Skills

Skill Combat

See our Skill Combat page for an example of how you can adapt Paizo's Performance Combat rules for different types of "diplomatic combat"! These are optional rules, and are meant as additional options for your stories.

Skills

Available Skills by Class

Skill

Art

Bbn

Brd

Cav

Clr

Drd

Ftr

Inq

Mnk

Pal

Rgr

Rog

Sor

Wit

Wiz

Untrained

Ability

Acrobatics

—

C

C

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

Yes

Dex*

Athletics

—

C

C

C

—

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

—

—

—

Yes

Str*

Appraise

C

—

C

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

C

—

C

Yes

Int

Bluff

—

—

C

C

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

C

C

—

—

Yes

Cha

Craft

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

Yes

Int

Diplomacy

—

—

C

C

C

—

—

C

—

C

—

C

—

—

—

Yes

Cha

Disable Device

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

No

Dex*

Disguise

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

Yes

Cha

Escape Artist

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

Yes

Dex*

Fly

C

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

C

C

Yes

Dex*

Handle Animal

—

C

—

C

—

C

C

—

—

C

C

—

—

—

—

No

Cha

Heal

C

—

—

—

C

C

—

C

—

C

C

—

—

C

—

Yes

Wis

Intimidate

—

C

C

C

—

—

C

C

C

—

C

C

C

—

—

Yes

Cha

Knowledge (arcana)

C

—

C

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

C

C

No

Int

Knowledge (dungeoneering)

—

—

C

—

—

—

C

C

—

—

C

C

—

—

C

No

Int

Knowledge (engineering)

C

—

C

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

No

Int

Knowledge (geography)

—

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

C

No

Int

Knowledge (history)

—

—

C

—

C

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

C

No

Int

Knowledge (local)

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

C

No

Int

Knowledge (military theory)

—

—

C

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

C

No

Int

Knowledge (nature)

—

C

C

—

—

C

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

C

C

No

Int

Knowledge (nobility)

—

—

C

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

No

Int

Knowledge (planes)

—

—

C

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

C

C

No

Int

Knowledge (religion)

—

—

C

—

C

—

—

C

C

C

—

—

—

—

C

No

Int

Linguistics

—

—

C

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

C

No

Int

Perception

C

C

C

—

—

C

—

C

C

—

C

C

—

—

—

Yes

Wis

Perform

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

Yes

Cha

Profession

C

—

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

No

Wis

Ride

—

C

—

C

—

C

C

C

C

C

C

—

—

—

—

Yes

Dex*

Sense Motive

—

—

C

C

C

—

—

C

C

C

—

C

—

—

—

Yes

Wis

Sleight of Hand

C

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

—

—

—

No

Dex*

Spellcraft

C

—

C

—

C

C

—

C

—

C

C

—

C

C

C

No

Int

Stealth

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

C

C

—

C

C

—

—

—

Yes

Dex*

Survival

—

C

—

—

—

C

C

C

—

—

C

—

—

—

—

Yes

Wis

Use Magic Device

C

—

C

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

C

C

—

C

No

Cha

* Armor Check Penalty (ACP) applies.

Social Skills

Skills such as diplomacy, intimidate, and so on do not function between PCs. That is, PCs are heroes, and heroes follow different rules. On Tene, we take this to mean that players may roll for fun within agreed-upon social situations, but as a rule of thumb, these skills apply to NPCs only.

When using these skills with NPCs, remember to use common sense. That is, using intimidate on someone will likely result in them calling the Watch. While this is stated in the PRD, it bears repeating: what would you do if someone came up and threatened to hit you with a stick?

With skills such as diplomacy, also, it's important to remember that these skills are not instant-wins. While use of diplomacy may encourage NPCs' attitudes to shift, this is typically by one step either direction only. In addition, saying that "I have a +34 diplomacy, everyone loves me" ...is not something we wish to see. Diplomacy, like charisma, may represent many talents and skills after all. A PC does not need to be liked well to be persuasive.

Be aware also that DMs will often give an advantage, for example, to the Althean who roleplays speaking with his temple rather than the wizard who happened to put max diplomacy or perception ranks on a headband.

Finally, review your RPP spends. If you've an active membership in an area (this is a defined RPP spend), you're likely to receive a lower diplomacy DC, or uncover information more easily than someone who does not. This is doubly true if you have influence in that area. ...that is, investing within an area pays off. You "know your way around." Don't expect that as an outsider you'll automagically succeed just because you have the ranks. Naturally, it will be more difficult for you, as an outsider. This is not to say impossible, it's just more realistic.

Skill Descriptions

Acrobatics

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

You can keep your balance while traversing narrow or treacherous surfaces. You can also dive, flip, jump, and roll to avoid attacks and overcome obstacles.

Check: You can use Acrobatics to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground without falling. A successful check allows you to move at half speed across such surfaces—only one check is needed per round. Use the following table to determine the base DC, which is then modified by the Acrobatics skill modifiers noted below. While you are using Acrobatics in this way, you are considered flat-footed and lose your Dexterity bonus to your AC (if any). If you take damage while using Acrobatics, you must immediately make another Acrobatics check at the same DC to avoid falling or being knocked prone.

Surface Width	Base Acrobatics DC
Greater than 3 feet wide	0*
1–3 feet wide	5*
7–11 inches wide	10
2–6 inches wide	15
Less than 2 inches wide	20

* No Acrobatics check is needed to move across these surfaces unless the modifiers to the surface (below) increase the DC to 10 or higher.

In addition, you can move through a threatened square without provoking an attack of opportunity from an enemy by using Acrobatics. When moving in this way, you move at half speed. You can move at full speed by increasing the DC of the check by 10. You cannot use Acrobatics to move past foes if your speed is reduced due to carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing medium or heavy armor. If an ability allows you to move at full speed under such conditions, you can use Acrobatics to move past foes. You can use Acrobatics in this way while prone, but doing so requires a full-round action to move 5 feet, and the DC is increased by 5. If you attempt to move though an enemy's space and fail the check, you lose the move action and provoke an attack of opportunity.

Situation	Base Acrobatics DC*
Move through a threatened area	Opponent's CMD
Move through an enemy's space	5 + opponent's CMD

* This DC is used to avoid an attack of opportunity due to movement. This DC increases by 2 for each additional opponent avoided in 1 round.

Long Jump Acrobatics DC 5 feet 5 10 feet 10 15 feet 15 20 feet 20 Greater than 20 feet +5 per 5 feet

High Jump Acrobatics DC 1 foot 4 2 feet 8 3 feet 12 4 feet 16 Greater than 4 feet +4 per foot

Finally, you can use the Acrobatics skill to make jumps or to soften a fall. The base DC to make a jump is equal to the distance to be crossed (if horizontal) or four times the height to be reached (if vertical). These DCs double if you do not have at least 10 feet of space to get a running start. The only Acrobatics modifiers that apply are those concerning the surface you are jumping from. If you fail this check by 4 or less, you can attempt a DC 20 Reflex save to grab hold of the other side after having missed the jump. If you fail by 5 or more, you fail to make the jump and fall (or land prone, in the case of a vertical jump). Creatures with a base land speed above 30 feet receive a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for every 10 feet of their speed above 30 feet. Creatures with a base land speed below 30 feet receive a –4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for every 10 feet of their speed below 30 feet. No jump can allow you to exceed your maximum movement for the round. For a running jump, the result of your Acrobatics check indicates the distance traveled in the jump (and if the check fails, the distance at which you actually land and fall prone). Halve this result for a standing long jump to determine where you land.

When you deliberately fall any distance, even as a result of a missed jump, a DC 15 Acrobatics skill check allows you to ignore the first 10 feet fallen, although you still end up prone if you take damage from a fall. See the falling rules for further details.

Many conditions can affect your chances of success with Acrobatics checks. The following modifiers to target DCs apply to all Acrobatics skill checks. The modifiers stack with one another, but only the most severe modifier for any one condition applies.

Acrobatics Modifiers	DC Modifier
Slightly obstructed (gravel, sand)	+2
Severely obstructed (cavern, rubble)	+5
Slightly slippery (wet)	+2
Severely slippery (icy)	+5
Slightly sloped (<45°)	+2
Severely sloped (>45°)	+5
Slightly unsteady (boat in rough water)	+2
Moderately unsteady (boat in a storm)	+5
Severely unsteady (earthquake)	+10
Move at full speed on narrow or uneven surfaces	+5*

* This does not apply to checks made to jump.

Action: None. An Acrobatics check is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.

Special: If you have 3 or more ranks in Acrobatics, you gain a +3 dodge bonus to AC when fighting defensively instead of the usual +2, and a +6 dodge bonus to AC when taking the total defense action instead of the usual +4.

If you have the Acrobatic feat, you get a bonus on Acrobatics checks (see Feats).

