Chapter Two: Skills

Skills
Skill 			Ability 	Untrained? Specialization? 	Action 		Take 10/20
Acrobatics 		Dex 	No 		No 		React or move 	10
Bluff 			Cha 	Yes 		No 		Standard or full 	10
Climb 			Str 	Yes 		No 		Move or full 	10
Computers		Int 	No 		No 		— 		10/20
Concentration 		Wis 	Yes 		No 		React 		—
Craft 			Int 	No 		Yes 		— 		10 (20 on repair)
Diplomacy 		Cha 	Yes 		No 		Full 		10
Disable Device 		Int 	No 		No 		Full 		10/20
Disguise 		Cha 	Yes 		No 		— 		10
Drive 			Dex 	No 		No 		Move 		10
Escape Artist 		Dex 	Yes 		No 		Full 		20
Gather Information 	Cha 	Yes 		No 		— 		10
Handle Animal 		Cha 	Yes 		No 		— 		10/20
Intimidate 		Cha 	Yes 		No 		Standard or full 	10
Jump 			Str 	Yes 		No 		Move 		10
Knowledge 		Int 	No 		Yes 		React or full 	10/20
Language 		— 	No 		Yes 		— 		—
Medicine 		Wis 	No 		No 		— 		10/20
Notice 			Wis 	Yes 		No 		React or move 	10/20
Perform 		Cha 	Yes 		Yes 		— 		10
Pilot 			Dex 	No 		No 		Move 		10
Ride 			Dex 	No 		No 		Move 		10
Search 			Int 	Yes 		No 		Full 		10/20
Sense Motive 		Wis 	Yes 		No 		React 		10
Sleight of Hand 		Dex 	No 		No 		Standard 	10
Stealth 			Dex 	Yes 		No 		Move 		10
Survival 		Wis 	Yes 		No 		— 		10
Swim 			Str 	Yes 		No 		Move or full 	10

An “—” entry in the Action column means the skill takes longer than a full round. See the skill description for details.

Acrobatics
Dexterity, Trained Only
You can flip, dive, roll, tumble, and perform other acrobatic maneuvers.
Check: You can make an Acrobatics check (Difficulty 5) to lessen the damage from a fall. Subtract the amount your roll exceeds the Difficulty (in feet) from the distance of a fall before determining damage. For example, an Acrobatics check of 20 (15 more than the Difficulty) reduces the effective distance of a fall by 15 feet. A fall reduced to 0 feet does no damage. 
You can make an Acrobatics check (Difficulty 25) to move through a space occupied by an opponent or obstacle (moving over, under, or around). A failed roll means you don’t get past the obstacle. 
Balancing: You can walk on a precarious surface. A successful check lets you move half your speed along the surface as a move action. A failure indicates you spend your move action just keeping your balance and do not move. A failure by 5 or more indicates you fall. The Difficulty is based on the surface. You lose your dodge bonus to Defense while balancing. If you take any damage while balancing, you must make another Acrobatics check to avoid falling.
Surface 			Difficulty
More than 12 inches wide 	5
7–12 inches wide 		10
2–6 inches wide 			15
Less than 2 inches wide 		20
Uneven or angled 		+5
Slippery 			+5
Avoiding Being Tripped: You can make an Acrobatics check in place of the normal Strength or Dexterity check to avoid a trip attack (see Trip in Chapter 6). You cannot use Acrobatics to make trip attacks, however.
Instant Up: You can make an Acrobatics check (Difficulty 20) to stand up from a prone position as a free action rather than a move action.
Performance: You can use Acrobatics as if it were the Perform skill to impress an audience. See Perform later in this chapter.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Acrobatics:
Accelerated Acrobatics: You can try to cross a precarious surface faster than normal. If you increase the Difficulty by 5, you can move your full speed as a move action. Moving twice your speed in a round requires the penalty plus two skill checks, one for each move action. You can also accept this penalty to charge across a precarious surface; this requires one skill check per multiple of your speed (or fraction thereof) that you charge.
Perfect Balance: In return for increasing the Difficulty of your Acrobatics check by 5, you move with such grace and agility that you maintain your dodge bonus while balancing.
Perilous Balance: You can shake or disturb the surface on which you are balancing (e.g., swaying on a tightrope). If your check succeeds after increasing the Difficulty by 5, you keep your balance and impose a +5 modifier on the Difficulty of all Acrobatics checks others must make on the surface until the next round.
Try Again: No.
Action: You can try to reduce damage from a fall as a reaction once per fall. Balancing while moving one-half your speed is a move action. Accelerated movement, allowing you to balance while moving your full speed, is also a move action.
Special: The balancing aspects of Acrobatics can be used untrained.

Bluff
Charisma, Interaction
Bluff is the skill of making the outlandish seem credible. It covers acting, fast-talking, trickery, and subterfuge.
Check: A Bluff check is opposed by the target’s Bluff or Sense Motive check, whichever is higher (it’s harder to bluff someone who knows all the tricks). Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances can work against you: the bluff is hard to believe, or the action the bluff requires goes against the target’s self-interest, nature, or orders.
If it’s important, the Narrator can distinguish between the two. For instance, if the target gets a +10 bonus because the bluff demands something risky, and the target’s Sense Motive check succeeds by 10 or less, then the target didn’t so much see through the bluff as prove reluctant to go along with it. If the target’s Sense Motive check succeeds by 11 or more, he sees through the bluff, and would have even if it had not placed any unusual demands on him (that is, even without the +10 bonus).
A successful Bluff check indicates the target reacts as you want, at least for a short time (usually 1 round or less), or the target believes something you want him to believe.

