Skills

Posted by EarthDragon on 1st September 2015.

The basic skills rules from pages 61-86 of the Players’ Handbook apply to this campaign, with some minor variants. Skill Tricks are not a part of the rules for this campaign.

Note that there is a new Knowledge skill withing this campaign called Knowledge (Drėmwüth), which is considered a class skill for all character classes, and operates in the same manner as all other Knowledge skills. This is in addition to the Knowledge (Warcraft) skill ouitlined below.

New Skills

There are some new skills introduced as part of The Chosen of The Unification campaign, mostly in relation to new classes or prestige classes, or to cultural peculiarities of The Unification. These new skills are outlined below.

Composure (Wis)

Trained Only

You are particularly good at maintaining inner calm.

Check: You can maintain your calm in the face of fear, stress, or trying emotional circumstances . With a successful check against DC 15, you gain a +2 bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks made under heated social circumstances for the next 10 minutes. A successful check against DC 20 allows you to quickly fall asleep, even if you are not particularly tired. This is useful if your opportunities to rest are not regular, or if you are a dreamwalker who wishes to enter the dream realms without delay. A successful check against DC 25 allows you to remain comfortable in moderate extremes of temperature. Heat that might cause others to break out into a heavy sweat-or cold that sends them into huddled shivers causes you only mild discomfort. This use of the skill provides a +5 bonus on Concentration checks made for distractions due to weather. It does not protect you against the elements, however-conditions that might damage your character (extreme heat or freezing cold) are just as dangerous. In combat situations, a successful check against DC 20 gives you a +1 bonus on attack rolls for 5 rounds. Composure checks are always full-round actions. Each check must have a specific goal: a successful Composure check to resist the discomfort of freezing temperatures would not automatically grant a +2 bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks, for example.

Retry: Normally, you can't retry a Composure check.

Invert (Wis)

Trained Only, Lost, Initiate, Wilder Only

Using this skill, a svarti can conceal from the sight of other svarti a weave that he or she has cast. Note that only male svarti can see weaves cast by other male svarti, and only females can see those cast by female svarti.

Check: The svarti may only use the Invert skill on his or her own weaves. The Invert check must be made immediately after the weave is cast. By succeeding at a skill check (DC 10 + the weave's casting level), the weave is successfully hidden from most other svarti. Only the weave itself is hidden-all of its effects continue to occur as they normally would, and are visible as usual. For example, a wilder might cast a create fire weave to light a fire. Initiates in the same room (as well as anyone else there) would see firelight as normal-but they would not see the weave that caused it, and therefore would not know who started it (though they would probably suspect that a spontaneously sparked fire was started by channelling, sorcery, magic or psionics). A particularly useful application of chis skill is to disguise a person or item, inverting the weave so that even other svarti could not easily tell that its appearance isn't natural. Initiates or svarti wilders with the Sense Residue feat (and of the same gender as the caster) have a chance of seeing the weave. Your Invert check is opposed by the Weavesight check of any such person wbo might see your weave.

Retry: You may only attempt to invert a weave once, just as it is being cast. If the Invert cbeck is failed, that casting of the weave cannot be inverted. Your only option is to release the weave and cast it again, or to leave it uninverted.

Weavesight (Int)

Initiate, Trained Only

Use this skill to identify weaves as they are cast or that are held or tied off. Note that even with this skill, only male svarti can see weaves cast by other male svarti, and only females can see those cast be female svarti.

Check: You can identify a weave and its effects, and learn to cast the weave.

If your check result is less than 10, you can see the weave but can't find out anything about it.

Retry: You can retry if the caster recasts the weave. If the caster is holding or has tied off the weave, you may retry after studying it for 10 minutes. Residues are harder to see; if retrying when using the Sense Residue feat, each retry not only requires 10 minutes of study, but also increases the DC by 5.

