Skills

A character’s skills represent a variety of abilities. As a character advances in level, he or she gets better at using some or all of her skills.

Getting Skills: A character gets a base skill allotment between 2-8 skill points for each level, depending on the class that was chosen for the level up. In addition, a character gains a number of extra skills each level based on their intelligence modifier.

When choosing skills, you may choose one class skill for each skill point you have available. For each cross class skill, it will take up 2 points for each skill chosen. If a cross class skill becomes a class skill in later levels, you will re-gain the skill point spent on the cross class skill, in order to gain more skills available. You cannot take a skill if you do not have the points necessary to purchase the ranks. All skills chosen this way are treated as if they were your total level +3, +additional modifiers.

Advanced Skills

Instead of the simpler skill allotment method outlined above, one can alter their skills to a more precise level. This must be decided at first level, but can be changed to the simpler method at a later time, not later on. A character gains their normal base skill allotment, except at first level they multiply that total by 4. They may put their ranks in any skill. Each skill in a cross class skill will grant a 1/2 bonus. Should they maintain the 1/2 bonus, the skill level is rounded down for the purposes of rolling.

Additionally, a character may place additional ranks above the limit of a skill, by treating it as a cross class skill for the purposes of buying skill points (1/2 every point.) For cross class skills being set above the level+3 limit, each skill point would be treated as if having 1/4 of the effect instead of 1/2. This has no upper limit, and skill points can be assigned to a skill inefinately. This cannot be applied to hobbies, of which work exactly the same as normal skills.

Hobbies: Every character is able to take up what is known as a Hobby. A hobby is chosen from a Craft, Perform, or Profession skill. The hobby is always treated as if it were of maximum ranking, and cannot be changed after being chosen. This does not apply to your normal skill points, and is treated as a bonus for all purposes.

Using Skills: To make a skill check, roll:

1d20 + (Skill Modifier=Skill Rank+ Ability Modifier + Misc Mods)

This roll works exactly like attack or saving throw rolls. The higher the roll, the better. Either you’re trying to match or exceed a certain DC, or you’re trying to beat another character’s check result.

Skill Ranks: The total number of ranks in a skill is equal to a characters level +3. Any skill that has been chosen is treated as if it were trained. Using a skill that has not been chosen is called making an untrained skill check. This will usually equate to an ability check. Ability Modifier: Each skill is tied to a key ability, which is referenced in the description of the skill, and on the modifiers for itself. Miscellaneous Modifiers: Includes, but is not limited to racial bonuses, AC penalties, feats, and temporary abilities such as magic.

Using Skills

When making a skill check, you roll to see if you succeed or not. The higher the result of the skill check the better. Based on the circumstances, your result must beat a particular number for the check to be successful. The harder the task, the higher the number to beat is.

Skill Checks

Making a skill check requires rolling a 1d20 , adding your skill modifier for your skill, and comparing the total to a difficulty class. Miscellaneous modifiers may apply, including racial bonuses, and AC penalties. Unlike attack rolls and saving throws, a natural 20 or 1 on a d20 is not an automatic success or failure.

Difficulty Class

Some checks are made against a Difficulty Class (DC). The DC is a number set by the DM that you must score as a result on your skill check in order to succeed. By default, something that the average person could do without training is a DC 10. The difficulty of which is reduced by each step of ease by -5, or is increased by every step of difficulty by +5.

Opposed Checks

Opposed checks are checks where success or failure is determined by comparing check results to another characters check result. The higher result succeeds while the lower result fails. In the case of a tie, the higher skill modifier wins. If the scores are the same, roll again to break the tie.

Trying Again

In general, you can attempt a skill check indefinitely. Some skills have consequences of failure that must be taken into account. A few skills are virtually useless once a check has failed on an attempt to accomplish a particular task. For most skills, when a character has succeeded once at a given task, additional successes are meaningless.

If a skill carries no penalties for failure, you can take 20 and assume that you go at it long enough to eventually succeed (which takes about 2 minutes in most cases.)

Untrained Skill Checks

Generally, if your character attempts to use a skill they do not possess, you make a skill check as normal. Any other appliciable modifiers are applied to the check however.

Many skills can only be used by someone who is trained in them. If the skill has the [Trained Only] descriptor, you cannot use the skill untrained.

Favorable and Unfavorable Conditions

If a character has a favorable or unfavorable condition outside of skill checks that are not explained in the rules, the DM may provide one of 4 changes to a skill check.

The skill user can gain advantage on a skill check in favorable circumstances outside of normal rules or equipment that gives a solid bonus.

The DM can give disadvantage on a skill check in unfavorable circumstances outside of normal rules or equipment that gives a solid penalty.

Reduce the DC by 2 or give disadvantage to an opponent through favorable circumstances to the skill user.

Increase the DC by 2 or give Advantage to an opponent through unfavorable circumstances to the skill user.

Conditions that affect the characters ability to perform a skill grant a skill modifier or grant advantage/disadvantage. Conditions that modify how the character has to perform the skill to succeed change the bonuses to the skill modifier and a change in the checks DC have the same result, of creating a better chance of success. Sometimes they represent different circumstances and sometimes that difference is important.

Time and Skill Checks

Using skills might take a round, take no time, or take several rounds or even longer. Most skill uses are standard actions, move actions, or full-round actions. Types of actions define how long activities take to perform within the framework of a combat round (6 seconds) and how movement is treated with respect to the activity. Some skill checks are instant and represent reactions to an event, or are included as part of an action. These skill checks are not actions. Other skill checks represent parts of movement, such as with the athletics skill.

Checks Without Rolls

Skill checks represent an attempt to accomplish some goal, usually while under some sort of time pressure or distraction. Sometimes though a character can use a skill under far more favorable conditions and eliminate the luck factor.

Taking 10: When not threatened or distracted, you may take 10 instead of rolling, and calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10.

Taking 20: When you have plenty of time (generally 2 minutes for a skill that can normally be checked in 1 round, one full-round action, or one standard action) you are faced with no threats or distractions, and the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure, you can take 20. Each skill will note if you can take 20 in it.

Ability Checks and Caster Level Checks: The normal take 10 and 20 rules apply for ability checks. Neither rule applies to caster level checks.

Roleplay: Some skills can gain the full benefit of passing a skill check purely by being a good roleplayer. This is most notable in Persuasion, and if the DM thinks that what you say is exactly what needs to be said in the situation, it is up to them on if your character has to roll or not.

Combining Skill Attempts

When more than one character tries the same skill at the same time, and for the same purpose, their efforts may overlap. The skill attempts are usually looked at in two different ways depending on the situation. If several characters attempt an action that requires individual success, such as jumping across a chasm, each character succeeds or fails individually.

Some skill checks can allow people to help others achieve success in a cooperative effort, such as crafting items, by making a similar check. If the assistant succeeds a DC 10 check, they provide a +2 bonus to their check per assistant. In many cases, a DM may determine that a characters help won’t be beneficial, or only a limited number of characters can help at once. The DM limits cooperation as they see fit for the given conditions.

In cases where the skill restricts who can achieve certain results (such as disable device, survival or knowledge checks), you can’t aid another to grant a bonus to a task that your character couldn’t achieve alone.

Skill Synergy

It’s possible for characters to have two skills that work well together, such as someone with ranks in Athletics and Tumble. In general, having a synergy skill at level 2 or higher gives the character a +2 bonus on certain skill checks. In some cases, this bonus applies only to specific uses of the skill in question, and not to all checks. Some skills provide benefits on other checks made by a character, such as those checks required to use certain class features.

In addition, for every five levels past 2nd, the synergy bonus increases by +1.

Your and your DM may converse in order to limit or add synergies for specific situations.

Ability Checks

Sometimes characters try to do something which does not fall under a skill check. In these cases, the DM decides upon an ability, a DC or sets up an opposed check when characters are engaged in a contest using one ability or another.

In some cases, an action is a straight test of one’s ability with no luck involved. Just as you wouldn’t make a height check to see who is taller, you don’t make a Strength check to see who is stronger. When two characters arm wrestle, for example, the stronger character simply wins. In the case of identical scores, roll a die.

Athletics (Str; AC Penalty)

Use this skill to get from point A to point B as best as one possibly can. From scaling cliffs to swimming deep underwater, this skill is a primary state of advanced movement.

Check

With a successful athletics check, you can advance in specific directions depending on the activity one is choosing. Athletics is primarily divided into several movement categories.
Firstly, for normal situations with no time limit involved, you do not need to roll an athletics check if you do not want to. You can always take 10 if there is no danger to yourself or time limit.
When you are climbing walls or swimming, you move at ¼ your normal speed. When jumping, you jump as part of your move action.
When using Athletics to climb or swim, failing a check by 4 or less means that you make no progress, and 5 or more means that you either fall, or sink into the water.

Athletics DC	Example Activity
0	A slope too steep to walk up; knotted rope with wall to brace against.
5	Rope with wall to brace against; knotted rope. Long Jump 5ft.
10	Surface with ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a very rough wall or a ships rigging; swimming in calm water
15	Adequate handholds/footholds; an unknotted rope; pulling yourself up when dangling by yourh ands; swimming in rough water.
20	Uneven surface with narrow hand/footholds; high jump 5ft; swimming on stormy water.
25	Rough surface, such as natural rock wall or brick wall.
30	Overhang/ceiling with handholds but no footholds.
--	It is impossible to climb a vertical smooth, and flat surface.