Example Circumstances 		Sense Motive Modifier
The target wants to believe you. 			 –5
The bluff is believable and doesn’t affect
the target much one way or the other.		 +0
The bluff is a little hard to believe or puts
the target at some kind of risk.			 +5
The bluff is hard to believe or entails a
large risk for the target.				+10
The bluff is way out there; it’s almost too
incredible to consider.				+20

Diversion: You can use Bluff to help you hide. A successful Bluff check gives you the diversion needed to attempt a Stealth check while people are aware of you.
Feint: You can use Bluff to mislead an opponent in combat. If your Bluff check succeeds, the next attack you make against the target ignores his dodge or parry bonus to Defense.
Innuendo: You can use Bluff to send secret messages while talking about other things. The Difficulty for a basic message is 10. Complex messages have Difficulties of 15 or 20. The recipient of the message, and anyone listening in, makes a Bluff or Sense Motive check against the same Difficulty to understand your message. Whether trying to send or understand a message, a failure by 5 or more points means the receiver misinterprets the message in some fashion.
Seduction: You can use Bluff to convince someone else you are a potential romantic partner, provided they could possibly be attracted to you (in the Narrator’s judgment). Make a Bluff check against your target’s Sense Motive check. Success improves the target’s attitude like a use of the Diplomacy skill. Seduction is a one-time modification of the target’s attitude, not a long-term change.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Bluff:
Conversational Paralysis: In return for a –5 penalty to your Bluff check, a successful check dazes your target for one round. Your claims are so outlandish the target can do nothing but sputter or reel in confusion. This skill challenge does not work in combat situations. Each additional –5 check penalty you accept increases the duration of the effect by one round.
Durable Lie: In return for a –5 penalty on your check, your target believes your bluff longer than usual. The target continues to act as you wish for an additional round. You can apply another –5 penalty to extend this to two rounds. This challenge does not work with the feint use of Bluff.
Try Again: Generally, a failed Bluff check makes the target too suspicious to try again in the same circumstances. For feinting in combat, you may try again freely.
Action: A bluff takes at least a full round, but can take much longer if you try something elaborate. Using Bluff as a feint in combat is a standard action, as is using Bluff to create a diversion to hide.

Climb
Strength
You’re skilled in scaling angled and uneven surfaces.
Check: With each successful Climb check, you can move up, down, or across a slope, wall, or other steep incline at one-quarter your normal speed. The Difficulty of the check depends on the conditions of the climb. If the climb is less than 10 feet, reduce the Difficulty by 5.
A failed Climb check means you make no progress, and a check that fails by 5 or more means you fall from whatever height you attained (unless you are secured with some kind of harness or other equipment).
If you fall, make a Climb check (Difficulty equal to climb’s Difficulty + 20). Success means you arrest your fall about halfway and suffer no damage. It’s somewhat easier to catch someone else who falls, assuming they are within arm’s reach. Make a Climb check (Difficulty equal to climb’s Difficulty +10) to do so. If you fail the check, you do not catch the other person. If you fail by 5 or more, you fall as well.

Difficulty 	Example Wall or Surface or Task
0 		A slope too steep to walk up. A ladder.
5 		A knotted rope with a wall to brace against.
10 		A rope with a wall to brace against. A knotted rope. A surface with 
		sizable ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a rugged cliff-face.
15 		Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds
		(natural or artificial), such as a rough natural rock
		surface or a tree. An unknotted rope. Pulling yourself
		up when dangling by your hands.
20 		An uneven surface with just a few narrow handholds and
		footholds, such as a coarse masonry wall or a sheer
		cliff face with a few crevices and small toeholds.
25 		A rough surface with no real handholds or footholds,
		such as a brick wall.
25 		Overhang or ceiling with handholds but no footholds.
— 		A perfectly smooth, flat, vertical surface can’t be climbed.
–10 		Climbing inside a chimney, or other location where you
		can brace against two opposite walls (reduces normal
		Difficulty by 10).
–5 		Climbing a corner where you can brace against
		perpendicular walls (reduces normal Difficulty by 5).
+5 		Surface is slippery (increases normal Difficulty by 5).

Fighting While Climbing: Since you can’t easily avoid attacks, you are flat-footed while climbing (losing your dodge bonus to Defense). Any time you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the Difficulty of the climb. Failure means you fall.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Climb:
Accelerated Climb: You can try to climb more quickly than normal. By accepting a +5 Difficulty modifier to your check, you can move half your speed instead of one-quarter your speed while climbing. You can accept this challenge twice, for a total Difficulty modifier of +10, to move at your normal speed while climbing.
Fighting Climb: You can accept a +5 Difficulty modifier to a Climb check to maintain your dodge bonus to defense while climbing.
Secured Climb: If you take a +5 Difficulty modifier to your Climb check, you do not have to make a Climb check to maintain your position if you take damage. You climb in such a way as to brace yourself for any attacks.
Action: Climbing is a move action.
Special: Someone using a rope can haul a character up (or lower a character down) by sheer strength. Use a character’s carrying capacity to determine how much weight he can lift in this way (see Carrying in Chapter 6: Playing the Game).

Computers
Intelligence, Trained Only
You’re trained in the operation of computers and modifying or creating software.
Check: Most normal computer operations—using software, getting your e-mail—don’t require a Computers check and can be done untrained. However, searching an unfamiliar network for a particular file, writing programs, altering existing programs to perform differently, and breaking computer security all require skill checks (and training).
Find File: The Difficulty and the time required to locate a file on an unfamiliar system are determined by the size of the site, from 10 for a personal computer to 25 for a massive network. Finding public information on the Internet does not fall under this category; this only pertains to finding files on unfamiliar computer systems.
Defeat Computer Security: The Difficulty of the check is determined by the quality of the security installed to defend the system, from 20 for minimal security to 40 for the best-defended systems. If the check fails by 5 or more, the system immediately alerts its administrator that there has been an unauthorized entry. An alerted administrator may attempt to identify you or cut off access to the system.
Defend Security: If you are the system administrator for a site (which may be as simple as being the owner of a personal computer), you can defend it against intruders. If the site alerts you to an intruder, you can attempt to cut off the intruder’s access or even to identify the intruder.
To cut off access, make an opposed Computers check against the intruder. If the check succeeds, the intruder’s session is ended. The intruder might be able to defeat your security and access your site again, but has to start over. Attempting to cut off access takes a full round. One surefire way to prevent further access is to simply shut the site down. With a single computer, that’s no big deal, but on a large site with many computers (or computers controlling functions that can’t be interrupted), it may be time-consuming or even impossible.
To identify the intruder, make an opposed Computers check. If the check succeeds, you learn the site from which the intruder is operating (if it’s a single computer, you learn the name of the computer’s owner). Identifying the intruder requires 1 minute and is a separate check from cutting off access. This check can only be made if the intruder is accessing your site for the entire length of the check—if the intruder’s session ends before you make the Computers check, your attempt fails.
Degrade Programming: You can destroy or alter programs on a computer to make it harder or impossible to use. Crashing a computer with a Difficulty 10 check simply shuts it down. Its user can restart it without a skill check, although restarting takes at least 1 minute. Destroying programming with a Difficulty 15 check makes the computer unusable until the programming is repaired. Damaging programming with a Difficulty 20 check imposes a –4 penalty on all checks made with the computer (sometimes this is preferable to destroying the programming, since the user might not know anything is wrong, and won’t simply decide to use a different computer). Fixing damaged programming requires an hour and a Computers check against a Difficulty equal to the Difficulty for damaging it + 5. Destroyed programming must be re-installed.
Write Program: You can create a program to help with a specific task. Doing so grants a +2 bonus to the task. A specific task, in this case, is one type of operation with one target. The Difficulty to write a program is 20; the time required is one hour.
Action: Computers requires at least a full-round action, usually a minute or more.
Special: You can take 10 when using the Computers skill. You can take 20 in some cases, but not those involving a penalty for failure. You cannot take 20 to defeat computer security or defend security, for example.

