Skills for High-Level Characters Characters who become sufficiently advanced in their professions begin to
develop bags of tricks that less-accomplished characters can’t match. These
special abilities are similar to nonweapon proficiencies, but characters cannot
learn skills from outside their groups. Each skill has a much more dramatic effect
than a proficiency and has a minimum level requirement associated with it.
Just like proficiencies, many skills require a die roll to determine if they
work. Success is determined by rolling the number indicated or less on 1d20. In
most cases, a character’s ability scores can alter the chance for success;
these adjustments are listed on Table 41. A skill’s requirements, success numbers, and relevant abilities are listed
after each skill description and are compiled in Table 40 for quick reference.
A few skills can be used a limited number of times each day. The success
numbers for these skills drop by a fixed amount each time they are used. Once a
skill’s base score is reduced to zero or less, the character cannot use that skill
for a set period of time, usually one day. Any other skill based upon the
reduced skill is likewise unavailable. Even if the character’s ability adjustment
(from Table 41) raises the skill score above zero, the skill remains unavailable
until the indicated time has passed. The skill’s base score returns to normal
after the listed time has elapsed.
Opposed Success Rolls: In some cases, a skill requires an opposed roll in which the two creatures
involved both roll 1d20 against an ability score or skill success number. If one
opponent fails the roll, the creature who succeeded wins the contest. If both
make their rolls, the opponent with the higher roll wins. If both opponents fail,
some unusual result usually occurs. All ties are re-rolled.
Acquiring and Improving Skills: Characters who meet a skill’s level requirement can learn the skill by
spending proficiency slots. If the character point system from the Player’s Option: Skills & Powers book is in play, the character can spend points instead.
Each skill’s cost is listed after the skill description. The first number is
the cost in nonweapon proficiency slots unless otherwise indicated. The number
in parentheses is the skill’s character point cost.
A skill’s base success number can be improved by devoting extra slots or
character points to the skill (see the Player’s Handbook, Chapter 5, and Skills & Powers, Chapter 6). No mortal can ever have a base score of more than 16 in any
skill; wishes have no effect on this limit.
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