You need both hands free in order to climb. If you cannot take a move action, you cannot use the athletics skill. While climbing, you lose your Dex and Shield bonus to AC.
When you take damage during athletics actions, you make the athletics check with disadvantage.
Accelerated Climbing: You may take a -5 penalty by choice in order to move at ½ speed instead of ¼ speed.
Catching Yourself When Falling: Athletics check DC =(Walls DC +20). If on a slope, its DC=(Slopes DC +10)
Catching a Falling Character While Climbing: If within your reach during their fall, you can make a melee touch attack (where the recipient may voluntarily forego dex & dodge bonus to AC as well) against the falling person. If you succeed, immediately make a athletics check (DC=Walls DC +10). Success indicates that you catch the character, but their weight cannot exceed your heavy load limit or you automatically fall. If you do fall from this, the person you grabbed gains an attempt to catch themselves again, albeit at a +2 (from aid another). If you fail your athletics check by 4 or less, you fail to catch the character. If you fail by 5 or more, you fail to stop the characters fall, and begin falling as well.
High Jump: Vertical leap to reach a ledge high above or to grasp something overhead. DC=4*distance to be cleared. The DC is doubled if you do not get a running start of at least 20 feet.
Creatures have a vertical reach depending on their size, allowing them to reach that distance without needing an athletics check. Medium bipedal creatures have a reach of 8 feet. Creatures of different sizes from medium have double this per size larger, or ½ this per size smaller. Quadrupeds count as one size smaller for the purposes of vertical reach.
Hop Up: You may jump onto objects ½ your vertical reach with a DC 10 athletics check. Doing so counts as 10ft of movement. You do not need to get a running start to hop up.
Jumping Down: If you intentionally jump from a height, you take less damage than if you just fell. The DC for jumping down from a height is 15. You do not have to get a running start to jump down .
If you succeed on this check, you take falling damage as if you had dropped 10 fewer feet than you actually did. You may pass a Tumble check in addition to this (DC 15) in order to take fall damage as if it were an additional 10 feet less.
Long Jump: A horizontal jump made across a gap like a chasm or stream. At the midpoint of a jump, you attain a vertical height equal to one quarter of the horizontal distance. The DC for the jump is equal to the distance jumped in feat. The athletics DC is doubled if you do not get a running start.
If your check succeeds, you land on your feet. If you fail the check by less than 5, you can grab onto the ledge using a reflex or climb check DC 15. If that leaves you dangling over a chasm or gap, getting up requires a move action and an athletics check DC 15.
Swimming: You make athletics checks 1/round while in water. Success means you may swim up to ½ your speed as a full round action or at ¼ your speed as a move action. If you are underwater, you must hold your breath. You can hold your breath equal for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score, but only if you take only move or free actions. Taking a standard action reduces this amount by 1. After your total hits 0, each round you must make a DC 10 Constitution check to continue holding your breath. Each round, the DC increases by 1. If you fail the constitution check, you begin to drown.
Each hour you swim you must make a DC20 Athletics check or take 2 points of nonlethal damage from fatigue.

Action

All athletics checks are part of movement, so they are generally part of a move action. Each move action that includes climbing or swimming requires a separate climbing or swimming check. If you do not finish a movement during your turn while jumping, your next turn must start with a move action.
Catching yourself or another character that is falling is a free action.

Special

When swimming, your AC and encumbrance penalty count double.
You can haul characters up or down using ropes through sheer strength so long as they weigh double your maximum load or less. Some equipment may increase this limit.
Effects that increase run speed, also increase jumping distance.
Creatures with a fly, swim, or climb speed gain a +8 bonus when jumping, swimming, and climbing respectively. These creatures may always choose to take 10 on athletics with the appropriate skill, even if rushed or threatened while making the skill check. Climbing or swimming creatures may move at double their speed at a -5 penalty and be forced to roll athletics checks to perform said action. Such creatures retain dex bonus to AC while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. Such creatures cannot use run actions while climbing. Creatures can perform run actions during athletics while swimming or jumping, so long as they travel in straight lines.
Halflings gain a +4 racial bonus on Athletics checks.
Masters of Lizard familiars gain a +3 bonus on Athletics checks.
Characters with the Acrobatic feat gain a +2 bonus on Athletics checks.
Characters with the Athletic feat gain a +4 bonus on Athletics checks.
Characters with the Endurance feat gain a +4 bonus on swim checks made to avoid taking nonlethal damage from fatigue and drowning.
Characters with the Run feat gain a +4 bonus on Athletics checks when making jumps from a running start.

Synergy

Athletics& Tumble, Gives a bonus on Tumble checks.
Survival, you gain a bonus on Athletics checks made to climb ropes.

Balance (Dex; AC Penalty)

You can keep your balance while walking on a tightrope, a narrow beam, a slippery ledge, or an uneven floor.

Check

You can walk on a precarious surface. A successful check lets you move at half your speed along the surface for 1 round. A failure by 4 or less means you can’t move for 1 round. A failure by 5 or more means you fall. The difficulty varies with the surface, as follows:

Narrow Surface	Base DC	Difficult Surface	Base DC
7-12 Inches Wide	10	Uneven Flagstone	10
2-6 Inches Wide	15	Hewn Stone Floor	10
<2 Inches Wide	20	Sloped/Angled Floor	10

Surface Modifiers	DC Mod
Lightly Obstructed (scree, light rubble)	+2
Severely Obstructed (natural cavern floor, dense rubble)	+5
Lightly slippery (wet floor)	+2
Severely slippery (ice sheet)	+5
Sloped or angled	+2

Being Attacked While Balancing:You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing
Accelerated Movement: You can try to walk across a precarious surface more quickly than normal. If you accept a disadvantage, you can move your full speed as a move action. (Moving twice your speed in a round requires two Balance checks, one for each move action used.) You may also accept disadvantage in order to charge across a precarious surface; charging requires one Balance check for each multiple of your speed (or fraction thereof ) that you charge.

Action

None. A Balance check doesn’t require an action; it is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.

Special

If you have the Agile feat, you get a +2 bonus on Balance checks.
You may use Balance in place of a Strength or Dexterity check to avoid being tripped, with a -10 penalty on your roll. On a success, you are unable to trip your opponent unless you beat their roll by 10.

Synergy

Tumble, you get a bonus on Balance checks.

Concentration (Con)

You must make a Concentration check whenever you're distracted while engaged in an activity that requires your full attention. Such acts include casting a spell, concentraiting on an active spell, directing a spell, using a spell-like ability, or using a skill that provokes AoO.

Check

A distraction strikes during a task you're attempting if it comes between when you start and when you complete that act, or if it comes in response to the initiation of that activity. If no distraction occurs during your activity, you usually don't need to make a Concentration check. There are numerous instances of requiring a concentration check due to a distraction or other matters, as such, the DC and the specific instances are listed below.

Concentration DCs

Situation	DC
Injured	10+Damage taken
Taking Continuous Damage	10+1/2 damage
Distracted by nondamaging spell	Spell's Save
Entangled	15
Grappling/Pinned	20
Vigorous Motion	15
Extraordinarily Violet Motion	20
Bad Weather	5
Severe Weather	10
Casting/Acting Defensively	15

Injury

Injury is damage from any source.

Continuous Damage

If you're taking continuous damage, such as a bleed effect, 1/2 the damage is considered to take place while you're taking your actions. If the last damage delt was the final damage that the effect could deal, then the damage is over and can't distract you. Repeated damage isn't the same as continuous and doesn't count as continuous damage.

Distracting Spell

Distracting spells might create situations similar to other entries on the table, such as violet motion or weather. If the spell normally allows no save, use the save DC it would have if it did allow a save.

Entangled

You are considered entangled if you have the entangled condition.

Grappled/Pinned

Only spells with no somatic components and where you have the material components in hand can be cast while grappled.

Vigorous Motion

Includes riding on a moving mount, taking a bouncy ride in a wagon, being on a small boat in rough water, being belowdecks on a storm tossed ship, or being jostled in a similar fashion.

Violet Motion

Includes riding on a galloping horse, a rough wide in a wagon, riding on a boat through rapids or a storm, being on deck on a storm-tossed ship, or being tossed roughly about in a similar fashion.

Extraordinarily Violet Motion

The DM may decide at his discretion what constitutes a motion worse than violet, such as an earthquake.

Bad Weather

Bad weather includes conditions such as high wind carrying blinding rain or sleet.

Severe Weather

Includes weather conditions such as wind-driven hail, dust, or debris.

Success or Failure

If the Concentration check succeeds, you can continue with what you were doing as normal. If the check fails, you fail at what you were trying to do, wasting your effort. If you were in the process of casting a spell, the spell is lost. If you were concentraiting on an active spell, the spell ends as if you had ceased concentrating on it. If you were directing a spell, the direction fails but the spell remains active. If you were using a spell-like ability that use of the ability is lost. A kill use also fails, and in some cases,a failed skill check might have other ramifications.

Casting or Acting Defensively

You can use Concentration to cast a spell, use a spell-like ability, or use a skill while also paying attention to your safety during combat. If the concentration check succeeds, you can attempt one of the acts mentioned above without provoke AoO for doing so. If the Concentration check fails, the related act also fails, with any appropriate consequences. your effort is wasted, just as if your concentration had been disrupted by a distraction.
A successful concentration check doesn't allow you to make another check without rolling if you're in a stressful situation, you must make that check normally. Acting defensively can't be applied to other acts that might provoke AoO unless the description of that activity says otherwise.

Action

None. Making a concentration check doesn't take an action; it is either a free action (when attempted reactively) or part of another action (when attempted actively).

Try Again

Yes, though a success doesn't cancel the effect of a previous failure, such as the loss of a spell you were casting or the disruption of a spell you were concentraiting on.

Special

A character with the Combat Casting Feat gains a +4 on concentration checks made to cast a spell or use a spell like ability while on the defensive, or while grappling/pinned.

Craft (Int)

You have general or more specialized knowledge in a craft, trade, or art form. Similar to Knowledge, Perform, and Profession skills, craft is a variety of sub skills that one can choose from. Your ranks in Craft (Alchemy) will not effect Craft (Sculpting) as an example, however, one could put ranks into both.
The craft skill is split into one of nine different categories:
Alchemy, Artwork, Glassworking, Mechanical, Metalworking, Mineralworking, Sculpting, Textiles, and Woodworking

A craft skill is focused on the creation of items. If you are in a trade where nothing is created,or you are creating raw goods (such as a lumberjack), it falls into the Profession skill by default.

Check: Over the course of a day you can earn half of your check result in silver pieces for an entire day of work. Untrained Laborers and assistants earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.

With a minimum of a single rank in craft for a specific craft, you know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the craft's daily tasks, how to supervise untrained helpers, and how to handle common problems of the profession.

You can use the craft skill through a service business earning money during an entire week, earning coin based on your business itself.

The craft skill allows you to make an item of the appropriate type. If you are unsure of the item type, ask the DM or check the item description for more information.

In order to craft an item, you will require artisans tools for the best chance of success, otherwise, the check is made at a -2 penalty.

Crating an item takes time and money to craft, given the circumstances below.

Find the price of the item If no price exists, ask your DM to set an appropriate price. Put the price in silver pieces (1gp=10sp).
Determine the DC of the item.
Pay 1/3 of the items price for the cost of raw materials.
Make an appropriate Craft check representing one Days work.

