<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_u">Skill Descriptions</span></span>(See p.69 for more detail)<br/><br/><strong>ACROBATICS (DEX)</strong><br/>Leaping across pit traps, carefully navigating dangerous<br/>terrain, and somersaulting through combat are all ways to use<br/>the Acrobatics skill, which measures trained physical agility.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>BALANCE (1 HALF ACTION)</em><br/>With success against the DC listed on Table 2.4: Balancing, <br/>the character may move across a precarious surface at<br/>up to 1/2 his Speed (rounded up).</li><li><em>BREAK FALL (1 FREE ACTION)</em><br/>With success (DC 20), a falling character lands on his feet<br/>and suffers 1/2 damage from the fall (rounded down, minimum 1<br/>per 10 ft. fallen); otherwise, he suffers full damage and becomes<br/>sprawled.</li><li><em>JUMP (1 HALF ACTION)</em> <br/>A character may not Jump with a heavy load or while<br/>wearing full armor. Also, he must move at least 10 ft. to perform<br/>a running jump.</li><li><em>TUMBLE (1 HALF ACTION)</em><br/>A character may use this check to weave around or through<br/>enemy-occupied squares in combat (see page 204). While<br/>tumbling, a character may move up to his Speed.</li></ul><br/><strong>ATHLETICS (STR)</strong><br/>Unlike Acrobatics, this skill represents a character’s ability<br/>to harness brute muscle. It’s used to perform feats of speed and<br/>endurance rather than grace and accuracy.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>CLIMB (1 HALF ACTION)</em><br/>With success against the DC listed on Table 2.5: Climbing<br/>(see below), the character may move across a vertical surface at<br/>up to 1/4 his Speed (rounded up). This base climbing Speed rises<br/>to 1/2 the character’s Speed with climber’s gear (see page 159).<br/>Per the GM, some surfaces may be impossible to climb without<br/>gear.</li><li><em>PUSH LIMIT (1 FREE ACTION)</em><br/>DC 20.  Choose one of the following:  <br/>+5 to Ground Speed for 1 minute.  For every 5 beyond 20, choose to <br/>increase speed or duration.<br/>+1 MPH to Travel Speed for 1 hour.  See above.<br/>+2 to Strength <em>(for encumbrance only)</em> for 1 minute.  See above.<br/><br/>At the end of every minute/hour a character pushes, he<br/>suffers 1d6 subdual damage per +2 to encumbrance Strength or<br/>+1 MPH to Travel Speed or +5 to Ground Speed, respectively.</li><li><em>SWIM (1 HALF ACTION)</em><br/>With success against the DC listed on Table 2.6: Swimming, the character <br/>may move across or through water at up to 1/4 his Speed (rounded up).</li></ul><br/><strong>BLEND (CHA)</strong><br/>This skill is used to subconsciously avoid detection — it comes<br/>into play whenever it’s important to know whether observers see,<br/>hear, or otherwise sense a character who isn’t intentionally trying<br/>to escape discovery. For this reason, Blend is commonly used<br/>when the Game Master, rather than the player, initiates such a<br/>skill check. Frequently, the GM will make Stealth checks without<br/>the player’s knowledge.<br/><br/><strong>BLUFF (CHA)</strong><br/>This skill is used to lie. Other deceptions are handled with<br/>Disguise and Crafting (for forgeries).<br/><em>Language: </em>When a character shares no common tongue<br/>with the target of a Bluff check, his error range increases by 4.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>LIE (1 FULL ACTION)</em><br/>With success against an observer’s Sense Motive (see page<br/>81), the character’s falsehood is believed. A number of modifiers<br/>apply to this check, as shown on Table 2.8: Bluffing,<br/>and as outlined in the Disposition section (see page 373).</li></ul><br/><strong>CRAFTING (INT)</strong>(p. 72)<br/>Every object across the great and civilized lands — from the<br/>humblest bauble to the most respected work of timeless art, from<br/>the simplest blade to the most powerful artifact of destruction —<br/>is forged with skilled hands. The art of building takes a lifetime<br/>to master, but unveils treasures that in all the world stand unique<br/>— for a time.<br/><br/><strong>DISGUISE (CHA)</strong><br/>With this skill a character can change his appearance,<br/>or that of someone else. He can adjust features, add or conceal<br/>distinguishing marks, and alter basic body shape with padding<br/>and belts. He can mimic a specific person or just change<br/>his appearance to avoid detection. Disguise does not let a<br/>character act like someone else — that’s handled with the Bluff<br/>skill.