True System Reference Document, Romantic Fantasy Edition

All of the following text is Open Gaming Content.

CHAPTER 2: SKILLS

Skill Basics

Heroes in True SRD games slip unseen past the villain's guards. They tame and train the beasts of the wild. They piece together clues to a villain's latest plot. They run along ledges in the dead of night in pursuit of their enemies. They change minds and win hearts wherever they go. They do so through the use of various skills, described in this chapter.

Skills are learned abilities acquired through a combination of training (skill ranks) and natural talent (an ability):

Skill check = d20 + skill rank + key ability score + modifiers

The higher the roll, the better the result. You're usually looking for a total that equals or exceeds a particular Difficulty or another character's check total.

Skill Rank: Your rank in a skill you know is your level +3. You can use some skills even if you aren't trained in them (having no rank). This is known as using a skill untrained.

Ability Score: Each skill has a key ability, applied to the skill's checks. Each skill's key ability is noted in its description.

Modifiers: Miscellaneous modifiers to skill checks include favorable or unfavorable conditions, bonuses from feats, and penalties for not having proper tools, among others.

Acquiring Skills

You choose a certain number of skills your character knows at 1st level, based on your role and Intelligence score. For example, a warrior knows two skills at 1st level, plus or minus the character's Intelligence score, so a warrior with Intelligence +1 is trained in three skills at 1st level. A 1st-level character is always trained in at least one skill, regardless of Intelligence.

You can add skills either by becoming a mixed-role hero with a level of expert or by taking the Skill Training feat (see Skill Training in Chapter 3). This allows you to add two more skills to your list of known skills.

Untrained Skills

Characters can perform some tasks without any training in a skill, using only raw talent (defined by their ability scores), but skilled characters tend to be better at such things. If a skill description doesn't include "Trained Only," you can attempt tasks involving that skill even if you have no training in it. Your bonus for the skill check is just your key ability score for that skill, with no ranks added in. Untrained characters can still hide or swim, for example; they're just not as good at it as those with training.

Skills that cannot be used untrained are designated as "Trained Only" in their descriptions. Attempts to use these skills untrained automatically fail.

How Skills Work

When you use a skill, make a skill check to see how well you do. The higher the result, the better the outcome. Based on the circumstances, your check result must equal or beat a particular Difficulty number. The harder the task, the higher the number you need to roll. see Checks, for more information.

Interaction Skills

Certain skills, called interaction skills, are aimed at dealing with others through social interaction. Interaction skills allow you to influence attitudes and get others to cooperate with you. Since interaction skills are intended for dealing with others socially, they have certain requirements.

First, you must actually be able to interact with the subject or subjects of the skill. That means the subjects must be aware of you and able to understand you. If you don't speak the same language, or they can't hear you for some reason, that's the same as working without the proper tools, imposing a -4 on your skill check, since you have to convey your meaning through gestures, body language, tone, and so forth.

Some interaction skills last a particular amount of time. Using Intimidate to demoralize an opponent, for example, lasts for only a few seconds (one round). In these cases, the time is always measured from the subject's point of view. If you successfully demoralize an opponent, the effect lasts one full round starting on the target's initiative and ending on the target's place in the initiative order on the following round.

You can use interaction skills against groups, but you must be trying to influence the entire group in the same way. You can use Diplomacy, for example, to sway a group of people and improve their attitude toward you, but you must be trying to convince all of them about the same thing. Everyone in the group must be able to hear and understand you. You make one interaction skill check and the Narrator compares it against each person in the group (or against an average value for the group, to speed things up).

Specialty Skills

Some skills cover a wide range of knowledge or techniques. These skills are actually groups of similar skills, called specialty skills. When learning one of these skills, you must choose a specialty or a particular aspect of the skill your character is trained in. For example, you might choose the history specialty of Knowledge or the leatherworking specialty of Craft. Skill ranks in one specialty do not provide training in the skill's other specialties.

SKILLS

An "--" entry in the Action column means the skill takes longer than a full round. See the skill description for details.

Skill Descriptions

This section describes each skill, including its common uses. You may be able to use skills for tasks other than those given here. The Narrator sets the Difficulty and decides the results in those cases.

The format for skill descriptions is below. Items that don't apply to a specific skill are left out of its description.

Skill Name

Key Ability, Trained Only, Interaction, Requires Specialization, Requires Tools

The skill name line and the line below it contain the following information:
Skill Name: What the skill is called.
Key Ability: The ability applied to the skill check.
Trained Only: If "Trained Only" is included, you must be trained in the skill in order to use it. If "Trained Only" is absent, characters may use it untrained.
Interaction: If "Interaction" is included, the skill is an interaction skill.
Requires Specialization: If "Requires Specialization" is included, you must choose a specialty for the skill.
Requires Tools: If "Requires Tools" is included, you need to have the proper tools to use the skill. Not having the proper tools results in a -4 penalty to the skill check.