If the check is successful, multiply the check by the DC. If the result x the DC equals the price of the item in silver, than you have completed the item. If the result is double or triple the price of the item in silver, than you can EITHER create items in 1/2 or 1/3 the time, OR if you have the resources available, create multiple of the same object in a day. If the result doesn't equal the price, then it represents the progress you've made that day. Record the result and make a new craft check the next day to continue making progress. Your progress continues each day until your total reaches the price of the item in silver pieces.

If you fail a check by 4 or less, you make no progress that day. If you fail by 5 or more, you ruin half of the raw materials used to create the item, and will need to pay, or replace the original raw material cost again.

Appraise: You can also use your ranks in Craft to appraise an items worth, and if passed by 5 or more, may potentially be able to show the history of the item. The DC is equal to the craft check of the item. Some items the DM may require a knowledge check instead of a craft check.

Masterwork Items: You can make any item a masterwork item. You must choose to do so before creating the item. You treat this value as separate from the base item. Weapons and armor will detail the specific cost for a masterwork item, but the base item will be completely unusable if your craft check fails by 10 or more. Otherwise, the item crafted will work as a standard item.
The cost you pay for masterwork components for an item is 1/3 of the given amount, just as is the cost for raw materials.
When it comes to making a masterwork item to become enchanted, the DC is also increased by an amount based on the type of item.

Consumables, Wands, Staves: +5
Armor, Weapons, Worn Wondrous Items: +10
Rings, Rods, Everything Else: +15

Artwork: Some masterwork items are so beautiful that they can become artwork. If your masterwork roll DC is exceeded by 5 or more, the item also becomes artwork. This adds an additional price to the masterwork item. Subtract the DC from the total value of your roll, and divide by 5. Multiply this number by a modified HD value.
The price for artwork outside of non enchantable items is limited to 2x the cost of the base item, including the masterwork cost to the item, such as armor and weapons.

Accelerated Crafting: You may voluntarily add +10 to the DC of an item to craft it faster. This allows for an additional check each day per +10 modifier you add. This denotes you crafting an item in 1/2 of the expected time.

Repair: You can use a craft skill to repair an item of that type. Repairing an item that has been broken or has taken damage (or both) requires tools and a work area. You must pay 1/10 the item's cost in raw materials. Repairing an item has the same DC as crafting it, but takes an amount of time based on its complexity. DCs of 5 or less take an hour to repair. DCs of 6-10 take 1d4 hours to repair, DC 11-19 take an entire day to repair. Everything else takes 1d4 days to repair. If one was to accelerate crafting for repair checks (see above) the repair time takes 1/2 of the time per +10 modifier added.

Assistants: Craftsmen can hire on assistants to create items. For diminutive items, a craftsmen can gather and use only 1 assistant for crafting the item. For tiny items, 2 assistants, for medium 4, for large items or alchemical goods, up to 10 assistants. Each assistant can provide a +2 bonus for crafting an item.

Action: Does not apply, Craft checks are made by the day, or within an hour.

Try Again: Yes, but each time you miss by 5 or more, you ruin 1/2 of the raw materials, and must pay 1/2 the original raw material cost again.

Special: Dwarves have a +2 racial bonus on Craft (Metalworking) and (Mineralworking).

Gnomes gain a +2 bonus on a Craft check of their choice at character creation.

You cannot use Craft Alchemy without specialist tools.

When crafting certain metal items, such as a solid gold statue, the craft check is for the mold to smelt the item, not to pour liquid down into the mold. If the mold is already created, and is sufficient, the craft check is for melting the metal and pouring it in, and takes less than an hour.

Craft is one of the available options for Career/Hobbies.

Synergy: Craft skills grant a bonus on Knowledge checks dependent on circumstances. Ask your GM if your craft applies in specific circumstances.

Knowledge (Engineering), grants a bonus on Craft (Mechanical).

Deception (Cha)

With quick wit, a bit of confidence, and a handy amount of time, your words alter the perception of what one can consider reality unless proven otherwise. This skill shows the prowess of a crafted lie, the ability to speak to others without betraying your true words, and disguising yourself to avoid being caught. This is by far the skill of the con man and the thief. The skill encompasses acting, conning, fast talking, misdirection, prevarication, changing ones appearance to fool others, and misleading body language.

Checks

A Deception check is opposed by a targets Sense Motive check. Additionally, the target is at an advantage or disadvanted based on their attitude towards the bluff. This disadvantage can be negated, or advantage gained if the player has a proper insight into what the NPCs goals or ideals are, and uses that to their advantage in the bluff. Otherwise, getting a target to do something is based entirely on the amount of risk they put themselves in to perform said action, and the boldness of the lie itself.
Succeeding on a bluff check indicates that the target reacts as you wish, at least for a short time, or believes something you want it to believe. Bluff does not work as a mind altering effect however. If you tell a shopkeep that his shoes are untied, he will simply look down to confirm that they are, not fiddle with his shoes. A bluff requires interaction between you and the target. Creatures unaware of you cannot be bluffed.
Feinting: You can also use Deception in combat to mislead an opponent. To feint, make a deception check opposed by your targets Sense Motive, but in this case, the target may add its BAB to the roll along with any other applicable modifiers. Should your Feint succeed, your target is caught flat footed against your next melee attack. This attack must be made on your before your next turn against that creature. Feinting against non humanoids is difficult because its harder to read a strange creature's body language, so you take a -4 penalty on your deception check against them. Animals of intelligence 1 or 2 gives a -8 penalty. You cannot feint against a nonintelligent creature. Feinting does not provoke an AOO.
Creating a diversion to Hide: You can use a deception check to help you hide, opposed by sense motive checks of everyone you are trying to divert attention from yourself. This allows you to make a Sneak check while people are aware of you. This usage does not provoke an AOO. Deliver Secret Message:You can use Deception to get a message across to another character without others understanding it. The DC is 15 for simple messages, or 20 for complex messages, especially those that rely on getting across new information. Failure by 4 or less means you can't get the message across, but 5 or more means false information has been implied or inferred. Anyone listening can make a Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff check you made to transmit in order to intercept your message. Those who speak in Thieves cant gain advantage on the Deception and Sense Motive checks. Disguise:Your deception can be used to disguse your appearance. Your deception check determines how good the disguise is, and is opposed by others Perception check results. If you do not draw any attention to yourself, others do not get to make Perception checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as guards watching commoners walking through a city gate), the DM can assume that such observers are taking 10 on their perception checks. The effectiveness of a disguise depends on how much you are attempting to change your appearance.
If you are attempting to change minor details of yourself, you get advantage on the Disguise check. However, you do get a -2 penalty if you are trying to diguise your gender, or disguise yourself as a different race (each). Disguising yourself as a different age category will give you a -2 penalty per age category difference between you and the attempted disguise. The age categories are Young, Adulthood, Midle Age, Old, and Vulnerable. Common sense dictates that you cannot disguise yourself in impossible portions, the disguise automatically fails unless magic is used.
If you are impersonating a particular individual who knows what the person looks or acts like, they get advantage on their perception checks. Additionally, they gain a +5 bonus if they are friends or relatives, or a +10 bonus if they are intimate with the individual. These individuals are considered always to be suspicious of you, so opposed checks are always called for in each new interaction with these individuals. Usually an individual makes a Perception check to see through your disguise immediately upon meeting you and each hour thereafter. If you casually meet many different creatures for a short time, check once per day or hour, using an average perception modifier for the group.
Heckling: You may heckle a performer by taking 1 minute and making a Deception check opposed by the performers Concentration check. If you win, the performer makes a new Perform check with a -2 penalty, and an additional -2 penalty for every 5 points by which you won the opposed check.
If you lose, the audience sides with the performer, who gains a +2 circumstance bonus on the Perform check for that performance. Some audience members may have their attitude decrease towards the heckler if the performer's Perform check is successful. You can make only one check to heckle during a given performance.

Action

A deception check made as part of general interaction always takes at least 1 round (and is at least a full-round action), but it can take much longer if you try something elaborate. A deception check made to feint in combat or create a diversion to hide is a standard action. Deception check made to deliver a secred message doesn't take an action; it is part of normal communication. However, the DM may limit the amount of information conveyed in a single round. Disguise checks take 1d3x10 minutes of work.

Try Again

Varies. Generally, failed deception checks in social interaction makes the target too suspicious for you to try again in the same circumtances, but you may retry freely on Deception checks to Feint or create a diversion to hide in combat. Retries are also allowed when trying to send a message, but you may attempt such a retry only once per round. Each retry carries the same chance of miscommunication. You may try to redo a failed disguise, but once others know that a disguise was attempted, they'll be more suspicious.

Special

Magic that alters your form grants a +10 bonus on Deception checks related to disguising. Divination magic that allows people to see through illusions does not penetrate a mundane disguise, but it can negate the magical component of a magically enhanced one.
The masters of snake familiars gain a +3 bonus on Deception checks.
If you have the Persuasive Feat, you gain a +2 bonus on Deception checks.
If you have the Decitful Feat, you gain a +2 bonus on Deception checks.

Synergies

Gains a synergy with Persuasion & Sleight of Hand Grants a synergy with Persuasion and Sleight of Hand Ranger gains a bonus on Deception checks when using Hunters Mark.

Decipher Script (Int; Trained Only)

Use this skill to piece together the meaning of ancient runes carved into the wall of an abandoned temple, to get the gist of an intercepted letter written in the Infernal language, to follow the directions on a treasure map written in a forgotten alphabet, or to interpret the mysterious glyphs painted on a cave wall.

Check: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, the DM makes a DC 5 Wisdom check for your to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.) The DM secretly makes both the Decipher Script check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check, so that you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.

Action: Deciphering the equivalent of a single page of script takes 1 minute (ten consecutive full-round actions).

Try Again: No

Special:A character with the Diligent feat gets a +2 bonus on Decipher Script checks.

Synergy: Decipher Script, grants a bonus on Use Magic Device checks involving scrolls

Decipher Script, grants a bonus on Forgery Checks.

Disable Device (Int; Trained Only)

Use this skill to disarm a trap, open or jam a lock open/closed, rig a wagon wheel to fall off at a certain time, or many other features. The effort to perform these actions requires at least a simple tool of the appropriate sort.

Check

Your DM makes the Disable Device check for you secretly, so that you don't necessarily know whether you've succeeded. The DC depends on how tricky the device is. The more intricate and complex a device is the higher its DC. If a check succeeds, you disable the device. You can also rig simple devices, such as saddles or wagon wheels to work normally for a while and then fail or fall off some time later (usually after 1d4 rounds or minutes of use).