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>MASK (VARIES)</em><br/>It takes time to build any disguise, as shown on Table 2.10:<br/>Disguises (see page 73).<br/><br/>This check has no DC; instead, the character’s result becomes<br/>the DC for Notice and Search checks, which are made whenever<br/>the character draws attention or does something out of place for<br/>his disguise, or whenever the GM feels an observer’s suspicion<br/>is raised. A number of modifiers apply to the character’s Mask<br/>result, as shown on Table 2.10. The disguise holds up until an<br/>observer’s result beats the character’s, at which point the observer<br/>knows the character isn’t the person he appears to be.</li></ul><br/><strong>HAGGLE (WIS)</strong><br/>Merchants are the heart and soul of the vast and thriving<br/>economies of the world. They supply armies, equip assassins,<br/>and make or break kingdoms at the drop of a coin, yet they never<br/>let their eye stray from their greatest ambition: profit.<br/><em>Language:</em>When a character shares no common tongue<br/>with the target of a Haggle check, his error range increases by 4.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>BARGAIN (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>With success against another character’s Bargain result, a<br/>negotiator adjusts the asking price of an item or group of items<br/>up or down, as shown on Table 2.11: Bargaining.</li></ul><strong><br/>IMPRESS (CHA)</strong><br/>A delicate touch, a subtle word, or a brilliant performance at<br/>just the right time can change the course of history; indeed they<br/>have, as evidenced in the epic sagas of the ancient masters.<br/>Language: When a character shares no common tongue with<br/>the target of an Impress check, his error range increases by 4.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>INFLUENCE (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>This check is used to nurture one character’s opinion of<br/>another (either the acting character or another person he’s<br/>endorsing or slandering). Influencing someone takes more<br/>time than Browbeating them but the effects are more profound.<br/>Influence checks are subject to Disposition (see page 373).</li><li><em>PERSUADE (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>With success against a target character’s Resolve, the target<br/>performs 1 action or supports 1 of the character’s actions. A<br/>number of modifiers apply to this check, as shown on Table 2.12:<br/>Persuasion and Coercion (see page 75), and as outlined in the<br/>Disposition section (see page 373). A player character or villain<br/>may spend 1 action die to ignore a successful Persuade check<br/>targeting them.<br/><br/>A character may not be Persuaded to endanger any life<br/>(including his own), though he may be Coerced to do so (see<br/>page 76).</li></ul><br/><strong>INTIMIDATE (WIS)</strong><br/>In sharp contrast to Impress, the Intimidate skill is used<br/>to bully and malign, to threaten and demean. It’s not quite as<br/>effective but when you need to adjust someone’s Attitude in a<br/>hurry, there’s no better option.<br/><em>Language:</em>When a character shares no common tongue<br/>with the target of an Intimidate check, his error range increases<br/>by 4.<em>EXCEPTION:</em>When Intimidate is made to key off<br/>Strength, utilizing raw force instead of words, there is no increase<br/>to error range.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>BROWBEAT (1 FULL ACTION)</em><br/>This check is used to force a change in one character’s opinion<br/>of another (either the acting character or another person he’s<br/>endorsing or slandering). Browbeating someone is less effective<br/>than Influencing them, but it’s also faster. Starting Disposition<br/>modifiers have no impact on this check.<br/><br/>With success against a target’s Resolve, one of the target’s<br/>Disposition modifiers shifts up or down, as the acting character<br/>prefers, by an amount equal to 1/4 the difference between the<br/>results (rounded down).<br/><br/>People don’t like being abused and intimidation has<br/>consequences. At the end of the scene, the target’s Attitude<br/>toward the character worsens by 1 grade, even if the Browbeat<br/>check is successful.</li><li><em>COERCE (1 FULL ACTION)</em><br/>With success against a target character’s Resolve, the target<br/>performs 1 action or supports 1 of the character’s actions. A<br/>number of modifiers apply to this check, as shown on Table<br/>2.12: Persuasion and Coercion (see page 75). A player character<br/>or villain may spend 1 action die to ignore a successful Coerce<br/>check targeting them.