The skill name line is followed by a brief description of the skill and four other categories:
Check: How to make a check for the skill, what the results of the check are, and the basic Difficulty.
Try Again: Conditions on retrying a check with the skill. If this section is absent, the skill can be retried an unlimited number of times.
Action: The type of action required to use the skill, how long it takes.
Special: Any extra information about the skill.

Acrobatics

Dexterity, Trained Only

You can flip, dive, roll, tumble, and perform other acrobatic maneuvers.

Check: You can make an Acrobatics check (Difficulty 5) to lessen the damage from a fall. Subtract the amount your roll exceeds the Difficulty (in feet) from the distance of a fall before determining damage. For example, an Acrobatics check of 20 (15 more than the Difficulty) reduces the effective distance of a fall by 15 feet. A fall reduced to 0 feet does no damage.

You can make an Acrobatics check (Difficulty 25) to move through a space occupied by an opponent or obstacle (moving over, under, or around). A failed roll means you don't get past the obstacle.

Balancing: You can walk on a precarious surface. A successful check lets you move half your speed along the surface as a move action. A failure indicates you spend your move action just keeping your balance and do not move. A failure by 5 or more indicates you fall. The Difficulty is based on the surface.

Fighting While Balancing: While balancing, you are flat-footed (losing your dodge bonus to Defense), unless you have 5 or more ranks in Acrobatics. If you take any damage while balancing, you must make an Acrobatics check to avoid falling.

Accelerated Movement: You can try to cross a precarious surface faster than normal. You can move your full speed, but you take a -5 penalty on your Acrobatics check. (Moving twice your speed in a round requires two checks, one for each move action.)

Avoiding Being Tripped: You can make an Acrobatics check in place of the normal Strength or Dexterity check to avoid a trip attack (see Trip). You cannot use Acrobatics to make trip attacks, however.

Instant Up: You can make an Acrobatics check (Difficulty 20) to stand up from a prone position as a free action rather than a move action.

Performance: You can use Acrobatics as if it were the Perform skill to impress an audience.

Try Again: No.

Action: You can try to reduce damage from a fall as a reaction once per fall. Balancing while moving one-half your speed is a move action. Accelerated movement, allowing you to balance while moving your full speed, is also a move action.

Special: The balancing aspects of Acrobatics can be used untrained.

Bluff

Charisma, Interaction

Bluff is the skill of making the outlandish seem credible. It covers acting, fast-talking, trickery, and subterfuge.

Check: A Bluff check is opposed by the target's Bluff or Sense Motive check, whichever is higher (it's harder to bluff someone who knows all the tricks). Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances can work against you: the bluff is hard to believe, or the action the bluff requires goes against the target's self-interest, nature, or orders.

If it's important, the Narrator can distinguish between the two. For instance, if the target gets a +10 bonus because the bluff demands something risky, and the target's Sense Motive check succeeds by 10 or less, then the target didn't so much see through the bluff as prove reluctant to go along with it. If the target's Sense Motive check succeeds by 11 or more, he sees through the bluff, and would have even if it had not placed any unusual demands on him (that is, even without the +10 bonus).

A successful Bluff check indicates the target reacts as you want, at least for a short time (usually 1 round or less), or the target believes something you want him to believe.

Feint: You can use Bluff to mislead an opponent in combat. If your Bluff check succeeds, the next attack you make against the target ignores his dodge bonus to Defense.

Creating a Diversion to Hide: You can use Bluff to help you hide. A successful Bluff check gives you the diversion needed to attempt a Sneak check while people are aware of you.

Innuendo: You can use Bluff to send secret messages while talking about other things. The Difficulty for a basic message is 10. Complex messages have Difficulties of 15 or 20. The recipient of the message, and anyone listening in, makes a Bluff or Sense Motive check against the same Difficulty to understand your message. Whether trying to send or understand a message, a failure by 5 or more points means the receiver misinterprets the message in some fashion.

Seduction: You can use Bluff to convince someone else you are a potential romantic partner, provided they could possibly be attracted to you (in the Narrator's judgment). Make a Bluff check against your target's Sense Motive check. Success improves the target's attitude like a use of the Diplomacy skill. Seduction is a one-time modification of the target's attitude, not a long-term change.

Try Again: Generally, a failed Bluff check makes the target too suspicious to try again in the same circumstances. For feinting in combat, you may try again freely.