Disable Device

Difficulty	Time	DC
Simple	1 round	10
Tricky	1d4 Rounds	15
Difficult	2d4 Rounds	20
Wicked	2d4 Rounds	25

Not using tools provides a penalty your roll of -2.
Attemping to leave no trace of tampering a device adds 5 to the DC of those listed.
Reducing time to Disable to 1 round adds 20 to the DC anything over simple difficult.
Opening a lock as a move action adds 20 to the DC.

Bypass Element

You can try to incorporate a bypass element, allowing you or your companions to avoid triggering a trap again later by adding +10 to the DC of a roll.

Action

The amount of time needed to make a Disable Device check depends on the task, as noted above.

Try Again

Varies. If you missed the check by 4 or less, you know you have failed but can try again. If you fail by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If it is a trap, the device is sprung. If attempting sabotage, you think the device is disabled, but it still works normally.

Special

If you have the Nimble Fingers feat, you gain a +2 bonus on Disable Device checks.
If you have the Deft Hands feat, you gain a +4 bonus on Disable Device checks.
Those with the trapfinding class feature who beat a traps DC by 10 or more can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it without disarming it. They do not need to roll disable device again for the same exact trap. However, those who miss spotting the track on a seccond encounter may be prone to activating it anyways as normal.

Restrictions

Those with the trapfinding class feature can disarm magic traps. Magic traps have a DC of 25+spell level of the magic used to create it.
Those using the skill untrained cannot pick locks, but may successfully force them open instead.

Synergies

Craft (Mechanical), provides a bonus on Disable Device.
Knowledge (Dungeoneering), provides a bonus on disabling traps.

Escape Artist (Dex; AC Penalty)

Use this skill to slip out of bonds or manacles, wriggle through tight spaces, or escape the grip of a monster that grapples you.

Check

The table below gives the DCs to escape various forms of restraints.

Escape Artist

Restraint	DC
Grappler	Grapple Check
Net/entangling spell	20
Item Restraints	Restraints DC
Tight Space	30

Grappler

You can make an Escape Artist check opposed by your enemy's grapple check to get out of a grapple or a pinned condition.

Quick Escape

You can quickly escape from restraints, If doing so, add +10 to the DC of a roll.Escaping from rope bindings, manacles or other restraints taking only 5 rounds instead of 1 minute. Escaping from net or entangling spell with the quick escape option is a standard action. Escaping from a grapple or pin with the quick escape option is a move action. Squeezing through a tight space takes 1/2 the time that it normally would.

Restraining Equipment

The DC for equipment that binds a character, such as manacles is set by their construction.

Ropes

The DC to escape a binders rope check is opposed by the binders Survival check. since it is easier to tie someone up than to escape from being tied up, the binder gets a +10 bonus on their check.

Tight Space

The DC noted is for getting through a space where your head fits but your shoulders dont. If the space is long, such as a chimney, the DM may call for multiple checks. You can't get through a space that your head does not fit through.

Action

Making an escape check to escape from bindings requires 1 minute of work. Escaping from a net, animated rope, or spells that entangle or bind a character is a full-round action. Escaping from a grapple/pin is a standard action. Squeezing through tight spaces takes at least 1 minute, maybe longer depending on the space.

Try Again

Varies, you can make another check after a failed check. If the situation permits, you can make additional checks or even take 20 so long as you're not eing actively opposed.

Special

If you have the Agile Feat gain a +2 bonus to Escape Artist
If you have the Gaunt Deformity Feat you gain a +2 bonus on Escape Artist Checks.

Synergies

Grants Synergy to Survival Checks when using rope to bind someone.
Gains Synergy from Survival when using Escape Artist to escape from rope.

Forgery (Int)

Use this skill to fake a written order from the duchess instructing a jailer to release prisoners, or to create an authentic-looking treasure map.

Check: Forgery requires writing materials appropriate to the document being forged, enough light or sufficient visual acuity to see the details of what you’re writing, wax for seals (if appropriate), and some time.

To forge a document on which the handwriting is not specific to a person (military orders, a government decree, a business ledger, or the like), you need only to have seen a similar document before, and you gain a +8 bonus on your check.

To forge a signature, you need an autograph of that person to copy, and you gain a +4 bonus on the check. To forge a longer document written in the hand of some particular person, a large sample of that person’s handwriting is needed.

Your DM makes your Forgery check secretly, so that you’re not sure how good your forgery is. As with Disguise, you don’t even need to make a check until someone examines the work. Your Forgery check is opposed by the perception or Investigation check of the person who examines the document to check its authenticity.

A document that contradicts procedure, orders, or previous knowledge, or one that requires sacrifice on the part of the person checking the document can increase that character’s suspicion (and thus create favorable circumstances for the checker’s opposing check).

Action: Forging a very short and simple document takes about 1 minute. A longer or more complex document takes 1d4 minutes per standard page length.

Try Again: Usually, no. A retry is never possible after a particular reader detects a particular forgery. But the document created by the forger might still fool someone else. The result of a Forgery check for a particular document must be used for every instance of a different reader examining the document. No reader can attempt to detect a particular forgery more than once; if that one opposed check goes in favor of the forger, then the reader can’t try using his own skill again, even if he’s suspicious about the document.

Special: If you have the Deceitful feat, you get a +2 bonus on Forgery checks.

Restriction: Forgery is language-dependent; thus, to forge documents and detect forgeries, you must be able to read and write the language in question.

Handle Animal (Cha; Trained Only)

Use this skill to drive a team of horses pulling a wagon over rough terrain, to teach a dog to guard, or to teach a tyrannosaur to “speak” on your command.

Check: The DC depends on what you are trying to do.

Task	Handle Animal DC
Handle an Animal	10
"Push" an Animal	25
Teach an animal a trick	15 or 20
Train animal for general purpose	15 or 20
Rear a Wild Animal	15 + HD of animal

Handle an Animal: This task involves commanding an animal to perform a task or trick that it knows. For instance, to command a trained attack dog to attack a foe requires a DC 10 Handle Animal check. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.

“Push” an Animal: To push an animal means to get it to perform a task or trick that it doesn’t know but is physically capable of performing. This category also covers making an animal perform a forced march or forcing it to hustle for more than 1 hour between sleep cycles. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.

Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. Animals are able to learn a maximum of three tricks per score of intelligence. [Spoiler]

Attack (DC 20): The animal attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks.

Come (DC 15): The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so (following you onto a boat, for example).

Defend (DC 20): The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the animal to defend a specific other character.

Down (DC 15): The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that doesn’t know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated.

Fetch (DC 15): The animal goes and gets something. If you do not point out a specific item, the animal fetches some random object.

Guard (DC 20): The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.

Heel (DC 15): The animal follows you closely, even to places where it normally wouldn’t go.

Perform (DC 15): The animal performs a variety of simple tricks, such as sitting up, rolling over, roaring or barking, and so on.

Seek (DC 15): The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.

Stay (DC 15): The animal stays in place, waiting for you to return. It does not challenge other creatures that come by, though it still defends itself if it needs to.

Track (DC 20): The animal tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the animal to have the scent ability; see the Monster Manual for details.)

Work (DC 15): The animal pulls or pushes a medium or heavy load.

|Animal Tricks[/spoiler]

Train an Animal for a Purpose: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can simply train it for a general purpose. Essentially, an animal’s purpose represents a preselected set of known tricks that fit into a common scheme, such as guarding or heavy labor. The animal must meet all the normal prerequisites for all tricks included in the training package. If the package includes more than three tricks, the animal must have an Intelligence score of 2. An animal can be trained for only one general purpose, though if the creature is capable of learning additional tricks (above and beyond those included in its general purpose), it may do so. Training an animal for a purpose requires fewer checks than teaching individual tricks does, but no less time. At your DM’s option, you may be able to train an animal for a purpose that isn’t mentioned.

Animal Purposes

Combat Riding (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes six weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal’s previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Warhorses and riding dogs (see the Monster Manual) are already trained to bear riders into combat, and they don’t require any additional training for this purpose.

Fighting (DC 20): An animal trained to engage in combat knows the tricks attack, down, and stay. Training an animal for fighting takes three weeks.

Guarding (DC 20): An animal trained to guard knows the tricks attack, defend, down, and guard. Training an animal for guarding takes four weeks.

Heavy Labor (DC 15): An animal trained for heavy labor knows the tricks come and work. Training an animal for heavy labor takes two weeks.

Hunting (DC 20): An animal trained for hunting knows the tricks attack, down, fetch, heel, seek, and track. Training an animal for hunting takes six weeks.

Performance (DC 15): An animal trained for performance knows the tricks come, fetch, heel, perform, and stay. Training an animal for performance takes five weeks.

Riding (DC 15): An animal trained to bear a rider knows the tricks come, heel, and stay. Training an animal for riding takes three weeks.

Rear a Wild Animal: To rear an animal means to raise a wild creature from infancy so that it becomes domesticated. A handler can rear as many as three creatures of the same kind at once. A successfully domesticated animal can be taught tricks at the same time it’s being raised, or it can be taught as a domesticated animal later.

Action: Varies. Handling an animal is a move action, while pushing an animal is a full-round action. (A druid or ranger can handle her animal companion as a free action or push it as a move action.) For tasks with specific time frames noted above, you must spend half this time (at the rate of 3 hours per day per animal being handled) working toward completion of the task before you attempt the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, your attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal fails and you need not complete the teaching, rearing, or training time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remainder of the time to complete the teaching, rearing, or training. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal automatically fails.

Try Again: Yes, except for rearing an animal.

Special: You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do. Creature descriptions will give additional information on if a creature is trainable or not.

A druid or ranger gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Handle Animal checks involving her animal companion. In addition, a druid’s or ranger’s animal companion knows one or more bonus tricks, which don’t count against the normal limit on tricks known and don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks to teach.

If you have the Animal Affinity feat, you get a +2 bonus on Handle Animal checks.

Synergy: Handle Animal, you get a bonus on Navigate checks with animals and wild empathy checks.

Untrained: If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to handle and push domestic animals, but you can’t teach, rear, or train animals. A druid or ranger with no ranks in Handle Animal can use a Charisma check to handle and push her animal companion, but she can’t teach, rear, or train other nondomestic animals.

Heal (Wis)

Use this skill to keep a badly wounded friend from dying, to help others recover faster from wounds, to keep your friend from succumbing to a wyvern’s sting, or to treat disease.

Check: The DC and effect depend on the task you attempt.