Athletics

(Str; Armor Check Penalty)

Tenebrae Update: We've merged Swim and Climb. They now fall under Athletics.

Climbing Check: With a successful Athletics check, you can advance up, down, or across a slope, wall, or other steep incline (or even across a ceiling, provided it has handholds) at one-quarter your normal speed. A slope is considered to be any incline at an angle measuring less than 60 degrees; a wall is any incline at an angle measuring 60 degrees or more.

An Athletics check that fails by 4 or less means that you make no progress, and one that fails by 5 or more means that you fall from whatever height you have already attained.

The DC of the check depends on the conditions of the climb. Compare the task with those on the following table to determine an appropriate DC.

Athletics DC Example Surface or Activity 0 A slope too steep to walk up, or a knotted rope with a wall to brace against. 5 A rope with a wall to brace against, or a knotted rope, or a rope affected by the rope trick spell. 10 A surface with ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a very rough wall or a ship's rigging. 15 Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial), such as a very rough natural rock surface or a tree, or an unknotted rope, or pulling yourself up when dangling by your hands. 20 An uneven surface with narrow handholds and footholds, such as a typical wall in a dungeon. 25 A rough surface, such as a natural rock wall or a brick wall. 30 An overhang or ceiling with handholds only. — A perfectly smooth, flat vertical (or inverted) surface cannot be climbed.

Athletics DC Modifier* Example Surface or Activity –10 Athleticsing a chimney (artificial or natural) or other location where you can brace against two opposite walls. –5 Athleticsing a corner where you can brace against perpendicular walls. +5 Surface is slippery.

* These modifiers are cumulative; use all that apply.

You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand. While climbing, you can't move to avoid a blow, so you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). You also can't use a shield while climbing. Anytime you take damage while climbing, make a Athletics check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.

Accelerated Jumping: You try to climb more quickly than normal. By accepting a –5 penalty, you can move half your speed (instead of one-quarter your speed).

Make Your Own Handholds and Footholds: You can make your own handholds and footholds by pounding pitons into a wall. Doing so takes 1 minute per piton, and one piton is needed per 5 feet of distance. As with any surface that offers handholds and footholds, a wall with pitons in it has a DC of 15. In the same way, a climber with a handaxe or similar implement can cut handholds in an ice wall.

Catch Yourself When Falling: It's practically impossible to catch yourself on a wall while falling, yet if you wish to attempt such a difficult task, you can make a Athletics check (DC = wall's DC + 20) to do so. It's much easier to catch yourself on a slope (DC = slope's DC + 10).

Catch a Falling Character While Climbing: If someone climbing above you or adjacent to you falls, you can attempt to catch the falling character if he or she is within your reach. Doing so requires a successful melee touch attack against the falling character (though he or she can voluntarily forego any Dexterity bonus to AC if desired). If you hit, you must immediately attempt a Athletics check (DC = wall's DC + 10). Success indicates that you catch the falling character, but his total weight, including equipment, cannot exceed your heavy load limit or you automatically fall. If you fail your Athletics check by 4 or less, you fail to stop the character's fall but don't lose your grip on the wall. If you fail by 5 or more, you fail to stop the character's fall and begin falling as well.

Swim Check: Make a Athletics check once per round while you are in the water. Success means you may swim at up to half your speed (as a full-round action) or at a quarter of your speed (as a move action). If you fail by 4 or less, you make no progress. If you fail by 5 or more, you go underwater.

If you are underwater, either because you failed a Athletics check or because you are swimming underwater intentionally, you must hold your breath. You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to twice your Constitution score, but only if you do nothing other than take move actions or free actions. If you take a standard action or a full-round action (such as making an attack), the remainder of the duration for which you can hold your breath is reduced by 1 round. (Effectively, a character in combat can hold his breath only half as long as normal.) After that period of time, you must make a DC 10 Constitution check every round to continue holding your breath. Each round, the DC for that check increases by 1. If you fail the Constitution check, you begin to drown. The DC for the Athletics check depends on the water, as given on the table below.

Water	Athletics DC
Calm water	10
Rough water	15
Stormy water	20*

* You can't take 10 on a Athletics check in stormy water, even if you aren't otherwise being threatened or distracted. Each hour that you swim, you must make a DC 20 Athletics check or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage from fatigue.

Action for Swimming: A successful Athletics check allows you to swim a quarter of your speed as a move action or half your speed as a full-round action.

Action for Jumping: Jumping is part of movement, so it's generally part of a move action (and may be combined with other types of movement in a move action). Each move action that includes any climbing requires a separate Athletics check. Catching yourself or another falling character doesn't take an action.

Special: A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Athletics checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Athletics check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Athletics check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line.

You can use a rope to haul a character upward (or lower a character) through sheer strength. You can lift double your maximum load in this manner.

A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Athletics checks. The creature must make a Athletics check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a creature with a climb speed chooses an accelerated climb (see above), it moves at double its climb speed (or at its land speed, whichever is slower) and makes a single Athletics check at a –5 penalty. Such a creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.

If you have the Athletic feat, you get a bonus on Athletics checks (see Feats).

Appraise

(Int)

You can evaluate the monetary value of an object.

Check: A DC 20 Appraise check determines the value of a common item. If you succeed by 5 or more, you also determine if the item has magic properties, although this success does not grant knowledge of the magic item's abilities. If your fail the check by less than 5, you determine the price of that item to within 20% of its actual value. If you fail this check by 5 or more, the price is wildly inaccurate, subject to GM discretion. Particularly rare or exotic items might increase the DC of this check by 5 or more.

You can also use this check to determine the most valuable item visible in a treasure hoard. The DC of this check is generally 20 but can increase to as high as 30 for a particularly large hoard.

Action: Appraising an item takes 1 standard action. Determining the most valuable object in a treasure hoard takes 1 full-round action.

Try Again: Additional attempts to Appraise an item reveal the same result.

Special: A spellcaster with a raven familiar gains a +3 bonus on Appraise checks.

Bluff

(Cha)

You know how to tell a lie.

Check: Bluff is an opposed skill check against your opponent's Sense Motive skill. If you use Bluff to fool someone, with a successful check you convince your opponent that what you are saying is true. Bluff checks are modified depending upon the believability of the lie. The following modifiers are applied to the roll of the creature attempting to tell the lie. Note that some lies are so improbable that it is impossible to convince anyone that they are true (subject to GM discretion).

Circumstances	Bluff Modifier
The target wants to believe you	+5
The lie is believable	+0
The lie is unlikely	–5
The lie is far-fetched	–10
The lie is impossible	–20
The target is drunk or impaired	+5
You possess convincing proof	up to +10

Feint: You can use Bluff to feint in combat, causing your opponent to be denied his Dexterity bonus to his AC against your next attack. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + your opponent's base attack bonus + your opponent's Wisdom modifier. If your opponent is trained in Sense Motive, the DC is instead equal to 10 + your opponent's Sense Motive bonus, if higher. For more information on feinting in combat, see Combat.

Secret Messages: You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages along to another character without others understanding your true meaning by using innuendo to cloak your actual message. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are communicating in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that receive the message can decipher it by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.

Action: Attempting to deceive someone takes at least 1 round, but can possibly take longer if the lie is elaborate (as determined by the GM on a case-by-case basis).

Feinting in combat is a standard action.

Using Bluff to deliver a secret message takes twice as long as the message would otherwise take to relay.

Try Again: If you fail to deceive someone, further attempts to deceive them are at a –10 penalty and may be impossible (GM discretion).

You can attempt to feint against someone again if you fail. Secret messages can be relayed again if the first attempt fails.

Special: A spellcaster with a viper familiar gains a +3 bonus on Bluff checks.

If you have the Deceitful feat, you get a bonus on Bluff checks (see Feats).

Craft

(Int)

You are skilled in the creation of a specific group of items, such as armor or weapons. Like Knowledge, Perform, and Profession, Craft is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Craft skills, each with its own ranks.

A Craft skill is specifically focused on creating something. If nothing is created by the endeavor, it probably falls under the heading of a Profession skill.

Tenebrae Adjustment: While we do not use the mundane item creation rules on Tenebrae, we do handwave things like basic lodging, ammunition, bedrolls and 50' ropes and so on. However, if you have Craft skills please feel free to roleplay that you have created any gear you purchase from generators or staff.

In addition, craft skills may be used in place of knowledge and history checks within their field. For example, someone with Craft/Sculpture might roll their skill to identify the creator of a particular statue, or to know the history of sculpting within a specific area. They may also be used socially: a skill in woodcrafting would be worth something when interacting with similar crafters, and so on. Craft skills may also be earned via RPPs.

