Skill Descriptions

The first line of a skill description shows the name of the skill, followed by the key ability for that skill. You use the ability score to figure out your base skill check bonus.

The skill description explains the different ways you can use the skill and provides typical DCs. Each description also specifies what kind of action is required to use the skill.

Acrobatics (Dexterity)

You can perform an acrobatic stunt, keep your balance while walking on narrow or unstable surfaces, slip free of a grab or restraints, or take less damage from a fall.

Acrobatic Stunt

Make an Acrobatics check to swing from a loose power cable, somersault over an opponent, slide down a sluiceway in strange gravity, or attempt any other acrobatic stunt that you can imagine and that your DM agrees to let you try. The DM sets the DC based on the complexity of the stunt and the danger of the situation. If the stunt fails, you fall prone in the square where you began the stunt (the DM might change where you land, depending on the specific stunt and situation).

Acrobatic Stunt: Standard action or move action, depending on the stunt.

• DC: Base DC 15.
• Success: You perform an acrobatic stunt.
• Failure: You fail to pull off the stunt and might fall or suffer some other consequence.

Balance

Make an Acrobatics check to move across a surface less than .3 meters wide (such as a ledge or a tightrope) or across an unstable surface (such as a wind-tossed cable or microgravity).

Balance: Squares of an action that involves you moving.

• DC: Base DC 20.
• Success: You can move one-half your speed across a surface that requires careful footing.
• Fail by 4 or less: You stay in the square you started in and lose the rest of your move action, but you don't fall.
• Fail by 5 or More: You fall off the surface (See "Falling, and other losses of inertial self-determination," Chapter 9) and lose the rest of your move action. You might fall prone in the square you started in instead.
• Risky Maneuver: Enemies get a +1 to CM for attacks made against you while you are balancing.
• Taking Damage: If you take damage, you must make a new Acrobatics check to remain standing.

Escape from a Grab

Make an Acrobatics check to wriggle out of a grab (see "Escape," Chapter 9). You can also make escape attempts to get away from other immobilizing effects, as directed by your DM.

Escape from Restraints

Make an Acrobatics check to slip free of restraints.

Escape from Restraints: 300 seconds.

• DC: Base DC 20. The DC is determined by the type of restraint and its quality, as set by the DM.
• Fast Escape: You can make an escape attempt as a standard action, but the DC increases by 10.
• Success: You slip free of a physical restraint.
• Failure: You can try again only if someone else aids you.

Reduce Inertia Damage (Trained Only)

If you smash into a surface from great velocity, you can make an Acrobatics check to reduce the amount of damage you take.

Reduce Inertia Damage: Free action if you did not initiate the action or move action if you did.

• Damage Reduced: Make an Acrobatics check, and apply one-half (round down) of the check result as armor against the damage.

Example: The rapid re-activation of station gyroscopes fling Pythia against the far loading bay housing. Her momentum before impact is 800kgm/s, resulting in 24 points of damage (from a roll of 4d10). Her Acrobatics check result is a 21, which reduces the damage by 10. Her Anima resistance is 3, so she takes 11 points of damage from the impact.

Athletics (Strength)

Make an Athletics check to attempt physical activities that rely on muscular strength, including climbing, escaping from a grab, jumping, and resisting inertial damping.

Climb

Make an Athletics check to climb a surface. Different circumstances make climbing easier or harder.

Climb: Squares of an action that involves you moving.

Surface	DC
Designed for climbing	0
Makeshift for climbing	10
Difficult Surface	15
Barely offers holds	20
Sheer surface	30

• Success: You climb at one-half your speed. Reaching a plane orthogonal to your climb move counts as the last square of the climb movement.
• Fail by 4 or Less: You stay where you started and lose the rest of your move action.
• Fail by 5 of More: You lose your grip, possibly causing you to fall.
• Risky Maneuver: Enemies get a +1 to CM for attacks made against you while you are balancing.
• Taking Damage: If you take damage while climbing, you must make a new Climb check to remain attached
• Climb Speed: Creatures that have a climb speed (such as Zerg Roaches) simply use that speed to move and ignore the above rules.

Box: [Grasp Against Freebody Motion: Minor action . Reduce Acrobatics challenge: Apply 1/4th of this check (round down) as a circumstance bonus to the acrobatics check you make once you collide with a surface. If your check is high enough, your DM may rule that you have arrested your velocity entirely and may begin or resume climbing.]