Task	Heal DC
First Aid	15
Long Term Care	15
Treat wound from caltrops	15
Treat Poison	Poison's save DC
Treat Disease	Disease's Save DC

First Aid: You usually use first aid to save a dying character. If a character has negative hit points and is losing hit points (at the rate of 1 per round, 1 per hour, or 1 per day), you can make him or her stable. A stable character regains no hit points but stops losing them.

Long-Term Care: Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. If your Heal check is successful,the patient recovers hit points or ability score points (lost to ability damage) at twice the normal rate: 2 hit points per patient level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 hit points per level for each full day of complete rest; 2 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 ability score points for each full day of complete rest. You can tend as many as six patients at a time. You need a few items and supplies (bandages, salves, and so on) that are easy to come by in settled lands. Giving long-term care counts as light activity for the healer. You cannot give long-term care to yourself.

Treat Wound from Caltrop, Spike Growth, or Spike Stones: A creature wounded by stepping on a caltrop moves at one-half normal speed. A successful Heal check removes this movement penalty. A creature wounded by a spike growth or spike stones spell must succeed on a Reflex save or take injuries that reduce his speed by one-third. Another character can remove this penalty by taking 10 minutes to dress the victim’s injuries and succeeding on a Heal check against the spells save DC.

Treat Poison: To treat poison means to tend a single character who has been poisoned and who is going to take more damage from the poison (or suffer some other effect). Every time the poisoned character makes a saving throw against the poison, you make a Heal check. The poisoned character uses your check result or his or her saving throw, whichever is higher.

Treat Disease: To treat a disease means to tend a single diseased character. Every time he or she makes a saving throw against disease effects, you make a Heal check. The diseased character uses your check result or his or her saving throw, whichever is higher.

Action: Providing first aid, treating a wound, or treating poison is a standard action. Treating a disease or tending a creature wounded by a spike growth or spike stones spell takes 10 minutes of work. Providing long-term care requires 8 hours of light activity.

Try Again: Varies. Generally speaking, you can’t try a Heal check again without proof of the original check’s failure. For instance, until a poisoned character makes a saving throw against the poisoned wound you’ve treated, you can’t know whether your Heal check was successful or not, so you can’t retry the check. You can always retry a check to provide first aid, assuming the target of the previous attempt is still alive.

Special:

A character with the Self-Sufficient feat gets a +2 bonus on Heal checks.

A healer’s kit gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.

Prerequisite for the following feats.

Augment Healing

Investigate (Special)

This skill is useful for finding out information in numerous ways.

Check

The most unique of any skill, the investigator must choose which ability score is used to find out specific information. This can be done in any of three ways.

Deduction: A character can choose to use wisdom, or past experience with similar matters to figure something out. Very similar to knowledge rolls, but using the wisdom stat instead.
Observation: A character can choose to use Intelligence to observe their surroundings to find something. Wheither this is in a book that they picked off the shelf, or finding specific garments. This is primarily used for researching in a library, or other catalogues of information.
Consultation: Using charisma, a character can garner information from the surrounding populas or an individual in order to find the information they need.

For each 5 that a character has in this check, an additional piece of information can be garnered from a location, individual, or study. Looking for specific information is more difficult, needing an additional +5 for the first bit of unknown information.

Action

A deduction or observation check are usually a full round action to observe a 5ft cubed area or volume of goods or deduct after having found numerous items in a searched area. A consultation check or research in observation check can take up to 1d4+1 hours per attempt.

Try Again

It takes time for each check, and a deduction check can only be used once. Unless new observations add to the deduction it cannot be rolled a second time. Furthermore, you may draw attention to yourself if you repeatedly pursue a certain type of information using a Consulation check.

Special

A half elf has a +2 racial bonus on Consultation checks, thanks to their ability to relate well to others.
If you have the Investigator Feat, you gain a +4 bonus on Investigate checks.
If you have the Deformity (Eyes) Feat, you take a -2 penalty on Investigate checks.

Synergies

Gains synergy with Knowledge (Local)

Knowledge (Int; Trained Only)

Like the Craft and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Knowledge represents a study of some body of lore, possibly an academic or even scientific discipline. Below are listed typical fields of study. With your DM's approval, you can invent new areas of knowledge, or suggest knowledge to be added to existing areas.

Arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, cryptic phrases, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)
Dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)
Engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
Geography (lands, terrain, climate, people)
History (royalty, wars, colonies migrations, founding of cities)
Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)
Nature (animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plans, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin)
Religion (gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastical tradition, holy symbols, undead)
The planes (the inner planes, the outer planes, the astral plane, the Ethereal plane, outsiders, elementals, magic related to the planes)

Check: Answering a question within your field of study has a DC of 10 (for really easy questions), 15 (for basic questions), or 20 to 30 for really tough questions.

In many cases, you can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monsters HD. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.

Action: Usually none. In most cases, making a Knowledge check doesn't take an action--you simply know the answer or you don't.

Try Again: No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about at topic a second time doesn't let you know something that you never learned in the first place.

Synergy: Knowledge (architecture and engineering), you get a bonus on Investigate checks made to find secret doors or hidden compartments.

Knowledge (geography), get a bonus on Survival checks made to keep from getting lost or to avoid natural hazards.

Knowledge (history), get a bonus on bardic knowledge checks.

Knowledge (local), get a bonus on Investigate checks, Persuasion checks, and survival checks for surviving in an urban setting.

Knowledge (nature), get a bonus on Survival checks made in natural environments (Not underground).

Knowledge (religion), get a bonus on turning checks against undead.

Knowledge (the planes), get a bonus on Survival checks made while on other planes.

Knowledge (dungeoneering), get a bonus on Survival checks made while underground.

Survival, you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

Untrained:An untrained Knowledge check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, you know only common knowledge (DC 10 or lower)

Magicraft (Int; Trained Only)

Use this skill whenever dealing with spells or other magical effects.

Spellcraft DCs

Task	DC	Time	Retry
Identify Spell As It's Cast	15+Spell Level	--	No
Learn Spell From Borrowed Spellbook or Scroll	15 + Spell Level	1 hour	Yes
Prepare Spell From Borrowed Spellbook	15+ Spell Level	--	Yes
Craft Magic Item	Varies	--	No

Check

You can identify spells and magic effects. The DC for magicraft checks relating to various tasks are summarized on the table above.

Borrowed Spellbooks & Scrolls

Spellcasters are able to freely loan each other their spellbooks, should such a case arrise, a spellcaster is able to freely learn spells as if they were from a scroll, taking 1 hour to transcript a spell into their spellbook on a successful check.
Should a spellbook not be borrowed, and be stolen or looted, each spell in the spellbook must be uncovered by a Decipher Script check before being capable of being transcribed.

Action/Try Again

Varies, as noted in the magicraft item descriptons

Special

If you are a specialist wizard, you get a +2 bonus on magicraft checks when dealing with a spell or effect from your specialty school. You take a -5 penalty when dealing with a spell or effect from a brohibited school.
If you have the Magical Aptitude feat, you gain a +2 bonus on Magicraft checks.
The DC for checks will be reduced by 2 for any Magicraft checks involving spells your character has prepared for the day.

Magic Duel

More likely than not, a magic user will encounter another magic user in the field. Should this encounter be hostile, these creatures will sling spells at one another. This counts as counterspelling.

Synergies

Gains synergy from Knowledge (Arcane)
Gains synergy from Use Magic Device on Magicraft checks to decipher spells on scrolls.
Gains synergy from Perception to identify potions or poisons
Grants synergy to Use Magic Device checks related to scrolls.

Navigate (Dex)

You can ride a mount or otherwise use a vehicle be it anything from a horse to a ship. If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount (such as most bipedal creatures) or use a vehicle that is notoriously difficult to drive, you take a –5 penalty on your navigate checks.

Check

Typical riding actions don’t require checks. You can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount from a mount without a problem. The following tasks do require checks.

Task	DC	Task	DC
No Action		Free Action
Cover	15	Fast Mount/Dismount	20*
Enter Water	10	Fight as War Mount attacks	10
Guide with Knees	5
Leap	15	Move Action
Soft Fall	15	Control non war mount in battle	20
Stay in Saddle	5	Spur Mount	15
Swim While Mounted	See Text

^{*=AC Penalty applies}
Cover: You can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your mount, using it as cover. You can’t attack or cast spells while using your mount as cover. If you fail your Navigate check, you don’t get the cover benefit. This usage does not take an action. You may use this before an opponent makes an attack roll but not after.
Control Mount in Battle: As a move action, you can attempt to control a light horse, pony, heavy horse, or other mount not trained for combat riding while in battle. If you fail the Navigate check, this becomes a full round action, and you cannot perform any other actions until your next turn. You do not need to roll for mounts trained for combat, such as warhorses or warponys.
Enter Water:Failure on a navigate check to enter the water on a land mount means the mount refuses to enter the water. If you fail by 5 or more, the mount balks, throwing you into the water while it stays ashore. If you're riding an aquatic mount, failure means a -5 penalty on your next navigate check to stay astride the swimming mount. Failure by 5 or more means you're unsaddled as your mount enters the water.
Fast Mount or Dismount: You can attempt to mount or dismount from a mount of up to one size category larger than yourself as a free action, provided that you still have a move action available that round. If you fail the Navigate check, mounting or dismounting is a move action. This action on navigate takes an AC penalty for its use.
Fight as War Mount Attacks:If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your attacks normally.
Guide with Knees: You can react instantly to guide your mount with your knees so that you can use both hands in combat. Make your Navigate check at the start of your turn. If you fail, you can use only one hand this round because you need to use the other to control your mount.
Leap: You can get your mount to leap obstacles as part of its movement. Use your Navigate modifier or the mount’s athletics modifier, whichever is lower, to see how far the creature can jump. If you fail your Navigate check, you fall off the mount when it leaps and take the appropriate falling damage (at least 2 points). This usage does not take an action, but is part of the mount’s movement.
Soft Fall: You can react instantly to try to take no damage when you fall off a mount—when it is killed or when it falls, for example. If you fail your Navigate check, you take 2 points of falling damage, or normal falling damage based on distance dropped, whichever is higher. This usage does not take an action.
Spur Mount: You can spur your mount to greater speed with a move action. A successful Navigate check increases the mount’s speed by 10 feet for 1 round but deals 1 point of damage to the creature. You can use this ability every round, but each consecutive round of additional speed deals twice as much damage to the mount as the previous round (2 points, 4 points, 8 points, and so on).
Stay in Saddle: You can react instantly to try to avoid falling when your mount rears or bolts unexpectedly or when you take damage. This usage does not take an action.