Concentration
Wisdom
You can focus your mind and concentrate despite distractions.
Check: Make a Concentration check whenever you might be distracted (by damage, harsh weather, and so on). If the check succeeds, you may continue what you are doing. If the check fails, the action you’re attempting also fails. The check Difficulty depends on the nature of the distraction.

Distraction 				Difficulty
Damaged during the action 		10 + damage bonus
Taking continuous damage 
during the action			10 + half of continuous damage bonus last dealt
Vigorous motion (bouncy vehicle ride,
small boat in rough water, below decks
in a storm-tossed ship, riding a horse)	10
Violent motion (very rough vehicle ride,
small boat in rapids, on deck of 
stormtossed ship, galloping horse)	15
Extraordinarily violent motion
(earthquake)				20
Bound, grappling, or pinned 		20
Weather is a high wind carrying blinding
rain or sleet				5
Weather is wind-driven hail, dust, or
debris					10

Concentrating on Powers: Using or maintaining various supernatural powers often requires Concentration checks, particularly when distracted. See Chapter 4 for more information.
Try Again: Yes, though a success doesn’t cancel the effects of a previous failure, such as the disruption of an action you were concentrating on.
Action: Making a Concentration check doesn’t require an action; it is either a reaction (when attempted in response to a distraction) or part of another action (when attempted actively).

Craft
Intelligence, Trained Only, Requires Specialization,
Requires Tools
Craft is actually a number of separate skills involving arts and crafts. You must choose a specialty, such as blacksmith, brewing, leatherworking, mechanics, or weaving. Training in one Craft specialty does not provide skill in other specialties.
Check: Craft skills are specifically focused on making things. To use a Craft skill effectively, you must have an appropriate set of tools.
Making Items: The Difficulty, time, and resources required to make an item depend on its complexity. Make a Wealth check against the Wealth Difficulty to acquire the necessary raw materials, and then make your Craft check. (Example Difficulties are given in the table.) If your Craft check succeeds, you make the item. If the Craft check fails, you do not produce a usable end result, and any raw materials are wasted.
Complexity 	Craft		Wealth		Time		Examples
		Difficulty	Difficulty	
Simple 		15 		5 		1 hr. 		garment, household item
Moderate 	20 		10 		12 hrs.	 	fine garment, lock, weapon
Complex 	25 		15 		24 hrs. 		plate armor, mechanism
Advanced 	30 		20 		60 hrs. 		building, vehicle

Repairing: You can use Craft skills to repair damaged items. In general, simple repairs have a Difficulty of 10 to 15 and require no more than a few minutes to accomplish. More complex repair work has a Difficulty of 20 or higher and can require an hour or more to complete. The repairs have a cost 5 lower than making the item (negligible for simple items).
Forgery: Characters can use Craft to produce forgeries in their areas of specialty. The result of the Craft check becomes the Difficulty for a Notice check to detect the forgery. The Narrator can modify either the Craft or Notice check based on the conditions and the character's familiarity with the original subject.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Craft:
Fast Craft: You may add +5 or +10 to the indicated Difficulty to craft an item. This increase allows you to make the item faster than usual, reducing the time to half or one-quarter normal, respectively.
Masterwork: By increasing Difficulty and cost by +5, you can make a masterwork item. These items are especially well made and provide a +1 bonus when used. For making masterwork weapons and armor, see Chapter 5: Equipment.
Try Again: Yes, although in some cases the Narrator may decide a failed attempt to repair an item has a negative effect, preventing further attempts.
Action: The time to make something varies depending on its complexity, as shown in the table. The Narrator may increase or decrease the time for a particular Craft project as necessary.
Special: Generally, you can take 10 when using a Craft skill, but can’t take 20 since doing so represents multiple attempts, and you use up raw materials with each attempt. You can take 10 or take 20 on repair checks.
If you don’t have the proper tools, you take a –4 penalty on Craft checks.

Diplomacy
Charisma, Interaction
You’re skilled in dealing with people, from proper etiquette and social
graces to a way with words and public speaking. Use this skill to make
a good impression, negotiate, and win people over.
Check: You can change others’ attitudes with a successful Diplomacy
check. In negotiations, all participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks
to see who gets the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve cases where
two advocates plead opposing cases before a third party.
Diplomacy can influence a character’s attitude. The Narrator chooses
the character’s initial attitude based on circumstances. Most of the
time, people the heroes meet are indifferent toward them, but a specific
situation may call for a different initial attitude. The Difficulties given
on the Influence table in Chapter 6 show what it takes to change
someone’s attitude with a use of Diplomacy. You don’t declare a specific
outcome; instead, make the check and compare the result to the table
to see what you’ve accomplished. For more information, see Social
Actions in Chapter 6: Playing the Game.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Diplomacy:
Combat Diplomacy: You can make a Diplomacy check in combat as
a full-round action by accepting a +10 modifier to the Difficulty.
Opponents in combat with you are considered hostile. An unfriendly
opponent doesn’t attack you unless you give him reason to do so.
Indifferent foes stop fighting altogether, while a helpful one actually
joins your side, even turning against former allies.
Try Again: Generally, trying again doesn’t work. Even if the initial
check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far. If
the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more
firmly committed to his position, and trying again is futile. At the
Narrator’s discretion, you can try again when the situation changes in
some way: you find a new approach to your argument, new evidence
appears, and so forth.
Action: Diplomacy is at least a full-round action. The Narrator may
determine some negotiations require a longer period of time, perhaps
much longer.