Available Craft Skills
Alchemy	Armorsmithing	Artifice	Basketweaving
Bookbinding	Bowmaking	Blacksmithing	Calligraphy
Carpentry	Cartography	Cobbling	Gemcutting
Gunsmithing	Leatherworking	Locksmithing	Painting
Pottery	Sculpture	Shipmaking	Stonemasonry
Tailoring	Trapmaking	Weaponsmithing	Weaving

Check: You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the craft's daily tasks, how to supervise untrained helpers, and how to handle common problems.

When casting the spell minor creation, you must succeed on an appropriate Craft check to make a complex item.

All crafts require artisan's tools to give the best chance of success. If improvised tools are used, the check is made with a –2 penalty. On the other hand, masterwork artisan's tools provide a +2 circumstance bonus on the check.

A gnome receives a +2 bonus on a Craft or Profession skill of her choice.

Artifice

Your skill in using and understanding the mysteries of artifice. This implies knowledge as well as use. For a while, this was almost +perform/artifice. Artificers may use this in place of Spellcraft when creating enchanted items. It is not intended to replace Spellcraft for other purposes, however.

Gunsmithing

Knowledge of and the ability to craft one of the newer, more unpredictable weapons in the world.

Check: A character may repair a single firearm he or she is currently wielding with a Craft/Gunsmithing check, as long as that condition was gained by a firearm misfire. A DC 10 check allows them to repair a gun with the broken condition as a standard action. A DC 20 may be done as a move.

Diplomacy

(Cha)

You can use this skill to persuade others to agree with your arguments, to resolve differences, and to gather valuable information or rumors from people. This skill is also used to negotiate conflicts by using the proper etiquette and manners suitable to the problem.

Check: You can change the initial attitudes of nonplayer characters with a successful check. The DC of this check depends on the creature's starting attitude toward you, adjusted by its Charisma modifier. If you succeed, the character's attitude toward you is improved by one step. For every 5 by which your check result exceeds the DC, the character's attitude toward you increases by one additional step. A creature's attitude cannot be shifted more than two steps up in this way, although the GM can override this rule in some situations. If you fail the check by 4 or less, the character's attitude toward you is unchanged. If you fail by 5 or more, the character's attitude toward you is decreased by one step.

You cannot use Diplomacy against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence of 3 or less. Diplomacy is generally ineffective in combat and against creatures that intend to harm you or your allies in the immediate future. Any attitude shift caused through Diplomacy generally lasts for 1d4 hours but can last much longer or shorter depending upon the situation (GM discretion).

Starting Attitude	Diplomacy DC
Hostile	25 + creature's Cha modifier
Unfriendly	20 + creature's Cha modifier
Indifferent	15 + creature's Cha modifier
Friendly	10 + creature's Cha modifier
Helpful	0 + creature's Cha modifier

If a creature's attitude toward you is at least indifferent, you can make requests of the creature. This is an additional Diplomacy check, using the creature's current attitude to determine the base DC, with one of the following modifiers. Once a creature's attitude has shifted to helpful, the creature gives in to most requests without a check, unless the request is against its nature or puts it in serious peril. Some requests automatically fail if the request goes against the creature's values or its nature, subject to GM discretion.

Request	Diplomacy DC Modifier
Give simple advice or directions	–5
Give detailed advice	+0
Give simple aid	+0
Reveal an unimportant secret	+5
Give lengthy or complicated aid	+5
Give dangerous aid	+10
Reveal an important secret	+10 or more
Give aid that could result in punishment	+15 or more
Additional requests	+5 per request

Gather Information: You can also use Diplomacy to gather information about a specific topic or individual. To do this, you must spend at least 1d4 hours canvassing people at local taverns, markets, and gathering places. The DC of this check depends on the obscurity of the information sought, but for most commonly known facts or rumors it is 10. For obscure or secret knowledge, the DC might increase to 20 or higher. The GM might rule that some topics are simply unknown to common folk.

Action: Using Diplomacy to influence a creature's attitude takes 1 minute of continuous interaction. Making a request of a creature takes 1 or more rounds of interaction, depending upon the complexity of the request. Using Diplomacy to gather information takes 1d4 hours of work searching for rumors and informants.

Try Again: You cannot use Diplomacy to influence a given creature's attitude more than once in a 24-hour period. If a request is refused, the result does not change with additional checks, although other requests might be made. You can retry Diplomacy checks made to gather information.

Special: If you have the Persuasive feat, you gain a bonus on Diplomacy checks (see Feats).

Disable Device

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty; Trained Only)

You are skilled at disarming traps and opening locks. In addition, this skill lets you sabotage simple mechanical devices, such as catapults, wagon wheels, and doors.

Check: When disarming a trap or other device, the Disable Device check is made secretly, so that you don't necessarily know whether you've succeeded.

The DC depends on how tricky the device is. If the check succeeds, you disable the device. If it fails by 4 or less, you have failed but can try again. If you fail by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If the device is a trap, you trigger it. If you're attempting some sort of sabotage, you think the device is disabled, but it still works normally.

You also can rig simple devices such as saddles or wagon wheels to work normally for a while and then fail or fall off some time later (usually after 1d4 rounds or minutes of use).

Device	Time	Disable Device DC*	Example
Simple	1 round	10	Jam a lock
Tricky	1d4 rounds	15	Sabotage a wagon wheel
Difficult	2d4 rounds	20	Disarm a trap, reset a trap
Extreme	2d4 rounds	25	Disarm a complex trap, cleverly sabotage a clockwork device

* If you attempt to leave behind no trace of your tampering, add 5 to the DC.

Lock Quality	Disable Device DC
Simple	20
Average	25
Good	30
Superior	40

Open Locks: The DC for opening a lock depends on its quality. If you do not have a set of thieves' tools, these DCs increase by 10.

Action: The amount of time needed to make a Disable Device check depends on the task, as noted above. Disabling a simple device takes 1 round and is a full-round action. A tricky or difficult device requires 1d4 or 2d4 rounds. Attempting to open a lock is a full-round action.

Try Again: Varies. You can retry checks made to disable traps if you miss the check by 4 or less. You can retry checks made to open locks.

Special: If you have the Deft Hands feat, you get a bonus on Disable Device checks (see Feats).

A rogue who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it without disarming it. A rogue can rig a trap so her allies can bypass it as well.

Restriction: Characters with the trapfinding ability (like rogues) can disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

The spells fire trap, glyph of warding, symbol, and teleportation circle also create traps that a rogue can disarm with a successful Disable Device check. Spike growth and spike stones, however, create magic hazards against which Disable Device checks do not succeed. See the individual spell descriptions for details.

Disguise

(Cha)

You are skilled at changing your appearance.

Check: Your Disguise check result determines how good the disguise is, and it is opposed by others' Perception check results. If you don't draw any attention to yourself, others do not get to make Perception checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as a guard who is watching commoners walking through a city gate), it can be assumed that such observers are taking 10 on their Perception checks.

You get only one Disguise check per use of the skill, even if several people make Perception checks against it. The Disguise check is made secretly, so that you can't be sure how good the result is.

The effectiveness of your disguise depends on how much you're changing your appearance. Disguise can be used to make yourself appear like a creature that is one size category larger or smaller than your actual size. This does not change your actual size or reach, should you enter combat while wearing such a disguise.

Disguise	Check Modifier
Minor details only	+5
Disguised as different gender*	–2
Disguised as different race*	–2
Disguised as different age category*	–2**
Disguised as different size category*	–10

* These modifiers are cumulative; use all that apply.

** Per step of difference between your actual age category and your disguised age category. The steps are: young (younger than adulthood), adulthood, middle age, old, and venerable.

If you are impersonating a particular individual, those who know what that person looks like get a bonus on their Perception checks according to the table below. Furthermore, they are automatically considered to be suspicious of you, so opposed checks are always called for.

Familiarity	Viewer's Perception Check Bonus
Recognizes on sight	+4
Friends or associates	+6
Close friends	+8
Intimate	+10

An individual makes a Perception check to see through your disguise immediately upon meeting you and again every hour thereafter. If you casually meet a large number of different creatures, each for a short time, check once per day or hour, using an average Perception modifier for the group.

Action: Creating a disguise requires 1d3 × 10 minutes of work. Using magic (such as the disguise self spell) reduces this action to the time required to cast the spell or trigger the effect.

Try Again: Yes. You may try to redo a failed disguise, but once others know that a disguise was attempted, they'll be more suspicious.

Special: Magic that alters your form, such as alter self, disguise self, polymorph, or shapechange, grants you a +10 bonus on Disguise checks (see the individual spell descriptions). Divination magic that allows people to see through illusions (such as true seeing) does not penetrate a mundane disguise, but it can negate the magical component of a magically enhanced one.

You must make a Disguise check when you cast a simulacrum spell to determine how good the likeness is.

If you have the Deceitful feat, you gain a bonus on Disguise checks (see Feats).