Action

Varies. Mounting or dismounting normally is a move action. Other checks are a move action, a free action, or no action at all, as noted above.

Special

If you are riding bareback, you take a –5 penalty on Navigate checks.
If your mount has a military saddle, you get a +2 circumstance bonus on Navigate checks related to staying in the saddle.
The Ride skill is a prerequisite for the Mounted Combat feat.
If you have the Animal Affinity feat, you get a +2 bonus on Navigate checks when dealing with animals.

Synergy

Handle Animal, you gain a bonus on Navigate checks when dealing with animals.
Navigate, Gain a bonus on Survival checks involving rope.
Survival, Gain a bonus on Navigate checks on vehicles involving rope.

Perception (Wis)

Your senses allow you to notice fine details and alert you to danger. Perception covers all five senses, including sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

Check: Perception has a number of uses, the most common of which is an opposed check versus an opponent’s Stealth check to notice the opponent and avoid being surprised. If you are successful, you notice the opponent and can react accordingly. If you fail, your opponent can take a variety of actions, including sneaking past you and attacking you.

Perception is also used to notice fine details in the environment. The DC to notice such details varies depending upon distance, the environment, and how noticeable the detail is. The following table gives a number of guidelines.

Perception DC	Detail
-10	A battle.
0	People Talking.
5	Determining if food is spoiled.
10	Hear the sound of a creature walking
15	Hear details of people whispering from 10 feet away.
20	Find an average secret door.
25	Sense a burrowing creature underneath you.
Opposed Rolls	Detect a Pickpocket, Someone Sneaking, or an issue with a Forgery
Varies	Find a hidden trap
15+CL of potion	Detect potions powers through taste.

ConditionDC Mod


Distance to source, target or creature.	+1/10ft
Through a closed door	+5
Through Wall	+10/foot of thickness
Perceiver distracted	+5
Perceiver Asleep	+10
Opponent or Object is Invisible	+20

Action: Varies. You can perform Perception checks normally as a free action. However, when trying to perceive something you think you failed to perceive before is a move action.

Try Again: Yes. You can try to perceive something that you failed to do so previously with no penalty.

Synergy: Magicraft, Gain a bonus on Perception checks when detecting the effects of potions.

Special: When multiple characters are perceiving at the same thing, the DM can make a single roll and use it for all Perception checks.

Fascinated creatures take a -4 penalty on Perception checks.

If you have the Alertness feat, you gain a +4 bonus on Perception checks.

Rangers gain bonuses to Perception when using Hunter’s Mark on enemies.

Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework. They automatically observe stonework simply by passing by it.

Elves gain a +4 bonus on Perception checks.

Half-Elves, Gnomes and Halflings gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks.

Perform (Cha)

You are skilled in a type of artistic expression, which may encompass a variety of specific methods, and you know how to put on a show.

Like Craft, Knowledge, and Profession, Perform is actually a number of separate skills. For instance, you could have the skill Perform (act). Your ranks in that skill don't affect any checks you happen to make for Perform (oratory) or Perform (string instruments). You could have several Perform skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.

Each of the nine categories of the Perform skill includes a variety of methods, instruments, or techniques, a small list of which is provided for each category below. The DM is free to expand any of these categories with additional methods, instruments, or techniques, as appropriate for his or her campaign.

Act (comedy, drama, mime)
Comedy (buffoonery, limericks, joke-telling)
Dance (ballet, waltz, jig)
Keyboard instruments (harpsichord, piano, pipe organ)
Oratory (epic, ode, storytelling)
Percussion instruments (bells, chimes, drums, gong)
String Instruments (fiddle, harp, lute, mandolin)
Wind Instruments (flute, pan pipes, recorder, shawm, trumpet)
Sing (ballad, chant, melody)

DC	Performance
10	Routine Performance. Trying to earn money by playing in public is essentially begging. You earn 1 Silver for a day of performing.
15	Enjoyable Performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3 Silver a day.
20	Great Performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d10 silver a day, and can influence opinions of watchers by +1.
25	Memorable Performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d4+3 GP/day. You gain a standing influence of observers by +2.
30	Extraordinary Performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 10gp/day +1 for every 5 points over 30. You may draw attention from distant potential patrons, or even from extraplanar beings. You gain a standing influence of observers by +3

Check:You can impress audiences with your talent and skill.

Influence: For great performances and higher, you can influence the opinions of characters who observed your performance in your favor similar to a persuasion roll. Observers may roll a Special Sense Motive check on the performer with a DC equal to the performance result. Observers who are approached by the performer asking for a favor or a request may choose to add their ranks in Persuasion as well if they have any. If they fail this special sense motive check, they are treated as if their starting attitude towards the performer was higher than normal (+1 for a DC 20, +2 for a DC 25, +3 for a DC 30). To find out how long this special bonus lasts for, take the total performance and subtract 19 from the total. The remainder is how many hours you have with the bonus influence. For every 5 hours after the performance, this bonus reduces by 1, until the minimum of +1 influence and than until the time is up.

Influence cannot be improved over Helpful using this method.

The influence modifier does not stack, each time that a performance is made to an observer, the influence is changed to the new influence modifier.

If you beat a DC by 5 or more, you may provide the benefits to an ally for 1 hour.

Varied Performance: You can combine multiple perform checks together to create an even better performance. Choose a performance that you have the most ranks in that you will be performing, and choose an additional performance on top of that. You can choose as many performances that you want as long as you have ranks in that performance. Subtract -4 for each previous performance chosen to be in the act (2nd choice is at -4, 3rd choice is at -8, 4th choice is at -12, ect…). You may add the totals together in order to create a performance. Bards can reduce this penalty by 2 for every level of bard they possess.

Action:Varies. Trying to earn money by playing in public requires anywhere from an evening's work to a full day's performance, at the DM's discretion. The Bard's special Perform-based abilities are described in that class’ description.

Try Again:Yes. Retries are allowed, but they don't negate previous failures, and an audience that has been unimpressed in the past is likely to be prejudiced against future performances. (Increase the DC by 2 for each previous failure.)

Synergy: Perform (Act), gives a bonus to Deception checks.

Perform (Sing), gives a bonus to Use Magic Device checks involving verbal components.

Perform (Dance), gives a bonus to Tumble checks

Perform (Oratory), gives a bonus to Persuasion checks.

Tumble, gives a bonus to Perform (Dance) checks.

Special:A bard must have at least 3 ranks spent throughout any number of Perform skills to inspire courage in his allies, or to use his countersong or his fascinate ability. A bard needs 6 ranks to inspire competence, 9 ranks to use his suggestion ability, 12 ranks to inspire greatness, 15 ranks to use his song of freedom ability, 18 ranks to inspire heroics, and 21 ranks to use his mass suggestion ability.

A masterwork musical instrument gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Perform checks that involve its use.

In addition to using the Perform skill, you can entertain people with sleight of hand, tumbling, tightrope walking, and spells (especially illusions).

Persuasion (Cha)

Use this skill to persuade the chamberlain to let you see the king, to negotiate peace between feuding barbarian tribes, or to convince the ogre mages that have captured you that they should ransom you back to your friends instead of twisting your limbs off one by one. Persuasion includes etiquette, social grace, tact, subtlety, and a way with words. A skilled character knows the formal and informal rules of conduct, social expectations, proper forms of address, and so on. This skill represents the ability to give others the right impression of oneself, to negotiate effectively, and to influence others.

Check

You can convince others to act upon requests that you have of them based on their attitude towards you. On a successful persuasion check, you will be able to get them to at least consider the alternatives, and potentially help you.
Intimidation:In some cases, kind words may not be enough, so you may need to step in to gain a mental advantage against your opponent. Add your STR or CON modifier and 1/2 of the damage you last delt to your opponent. Your opponent gains their Wisdom modifier, and a +1 per HD and Level, and any additional bonuses they have against fear against your roll. Should your roll succeed, the opponent is treated as if it were one level higher in attitude while you are in their conscious presence, and an additional 1d6x10 minutes per 5 you exceeded your roll. After that time, or on a failed roll, their attitude drops down 1 level lower of influence that they were before, and further peaceful talks with them will prove unfruitful.
Demoralize Opponent:You can also use the Intimidation action in combat to weaken an opponents resolve. To do so, make a Persuasion check opposed by the targets modified intimidation check. If you win, the target becomes shaken for 1 round. You can intimidate only an opponent that you threaten in melee combat and that can see you.
Duel of Wills:Alternatively, before initiative is rolled in combat, you and an opponent within 30ft that you have lin eof sight too (And vice versa) may perform a duel of wills. Each opponent must have Intelligence 3+. You can only perform a duel of wills once per combat encounter. When you fix your eyes on the opponent, that creature has 3 options.
Submit: The opponent takes a -2 penalty on its initiative, and a -1 penalty on attack rolls against you for 1 round.
Ignore: The opponent ignores you, but if you succeed on a DC 15 Persuasion check, you gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls against that opponent for 1 round.
Participate: You and the opponent make opposed Intimidate checks. The winner gains a +1 bonus on Attack rolls and damage against the loser. The loser takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls and damage against the winner. These modifiers last for the duration of the encounter.
Haggling: A sellers attitude may potentially give a 10% discount on goods. If you succeed on a Persuasion attempt, then you can get that 10% discount on goods. If you fail, or worsen the sellers attitude to hostile worse, the seller will refuse to sell anything to you for at least 24 hours. Doing so multiple times will probably ban you from a store.
Mediation:You can spend a day trying to mediate a dispute between two separate parties instead of your own. To do so, you must succeed in a Persuasion attempt on both parties. The DC increases by 5 for each if they are different cultures, and an additional 5 if they are different races. You may take a -10 penalty on the check to attempt mediation in an hour. So long as one side remains non-hostile, you can continue to make a mediation attempt once per day between each party.
Other:Opposed diplomacy checks are used in negotiations, where the winner gains an advantage over the other. Opposed checks are also used to resolve situations when two advocates or diplomats plead opposite cases in a hearing before a third party.

Action

Convincing others to assist you with persuasion generally takes at least 1 full minute. In some situations, this time requirement may greatly increase. A rushed Persuasion check can be made as a full round action, but you take a -10 penalty on this check.
Demoralizing an opponent in combat is a standard action.

Try Again

Optional, but not reccomended because retries usually do not work. Characters can only be persuaded so far, and a retry may do more harm than good, even making their attitude towards a characer lower should they prove an irritant. In combat, demoralizing opponents you may retry as much as you desire. When changing someones perspective using standard persuasion, you can only change their attitude with you so far without proper deliberation and discussion, but they can gain a negative opinion of you very quickly.

