Skills

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[Alchemy]   [Autohypnosis]   [Hammer Chant]   [Language skills]   [Lucid Dreaming]   [Psicraft]   [Remote View]   [Ritual Casting]   [Stabilize Self]   [Tumble]   [Use Psionic Device]   [Knowledge Skills]

Alchemy

Go to the alchemical laboratory for all kinds of new alchemical goodness.

Alchemists who wish to save some money by manufacturing the components of  their own alchemists lab (instead of paying the 500 gp cost), may do so if they have Craft (pottery), Craft (glassblowing) and Craft (blacksmithing).  With the use of these craft skills, the alchemist can manufacture all of the vessels, flasks, and other equipment which are used in alchemy.  Production of the lab in this way costs 167 gp in materials, and has a DC of 15 (use the base-average of the 3 skills above for skill checks).  Failures by 5 or more result in additional cost of 84 gp as per the standard craft rules.

Once 5000 sp of progress is made (as per the standard craft rules) the alchemist's lab is complete.

The DM may allow alchemists with Profession (herbalist), Knowledge (nature) and/or Wilderness lore skills to offset some of the material cost of certain alchemical mixtures if the alchemist chooses to procure and mix their own herbal and natural materials rather than buying them outright.

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Autohypnosis

[Wis; Trained Only; Psionic classes only]

You have trained your mind to resist certain injuries and threats as well as gain a few select benefits.  See Psionics Handbook for details

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Language Skills

Speak Language/Read Language

As in the core rules, all characters (other than Barbarians) begin play with literacy in any languages that they have.  NOTE: there are limitations on what languages can be taken at character creation with regards to the human tongues and the olde tongues. All languages listed in the PHB are fair game, however, for other languages on the language trees, please consult your DM to be sure you qualify. 

Any additional languages taken during the game must be either taken as Speak Language (language name) OR Read Language (language name), thus requiring 2 ranks in order to both speak and read/write any new languages. 

For languages which are 'related' to one of your starting languages, ranks can be purchases as class skills.  Languages outside of this requisite, however, are purchased as cross-class skills and require the standard 2 skill-points per rank, thus requiring 4 skill points in order to both speak and read the tongue.  The language tree shows related languages, for the purposes of determining whether a language can be treated as a 'class skill' or not, assume that any language connected to one of your starting languages by only one level  are 'related.'

Languages taken prior to the implementation of this rule are exempt (i.e. grandfathered in).

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Lucid Dreaming

[Wis; Trained Only]

You can use this skill to realize that you are dreaming, consciously direct elements of a dream, and move yourself and others into other dreamscapes. 

Check: Making a Lucid Dreaming check is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

* You must first sucessfully grapple your opponent.  Then, instead of attempting to pin him or her, make a Lucid Dreaming check on your next action.  If you succeed, you and your foe tumble into the Dreamheart.

This skill is detailed on page 203 of Manual of the Planes.

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Perform (Hammer Chant)

[Cha, Trained only, Dwarves only]
[class-skill for all dwarves raised in a traditional dwarven delve]

Though the tools of the dwarven blacksmith are similar to those of humans, the sacred holiness of the dwarven forge is readily apparent to even casual visitors; Dwarves are very noisy when they work.  The songs which they sing are songs of praise for the keeper of the first forge, the all-father, and other hymns of reverence and piety.

The chants keep the rhythm steady when a team of smiths is using multiple hammers on a single piece of iron or when any other combined efforts are being performed by dwarven craftsmen and workers.  When combined with the chant of dwarven priests or master smiths, the hammer chants used every day are themselves touched by the divine, magical.

In many respects, the hammer chant is like 'ritual casting' (below), but it is not actual spellcasting.  Rather, the reverence of the chants invoked by the deeply religious dwarves, can invoke magical effects through song.

See the Hammer Chants page for details on individual hammer chants.

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Psicraft

[INT; Trained Only]

Use this skill to identify psionic powers as they manifest or psionic effects which are already in place.  See Psionics Handbook for details

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Remote View

[INT; Psion only]

Use this skill to spy on someone with the remote viewing power.  See Psionics Handbook for details

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Ritual Casting

[Con; Trained Only; Armor Check Penalty]
[Class Skill for Sorcerer, Wizard, Cleric, Druid, Bard and all caster-emphasized prestige classes]

You have learned to endure the rigors that are required to perform rituals. You can handle the long duration of the casting required to draw in extra magical power.

