows you instant access to the House of the Behemoth without having to gather any of the 3 numerical clues associated with it location, the meeting time and the number of knocks.
Use 8 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: Bring Cardinal Zyn to Justice
Spell Word: FRIEND
Will make the Chaos Spawn attack the Sisters of the Brotherhood allowing you to confront Cardinal Zyn.
Use 9 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: The Shivering Man
Spell Words: SILVER MINE
Gives you the Shivering Man's location if you have not deduced it from clues during your adventure.
Not knowing this location means the failure of your quest.
Use 10 (Off the Golden Path):
Quest: The Shivering Man
Spell Word: N/A
A failed use of Spelling during the attack of the Shrieker Swarm as you can't concentrate enough to hear the voice of the Oracle.
Using Spelling here leads to the loss of 2 Luck points.
Positives:When you acquire it you gain 2 Amonour points that can be used for raising Skill.
Allows you to gain an extra Amonour point for shielding Garreau's Caravan from a barrage of arrows.
Its use throughout the adventure is varied and interesting, including the initial use in training and the failed use during the Shrieker Swarm attack.
Gives you a second chance if your mental arithmetic isn't up to adding up the letters for the Shivering Man's location.
Allows you to subdue the Black Unicorn without risk which is crucial to the adventure.
Will allow you full entry to the House of the Behemoth without having to gather any of the 3 numerical clues.
Allows you to avoid fights whilst travelling through Trolltooth Pass.
Can save you from two separate instant deaths in Bu Fon Fen.
Negatives:You have to be reasonably nimble at mental arithmetic (or have pen/paper or a calculator handy) to be able to use it.
Failing this arithmetic will often lead to death or the failure of the quest.
Relying on Spelling too much can lead to the loss of 2 Luck and having to fight at a 2 Attack Strength disadvantage against the Shrieker Swarm.
Overall:I have no doubt that this is Steve Jackson's favourite Special Skill.
On the Golden Path you will use it 3 times with all 3 of these uses giving real benefits.
It is very helpful on the two top tier Quests from the quest board the Black Unicorn and Cardinal Zyn.
The mental arithmetic aspect adds a bit of a challenge to a Special Skill that really does make things quite easy for you.
Used twice to avoid Stamina loss, three times to avoid fights, twice to escape otherwise certain death, twice to subdue creatures and twice to divine information vital to your quest.
Such variety, it is the Swiss Army Knife of Special Skills.
By far the best Special Skill in the game.