Skills are the various activities that a character can perform at a level of competence (one hopes). To understand how to start a character off with skills, see Character Creation. To understand how to learn skills at a later time, see Character Development. Skills that a character does not know, but wishes to attempt, generally default to 1/2 the Attribute the skill is based on (rounded down). Note that a skill may never default to lower than 2, because a one or two always succeeds on a twenty-sided die for a Skill Test. In some cases, a skill may also default to another skill which is related (see Skill List below). In a few cases, a skill may not be attempted unless it is known (i.e. No Default, see Skill List below). Other than that, skills are "Tested" against in the normal manner (see Game "Tests" Section). To see common skills that are available for most characters, see the Skill List below. Most skills are obvious as to their nature and definition. To learn more about a skill, click on the skill name for the skill description.
Skill List
For those wishing to just peruse the available skills and aren't concerned with any extra data, here is an alphabetical list of General Skills and Combat Skills (the only information included is the Attribute that each skill is based on). For the Tables Below, please note that Attributes that the skills are based on are abbreviated for convenience to the first three letters of the word. Therefore: Str=Strength; Vit=Vitality; Pro=Prowess; Wis=Wisdom; Ale=Alertness; Man=Manipulation. Also note, that some skills may default to other skills at a lesser value. This indicates that there is a relationship between the two, and that knowledge of the default skill can support a character in the lack of knowledge of the real skill, at a lower degree of competency. The lower degree ranges between about -2 to about -6, but the GM is free to make that determination. As a general rule, I use the simple formula of the default skill -3 for most cases (in cases where I feel strongly, I have listed a value in the tables). Because of this I will list only the skills that I consider to be reasonable defaults. Once again, the GM is free to disallow them or include any extras that he sees fit in the situation. Also note that lacking this, skills default to 1/2 of the Attribute they are based on. This is only not true in cases where there is no possibility that the character can "get by" without the actual skill (i.e. Arcane Languages - no one is going to have any ability with Elder Slaan unless they have studied it). If this is the case, the skill is listed as having No Default. The None listing simply indicates that there are no related skills to default to, and that the only default is to 1/2 the Attribute.
Two final notes. First, where a skill seemed to fit into many of the below categories, I choose one and recorded it only once for the sake of shortness of the list. If you're looking for a skill and can't find it, think what other category might include it or try the general list (see above). Lastly, two of the skills listed below are not based on Attributes, but instead on Statistics. Swimming and Meditation are based on Move and Will, respectively, but the way they are handled is identical to normal skills.
Animal Skills | Artistic/Entertainer Skills | Athletic Skills |
Combat/Weapon Skills | Craft Skills | Knowledge Skills |
Language skills | Magickal Skills | Medical Skills | Outdoor Skills | Professional Skills | Scientific Skills | Social Skills | Thief/Spy Skills
Animal Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Animal Handling Man None Falconry Man None Riding (Any Type) Pro Animal Handling Trick Riding Pro Acrobatics; Riding Veterinary Wis Any Medical Skill; Animal Handling
Artistic/Entertainer Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Acting Man Bard; Performance Artist Pro None Bard Man Performance Calligraphy Pro Artist Dancing Pro None Juggle Pro No Default Musical Instrument Pro Any similar instrument Performance Man Acting; Bard Poetry Wis Language Sculpting Pro None Singing Vit Bard Ventriloquism Man No Default Writing Wis Language