Special: You suffer a -5 penalty to attempts to learn a weave if it does not use any of the Five Powers for which you have an Affinity. If you have the Sense Residue feal, you may attempt to use Weavesight on a weave that was recently cast but which is no longer held or tied off. Make the check with a -2 penalty if the weave was released within the past 2 hours, a -5 penalty if released more than 2 hours ago but within 24 hours, a -10 penalty if released more than one day ago but within a week, and a -15 penalty if released more than a week ago but within one month. You cannot use Weavesight on weaves released more than one month ago. If you have the Sense Residue feat, you may also attempt to recognize inverted weaves. lf you do not succeed at a DC of at least 10, you do not spot the weave at all. Attempts to spot inverted weaves cannot be retried.

Knowledge (Warcraft) (Int)

You are knowledgeable in organized warfare. Some of the aspects of warfare this skill covers are: supervising construction of defenses, supervising construction of siege weaponry, logistics, commanding siege weapon operations, commanding war beetle operations, teaching in the use of weapons and communication through signals and messengers (including the relevant terminology).

Check: Answering a warfare‐related question has a DC of 10 (for really easy questions, such as identifying troop types or formations, assessing logistics and supplies, or establishing camps and simple patrols), 15 (for basic questions, such as identifying favorable or unfavorable terrain, deploying simple offensive or defensive troop formations, or establishing scouting parties), or 20 to 30 (for really tough questions, such identifying or establishing ambushes, deploying complex troop formations, or coordinating several levels of interlocking strategy). In many cases, you can use this skill to identify tactics, armies, and battle formations. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the army’s Encounter Level. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that particular army, or tactic or battle formation. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.

Coordinate Allies: You can also use Knowledge (warcraft) to coordinate allies. Each creature to be affected must be able to see and hear you, and able to pay attention to you. To coordinate, make a Knowledge (warcraft) check with a DC equal to 15 + the number of allies affected. If the check succeeds, all affected allies gain a competence bonus on attack rolls or a dodge bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier. You choose which of the two benefits to impart and must impart the same benefit to all affected allies. The benefits last for 1 round. You cannot use this ability on yourself. Coordinate allies does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Action: Varies. A Knowledge (warcraft) check made to coordinate allies is a full‐round action. A Knowledge check to answer a question doesn’t take an action—you simply know the answer or you don’t.

Try Again: Varies. Retries are allowed when you are trying to coordinate allies, but you may attempt such a retry only once per round. Each retry carries the same chance of failure.

Special: If you have the Field Officer feat, you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (warcraft) checks.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (warcraft), you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks related to dealing with troops.

Untrained: An untrained Knowledge (warcraft) check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, you know only common knowledge (DC 10 or lower).

Complex Skill Checks

With most skill checks, a single die roll immediately determines whether or not a character succeeds. If a character wants to jump across a chasm or recall a specific piece of information, their success or failure is apparent after a single check. For complicated and time-consuming tasks (such as disabling a very complex trap or researching an obscure bit of knowledge), or at times when the DM wants to build tension and suspense, the complex skill check variant described here will be called for. In such a case, a specific number of successful skill checks must be achieved to complete the task. The complexity of the task is reflected in the DC of the required check, the number of successful rolls required to complete the task, and the maximum number of failed rolls that can occur before the attempt fails. In most cases, one or two failed rolls does not mean that a complex skill check has failed, but if three failed rolls occur before the character makes the required number of successful rolls, the attempt fails. Although three failures is the baseline, in some cases, the number will be different if the situation warrants it. The DM may also apply a penalty to future rolls in the complex check if the character rolls one or more failures. For instance, an intricate trade negotiation requiring a complex Diplomacy check might assess the character a –2 penalty on her checks for each failed check made as part of the complex check (representing the tide of the negotiation turning against her). Each die roll is one portion of a complex skill check, and each die roll in the attempt represents at least 1 round of effort (it might represent more time, depending on the skill or task in question). Like skill checks, ability checks can also be complex. Complex skill checks are rarely used in situations that call for opposed checks.

Trying Again

Complex skill checks can usually be retried. However, like normal skill checks, some complex skill checks have consequences, and those consequences must be taken into account. (For example, a trap that requires a complex Disable Device check to disarm is triggered if the attempt fails, just as with a normal trap and a normal Disable Device check.) Some skills are virtually useless for a particular task once an attempt to accomplish that task has failed, and this includes complex checks as well as regular skill checks. The Complex Skill Use section, below, describes which skills can be used in complex skill checks and which allow retries after failed attempts.