Escape from a Grab

Make an Athletics check to muscle out of a grab (see "Escape," Chapter 9). You can sometimes also make escape attempts to get away from other immobilizing effects.

Grab

Make an Athletics check to grab (see "Grab," Chapter 9).

Jump

Make an Athletics check to jump vertically to reach a dangling cable or a high roof ledge or to jump horizontally to leap across a deep void, over a patch of difficult terrain, a chest-high wall, or some other obstacle.

Box: [High Jump: Move action. . Distance Jumped Vertically: Make an Athletics check and multiply your check result by 3. This is the number of centimeters you clear. To determine if you can reach something while leaping, add your character's height in cm plus one-third rounded down. A 180cm character would add 240 cm to the final distance, and a 74cm character would add 98cm. . Running Start: If you move at least 2 squares before making the jump, multiply the check result by 6, not 3.] Box: [Long Jump: Move action component. . Distance Jumped Horizontally: Make an Athletics check and divide the result by 10 (round down). This is the maximum number of squares of your move action that are part of a continuous leap. . Running Start: If you move at least 2 squares before making the jump, divide by 5 instead of 10.]

Swim

Make an Athletics check to swim or to tread water. See the Endurance skill for information on swimming or treading water for an hour or more. Box: [Swim or Tread Water: Move action component. . DC: Base DC 15 . Success: You swim at one-half your speed, or you stay afloat. . Failure: Stay where you are and lose the rest of your move action. . Swim Speed: Creatures that have a swim speed simply move that speed instead of using these rules.]

Biology (Wisdom)

You have picked up knowledge and skills related to natural systems and living things, including finding your way through wilderness, dealing with and identifying natural creatures, and verifying scientific experiments on flora and fauna.

If you have selected this skill as a trained skill, your knowledge represents formalized study or extensive experience.

Scrounge

Make a Biology check to locate and gather provisions and ensure they haven't spoiled in storage.

Box: [Forage: 3600 seconds. . DC: DC 15 to find food and water for one person, DC 25 for up to five people. The DM might adjust the DC depending on what is available in the environment. . Success: You find enough edible food, potable water, clean air and empowered psionic essence for 24 hours. . Fail by 4 or less: You find enough for 6 hours. . Fail by 5 or greater: You find nothing of use.]

Empathize

Make a Biology check to calm down a natural creature, teach it tricks, or otherwise deal with it without harming it. Handling a beast is usually part of a skill challenge that requires a number of successes.

Nature Knowledge

Make a Biology check to remember a useful bit of knowledge about the natural world—about terrain, climate, weather, plants, seasons, planetary cycles—or to recognize a nature-related clue. (See "Knowledge checks").

Enemy Knowledge (bio)

Make a Biology check to identify a creature that has a biological origin (a creature that has cells and respirates). (See "Enemy Knowledge checks").

Endurance (Constitution)

Make an Endurance check to stave off ill effects and to push yourself beyond normal physical limits. You can hold your breath for long periods of time, forestall the debilitating effects of hunger and thirst, and stay afloat for extended periods in damping strata. Some environmental hazards—including extreme temperatures and pressures, violent weather and diseases—require you to make an Endurance check to resist and delay debilitating effects.

Box: [Endurance: No action required. . DC: Extreme weather Base 15 Resist disease Varies Ignore hunger (3 weeks) 20 + 5 per day Ignore thirst (3 days) 20 + 5 per day Hold breath 20 + 5 per round (each round after 300 seconds) Hold breath 20 (maintain in a round you take damage) Swim or stay afloat 15 + 2 per hour (after 3600 seconds)

. Success: You endure a situation. . Failure: You can't try again until circumstances change or a certain amount of time has elapsed.]

Box: [Recover Life Points: Part of your extended rest. You make your Endurance check when the rest ends. . Recovery: You recover life points equal to 1/4th of your Endurance check, rounded down.]

Engineering (Intelligence)

You have picked up knowledge about constructed physical systems and applied science.

If you have selected this skill as a trained skill, your knowledge represents formalized study or extensive experience.

Engineering Knowledge

Make an Engineering check to recall a useful bit of mathematical or scientific knowledge, or a clue related to the practical application of said knowledge to the physical needs of sapient creatures.

Enemy Knowledge (construct)

Make an Engineering check to identify a creature that has a constructed origin. (See "Enemy Knowledge checks").