Disable Device
Intelligence, Trained Only, Requires Tools
You can disarm or sabotage various devices, including locks and
traps.
Check: The Narrator makes Disable Device checks secretly so you don’t
necessarily know whether you have succeeded.
Open Lock: You can pick locks. You must have thieves’ tools. The
Difficulty depends on the quality of the lock.
Lock Quality Difficulty
Simple 20
Average 25
Good 30
Amazing 40
Traps and Sabotage: Disabling a simple mechanical device has a
Difficulty of 10. More intricate and complex devices have higher
Difficulties. The Narrator rolls the check. If the check succeeds, you
disable the device. If the check fails by 4 or less, you have failed but
can try again. If you fail by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If it’s
a trap, you set if off. If it’s some sort of sabotage, you think that the
device is disabled, but it’s not. You can rig simple devices to work
normally for a while and then fail later, if you choose.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Disable Device:
Hide Tampering: If you add +5 to your Difficulty, you can conceal
any tampering with a device. Anyone who inspects the device must
make a check against your Disable Device check result to notice your
tampering. On a failed check, it goes unnoticed.
Try Again: Yes, though you must be aware you have failed in order
to try again.
Action: Disabling a simple device is a full-round action. Intricate or
complex devices require multiple rounds at the Narrator’s discretion.
Special: You can take 10 when making a Disable Device check. You can
take 20 to open a lock or to disable a device, unless trying to prevent
your tampering from being noticed, or if there is a consequence for
failure (such as setting off a trap).
If you do not have the proper tools, you take a –4 penalty on your check.

Disguise
Charisma, Requires Tools
You can use makeup, costumes, and other props to change your
appearance.
Check: Your Disguise check determines the effectiveness of your
disguise. It is opposed by others’ Notice checks. Make one Disguise
check even if several people make Notice checks. The Narrator makes
the Disguise check secretly so you are not sure exactly how well your
disguise will hold up under scrutiny.
If you don’t draw any attention to yourself, however, others don’t get
to make Notice checks. If you come to the attention of people who are
suspicious, they get to make a Notice check. (The Narrator can assume
suspicious observers take 10 on their Notice checks.)
The effectiveness of your disguise depends in part on how much you
attempt to change your appearance.
Disguise Modifier
Minor details only +5
Appropriate uniform or costume +2
Disguised as different sex –2
Disguised as different age –2
If you are impersonating a particular individual, those who know the
subject automatically get to make Notice checks. Furthermore, they
get a bonus on the check.
Familiarity Bonus
Recognizes on sight +4
Friend or associate +6
Close friend +8
Intimate +10
Usually, an individual makes a Notice check to detect a disguise
immediately upon meeting you and each hour thereafter. If you casually
meet many different people, each for a short time, the Narrator checks
once per day or hour using an average Notice modifier for the group
(assuming they take 10).
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Disguise:
Face in the Crowd: With a –5 penalty to your check result, you can
craft a disguise that is less likely to draw attention. Only people who
specifically single you out and try to notice your deception receive
Notice checks to do so. Guards and other passive observers take no
special notice of you unless you draw attention to yourself or interact
directly with them.
Quick Change: You can adopt a disguise as a full-round action
by taking a –5 penalty to your check. However, anyone who
comes within one visual range increment of you (usually 10 feet)
automatically sees through your disguise due to its makeshift
nature.
Try Again: No, though you can assume the same disguise again at
a later time. If others saw through the previous disguise, they are
automatically treated as suspicious if you assume the same disguise
again.
Action: A disguise requires at least 10 minutes of preparation. The
Narrator makes Notice checks for those who encounter you immediately
upon meeting you and again each hour or day thereafter, depending
on circumstances.
Special: If you don’t have any makeup, costumes, or props, you take a
–4 penalty on Disguise checks.

Drive
Dexterity, Trained Only
Use this skill to operate any ground or water vehicle. Vehicles that move
through the air or space are coverd by the Pilot skill.
Check: Make a check only when some unusual circumstance exists
or when driving in a dramatic situation (being chased or attacked, for
example, or trying to reach a destination in a limited amount of time).
While driving, you can attempt maneuvers or stunts.
Maneuver Difficulty
Easy (low-speed turn) 5
Average (sudden reverse, dodging obstacles) 10
Difficult (tight turns) 15
Challenging (bootlegger reverse) 20
Formidable (high-speed maneuvers, jumping obstacles) 25
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Drive:
One Hand on the Wheel: By taking a +5 Difficulty increase to your
Drive check, you can perform a standard action in the same round
as your Drive check with no penalty.
Try Again: Most Drive checks have consequences for failure that make
trying again impossible.
Action: A Drive check is a move action. You can perform a standard
action during the same round, but suffer a –4 penalty due to the
distractions involved in driving.
Special: Routine tasks, such as ordinary movement, don’t require a
skill check and may be done untrained.

Escape Artist
Dexterity
You’re trained in escaping from bonds and other restraints.
Check: Make a check to escape from restraints or to squeeze through
a tight space.
Restraint Difficulty
Ropes Opponent’s Dexterity bonus +20
Tight space 30
Grapple Opponent’s grapple check
Tight Spaces: For a tight space, a check is only called for if your head
fits but your shoulders don’t. If the space is longer than your height,
such as a chimney, the Narrator may call for multiple checks. You
can’t fit through a space your head doesn’t fit through. You can also
reach through a tight space that your hand fits through but your arm
normally does not by making an Escape Artist check.
Escaping Grapples: You can make an Escape Artist check opposed
by an opponent’s grapple check to get out of a grapple or out of
a pinned condition (so you are just being grappled). Doing so is a
standard action, so if you escape the grapple you can move in the
same round.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Escape Artist:
Conceal Efforts: In exchange for a +5 to the Difficulty, you can conceal
your efforts to escape. Anyone who inspects your bindings must make
a Notice check with a Difficulty equal to your Escape Artist check
result. If the Notice check fails, they do not notice your efforts to
escape. So, for example, you could leave your bonds apparently in
place so a villain doesn’t realize that you’re actually free.
Try Again: You can make another check after a failed check if you are
squeezing through a tight space. If the situation permits, you can make
additional checks as long as you are not being actively opposed.
Action: Making a check to escape from being bound by ropes or other
restraints requires 1 minute. Escaping a grapple is a standard action.
Squeezing or reaching through a tight space takes at least 1 minute,
maybe longer, depending on the distance.

Gather Information
Charisma, Interaction
You know how to make contacts, collect gossip and rumors, question
informants, and otherwise gather information from people.
Check: By succeeding at a skill check (Difficulty 10) you can get a feel for
the major news and rumors in an area. This assumes no obvious reasons
exist why information would be withheld. The higher the check result,
the more complete the information. Information ranges from general
to protected, and the Difficulty increases accordingly for the type of
information you want to gather, as given in the table below.
Information Difficulty
General 10
Specific 15
Restricted 20
Protected 25
General information concerns local happenings, rumors, gossip, and
the like. Specific information usually relates to a particular question.
Restricted information includes facts that aren’t generally known and
require you to locate someone who has access to such information.
Protected information is even harder to come by and might involve some
danger, either for the one asking the questions or the one providing
the answers.
There’s a chance someone takes note of anyone asking about restricted
or protected information. The Narrator decides when this is the case. In
some situations, opposed Gather Information checks are appropriate to
see if someone else notices your inquiries (and you notice theirs).
Challenges: You can take these challenges with Gather Information:
Discretion: While seeking out news and information, you keep a low
profile. You increase your Gather Information check Difficulty by +5,
but you avoid leaving any clues about the information you seek. If
your check fails, you may be detected as normal, but you still avoid
spreading clues about what you seek.
Try Again: Yes, but it takes additional time for each check, and you
may draw attention to yourself if you repeatedly pursue a certain type
of information.
Action: A Gather Information check takes at least an hour, possibly
several, at the Narrator’s discretion.

