Skills

## Rank Bonus

Instead of gaining a number of ranks per level and assigning them to skills, At the first level of selecting a class, choose a number of skills such that the number of proficient skills plus twice the number of expert skills chosen is equal to the number of skill ranks granted per level for that class (including your intelligence modifier) times two, plus one if the class is your favoured class. This means that every time a character's intelligence increases or decreases (permanently) you must adjust the number of proficient and expert skills you have for each class (a restoration spell that restores drained intelligence restores the same skills that were lost in the drain). Your rank bonus for each expert skill is equal to your class level, and your rank bonus for each proficient skill is equal to half your class level. Every skill has a minimum rank bonus of one quarter your character level (rounded down to the nearest half).

(1)
\begin{align} Number \ of \ Proficient \ Skills + 2 * (Number \ of \ Expert \ Skills) = 2 * (Number \ of \ skill \ ranks \ granted \ per \ level + INT) + 1 \ if \ favoured \ class \end{align}

### Feat Skills

You may use a feat to select an additional skill proficiency. The rank bonus for a feat skill is half your character level. You may use a second feat to convert a feat skill proficiency into a feat skill expertise.

### Multiclassing

If you choose the same skills in more than one class or as you have chosen for a feat skill proficiency, total the rank bonuses together. Your total rank bonus for any one skill may not exceed your character level, however.

### Trained Skills

You are considered trained in your skill if you are either proficient or expert in your skill. You are also considered trained in any class skill belonging to a class in which you have 8 or more levels.

## Aid Another

In addition to granting the character being helped a +2 bonus for passing a DC 10 check, you can also grant a +4 bonus for passing a DC 20 check, a +6 bonus for passing a DC 30 check, and so on. You must still roll the same type of skill check to aid another.
Aid Another DC Bonus
5 +1
10 +2
15 +3
20 +4
25 +5
30 +6
35 +7
40 +8

## Aid Self (Synergy)

On a case by case basis, you can aid your own character with skill checks by making an additional check of a related skill. This works just like Aid Another (see above), except you roll a different skill check. Some examples are listed below. Aiding self is usually a swift action. When aiding self, the bonus granted by the aid check is named a synergy bonus.
Skill Check Skill checks that may be used (depending on the situation*) to aid self
Appraise Craft (x)
Bluff Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility)
Climb Acrobatics, Perception
Diplomacy Bluff, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), Perform (comedy), Perform (oratory), Sense Motive
Disable Device Knowledge (engineering), Perception
Disguise Bluff, Perception, Perform (act)
Handle Animal Knowledge (nature)
Heal Knowledge (nature)
Intimidate Bluff, Knowledge (local), Perform (act), Perform (oratory)
Linguistics Knowledge (history), Perception
Profession Knowledge (x)
Ride Handle Animal
Sense Motive Perception
Sleight of Hand Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform (act)
Spellcraft Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion)
Survival Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (planes), Perception
* Note: not all of the skills listed here are valid for each situation. Always ask the DM if a check might be applicable before rolling an aid self check.

# Revised Skills

### Diplomacy (Cha)

Use this skill to accomplish two things in a social situation. Alter another character or group of characters' attitude(s) towards you, and persuade them to take a course of action or agree with you.
The diplomacy skill may also be used for bartering when buying or selling goods or services.

#### The Target:

The base DC for any Diplomacy check, given in the table below, is modified by +1 per level of the highest-level character in the group that you are trying to influence High-level characters are more committed to their views and are less likely to be swayed. By applying the highest modifiers in any group, a powerful king (for example) might gain benefit from a very wise advisor who listens in court and counsels him accordingly. For this purpose, a number of characters is only a "group" if they are committed to all following the same course of action. Either one NPC is in charge, or they agree to act by consensus. If each member is going to make up their mind on their own, roll separate Diplomacy checks against each.

#### Attitude:

The attitude of the target character from the outset influences any request, and the Diplomacy roll is modified accordingly.