Action: A bluff takes at least a full round but can take much longer if you try something elaborate. Using Bluff as a feint in combat is a standard action, as is using Bluff to create a diversion to hide. By taking a -5 penalty on your check, you can feint in combat as a move action.

Climb

Strength

You're skilled in scaling angled and uneven surfaces.

Check: With each successful Climb check, you can move up, down, or across a slope, wall, or other steep incline at one-quarter your normal speed.

A failed Climb check means you make no progress, and a check that fails by 5 or more means you fall from whatever height you attained (unless you are secured with some kind of harness or other equipment).

The Difficulty of the check depends on the conditions of the climb. If the climb is less than 10 feet, reduce the Difficulty by 5.

Fighting While Climbing: Since you can't easily avoid attacks, you are flatfooted while climbing (losing your dodge bonus to Defense). Any time you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the Difficulty of the climb. Failure means you fall.

Accelerated Climbing: You can try to climb faster than normal. You can move half your normal speed, rather than one-quarter, but take a -5 penalty on your Climb check.

Catching Yourself When Falling: If you fall, make a Climb check (Difficulty equal to climb's Difficulty + 20). Success means you arrest your fall about halfway and suffer no damage.

Catching Someone Else Falling: It's somewhat easier to catch someone else who falls, assuming they are within arm's reach. Make a Climb check (Difficulty equal to climb's Difficulty +10) to do so. If you fail the check, you do not catch the other person. If you fail by 5 or more, you fall as well.

Action: Climbing is a move action.

Special: Someone using a rope can haul a character up (or lower a character down) by sheer strength. Use a character's carrying capacity to determine how much weight he can lift in this way (see Carrying in Chapter 6: Playing the Game).

Concentration

Wisdom

You can focus your mind and concentrate despite distractions.

Check: Make a Concentration check whenever you might be distracted (by damage, harsh weather, and so on). If the check succeeds, you may continue what you are doing. If the check fails, the action you're attempting also fails. The check Difficulty depends on the nature of the distraction.

Try Again: Yes, though a success doesn't cancel the effects of a previous failure, such as the disruption of an action you were concentrating on.

Action: Making a Concentration check doesn't require an action; it is either a reaction (when attempted in response to a distraction) or part of another action (when attempted actively).

Craft

Craft is actually a number of separate skills involving arts and crafts. You must choose a specialty, such as elixirs, leatherworking, weaponsmithing, or weaving. Training in one Craft specialty does not provide skill in other specialties.

Check: Craft skills are specifically focused on making things. To use a Craft skill effectively, you must have an appropriate set of tools.

Making Items: The Difficulty, time, and resources required to make an item depend on its complexity. Make a Wealth check against the Wealth Difficulty to acquire the necessary raw materials, and then make your Craft check. (Example Difficulties are given in the table.) If your Craft check succeeds, you make the item. If the Craft check fails, you do not produce a usable end result, and any raw materials are wasted.

Masterwork Items: By increasing Difficulty and cost by +5, you can make a masterwork item. These items are especially well made and provide a +1 bonus when used. For making masterwork weapons and armor, see Chapter 5: Equipment.

Repairing Items: You can use Craft skills to repair damaged items. In general, simple repairs have a Difficulty of 10 to 15 and require no more than a few minutes to accomplish. More complex repair work has a Difficulty of 20 or higher and can require an hour or more to complete. The repairs have a cost 5 lower than making the item (negligible for simple items).

Forgery: Characters can use Craft to produce forgeries in their areas of specialty. The result of the Craft check becomes the Difficulty for a Notice check to detect the forgery. The Narrator can modify either the Craft or Notice check based on the conditions and the characters' familiarity with the original subject.

Try Again: Yes, although in some cases the Narrator may decide a failed attempt to repair an item has negative effects, preventing further attempts.

Action: The time to make something varies depending on its complexity, as shown above. The Narrator may increase or decrease the time for a particular Craft project as necessary.

Special: Generally, You can take 10 when using a Craft skill, but can't take 20 since doing so represents multiple attempts, and you use up raw materials with each attempt. You can take 10 or take 20 on repair checks. If you don't have the proper tools, you take a -4 penalty on Craft checks.

Diplomacy

Charisma, Interaction

You're skilled in dealing with people, from proper etiquette and social graces to a way with words and public speaking. Use this skill to make a good impression, negotiate, and win people over.

Check: You can change others' attitudes with a successful Diplomacy check. In negotiations, all participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks to see who gets the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve cases where two advocates plead opposing cases before a third party.

