Skills
Additional Skills
Syrik uses the additional skills of Gossip, Linguistics, Lore, and Tactics (descriptions found below) A character can always choose to gain Proficiency in Gossip, Linguistics, or Tactics from their Classes skill proficiencies, even if it is not listed as an option for that class; updated or homebrew classes are exempt from this rule, they list the skills intended to be tied to their class.Strength
Athletics (Strength)
Athletics is the skill of physical prowess and athletic might. A skilled athlete knows how to climb, jump, lift, swim, hold steady, pull, drag, and otherwise exert themselves physically through might and training.
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Climbing
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A skilled athlete can utilize this skill to climb across surfaces. With a successful Athletics check made to climb, you can adjust your position on an often vertical surface, or similar surface that requires the motion of climbing. Normally, while climbing a creature uses half of their Walking speed to determine how fast they can climb in a given movement, but through this skill a creature can attempt to climb faster, or can climb more difficult or treacherous surfaces that would not be so easily scaled. Generally, when climbing a surface, a failure by 4 or less results in no progress one way or the other, while a failure by 5 or more results in a fall from the climb, though this may not be end, see Catching Yourself below. While climbing, unless you have a special climb speed that says otherwise requires the use of both hands free to progress, though you can cling to a surface that you are climbing with one alone. While climbing, unless you have a Climb Speed, you suffer from the Surrounded condition. While climbing and Surrounded, you suffer an additional -2 penalty to AC.
Example Climb DCs
Given below are a list of example situations that can occur while climbing and potential Strength (Athletics) DCs for these given situations.
Accelerated Climbing
You can attempt to climb at your Full Walking speed; however, if you do so, the DC to climb the given surface is increased by 4, or by 50% percent (rounding down), whichever is a greater increase.
Catching Yourself
Should you fall while climbing and be within arms reach of a wall or surface that you can grasp, you can attempt a Dexterity saving throw to grab hold of the surface in an attempt to halt your fall. The DC of this saving throw is dependent on the given situation and your DMs rule, but a rough guideline would be 5 + the DC to climb the given surface. If you are pushed away from the climbing surface rather than just slipping along the surface, such as an explosion sending you flying away from the wall you were climbing, the DC may be increased further, if not just outright denied a save, generally this would be an additional +5 increase depending on the severity of the distance and the force that sent you flying away from the climbing surface.
| DC | Mods |
|---|---|
| 4 | Climbing a moderately steep slope, or a knotted rope with a wall brace. |
| 8 | Climbing a plain rope with a wall brace, or a knotted rope without a wall brace. |
| 10 | Climbing a surface with adequate ledges to hold onto and stand upon; such as a rough stone wall with plenty of holdings, a ship's rigging, or a simple ledge within arm's reach. |
| 12 | Climbing a surface with adequate handholds and footholds to grasp and brace against; such as a a tree, or a rough boulder, or an unknotted rope. |
| 14 | Climbing an uneven surface with some narrow handholds and footholds, such as an uneven stone brick wall. |
| 16 | Climbing a somewhat uneven wall with some narrow handholds and footholds, such as a typical two-story dwelling's wall. |
| 20 | Climbing a somewhat smooth wall with some narrow handholds and footholds, such as a natural cavern wall. |
| 24 | Climbing along a smooth narrow handhold without any foothold to brace against or rest upon, such as the overhang parapets of a castle wall. |
| -- | Climbing along a smooth surface without handholds to grasp, such as a smooth stucco wall, or a ceiling. These surfaces cannot be climbed without a feature that allows such activity, such as Spider Climb. |
| Mods | Ability to Brace against an opposing wall to aid in the climb (lowers DC by 4). The surface is slippery, slick, slimy, or otherwise difficult to achieve a proper handhold (increases DC by 2-8 depending on slipperiness). |
Jumping
Swimming
Intimidation (Strength or Charisma)
Intimidation is the skill of forced coercion and fear. Unlike the Diplomacy skill which is used to willingly convince your targets to heed your ideas and goals, Intimidation seeks the same results regardless of your targets opinions or feelings, should they fear you for your acts? Good. All the easier in the future when you need your minions to heed your call. Fear is a tool and a weapon and this skill is your intention to use it.
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Antagonize
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Someone skilled at intimidation knows how to properly anger and rile up a creature into attacking them over other threats. Upon successfully antagonizing a creature, the target suffers from the Antagonized condition for a number of rounds equal to half of your Proficiency bonus.
You can as an Action attempt an Intimidation check to antagonize a target, your Intimidation check is opposed by your target’s Insight check. With the results of your target’s Insight setting the Intimidation DC for you to successfully demoralize them into your desired path. This may be altered by further modifiers, or may simply use the quick DC calculations given below, as appropriate for the situation at hand.