Interrupting a Complex Skill Check

Most complex skill checks can be interrupted without adversely affecting the result of the check. However, the DM is free to rule that interrupting a specific check affects the result. At the DM’s discretion, an interruption can count as one failed roll in the check’s progression or can mean that the complex check fails.

Aid Another

You can use the aid another action normally with complex skill checks. Characters aiding the character making the attempt must roll their aid another attempts each time the character makes a new die roll that is part of the complex skill check.

Taking 10 and Taking 20

You can take 10 on a die roll during a complex skill check in any situation when you could take 10 on a normal check using that skill. You can’t take 20 when making a complex skill check. Taking 20 represents making the same skill check repeatedly until you succeed, but each successful die roll in a complex skill check represents only a portion of the success you must achieve to complete the skill check.

Complex Skill Use

The following section provides general guidelines for using the complex skill check variant with each skill in the campaign. Unless otherwise noted, the source for each skill is the Players’ Handbook. Complex Skill Use in general comes from the Unearthed Arcana supplement.

Appraise

The Appraise skill seldom lends itself to complex skill checks. In rare cases, the DM might rule that a relic from a lost civilization or an extremely powerful magic item might require a complex skill check to appraise properly. In these cases, the DC and number of successes required should be determined by the DM specifically for the item in question. Alternatively, if an item has a common value that is accepted in most of the campaign world but a drastically different value in one small portion of the setting, it might require one simple check to appraise the item’s common value and a second, complex check (usually at a higher DC) to assess the item’s worth in the specific area.

Autohypnosis

This skill also seldom lends itself to complex skill checks, however, some circumstances will arise and the DM will advise of the individual situations as they arise.

Balance

Since one Balance check covers movement over a short distance, using the skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. Situations that call for multiple Balance checks always require multiple simple checks, not one complex check.

Bluff

Almost all uses of the Bluff skill require only a single roll to indicate whether or not you successfully fool an individual or a small group. However, in certain complicated social situations, a DM might want to speed the game along by requiring one complex Bluff check rather than many simple checks. For example, one of the characters wants to spend several days in a noble’s court trying to convince the people there that he and his adventuring companions are more capable than they really are. Rather than roleplay the many individual interactions, the DM decides to simulate this activity with a complex Bluff check. Because the nobles have heard little of the group’s exploits, the DM sets the DC at 25 and requires that the player achieve five successful rolls before rolling three failures. Although this is a good simulation of the character interacting with a series of minor NPCs over several days, the DM still decides that interactions with a few individuals (the duke, his chancellor, and one renowned knight in the duke’s service) are too important to incorporate into the complex check, and decides that the player should roleplay short encounters with each of the three and make separate, simple Bluff checks for each of them.

Climb

Because one Climb check covers movement over a short distance, using the skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. Situations that call for multiple Climb checks always require multiple simple checks, not one complex check.

Concentration

The Concentration skill is updated and expanded in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Typical use of the Concentration skill never requires a complex skill check, but special circumstances might require complex checks as determined by the DM. For example, the entrance to an enchanter’s laboratory might be magically enhanced with mental barriers to entry and require a complex Concentration check to pass through.

Craft

Normal use of the Craft skill in many ways resembles a complex skill check, though it penalizes the character on each failure (rather than only after three failures). You can replace the standard Craft check rules with a complex Craft check. In that case, a single failed check doesn’t ruin one third of the raw materials; instead, rolling three failures before achieving the requisite number of successes ruins one-third of the raw materials, requiring the character to start over. Each check represents a single day (if the item’s value is no more than 1 gp) or a full week (if the item’s value is higher than 1 gp) of work.

