Skill Descriptions

From D20advanced

This section describes the skills available to d20 Advanced characters, including their common uses and modifiers. Characters may be able to use skills for tasks other than those given here. The GM sets the DC and decides the results in those cases.

The format for skill descriptions is given here. Not all items apply for all skills. Items that do not apply are omitted from the skill’s description. However, if a use for a certain skill arises that is not covered in these rules, do not hesitate to add it for your own game: it’s often easier to hijack an existing skill for a new purpose than it is to create a totally new skill from scratch, especially when you have a player tapping his foot waiting to find out if he can defuse a bomb or not!

Note that if a GM chooses not to use the options for Extended Skill checks or Challenges in the game, those sections may be omitted.


NAME		Key Ability, Interaction, Manipulation, Specialty, Resistance, Requires Tools

The skill name line contains the following information:

Skill Name: What the skill is called. GMs may feel free to change the names of some skills to better suit the style of their game.
Key Ability: The ability modifier applied to the skill check.
Interaction: If "Interaction" is included next to the skill's name, it is an interaction skill.
Manipulation: If "Manipulation" is included next to the skill's name, it is a manipulation skill.
Specialty: If "Specialty" is included next to the skill’s name, you must choose a specialty for the skill.
Resistance If "Resistance" is next to the skill's name, you will often use this skill passively to resist certain ill effects. You are assumed to be taking 10 on your resistances.
Requires Tools: If "Requires Tools" is included next to the skill's name, you need to have the proper tools to use the skill. Not having the proper tools results in a –5 penalty to the skill check. See Chapter VI: Gear for more details on tools.

The skill name line is followed by a brief description of the skill and four other categories:

Check: How to make a check for the skill, what the results are, and the Difficulty Class.
Try Again: Conditions on retrying a check with the skill. If this section is omitted, the skill can be retried an unlimited number of times.
Action: The number of actions required to use the skill, how long it takes. As a general rule, if a skill takes a minute or longer to use, you can halve the time required by taking a –5 penalty on the check.
Special: Any extra information about the skill or its use.
Extended: Certain skills might have applications as Extended Checks with more than one success required to accomplish a certain task.
Challenges: Skill Challenges available with this skill.