Character Skills

Skills represent how good your character is at a variety of tasks. All characters share the same skill list, but are limited on what they can use based on their class and allocation of skill points.

Skill Ranks

Every class has a set of class skills, and an amount of skill points gained per level. Skill points can be spent to obtain ranks in skills at a rate of 1 skill point to 1 rank. The maximum rank a character can have in a class skill is equal to their level, or half that number for cross-class skills (rounded down, minimum 1). If a cross-class skill later becomes a class skill (for example from multiclassing), the maximum increases to that of a class skill.
Any class skill with at least 1 rank gains a +3 bonus to the skill modifier.

Background & Adventuring Skills

Skills are divided into two categories: background skills and adventuring skills. Adventuring-oriented skills such as Perception are usually more important for your character’s survival than background skills such as Profession, but these background skills still provide a level of depth and individuality to a character. In order to facilitate this depth, each character gains an additional 2 skill points per level that can only be spent on ranks in background skills. This allows a character to have a rich background and engage in Downtime activities without sacrifing their life expectancy.
The following skills are considered background skills:
Appraise, Artistry, Craft, Handle Animal, Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility), Linguistics, Lore, Perform, Profession, Sleight of Hand.
These skills are called background skills because they reflect the non-adventuring interests and passions of a player character, or the skills more important to NPCs. All other skills are adventuring skills.

Skill Modifiers

All skill checks have a skill modifier:

Skill Modifier = ability modifier + skill ranks + miscellaneous modifiers

Ability Modifier

Each skill has a key ability related to the use of that skill. The character's ability modifier for that ability is added to all checks made for that skill.

Miscellaneous Modifiers

Armor Check Penalties

Some skills are more difficult to use when encumbered by armor. Each armor type has an armor check penalty value, which is added to all checks made for any skill denoted has having an armor check penalty. Even if unarmored, a character carrying too much weight can gain an armor check penalty as well. These penalties do not stack, and in the event that both are present, the larger of the two is used. In the case of the Swim skill, the armor check penalty is doubled.

Other Modifiers

Other modifiers that may apply to a skill include racial traits, feats, magical items, and spells. Any permanent or semi-permanent modifier should be calculated into the miscellaneous modifier line of your character sheet to ensure it is factored into any checks you make.

Using Skills

When your character uses a skill, you make a skill check by rolling 1d20 + your skill modifier to see how well they do. The higher the result, the better they do. The check may be opposed by another character, in which case the higher result succeeds, or it may be rolled against a fixed Difficulty Class. The use cases of each skill is detailed within its respective description. The Skill DC Examples table gives some samples of what DC to expect relative to the difficulty of the task.

Untrained Skill Checks

Any skill that is usable untrained can be used by any character. Otherwise, at least 1 point must be spent in the skill to be able to make a check.

Checks Without Rolls

If your character is not being threatened or distracted, you can Take 10 on a roll. Instead of rolling 1d20, you calculate the result as though you rolled a 10. Distractions or threats (such as being in combat, or jumping over a dangerous pit) makes it impossible to take a 10.
If you have plenty of time (generally 20 times the time it takes to perform a skill), there no distractions or threats, and there is no penalty for failure in the skill being used, you can Take 20 on a roll. Taking 20 means you are trying until you get it right, and assumes you fail many times before succeeding. Note that taking a 20 does not garner the +10 bonus a natural 20 normally conveys (see Criticals and Fumbles for more details).

Combining Skill Attempts

When more than one character want to try the same skill at the same time for the same purpose, their efforts may overlap.

Independent checks

Many checks allow several characters to attempt the same action and determine success or failure independently. The result of one character's spot check does not influence the result of the other characters making the attempt.

Aid Another

For checks that only allow one character to act (such as Diplomacy or Disable Device) You can help another character achieve success on their skill check by making the same check in a cooperative effort. If the result of your check is a 10 or higher, the character you are helping gets a +2 to their check. You cannot take 10 to help someone with a check, nor can you help if you would not be capable of passing the check on your own. How many people can help a check depends on the circumstances of the skill (5 players couldn't effectively help a Rogue pick a lock, but they could easily help a Ranger look for tracks).

Skill Tricks

Skill tricks are special moves or abilities that do not fit into a broader skill, but can still be obtained using skill points. More information about them can be found in the Skill Tricks article.

Skill Descriptions

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