Accounting is the skill of keeping track of monetary records and using basic mathematics to track basic expenditures, overhead, sales, and net quarterly gain (sounds exciting!). It is useful for treasurers or bursars of governments, guilds, and merchants. It also makes embezzling easier if you are keeping the books or ledgers yourself. It requires the Extra: Literature.Acting is the skill of portraying a role and presenting oneself with an assumed demeanor, character, emotional state, or personality. It is useful also to convince others of the truth of your lies, crashing parties by pretending to be a rich nob, or bilking old ladies of their funds.
Acrobatics is the skill of gymnastic performance as well as general flexibility, good coordination, strong sense of balance, and fast reflexes. An accomplished acrobat can preform tumbling routines or dodge sword blows with equal ease.
Administration is the skill of effectively and efficiently organizing a group of people and maintaining lines of communication. It is important in any human endeavor, especially government, military, or business, where there is more than a half-dozen people. Also it helps one know where the weak links in such a group are that are open or vulnerable to the effects of bribery, theft, fouling up, and general chaos. Make government serve your own ends by confusing the bureaucracy.
Agriculture is the skill of farming, and associated knowledge of when to plant and harvest, as well as how to maintain soil fertility and looked good in a pair of overalls and flannel shirt. It is useful for anyone trying to grow a garden or feed themselves off a plot of land.
Alchemy is the skill of attempting to make magickal potions and elixirs. The very unstable nature of magick and the largely inefficient nature of alchemy make this a chancy process. Several good alchemy roles are need to make even a small amount of a magickal substance, and usually this takes second-place to actually acquiring the potent and rare materials needed to mix up the thing. Dragon scales, manticore livers, unicorn horns, and faerie wings are just the tip of the iceberg. Alchemy obeys the Thaumaturgical Law of Alchemy, also known as the Law of Substance, that is stated as "The attributes without mirror the powers within." If you want to make a potion for someone to walk on walls, better include some spider's or fly legs in the brew, in other words. The GM has final determination on these matters, as well as if you can find that philosopher's stone and if it is possible to turn lead into gold.
Ancient History is the study of events and cultures that have been mostly preserved as oral tradition as well as the artifacts and remnants dating from these ancient times and civilizations. This includes information all the way back to the creation of the world. All the legends, Ages, Eras, old stories of gods and men, portents and miracles, wars, and mighty kingdoms that have slipped beneath the sea are part of this. This skill is half book scholar and half archaeologist because fieldwork (poking around that abandoned ruin or breaking into that crypt) is often necessary to corroborate any basis of truth in the tales one hears or reads about. More than half the information a scholar may have is likely to be false or at least heavily corrupted away from the actual facts. But the knowledge he can draw on concern the location of ancient treasure filled ruins or temples of solid gold make the tales worth knowing sometimes. The GM determines what is truth and fiction and how much information a character can glean about the subject of his reasearch, when asked a question or when examining a relic, based on the success of his skill test and the level of his skill.
Animal Handling is the skill of working with, training, and disciplining animals of all sorts (usually vertebrates, but who knows). The animal must have some minimal intelligence to train, but a successful Animal Handling Test will calm a frightened or upset animal and make it more docile. Several successful tests over a period of time determined by the GM will enable the character to train the animal to accomplish simple tasks and perform basic tricks. The more successful the tests or the greater number of them, the more complex the activity. It may take a while to train those baby dragons, but think how much it will impress your friends.
Arcane Languages is the skill of
Area Knowledge is the skill of
Artist is the skill of two-dimensional art. Painting, Drawing, and the like come under this heading. Objects can be represented in three-dimensions (portraits, architecture, etc..) but the medium is paper or some other 2D surface. It is up to the character as to whether they have an abstract, impressionistic, romantic, or modern style. GM's are free to act as impromptu art critics.
Astronomy is the study of the stars and the heavenly bodies. The very nature of man and of the time means that this disciplines is inseparably mixed with what we would term Astrology. Knowledge of this skill will not only let one navigate by the stars or determine the time of year, but also allow the observer to cast a horoscope for someone or try to receive an augury or portent from the heavens. And you can always pick up the other sex easier if, after you ask, "So, what's your sign?" you can give them an indepth analysis of their character and some good advice for the day.