Special

half-elves have a +2 racial bonus on Persuasion checks.
You gain a bonus or penalty on your intimidation checks based on your size.
Characters immune to fear can't be intimidated, nor can nonintelligent creatures.
The Negotiator, Persuasive, Abominable Form, & Deforming (Gaunt, Face) Feats grant a +2 bonus on Persuasion checks depending on the circumstances.

Synergies

Gains synergy bonus on Deception, Sense Motive.
Gains synergy bonus from Appraise when making Persuasion checks for haggling.
Gains synergy bonus from Knowledge (Knobility & Royalty) on persuasion checks towards high society.
Gains synergy bonus from Knowlege (Local) on persuasion checks towards commoners.
Gains synergy bonus from Knowledge regarding persuasion checks regarding races specific to that knowledge.

Try Again:

Profession (Wis; Trained Only)

You are trained in a livelihood or a professional role, in one of 9 categories below:

Agriculture
Communications
Construction
Education
Finance (Banker)
Government
Hospitality (Cooking, Courtesan, Innkeep)
Law
Military (Artillery)

Like Craft, Knowledge, and Perform, Profession is actually a number of separate skills. While a Craft skill represents ability in creating or making an item, a Profession skill represents an aptitude in a vocation requiring a broader range of less specific knowledge. To draw a modern analogy, if an occupation is a service industry, it’s probably a Profession skill. If it’s in the manufacturing sector, it’s probably a Craft skill

When you place ranks in a Profession skill, you choose the category the profession skill belongs in, and can roll according to the chosen professions available in those categories. However, you may specialize even further, and choose a specific job in that category (shown as Profession (Military (Artillery)) for example) to gain a +2 bonus on that specific check, and gain a -1 penalty on any other professions in that trade.

Check: You can practice your trade and make a decent living, earning your Profession check result in silver pieces per week of dedicated work. You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the profession’s daily tasks, how to supervise helpers, and how to handle common problems.

Action: Not applicable. A single check generally represents a week of work.

Try Again: Varies. An attempt to use a Profession skill to earn an income cannot be retried. You are stuck with whatever weekly wage your check result brought you. Another check may be made after a week to determine a new income for the next period of time. An attempt to accomplish some specific task can usually be retried.
Synergies: Profession (Agriculture), earn a bonus on Knowledge (nature).

Profession (Communications), can earn a bonus on EITHER, Investigate or Persuasion, chosen when you first put ranks in the skill OR depending on the profession chosen.

Profession (Education) grants a bonus on Bardic Knowledge checks, and 1/2 of the bonus on any 1 skill or the full bonus on any Trained Only skill. This is chosen when you first put ranks in the skill.

Special: Some industries in modern life are not observed on the profession list. For example, transportation industry jobs can instead earn pay from Navigate checks.

You may spend 1 month per rank in a profession skill, to retrain your profession to any other profession.

You must spend 40 hours a week every week in that time span in order to re-train your profession.

Untrained: Untrained laborers and assistants (that is, characters without any ranks in Profession) earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.

Sense Motive (Wis)

Use this skill to tell when someone is bluffing you, to discern hidden messages in conversations, or to sense when someone is being magically influenced. This skill represents sensitivity to the body language, speech habits, and mannerisms of others.

Check

A successful check lets you avoid a deceptive bluff. Won by an opposed bluff check to your Sense Motive.
Hunch: This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another’s behavior that something is wrong, such as when you’re talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy. DC 20.
Sense Enchantment: On a Deduction check of 25 higher, you can tell if that person's behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect, even if that person isn't aware of it. For dominated targets, the DC is only 15 because of the limited range of the target's activities.
Discern Secret Message: You may use Sense Motive to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Deception skill. In this case, your Sense Motive check is opposed by the Deception check of the character transmitting the message. For each piece of information relating to the message that you are missing, you take a –2 penalty on your Sense Motive check. For example, if you eavesdrop on people planning to assassinate a visiting diplomat, you take a –2 penalty on your check if you don’t know about the diplomat. If you succeed by 4 or less, you know that something hidden is being communicated, but you can’t learn anything specific about its content. If you beat the DC by 5 or more, you intercept and understand the message. If you fail by 4 or less, you don’t detect any hidden communication. If you fail by 5 or more, you infer some false information.
Additionally, you get advantage on the message if you understand Theives Cant.

Action

Trying to gain information with Sense Motive generally takes at least 1 minute, but you could spend an entire evening trying to get a sense of the people around you.

Try Again

No, though you may make a Sense Motive check for each Bluff check made against you.

Special

Rangers gain a bonus on Sense Motive checks when using this skill against a favored enemy.
The Negotiator Feat will grant a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks.

Synergies

This skill grants a bontus to Persuasion checks.

Sleight of Hand (Dex; Trained Only; AC Penalty)

You can cut or lift a purse and hide it on your person, palm an unattended object, hide a light weapon in your clothing, or perform some feat of legerdemain with an object no larger than a hat or a loaf of bread.

Check: A DC 10 Sleight of Hand check lets you palm a coinsized, unattended object. Performing a minor feat of legerdemain, such as making a coin disappear, also has a DC of 10 unless an observer is determined to note where the item went. When you use this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by the observer’s Perception check. The observer’s success doesn’t prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed. You can hide a small object (including a light weapon, such as a handaxe, or an easily concealed ranged weapon, such as a dart, sling, or hand crossbow) on your body.

Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone observing you or the Investigate check of anyone frisking you. In the latter case, the searcher gains a +4 bonus on the Investigate check, since it’s generally easier to find such an object than to hide it. A dagger is easier to hide than most light weapons, and grants you a +2 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it. An extraordinarily small object, such as a coin, shuriken, or ring, grants you a +4 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it, and heavy or baggy clothing (such as a cloak) grants you a +2 bonus on the check.

Drawing a hidden weapon is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. If you try to take something from another creature, you must make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to obtain it. The opponent makes a Perception check to detect the attempt, opposed by the same Sleight of Hand check result you achieved when you tried to grab the item. An opponent who succeeds on this check notices the attempt, regardless of whether you got the item. You can also use Sleight of Hand to entertain an audience as though you were using the Perform skill. In such a case, your “act” encompasses elements of legerdemain, juggling, and the like.

Action: Any Sleight of Hand check normally is a standard action. However, you may perform a Sleight of Hand check as a free action by taking a –20 penalty on the check.

Try Again: Yes, but after an initial failure, a second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target (or while you are being watched by the same observer who noticed your previous attempt) increases the DC for the task by 10.

Special: If you have the Deft Hands feat, you get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks.

Synergy: Deception, you get a bonus on Sleight of Hand checks.

Untrained: An untrained Sleight of Hand check is simply a Dexterity check. Without actual training, you can’t succeed on any Sleight of Hand check with a DC higher than 10, except for hiding an object on your body.

Sneak (Dex; AC Penalty)

. Use this skill to sink back into the shadows and proceed unseen, to approach a wizard’s tower under cover of brush, or to tail someone through a busy street without being noticed.

Check

Your Sneak check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might see you. You can move up to one-half your normal speed and sneak at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than one-half but less than your normal speed, you take a –10 penalty. It’s practically impossible (–40 penalty) to sneak while attacking, running or charging.
An additional penalty is applied if one is trying to sneak through noisy terrain (-2) or very noisy terrain (-5).
A creature larger or smaller than Medium takes a size bonus or penalty on sneak checks depending on its size category: Fine +16, Diminutive +12, Tiny +8, Small +4, Large –4, Huge –8, Gargantuan – 12, Colossal –16.
You need cover or concealment in order to attempt a Hide check. Total cover or total concealment usually (but not always; see Special, below) obviates the need for a Hide check, since nothing can see you anyway. If people are observing you, even casually, you can’t hide. You can run around a corner or behind cover so that you’re out of sight and then hide, but the others then know at least where you went. If your observers are momentarily distracted (such as by a deception check; see below), though, you can attempt to hide. While the others turn their attention from you, you can attempt a Hide 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 per modifier you have in sneak). This check, however, is made at a –10 penalty because you have to move fast.
Blend Into a Crowd:You can use the Sneak skill to blend into a crowd, but doing so only conceals you from someone scanning the area to find you. You remain visible to everyone around you, and if they happen to be hostile, they're likely to point you out.
Creating a Diversion to Hide: You can use Deception to help you hide. A successful Deception check can give you the momentary diversion you need to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of you.
Moving Between Cover:For every 5 ranks in steak, you can move up to 5ft between sources of cover without being spotted. If you cross farther than that, another Sneak check must b made at a -5 penalty for each 5ft of open space you cross between. Movement speed penalizes the check as normal. Use these same rules for sneaking up on someone from a hiding place, to treat them as flat footed.
Sniping: If you’ve already successfully hidden at least 10 feet from your target, you can make one ranged attack, then immediately hide again. You take a –20 penalty on your Hide check to conceal yourself after the shot. Tailing: While moving on the local scale, you can use Sneak to follow someone while remaining unseen. If you stay at least 60ft away from your quarry, you must succeed on a sneak check opposed by your quarry's spot check once every 10 minutes. At a distance of less than 60ft, you must make a Sneak check every round, moving to a combat instead of local scale. Extraordinary activities on your part can disrupt this attempt even if you succeed on the check.
Tailing someone still requires cover or concealment as normal for attempting a sneak check, and you are encouraged to be creative in your cover for this period.
Even if you fail the sneak check while tailing someone or you're spotted while moving too great a distance between hiding places, you can attempt a Deception check opposed by your quarry's Sense Motive check to look innocuous. Success means your quarry sees you but doesn't realize you're tailing him; failure alerts him that you're actually following. A modifier might apply depending on how suspicious your quarry is.

Action

Usually none. Normally, you make a sneak check as part of movement, so it doesn’t take a separate action. However, hiding immediately after a ranged attack (see Sniping) is a move action.

Special

If you are invisible, you gain a +40 bonus on Sneak checks if you are immobile, or a +20 bonus on Sneak checks if you’re moving.
If you have the Stealthy feat, you get a +4 bonus on Sneak checks.
The master of a cat familiar gains a +3 bonus on Sneak checks.
A halfling has a +2 racial bonus on Sneak checks because halflings are nimble.
A 13th-level ranger can attempt a Sneak check in any sort of natural terrain, even if it doesn’t grant cover or concealment. A 17th-level ranger can do this even while being observed

Survival (Wis)

Use this skill to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide a party safely through frozen wastelands, identify signs that owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid quicksand and other natural hazards.