<br/><br/>People don’t like being used and intimidation has<br/>consequences. At the end of the scene, the target’s Attitude<br/>toward the character worsens by 1 grade, even if the Coercion<br/>check is successful.<br/></li></ul><br/><strong>INVESTIGATE (WIS)</strong><br/>Power and secrets beckon, waiting to be unearthed by<br/>savvy adventurers with sharp eyes and keen intellect. This skill<br/>is crucial in their excavation, informing where to look, what to<br/>seek, and how to use what’s found.<br/><em>Language:</em>When a character shares no common tongue with<br/>the target of an Investigate check, his error range increases by 4.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>CANVASS (VARIES)</em> (p. 76)<br/>This check is used to gather information from the local<br/>populace. Before rolling the character names a single specific<br/>subject he’s investigating (such as a local cult or a recent crime).<br/>The GM may deny the check based on local opportunity, in which<br/>case the character may propose alternate lines of questioning.</li><li><em>DECIPHER (VARIES)</em><br/>This check is used to solve any puzzle, from the word clue<br/>left behind by a mocking villain to the code used by an elusive<br/>thieves’ guild to the gem-and-clockwork portal constructed by a<br/>wandering tribe of tinkering pech. Puzzles often hide traps and<br/>locks, requiring a character to Decipher before he can Disable<br/>(see page 79). Many puzzles are Complex Tasks (see page 67),<br/>demanding the character locate various clues or unravel pieces<br/>of the greater mystery before solving the whole.</li><li><em>IDENTIFY (VARIES)</em><br/>Adventuring is a dangerous career. Beyond the myriad<br/>adversaries that must be put down, the wild and hostile creatures<br/>defending their homes and hunting grounds, the traps, treachery,<br/>and the very environment itself, characters must keep a wary eye<br/>on their loot. Is that a Righteous Sword of Holy Vengeance or a<br/>Backbiting Barb of Betrayal? Many found items are a mystery<br/>until they’re used — or identified. This check offers a safe if not<br/>speedy alternative to discovering an item’s true nature the hard<br/>way.</li><li><em>RESEARCH (VARIES)</em><br/>Rummaging through stacks of dusty tomes in a long-forgotten<br/>library, pouring over battle manuals in a warlord’s training hall,<br/>and tracing the history of a dead civilization through glyphs<br/>scrawled on a jungle temple’s walls — all these are examples<br/>of Research in action.</li></ul><br/><strong>MEDICINE (INT)</strong>(p. 77)<br/>Sooner or later every adventurer gets hurt. The lucky ones<br/>recover on their own; others are doomed to die without the<br/>caring hands of a trained healer. Fortunately, the weaknesses of<br/>flesh and bone are well understood, as are the ways to repair<br/>them.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>CALM (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>This check may only be made in a peaceful location. With<br/>success (DC 15), the character heals 1 stable character of 2d6<br/>stress damage.</li><li><em>MEND (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>With success (DC 15), the character heals 1 stable target of<br/>2d6 damage (if the target’s a special character, this is split evenly<br/>between subdual, vitality, and wound points and the patient<br/>distributes any uneven excess).</li><li><em>STABILIZE (1 FULL ACTION)</em><br/>This check is used to stabilize a dying or poisoned character,<br/>staving death off long enough for more substantial treatment.</li><li><em>TREATMENT (DOWNTIME)</em><br/>This check is used to speed an injured character’s recovery<br/>and treat serious maladies. With 2 hours of Downtime, a character<br/>can perform one of the following treatments. A character may<br/>only be targeted by 1 Treatment check per day.<br/><strong>-</strong>Speed Natural Healing<br/><strong>-</strong>Treat Attribute Impairment<br/><strong>-</strong>Treat Critical Injury<br/><strong>-</strong>Treat Poison or Disease</li></ul><br/><strong>NOTICE (WIS)</strong><br/>This skill is used to subconsciously detect things — it comes<br/>into play whenever it’s important to know whether the character<br/>sees, hears, or otherwise senses important details without<br/>looking for them. For this reason, Notice is commonly used<br/>when the Game Master, rather than the player, initiates such<br/>a skill check.