Athletic Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Acrobatics Pro None Breath Control Vit None Consume Alcohol Vit None Skiing Pro None Swimming Move None Combat/Weapon Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Axe/Mace Pro None Axe Throwing Ale Any Thrown Weapon; Throwing Ballista Ale None Blackjack Pro None Black Powder Weapons Ale No Default Blowpipe Ale None Bolas Ale No Default Bow Ale None Blindfighting Ale Ale -6; Any Combat Skill -6 Brawling Pro Wrestling Broadsword Pro Shortsword Catapult Ale None Crossbow Ale None Fast-Draw Pro None Fencing Pro None Flail Pro None Gunner:Cannon Ale Black Powder Weapons Knife/Dagger Pro Shortsword Knife Throwing Ale Any Thrown Weapon; Throwing Lance Pro Spear Lasso Ale No Default Net Pro None Polearms Pro None Shield Pro None Shortsword Pro Broadsword Sling Ale None Spear Pro Staff Spear Throwing Ale None Speed-Load Crossbow Pro None Staff Pro Spear Throwing Stick Ale Any Thrown Weapon; Throwing Throwing Ale Any Thrown Weapon Two-Handed Axe/Mace Pro Axe/Mace Two-Handed Sword Pro Broadsword Whip Pro None Wrestling Pro Brawling Craft Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Armory Wis Any Weapon Skill -6; Blacksmith Blacksmith Wis Jeweler Carpentry Wis None Cooking Wis None Cobbling Wis Leatherworking Fletching Wis Bow -6; Crossbow -6 Jeweler Wis Blacksmith Leatherworking Wis None Pottery Pro None Stoneworking Wis None Woodworking Pro Carpentry Knowledge Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Arctic Lore Wis Survival Area Knowledge (Any) Wis None Artifact Lore Wis Ancient History; History Beast Lore Wis Survival Demon Lore Wis Theology; Spirit Lore Desert Lore Wis Survival Faerie Lore Wis None Herb Lore Wis Plant Lore Jungle Lore Wis Survival Mountain/Hill Lore Wis Survival Plains Lore Wis Survival Plant Lore Wis Herb Lore River Lore Wis Pilot: Boat Rune Lore Wis Arcane Languages Sea Lore Wis Seamanship; Pilot: Ship Spirit Lore Wis Theology; Demon Lore Swamp Lore Wis Survival Undead Lore Wis Theology; Spirit Lore; Demon Lore Wood Lore Wis Survival Language Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Arcane Languages Wis No Default Language (Any) Wis No Default Secret Language (Any) Wis No Default Secret Signs (Any) Wis No Default Sign Language (Any) Wis No Default Trade Tongue Wis Any Major Language Magickal Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Alchemy Wis No Default Body Sense Ale Acrobatics Divining Ale None Dowsing Ale None Flight Pro None Meditation Will None Spell Craft Wis None Spell Throwing Ale Throwing Thaumaturgy Wis No default Medical Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Diagnosis Wis Any Medical Skill First Aid Wis Physician, Surgery, Vet Physician Wis First Aid, Surgery, Vet Surgery (Sawbones) Wis First Aid, Physician, Vet Outdoor Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Climbing Pro None Fishing Wis Survival Navigation Wis Astronomy; Seamanship Orienteering Ale None Survival Wis None Tracking Ale Survival Professional Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Accounting Wis Merchant; Mathematics Brewing/Distilling Wis Chemistry Cartography Wis None Drive Cart/Wagon Pro Animal Handling; Packing; Riding Evaluate Wis Merchant Heraldry Wis Savoir-Faire Law Wis No Default Merchant/Bargain Man Persuasion Packing Wis Animal Handling; Drive Cart; Riding Pilot Boat Wis Pilot Ship Pilot Ship Wis Pilot Boat; Seamanship Prospecting/Mining Wis Geology Rope Use Wis Seamanship Seamanship Wis Pilot (Ship) Shipbuilding Wis Carpentry Tailor Wis None Scientific Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Agriculture Wis Plant Lore Ancient History Wis History Architecture Wis None Astronomy Wis None Chemistry Wis None Economics Wis None Engineer Wis No Default Geology Wis Prospecting History Wis Ancient History Literature Wis None Mathematics Wis None Metallurgy Wis Blacksmith; Jeweler; Armory; Chemistry Meteorology Ale None Philosophy Wis None Physics Wis None Research Wis Writing Theology Wis None Social Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Administration Wis Merchant Begging Man Acting; Persuasion Bribery Man Politics Carousing Man None Debate Wis Bard Diplomacy Man Persuasion Etiquette Wis Savoir-Faire Fast-Talk Man Acting Gambling Wis Mathematics Games Wis Gambling Hypnotism Man Persuasion Intimidation Man Acting Leadership Man None Persuasion Man Diplomacy Politics Man Diplomacy Savior-Faire Man None Sex Appeal Vit None Strategy Wis Tactics Subterfuge Man Acting; Persuasion; Fast-Talk Tactics Wis Strategy Teaching Wis None Thief/Spy Skills
Skill Attribute Default Skills Concealment: Rural Wis Survival; Concealment: Urban Concealment: Urban Wis Streetwise; Concealment: Rural Demolition (Black Powder) Wis Engineer Detect Lies Man None Disguise Ale None Escape Artist Pro None Forgery Wis Artist Holdout Pro Sleight of Hand Interrogation Man Intimidation Lip Reading Ale None Lockpicking Wis None Pick Pocket Pro Sleight of Hand Poisons Wis Chemistry; Physician; Herb Lore; Plant Lore Scrounging Ale Streetwise Shadowing Wis Stealth (Any) Sleight of Hand Pro No Default Stealth: Rural Pro Stealth: Urban Stealth: Urban Pro Stealth: Rural Streetwise Man None Traps Wis Lockpicking