Handle Animal
Charisma
You know how to handle, care for, and train various types of animals.
Check: The time required to get an effect and the Difficulty depend on
what you are trying to do.
Task Time Difficulty
Handle an animal Move action 10
“Push” an animal Full-round action 25
Teach an animal a trick 1 week See text
Train an animal for a purpose 4 weeks See text
Handle an Animal: This means to command an animal to perform a
task or trick it knows. If the animal’s condition is something other
than normal (it’s fatigued or injured, for example), the Difficulty
increases by +5. If the check is successful, the animal performs the
task or trick on its next action.
“Push” an Animal: Pushing an animal means getting it to perform
a task or trick it doesn’t know but is physically capable of doing. If
the check is successful, the animal performs the task or trick on its
next action.
Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick, such
as “attack” or “stay,” with one week of work and a successful Handle
Animal check (Difficulty 15 for simple tricks, 20 or more for complex
tricks). An animal with an Intelligence of –5 can learn a maximum
of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence of –4 can learn
a maximum of six tricks.
Train an Animal: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks,
you can train an animal for a general purpose, like combat, guarding,
riding, and so forth. This requires a Difficulty 20 skill check.
Essentially, an animal’s purpose represents a set of tricks fitting a
common scheme. An animal can be trained for one purpose only.
Try Again: Yes.
Action: See above.
Special: An untrained character uses Charisma checks to handle and
push animals, but can’t teach or train animals.

Intimidate
Charisma, Interaction
You know how to use threats (real or implied) to get others to cooperate
with you.
Check: Your Intimidate check is opposed by the target’s modified level
check (d20 + target’s total level + target’s Wisdom score + target’s modifiers
on saves against fear). If your check succeeds, you may treat the target as
friendly for 10 minutes, but only for purposes of actions taken while in
your presence. That is, the target retains his normal attitude, but will talk,
advise, offer limited help, or advocate on your behalf while intimidated.
Your target will only cooperate so much, and won’t necessarily obey your
every command or do anything that would directly endanger himself.
If you perform some action that makes you more imposing, you gain a
+2 bonus on your Intimidate check. If your target clearly has a superior
position, you suffer a –2 penalty on your Intimidate check.
If your Intimidate check fails by 5 or more, the target may actually do
the opposite of what you wanted.
Demoralizing: You can use Intimidate in combat to demoralize an
opponent, shaking their confidence. Make an Intimidate check as
a standard action. If it succeeds, your target is shaken (–2 on all
attack rolls, checks, and saving throws, except Toughness saves) for
one round.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Intimidate:
Mass Intimidate: You can attempt to intimidate more than one
subject at a time. You suffer a –2 penalty to your check per opponent
beyond the first.
Power Intimidate: In return for a –5 penalty to your Intimidate check,
you can increase the penalty you inflict for demoralizing a foe by –1 or
force your subject to take an action that is against his interests (but
not life threatening). You can take this challenge multiple times to
increase the demoralize penalty. However, you can’t use Intimidate
to force someone to accept a life-threatening order.
Try Again: No. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character
can only be intimidated so much, and trying again doesn’t help. If the
initial check fails, the other character has become more firmly resolved
to resist, and trying again is futile. You can make Intimidate checks to
demoralize an opponent in combat until you fail, after which the target
is no longer intimidated by you.
Action: An Intimidate check is a full-round action. Demoralizing in
combat is a standard action.
Special: You add a +2 bonus to your Intimidate check for every size
category you are larger than your target. Conversely, you take a –2
penalty to your check for every size category you are smaller than your
target (see Size in Chapter 8).

Jump
Strength
You can jump further than usual.
Check: Distance moved by jumping, which is a move action, is counted
against your maximum movement in a round. You can start a jump at
the end of one turn and complete the jump at the beginning of your
next turn.
Long Jump: This is a horizontal jump. At the midpoint of the jump, you
attain a vertical height equal to one-quarter the horizontal distance.
The Difficulty of a long jump is 5 plus the distance in feet.
High Jump: This is a vertical leap, made to jump up to grasp something
overhead, such as a tree limb or ledge. The Difficulty of a high jump
is 10 plus twice the distance in feet.
Hop Up: You can jump up onto an object of half your height or less with
a Difficulty 10 Jump check. Doing so counts as 10 feet of movement.
Try Again: No.
Action: Jump is a move action.