Diplomacy can influence a character's attitude. The Narrator chooses the character's initial attitude based on circumstances. Most of the time, people the heroes meet are indifferent toward them, but a specific situation may call for a different initial attitude. The Difficulties given on the Influence table (see Influence in Chapter 6) show what it takes to change someone's attitude with a use of Diplomacy. You don't declare a specific outcome; instead, make the check and compare the result to the table to see what you've accomplished. For more information, see Social Actions in Chapter 6: Playing the Game.

Try Again: Generally, trying again doesn't work. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far. If the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to his position, and trying again is futile. At the Narrator's discretion, you can try again when the situation changes in some way: you find a new approach to your argument, new evidence appears, and so forth.

Action: Diplomacy is at least a full-round action. The Narrator may determine some negotiations require a longer period of time, perhaps much longer.

Disable Device

Intelligence, Trained Only, Requires Tools

You can disarm or sabotage various devices, including locks and traps.

Check: The Narrator makes Disable Device checks secretly so you don't necessarily know whether you have succeeded.

Open Lock: You can pick locks. You must have thieves' tools. The Difficulty depends on the quality of the lock.

Traps and Sabotage: Disabling a simple mechanical device has a Difficulty of 10. More intricate and complex devices have higher Difficulties. The Narrator rolls the check. If the check succeeds, you disable the device. If the check fails by 4 or less, you have failed but can try again. If you fail by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If it's a trap, you set if off. If it's some sort of sabotage, you think that the device is disabled, but it's not.

You can rig simple devices to work normally for a while and then fail later, if you choose.

Try Again: Yes, though you must be aware you have failed in order to try again.

Action: Disabling a simple device is a full-round action. Intricate or complex devices require multiple rounds at the Narrator's discretion.

Special: You can take 10 when making a Disable Device check. You can take 20 to open a lock or to disable a device, unless trying to prevent your tampering from being noticed, or if there is a consequence for failure (such as setting off a trap).

If you do not have the proper tools, you take a -4 penalty on your check.

Disguise

Charisma, Requires Tools

You can use makeup, costumes, and other props to change your appearance.

Check: Your Disguise check determines the effectiveness of your disguise. It is opposed by others' Notice checks. Make one Disguise check even if several people make Notice checks. The Narrator makes the Disguise check secretly so you are not sure exactly how well your disguise will hold up under scrutiny.

If you don't draw any attention to yourself, however, others don't get to make Notice checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious, they get to make a Notice check. (The Narrator can assume suspicious observers take 10 on their Notice checks.)

The effectiveness of your disguise depends in part on how much you attempt to change your appearance.

If you are impersonating a particular individual, those who know the subject automatically get to make Notice checks. Furthermore, they get a bonus on the check.

Usually, an individual makes a Notice check to detect a disguise immediately upon meeting you and each hour thereafter. If you casually meet many different people, each for a short time, the Narrator checks once per day or hour using an average Notice modifier for the group (assuming they take 10).

Try Again: No, though you can assume the same disguise again at a later time. If others saw through the previous disguise, they are automatically treated as suspicious if you assume the same disguise again.

Action: A disguise requires at least 10 minutes of preparation. The Narrator makes Notice checks for those who encounter you immediately upon meeting you and again each hour or day thereafter, depending on circumstances.

Special: If you don't have any makeup, costumes, or props, you take a -4 penalty on Disguise checks.

Escape Artist

Dexterity

You're trained in escaping from bonds and other restraints.

Check: Make a check to escape from restraints or to squeeze through a tight space.

Tight Spaces: For a tight space, a check is only called for if your head fits but your shoulders don't. If the space is longer than your height, such as a chimney, the Narrator may call for multiple checks. You can't fit through a space your head doesn't fit through. You can also reach through a tight space your hand fits through but your arm normally does not by making an Escape Artist check.

Escaping Grapples: You can make an Escape Artist check opposed by an opponent's grapple check to get out of a grapple or out of a pinned condition (so you are just being grappled). Doing so is a standard action, so if you escape the grapple you can move in the same round.

Try Again: You can make another check after a failed check if you are squeezing through a tight space. If the situation permits, you can make additional checks as long as you are not being actively opposed.

Action: Making a check to escape from being bound by ropes or other restraints requires 1 minute. Escaping a grapple is a standard action. Squeezing or reaching through a tight space takes at least 1 minute, maybe longer, depending on the distance.

Gather Information

Charisma, Interaction

You know how to make contacts, collect gossip and rumors, question informants, and otherwise gather information from people.

Check: By succeeding at a skill check (Difficulty 10) you can get a feel for the major news and rumors in an area. This assumes no obvious reasons exist why information would be withheld. The higher the check result, the more complete the information. Information ranges from general to protected, and the Difficulty increases accordingly for the type of information you want to gather, as given in the table below.

