Skills

Skill Checks:  A skill check is required to perform certain tasks and takes into account your training in that skill.  To make a skill check, the player (or DM in certain cases) rolls d20 and adds a skill modifier which may be further modified by the preexisting conditions.

Difficulty Class:  The DC is the number set by the DM that a skill check must exceed in order to succeed.

Opposed Checks:  Often, a situation arises when characters are using skills in opposition of each other.  In this the characters make skill checks against each other using appropriate skills, the higher succeeds.

Retries:  Sometimes a failed attempt can be retried.  Retries are up to the DM's discretion.  Continued failure  may also have additional consequences.

Checks without Rolls:  When you are not in a rush and not being threatened or distracted, you may choose to take 10 as your roll and then calculate result as if you had rolled a ten.  When you have plenty of time, and the skill check carries no penalty for failure, you can take 20.  Taking 20 usually requires 20 times the standard amount of time given to performing the skill.  An example of such a use would be to search and are high an low (provided there aren't traps or beasties in the area.  Both taking 10 and 20 are subject to the DM's discretion.

Cooperation: On occasion PCs are essentially aiding each other in performing a skill related task.  In this case one PC is considered the leader of the effort an makes a standard skill check.  The PCs who are aiding in the operation make a skill check against DC 10, success grants a +2 circumstance bonus to the lead PC.  You cannot take 10 on this skill check.  DM may rule a limit to a number of PCs who can provide help to another due the the situation.

Class Skills vs. Cross-Class Skills:  Class Skills are those skills related to the character's class; 1 skill point= 1 rank in skill.  Cross-Class Skills are those skills that are not related to the class; 1 skill point=.5 (1/2) rank in skill.  Status of Cross-Class Skills should be indicated on character's sheet.

Skill Explanations

Alchemy:  You may make and identify alchemical items.  Magical  potions  require a feat to brew.  Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus.

Animal Empathy: You can improve an animal's reaction to you.

Appraise: You can estimate the value of an item.  Dwarves get a +2 racial bonus to Appraise.

Balance:  This skill is used when traversing a precarious surface.  5 ranks in Tumble gives you a +2 synergy bonus to balance.

Bluff: You can attempt to make the untruth see plausible.  This skill is usually opposed by Sense Motive.

Climb:  Use for climbing both natural and artificial terrains.  5 ranks in Rope Use gives you a +2 synergy bonus when using climb skill with a rope.

Concentration: Used primarily to cast spells in combat, but used for doing other tasks while distracted as well.  Combat Casting feat gives you +4 to check while casting in combat.

Craft:  You are trained in a craft or trade.  Craft sub-skills include armorsmithing, basketweaving, bookbinding, bowmaking, blacksmithing, calligraphy, carpentry, cobbling, gemcutting, leatherworking, locksmithing, painting, poisonbrewing, pottery, sculpture(stonecarving), shipmaking, stonemasonry, trapmaking, weaponsmithing, weaving, and woodcarving.  Dwarves get +2 racial bonus to metal-based crafts.  You can ply your trade to make money, earning about half your skill check in GP.

Decipher Script:  Used to piece together runes, or an unknown script in an attempt to find its meaning.

Disable Device:  Used to disarm traps or to set simple traps.  Most uses of this skill require Thief's Tools.

Disguise:  Used to change your appearance to someone else's.  Opposed by Spot checks.

Escape Artist:  Used to slip bonds, manacles, or wriggle through tight spaces, or to escape the hold of a monster.

Forgery:  Used to create and detect forgeries of letters, maps, etc.

Gather Information: Used for finding out local gossip and the collecting of general information.

Handle Animal:  Used to handle domestic animals or to train domestic or wild animals.  5 ranks in Animal Empathy gives you a +2 synergy bonus to Handle Animal checks with animals, you must have 9 ranks in Animal Empathy to get the same bonus with beasts.  5 ranks in Handle Animal gives you a +2 Synergy bonus to the Ride skill.

Heal:  Used to keep a friend from dying and to help others recover faster from wounds and disease.  5 ranks in Profession: Herbalist gives you a +2 synergy bonus to Heal.

Hide: Used to hide or keep from being noticed.

Innuendo:  Used to send and understand secret messages while appearing to speak about different things.  5 ranks in bluff yields +2 synergy when sending message, 5 ranks in sense motive yields +2 when receiving.

Intimidate:  Skill used to get a bully to back down or to make a prisoner give you information.  5 ranks in bluff gives you a +2 synergy bonus.

Intuit Direction:  You have an innate sense of direction.