 +10 Helpful: Will take risks to help you. +5 Friendly: Wishes you well. +0 Indifferent: Doesn’t much care. –5 Unfriendly: Wishes you ill. –10 Hostile: Will take risks to hurt you.

#### Risk:

The amount of personal benefit must always be weighed against the potential risks for any deal proposed. It is important to remember to consider this adjustment from the point of view of the target themself and what they might value; while 10 gp might be chump change to an adventurer, it may represent several months' earnings for a poor farmer. Likewise, a heroic paladin is unlikely to be persuaded from his tenets for any amount of gold, though he might be convinced that a greater good is served by the proposed deal. When dealing with multiple people at once, always consider the benefits to the person who is in clear command, if any hierarchy exists within the group. Penalties to the DC take are increased (positive Wisdom modifier) or reduced (negative wisdom modifier) based on the target character's Wisdom modifier, and bonuses to the DC are also increased (positive Wisdom modifier) or reduced (negative wisdom modifier), because a wiser character will give more weight to the risk of the request than a character who is unwise. The target DC is modified accordingly only for the agreement result.

###### Risk modifier rubric:
 -10-Wisdom modifier Fantastic: The reward for accepting the deal is very worthwhile, and the risk is either acceptable or extremely unlikely. Not accepting the deal is in conflict with the character's alignment. -5-Wisdom modifier Favorable: The reward is good, and the risk is tolerable. If all goes according to plan, the deal will end up benefiting the subject. Accepting the deal causes no conflict with the character's alignment. +0 Even: The reward and risk are more or less even, or the deal involves neither reward nor risk. Accepting or not accepting the deal is irrelevant to the character's alignment. +5+Wisdom modifier Unfavorable: The reward is not enough compared to the risk involved; even if all goes according to plan, chances are it will end up badly for the subject. Not accepting the deal causes no conflict with the character's alignment. +10+Wisdom modifier Horrible: There is no conceivable way the proposed plan could end up with the subject ahead, or the worst-case scenario is guaranteed to occur. Accepting the deal is in conflict with the character's alignment.
Base DC Change in Attitude Agreement
fail -2 Opposed
10 0 Disinclined
15 0 Inclined
30 +2 Convinced

#### Change in Attitude:

Each diplomacy check has a chance of changing the attitude of the target. In normal situations, the target's attitude can only change by two degrees.
Agreement: Every diplomacy check will have some effect on the target's volition to go along with the proposition or act against it. If the target is an NPC, then the action the NPC will take is usually predictable by the table below.

###### NPC action chart

If after the diplomacy check, the NPC is… then they will cooperate if their agreement is at least…
Friendly Inclined
Unfriendly Convinced
Hostile -

#### Bartering

Normally, goods, services, and magic items can be bought at the value listed in the core rulebook, or sold at 50% this value. If a character wishes to barter for an item instead, they may be able to sell the item for more, or purchase it for less, at the risk of potentially receiving less or paying more, respectively. Once a character declares that they wish to barter for an item, they may not go back to the default values for buying or selling, but instead either accept the roll or decide not to buy or sell. The percentage listed is the percentage of the listed value.

< 0 150% 20%
0 120% 30%
5 115% 35%
10 110% 40%
15 105% 45%
20 100% 50%
25 95% 55%
30 90% 60%
35* 80% 70%
40* 70% 80%
45* 60% 90%
50* 50% 100%
*Requires higgler feat

### Linguistics (Int)

This is the skill characters use to perform tasks with language beyond simple communication in their familiar languages. Characters use this skill to decipher strange or ancient script or the speech of other languages, to indentify local and racial inflections in the speech of others, or to disguise their own speech as that of one from another locale or race.

##### Check

Decipher Script: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. Add 5 to the DC if you are not trained in the writing system used, and add 20 if the writing system is utterly unfamiliar or unknown. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.)