General information concerns local happenings, rumors, gossip, and the like. Specific information usually relates to a particular question. Restricted information includes facts that aren't generally known and require you to locate someone who has access to such information. Protected information is even harder to come by and might involve some danger, either for the one asking the questions or the one providing the answer. There's a chance someone takes note of anyone asking about restricted or protected information. The Narrator decides when this is the case. In some situations, opposed Gather Information checks are appropriate to see if someone else notices your inquiries (and you notice theirs).

Try Again: Yes, but it takes additional time for each check, and you may draw attention to yourself if you repeatedly pursue a certain type of information.

Action: A Gather Information check takes at least an hour, possibly several, at the Narrator's discretion.

Handle Animal

Charisma

You know how to handle, care for, and train various types of animals.

Check: The time required to get an effect and the Difficulty depend on what you are trying to do.

Handle an Animal: This means to command an animal to perform a task or trick it knows. If the animal's condition is something other than normal (it's fatigued or injured, for example), the Difficulty increases by +5. If the check is successful, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.

"Push" an Animal: Pushing an animal means getting it to perform a task or trick it doesn't know but is physically capable of doing. If the check is successful, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.

Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick, such as "attack" or "stay," with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check (Difficulty 15 for simple tricks, 20 or more for complex tricks). An animal with an Intelligence of -5 can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence of -4 can learn a maximum of six tricks.

Train an Animal: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can train an animal for a general purpose, like combat, guarding, riding, and so forth. This requires a Difficulty 20 skill check. Essentially, an animal's purpose represents a set of tricks fitting a common scheme. An animal can be trained for one purpose only.

Try Again: Yes.

Action: See above.

Special: An untrained character uses Charisma checks to handle and push animals, but can't teach or train animals.

Heal

Wisdom, Trained Only, Requires Tools

You're trained in understanding the body and treating injuries and illness.

Check: The Difficulty and effect depend on the task attempted.

Diagnosis (Difficulty 10): You can diagnose injuries and ailments with an eye toward providing treatment. At the Narrator's discretion, a successful diagnosis can provide a +2 bonus on Heal checks for treatment.

Provide Care (Difficulty 15): Providing care means treating a wounded person for a day or more or providing routine medical care, such as assisting in the delivery of a baby. If successful, the patient adds your Heal rank to any recovery rolls (see Damage and Recovery). You can tend up to your skill rank in patients at one time.

Revive (Difficulty 15): With a first aid kit, you can remove the dazed, stunned, or unconscious condition from a character. This check is a standard action. A successful check removes the condition. You can't revive an unconscious character who is dying without stabilizing the character first.

Stabilize (Difficulty 15): With a medical kit, you can tend to a character who is dying. As a standard action, a successful Heal check stabilizes the dying character.

Treat Disease (Difficulty 15): You can tend to a character infected with a treatable disease. Every time the diseased character makes a saving throw against disease effects (after the initial contamination), you can first make a Heal check requiring 10 minutes. If your check succeeds, you provide a bonus on the diseased character's saving throw equal to your Heal rank.

Treat Poison (Difficulty 15): You can tend to a poisoned character. When a poisoned character makes a saving throw against a poison's secondary effect, you first make a Heal check as a standard action. If the check succeeds, you provide a bonus on the poisoned character's saving throw equal to your Heal rank.

Try Again: Yes, for reviving dazed, stunned, or unconscious characters, and stabilizing dying characters. No, for all other uses of the skill.

Action: Heal checks take different amounts of time based on the task at hand, as described above.

Special: You can take 10 when making a Heal check. You can take 20 only when giving long-term care or attempting to revive dazed, stunned, or unconscious characters. If you do not have the appropriate medical equipment, you take a -4 penalty on your skill check. You can use the Heal skill on yourself only to diagnose, provide care, or treat disease or poison. You take a -5 penalty on your checks when treating yourself.

Intimidate

Charisma, Interaction

You know how to use threats (real or implied) to get others to cooperate with you.

Check: Your Intimidate check is opposed by the target's Will save or Intimidate check (whichever is higher) + the target's modifiers for saves against fear.. If your check succeeds, you may treat the target as friendly for 10 minutes, but only for purposes of actions taken while in your presence. (That is, the target retains his normal attitude, but will talk, advise, offer limited help, or advocate on your behalf while intimidated.) Your target will only cooperate so much and won't necessarily obey your every command or do anything that would directly endanger himself.

If you perform some action that makes you more imposing, you gain a +2 bonus on your Intimidate check. If your target clearly has a superior position, you suffer a -2 penalty on your Intimidate check.

If your Intimidate check fails by 5 or more, the target may actually do the opposite of what you wanted.

