Skills

If Attributes represent your character's inherent ability to think, act, and behave, then Skills represent training given to particular aspects of these abilities; in some cases this is intense or specialized training, particularly at high levels. Like Attributes, Skills are broken down into three categories: Mental, Physical, and Social; and like Attributes, you will want to prioritize them according to your character's focus into Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary priority. Skills do not begin with any points in them for free, and you get points to distribute among your skills according to their priority: the Primary category gets 11, the Secondary gets 7, and the Tertiary gets 4. Further, each category also has a penalty associated with it called the Unskilled Penalty. This is a penalty applied when you attempt to make a roll that normally employs a skill in this category but you do not have any rating in the skill in question, taking dice away from your roll. The Unskilled Penalties for Physical and Social skills is -1, and for Mental skills it is -3.

Skills are rated from 0 to 5, similarly to Attributes, with each rating described below:

Each Skill can further be broken down into Specialties, or areas of expertise within a given skill. If you make a roll to which a specialty applies, you get an extra die on the roll. Your character receives three free Specialties in Chargen. You can have multiple Specialties relating to the same Skill. Example Specialties are given under Skill descriptions below.

Mental Skills

 * Academics: Academics represents classical scholastic training. Reading, writing, research and knowledge of the humanities are governed by this Skill.
 * Example Specialties: Anthropology, Art, Linguistics, History, Law, Research, Culture, Geography, Humanities, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Economics
 * Crafts: This Skill governs the ability to make, create, and repair things.
 * Example Specialties: Forging, Jury-Rig, Sculpting, Sewing, Metal Smithing, Armor Smithing, Weapon Smithing, Carpentry, Bricklaying, Pottery, Cooking, Fletching/Bowery, Carving
 * Investigation: This represents the art and science of solving mysteries, examining evidence and searching for said evidence to see what is significant and how.
 * Example Specialties: Artifacts, Crime Scenes, Cryptography, Autopsies, Puzzles, Riddles, Science Experiments
 * Medicine: This represents the knowledge of the human body, and how to treat injuries and sicknesses that afflict it.
 * Example Specialties: Emergency Care, Pathology, Pharmaceuticals, Physical Therapy, Surgery, Midwifery
 * Occult: This Skill measures a character's knowledge of mystical matters that do not fall into the religion of Terre d'Ange
 * Example Specialties: Cultural Beliefs, Ghosts, Magic, Monsters, Superstitions, Witchcraft, Gypsies, Fortune Telling, Theomancy, Alchemy, Spirits
 * Politics: Knowledge of who is who at court and Parliament, as well as the procedures of those bodies.
 * Example Specialties: Royal, Particular Province, International, Particular Country, Night Court
 * Religion: This Skill represents knowledge of the religion and dogma that centers around the worship of Elua and the Companions, and by extension the Yeshuite faith upon which it is built.
 * Example Specialties: Omens, Yeshuite Faith, Rituals, Eluanity, Angels, Particular Companion
 * Warfare: This is the knowledge that makes a good battlefield leader such as the giving of orders, reading of terrain, and formulation of battle plans.
 * Example Specialties: Ambushes, Fields of Fire, Troop Movements, Supply Lines, Terrain

Physical Skills

 * Archery: This is the Skill used anytime you would fire a projectile from some device, whether as simple as a sling or as complex as a crossbow.
 * Example Specialties: Bow, Crossbow, Sling, Long Shot, Trick Shot
 * Athletics: This Skill represents your ability to do perform a number of tasks that primarily have to do with movement such as running, jumping, and climbing.
 * Example Specialties: Acrobatics, Climbing, Long Distance Running, Sprinting, Swimming, Throwing, Jumping, Hiking
 * Brawl: This is a representation of how good your character is at unarmed combat in general.
 * Example Specialties: Blocking, Dirty Tricks, Throws, Particular Fighting Style
 * Larceny: This represents accumulated knowledge of subtle, and some would say underhanded, techniques whose primary applications are getting access to places or things that one would not, and perhaps should not, have access to.
 * Example Specialties: Concealing, Lock-Picking, Sleight of Hand, Casing, Booby-Traps
 * Ride: This is your ability to ride an animal trained to serve as a steed.
 * Example Specialties: Particular Animal, Dangerous Conditions, Pursuit, Maintaining Speed, Stunts
 * Stealth: This is the ability to move about unseen and unheard as well as to hide in place.
 * Example Specialties: Camouflage, Crowds, Darkness, Particular Terrain
 * Survival: This represents proficiency with a number of tasks necessary to surviving in the wilderness.
 * Example Specialties: Foraging, Navigation, Meteorology, Shelter, Tracking, Hunting, Camping, Particular Terrain, Fishing, Snares
 * Weaponry : This is your character's ability in armed melee combat.
 * Example Specialties: Improvised Weapons, Knives, Swords, Fencing, Single Weapon, Two-Handed Weapons, Weapon/Shield Style, Two Weapon Style, Axes, Clubs, Flails, Pole Arms, Whips, Staves

Social Skills

 * Animal Ken: This Skill represents the ability to relate to and command animals.
 * Example Specialties: Animal Needs, Imminent Attack, Training, Particular Animal Type
 * Empathy: The ability to read people's emotions and intent, as well as to understand other points of view whether you agree with them or not.
 * Example Specialties: Emotions, Lies, Motives, Personalities, Body Language
 * Expression: This Skill is represents the ability to communicate well, either to entertain or inform. This is not limited to verbal communication.
 * Example Specialties: Dance, Drama, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Particular Musical Instrument
 * Intimidation : This is the ability to scare someone through various forms of communication.
 * Example Specialties: Bluster, Physical Threats, Stare-Down, Torture, Veiled Threats
 * Persuasion: This is your characters ability to talk someone into doing something that he or she wants them to do.
 * Example Specialties: Fast-Talk, Inspiring Troops, Motivational Speech, Sales Pitch, Seduction
 * Socialize: This Skill is the ability to interact with others in various circumstances, formal and informal alike, not only without giving offense, but to make an impression as well.
 * Example Specialties: Pub Hopping, Dress Balls, Formal Events, Festivals, Social Games
 * Streetwise: This is a measure of how well you know your way around the seedier parts of society, representing both knowledge of how streets are physically laid out as well as who inhabits them.
 * Example Specialties: Black Market, Gangs, Rumors, Under Cover
 * Subterfuge: This is how good a character is at fooling people, whether for entertainment or less savory reasons.
 * Example Specialties: Con Jobs, Hiding Emotions, Lying, Misdirection, Disguise

Note: If you purchased the Spotting Lies specialty for Subterfuge, contact Staff about getting this changed.