Disguise or detect dialect: You can disguise your voice when speaking a language you speak fluently (All characters are fluent in their native languages) to imitate a specific dialect, whether regional or the inflection of a non-native speaker (such as an orc speaking non-fluent dwarven). The check is opposed by the Linguistics check of the listener. The listener receives a +2 bonus to oppose your check if they are fluent in the dialect you are attempting to imitate (or the other language's inflection). The base DC for detecting the source of a dialect in another characters speech is 5. Characters who are not proficient in the language being spoken are subject to a -10 penalty to detect a dialect and to oppose the disguised dialect check.

Learning Langauges: For every second level for an expert in Linguistics, or every fourth level if you are proficient in Linguistics, you may either become proficient in a new language, become fluent in a language you are already proficient with (except lingua francas), or learn to read a new writing system. Characters who do not gain literacy from their class gain literacy if they take Linguistics as a proficient skill or an expert skill.

##### Action

Varies. Deciphering a page of ordinary text takes 1 minute (10 consecutive rounds). Disguising or detecting dialects is a free action.

##### Try again

For deciphering script; yes. For disguising or detecting a dialect; no.

##### Special

While you need not be trained in Linguistics to disguise or detect dialects, you must be trained in linguistics in order to decipher script successfully.

### Spellcraft (Int)

You are skilled at the art of casting spells and can identify spells as they are being cast. You can also use this skill to avoid losing your spell if you are damaged or distracted while casting.

##### Check

Spellcraft is used whenever your knowledge and skill of the technical art of casting a spell comes into question. The DC of this check varies depending upon the task at hand. If you are casting a spell, and you succeed at the check, you may continue casting the spell as normal. If the check fails, the spell is wasted. Use the same DCs for any Spellcraft checks made due to distraction while concentrating on a spell or effect.

##### Action

Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action. Learning a spell from a spellbook takes 1 hour per level of the spell (0-level spells take 30 minutes). Preparing a spell from a borrowed spellbook does not add any time to your spell preparation. Making a Spellcraft check to avoid losing a spell as it is being cast or concentrated on does not require an action.

##### Retry

You cannot retry checks made to identify a spell. If you fail to learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll, you must wait at least 1 week before you can try again. If you fail to prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook, you cannot try again until the next day. You cannot retry a Spellcraft check to cast a spell while distracted, as the spell is lost.

##### Special

If you are a specialist wizard, you get a +2 bonus to identify, learn, and prepare spells from your chosen school. Similarly, you take a –5 penalty on similar checks made concerning spells from your opposed schools.

##### Spellcraft DCs
Identify a spell as it is being cast 15 + spell level
Learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll 10 + spell level
Prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook 15 + spell level
Cast a spell if you are damaged while casting 10 + damage dealt + spell level
Cast a spell if you are taking continuous damage 10 + half the damage dealt + spell level
Cast a spell if you are distracted by a nondamaging spell Distracting spell’s DC + spell level
Cast a spell while on a moving mount or vehicle 10 + spell level
Cast a spell while on a vigorously moving mount or vehicle 15 + spell level
Cast a spell while moving violently (earthquake, falling) 20 + spell level
Cast a spell while entangled 15 + spell level
Cast a spell while grappled 15 + spell level
Cast a spell during extreme weather 10 + spell level
Cast a spell unnoticed* Opposed by perception
*If the spell contains material or somatic components, you take a -5 penalty on your check per component,
unless you have 4 or more ranks in sleight of hand.
You also take an (additional) -10 penalty if the spell contains a verbal component consisting of arcane syllables.

# New Skills

### Break (Str)

You are skilled at using your strength to maximum efficiency in the art of demolition. You know how to find and exploit weak points of objects, as well as how to focus your strength.

##### Check

Make a check whenever you need to break down a door, break free of bonds, or bend iron bars.

##### Special

Break is a class skill for barbarians, fighters, and monks.

Categories: General Campaign Rules

page revision: 28, last edited: 12 Jan 2020 00:23