Skills
All characters in the Cleft of Dimensions get access to various skills as they level up.
Remember that you can always type help <skill name> in the game itself to get skill info.
The slookup <skill/spell name> command can also show additional interesting info.
Common Properties
Unlike Spells, skills are not bound by the common framework of 'cast'. Because of this, every single skill can have its own totally unique properties and activation conditions. On the other hand, skills can't be coded onto magical items.
Usually, skills are used by typing the name of the skill OR they have a passive chance of activating while doing other things. 'Active' skills usually can't be used if you have no Movement Points and will generate some lag, but don't use any mana.
Weapon Skills
Weapon skills are a group of skills that are chosen when you create your character. Each skill governs the use of one type of weapon, and different character classes get to choose different numbers of these skills, between one and three, from the following list:
- Short Slashing
- Short Bashing
- Short Piercing
- Long Slashing
- Long Bashing
- Long Piercing
- Melee
- Projectile
The Reploid race's armcannon skill is a weapon skill for all intents and purposes. The Warlord class's Lord of War skill is technically a weapon skill too.
During normal combat, a character's base chance of hitting a foe is half of their weapon skill plus 50%. If you are wielding a weapon that you don't have the appropriate skill for, the effective weapon skill is only 50%. The high miss rate from being unskilled can be offset with a high Hitroll stat, or by the Merchant class's Enchant Weapon spell.
Weapon skills also govern how much damage a character can deal with a weapon. Your Damroll stat is modified by your weapon skill; a character with 10 damroll but only 80% skill will only do 8 extra damage per attack. The completely unskilled have an effective skill of only 50%, which means only half of the character's damroll will apply to attacks. In addition, the base damage of the weapon is halved for the unskilled as well.
The damage penalty for being unskilled can be negated by wielding a weapon with any number of Enchant Weapon skills applied to it, though.
The amount of skill with your wielded weapon also affects:
- The success rate of the Disarm skill, used by you or against you!
- The amount of extra damage gained from the Sharp weapon flag
Exotic type weapons are always treated as if the wielder has 100% skill.