Otherwise, the target makes a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your total bonus in the Intimidation skill.
Example Antagonize DCs
Given below are a list of example situations that can occur while using the Intimidation skill to Antagonize a target and potential Strength or Charisma (Athletics) DCs for these given situations.| DC | Mods |
|---|---|
| Target's Charisma score + Insight Proficiency | Passive Antagonize DC:If you are wanting to antagonize a target, you can have the target roll an opposed Insight check against your Intimidation check, applying any modifiers as appropriate given below, or you can simply have them use a set DC equal to their Charisma score + their Proficiency in the Insight skill. |
| +2 | The target has a higher Strength score than you. |
| -2 | The target has a lower Strength score than you. |
| +4 | The target’s CR or HD is higher than your own. This doubles if their CR or HD is 4 or more than your own. |
| -4 | The target’s CR or HD is lower than your own. This doubles if their CR or HD is 4 lower or less than your own. |
| Varies | Depending on the method of your antagonizing action to your antagonize target, a modifier may be added to the DC of the check, whether positive or negative, subject to GM interpretation. |
Coerce
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Someone skilled at intimidation knows just how to twist their words, to measure their gaze, to flex their might, or to simply stand menacingly in a way that can convince another to heed their whims for fear of reprisal. Whether this be cowing a creature into submission to your demands, to give up information they’d otherwise be unwilling to share, or to change the attitude of the creature in your favor.
When attempting an Intimidation check to coerce a target, your Intimidation check is opposed by your target’s Insight check. With the results of your target’s Insight setting the Intimidation DC for you to successfully coerce them into your desired path. This may be altered by further modifiers, or may simply use the quick DC calculations given below, as appropriate for the situation at hand and the request made by your attempts at coercion.
Example Coerce DCs
Given below are a list of example situations that can occur while using the Intimidation skill to Coerce a target and potential Strength or Charisma (Athletics) DCs for these given situations.| DC | Mods |
|---|---|
| Target's Charisma score + Insight Proficiency | Passive Coerce DC: If you are wanting to antagonize a target, you can have the target roll an opposed Insight check against your Intimidation check, applying any modifiers as appropriate given below, or you can simply have them use a set DC equal to their Charisma score + their Proficiency in the Insight skill. |
| +4 | The target is Hostile towards you. This applies to the above passive DC. |
| +2 | The target is Unfriendly towards you. This applies to the above passive DC. |
| 0 | The target is Indifferent towards you. This applies to the above passive DC. |
| -2 | The target is Friendly towards you. This applies to the above passive DC. |
| -4 | The target is Helpful towards you. This applies to the above passive DC. |
| +2 | The target has a higher Strength score than you. |
| -2 | The target has a lower Strength score than you. |
| +4 | The target’s CR or HD is higher than your own. This doubles if their CR or HD is 4 or more than your own. |
| -4 | The target’s CR or HD is lower than your own. This doubles if their CR or HD is 4 lower or less than your own. |
| -2 | The target is scared of you, this stacks for each level of Fear the target is suffering from caused by your actions. |
| Varies | Depending on the request you provide to your coerced target, a modifier may be added to the DC of the check, whether positive or negative, subject to GM interpretation. |
Demoralize
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Someone skilled at intimidation knows how to properly scare and demoralize creature’s into submission. Upon successfully demoralizing a creature, the target suffers from the Shakened condition for a number of rounds equal to half of your Proficiency bonus. A creature Shakened in this way does not increase their level of fear by rolling low on their Insight check or their saving throw. Higher levels of fear can be attained through various features and items.
You can as an Action attempt an Intimidation check to demoralize a target, your Intimidation check is opposed by your target’s Insight check. With the results of your target’s Insight setting the Intimidation DC for you to successfully demoralize them into your desired path. This may be altered by further modifiers, or may simply use the quick DC calculations given below, as appropriate for the situation at hand.
Otherwise, the target makes a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your total bonus in the Intimidation skill.