Escape Artist

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

Your training allows you to slip out of bonds and escape from grapples.

Check: The table below gives the DCs needed to escape various forms of restraints.

Ropes: The DC of your Escape Artist check is equal to the binder's Combat Maneuver Bonus +20.

Manacles and Masterwork Manacles: The DC for manacles is set by their construction (see the table below).

Tight Space: The DC noted is for getting through a space through which your head fits but your shoulders don't. If the space is long, you may need to make multiple checks. You can't squeeze through a space that your head does not fit through.

Grappler: You can make an Escape Artist check in place of a combat maneuver check to escape a grapple (see Combat) or a pin.

Restraint	Escape Artist DC
Rope/bindings	Binder's CMB +20
Net, animate rope, command plants, control plants, or entangle	20
Snare spell	23
Manacles	30
Tight space	30
Masterwork manacles	35
Grappler	Grappler's CMD

Action: Making an Escape Artist check to escape from rope bindings, manacles, or other restraints (except a grappler) requires 1 minute of work. Escaping from a net or an animate rope, command plants, control plants, or entangle spell is a full-round action. Escaping from a grapple or pin is a standard action. Squeezing through a tight space takes at least 1 minute, maybe longer, depending on how long the space is.

Try Again: Varies. You can make another check after a failed check if you're squeezing your way through a tight space, making multiple checks. If the situation permits, you can make additional checks, or even take 20, as long as you're not being actively opposed. If the DC to escape from rope or bindings is higher than 20 + your Escape Artist skill bonus, you cannot escape from the bonds using Escape Artist.

Special: If you have the Stealthy feat, you gain a bonus on Escape Artist checks (see Feats).

Fly

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

You are skilled at flying, through either the use of wings or magic, and can perform daring or complex maneuvers while airborne. Note that this skill does not give you the ability to fly.

Check: You generally need only make a Fly check when you are attempting a complex maneuver. Without making a check, a flying creature can remain flying at the end of its turn so long as it moves a distance greater than half its speed. It can also turn up to 45 degrees by sacrificing 5 feet of movement, can rise at half speed at an angle of 45 degrees, and can descend at any angle at normal speed. Note that these restrictions only apply to movement taken during your current turn. At the beginning of the next turn, you can move in a different direction than you did the previous turn without making a check. Taking any action that violates these rules requires a Fly check. The difficulty of these maneuvers varies depending upon the maneuver you are attempting, as noted on the following chart.

Flying Maneuver	Fly DC
Move less than half speed and remain flying	10
Hover	15
Turn greater than 45° by spending 5 feet of movement	15
Turn 180° by spending 10 feet of movement	20
Fly up at greater than 45° angle	20

Attacked While Flying: You are not considered flat-footed while flying. If you are flying using wings and you take damage while flying, you must make a DC 10 Fly check to avoid losing 10 feet of altitude. This descent does not provoke an attack of opportunity and does not count against a creature's movement.

Collision While Flying: If you are using wings to fly and you collide with an object equal to your size or larger, you must immediately make a DC 25 Fly check to avoid plummeting to the ground, taking the appropriate falling damage.

Avoid Falling Damage: If you are falling and have the ability to fly, you can make a DC 10 Fly check to negate the damage. You cannot make this check if you are falling due to a failed Fly check or a collision.

High Wind Speeds: Flying in high winds adds penalties on your Fly checks as noted on Table: Wind Effects on Flight. “Checked” means that creatures of that size or smaller must succeed on a DC 20 Fly check to move at all so long as the wind persists. “Blown away” means that creatures of that size or smaller must make a DC 25 Fly check or be blown back 2d6 × 10 feet and take 2d6 points of nonlethal damage. This check must be made every round the creature remains airborne. A creature that is blown away must still make a DC 20 Fly check to move due to also being checked.

Wind Effects on Flight
Wind Force	Wind Speed	Checked Size	Blown Away Size	Fly Penalty
Light	0–10 mph	—	—	—
Moderate	11–20 mph	—	—	—
Strong	21–30 mph	Tiny	—	–2
Severe	31–50 mph	Small	Tiny	–4
Windstorm	51–74 mph	Medium	Small	–8
Hurricane	75–174 mph	Large	Medium	–12
Tornado	175+ mph	Huge	Large	–16

Action: None. A Fly check doesn't require an action; it is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.

Try Again: Varies. You can attempt a Fly check to perform the same maneuver on subsequent rounds. If you are using wings and you fail a Fly check by 5 or more, you plummet to the ground, taking the appropriate falling damage (see Environment).

Special: A spellcaster with a bat familiar gains a +3 bonus on Fly checks.

Creatures with a fly speed treat the Fly skill as a class skill. A creature with a natural fly speed receives a bonus (or penalty) on Fly skill checks depending on its maneuverability: Clumsy –8, Poor –4, Average +0, Good +4, Perfect +8. Creatures without a listed maneuverability rating are assumed to have average maneuverability.

A creature larger or smaller than Medium takes a size bonus or penalty on Fly checks depending on its size category: Fine +8, Diminutive +6, Tiny +4, Small +2, Large –2, Huge –4, Gargantuan –6, Colossal –8.

You cannot take ranks in this skill without a natural means of flight or gliding. Creatures can also take ranks in Fly if they possess a reliable means of flying every day (either through a spell or other special ability).

If you have the Acrobatic feat, you get a bonus on Fly checks (see Feats).

Handle Animal

(Cha; Trained Only)

You are trained at working with animals, and can teach them tricks, get them to follow your simple commands, or even domesticate them.

Check: The DC depends on what you are trying to do.

Task	Handle Animal DC
Handle an animal	10
“Push” an animal	25
Teach an animal a trick	15 or 20*
Train an animal for a general purpose	15 or 20*
Rear a wild animal	15 + HD of animal

* See the specific trick or purpose below.

Handle an Animal: This task involves commanding an animal to perform a task or trick that it knows. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.

“Push” an Animal: To push an animal means to get it to perform a task or trick that it doesn't know but is physically capable of performing. This category also covers making an animal perform a forced march or forcing it to hustle for more than 1 hour between sleep cycles. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.

Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick with 1 week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. An animal with an Intelligence score of 1 can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence score of 2 can learn a maximum of six tricks. Possible tricks (and their associated DCs) include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following.

Combat Training (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes 6 weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat by spending 3 weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Many horses and riding dogs are trained in this way. (Combat Training consists of 6 tricks.)

Attack (DC 20): The animal attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks.

Come (DC 15): The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so.

Defend (DC 20): The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the animal to defend another specific character.

Down (DC 15): The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that doesn't know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated.

Fetch (DC 15): The animal goes and gets something. If you do not point out a specific item, the animal fetches a random object.

Guard (DC 20): The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.

Heel (DC 15): The animal follows you closely, even to places where it normally wouldn't go.

Perform (DC 15): The animal performs a variety of simple tricks, such as sitting up, rolling over, roaring or barking, and so on.

Seek (DC 15): The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.

Stay (DC 15): The animal stays in place, waiting for you to return. It does not challenge other creatures that come by, though it still defends itself if it needs to.

Track (DC 20): The animal tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the animal to have the scent ability.)

Work (DC 15): The animal pulls or pushes a medium or heavy load.

Train an Animal for a General Purpose: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can simply train it for a general purpose. Essentially, an animal's purpose represents a preselected set of known tricks that fit into a common scheme, such as guarding or heavy labor. The animal must meet all the normal prerequisites for all tricks included in the training package. If the package includes more than three tricks, the animal must have an Intelligence score of 2 or higher.

An animal can be trained for only one general purpose, though if the creature is capable of learning additional tricks (above and beyond those included in its general purpose), it may do so. Training an animal for a purpose requires fewer checks than teaching individual tricks does, but no less time.

Rear a Wild Animal: To rear an animal means to raise a wild creature from infancy so that it becomes domesticated. A handler can rear as many as three creatures of the same kind at once.

A successfully domesticated animal can be taught tricks at the same time it's being raised, or it can be taught as a domesticated animal later.

Action: Varies. Handling an animal is a move action, while “pushing” an animal is a full-round action. (A druid or ranger can handle an animal companion as a free action or push it as a move action.) For tasks with specific time frames noted above, you must spend half this time (at the rate of 3 hours per day per animal being handled) working toward completion of the task before you attempt the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, your attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal fails and you need not complete the teaching, rearing, or training time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remainder of the time to complete the teaching, rearing, or training. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal automatically fails.

Try Again: Yes, except for rearing an animal.

Special: You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do.

A druid or ranger gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Handle Animal checks involving an animal companion.

In addition, a druid's or ranger's animal companion knows one or more bonus tricks, which don't count against the normal limit on tricks known and don't require any training time or Handle Animal checks to teach.