Knowledge
Intelligence, Trained Only, Requires Specialization
This skill encompasses several specialties, each of them treated as a
separate skill. These specialties are defined below.
Check: Make a Knowledge check to see if you know something. The
Difficulty for answering a question is 10 for easy questions, 15 for
basic questions, and 20 to 30 for difficult questions. The Narrator sets
the difficulty for a particular question. Knowledge specialties, and the
topics each one encompasses, are as follows:
• Art: Fine arts and graphic arts, including art history and artistic
techniques. Antiques, modern art, photography, and performance
art forms such as music and dance, among others.
• Behavioral Sciences: Psychology, sociology, and criminology.
• Business: Business procedures, investment strategies, and corporate
structures. Bureaucratic procedures and how to navigate them.
• Civics: Law, legislation, litigation, and legal rights and obligations.
Political and governmental institutions and processes.
• Current Events: Recent happenings in the news, sports, politics,
entertainment, and foreign affairs.
• Earth Sciences: Geology, geography, oceanography, and
paleontology.
• History: Events, personalities, and cultures of the past. Archaeology
and antiquities.
• Life Sciences: Biology, botany, genetics, medicine, and forensics.
• Physical Sciences: Astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, physics,
and engineering.
• Popular Culture: Popular music and personalities, genre films and
books, urban legends, and trivia.
• Streetwise: Street and urban culture, local underworld personalities
and events.
• Supernatural: The supernatural, whatever it may encompass in the
setting (and regardless of whether it is true or not).
• Tactics: Techniques and strategies for disposing and maneuvering
forces in combat.
• Technology: Current developments in cutting-edge devices, as well
as the background necessary to identify various technological
devices.
• Theology and Philosophy: Liberal arts, ethics, philosophical concepts,
and the study of religious faith, practice, and experience.
Try Again: Usually no. The check represents what a character knows;
thinking about a topic a second time doesn’t let you know something
you didn’t know before. The Narrator may allow another Knowledge
check if a character gets access to a better source of information. For
Player versus Character Knowledge
Knowledge skills measure what your character knows about various things, whether you know anything about them or not. It’s fairly easy to
measure what your character knows by making the appropriate Knowledge skill check.
However, players may know things their characters do not, either because of the player’s life experience or knowledge of the game and its rules.
In this case, the Narrator may prefer players limit themselves to what their characters know via their skills and senses rather than what they
may or may not know about a given situation as players of the game. If there’s a question as to how to handle an issue of player versus character
knowledge in the game, consult your Narrator.
example, a hero who doesn’t know the answer to a particular question
on his own might get another check with access to a library (and could
take 20 on that check, depending on the circumstances).
Action: A Knowledge check can be a reaction, but otherwise requires
a full-round action. Taking 20 on a Knowledge check requires at least
an hour, longer if the Narrator decides the information you’re looking
for is particularly obscure or otherwise restricted.
Special: An untrained Knowledge check is simply an Intelligence check.
Without actual training, a character can only answer easy or basic
questions about a topic.
You can take 10 when making a Knowledge check. You can take 20 only if
you have access to the appropriate research materials (such as a library).

Language
Trained Only, Requires Specialization
Languages are unusual skills. They are not based on an ability score and
do not require checks. Instead, your rank in Language measures how
many languages you can speak, read, and write. Unskilled characters
can speak, read, and write their native language, plus one additional
language per point of Intelligence. Your Narrator will tell you what
languages your hero can learn.
Literacy: Characters are assumed to be literate in their native language
and any other language they know. At the GM’s discretion, characters
may have to spend an additional rank or bonus language to be literate
in a language that uses a different alphabet or style of writing from
the character’s native language (such as Japanese kanji or Greek for
an English speaker).
Retry: No, because there are no Language checks. You either know a
language, or you don’t.

Medicine
Wisdom, Trained Only, Requires Tools
You’re trained in understanding the body and treating injuries and
illness.
Check: The Difficulty and effect depend on the task attempted.
Diagnosis (Difficulty 10): You can diagnose injuries and ailments with
an eye toward providing treatment. At the Narrator’s discretion, a
successful diagnosis can provide a +2 bonus on Medicine checks for
treatment. This takes at least a full-round action, if not longer.
Provide Care (Difficulty 15): Providing care means treating a wounded
person for a day or more or providing routine medical care, such as
assisting in the delivery of a baby. If successful, the patient adds your
Medicine rank to any recovery rolls (see Recovery in Chapter 6).
You can tend up to your skill rank in patients at one time.
Revive (Difficulty 15): With a medical kit, you can remove the dazed,
stunned, or unconscious condition from a character. This check is a
standard action. A successful check removes the condition. You can’t
revive an unconscious character who is dying without stabilizing the
character first.
Stabilize (Difficulty 15): With a medical kit, you can tend to a
character who is dying. As a standard action, a successful Medicine
check stabilizes the dying character.
Treat Disease (Difficulty 15): You can tend to a character infected with
a treatable disease. Every time the diseased character makes a saving
throw against disease effects (after the initial contamination), you
can first make a Medicine check requiring 10 minutes. If your check
succeeds, you provide a bonus on the diseased character’s saving
throw equal to your Medicine rank.
Treat Poison (Difficulty 15): You can tend to a poisoned character.
When a poisoned character makes a saving throw against a poison’s
secondary effect, you first make a Medicine check as a standard
action. If the check succeeds, you provide a bonus on the poisoned
character’s saving throw equal to your Medicine rank.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Medicine:
Heal Thyself: Taking a –5 penalty on your check, you can use the
Medicine skill on yourself to diagnose, provide care, or treat disease
or poison.
Try Again: Yes, for reviving dazed, stunned, or unconscious characters,
and stabilizing dying characters. No, for all other uses of the skill.
Action: Medicine checks take different amounts of time based on the
task at hand, as described above.
Special: You can take 10 when making a Medicine check. You can take
20 only when giving long-term care or attempting to revive dazed,
stunned, or unconscious characters.
If you do not have the appropriate medical equipment, you take a –4
penalty on your skill check.

Notice
Wisdom
You use this skill to notice and perceive things.
Check: Make a skill check to notice something. Notice checks generally
suffer a penalty of –1 per 10 feet between you and the thing you’re
trying to notice. If you’re distracted, you take a –5 penalty on Notice
checks. Making out details—such as clearly hearing a conversation
or reading text—requires you to beat the Difficulty of the Notice
check by 10.
The Narrator might make Notice checks secretly so you don’t know
whether there was something to notice. The most common sorts of
Notice checks are as follows:
Listening: Make a check against a Difficulty based on how loud the
noise is or against an opposed Stealth check.
Difficulty Sound
–10 A battle
0 People talking
10 A person walking at a slow pace, trying not to make
any noise
30 A bird flying through the air
+5 Through a door
+10 Listener asleep
+15 Through a solid wall
Spotting: Make a check against a Difficulty based on how visible the
object is. Spot is often used to notice a person or creature hiding from
view. In such cases, your Notice check is opposed by the Stealth check
of the character trying not to be seen. Spot is also used to detect
someone in disguise (see the Disguise skill) or to notice a concealed
weapon on another person.
Other Senses: You can make Notice checks involving smell, taste,
and touch, as appropriate. Use the same guidelines as listen and
spot checks above. Noticing something obvious is Difficulty 0. Subtle
things are around Difficulty 10, hidden things Difficulty 20 or more.
Noticing subtle supernatural phenomena requires special powers (see
Chapter 4: Powers for details).
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Notice:
Locate Noise: For a –5 penalty on a Notice (listen) check, you can
attempt to pinpoint the source of a sound. A successful check tells
you the exact location. The source still gets the benefits of total
concealment, but you can attack it even if you can’t see it. Among
other things, this allows you to attack while blinded or fighting
an invisible foe. If your check fails, you become confused as to the
location of the source of the sound.
Try Again: You can make a Notice check every time you have the
opportunity to notice something new. As a move action, you can attempt to
notice something you failed (or believe you failed) to notice previously.
Action: A Notice check is either a reaction (if called for by the Narrator) or
a move action (if you actively take the time to try to notice something).
Special: When several characters are trying to notice the same thing,
the Narrator can make a single d20 roll and use it for all the characters’
skill checks.
You can take 10 or take 20 when making a Notice check. Taking 20
means you spend 1 minute attempting to notice something that may
or may not be there.