Example Demoralize DCs
Given below are a list of example situations that can occur while using the Intimidation skill to Demoralize a target and potential Strength or Charisma (Athletics) DCs for these given situations.| DC | Mods |
|---|---|
| Target's Charisma score + Insight Proficiency | Passive Demoralize DC:If you are wanting to demoralize a target, you can have the target roll an opposed Insight check against your Intimidation check, applying any modifiers as appropriate given below, or you can simply have them use a set DC equal to their Charisma score + their Proficiency in the Insight skill. |
| +2 | The target has a higher Strength score than you. |
| -2 | The target has a lower Strength score than you. |
| +4 | The target’s CR or HD is higher than your own. This doubles if their CR or HD is 4 or more than your own. |
| -4 | The target’s CR or HD is lower than your own. This doubles if their CR or HD is 4 lower or less than your own. |
| Varies | Depending on the method of your demoralizing action to your demoralized target, a modifier may be added to the DC of the check, whether positive or negative, subject to GM interpretation. |
Dexterity Skills
Acrobatics
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Intelligence Skills
Arcana
History
Investigation
Linguistics
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The linguistics skill is used when working with languages of any type, both in their spoken or written forms. It is used to decipher hidden speech, translate between two or more mediums, understand antiquated writings and runes both magical mundane. It is also the skill of languages, being trained in this skill grants an additional language to the creature, while expertise grants three additional languages. Lastly, it can be used to detect forgeries in place of Investigation, or discover hidden messages through a cypher or other means.
Lore
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The lore skill represents a specialized area of knowledge specific to the particular experiences of the individual. Lore is often narrow in scope compared to the broad skills such as Arcana or History. Lore acts as a skill to both allow for a perhaps uneducated character to roll proficiently when dealing with things they have experienced as well as a mark for adjustment when dealing with things your character would never have dealt with in their life, such as an iron age warrior attempting to figure out what a gun does, thus adjusting the DC of a normally easy task.
Lore as a skill overall is a categorized skill, what this means is that, you are not proficient in the skill itself, but the specific category gained from your origin. The categories could be regional such as your home country or city, or focused in an area of study such as archeology or magical enchantments, or narrowed down to a set of people or groups such as nobility of Calbesh or Black Markets of Aetherstorm. It can even be as focused as lore on a specific subsection such as Taverns of Azeron within the Barony of Vazia, or Famous Musicians.
Any given Lore must be narrow—far narrower than the most relevant Knowledge skill. The broader the scope of a given category of Lore, the shallower your knowledge is on that topic. If you know about taverns in a wide region, you know less about each of them than you would if you had Lore in taverns of a specific city. Lore skills normally can’t be used to identify monsters the way Knowledge skills can, unless they refer to a specific type of monster (such as owlbears or vampires). If Lore involves a common, broad category of race or monster, it needs to be more specific. Lore (elves) would be too broad, as would Lore (dragons).
Example of Play
Lets say you possess lore in the deity Sarenrae, but lack proficient in Religion, any religion check dealing with Sarenrae could instead use your Proficiency in Lore (sarenrae), thus allowing you to roll with proficiency. Another example would be a Calbeshian finding themselves in The Barony of Vazia, they lack the lore of this country and thus the common practices and customs may feel strange to them, any DC regarding the history, common practices, customs, or the like will be increased from anywhere between a +1 bonus to the DC to a +20 bonus to the DC, making something that would be intuitive or perhaps difficult for natives to know, difficult or outright impossible for a foreigner to achieve the same knowledge.Nature
Occultism (Spheres)
Religion
Society (Spheres)
Wisdom Skills
Animal Handling
Insight
Medicine
Perception
Survival
Tactics
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The tactics skill represents a character's knowledge of combat, martial training, military strategy, warfare, and the combat capabilities of a foe. Tactics acts as catch all skill when it comes to determining what a creature can do in combat, such as identifying a dragon's ability to breathe fire, or a skeletons weakness to bludgeoning or radiant damage, or perhaps a knights ability to parry a blow and riposte back at the attacker. It can even be used to determine more statistical abilities of a creature, such as its hit points or armor class.
Tactics as a skill overall is a skill designed to allow tactical thinking on combat, but also as a skill used to command soldiers, and lead armies not through persuasive words or intimidating fear, but through the camaraderie of war and superior military tactics. Any would-be leader of armies or rulers of nations would benefit from training in this skill.
The skill itself has a passive value, equal to 10 + your total modifier in this skill. This is used to determine the traits, if any, of those hostile forces that you may encounter while out on your adventurers. Traits essentially being short descriptions of what the creature can do as a whole, granting on success a vague overview of what the creature can do. A character can elect to use their Tactics skill against a specific ability or statistic gaining information on that ability or statistic.
The Tactics skill is used in Skirmish combat, as well as in leadership roles. Skirmish combat is detailed under Skirmish Rules. While its uses in Leadership vary wildly, rules for its application are in the works.
Charisma Skills
Deception
Gossip (Intelligence or Charisma)
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The gossip skill represents a character's knowledge, and understanding of a locale, people, legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, and humanoid foes. It is a skill akin to Nature or History, but has aspects of Persuasion, representing the character's ability to gather information through communication rather than book-smarts alone. It is used to represents a character's knowledge of the streets, dangerous pathways, and other elements of urban life. It can also be used to identify humanoid creatures, whether this be current gossip about them, their capabilities as a combatant, or something else.
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