If you have the Animal Affinity feat, you get a bonus on Handle Animal checks (see Feats).

Untrained: If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to handle and push domestic animals, but you can't teach, rear, or train animals. A druid or ranger with no ranks in Handle Animal can use a Charisma check to handle and push her animal companion, but she can't teach, rear, or train other nondomestic animals.

Heal

(Wis)

You are skilled at tending to wounds and ailments.

Check: The DC and effect of a Heal check depend on the task you attempt.

Task	DC
First aid	15
Long-term care	15
Treat wounds from caltrops, spike growth, or spike stones	15
Treat deadly wounds	20
Treat poison	Poison's save DC
Treat disease	Disease's save DC

First Aid: You usually use first aid to save a dying character. If a character has negative hit points and is losing hit points (at the rate of 1 per round, 1 per hour, or 1 per day), you can make him stable. A stable character regains no hit points but stops losing them. First aid also stops a character from losing hit points due to effects that cause bleed (see Conditions for rules on bleed damage).

Long-Term Care: Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. If your Heal check is successful, the patient recovers hit points or ability score points lost to ability damage at twice the normal rate: 2 hit points per level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 hit points per level for each full day of complete rest; 2 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 ability score points for each full day of complete rest.

You can tend to as many as six patients at a time. You need a few items and supplies (bandages, salves, and so on) that are easy to come by in settled lands. Giving long-term care counts as light activity for the healer. You cannot give long-term care to yourself.

Treat Wounds from Caltrops, Spike Growth, or Spike Stones: A creature wounded by stepping on a caltrop moves at half normal speed. A successful Heal check removes this movement penalty.

A creature wounded by a spike growth or spike stones spell must succeed on a Reflex save or take injuries that reduce his speed by one-third. Another character can remove this penalty by taking 10 minutes to dress the victim's injuries and succeeding on a Heal check against the spell's save DC.

Treat Deadly Wounds: When treating deadly wounds, you can restore hit points to a damaged creature. Treating deadly wounds restores 1 hit point per level of the creature. If you exceed the DC by 5 or more, add your Wisdom modifier (if positive) to this amount. A creature can only benefit from its deadly wounds being treated within 24 hours of being injured and never more than once per day. You must expend two uses from a healer's kit to perform this task. You take a –2 penalty on your Heal skill check for each use from the healer's kit that you lack.

Treat Poison: To treat poison means to tend to a single character who has been poisoned and who is going to take more damage from the poison (or suffer some other effect). Every time the poisoned character makes a saving throw against the poison, you make a Heal check. If your Heal check exceeds the DC of the poison, the character receives a +4 competence bonus on his saving throw against the poison.

Treat Disease: To treat a disease means to tend to a single diseased character. Every time the diseased character makes a saving throw against disease effects, you make a Heal check. If your Heal check exceeds the DC of the disease, the character receives a +4 competence bonus on his saving throw against the disease.

Action: Providing first aid, treating a wound, or treating poison is a standard action. Treating a disease or tending a creature wounded by a spike growth or spike stones spell takes 10 minutes of work. Treating deadly wounds takes 1 hour of work. Providing long-term care requires 8 hours of light activity.

Try Again: Varies. Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without witnessing proof of the original check's failure. You can always retry a check to provide first aid, assuming the target of the previous attempt is still alive.

Special: A character with the Self-Sufficient feat gets a bonus on Heal checks (see Feats).

A healer's kit gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.

Intimidate

(Cha)

You can use this skill to frighten an opponent or to get them to act in a way that benefits you. This skill includes verbal threats and displays of prowess.

Check: You can use Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly toward you for 1d6 × 10 minutes with a successful check. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target's Hit Dice + the target's Wisdom modifier. If successful, the target gives you the information you desire, takes actions that do not endanger it, or otherwise offers limited assistance. After the Intimidate expires, the target treats you as unfriendly and may report you to local authorities. If you fail this check by 5 or more, the target attempts to deceive you or otherwise hinder your activities.

Demoralize: You can use this skill to cause an opponent to become shaken for a number of rounds. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target's Hit Dice + the target's Wisdom modifier. If you are successful, the target is shaken for 1 round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC. You can only threaten an opponent in this way if they are within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you. Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.

Action: Using Intimidate to change an opponent's attitude requires 1 minute of conversation. Demoralizing an opponent is a standard action.

Try Again: You can attempt to Intimidate an opponent again, but each additional check increases the DC by +5. This increase resets after 1 hour has passed.

Special: You also gain a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks if you are larger than your target and a –4 penalty on Intimidate checks if you are smaller than your target.

If you have the Persuasive feat, you get a bonus on Intimidate checks (see Feats).

A half-orc gets a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks.

Knowledge

(Int; Trained Only)

You are educated in a field of study and can answer both simple and complex questions. Like the Craft, Perform, and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of different specialties. Below are listed typical fields of study.

Available Knowledge Skills
Arcana	(ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)
Dungeoneering	(aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)
Engineering	(buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
Geography	(lands, terrain, climate, people)
History	(wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities)
Local	(legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)
Military Theory	(military tactics and the ways of war)
Nature	(animals, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin)
Nobility	(lineages, heraldry, personalities, royalty)
Planes	(the Inner Planes, the Outer Planes, the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, outsiders, planar magic)
Religion	(gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols, undead)

Check: Answering a question within your field of study has a DC of 10 (for really easy questions), 15 (for basic questions), or 20 to 30 (for really tough questions).

You can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster's CR. For common monsters, such as goblins, the DC of this check equals 5 + the monster's CR. For particularly rare monsters, such as the tarrasque, the DC of this check equals 15 + the monster's CR, or more. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information. Many of the Knowledge skills have specific uses as noted on Table: Knowledge Skill DCs.

Knowledge Skill DCs
Task	Knowledge Skill	DC
Identify auras while using detect magic	Arcana	15 + spell level
Identify a spell effect that is in place	Arcana	20 + spell level
Identify materials manufactured by magic	Arcana	20 + spell level
Identify a spell that just targeted you	Arcana	25 + spell level
Identify the spells cast using a specific material component	Arcana	20
Identify underground hazard	Dungeoneering	15 + hazard's CR
Identify mineral, stone, or metal	Dungeoneering	10
Determine slope	Dungeoneering	15
Determine depth underground	Dungeoneering	20
Identify dangerous construction	Engineering	10
Determine a structure's style or age	Engineering	15
Determine a structure's weakness	Engineering	20
Identify a creature's ethnicity or accent	Geography	10
Recognize regional terrain features	Geography	15
Know location of nearest community or noteworthy site	Geography	20
Know recent or historically significant event	History	10
Determine approximate date of a specific event	History	15
Know obscure or ancient historical event	History	20
Know local laws, rulers, and popular locations	Local	10
Know a common rumor or local tradition	Local	15
Know hidden organizations, rulers, and locations	Local	20
Identify natural hazard	Nature	15 + hazard's CR
Identify a common plant or animal	Nature	10
Identify unnatural weather phenomenon	Nature	15
Determine artificial nature of feature	Nature	20
Know current rulers and their symbols	Nobility	10
Know proper etiquette	Nobility	15
Know line of succession	Nobility	20
Know the names of the planes	Planes	10
Recognize current plane	Planes	15
Identify a creature's planar origin	Planes	20
Recognize a common deity's symbol or clergy	Religion	10
Know common mythology and tenets	Religion	15
Recognize an obscure deity's symbol or clergy	Religion	20
Identify a monster's abilities and weaknesses	Varies	10 + monster's CR

Military Theory

Military Theory is knowledge of military tactics and the ways of war.

Tenebrae Adjustment: Knowledge/Military Theory is a skill added by Tenebrae.

Action: Usually none. In most cases, a Knowledge check doesn't take an action (but see “Untrained,” below).

Try Again: No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn't let you know something that you never learned in the first place.

Untrained: You cannot make an untrained Knowledge check with a DC higher than 10. If you have access to an extensive library that covers a specific skill, this limit is removed. The time to make checks using a library, however, increases to 1d4 hours. Particularly complete libraries might even grant a bonus on Knowledge checks in the fields that they cover.

Linguistics

(Int; Trained Only)

You are skilled at working with language, in both its spoken and written forms. You can speak multiple languages, and can decipher nearly any tongue given enough time. Your skill in writing allows you to create and detect forgeries as well.

Check: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.)

Both the Linguistics check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check are made secretly by the GM, so that you can't tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.