Demoralizing in Combat: You can use Intimidate in combat to demoralize an opponent, shaking their confidence. Make an Intimidate check as a standard action. If it succeeds, your target is shaken (-2 on all attack rolls, checks, and saving throws, except Toughness saves) for one round.

Try Again: No. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be intimidated so much, and trying again doesn't help. If the initial check fails, the other character has become more firmly resolved to resist, and trying again is futile. You can make Intimidate checks to demoralize an opponent in combat until you fail, after which the target is no longer intimidated by you.

Action: An Intimidate check is a full-round action. Demoralizing in combat is a standard action. By taking a -5 penalty on your check, you can demoralize an opponent as a move action.

Special: You add a +2 bonus to your Intimidate check for every size category you are larger than your target. Conversely, you take a -2 penalty to your check for every size category you are smaller than your target (see Size).

Jump

Strength

You can jump further than usual.

Check: Distance moved by jumping, which is a move action, is counted against your maximum movement in a round. You can start a jump at the end of one turn and complete the jump at the beginning of your next turn.

Long Jump: This is a horizontal jump. At the midpoint of the jump, you attain a vertical height equal to one-quarter the horizontal distance. The Difficulty of a long jump is 5 plus the distance in feet.

High Jump: This is a vertical leap, made to jump up to grasp something overhead, such as a tree limb or ledge. The Difficulty of a high jump is 10 plus twice the distance in feet.

Hop Up: You can jump up onto an object of half your height or less with a Difficulty 10 Jump check. Doing so counts as 10 feet of movement.

Try Again: No.

Action: Jump is a move action.

Knowledge

Intelligence, Trained Only, Requires Specialization

This skill encompasses several specialties, each of them treated as a separate skill. These specialties are defined below.

Check: Make a Knowledge check to see if you know something. The Difficulty for answering a question is 10 for easy questions, 15 for basic questions, and 20 to 30 for difficult questions. The Narrator sets the difficulty for a particular question.

The Knowledge specialties, and the topics each one encompasses, are as follows:

• Engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
• Geography (lands, terrain, climate, people)
• History (wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities)
• Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs)
• Nature (animals, monsters, plants, seasons and cycles, weather)
• Nobility (lineages, heraldry, family trees, mottoes, personalities)
• Religion (deities, mythology, religious tradition, holy symbols)
• Supernatural (ancient mysteries, powers, the occult, supernatural creatures)

Try Again: Usually no. The check represents what a character knows; thinking about a topic a second time doesn't let you know something you didn't know before. The Narrator may allow another Knowledge check if a character gets access to a better source of information. For example, a hero who doesn't know the answer to a particular question off-hand might get another check with access to a library (and could take 20 on that check, depending on the circumstances).

Action: A Knowledge check can be a reaction, but otherwise requires a full-round action. Taking 20 on a Knowledge check requires at least an hour, longer if the Narrator decides the information you're looking for is particularly obscure or otherwise restricted.

Special: An untrained Knowledge check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, a character can only answer easy or basic questions about a topic.

You can take 10 when making a Knowledge check. You can take 20 only if you have access to the appropriate research materials (such as a library).

Language

Trained Only, Requires Specialization

Languages are unusual skills. They do not have ranks, are not based on an ability score, and do not require checks. Instead, each time you acquire this skill, you gain the ability to speak, read, and write another language. Unskilled characters can speak, read, and write their native language, plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus (if any). Your Narrator will tell you what languages your hero can learn.

Literacy: Characters are assumed to be literate in their native language and in any other language they know. At the Narrator's discretion, characters may have to spend a bonus language to be literate in a language that uses a different alphabet or style of writing from the character's native language.

Retry: No, because there are no Language checks. You either know a language, or you don't.

Notice

Wisdom

You use this skill to notice and perceive things.

Check: Make a skill check to notice something. Notice checks generally suffer a penalty of -1 per 10 feet between you and the thing you're trying to notice. If you're distracted, you take a -5 penalty on Notice checks. Making out details -- such as clearly hearing conversation or reading text -- requires you to beat the Difficulty of the Notice check by 10. The Narrator might make Notice checks secretly so you don't know whether there was something to notice. The most common sorts of Notice checks are as follows:

Listening: Make a check against a Difficulty based on how loud the noise is or against an opposed Sneak check.

Spotting: Make a check against a Difficulty based on how visible the object is. Spot is often used to notice a person or creature hiding from view. In such cases, your Notice check is opposed by the Sneak check of the character trying not to be seen. Spot is also used to detect someone in disguise (see the Disguise skill) or to notice a concealed weapon on another person.