Perform
Charisma, Interaction, Requires Specialization
This skill encompasses several types of performance, each treated as
a separate skill.
Check: You are accomplished in some type of artistic expression and
know how to put on a performance. The quality of your performance
depends on your check result.
The Perform specialties are as follows:
• Acting: You can perform drama, comedy, or action-oriented roles
with some level of skill.
• Comedy: You are a comedian, capable of performing a stand-up
routine or skit for an audience.
• Dance: You are a dancer, capable of performing rhythmic and
patterned movements to music.
• Oratory: You can deliver dramatic and effective speeches and
monologues.
• Percussion Instruments: You can play percussion instruments,
such as drums, cymbals, triangle, xylophone, and tambourine.
• Singing: You can sing with some level of skill.
• Stringed Instruments: You can play stringed instruments, such
as banjo, guitar, harp, and violin.
• Wind Instruments: You can play wind instruments, such as flute,
bugle, trumpet, tuba, bagpipes, and trombone.
Check Result Performance
10 Amateur performance. Audience appreciates your
performance, but isn’t impressed.
15 Routine performance. Audience enjoys your
performance, but it isn’t exceptional.
20 Great performance. Audience impressed.
25 Memorable performance. Audience enthusiastic.
30 Masterful performance. Audience awed.
Try Again: Not for the same performance and audience.
Action: A Perform check usually requires at least several minutes to
an hour or more.
Special: If you don’t have an appropriate instrument, you automatically
fail any Perform check requiring it. At the Narrator’s discretion, impromptu
instruments may be employed, but you take a –4 penalty on the check.

Pilot
Dexterity, Trained Only
Use this skill to pilot any vehicle that travels through the air or space,
such as planes, helicopters, or spacecraft.
Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary movement, don’t require a skill
check. Make a check only when piloting in a dramatic situation (being
chased or attacked, for example, or trying to reach a destination in time).
While piloting, you can attempt simple maneuvers or stunts.
Maneuver Difficulty
Easy (low-speed turn) 5
Average (sudden reverse, dodging obstacles) 10
Difficult (tight turns) 15
Challenging (loop, barrel roll) 20
Formidable (high-speed maneuvers, dodging obstacles) 25
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Pilot:
One Hand on the Wheel: By taking a +5 Difficulty increase to your
Pilot check, you can perform a standard action in the same round as
your Pilot check with no penalty.
Try Again: Most Pilot checks have consequences for failure that make
trying again impossible.
Action: A Pilot check is a move action. You can perform a standard
action during the same round, but suffer a –4 penalty due to the
distractions involved in piloting.

Ride
Dexterity, Trained Only
Use this skill to ride a mount, like a horse or even a dolphin or griffon.
Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary movement, don’t require a
skill check. Make a check only when some unusual circumstance exists
(such as inclement weather or an icy surface) or when you are riding in
a dramatic situation (being chased or attacked, for example, or trying
to reach a destination in a limited amount of time). While riding, you
can attempt simple maneuvers or stunts.
Easy riding maneuvers, like staying in the saddle in a fight or guiding a
mount with your knees, have a Difficulty of 5. An average maneuver, like
a full gallop or dodging around an obstacle, has a Difficulty of 10. Difficult
maneuvers, like using your mount as cover, jumping, or suffering no
harm in a fall, have a Difficulty of 15. Challenging maneuvers, like a
fast mount or dismount (as a free action) or controlling a panicking
mount, have a Difficulty of 20.
Try Again: Most Ride checks have consequences for failure that make
trying again impossible.
Action: A Ride check is a move action.
Special: If you lack the appropriate saddle, tack, and harness for your
mount, you suffer a –4 penalty on your Ride checks.

Search
Intelligence
You can search an area looking for clues, hidden items, traps, and other
such details. The Notice skill allows you to notice things immediately,
while Search allows you to pick up on details with some effort.
Check: You generally must be within 10 feet of the area to be examined.
You can examine up to a 5-foot-by-5-foot area or a volume of goods 5
feet on a side with a single check.
A Search check can turn up individual footprints, but does not allow
you to follow tracks or tell you which direction the creature or creatures
went or came from (see the Track feat).
Difficulty Task
10 Ransack an area to find a certain object.
20 Notice a typical secret compartment, a simple trap, or
an obscure clue.
25+ Find a complex or well-hidden secret compartment or
trap. Notice an extremely obscure clue.
Finding Concealed Objects: The Difficulty for a Search check to find
a deliberately concealed object is usually based on the Stealth or
Sleight of Hand check of the character who hid it. The Narrator can
assume that characters with the time take 20 on their check to hide
the object.
Action: A Search check is a full-round action.

Sense Motive
Wisdom
You can tell someone’s true intentions by paying attention to body
language, inflection, and intuition.
Check: A successful Sense Motive check allows you to avoid the effects
of some interaction skills. You can also use the skill to tell when someone
is behaving oddly or assess their trustworthiness.
Evaluate: You can use this skill to make an assessment of a social
situation. With a successful check (Difficulty 20), you can get a
feeling when something is wrong. You can also tell if someone is
trustworthy and honorable (or not) with an opposed Sense Motive
and Bluff check.
Notice Influence: You can make a Sense Motive check to notice
someone acting under supernatural influence. The Difficulty is 10 +
the power’s rank.
Notice Innuendo: You can use Sense Motive to detect a hidden message
transmitted via the Bluff skill (Difficulty equal to the Bluff check
result). If your check result beats the Difficulty, you understand the
secret message. If your check fails by 5 or more, you misinterpret the
message in some fashion. If you are not the intended recipient of the
message, your Difficulty increases by 5.
Resist Interaction: Make a Sense Motive check to resist or ignore
the effects of certain interaction skills, such as Bluff or Intimidate.
If the result of your check exceeds your opponent’s check result, you
are unaffected.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Sense
Motive:
Read Situation: For every +5 you increase the Difficulty of your
Sense Motive check, you learn one fact about the situation at hand
when evaluating a situation or individual. The Narrator may tell you
things like someone’s apparent goal(s), the nature of an interaction,
and so forth.
Try Again: No, though you can make a Sense Motive check for each
interaction attempt against you.
Action: A Sense Motive check may be made as a reaction to notice
or resist something. (When that’s the case, the Narrator may roll the
Sense Motive check in secret, so you don’t know if there’s something
to notice or not.) Using Sense Motive to evaluate a person or situation
takes at least 1 minute.