Check: You can attempt to cast augmented and combined ritual casting spells that require an hour or more of casting.  Each hour or portion thereafter requires a Ritual Casting check (DC10+spell level).  Each check after the initial check increases the DC by one (cumulatively) until the end of the casting.  A failed ritual casting check results in a loss of control over the magical energies.  See Relics and Rituals, Chapter 3 for results of failure and further details on Ritual Casting.

Retry: No

Special: 5 or more ranks in Concentration give a +2 synergy bonus to Ritual Casting checks.

Relics and Rituals contains full game-details regarding ritual magic.  A brief summary is provided here for those who do not own that resource.  The goal of this summary is to provide enough information for a spellcaster to determine if she may be interested in this form of casting.  Purchase of Relics and Rituals or communication with the DM is necessary to get full game details, however.

Types of Ritual Magic include Augmented and combined. 

Additionally, a new type of spell known as True Rituals exist, True rituals are very complicated spells which are either the stuff of legend, or the backbone of religions, and must be learned or researched individually in order for their power to be harnessed.  They can ONLY be cast in ritual form, and cannot be augmented further with any other feats or abilities. 

True Rituals have no schools of magic associated with them; their greater power combines all aspects of magic.  True rituals are cast as normal spells with exceptions as noted in Relics and Rituals, and do not require the Ritual casting skill to perform.  Due to the exacting nature of preparing True Rituals only Clerics, Druids and Wizards have access to True Rituals (see Magick's page for listing of available True Rituals.  For those who may have noticed Sorcerers NOT listed, that IS correct, not even sorcerers have access to True Rituals).

Augmented ritual casting of spells energizes spells at the time of their casting, as opposed to when they are prepared, allowing the spellcaster to augment a spell with metamagic without the need to sacrifice additional spell levels to memorize the augmented spell.  Instead, the ritual provides the extra power.

A spell caster can ritually cast spells augmented with only those metamagic feats he knows, but he can include any such feat that he knows at the expense of extending the casting time.  Ritual casting is flashy and requires a much longer casting time, the feats of Silent Spell and Still spell cannot be used with augmented ritual magic.

In addition to the increased casting time (as detailed in Relics and Rituals), Augmented ritual castings require additional material components beyond those normally required for casting the spell.  The general cost of the materials needed is 25 gp x the added level modifier of the spell being augmented.

Combined ritual magic involves a group of individuals working together to generate greater spell effects.  Similar to augmented ritual casting, the primary caster uses ritual casting to enhance the basic prepared spell (or free spell slot in the case of bard or sorcerer) to new heights.  Although groups with similar magic types (arcane or divine) work best together, anyone can assist with the performance of the ritual.  Of course, non-spellcasters also add to the chance of failure.

Groups of bards often refer to combined ritual casting as 'concert casting.'  Wizards combining their forces call it 'cabalistic casting,' whereas most other caster-types call it 'circle casting.'

Combined ritual casting works differently than augmented casting in that the caster and participants do not need to know any metamagic feats.  Instead, the leader of the combined ritual casts the spell to be modified, and auxiliary members of the circle contribute their will, desire and life energies to supplement the overall power of the spell.

This supplementary power is used as 'bonus levels' to increase the different level-dependent aspects of the spell.  Further details are available in Relics and Rituals or from your DM.

In addition to longer casting times, combined ritual casting also requires expensive material components in addition to those components normally required for the spell.  The cost of these material components is equal to 10 gp x the number of participants in the ritual x the spell level.

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Stabilize Self

[CON; Trained Only; Psionic character classes only]

Use this skill to keep from succumbing to mortal wounds.  See Psionics Handbook for details

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Tumble (revised)

When using the tumbling skill to avoid Attacks of Opportunity, in addition to a failure resulting in possible AoO, should any AoO from an opponent whose square you have gone THROUGH actually hit the tumbling character, the character must make a balance check of DC10+damage taken or be knocked prone in the adjacent square from which they came. A successful Balance check still causes the character to be stopped in the square from which they came, but they do not fall prone.

Failure of the tumbling check when trying to pass through threatened (but unoccupied) squares is handled normally, the player suffers AoO, but still completes the movement.

