Mettle: Talents and Skills

I think all actions (ignoring spell-casting for the moment) within an adventure game can be categorized as follows:

Melee (fighting with striking weapons or unarmed)
Marksmanship (throwing and shooting)
Subterfuge (lock-picking, pocket-picking, hiding and detecting hidden things, disarming traps, etc.)
Survival (tracking, foraging, navigation - outdoor survival skills)
Communication (languages, diplomacy, lying, intimidation, persuasion, haggling, etc.)

I will call these generalized skills "Talents". A Talent check is a 4x check: roll 1d6, multiply by 4, compare to related Trait plus Talent bonus.

If a player or GM wishes to create or develop a specialized skill, no problem. The specialized skill (Skill) is a 3x check: roll 1d6, multiply by 3, compare to related Trait plus Skill bonus. Learning or improving a Talent or Skill costs the same amount of XP but a Talent is a 4x check where a Skill is 3x check. Neither Talents nor Skills may be improved past +4.

Some examples...

A character named Bill has Subterfuge+3 but wishes to specialize in Traps. He spends XP and gains Traps+1. His Subterfuge bonus no longer applies when dealing with traps.

If Ted did not have the Subterfuge Talent but wanted to learn how to detect/disarm traps, no problem. He spends XP and gains Traps+1. If Ted later decides to pickup the Subterfuge Talent, no problem. He spends XP and gains Subterfuge+1.

Both Bill and Ted must meet someone willing to teach them their new Skill. However, Talents may be self-taught.

a vertical cavern-crawl map

(potentially for use with my Death Maze / Citadel of Blood inspired game called MoBaD - Maze of Blood and Death)

Mettle

Creating a Character
Start with 6 points in each of the following traits: Strength (ST), Dexterity (DX), Intelligence (IQ), and Mettle (MT). Distribute 8 additional points among those traits as desired. Choose 4 points of Talents, Skills, or Spells.

Trait Tests
Roll 1d6. A 1 is always a success. A 6 is always a failure. Multiply the roll by 3 (3x). If the result is less than or equal to the tested Trait, the test is passed.

Talent Tests
Roll 1d6. A 1 is always a success. A 6 is always a failure. Multiply the roll by 4 (4x). If the result is less than or equal to the applicable Trait plus Talent bonus, the test is passed.

Skill Tests
Roll 1d6. A 1 is always a success. A 6 is always a failure. If the skill is known, multiply the roll by 3 (3x). Otherwise, multiply the roll by 4 (4x). If the result is less than or equal to the applicable Trait plus Skill bonus, the test is passed.

Winning Tests
When there is opposition to a character's action, the character must win a test against the opposition. Both sides roll 1d6, multiply the result by 2, and add a related Trait plus a related Talent or Skill. The character with the highest result wins the test. Let the highest roll (1d6) break a tie when possible. Otherwise, re-roll.

Octoid

Octoids have yellow-green skin that is both semi-transparent and semi-luminescent when they are excited. These rare creatures can stun their prey with a pale red beam from their single large eye. Octoids will envelop the head of their victims whenever possible. Once firmly attached, the victim becomes a meat-puppet extension of the octoid's body, attacking any perceived threat. Once all threats have been eliminated, the octoid begins secreting acidic enzymes that allow it to dissolve, digest, and absorb it's prey.

The octoid has eight dexterous tentacles centered around an orifice beneath their large, bulbous heads. Within the orifice are three jagged and razor-sharp teeth. Octoids can levitate but are much quicker when scurrying around on solid surfaces with their tentacles. Despite their resemblance to sea-creatures, water affects octoids as if it were fire or scalding hot liquid. They are immune to the affects of cold and can survive in the vacuum of space indefinitely.

Cybot Reimagined :)

Cybot

The Ilcanthi

Many myths and legends surround these amphibious humanoids. Some say they came from the Underworld while others say they come from under the sea. While many names have been ascribed to their race, the more learned refer to them as the Ilcanthi - which means 'silent talkers' in the scholarly tongue. Their numbers are few but more often found in swampy areas. Some ilcanthi have been known to eat the brains of their victims for nourishment.