Condition	Linguistics Check Modifier
Type of document unknown to reader	–2
Type of document somewhat known to reader	+0
Type of document well known to reader	+2
Handwriting not known to reader	–2
Handwriting somewhat known to reader	+0
Handwriting intimately known to reader	+2
Reader only casually reviews the document	–2
Document contradicts orders or knowledge	+2

Create or Detect Forgeries: Forgery requires writing materials appropriate to the document being forged. To forge a document on which the handwriting is not specific to a person, you need only to have seen a similar document before, and you gain a +8 bonus on your check. To forge a signature, you need an autograph of that person to copy, and you gain a +4 bonus on the check. To forge a longer document written in the hand of some particular person, a large sample of that person's handwriting is needed.

The Linguistics check is made secretly, so that you're not sure how good your forgery is. As with Disguise, you don't make a check until someone examines the work. Your Linguistics check is opposed by the Linguistics check of the person who examines the document to verify its authenticity. The examiner gains modifiers if any of the conditions are listed on the table above.

Learn a Language: Whenever you put a rank into this skill, you learn to speak and read a new language. Languages available are listed on the Languages page.

Action: Varies. Deciphering a page of ordinary text takes 1 minute (10 consecutive rounds). Creating a forgery can take anywhere from 1 minute to 1d4 minutes per page. Detecting a forgery using Linguistics takes 1 round of examination per page.

Try Again: Yes.

Special: You must be trained to use this skill, but you can always attempt to read archaic and strange forms of your own racial bonus languages. In addition, you can also always attempt to detect a forgery.

Perception

(Wis)

Your senses allow you to notice fine details and alert you to danger. Perception covers all five senses, including sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

Check: Perception has a number of uses, the most common of which is an opposed check versus an opponent's Stealth check to notice the opponent and avoid being surprised. If you are successful, you notice the opponent and can react accordingly. If you fail, your opponent can take a variety of actions, including sneaking past you and attacking you.

Perception is also used to notice fine details in the environment. The DC to notice such details varies depending upon distance, the environment, and how noticeable the detail is. The following table gives a number of guidelines.

Making Perception Checks
Detail	Perception DC
Hear the sound of battle	–10
Notice the stench of rotting garbage	–10
Detect the smell of smoke	0
Hear the details of a conversation	0
Notice a visible creature	0
Determine if food is spoiled	5
Hear the sound of a creature walking	10
Hear the details of a whispered conversation	15
Find the average concealed door	15
Hear the sound of a key being turned in a lock	20
Find the average secret door	20
Hear a bow being drawn	25
Sense a burrowing creature underneath you	25
Notice a pickpocket	Opposed by Sleight of Hand
Notice a creature using Stealth	Opposed by Stealth
Find a hidden trap	Varies by trap
Identify the powers of a potion through taste	15 + the potion's caster level
Perception Modifiers	DC Modifier
Distance to the source, object, or creature	+1/10 feet
Through a closed door	+5
Through a wall	+10/foot of thickness
Favorable conditions*	–2
Unfavorable conditions*	+2
Terrible conditions**	+5
Creature making the check is distracted	+5
Creature making the check is asleep	+10
Creature or object is invisible	+20

* Favorable and unfavorable conditions depend upon the sense being used to make the check. For example, bright light might decrease the DC of checks involving sight, while torchlight or moonlight might increase the DC. Background noise might increase a DC involving hearing, while competing odors might increase the DC of a check involving scent.

** As for unfavorable conditions, but more extreme. For example, candlelight for DCs involving sight, a roaring dragon for DCs involving hearing, and an overpowering stench covering the area for DCs involving scent.

Action: Most Perception checks are reactive, made in response to observable stimulus. Intentionally searching for stimulus is a move action.

Try Again: Yes. You can try to sense something you missed the first time, so long as the stimulus is still present.

Special: Elves, half-elves, gnomes, and halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. Creatures with the scent special quality have a +8 bonus on Perception checks made to detect a scent. Creatures with the tremorsense special quality have a +8 bonus on Perception checks against creatures touching the ground and automatically make any such checks within their range.

A spellcaster with a hawk or owl familiar gains a +3 bonus on Perception checks. If you have the Alertness feat, you get a bonus on Perception checks (see Feats).

Perform

(Cha)

You are skilled at one form of entertainment, from singing to acting to playing an instrument. Like Craft, Knowledge, and Profession, Perform is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Perform skills, each with its own ranks.

Each of the nine categories of the Perform skill includes a variety of methods, instruments, or techniques, a small sample of which is provided for each category below.

Available Perform Skills
Act	(comedy, drama, pantomime)
Comedy	(buffoonery, limericks, joke-telling)
Dance	(ballet, waltz, jig)
Keyboard instruments	(harpsichord, piano, pipe organ)
Oratory	(epic, ode, storytelling)
Percussion instruments	(bells, chimes, drums, gong)
String instruments	(fiddle, harp, lute, mandolin)
Wind instruments	(flute, pan pipes, recorder, trumpet)
Sing	(ballad, chant, melody)

Perform DC	Performance
10	Routine performance. Trying to earn money by playing in public is akin to begging. You can earn 1d10 cp/day.
15	Enjoyable performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d10 sp/day.
20	Great performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d10 sp/day. In time, you may be invited to join a professional troupe and may develop a regional reputation.
25	Memorable performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d6 gp/day. In time, you may come to the attention of noble patrons and develop a national reputation.
30	Extraordinary performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d6 gp/day. In time, you may draw attention from distant patrons, or even from extraplanar beings.

Check: You can impress audiences with your talent and skill in your chosen performance type.

Action: Varies. Trying to earn money by playing in public requires anywhere from an evening's work to a full day's performance. The bard's special Perform-based abilities are described in that class's description.

Try Again: Yes. Retries are allowed, but they don't negate previous failures, and an audience that has been unimpressed in the past is likely to be prejudiced against future performances. (Increase the DC by 2 for each previous failure.)

Special: A bard must have ranks in specific Perform categories to use some of his Bardic Performance abilities. A masterwork musical instrument gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on all Perform checks that involve its use.

Profession

(Wis; Trained Only)

You are skilled at a specific job. Like Craft, Knowledge, and Perform, Profession is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Profession skills, each with its own ranks. While a Craft skill represents ability in creating an item, a Profession skill represents an aptitude in a vocation requiring a broader range of less specific knowledge.

Tenebrae Adjustment: Profession skills may be used in place of knowledge and history checks within their field. For example, someone with Craft/Sculpture might roll their skill to identify the creator of a particular statue, or to know the history of sculpting within a specific area. They may also be used socially: a skill in woodcrafting would be worth something when interacting with similar crafters, and so on. Craft skills may also be earned via RPPs.

Available Profession Skills
Airman	Apothecary	Astrologer	Boater
Bookkeeper	Brewer	Cook	Driver
Gambler	Farmer	Fisher	Guide
Herbalist	Innkeeper	Lumberjack	Machinist
Merchant	Miller	Miner	Porter
Rancher	Sailor	Scribe	Siege Engineer
Stablehand	Tanner	Teacher	Teamster
Woodcutter

Airman

Knowledge of and a history of working with airships.

Tenebrae Adjustment: This is a house skill. Also, similar to profession and craft skills, it may be used in more than just obvious ways.

Check: You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the profession's daily tasks, how to supervise helpers, and how to handle common problems. You can also answer questions about your Profession. Basic questions are DC 10, while more complex questions are DC 15 or higher.

Action: Not applicable.

Try Again: Varies. An attempt to accomplish some specific task can usually be retried.

Untrained: Untrained laborers and assistants (that is, characters without any ranks in Profession) earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.

Special: A gnome gets a +2 bonus on a Craft or Profession skill of her choice.

Ride

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

You are skilled at riding mounts, usually a horse, but possibly something more exotic, like a griffon or pegasus. If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks.

Tenebrae Adjustment: We make use of Dire Destiny's Mounted Combat rules.

Skill Checks: The Ride skill replaces Handle Animal when used to control a mount. However, Handle Animal is required to train a mount and similar creatures.

Typical riding actions don't require checks. You can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount from a mount without a problem. The following tasks do require checks.

Task	Ride DC
Guide with knees	5
Stay in saddle	5
Fight with a combat-trained mount	10
Cover	15
Soft fall	15
Leap	15
Spur mount	15
Control mount in battle	20
Fast mount or dismount	20

Guide with Knees: You can guide your mount with your knees so you can use both hands in combat. Make your Ride check at the start of your turn. If you fail, you can use only one hand this round because you need to use the other to control your mount. This does not take an action.

Stay in Saddle: You can react instantly to try to avoid falling when your mount rears or bolts unexpectedly or when you take damage. This usage does not take an action.

Fight with a Combat-Trained Mount: If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action.

Cover: You can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your mount, using it as soft cover. You can't attack or cast spells while using your mount as cover. If you fail your Ride check, you don't get the cover benefit. Using this option is an immediate action, but recovering from this position is a move action (no check required).

Soft Cover: Creatures, even your enemies, can provide you with cover against ranged attacks, giving you a +4 bonus to AC. However, such soft cover provides no bonus on Reflex saves, nor does soft cover allow you to make a Stealth check.

