Skills

More information is available on how to use skills.

Each skill has its own web page, linked below. The pages in this section describes each skill, including common uses and typical modifiers. Characters can sometimes use skills for purposes other than those noted here, at the GM's discretion.

Skill Acquisition

Each time you gain a level, including level 1, your class grants you a number of skill ranks, equal to a set number plus your odd intelligence bonus (Column A). Your class grants you proficiency with those skills. You can also gain skill proficiency through your race and your traits. The skills listed with your class are sometimes called class skills, but that simply means you gain proficiency through your class. A character can spend their skill ranks freely on any skill, though if you lack proficiency, you suffer the standard -4 non-proficiency penalty.

Skills can be classified by type: Interaction, Exploration, or Combat. For most purposes this is not important and does not affect skill use. A skill's type is sometimes relevant to class abilities.

Skill Proficiency and Training

A proficient skill is one in which you have proficiency, gained through class or race or trait. You can be proficient with a skill even if you have no ranks in it, in which case your untrained check is basically an ability check, based on your ability score (plus possibly other bonuses and penalties). If you have even one rank, you are trained in the skill. You can be trained and non-proficient, in which case you incur the -4 penalty. Some skills simply cannot be used untrained, as noted below and in each skill's entry.

Table: Skills Summary

Skill	Bbn	Brd	Clr	Drd	Ftr	Mnk	Pal	Rgr	Rog	Sor	Sum	Wiz	Untrained	Ability	Type
Appraise	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	P	—	—	P	Yes	Int	I
Bluff	—	P	—	—	—	—	—	P	P	—	—	—	Yes	Cha	C
Break	P	—	—	—	—	P	—	—	—	—	—	—	Yes	Str	C
Climb	P	—	—	P	P	P	—	P	P	—	—	—	Yes	Str*	E
Craft†	P	—	P	P	P	—	—	P	P	P	P	P	Yes	Int	I
Diplomacy	—	P	P	—	—	—	P	—	P	—	P	—	Yes	Cha	I
Disable Device	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	P	—	—	—	No	Dex*	C
Disguise	—	P	—	—	—	—	—	P	P	—	P	—	Yes	Cha	I
Escape Artist	—	P	—	—	—	P	—	—	P	—	—	—	Yes	Dex*	C
Fly	—	—	—	P	—	—	—	—	—	P	—	P	Yes	Dex*	E
Gather Information	—	P	P	—	—	—	—	P	P	—	—	—	Yes	Cha	E
Handle Animal	P	—	—	P	P	—	P	P	—	—	—	—	No	Cha	I
Heal	—	—	P	P	—	—	P	P	—	—	P	—	Yes	Wis	I
Intimidate	P	P	—	—	P	P	—	—	P	P	—	—	Yes	Cha	C
Jump	P	—	—	—	—	P	—	P	P	—	—	—	No	Str*	E
Knowledge†	—	P	(P)	(P)	—	(P)	(P)	(P)	(P)	—	(P)	P	Yes	Int	E
Language†	—	P	(P)	(P)	—	—	(P)	(P)	—	—	(P)	(P)	No	Int	E
Perform†	—	P	—	—	—	(P)	—	—	P	—	—	—	Yes	Cha	I
Profession†	—	P	P	P	P	(P)	—	P	P	P	P	P	No	Wis	I
Ride	P	—	—	P	P	—	P	P	—	—	P	—	Yes	Dex*	C
Scrivening	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	P	—	—	P	No	Int	I
Search	—	P	—	—	—	P	—	P	P	P	—	—	Yes	Int	E
Sense Motive	—	P	P	—	—	P	P	—	P	—	P	—	Yes	Wis	I
Sleight of Hand	—	P	—	—	—	—	—	—	P	—	—	—	No	Dex*	I
Spellcraft	—	P	P	P	—	—	—	—	—	P	P	P	No	Int	C
Spot	P	P	—	P	—	P	P	P	P	—	—	—	Yes	Wis	C
Stealth	—	P	—	—	—	P	—	P	P	—	—	—	Yes	Dex*	E
Survival	P	—	—	P	—	—	—	P	—	—	—	—	Yes	Wis	E
Swim	P	—	—	P	P	P	—	P	—	—	—	—	Yes	Str*	E
Tactics	—	—	—	—	P	—	P	P	—	—	—	—	No	Int	C
Tumble	P	P	—	—	—	P	—	P	P	—	—	—	Yes	Dex*	C
Use Magic Device	—	P	—	—	—	—	—	—	P	P	—	—	No	Wis	C
Use Rope	P	—	—	—	—	—	—	P	P	—	—	—	No	Str	E
Skill	Bbn	Brd	Clr	Drd	Ftr	Mnk	Pal	Rgr	Rog	Sor	Sum	Wiz	Untrained	Ability	Type
†Skill actually includes many subskills, see description; *Armor check penalty applies; P = Proficient with skill through one's class skill list; (P) = Proficient with a limited selection of the subskills included in this skill Type = Combat, Exploration, Interaction

Skill Descriptions

Skill descriptions linked above adhere to the following guidelines.

Skill Name: This is the name of the skill. Under the skill name is the following information:

Key Ability: The abbreviation of the ability whose modifier applies to the skill check.

Trained Only: This tells you if you must be proficient with the skill to use some or all of its functions. If any special notes apply to trained or untrained use, they are covered later down the skill page in the Untrained section (see below).

Armor Check Penalty: This tells whether an armor check penalty applies (see Equipment) to checks using this skill.

Description: Next is a brief general description of what happens when you use the skill.

Check: What a character (“you” in the skill description) can do with a successful skill check and the check's Difficulty Class (DC).

Action: The type of action using the skill requires, or the amount of time required for a check.

Try Again: Any conditions that apply to successive attempts to use the skill successfully. If the skill doesn't allow you to attempt the same task more than once, or if failure carries an inherent penalty (such as with the Climb skill), you can't take 20. If this paragraph is omitted, the skill can be retried without any inherent penalty other than the additional time required.

Special: Any extra facts that apply to the skill, such as special effects deriving from its use or bonuses that certain characters receive because of class, feat choices, or race.

Restriction: The full utility of certain skills is restricted to characters of certain classes. This entry indicates whether any such restrictions exist for the skill.

Untrained: This entry indicates what a non-proficient character can do with it. If this entry doesn't appear, it means that the skill functions normally for untrained characters (if it can be used untrained, with the usual -4 non-proficiency penalty) or that an untrained character can't attempt checks with this skill (for skills that are designated “Trained Only”). Note that having a rank in a skill does not by itself grant proficiency.