Skills

Skills are the basic things your character can do or are knowledgeable about. They can encompass running, jumping, making things, talking to people, knowing things, and/or being able to do useful things. A character's skills define what they're good at.

For skills in various listed forms, see here.

How Skills Work
You put ranks into a skill. These ranks are added to a skill check. Most skill checks also have an ability score added to them as well. Skill checks are compared to a skill DC. If you meet or exceed the DC, you succeed. If you do not meet the DC, you fail. Some checks are subject to degrees of failure.

Acrobatics
Acrobatics determines the ability to jump, and with training may be used for tumbling.

Appraise
Appraise determines the ability to determine an object's worth, and can also be used for running a business and haggling.

Athletics
Athletics determines the ability to run, either faster or for longer distances, and with training may be used for swimming, climbing, and riding animals.

Balance
Balance determines the ability to stand on your feet. It is used to keep your footing and can also be used to avoid being tripped or knocked down.

Bluff
Bluff determines the ability to lie and be deceitful. It is used to tell convincing lies, and with training can be used to pick pockets and feint in combat.

Concentrate
Concentrate determines the ability to maintain focus under stressful or distracting circumstances. It is used to maintain spells and focus on a task while distracted. With training it can also be used for autohypnosis.

Craft: Alchemy
Craft: Alchemy determines the ability to create alchemical mixtures and substances. With training, it can also be used to create poisons and potions with magical properties.

Craft: Blacksmithing
Craft: Blacksmithing determines the ability to create objects by shaping and molding metals into various shapes. With training, it can be used to make some types of weapons and armor.

Craft: Carpentry
Craft: Carpentry determines the ability to create objects by working with wood. With training, it can be used to make some types of weapons and armor.

Craft: Device
Craft: Device determines the ability to create complex objects out of smaller pieces. With training, it can be used to make things like clocks, telescopes, and traps.

Craft: Sculpting
Craft: Sculpting determines the ability to create objects by shaping stone, crystal, clay, glass, and other types of materials. With training, it can be used to make some types of weapons and armor.

Craft: Tanning & Weaving
Craft: Tanning and Weaving determines the ability to create objects by working with fibers, skins, and strands. With training, it can be used to make some types of weapons and armor.

Diplomacy
Diplomacy determines the ability to persuade people through talking. It can be used to persuade or charm others, and can also be used to inspire and lead.

Disguise
Disguise determines the ability to impersonate another person or species. It is used to make yourself look, act, and move like another person, gender, species, etc. With training, it can also be used to disguise other people and objects.

Escape Artist
Escape Artist determines the ability to get into and out of small or difficult spaces. It is used to escape bonds or squirm through small spaces. With training it can be used to escape grapples.

Handle Animal
Handle Animal determines the ability to deal with animals. It can be used to train animals and deal with wild animals. With training it can be used to ride animals.

Heal
Heal determines the ability to patch wounds. It can be used to speed healing and restore small amounts of health. With training, it can also be used to speed other types of recovery and help restore mental health.

Intimidate
Intimidate determines the ability to cause others to fear your or your actions. It can be used to scare foes and coerce people. With training it can also be used to push allies.

Knowledge: Arcana
Knowledge: Arcana is the knowledge of strange, secret lore, and forbidden truths. This skill is used to answer questions about extradimensional beings, obscure secrets, and facts about lesser-known planes.

Knowledge: Civic
Knowledge: Civic is the knowledge of society's rules. It can be used to answer questions about law and politics.

Knowledge: Engineering
Knowledge: Engineering is the knowledge of architectural lore. It can be used to design and analyze buildings, vehicles, and even natural features such as rock formations.

Knowledge: Geology
Knowledge: Geology is the knowledge of how the world's natural processes work. It can be used to answer questions about the formation of rocks and caves, the effects of erosion, and similar facts.

Knowledge: History & Geography
Knowledge: History & Geography is the knowledge of past events and geopolitical locales. It can be used to remember a story from the past, note the location of a city on a map, and many other related tasks.

Knowledge: Logic
Knowledge: Logic is the knowledge of actual thought processes. It can be used to solve a puzzle or a riddle, or perform mathematical calculations. With training it can be used to disable and sabotage devices the character otherwise knows nothing about.

Knowledge: Nature
Knowledge: Nature is the knowledge of the world's natural processes. It can be used to answer questions about ecology and macrobiology.

Knowledge: Philosophy & Religion
Knowledge: Philosophy & Religion is the knowledge of morality as determined by deities or mortals. It can be used to puzzle moral quandaries and answer questions about a specific set of beliefs.

Martial Lore
Martial Lore determines the ability to read combat. It can be used to predict and counter combat maneuvers and gain insight into how a battle will progress.

Perception
Perception determines the ability to notice things around you. It can be used to spot hard-to-see objects or things, hear whispers, and other types of observation. With training, it can be used to fight better while blind or even make use of other senses, such as scent or touch.

Profession: Artist
Profession: Artist determines the ability to create physical art. It can be used to create drawings, paintings, sculptures (when combined with Craft: Sculpture) and other physical pieces of art.

Profession: Author
Profession: Author determines the ability to create literary art. It can be used to chronicle an event, write a novel or a play, pen an article, or even just write clear instructions.

Profession: Cook
Profession: Cook determines the ability to cook and prepare food. It can be used to prepare a delicious meal, safely cook a dangerous food, and prepare food so it does not spoil.

Profession: Sailor
Profession: Sailor determines the ability to pilot a ship. It can be used to perform naval maneuvers, keep a ship on course, and prevent it from sinking.

Psicraft
Psicraft determines the ability to understand psionic effects. It can be used to identify psionic effects in action and to understand how psionics work in general.

Search
Search determines the ability to look for hidden things. It can be used to look for small or camouflaged objects, and with training it can also be used to search for clues both in the environment and in documents.

Sense Motive
Sense Motive determines the ability to notice falsehoods. It can be used to notice when someone is lying or holding back on something.

Spellcraft
Spellcraft determines the ability to understand magical effects. It can be used to identify magical effects in action and to understand how magic works in general.

Stealth
Stealth determines the ability to remain unseen. It can be used to sneak around. With training it can also be used to move through crowds without being noticed.

Survival
Survival determines the ability to get by in the wilderness. It can be used to identify edible foods, create small snares and generally keep oneself safe. With training, it can also be used to track things moving through environments.

Use Mystical Device
Use Mystical Device the ability to use objects charged with magical power. It can be used to activate items like wands, staves, magical rings, etc.

Use Rope
Use Rope is the ability to work with rope. It can be used to tie knots, bind people, and build rope structures. With training it can also be used to perform actions like lassoing.