Other Senses: You can make Notice checks involving smell, taste, and touch, as appropriate. Use the same guidelines as listen and spot checks above. Noticing something obvious is Difficulty 0. Subtle things are around Difficulty 10, hidden things Difficulty 20 or more. Noticing subtle supernatural phenomena requires special powers (see Chapter 4: Arcana for details).

Try Again: You can make a Notice check every time you have the opportunity to notice something new. As a move action, you can attempt to notice something you failed (or believe you failed) to notice previously.

Action: A Notice check is either a reaction (if called for by the Narrator) or a move action (if you actively take the time to try to notice something).

Special: When several characters are trying to notice the same thing, the Narrator can make a single d20 roll and use it for all the characters' skill checks.

You can take 10 or take 20 when making a Notice check. Taking 20 means you spend 1 minute attempting to notice something that may or may not be there.

Perform

Charisma, Interaction, Requires Specialization

This skill encompasses several types of performance, each treated as a separate skill.

Check: You are accomplished in some type of artistic expression and know how to put on a performance. The quality of your performance depends on your check result.

The Perform specialties are as follows:

• Acting: You can perform drama, comedy, or action-oriented roles with some level of skill.
• Comedy: You are a comedian, capable of performing a stand-up routine or skit for an audience.
• Dance: You are a dancer, capable of performing rhythmic and patterned movements to music.
• Oratory: You can deliver dramatic and effective speeches and monologues.
• Percussion Instruments: You can play percussion instruments, such as drums, cymbals, triangle, xylophone, and tambourine.
• Singing: You can sing with some level of skill.
• Stringed Instruments: You can play stringed instruments, such as banjo, guitar, harp, and violin.
• Wind Instruments: You can play wind instruments, such as flute, bugle, trumpet, tuba, bagpipes, and trombone.

Try Again: Not for the same performance and audience.

Action: A Perform check usually requires at least several minutes to an hour or more.

Special: If you don't have an appropriate instrument you automatically fail any Perform check requiring it. At the Narrator's discretion, impromptu instruments may be employed, but you take a -4 penalty on the check.

Ride

Dexterity, Trained Only

Use this skill to ride a mount, such as a horse or even a dolphin or griffon.

Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary movement, don't require a skill check. Make a check only when some unusual circumstance exists (such as inclement weather or an icy surface) or when you are riding in a dramatic situation (being chased or attacked, for example, or trying to reach a destination in a limited amount of time). While riding, you can attempt simple maneuvers or stunts.

Easy riding maneuvers, like staying in the saddle in a fight or guiding a mount with your knees, have a Difficulty of 5. An average maneuver, like a full gallop or dodging around an obstacle, has a Difficulty of 10. Difficult maneuvers, like using your mount as cover, jumping, or suffering no harm in a fall, have a Difficulty of 15. Challenging maneuvers, like a fast mount or dismount (as a free action) or controlling a panicking mount, have a Difficulty of 20.

Try Again: Most Ride checks have consequences for failure that make trying again impossible.

Action: A Ride check is a move action.

Special: If you lack the appropriate saddle, tack, and harness for your mount, you suffer a -4 penalty on your Ride checks.

Search

Intelligence

You can search an area looking for clues, hidden items, traps, and other such details. The Notice skill allows you to notice things immediately, while Search allows you to pick up on details with some effort.

Check: You generally must be within 10 feet of the area to be examined. You can examine up to a 5-foot-by-5-foot area or a volume of goods 5 feet on a side with a single check.

A Search check can turn up individual footprints, but does not allow you to follow tracks or tell you which direction the creature or creatures went or came from (see the Track feat).

Finding Concealed Objects: The Difficulty for a Search check to find a deliberately concealed object is usually based on the Sneak or Sleight of Hand check of the character who hid it. The Narrator can assume that characters with the time take 20 on their check to hide the object.

Action: A Search check is a full-round action.

Sense Motive

Wisdom

You can tell someone's true intentions by paying attention to body language, inflection, and intuition.

Check: A successful Sense Motive check allows you to avoid the effects of some interaction skills. You can also use the skill to tell when someone is behaving oddly or assess their trustworthiness.

Evaluate: You can use this skill to make an assessment of a social situation. With a successful check (Difficulty 20), you can get a feeling when something is wrong. You can also tell if someone is trustworthy and honorable (or not) with an opposed Sense Motive and Bluff check.

Notice Influence: You can make a Sense Motive check to notice someone acting under supernatural influence. The Difficulty is 10 + the power's rank.

Notice Innuendo: You can use Sense Motive to detect a hidden message transmitted via the Bluff skill (Difficulty equal to the Bluff check result). If your check result beats the Difficulty, you understand the secret message. If your check fails by 5 or more, you misinterpret the message in some fashion. If you are not the intended recipient of the message, your Difficulty increases by 5.