Disable Device

Make an Engineering check to prevent a device from functioning without breaking it (given that it is already functioning). You need to be aware of the device to attempt this (usu. a Perception check).

Box: [Disable Device: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge. . DC: Base 20 . Delay Device: You get a +5 bonus to the check if you try to interrupt the device's function rather than subverting it entirely. . Success: You disable or delay the device. A successful delay usually lasts 1 round. . Fail by 4 or less: Nothing happens. You can try again as a new action. . Fail by 5 or more: The device activates.]

Enable Device

Make an Engineering check to restore a device to functionality (given that it is not already functioning). You need to be aware of the device to attempt this (usu. a Perception check).

Box: [Enable Device: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge. . DC: Base 20 . Temporary Fix: You get a +5 bonus to the check if you try to fix the device for a limited time. . Success: You enable or restore the device. A successful temporary fix usually lasts 1 round. . Fail by 4 or less: Nothing happens. You can try again as a new action. . Fail by 5 or more: The device breaks.]

Repair Device

Make an Engineering check to repair a broken device. You need to be aware of the device to attempt this. Your DM may rule that you do not have the materials or tools or that repair is otherwise impossible.

Box: [Repair Device: Standard action or part of a short rest or extended rest. . Recovered Hit points: The device recovers hit points equal to your check (extended rest), or one-third of your check (round down, short rest), or one-tenth of your check (round down, standard action).]

Heal (Wisdom)

You know how to help someone recover from wounds or debilitating conditions, including disease.

First Aid

Make a Heal check to administer first aid.

Box: [Recover Life Points: Part of the injured character's extended rest. You must attend the character periodically throughout the extended rest, and you make your Heal check when the rest ends. . Replaces Endurance: Your Heal check result determines the life points recovered if the result is higher than the wounded character's Endurance check result. . Recovery: The wounded character recovers life points equal to 1/4th of your heal check, rounded down.]

Box: [First Aid: Standard action. . DC: Varies depending on the task you're attempting. . Use Second Wind: Make a DC 10 Heal check to allow an adjacent character to use his or her second wind without the character having to spend any action. . Stabilize the Dying: Make a DC 15 Heal check to stabilize an adjacent dying character. If you succeed, the character can stop making death saving throws until he or she takes damage. The character's current hit point total doesn't change as a result of being stabilized. . Grant a Saving Throw: Make a DC 15 Heal check. If you succeed, an adjacent ally can immediately make a saving throw, or the ally gets a +2 bonus to a saving throw at the end of his or her next turn.]

Treat Disease

Make a Heal check to treat a character suffering from a disease.

Box: [Treat Disease: Part of the diseased character's extended rest. You must attend the character periodically throughout the extended rest, and you make your Heal check when the rest ends. . Replaces Endurance: Your Heal check result determines the disease's effects if the result is higher than the diseased character's Endurance check result.]

Lore (Intelligence)

You have picked up a knowledge related to the history of the universe and the mysteries left behind by the most ancient civilizations. This includes information pertaining to leaders, wars, legends, significant persons, customs, traditions, and secrets.

You also know about creatures recorded in the age before, and about the Archonosphere.

If you have selected this skill as a trained skill, your knowledge represents academic study, either formalized or as a hobby, and you have a better chance of knowing esoteric information in this field.

Make a Lore check to remember a useful bit of arcane knowledge or to recognize an ancient clue. (See "Knowledge Checks").

Enemy Knowledge (arcanum)

Make an Engineering check to identify a creature that has an arcane or psionic origin. (See "Enemy Knowledge checks").

Perception (Wisdom)

Make a Perception check to notice clues, detect secret doors, spot imminent dangers, find devices, follow trails, listen for sounds, locate hidden objects, or read people. Make a Perception check to comprehend motives, read between the lines, to get a sense of moods and attitudes, and to determine how truthful someone is being.

This skill is used against another creature's Skulduggery check or against a DC set by the DM. In most situations, the DM uses your passive Perception check result to determine if you notice a clue or an imminent danger.

Box: [Perception: No action required—either you notice something or you don't. Your DM usually uses your passive Perception check result. If you want to use the skill actively, you need to take a minor action or spend 60 seconds listening or searching, depending on the task. . Opposed Check: Perception vs. Skulduggery when trying to spot or hear a creature using Stealth. . DC: Base 10 . Success: You spot or hear something, gain a clue about a social situation, or sense an outside influence on someone. . Failure: You can't try again unless circumstances change. . Searching: When actively searching an area or looking for something specific, assume you're searching each adjacent square. The DM might allow you to do this as a minor action, but usually searching requires at least 60 seconds.]