DC of tumbling to avoid AoO is as follows:  DC15+BAB/2 of opponent whose 'threat' area you pass through.  If you will be passing through more than one creature's threatened area, the highest BAB will be used.  However, if you roll high enough to have successfully gotten past some, but not all of the opposition, only those with the higher BAB's will get an AoO against you.

DC of tumbling through a square occupied by an opponent is DC20+BAB/2 of opponent.

Counter Tumble: An opponent whom a tumbler is trying to get past or through can chose to make a tumble check of its own.  The Tumbling character must not only beat the DC of the tumble (as above) but must ALSO beat the tumble check of the opponent. This option rarely comes into play, as not many opponents will have the tumbling skill.

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Use Psionic Device

[CHA, Trained Only, Bard/Rogue Only]

This skill is used to activate psionic devices and is the psionic equivalent of the Use Magic Devices skill.  See Psionics Handbook for details

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New Knowledge Skills

Knowledge (Hearth Wisdom)

[Int, Trained Only, Bard Class Skill]

Knowledge of Folklore, myths, origins of place names, folk remedies for common ailments, etc.

Knowledge (Literature)

[Int, Trained Only, Bard Class Skill]

Knowledge of plays, ballads, stories, epic poetry, legends, etc.

Knowledge (Mathematics)

[Int, Trained Only]

Basic math, geometry, algebra

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Knowledge (Monster Type)

[Int; Trained Only; Class skill for some classes (see individual entries below0]

5 ranks or more in Knowledge (monster type) give a +2 synergy bonus to diplomacy, sense motive, intimidate, and bluff skills against creatures of that type (provided those skills have any effectiveness vs. said creature in the first place) 

Knowledge, Aberrations [Ranger Class Skill]- This covers all monsters of the Aberration type, such as Beholders.

Knowledge, Constructs [Wizard Class Skill]- This covers animated and artifically constructed objects, such as Golems.  Knowledge, Arcana (5 ranks) is a synergy skill with this one.

Knowledge, Dragons [Ranger & Sorcerer Class Skill]-- Err..self explanatory, right?

Knowledge, Elemental [Druid Class skill] - This covers knowledge of creatures and inhabitants of the elemental planes.  This skill gets a synergy bonus for those with Knowledge, Planes (5ranks)

Knowledge, Giants [Ranger Class skill] -  Another self-explanatory one.

Knowledge, Humanoids [Ranger Class skill] -- Covers 'ordinary' humanoid creatures.  This includes the goblinoid races, orcs, kobolds, etc.

Knowledge, Monstrous Humanoids [Ranger Class Skill] - This covers humanoid creatures with monstrous or animalistic features, and which often have supernatural abilities. Synergy bonus for those with Knowledge, Humanoids (5ranks)

Knowledge, Nature [Ranger and Druid Class Skill] - from the PHB, this skill is monster lore as well, in that it covers knowledge of natural plants and animals.  It also covers "Beast" category monsters from the MM, as these are relatively natural creatures within a fantasy setting.

Knowledge, Oozes, slimes and jellies - Self explanatory I believe.  Goes good with peanut butter.

Knowledge, Planes [Cleric & Paladin Class Skill] - This is detailed in the players handbook knowledge skill, and includes planar creatures.

Knowledge, Shapechangers - A very specialized are of knowledge, it covers a very few creatures which are able to change their shape.

Knowledge, Undead [Cleric Class skill] - Again, speaks for itself.

Knowledge, Vermin - Includes insects, arachnids, arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates.  From the ordinary small size to the amazingly huge varieties.

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Knowledge (Psionics)

[INT; Trained only)

This skill relates to the body of knowledge and lore dealing with the phenomena of psionics in all of its many manifestations.

Knowledge (Politics)

[Int, Trained Only, Cleric and Paladin Class skill]

Knowledge of government bureaucracies, petitions, bribes, subterfuge, the art of compromise, and the 'game of houses.'  (Provides +2 synergy bonus to Dimplomacy w/ 5 ranks when applicable)

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Knowledge (Streetwise)

[Int, Trained Only, Rogue Class skill]

Drinking, fliriting, gambling, tailing, etc.

Knowledge (War)

[Int, Trained Only, Fighter and Paladin Class skill]

Knowledge of Siege engines, sapping, siege tactics, and strategies.

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