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>AWARENESS (1 FREE ACTION)</em><br/>With success against a check result to obscure something<br/>(most often with the Blend, Disguise, Prestidigitation, or Sneak<br/>skill), the character becomes alert to the deception; otherwise,<br/>it becomes hidden from him.</li></ul><br/><strong>PRESTIDIGITATION (DEX)</strong><br/>A favorite of thieves and gamblers, Prestidigitation is used to<br/>conceal actions and items. Some of its most popular applications<br/>are disabling traps, picking pockets, and conveying secret<br/>messages by gesture.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>CONCEAL ACTION (1 FREE ACTION)</em><br/>With success against an observer’s Notice or Search<br/>(see pages 78 and 81), the character conceals one of his<br/>actions from view; otherwise, the observer becomes<br/>alert to the action. If the action involves an item, it must<br/>be at least 2 Sizes smaller than the character. A number<br/>of modifiers apply to this check, as shown on Table 2.7:<br/>Blending, Sneaking, and Concealing (see page 71).</li><li><em>DISABLE (VARIES)</em><br/>This check disables an item, deactivating and/or<br/>neutralizing it. It’s commonly used to open locks and bypass<br/>traps. A character without thieves’ tools (see page 160) is<br/>considered untrained even when he has Prestidigitation<br/>ranks.<br/>Disabling an item takes a number of full actions equal<br/>to the item’s Complexity divided by 10 (rounded up).</li><li><em>STASH (1 HALF ACTION)</em><br/>This check is used to hide an item on a person or in a<br/>location. There is no DC; instead, the character’s result becomes<br/>the DC for Notice and Search checks, which are made whenever<br/>someone searches the person or area where the item is stashed,<br/>or when the GM feels an observer might stumble onto the item.<br/>A number of modifiers apply to this check, as shown on Table<br/>2.7: Blending, Sneaking, and Concealing (see page 71). The stash<br/>result holds up until an observer’s result beats the character’s, at<br/>which point the observer finds the item.</li></ul><br/><strong>RESOLVE (CON)</strong><br/>Keeping one’s cool under pressure — especially during<br/>intense situations like combat — can turn the tide of battle. It<br/>can ensure focus while casting a critical spell, steady hands while<br/>stabilizing a dying ally, or quick thinking while disabling a trap.<br/>Resolve is also helpful during Downtime, allowing a character<br/>to make the most of his repose.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>CONCENTRATE (1 FREE ACTION)</em><br/>A character must make 1 Concentrate check per round when<br/>the GM determines that his current action(s) are threatened by<br/>one or more distractions. With success (DC 10), the character’s<br/>action(s) continue without pause; otherwise, he must start them<br/>again from scratch.</li><li><em>RELAX (DOWNTIME)</em><br/>With at least 10 minutes to indulge in soothing activities in<br/>a peaceful location, a stable character can attempt to hasten his<br/>stress damage recovery. With success (DC 15), the character’s<br/>stress damage healing rate doubles for the next hour.</li></ul><br/><strong>RIDE (DEX)</strong><br/>The Ride skill is used to control any mount or vehicle.<br/>Focuses: When a character gains his first rank in Ride and<br/>for every 4 full ranks he gains in total, he learns 1 focus from<br/>the following list:<em>Air Vehicles, Flying Mounts, Land Vehicles,<br/>Riding Mounts, Swimming Mounts, Water Vehicles.</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>MANEUVER (1 HALF ACTION)</em><br/>Most of the time, no skill check is required to control a<br/>mount or vehicle. This check comes into play when the character<br/>attempts a risky maneuver, especially during combat or another<br/>dangerous situation.</li></ul><br/><strong>SEARCH (INT)</strong><br/>This skill is used to deliberately detect things — it comes<br/>into play whenever it’s important to know whether the character<br/>sees, hears, or otherwise senses important details while looking<br/>for them. For this reason, Search is commonly used when the<br/>player, rather than the GM, initiates such a skill check.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>PERCEPTION (1 FULL ACTION)</em><br/>With success against a check result to obscure something<br/>(most often with the Blend, Disguise, Prestidigitation, or Sneak<br/>skills), the character becomes alert to the deception; otherwise,<br/>it becomes hidden from him.