Persuasion (Wisdom)

The active counterpart to Perception for social situations, you can influence others with your tact, subtlety and grace. Make a Persuasion check to change opinions, inspire good will, haggle, or lie your face off.

A Persuasion check is opposed by a Perception, Tactics, or Persuasion check from the other parties involved, depending on just what you're trying to get out of them and how truthful you're being. This is usually part of a skill challenge.

Skulduggery (Dexterity)

Make a Skulduggery check to conceal yourself, to perform tasks that require nerves of steel and a steady hand, or do sundry dirty deeds.

Stealth

Most dirty deeds don't happen in the open.

Box: [Stealth: The check is usually at the end of a move action, but it can be at the end of any of the creature's actions that involve the creature moving. . Opposed Check: Stealth vs. passive Perception. If multiple enemies are present, your Stealth check is opposed by each enemy's passive Perception check. If you move more than 2 squares during the move action, you take a -5 penalty to the Stealth check. If you run, the penalty is -10. . Becoming Hidden: You can make a Stealth check against an enemy only if you have total concealment against the enemy or if you're outside the enemy's line of sight. Outside of combat, the DM can allow you to make a Stealth check against a distracted enemy, even if you don't meet those requirements. . Success: You are hidden, which means you are silent and invisible to the enemy (see "Concealment" and "Targeting What You Can't See" Chapter 9). . Failure: You can try again at the end of another move. . Remaining Hidden: You remain hidden as long as you meet these requirements. - Keep Out of Sight - Keep Quiet - Move less than 3 squares during an action - Don't Attack . Not Remaining Hidden: If you take an action that causes you not to remain hidden, you retain the benefits of being hidden until you resolve the action. You can't become hidden again as part of that same action. Likewise if another's action causes you not to remain hidden. . Enemy Activity: An enemy can try to find you on its turn. If an enemy makes an active Perception check and beats your Skulduggery check result (don't make a new check), you don't remain hidden from that enemy. Also, if an enemy tries to enter your space, you don't remain hidden from that enemy.]

Dirty Dealings

When in a settlement, make a Skulduggery check to find out what's going on when the lights go out, where to get what you need (and how to get there), and where not to go.

Box: [Dirty Dealings: Using this skill takes 3600 seconds and might be part of a skill challenge. . DC: Base 15 . Success: You collect a useful bit of information, gather rumors, find out about available dirty jobs, or locate the best under-the-table deal. . Failure: You can try again, but you might draw attention to yourself if you keep chasing after the same information.]

Stealing

Make a Skulduggery check to palm an unattended object, perform an act of legerdemain, lift a small object without the owner noticing, plan a heist, or otherwise purloin.

Box: [Stealing: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge. . DC: Base DC 15. . Success: You steal the object. . Fail by 4 or less: You can still take the object, but you are noticed. If you do not take the object you aren't noticed. . Fail by 5 or more: You do not take the object and are noticed in the attempt. . Planning a Heist: Usually part of a skill challenge, success at this stage of the heist makes later skill checks easier.]

Tactics (Intelligence)

You have knowledge and influence about the organization and movement of martial force. Make a Tactics check to plan a sortie, state your case to a commander, discover the identity of a commander by observing military movements, follow military etiquette, or evaluate the quality of an armed combatant.

Tactical Knowledge

Make a Tactics check to remember a useful bit of knowledge about a martial unit, recent skirmish, or historical battle or to recognize a clue about the application of force to a purpose. (See "Knowledge Checks").

Plan of Attack

Make a Tactics check against that of an enemy or friendly commander when negotiating. The DC is determined by how knowledgeable you are about the situation, what you're trying to get out of the other party and how truthful you're being.

Enemy Knowledge (martial)

Make a Tactics check to identify a creature that has a martial origin (enemy combatants that are like yourself, for example). (See "Enemy Knowledge Checks").

Think Carefully

Make a Tactics check to interpret orders you've been given; whether they explicitly or implicitly give you some direction. You can also determine which factions have a stake in the outcome of your mission and their opinions of its success or failure and of your actions. If you're uncertain about what to do next, consider a Tactics check.