100 Knacks for B/X D&D

I cooked up this Knack system some time ago, and have been using it to good effect in my ongoing OSE campaign. It provides a simple approach to skills while adding flavor and customization to character backgrounds and level progression.

Art by Larry Elmore

Character Knacks are a modular sub-system for B/X D&D (and various retroclones), and fills the niche that skills might take in other games (also compatible with my Character Boons subsystem). The purpose of Knacks is to provide more varied options when leveling up, to give the character a small numerical bump with related tasks, and to speak a little to the character's personality, background and interests. Although the utility and power of a Knack are somewhat limited and specific, I tend to give my players broad ground to argue for their application.

KNACK SYSTEM

A Knack is a minor skill, hobby, or area of knowledge. They are always narrow in scope, non-combat oriented, and can’t take the place, or reproduce another class ability. If your Knack can be plausibly applied to a (non-combat) related ability check (or x in 6 test), the GM may award a small bonus to the dice roll (typically +1, +2, or advantage). 

Knacks can be created by the player, selected from the big list below, or rolled randomly on a d100. If the GM agrees, a Knack may be taken twice, granting superior expertise in the field. Each character starts with 1 Knack, and gains another every two levels (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc). 

100 KNACKS

1. Fire Building	21. Herbalism	41. Scribe	61. Grave Digging	81. Geography
2. Rope Tricks	22. Leathercraft	42. Gardening	62. Archivist	82. Predict Weather
3. Direction Sense	23. Barber	43. Investigation	63. Taxidermy	83. Wayfinder
4. Cooking	24. Brewer	44. Appraisal	64. Torturer	84. Occult Lore
5. Carpentry	25. Seduction	45. Gem Cutting	65. Makeup Artist	85. Architecture
6. Painting & Drawing	26. Intimidation	46. Stone Mason	66. Apothecary	86. Engineering
7. Musical Talent	27. Disguise	47. Fortune Telling	67. Folklore	87. Drinking
8. Hunting	28. Legerdemain	48. Dancing	68. Philosophy	88. Holding Breath
9. Plant Lore	29. Card Games	49. Perfumer	69. Theology	89. Inspiring Oratory
10. Animal Lore	30. Etiquette	50. Horse Riding	70. Natural Science	90. Rhetoric
11. Animal   Handling	31. Fashion	51. Chess	71. Midwifery	91. Lip Reading
12. Tailor	32. Ventriloquism	52. Pottery	72. Mimicry	92. Acting
13. Haggling	33. Juggling	53. Metallurgy	73. Comedy	93. Subterfuge
14. Blacksmith	34. Bureaucracy	54. Improvised Devices	74. Animal Traps	94. Foraging
15. Boatcraft	35. Medicine	55. Forging Documents	75. Escape Artist	95. Swimming
16. Fishing	36. Boyer/ Fletcher	56. Poet	76. Iron Stomach	96. Empathy
17. Basket   Weaving	37. Beekeeping	57. Astronomy	77. Dowsing	97. Light Sleeper
18. Cobbler	39. Whittling	58. Competitive Sports	78. Throwing Objects	98. Politics
19. Detecting Lies	40.Tattoo Artist	59. Jeweler	79. Court Decorum	99. Double Jointed
20. Cartography	41. Puppeteer	60. Mathematics	80. Monster Lore	100. Ambidextrous