Character Book: Skills

Okay, this should be a nice easy one. The rules for most uses for skills will actually appear in the Rulebook, while the skill check modifiers and magnitude rolls are functions of other parts of the character. Therefore, there's not a lot to say...

Using Skills

A skill check is the same as any other check:

Roll d20 + modifiers

The modifiers are as follows:

Base Bonus: Your base bonus derived from your level applies to all skill checks.

Skill Proficiency: You may attempt to use any skill. However, if you use a skill without the appropriate proficiency, you suffer a -4 penalty on the roll.

Attribute Modifier: Each skill has a related attribute. When making skill rolls, you apply the modifier given by your related attribute to the roll.

Racial Modifier: Each race grants a bonus or penalty to checks in a small number of skills. These apply to all checks made when using the skill.

Skill Focus: Taking the Skill Focus feat represents additional training in a particular skill. This grants a +1 bonus on checks related to the skill.

Magnitude Checks

In those cases where it is important to know how well a skill check succeeded, make a magnitude check.

Typically, a magnitude check is made using a d6. This assumes that the character has the required tools for the task, to an acceptable but not exceptional quality, and that the character is working under reasonable conditions. The Skill Specialisation feat applies a step bonus to magnitude checks with a given skill.

The magnitude check for a skill always applies the attribute modifier of the related attribute.

Several skills apply an Armour Check Penalty to magnitude checks. When wearing armour, you must apply the step penalty to all magnitude checks made when using the skill.

Skills

The skills, their related attributes, and the common applications of each, are listed below. In each case, the related attribute is given in parenthesis. Additionally, some skills note that the Armour Check Penalty applies to magnitude checks for this skill.

• Academics (Int): All manner of 'book learning', including history, heraldry, and lore.
• Acrobatics (Dex, Armour Check Penalty): Dancing, tumbling, tightrope walking, and similar feats of acrobatics and balance.
• Arcana (Int): Knowledge of arcane lore and the planes of existence.
• Athletics (Str, Armour Check Penalty): All manner of feats of strength, running, jumping, swimming and climbing.
• Craft (Int): Making things, whether this is beer, broadswords or ballistae.
• Deception (Cha): Absolute honesty. Would I lie to you?
• Devices (Int, Armour Check Penalty): Manipulating all manner of devices, whether to disable traps, open locks, or crack safes.
• Diplomacy (Cha): The fine art of persuasion. Also used for seduction.
• Endurance (Con): Used to recover from a hangover, to go without sleep for days, and endure other ongoing hardships.
• Engineering (Int): Knowledge of the principles of building and construction. Also covers knowledge of dungeoneering.
• Heal (Wis): Fixing people up right good.
• Insight (Wis): Your sense for danger, your ability to spot a lie, and your preparedness for the same.
• Intimidate (Cha): Browbeating others to do your will. Also includes torture.
• Linguistics (Int): Knowledge of foreign languages, ability to read ancient texts, and ability to learn new languages when travelling.
• Mounts (Dex, Armour Check Penalty): All manner of mounts, mounted combat, and vehicles, be they horses, chariots, dragons, or flying carpets.
• Nature (Int): Knowledge of the natural world. Your ability to follow tracks in the wild, to find food and shelter, and to understand primitive cultures.
• Perception (Wis): The sharpness of your senses. Your ability to find things in a search.
• Perform (Cha): Ability to perform a play, to play a variety of musical instruments, and the like.
• Profession (Wis): All manner of professional skills, from food taster to sailor, to prostitute. Also covers gambing and begging.
• Religion (Wis): Knowledge of all things religious, from trappings and iconography to practices and ritual lore.
• Sleight of Hand (Dex, Armour Check Penalty): Ability to pick pockets, to slip out of bonds, and similar stage magic.
• Stealth (Dex, Armour Check Penalty): The ability to sneak around undetected.
• Streetwise (Cha): Ability to find contacts, to fence goods, to gather information. Also your ability to find a good time.

Incidentally, there's something not quite right about the Social and Alertness defenses. These should be based off Perception and Insight, but I've made a slight mistake somewhere along the way. Once I've sorted it out, I'll fix both this post and the one about Classes, and then publish a post outlining the fixes.