Decipher Script

Complicated books, convoluted essays, or coded documents might require a complex Decipher Script check. When a character attempts to decipher an extremely long document, the DM can require one complex skill check rather than a simple skill check for each page. The DCs for complex checks follow the same guidelines that normal Decipher Script checks follow (DC 20 for simple messages, DC 25 for standard texts, and DC 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing). Succeeding on the complex check requires that the character achieve one successful attempt for every ten pages of the manuscript before failing the check three times.

Diplomacy

Although typical use of the Diplomacy skill does not allow retries or lend itself to complex skill checks, a DM might choose to simulate an unusually long diplomatic session or interactions with multiple small groups for an extended period of time with one complex Diplomacy check. For example, a character wants to convince a large and fractious group of merchants to suspend travel through a dangerous area for a short amount of time so that he and his companions can adventure in the area and confront the monsters there without exposing innocent travellers to danger. Instead of rolling thirty or more Diplomacy checks and roleplaying the reaction of each merchant in the group, the DM uses one complex skill check with a DC of 30 (representing the extreme difficulty of getting all the quarrelsome merchants to agree) that requires five successes before rolling three failures. The DM also might rule that because the tide of opinion can turn against the character very quickly in this case, each failed roll applies a cumulative –2 penalty to further rolls in the complex skill check.

Disable Device

Nearly any trap can be made to require a complex Disable Device check rather than a simple one. If the trap requires a large number of successes (six or more) or if the attempt is ruined by less than three failures, adjust the Challenge Rating of the trap up by 1 or 2 to reflect the greater difficulty of disarming the trap. A trap that requires a complex skill check may have a higher cost and Challenge Rating than a trap of the same sort that only requires a simple check; see the following table.

Disguise

Although typical use of the Disguise skill does not allow retries or lend itself to complex skill checks, DMs might require that the disguised character make a complex Disguise check in the same complicated social situations that require a complex Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check.

Escape Artist

Although normal use of the Escape Artist skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks, a few specific environmental situations might call for a complex Escape Artist check. The most obvious of these and by far the most common is a long, extremely narrow passage that is only wide enough to let a character wiggle through. In this case, each successful roll made in the complex check represents navigating a portion of the passage, and a failed complex check means the character is stuck somewhere within the passage.

Forgery

As with Disguise, this skill rarely lends itself to complex checks, but in unusual situations where a forged document must go through the hands of several individuals, the DM might substitute a complex check for a simple Forgery check.

Gather Information

Typically, the Gather Information skill allows characters to get a general impression of major news items in a city or to find the answer to a specific question or information about a specific rumour. As long as the character has only a few questions or rumours to follow up on, a simple skill check should be used. In situations where the characters have half a dozen or more leads and questions to follow, the DM might want to use one complex skill check to resolve the information-gathering attempts. In this case, the number of successes required equals the number of questions or leads pursued, and the DM determines the number of failures that ruin the complex check. In a complex Gather Information check, each die roll represents 2 hours spent pursuing each individual question or lead.

Handle Animal

Complex skill checks work well with the extended training times that some uses of the Handle Animal skill require. When an animal is trained for a general purpose such as combat riding or hunting, it requires several weeks of work and one simple Handle Animal check under the normal rules. With the complex skill checks variant, this use of the skill always involves a complex skill check, with each die roll representing one week of training time. Rolling three failed results during the complex check means that the entire attempt fails and that training must begin again.

Heal

Although normal use of the Heal skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks, DMs are free to require complex skill checks to treat particularly virulent strains of a disease or especially effective mixes of certain poisons.

Hide

Normal use of the Hide skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. In certain unusual situations, a DM might use a complex skill check to simulate navigating an intricate environment such as an urban area while remaining unnoticed (this might mean blending in rather than remaining entirely out of sight in particularly crowded areas). For example, if a character wants to move from one place to another within a large city without being seen by members of the city watch, the DM might use a complex skill check to simulate the character’s progress without having to determine the location of every guard or roleplaying each encounter.

Intimidate

Although typical use of the Intimidate skill does not allow retries or lend itself to complex skill checks, a DM might choose to simulate an unusually complicated series of social encounters with one complex skill check in the same way that Bluff and Diplomacy can be used in such situations.