Jump:  Used to leap over pits, jump over fences, etc.  5 ranks in Tumble yields a +2 synergy bonus.  Run feat increases distance that can be jumped.

Knowledge:  Like Craft and Profession, it encompasses a wide range of unrelated skills.  Ranks are taken in one of many types of knowledge including Arcana, Geography, History, Folklore, Nature, Nobility & Politics, Religion, Undead, , and Engineering.  Ranks represent an amount of study on a given subject.

Listen:  Use this skill to hear approaching enemies or to catch someone sneaking up from behind.  Alertness feat gives +2 bonus.  Rangers receive favored enemy bonus when listening to favored enemy.  Elves and Gnomes receive +2 bonus.  Half-Elves receive +1 bonus.

Mimic Voice:  Used to impersonate a voice, normally opposed by a listen skill check.  5 ranks in Bluff, +2 synergy bonus, 5 ranks in Disguise, +2 synergy bonus when used with the disguise skill.

Move Silently:  Used to sneak up on an enemy or to slink away.  Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus.

Open Lock:  Skill used to pick locks, or otherwise figure out to open them, requires a full round action.

Perform:  You are skilled at several types of artistic expression, 1 per rank.  Types include ballad, buffonery, chant, comedy, dance....  Bards need ranks in this skill to use certain special abilities.

Pick Pocket:  You may pick pockets, cut or lift purses, or perform other like feats of dexterity with small objects.

Profession:  You are trained in a livelihood or professional role in which you could make a living.  Each profession (like craft) is a different skill.  Possible professions include apothecary, astrologer, boater, bookkeeper, brewer, cook, driver, farmer, fisher, guide, herbalist, herder, innkeeper, lumberjack, miller, miner, porter, sailor, scribe,  stable hand, tanner, woodcutter, etc.  You can ply your trade to make money, earning about half your skill check in GP.

Read Lips:  You can try to understand others by watching their lips

Ride:  You can ride a particular type of mount, usually a horse.

Scry:  Use this skill to spy on someone with spells or a crystal ball, also useful in many divinations.

Search:  You can find secret doors, simple traps, hidden compartments, and other details not readily apparent.  only Rogues can find traps of DC 20 or higher.  Elves receive a +2 racial bonus.  Half-Elves receive a +1 racial bonus.  Elves automatically make a skill check when passing by a hidden door or passage.  A Dwarf (non-rogue) may find traps above DC 20 if they are built into or out of stone.

Sense motive:  Use to detect when someone is bluffing to you or to access someone's trustworthiness.  Use of this skill normally takes a minimum of one minute.

Speak Language:  Buying this skill allows you to learn an additional language.  There is no skill rankings.  Literate characters can also read and write the language.

Spellcraft:  Use this skill to identify spells as they are cast, or spells that are already in place.  If you have 5 ranks in Use Magical Device, you receive a +2 bonus to checks deciphering spells on scrolls.

Spot:  Use this skill to spot bandits waiting in ambush, or see the rogue hiding in the shadows, and other similar situations.  Alertness yields +2 bonus, elves receive +2 bonus, half elves +1 bonus.  Rangers get bonus when dealing with favored enemies.

Swim:  Use skill to swim, dive, and navigate underwater obstacles.  Suffer a -1 penalty for each 5 lbs. of gear you carry.

Tumble:  You can dive, roll, somersault, flip, etc.  You can use this skill to land softly in a fall, tumble past opponents, or to entertain an audience.

Urban Lore:  The urban equivalent of Wilderness Lore, a class skill for Rogues, Bards, and Rangers.  Rangers who take urban lore as class skill, however, must take wilderness lore as a cross-class skill.  They also take the Shadow Feat instead of Track.  This must be decided upon when the character is created.  This skill allows you to survive city streets and to determine information about abandoned buildings, the local underworld, and such.

Use Magical Device:  Use this skill to activate magical devices that otherwise you could not activate, usable only by bards and rogues.  5 ranks in Spellcraft and Decipher Script both yield +2 bonuses when dealing with scrolls.  You cannot take 10 on this skill.

Use Rope:  Use this skill to make firm knots, untie tricky knots, and bind prisoners.  5 ranks in escape artist gives a +2 bonus when binding a prisoner.

Wilderness Lore:  Use this skill to hunt game or to guide party through treacherous terrain and avoiding natural hazards.  5 ranks in Intuit Direction yields +2 bonus to checks to avoid getting lost.  Rangers receive bonus when dealing with favored enemies.

Last Updated 02/09/02