Check

You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild. The table below gives the DCs for various tasks that require Survival checks. Survival does not allow you to follow difficult tracks unless you are a ranger or have the Track feat (see the Restriction section below).

DC	Task
10	Survive in the wild. Provide sustinence.Tie a firm knot or secure grappling hook.
15	Gain bonus on saves vs severe natural weather. Avoid getting lost or natural hazards. Predict weather up to 24 hours in advance. Tie special knots. tie a rope around yourself one-handed. Splice two ropes together.
Varies	Bind a character. Follow Tracks

Bind Character: You can use survival to bind opponents. They may attempt to escape using Escape Artist, however the survival check is at +10 due to it being easier to bind someone than it is to escape from binds.
Living off the Land:By succeeding on a DC 10 Survivial check, and moving at 1/2 speed during overland travel, a creature can provide food for itself. This DC increases by 5 for inhospitable lands and by 10 for barren lands. Survival can even be used in an urban environment in this way. A survivalist can provide food for one other creature for every 2 points by which the Survival check result exeeds the DC. Lost:It is possible to get lost in an unfamiliar environment. If one believes that they are lost, or the conditions exist to get lost, the creature leading the way must succeed on a Survival check once per hour spent in local or overland movement. The DC depends on the location. Having a map of the area you are traveling through reduces the DC by 4, except in the case of a forest, jungle, or poor visibility.
Once per hour of overland movement, each character in the party can attempt a survival check to recognize that they're no longer certain of their direction of travel. Circumstances may make it obvious that the characters are lost. Once creatures understand that they are lost, they also are uncertain of determining the direction they should travel to reach a desired objective. Determining the correct direction of travel once a party has become lost requires a member to make a Survival check. The DM makes this new check, and if it fails, the characters chose another random direction as the correct direction for resuming travel. There is no limit to how many times characters can get lost in a single session.
Secure grappling hook: Securing a grappling hook requires a Survival check (DC 10, +2 for every 10 feet of distance hook is thrown, to a maximum of the characters thrown weapon capabilities.) Failure by 4 or less indicates the hook fails to catch and falls. Failure by 5 or more indicates that it initially holds, but comes loose after 1d4 rounds of supporting weight. The DM makes this check in secret.
Trailblazing:A successful DC 15 Survival check improves the factor by which movement is modified by terrain by +.25 up to a maximum of x1. A successful DC 25 Survivial check improves the factor by +.5, also up to a maximum of x1. A trailblazer can guide four others without penalty, but takes a -2 penalty on this check for every 3 additional creatures beyond the original four. Trailblazing improves only overland movement, and only one check can be made per day.

Action

Varies. A single Survival check may represent activity over the course of hours or a full day. A Survival check made to find tracks is at least a full-round action, and it may take even longer at the DM’s discretion.

Try Again: Varies. For getting along in the wild or for gaining the Fortitude save bonus noted in the table above, you make a Survival check once every 24 hours. The result of that check applies until the next check is made. To avoid getting lost or avoid natural hazards, you make a Survival check whenever the situation calls for one. Retries to avoid getting lost in a specific situation or to avoid a specific natural hazard are not allowed. For finding tracks, you can retry a failed check after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes(indoors) of searching.

Restriction: While anyone can use Survival to find tracks (regardless of the DC), or to follow tracks when the DC for the task is 10 or lower, only a ranger (or a character with the Track feat) can use Survival to follow tracks when the task has a higher DC.

Special: If you have 5 or more ranks in Survival, you can automatically determine where true north lies in relation to yourself.

A ranger gains a bonus on Survival checks when using this skill to find or follow the tracks of a favored enemy.

If you have the Self-Sufficient feat, you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks.

Synergy: Survival, you get a bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

Survival, you gain a bonus on Athletics checks involving rope.

Survival, Gain a bonus on Escape Artist checks when escaping rope bonds.

Knowledge (dungeoneering), you get a bonus on Survival checks made while underground.

Knowledge (nature), you get a bonus on Survival checks in above-ground natural environments (aquatic, desert, forest, hill, marsh, mountains, and plains).

Knowledge (geography), you get a bonus on Survival checks made to keep from getting lost or to avoid natural hazards.

Knowledge (the planes), you get a bonus on Survival checks made while on other planes.

Investigate, you get a bonus on Survival checks to find or follow tracks.

Tumble (Dex; Trained Only; AC Penalty)

You can dive, roll, somersault, flip, and so on. You can’t use this skill if your speed has been reduced by armor, excess equipment, or loot

Check

You can land softly when you fall or tumble past opponents. You can also tumble to entertain an audience (as though using the Perform skill). The DCs for various tasks involving the Tumble skill are given on the table below.

DC	Task
15	Treat a fall as if it were 10 feet shorter than it really is when determining damage.
10+ Opponent BAB	Tumble at one-half speed as part of normal movement, provoking no attacks of opportunity while doing so. Failure means you provoke attacks of opportunity normally. Roll Once, but Check separately for each opponent you move past. Each additional enemy after the first adds +2 to the Tumble DC.
20+ Opponent BAB	As above but through an area occupied by an enemy (over, under, or around the opponent) as part of normal movement, provoking no attacks of opportunity while doing so. Failure means you stop before entering the enemy-occupied area and provoke an attack of opportunity from that enemy.

Surface Is...	DC Mod
Lightly obstructed (scree, light rubble, shallow bog,undergrowth)	+2
Severely obstructed (natural cavern floor, dense rubble, dense undergrowth)	+5
Lightly slippery (wet floor)	+2
Severely slippery (ice sheet)	+5
Sloped or angled	+2

Accelerated Tumbling: You try to tumble past or through enemies more quickly than normal. By accepting a –10 penalty on your Tumble checks, you can move at your full speed instead of one-half your speed.

Action

Not applicable. Tumbling is part of movement, so a Tumble check is part of a move action.

Try Again

Usually no. An audience, once it has judged a tumbler as an uninteresting performer, is not receptive to repeat performances. You can try to reduce damage from a fall as an instant reaction only once per fall.

Special

If you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you gain a +3 dodge bonus to AC when fighting defensively instead of the usual +2 dodge bonus to AC.
If you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you gain a +6 dodge bonus to AC when executing the total defense standard action instead of the usual +4 dodge bonus to AC.
If you have the Acrobatic feat, you get a +2 bonus on Tumble checks.

Synergy

Tumble, you get a bonus on Balance and Athletics checks.
Athletics & Perform (Dance), you get a bonus on Tumble checks.

Use Magic Device (Cha; Trained Only)

Use this skill to activate magic devices, including scrolls and wands, that you could not otherwise activate.

Check

You can use this skill to read a spell or to activate a magic item. Use Magic Device lets you use a magic item as if you had the spell ability or class features of another class, as if you were a different race, or as if you were of a different alignment. You make a Use Magic Device check each time you activate a device such as a wand. If you are using the check to emulate an alignment or some other quality in an ongoing manner (to emulate a neutral evil alignment in order to keep yourself from being damaged by a book of vile darkness you are carrying when you are not evil, for example), you need to make the relevant Use Magic Device check once per hour. You must consciously choose which requirement to emulate. That is, you must know what you are trying to emulate when you make a Use Magic Device check for that purpose. The DCs for various tasks involving Use Magic Device checks are summarized on the table below.

Task	DC
Activate Blindly	25
Decipher a Written Spell	25+Spell Level
Use Consumable	20+CL
Use Wand	20
Emulate Class Feature	20
Emulate Race	25
Emulate Faith	30
Emulate Ability Score	See Text

Activate Blindly: Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you’re not and even if you don’t know it. You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate. You get a special +2 bonus on your Use Magic Device check if you’ve activated the item in question at least once before. If you fail by 9 or less, you can’t activate the device. If you fail by 10 or more, you suffer a mishap. A mishap means that you roll on the wild magic table. This mishap is in addition to the chance for a mishap that you normally run when you cast a spell from a scroll that you could not otherwise cast yourself.

Decipher a Written Spell: This usage works just like deciphering a written spell with the Spellcraft skill, except that the DC is 5 points higher. Deciphering a written spell requires 1 minute of concentration.
Emulate an Ability Score: To cast a spell from a scroll, you need a high score in the appropriate ability (Intelligence for wizard spells, Wisdom for divine spells, or Charisma for sorcerer or bard spells). Your effective ability score (appropriate to the class you’re emulating when you try to cast the spell from the scroll) is your Use Magic Device check result minus 15. If you already have a high enough score in the appropriate ability, you don’t need to make this check.
Emulate Faith: Some magic items have positive or negative effects based on the user’s religious motivations. Use Magic Device lets you use these items as if you were of a faith of your choice. You can emulate only one faith at a time.
Emulate a Class Feature: Sometimes you need to use a class feature to activate a magic item. In this case, your effective level in the emulated class equals your Use Magic Device check result minus 20. This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature. If the class whose feature you are emulating has an alignment requirement, you must meet it, either honestly or by emulating an appropriate alignment with a separate Use Magic Device check.
Emulate a Race: Some magic items work only for members of certain races, or work better for members of those races. You can use such an item as if you were a race of your choice. You can emulate only one race at a time.
Use a consumable: If you are casting a spell from a consumable, you have to understand it first. Normally, to cast a spell from a scroll, you must have the scroll’s spell on your class spell list. Use Magic Device allows you to use a scroll as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. The DC is equal to 20 + the caster level of the spell you are trying to cast from the scroll. In addition, casting a spell from a scroll requires a minimum score (10 + spell level) in the appropriate ability. If you don’t have a sufficient score in that ability, you must emulate the ability score with a separate Use Magic Device check (see above). This use of the skill also applies to other spell completion magic items.
Use a Wand: Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand’s spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill allows you to use a wand as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill also applies to other spell trigger magic items, such as staffs.

Action

None. The Use Magic Device check is made as part of the action (if any) required to activate the magic item.

Try Again

Yes, but if you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate an item and you fail, then you can’t try to activate that item again for 24 hours.

Special

You cannot take 10 with this skill.
You can’t aid another on Use Magic Device checks.
Only the user of the item may attempt such a check.
If you have the Magical Aptitude feat, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks.

Synergies

Magicraft & Decipher Script, you get a bonus on Use Magic Device checks related to scrolls.
Use Magic Device, you get a bonus to Magicraft and Decipher Script checks related to scrolls.