Jump

Since one Jump check represents one jump attempt, using the skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. Situations that call for multiple Jump checks always require multiple simple checks, not one complex check.

Knowledge

Researching rare or lost knowledge is an excellent use of the complex skill check variant. To attempt a complex Knowledge check, a character must have access to a library that the DM decides is sufficient for the task. The DM is also free to rule that several successful rolls in a complex Knowledge check exhaust a particular library or tome’s resources and lead the character to another work or library. In this way, a complex Knowledge check can become an adventure in itself as the character searches out rare or lost volumes of information.

Listen

Since one Listen check represents one attempt to hear something, using the skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. Situations that call for multiple Listen checks always require multiple simple checks, not one complex check.

Martial Lore

This skill is detailed on p 28 of the Tome of Battle, and is handled in a similar manner to the Spellcraft skill.

Move Silently

Using the Move Silently skill does not normally lend itself to complex skill checks, but a complex check can be used to simulate an unusually long period of moving silently in the same way that a complex Hide check might be used.

Open Lock

Although normal locks require only one Open Lock check, the DM is free to include locks or a series of locks that requires a complex check to open. (He can also rule that each casting of a knock spell counts as six successes toward opening a complex lock.) Particulars for complex locks are given in the table below.

Perform

Normal use of the Perform skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. At the DM’s discretion, a few rare and powerful magic instruments might require a complex Perform check to activate.

Profession

Because each Profession check already represents a week of work, the use of the Profession skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks.

Psicraft

This skill is detailed on p 38 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook and is handled in much the same manner as the Spellcraft skill.

Ride

Normal use of the Ride skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. A character performing a lengthy demonstration of difficult or trick riding, or competing in a race, might have to make a complex Ride check to pull off the entire show or finish the race; one roll per round is probably appropriate.

Search

At the DM’s discretion, certain very well-hidden items might require a complex Search check to find. Usually this activity represents several individual Search attempts made in sequence and is typically better handled by treating each separate attempt as a normal Search check.

Sense Motive

Although typical use of the Sense Motive skill does not allow retries or lend itself to complex skill checks, a DM might choose to simulate an unusually complicated series of social encounters in a deceit-filled environment with a complex skill check like those described under the Bluff and Diplomacy descriptions.

Sleight of Hand

Normal use of the Sleight of Hand skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. A character performing a lengthy demonstration of legerdemain (such as a magic show relying on sleight of hand) might have to make a complex Sleight of Hand check to pull off the entire show; one roll per 15 minutes is probably appropriate.

Spellcraft

Although use of the Spellcraft skill does not normally lend itself to complex skill checks, the DM is free to rule that examining a complicated magical effect might require a complex Spellcraft check.

Spot

Since one Spot check represents one attempt to notice something, using the skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. Situations that call for multiple Spot checks always require multiple simple checks, not one complex check.

Survival

The DM might rule that a complex Survival check allows long-term survival in one type of climate or terrain, raising the required number of successes for extreme environments such as arctic regions or deserts.

Swim

The DM might rule that a complex Swim check allows a character to successfully swim for a longer period of time than 1 round. The amount of time each successful complex skill check allows the character to swim, along with the required number of successes and the DC, is given in the table below. (The DC is slightly higher than for simple round-by-round checks to reflect the fact that the character is making many fewer checks.)

Tumble

Normal use of the Tumble skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. A character performing a lengthy routine of acrobatics might have to make a complex Tumble check to pull off the entire show. The frequency of the checks depends on the complexity of the routine.

Use Magic Device

Normal use of the Use Magic Device skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. However, when a character makes a check to activate a magic item (especially a complicated one, or one with several different functions) for the first time, the DM might find a complex skill check appropriate. In very special cases, this check might require a full round of concentration per roll, but it should usually be part of the action required to activate the item.

Use Psionic Device

This skill is detailed on p 38 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook and is handled in the same manner as the Use Magic Device skill.

Use Rope

Since one Use Rope check represents one attempt to manipulate a rope, using the skill does not lend itself to complex skill checks. Situations that call for multiple Use Rope checks always require multiple simple checks, not one complex check.