</li></ul><br/><strong>SENSE MOTIVE (WIS)</strong><br/>This skill is used to detect lies. Seeing through disguises and<br/>spotting forgeries are covered by the Notice and Search skills.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>DETECT LIE (1 FREE ACTION)</em><br/>With success against a Bluff result (see page 72), the character<br/>sees through the lie. Disposition has no impact on this check.</li></ul><br/><strong>SNEAK (DEX)</strong><br/>This skill is used to deliberately avoid detection — it<br/>comes into play whenever it’s important to know whether<br/>observers see, hear, or otherwise sense a character who’s trying<br/>to escape discovery. For this reason, Sneak is commonly used<br/>when the player, rather than the GM, initiates such a skill<br/>check.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>HIDE (1 FULL ACTION)</em><br/>With success against an observer’s Notice or Search (see<br/>pages 78 and 81), the character becomes hidden from the<br/>observer (if he wasn’t already); otherwise, the observer becomes<br/>alert to the character (and potentially his location, if the GM<br/>thinks it’s apparent). A number of modifiers apply to this check,<br/>as shown on Table 2.7: Blending, Sneaking, and Concealing (see<br/>page 71).<br/><br/>As part of a Hide check, the character may move up to<br/>his full Speed, though doing so makes him easier to detect, as<br/>shown on Table 2.7.</li></ul><br/><strong>SURVIVAL (WIS)</strong><br/>A character at one with nature can make his home almost<br/>anywhere, at least in the short term. He’s also a master at animal<br/>husbandry and the most dangerous of all games — hunting<br/>sentient prey.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>BREED ANIMAL (DOWNTIME)</em><br/>A character may breed any animal with a male and female<br/>of the species. Many common fantasy mounts are provided on<br/>Table 4.15: Mounts (see page 170). The character must have a<br/>combined Survival skill bonus + Career Level of at least the<br/>animal’s Breeding value.</li><li><em>FORAGE (4 HOURS)</em><br/>With success against the DC listed on Table 2.18: Foraging, <br/>the character finds adequate shelter for natural<br/>healing, as well as enough perishable food and water for his<br/>party for 1 day (like any other perishable, this food and water<br/>spoils at the end of the adventure). With failure, no food or<br/>water is found and natural healing decreases to 1/2 normal<br/>(rounded down).</li><li><em>TRACK (VARIES)</em><br/>This check is used to hunt, regardless of the prey. Outdoors,<br/>a character makes 1 Track check per mile; indoors, the distance<br/>per check decreases to 100 ft. The GM may call for additional<br/>checks when the conditions of the hunt change (e.g. when the<br/>prey backtracks or tries to hide his trail, when the prey’s trail<br/>crosses another, when it starts to rain, etc.).<br/><br/>With success against a target’s Blend or Sneak result,<br/>as appropriate, the character remains on the target’s trail;<br/>otherwise, he loses it. The character permanently loses a trail if<br/>he fails 2 Track checks in a row. A number of modifiers apply to<br/>this check, as shown on Table 2.19: Tracking (see page 83).</li><li><em>TRAIN ANIMAL (DOWNTIME)</em><br/>To train an animal, a character must have a combined Survival<br/>skill bonus + Career Level of at least the animal’s Training value,<br/>as shown on Table 4.15: Mounts (see page 170).<br/><br/>With a successful 1-month check (DC 20), the character<br/>trains a wild animal. A trained animal can be ridden, accepts<br/>commands, and may receive advanced training.</li></ul><br/><strong>TACTICS (INT)</strong><br/>Study any famed warlord and it becomes clear they all<br/>share a common trait — the ability to leverage the odds in their<br/>favor. Through insightful observation and careful planning they<br/>elevate battle to an art form, delivering death blows while their<br/>opponents are still scrambling for their sheaths.<br/><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><em>AMBUSH (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>The roll for an Ambush check is not made when the ambush<br/>is prepared, but rather when it’s sprung.<br/>With success against a target character or group’s Notice,<br/>Search, or Sense Motive (as appropriate), a surprise round<br/>happens with the targets unaware of your party (see page 203).</li><li><em>OUTMANEUVER (1 MINUTE)</em><br/>With success against a target character’s Tactics, the target’s<br/>error range increases by 2 during all opposed checks until the<br/>end of the current scene.</li></ul>