Sleight of Hand
Dexterity, Trained Only
You can perform feats of legerdemain such as picking pockets, palming
small objects (making them seem to disappear), and so forth.
Check: A check against Difficulty 10 lets you palm a coin-sized,
unattended object. When you perform this skill under close observation,
your skill check is opposed by the observer’s Notice check. The observer’s
check doesn’t prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it
unnoticed. If using Sleight of Hand to do tricks to impress an audience,
you can treat it as a Perform specialty.
Thievery: When you try to take something from another person,
your opponent makes a Notice check to detect the attempt. To obtain
the object, you must get a result of 20 or higher, regardless of the
opponent’s check result. The opponent detects the attempt if his
check result beats your character’s check result, whether you take
the object or not.
Planting: You can make a Sleight of Hand check to plant a small object
on a person, slip something into their pocket, drop something into
their drink, and so forth. This has the same Difficulty and Notice
check as thievery.
Concealment: You can use Sleight of Hand to conceal a small weapon
or object on your body, making your check result the Difficulty of a
Search check to find the object.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Sleight of Hand:
Quicker Than the Eye: In melee combat, you can make a Sleight of Hand
check as a move action to slip past an opponent’s defenses. Your foe
opposes this check with a Notice or combat bonus check. If you succeed,
your opponent loses his dodge bonus against your next attack. If you
fail, you suffer a –2 penalty to attack rolls for the next round.
Try Again: A second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target, or
when being watched by the same observer, has a Difficulty 10 higher than
the first check if the first check failed or if the attempt was noticed.
Action: A Sleight of Hand check is a standard action.
Special: You can make an untrained Sleight of Hand check to conceal a
weapon or object, but must always take 10 when doing so, so you can’t
do it while under stress.

Stealth
Dexterity
You’re skilled in moving about unseen and unheard.
Check: Your Stealth check is opposed by the Notice check of anyone
who might notice you. While using Stealth, you can move up to half
your normal speed at no penalty. At more than half and up to your full
speed, you take a –5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty)
to use Stealth while attacking, moving all out, or charging.
Size Modifiers: Apply the modifier from your size category to your
Stealth checks to represent the difficulty and ease of noticing smaller
and larger targets, respectively: Fine +16, Diminutive +12, Tiny +8, Small
+4, Medium +0, Large –4, Huge –8, Gargantuan –12, Colossal –16.
Hiding: If others have spotted you, you can’t use Stealth to remain
unseen. You can run around a corner so you are out of sight and then
use Stealth to hide, but others then know at least where you went.
Note you can’t hide if you have no cover or concealment (since that
means you’re standing out in the open).
Creating a Diversion to Hide: You can make a Bluff check to gain
the momentary diversion needed to attempt a Stealth check while
people are aware of you. When the others turn their attention from
you, you can make a Stealth check if you can get to a hiding place of
some kind. (As a general guideline, the hiding place has to be within
1 foot for every rank you have in Stealth.) This check, however, is at
a –5 penalty because you have to move fast.
Tailing: You can use Stealth to tail someone at your normal speed.
This assumes you have some cover or concealment (crowds of people,
shadows, fog, etc.). If the subject is worried about being followed, he
can make a Notice check (opposed by your Stealth check) every time he
changes course (goes around a street corner, exits a building, and so on).
If he is unsuspecting, he only gets a Notice check after each hour of being
tailed. If the subject notices you, you can make a Bluff check, opposed by
Sense Motive. If you succeed, you manage to pass off your presence as
coincidence and can continue tailing. A failed Bluff check, or being noticed
a second time, means the subject knows something is up.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Stealth:
Accelerated Stealth: You can move up to your normal speed in
exchange for a –5 penalty to your Stealth check. In return for a –20
penalty to your check, you can move faster than your normal speed,
such as by running or charging.
Slip Between Cover: You can make a Stealth check at a penalty
to quickly cross an area lacking cover or concealment without
automatically revealing yourself. For every 5 feet of open space you
cross, you take a –5 penalty to your Stealth check. You also take the
normal Stealth penalties for moving faster than half your normal
speed and such. So, you can slip past a 5-foot open doorway without
being seen, for example, or duck from shadow to shadow.
Vanishing: You can “disappear” when no one is watching you. This is
essentially a use of Stealth to hide when the character has concealment
or a distraction (no one looking directly at him, essentially). It
requires a Stealth check with a –5 penalty, and the character must be
within a normal move action of an exit, or some cover or concealment
(a window, skylight, ventilation duct, etc.). A successful check means
the character seems to disappear; an observer turns around only to
discover that he is gone. Characters can use Bluff or Intimidate to gain
the momentary distraction needed to vanish in this way.
Action: Stealth is a move action.

Survival
Wisdom
You use this skill to survive in the wilderness, finding food and shelter
and safely guiding others.
Check: You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild.
Difficulty Task
10 Get along in the wild. Move up to half your overland speed
while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies
needed). You can provide food and water for one other
person for every 2 points your check result exceeds 10.
15 Gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against severe weather
while moving up to half your speed, or a +4 bonus if
stationary. You may grant the same bonus to one other
character for every point your check result exceeds 15.
18 Avoid getting lost and avoid natural hazards, such as
quicksand.
Try Again: No.
Action: Survival checks occur each day in the wilderness or whenever
a hazard presents itself.

Swim
Strength
You can swim and maneuver underwater.
Check: A successful Swim check allows you to swim one-quarter your
speed as a move action or half your speed as a full-round action. If the
check fails, you make no progress through the water. If the check fails
by 5 or more, you go underwater. If you are underwater, you must
hold your breath to avoid drowning. The Difficulty for the Swim check
depends on the condition of the water:
Condition Difficulty
Calm water 10
Rough water 15
Stormy water 20
Each hour you swim, make a Swim check (Difficulty 20). If the check
fails, you suffer from fatigue. Unconscious characters go underwater
and immediately begin to drown.
Challenges: You can take the following challenges with Swim:
Accelerated Swim: For a +5 Difficulty increase, you increase your
swimming speed by one-quarter your normal speed. You can take
this challenge up to three times to increase your swimming speed
up to your normal speed. You suffer the normal effects of failing
your Swim check.
Rescuing: Rescuing another character who cannot swim (for whatever
reason) increases the Difficulty of your Swim checks by +5, but allows
both of you to remain afloat.
Action: A Swim check is either a move action or a full-round action,
as described above.