Skill Checks

To better reward intelligent characters and broaden how they interact with the world around them, the History skill check has been removed, and the Craft (Intelligence), Recall (Intelligence), and Scholarship (Intelligence) skills have been added. To better clarify what skills are used when an obstacle is encountered or a task or challenge is attempted, the circumstances under which a skill's use is appropriate is detailed below.
It is worth noting another important function of skill checks: often the character you are playing will be smarter, more perceptive, or charismatic than the person playing them! Such is the nature of playing heroes in a fantasy world where magic exists. If ever you, the player, feels frustrated or confused by something in game, feel free to "do dice about it" and have your character deal with it instead.
Don't know how to solve a puzzle? Your character might, roll an investigation check. Don't know what to say in an important conversation? Your character might, roll an persuasion check. Dont know what to do when the party becomes lost? Your character might, roll a survival check. Roleplaying games are of course at their best when we give as much of ourselves as we can to our characters and the story, but the dice are there to make up for anything that players may be unable to bring to the table.

Acrobatics: Can I use physical flexibility or nimble agility? Jumping, squeezing, swinging, tumbling.
Animal Handling: Do I understand the physiology and behovior of beasts or can I communicate with them? Riding mounts, avoiding or hunting creatures, negotiating with or manipulating animals.
Athletics: Can I use brute strength or raw physical power? Climbing, swimming, gripping, pushing.
Arcana: Do I understand spells, magical artifacts, or supernatural phenomena? Identifying spells and wondrous items, discerning the rules of magic, manipulating magical effects, understanding curses and undead.
Craft: How does this work? How was it built? Can I build or fix it? Crafting items, manipulating vehicles and machinery, repairing items.
Deception: Can I lie convincingly or manipulate adversaries? Lying to NPCs, concealing information, spreading misinformation.
Insight: Can I intuit context or understand hidden meanings and lies? Detecting lies, understanding non-verbal communication, discerning intents from context.
Intimidation: Can I make others afraid or impress them with power? Appearing threatening, convincing foes to surrender or flee, convincing allies of your power.
Investigation: Can I learn more about a thing I have found or troubleshoot a problem? Getting more information about an existing discovery, making deductions, solving a complex problem.
Medicine: Can I diagnose and heal injuries or identify illnesses and cures? Healing wounds and stabilizing creatures, checking hitpoint totals and status conditions, understanding anatomy, medicine, and drugs.
Nature: Do I understand the laws of nature or the minutiae of natural phenomena? Identifying flora, fauna, and fae, predicting the course of natural events, manipulating the natural world.
Perception: Can I detect hidden things or notice something new? Finding hidden creatures and objects, gathering new information using the five senses.
Performance: Can I grab attention or perform an art? Entertaining NPCs, acting with style and aplomb, gaining notoriety, creating art.
Persuasion: Can I communicate diplomatically or manipulate allies? Convincing NPCs to act in your interest, communicating clearly, advertising information.
Recall: Do I remember that detail or can I connect these events? Remembering known information, knowing background information, finding clarity in past events.
Religion: How well do I know the gods or can I understand this divine event? Identifying divine entities, interpreting omens, understanding gods, angels, and demons.
Scholarship: Do I know this fact or have I learned this information? Procuring academic facts, demonstrating knowledge of a particular subject, finding clarity in research.
Sleight of Hand: Can I perform delicate tasks or demonstrate fine motor skills? Picking locks, disarming traps, pickpocketing NPCs, other feats of small, nimble dexterity.
Stealth: Can I hide myself and move unseen or disguise something? Hiding an object or creature, disguising something or someone, avoiding notice in plain sight.
Survival: Can I navigate through, avoid danger in, or subsist in the wilderness? Tracking creatures, locating food and natural resources, navigate by natural signs.