Soft Fall: You negate damage when you fall off a mount. If you fail the Ride check, you take 1d6 points of damage and are prone. This usage does not take an action.

Leap: You can get your mount to leap obstacles as part of its movement. If the Ride check to make the leap succeeds, make a check using your Ride modifier or the mount's jump modifier, which is lower, to see how far the creature can jump. If you fail your Ride check, you fall off the mount when it leaps and take the appropriate falling damage (at least 1d6 points). This usage does not take an action but is part of the mount's movement.

Spur Mount: You can spur your mount to greater speed with a move action. A successful Ride check increases the mount's speed by 10 feet for 1 round but deals 1d3 points of damage to the creature. You can use this ability every round, but the mount becomes fatigued after a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score. This ability cannot be used on a fatigued mount.

Control Mount in Battle: As a move action, you can attempt to control a light horse, pony, heavy horse, or other mount not trained for combat riding while in battle. If you fail the Ride check, you can do nothing else in that round. You do not need to roll for horses or ponies trained for combat.

Fast Mount or Dismount: You can attempt to mount or dismount from a mount of up to one size category larger than yourself as a free action, provided that you still have a move action available that round. If you fail the Ride check, mounting or dismounting is a move action. You can't use fast mount or dismount on a mount more than one size category larger than yourself.

Dire Destiny Additions

In addition to the uses outlined in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, a character can also use her Ride Skill in place of certain other skills when she is mounted on her steed. This lets there be one skill check instead of two.

Acrobatics: when the rider is guiding her mount along a narrow path or ledge, when directing her mount to jump, or when attempting to avoid attacks of opportunity when guiding her mount through threatened spaces.

Athletics (Climbing):when the rider is guiding her mount over obstacles or up difficult inclines. The GM is the final arbiter of how difficult a climb the mount may attempt.

Escape Artist: when attempting to break a grapple involving both rider and mount, or when the rider is guiding her mount through a tight space. Make a single roll that affects both rider and mount.

Entertain: to entertain an audience as though she was using the Perform skill. In such a case, her "act" encompasses dressage and show jumping. Rider and mount require a large open area to create such a performance.

Action: Varies. Mounting or dismounting normally is a move action. Other checks are a move action, a free action, or no action at all, as noted above.

Special: If you are riding bareback, you take a –5 penalty on Ride checks.

If you have the Animal Affinity feat, you get a bonus on Ride checks (see Feats).

If you use a military saddle you get a +2 circumstance bonus on Ride checks related to staying in the saddle.

Ride is a prerequisite for Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, and Trample.

Sense Motive

(Wis)

You are skilled at detecting falsehoods and true intentions.

Check: A successful check lets you avoid being bluffed (see the Bluff skill). You can also use this skill to determine when “something is up” (that is, something odd is going on) or to assess someone's trustworthiness.

Task	Sense Motive DC
Hunch	20
Sense enchantment	25 or 15
Discern secret message	Varies

Hunch: This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another's behavior that something is wrong, such as when you're talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.

Sense Enchantment: You can tell that someone's behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect even if that person isn't aware of it. The usual DC is 25, but if the target is dominated (see dominate person), the DC is only 15 because of the limited range of the target's activities.

Discern Secret Message: You may use Sense Motive to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Bluff skill. In this case, your Sense Motive check is opposed by the Bluff check of the character transmitting the message. For each piece of information relating to the message that you are missing, you take a –2 penalty on your Sense Motive check. If you succeed by 4 or less, you know that something hidden is being communicated, but you can't learn anything specific about its content. If you beat the DC by 5 or more, you intercept and understand the message. If you fail by 4 or less, you don't detect any hidden communication. If you fail by 5 or more, you might infer false information.

Action: Trying to gain information with Sense Motive generally takes at least 1 minute, and you could spend a whole evening trying to get a sense of the people around you.

Try Again: No, though you may make a Sense Motive check for each Bluff check made against you.

Special: A ranger gains a bonus on Sense Motive checks when using this skill against a favored enemy.

If you have the Alertness feat, you get a bonus on Sense Motive checks (see Feats).

Sleight of Hand

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty; Trained Only)

Your training allows you to pick pockets, draw hidden weapons, and take a variety of actions without being noticed.

Check: A DC 10 Sleight of Hand check lets you palm a coin-sized, unattended object. Performing a minor feat of legerdemain, such as making a coin disappear, also has a DC of 10 unless an observer is determined to note where the item went.

When you use this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by the observer's Perception check. The observer's success doesn't prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed.

You can hide a small object (including a light weapon or an easily concealed ranged weapon, such as a dart, sling, or hand crossbow) on your body. Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone observing you or of anyone frisking you. In the latter case, the searcher gains a +4 bonus on the Perception check, since it's generally easier to find such an object than to hide it. A dagger is easier to hide than most light weapons, and grants you a +2 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it. An extraordinarily small object, such as a coin, shuriken, or ring, grants you a +4 bonus on your Sleight of Hand check to conceal it, and heavy or baggy clothing (such as a cloak) grants you a +2 bonus on the check.

Drawing a hidden weapon is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.

If you try to take something from a creature, you must make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. The opponent makes a Perception check to detect the attempt, opposed by the Sleight of Hand check result you achieved when you tried to grab the item. An opponent who succeeds on this check notices the attempt, regardless of whether you got the item. You cannot use this skill to take an object from another creature during combat if the creature is aware of your presence.

You can also use Sleight of Hand to entertain an audience as though you were using the Perform skill. In such a case, your “act” encompasses elements of legerdemain, juggling, and the like.

Sleight of Hand DC	Task
10	Palm a coin-sized object, make a coin disappear
20	Lift a small object from a person

Action: Any Sleight of Hand check is normally a standard action. However, you may perform a Sleight of Hand check as a move action by taking a –20 penalty on the check.

Try Again: Yes, but after an initial failure, a second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target (or while you are being watched by the same observer who noticed your previous attempt) increases the DC for the task by 10.

Untrained: An untrained Sleight of Hand check is simply a Dexterity check. Without actual training, you can't succeed on any Sleight of Hand check with a DC higher than 10, except for hiding an object on your body.

Special: If you have the Deft Hands feat, you get a bonus on Sleight of Hand checks (see Feats). This skill does not function against other PCs, by PCs. If you want to do some thieving, work it out between yourselves.

Spellcraft

(Int; Trained Only)

You are skilled at the art of casting spells, identifying magic items, crafting magic items, and identifying spells as they are being cast.

Check: Spellcraft is used whenever your knowledge and skill of the technical art of casting a spell or crafting a magic item comes into question. This skill is also used to identify the properties of magic items in your possession through the use of spells such as detect magic and identify. The DC of this check varies depending upon the task at hand.

Action: Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see the spell as it is being cast, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors. Learning a spell from a spellbook takes 1 hour per level of the spell (0-level spells take 30 minutes). Preparing a spell from a borrowed spellbook does not add any time to your spell preparation. Making a Spellcraft check to craft a magic item is made as part of the creation process. Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.

Retry: You cannot retry checks made to identify a spell. If you fail to learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll, you must wait at least 1 week before you can try again. If you fail to prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook, you cannot try again until the next day. When using detect magic or identify to learn the properties of magic items, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day. Additional attempts reveal the same results.

Special: If you are a specialist wizard, you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify, learn, and prepare spells from your chosen school. Similarly, you take a –5 penalty on similar checks made concerning spells from your opposition schools.

An elf gets a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify the properties of magic items.

If you have the Magical Aptitude feat, you gain a bonus on Spellcraft checks (see Feats).

Task	Spellcraft DC
Identify a spell as it is being cast	15 + spell level
Learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll	15 + spell level
Prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook	15 + spell level
Identify the properties of a magic item using detect magic	15 + item's caster level
Decipher a scroll	20 + spell level
Craft a magic item	Varies by item

Stealth

(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

You are skilled at avoiding detection, allowing you to slip past foes or strike from an unseen position. This skill covers hiding and moving silently.

Check: Your Stealth check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might notice you. Creatures that fail to beat your Stealth check are not aware of you and treat you as if you had total concealment. You can move up to half your normal speed and use Stealth at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than half but less than your normal speed, you take a -5 penalty. It's impossible to use Stealth while attacking, running, or charging.

Creatures gain a bonus or penalty on Stealth checks based on their size: Fine +16, Diminutive +12, Tiny +8, Small +4, Medium +0, Large -4, Huge -8, Gargantuan -12, Colossal -16.

If people are observing you using any of their senses (but typically sight), you can't use Stealth. Against most creatures, finding cover or concealment allows you to use Stealth. If your observers are momentarily distracted (such as by a Bluff check), you can attempt to use Stealth. While the others turn their attention from you, you can attempt a Stealth check if you can get to an unobserved place of some kind. This check, however, is made at a –10 penalty because you have to move fast.

