Skills

Dark Pawns features a rich, dual-layered skill and magic model. Mortals grow stronger through direct combat experience, mental study, and dedicated training near guildmasters.

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The Dual-Layer Architecture

To maintain high mechanical fidelity with legacy game engines while adding depth, character skills operate on two distinct, synchronized layers:

Layer 1: Core CircleMUD Skills

The baseline game mechanics. Every combat skill and stealth check is calculated directly through this layer. Skills are represented as raw proficiencies ranging from 0 to 100. Level requirements are strictly gated by your class.

Layer 2: The SkillManager

A modern progression overlay. Characters possess a pool of Skill Points and a maximum number of Skill Slots (default 10). You must use skill points to unlock skills in the SkillManager before they can be practiced or used in the game command loop.

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Learning & Practice

Unlocking a Skill

To unlock a new skill, you must visit a class guildmaster. Learning requires:

1. Character Level: Your level must meet the skill's difficulty ranking.
2. Stat Thresholds: Combat skills require $\ge 10$ Strength/Dexterity; Magic skills require $\ge 12$ Intelligence/Wisdom; Utility skills require $\ge 8$ Dexterity/Intelligence.
3. Skill Points: You must spend points equal to the skill's difficulty.
4. Available Slots: You must have an empty slot (maximum of 10 slots used, unless expanded).

Improving Your Proficiency

There are two distinct paths to mastery:

• Use-Based Improvement: Successfully executing a skill in the world (e.g., scoring a hit with backstab or hiding from sight) grants a chance to improve. The improvement check is driven by a combination of your Intelligence and Wisdom stats. As your proficiency grows higher, the window for automatic improvement becomes smaller.
• Guildmaster Practice: You can deliberately practice at a class guildmaster. Typing practice <skill> near a guildmaster adds practice points. Once practice points cross 100, your character attempts a level-up check based on stats and level versus the skill's difficulty. A success levels up the skill.

Proficiency Titles

Your level of mastery (0 to 100) displays with the following titles:

Level Scale	Title	Description
0	Unlearned	The character has no knowledge of this skill.
1–24	Novice	Basic understanding; success rate is highly unpredictable.
25–49	Apprentice	Developing muscle memory; moderate success in combat.
50–74	Journeyman	Highly competent; able to reliably teach others.
75–89	Expert	Exceptional speed and recovery in high-stakes situations.
90–99	Master	Renowned specialist; near-flawless execution.
100	Grandmaster	Peak mortal capability; legendary speed and precision.

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Core Skill Registries

Below are the default skills wired into the Dark Pawns game engine, organized by type:

1. Combat & Offensive Skills

Skill Command	Gated Classes	Minimum Level	Description
backstab	Thief, Assassin	1	A highly lethal strike executed from stealth behind a target.
bash	Warrior, Paladin, Ranger	3	A heavy shield or body blow designed to knock a target down.
kick	Most Classes	1	A quick, tactical foot strike dealing minor damage.
trip	Thief, Assassin	9	Sweeping a target's legs, incapacitating them for several combat ticks.
headbutt	Warrior, Paladin, Ranger	5–7	A forceful head strike dealing moderate damage with a minor stun.
rescue	Warrior, Paladin, Ranger	3–5	Divert a monster's attention to protect a fragile party member.

2. Stealth & Utility Skills

Skill Command	Gated Classes	Minimum Level	Description
sneak	Thief, Assassin	2	Move silently through rooms, evading aggressive monster triggers.
hide	Thief, Assassin, Ranger	5–10	Melt into the shadows, making yourself completely invisible to onlookers.
steal	Thief, Assassin	3	Filch gold or items from another humanoid's inventory.
pick_lock	Thief, Assassin	4	Bypass locked doors or chest security mechanisms without a key.

3. Advanced Combat (C-10 Spec)

These represent highly advanced combat options unlocked by seasoned combatants:

• disembowel — A brutal, bleeding slash dealing massive ongoing damage.
• dragon_kick / tiger_punch — Special high-tier unarmed martial arts styles.
• subdue / sleeper / neckbreak — Advanced chokeholds and finishing strikes.
• ambush — Strategic offensive initiation from hiding.
• parry — Dynamic weapon deflection to block incoming attacks.
• escape / retreat — Controlled disengagement from active combat.

4. Magic Domains

Spellcasters study eight distinct fields of magical spellcraft, gating their spell selection:

• Evocation (Direct combat damage, fireballs, lightning)
• Abjuration (Wards, shields, protection spells)
• Conjuration (Summoning entities and physical resources)
• Divination (Identity checks, scanning, locating objects)
• Enchantment (Target buffs, weapon charging)
• Illusion (Invisibility, mirror images)
• Necromancy (Lifetap, raising corpses, rot curses)
• Transmutation (Flesh altering, speed buffs)