Adventurers begin the game with a number of skills as outlined in character creation. PCs also gain an additional skill at 2nd, 5th, and 8th level. Having a **relevant skill** is beneficial in several ways: - Grants a **+1 bonus** on the related Attribute check, and a skilled PC may access their ***Rerolls*** if the Attribute check is failed, allowing them to try again if they wish. - Some **rare** actions **may require** a specific **skill** or background to attempt (see below). Note this is not the default position: PCs may attempt the vast majority of things without a skill. Having a skill simply makes it easier. - At the GM’s option, being skilled might be a **precondition** for a Great Success, turn a Terrible Failure into an ordinary failure, or obviate the need to roll (i.e., automatic success). ## Relevant vs Required If a skill is **relevant** to an Attribute check, but not required, it will be noted in **brackets**, for example a Str (Athletics) check. In the **rare** case where a skill is **required** in order to even attempt the action, it will be noted in brackets with an **asterisk** (e.g., an Int (Apothecary*) check), or the GM decides such on a case-by-case basis. The relevance or otherwise of skills is always subject to **GM discretion.** The Skills table indicates which attribute(s) usually pair with which skill. In some instances, the GM might rule that a different attribute applies. Note that skill domains are not mutually exclusive and some overlap. Wilderness Lore and Animal Lore might both apply to hunting, for instance, and Athletics or Acrobatics to leaping across a pit. GMs are **encouraged** to **modify** the **skill list** to best suit their gaming preferences. > ### Designer’s Thoughts > The old **Insight** skill has been **removed** from the PC skill list. Players must rely on their own intuition when deciding whether an NPC is being truthful or not. While this undermines “Sherlock Holmes”-like characters, overall we found the gameplay benefits outweigh the drawbacks. ## Backgrounds If an action is **closely connected** with a character’s background and is **not** a listed **skill**, *Rerolls* might be available for that task (GM’s call). For example, a Roof Thatcher background might permit an Int reroll to identify weak points on a rooftop. --- ## Skill List | Skill | Attribute | When Relevant | | ---------------------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Acrobatics** | Dex | Climbing, jumping, tumbling, parkour, escapology, and tests of agility. May assist with standing up from *[[Prone]]* (p.70). | | **Animal Lore** | Int or Cha | Animal behaviour, animal handling, hunting, mounted combat, driving carts & carriages, animal training, veterinary lore, bestial monster lore. | | **Apothecary** | Int | First aid (including using Healer’s Kits), injury recovery, poisons, biology, treating disease. | | **Arcane Lore** | Int | Sensing magic, recalling magical lore, fantastic monster lore, alchemy. Might assist in disarming some kinds of magical traps (GM’s call). | | **Athletics** | Str or Con | Running, climbing, swimming, jumping, tests of physical power including grappling, breaking down a door, knocking an enemy [[prone]], pushing a foe backwards, and so on. | | **Deception** | Cha | Telling convincing lies, impersonations, making and using disguises and forgeries. NPCs might oppose using Int (GM’s call). | | **Detection** | Perc | General state of alertness as well as purposeful searching. Detecting traps, ambushes, clues, secret doors, and so on. | | **Divine Lore** | Int | Specialized, obscure, or forbidden religious lore, rites, and creatures (holy and unholy). | | **Gather Information** | Cha or Int | Rumour hunting, rumour mongering, canvassing for witnesses or a missing person or item, extended researching (eg: monster weaknesses or other specifics, the location of a lost ruin, etc). | | **General Lore** | Int | The general catch-all lore skill, recalling a broad range of historical, scientific, and political information (but not Arcane, Animal, Divine, or Wilderness Lore). | | **Leadership** | Cha | Inspiration, bolstering morale, intimidation, teaching, having orders obeyed. The Leadership skill assists in recruiting hirelings. | | **Persuasion** | Cha | Debating, convincing, negotiation, diplomacy, etiquette. | | **Sleight of Hand** | Dex | Picking pockets, palming, hiding small objects on your person, or planting objects on others. | | **Stealth** | Dex | Hiding and moving silently. Often opposed by Perc (Detection). | | **Traps & Locks** | Dex | Picking non-magical locks, setting and disarming non-magical traps. Noticing traps is covered by Perc (Detection). Some traps may require the character to be skilled in Traps & Locks to attempt a disarm. | | **Watercraft** | Con or Int | Navigating and operating ships (including airships if applicable), rafts, canoes, etc. Also includes fishing and swimming. | | **Wilderness Lore** | Int | Wilderness survival, herbalism, foraging, hunting game, tracking. Might include some relevant non-magical monster lore (GM’s call). |