Resist Interaction: Make a Sense Motive check to resist or ignore the effects of certain interaction skills, such as Bluff or Intimidate. If the result of your check exceeds your opponent's check result, you are unaffected.

Try Again: No, though you can make a Sense Motive check for each interaction attempt against you.

Action: A Sense Motive check may be made as a reaction to notice or resist something. (When that's the case, the Narrator may roll the Sense Motive check in secret, so you don't know if there's something to notice or not.) Using Sense Motive to evaluate a person or situation takes at least 1 minute.

Sleight of Hand

Dexterity, Trained Only

You can perform feats of legerdemain such as picking pockets, palming small objects (making them seem to disappear), and so forth.

Check: A check against Difficulty 10 lets you palm a coin-sized, unattended object. When you perform this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by the observer's Notice check. The observer's check doesn't prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed. If using Sleight of Hand to do tricks to impress an audience, you can treat it as a Perform specialty.

Thievery: When you try to take something from another person, your opponent makes a Notice check to detect the attempt. To obtain the object, you must get a result of 20 or higher, regardless of the opponent's check result. The opponent detects the attempt if his check result beats your character's check result, whether you take the object or not.

Planting: You can make a Sleight of Hand check to plant a small object on a person, slip something into their pocket, drop something into their drink, and so forth. This has the same Difficulty and Notice check as thievery.

Concealment: You can use Sleight of Hand to conceal a small weapon or object on your body, making your check result the Difficulty of a Search check to find the object.

Try Again: A second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target, or when being watched by the same observer, has a Difficulty 10 higher than the first check if the first check failed or if the attempt was noticed.

Action: A Sleight of Hand check is a standard action.

Special: You can make an untrained Sleight of Hand check to conceal a weapon or object, but must always take 10 when doing so, so you can't do it while under stress.

Sneak

Dexterity

You're skilled in moving about unseen and unheard.

Check: Your Sneak check is opposed by the Notice check of anyone who might notice you. While using Sneak, you can move up to half your normal speed at no penalty. At more than half and up to your full speed, you take a -5 penalty. It's practically impossible (-20 penalty) to use Sneak while attacking, moving all out, or charging.

Size Modifiers: Apply the modifier from your size category to your Sneak checks to represent the difficulty and ease of noticing smaller and larger targets, respectively: Fine +16, Diminutive +12, Tiny +8, Small +4, Medium +0, Large -4, Huge -8, Gargantuan -12, Colossal -16.

Hiding: If others have spotted you, you can't use Sneak to remain unseen. You can run around a corner so you are out of sight and then use Sneak to hide, but others then know at least where you went. Note you can't hide if you have no cover or concealment (since that means you're standing out in the open).

Creating a Diversion to Hide: You can make a Bluff check to gain the momentary diversion needed to attempt a Sneak check while people are aware of you. When the others turn their attention from you, you can make a Sneak check if you can get to a hiding place of some kind. (As a general guideline, the hiding place has to be within 1 foot for every rank you have in Sneak.) This check, however, is at a -5 penalty because you have to move fast.

Tailing: You can use Sneak to tail someone at your normal speed. This assumes you have some cover or concealment (crowds of people, shadows, fog, etc.). If the subject is worried about being followed, he can make a Notice check (opposed by your Sneak check) every time he changes course (goes around a street corner, exits a building, and so on). If he is unsuspecting, he only gets a Notice check after each hour of being tailed. If the subject notices you, you can make a Bluff check, opposed by Sense Motive. If you succeed, you manage to pass off your presence as coincidence and can continue tailing. A failed Bluff check, or being noticed a second time, means the subject knows something is up.

Action: Sneak is a move action.

Survival

Wisdom

You use this skill to survive in the wilderness, finding food and shelter and safely guiding others.

Check: You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild.

Try Again: No.

Action: Survival checks occur each day in the wilderness or whenever a hazard presents itself.

Swim

Strength

You can swim and maneuver underwater.

Check: A successful Swim check allows you to swim one-quarter your speed as a move action or half your speed as a full-round action. If the check fails, you make no progress through the water. If the check fails by 5 or more, you go underwater. If you are underwater you must hold your breath to avoid drowning (see Suffocation). The Difficulty for the Swim check depends on the condition of the water:

Each hour you swim, make a Swim check (Difficulty 20). If the check fails, you suffer from fatigue (see Fatigue in Chapter 6). Unconscious characters go underwater and immediately begin to drown.

Rescuing: Rescuing another character who cannot swim (for whatever reason) increases the Difficulty of your Swim checks by +5.

Action: A Swim check is either a move action or a full-round action, as described above.