Breaking Stealth: When you start your turn using Stealth, you can leave cover or concealment and remain unobserved as long as you succeed at a Stealth check and end your turn in cover or concealment. Your Stealth immediately ends after you make and attack roll, whether or not the attack is successful (except when sniping as noted below).

Sniping: If you've already successfully used Stealth at least 10 feet from your target, you can make one ranged attack and then immediately use Stealth again. You take a –20 penalty on your Stealth check to maintain your obscured location.

Creating a Diversion to Hide: You can use Bluff to allow you to use Stealth. A successful Bluff check can give you the momentary diversion you need to attempt a Stealth check while people are aware of you.

Action: Usually none. Normally, you make a Stealth check as part of movement, so it doesn't take a separate action. However, using Stealth immediately after a ranged attack (see Sniping, above) is a move action.

Special: If you are invisible, you gain a +40 bonus on Stealth checks if you are immobile, or a +20 bonus on Stealth checks if you're moving.

If you have the Stealthy feat, you get a bonus on Stealth checks (see Feats).

Survival

(Wis)

You are skilled at surviving in the wild and at navigating in the wilderness. You also excel at following trails and tracks left by others.

Check: You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild. The table below gives the DCs for various tasks that require Survival checks.

Survival DC	Task
10	Get along in the wild. Move up to half your overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies needed). You can provide food and water for one other person for every 2 points by which your check result exceeds 10.
15	Gain a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saves against severe weather while moving up to half your overland speed, or gain a +4 bonus if you remain stationary. You may grant the same bonus to one other character for every 1 point by which your Survival check result exceeds 15.
15	Keep from getting lost or avoid natural hazards, such as quicksand.
15	Predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. For every 5 points by which your Survival check result exceeds 15, you can predict the weather for one additional day in advance.

Follow Tracks: To find tracks or to follow them for 1 mile requires a successful Survival check. You must make another Survival check every time the tracks become difficult to follow. If you are not trained in this skill, you can make untrained checks to find tracks, but you can follow them only if the DC for the task is 10 or lower. Alternatively, you can use the Perception skill to find a footprint or similar sign of a creature's passage using the same DCs, but you can't use Perception to follow tracks, even if someone else has already found them.

You move at half your normal speed while following tracks (or at your normal speed with a –5 penalty on the check, or at up to twice your normal speed with a –20 penalty on the check). The DC depends on the surface and the prevailing conditions, as given on the table.

Surface	Survival DC
Very soft ground	5
Soft ground	10
Firm ground	15
Hard ground	20

Very Soft Ground: Any surface (fresh snow, thick dust, wet mud) that holds deep, clear impressions of footprints.

Soft Ground: Any surface soft enough to yield to pressure, but firmer than wet mud or fresh snow, in which a creature leaves frequent but shallow footprints.

Firm Ground: Most normal outdoor surfaces (such as lawns, fields, woods, and the like) or exceptionally soft or dirty indoor surfaces (thick rugs and very dirty or dusty floors). The creature might leave some traces (broken branches or tufts of hair), but it leaves only occasional or partial footprints.

Hard Ground: Any surface that doesn't hold footprints at all, such as bare rock or an indoor floor. Most streambeds fall into this category, since any footprints left behind are obscured or washed away. The creature leaves only traces (scuff marks or displaced pebbles).

Condition	Survival DC Modifier
Every three creatures in the group being tracked	–1
Size of creature or creatures being tracked:*
- Fine	+8
- Diminutive	+4
- Tiny	+2
- Small	+1
- Medium	+0
- Large	–1
- Huge	–2
- Gargantuan	–4
- Colossal	–8
Every 24 hours since the trail was made	+1
Every hour of rain since the trail was made	+1
Fresh snow since the trail was made	+10
Poor visibility:**
- Overcast or moonless night	+6
- Moonlight	+3
- Fog or precipitation	+3
Tracked party hides trail (and moves at half speed)	+5

* For a group of mixed sizes, apply only the modifier for the largest size category.

** Apply only the largest modifier from this category.

Several modifiers may apply to the Survival check, as given on the table above.

Action: Varies. A single Survival check may represent activity over the course of hours or a full day. A Survival check made to find tracks is at least a full-round action, and it may take even longer.

Try Again: Varies. For getting along in the wild or for gaining the Fortitude save bonus noted in the first table above, you make a Survival check once every 24 hours. The result of that check applies until the next check is made. To avoid getting lost or avoid natural hazards, you make a Survival check whenever the situation calls for one. Retries to avoid getting lost in a specific situation or to avoid a specific natural hazard are not allowed. For finding tracks, you can retry a failed check after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes (indoors) of searching.

Special: If you are trained in Survival, you can automatically determine where true north lies in relation to yourself.

A ranger gains a bonus on Survival checks when using this skill to find or follow the tracks of a favored enemy.

If you have the Self-Sufficient feat, you get a bonus on Survival checks (see Feats).

Use Magic Device

(Cha; Trained Only)

You are skilled at activating magic items, even if you are not otherwise trained in their use.

Check: You can use this skill to read a spell or to activate a magic item. Use Magic Device lets you use a magic item as if you had the spell ability or class features of another class, as if you were a different race, or as if you were of a different alignment.

You make a Use Magic Device check each time you activate a device such as a wand. If you are using the check to emulate an alignment or some other quality in an ongoing manner, you need to make the relevant Use Magic Device check once per hour.

You must consciously choose which requirement to emulate. That is, you must know what you are trying to emulate when you make a Use Magic Device check for that purpose. The DCs for various tasks involving Use Magic Device checks are summarized on the table below.

Task	Use Magic Device DC
Activate blindly	25
Decipher a written spell	25 + spell level
Use a scroll	20 + caster level
Use a wand	20
Emulate a class feature	20
Emulate an ability score	See text
Emulate a race	25
Emulate an alignment	30

Activate Blindly: Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you're not and even if you don't know it. You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate. You get a +2 bonus on your Use Magic Device check if you've activated the item in question at least once before. If you fail by 9 or less, you can't activate the device. If you fail by 10 or more, you suffer a mishap. A mishap means that magical energy gets released but doesn't do what you wanted it to do. The default mishaps are that the item affects the wrong target or that uncontrolled magical energy is released, dealing 2d6 points of damage to you. This mishap is in addition to the chance for a mishap that you normally risk when you cast a spell from a scroll that you could not otherwise cast yourself.

Decipher a Written Spell: This usage works just like deciphering a written spell with the Spellcraft skill, except that the DC is 5 points higher. Deciphering a written spell requires 1 minute of concentration.

Emulate an Ability Score: To cast a spell from a scroll, you need a high score in the appropriate ability (Intelligence for wizard spells, Wisdom for divine spells, or Charisma for sorcerer or bard spells). Your effective ability score (appropriate to the class you're emulating when you try to cast the spell from the scroll) is your Use Magic Device check result minus 15. If you already have a high enough score in the appropriate ability, you don't need to make this check.

Emulate an Alignment: Some magic items have positive or negative effects based on the user's alignment. Use Magic Device lets you use these items as if you were of an alignment of your choice. You can emulate only one alignment at a time.

Emulate a Class Feature: Sometimes you need to use a class feature to activate a magic item. In this case, your effective level in the emulated class equals your Use Magic Device check result minus 20. This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature. If the class whose feature you are emulating has an alignment requirement, you must meet it, either honestly or by emulating an appropriate alignment with a separate Use Magic Device check (see above).

Emulate a Race: Some magic items work only for members of certain races, or work better for members of those races. You can use such an item as if you were a member of a race of your choice. You can emulate only one race at a time.

Use a Scroll: Normally, to cast a spell from a scroll, you must have the scroll's spell on your class spell list. Use Magic Device allows you to use a scroll as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. The DC is equal to 20 + the caster level of the spell you are trying to cast from the scroll. In addition, casting a spell from a scroll requires a minimum score (10 + spell level) in the appropriate ability. If you don't have a sufficient score in that ability, you must emulate the ability score with a separate Use Magic Device check.

This use of the skill also applies to other spell completion magic items.

Use a Wand, Staff, or Other Spell Trigger Item: Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand's spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill allows you to use a wand as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. Failing the roll does not expend a charge.

Action: None. The Use Magic Device check is made as part of the action (if any) required to activate the magic item.

Try Again: Yes, but if you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate an item and you fail, then you can't try to activate that item again for 24 hours.

Special: You cannot take 10 with this skill. You can't aid another on Use Magic Device checks. Only the user of the item may attempt such a check.

If you have the Magical Aptitude feat, you gain a bonus on Use Magic Device checks (see Feats).