Talk:Skills

All Possible Sources of Skill Bonuses

• skill basis (automatic/passive) — +1 to +9
• magic enhancement (item) — +1 to +9 (+1 to +5 pre-epic, +6 to +9 epic)
• feats:

• skill expert feat — +2
• skill specialist feat — +2
• skill prodigy feat — +1
• less dedicated feats — +1 to +4
• tertiary feats — +1

• racial traits or class feature

• major trait or major class feature — +1 to +4
• minor trait or lesser class feature — +1 to +2

• weapon bonus (from weapon qualities) — +1 to +4 (only for specific combat maneuvers)

Advanced Skill Feats

• Skill Expert (Feat) - level 1 - +2 to skill check, +1 to skill crit range (19-20), no bonus to skill crit bonus
• Skill Specialist (Feat) - level 11 - +2 to skill check (+4 total), +1 to crit range (18-20), +2 to crit bonus (+7 on crit), bonus ability
• Skill Prodigy (Feat) - level 21 - +1 to skill check (+5 total), +1 to crit range (17-20), +3 to crit bonus (+10 on crit), bonus ability
• Skill Virtuoso (Feat) - level 31 - apply benefits of Skill Expert, Skill Specialist and Skill Prodigy feats to two other skills in which you have at least 31 ranks.

Acrobatics

• better mitigation of falling damage (e.g. allowed to make a check even if the falling wasn't intentional; mitigation applies to more than just the first (or second) 10 feet, etc.)

• specialist: tumble maneuver as an attack action
• prodigy: vaulting speed equal to walk speed

Barter

• barter roll against challenging DC for CR of a monster generates 10 percent more treasure, failure to make an average roll removes ten percent
• barter roll can be used for bluff or diplomacy in 'low society' at normal.
• diplomacy gains a new situation modifier of =/- 5 for 'high or low' society
• barter roll can be used for bluff and diplomacy in 'high society' at -5 to rolls
• barter is used for 'quick talk' type skill rolls to talk your way into things. we don't currently have a quick talk skill?
• barter is used for smuggling and other flim-flam type situations, ie, 'low society' from above
• barter is a direct swap for bluff or diplomacy vs monsters (low society)

• specialist: choose either one weapon, armor, shield, or implement. That item adds +1 to the enhancement bonus it already possesses, without altering the cost of the item, or any future enhancement bonuses. This ability allows the chosen item to reach a +10 enhancement bonus (instead of a maximum of +9). Once selected, you cannot change which item this ability applies to (though you may upgrade that item) unless you use the re-selection rules to do so.
• prodigy: choose one magic item you own. That item no longer occupies a magic item slot (it becomes slotless). Once selected, you cannot change which item this ability applies to (though you may upgrade that item) unless you use the re-selection rules to do so.

Bluff

• specialist: Yeah, I TOTALLY know how to do that! -- once per day, you can perform a skill check using your bluff skill in place of any other skill
• prodigy: That other time was just practice -- choose one ability you know that can only be used once per day. That ability can now be used once per encounter. (Choice is permanent, requires reselection to change)

Diplomacy

• specialist: once per encounter, you can convince a foe to either use or not use their attack of opportunity (your choice) against a creature they consider an enemy, despite what they actually want to do.
• prodigy: once per encounter, you can convince a foe that a creature of your choice is either an ally or an enemy (your choice) to that foe until the start of your next turn.

Disable Device

• specialist: Objects you are currently wearing or wielding cannot gain the broken status, such as from being the target of a sunder maneuver.
• prodigy: Once per encounter as an immediate action, you can change the origin space of a trap to a different space within 15 feet of its present location. You must be aware of the location of the trap's origin space prior to using this ability.

Disguise

• specialist: you can apply the glamered magic armor property to any armor you are wearing. This costs nothing and does not reduce the total number of magic properties your armor may otherwise have. Can also be applied to clothing, if you don't wear armor. You can change what armor this effect is applied to as part of a full night's rest, but it can only be applied to something you are wearing.
• prodigy: you can apply the glamered magic weapon property to any weapon you are wielding. This costs nothing and does not reduce the total number of magic properties your weapon may otherwise have. Can also be applied to an implement, rod, staff, or wand, if you aren't wielding a weapon. You can change what weapon this effect is applied to as part of a full night's rest, but it can only be applied to something you are wielding.

Divinity

• specialist: Once per day, you can bless each player character in your party as a standard action (can be done outside of combat), granting them a +1 bonus to a single die roll of their choice. This ability must be used before the next full night's rest or within 24 hours, whichever is sooner, or the bonus expires. This bonus does not lay a divine or arcane charge.
• prodigy: Once per day, you can bless each player character in your party as a standard action (can be done outside of combat), granting them a +1d6+1 bonus to a single die roll of their choice. This ability must be used before the next full night's rest or within 24 hours, whichever is sooner, or the bonus expires. This bonus does not lay a divine or arcane charge. This ability can be used in the same day as the ability granted by the Specialist feat for Divinity, and may even be used for the same die roll, if the player character wishes.

Escape Artist

• specialist: Once per day, you can perform an escape artist check to escape a status condition (that allows an escape artist check) as an immediate action.
• prodigy: You can always use escape artist to escape any status condition, even if it is not normally allowed. However, if there is no DC listed, it defaults to an Impossible DC versus the CR of the monster, trap, or environment which inflicted the condition. If there is no action type listed, it requires a swift action for a lesser condition, an attack action for a moderate condition, and a standard action for a strong condition. As always, this cannot be applied to special conditions (i.e., injured, bloodied, staggered, unconscious, dying, or dead).

Handle Animal

• specialist: totemic weapon - apply totemic iconography to your weapon as part of a full night's rest. Break totem to grant yourself a bonus attack (1/day); re-apply totem during next full night's rest.
• prodigy: adv. totemic weapon - while totem is unbroken, applies +1 to-hit, and +1 base weapon damage to the weapon.

Heal

• specialist: you can perform any Heal check that normally requires a standard action as an attack action instead. In addition, you can perform the Subdue maneuver using your Heal skill, if you wish.
• prodigy: immune to Wisdom dilution/damage/drain, as well as bruised, bleed, and rupture status conditions (basically, things that reduce or prevent heals)

Intimidate

• specialist: your AC is treated as being 1 higher against any creature that is not immune to fear (you're too scary to attack; this is a circumstance bonus)
• prodigy: once per encounter, you can perform a demoralize maneuver as an immediate action. Doesn't count against the 'one maneuver per round' limit, since it is done outside of your turn.

Knowledge: Arcana

• specialist: learn one 1st level Sorcerer / Wizard Spell you don't already know, gain three spell slots to cast it (i.e. 3/day). Even non-casters can use this.
• prodigy: choose one spell you are able to cast (can even be from a rod). That spell no longer lays an arcane charge when you cast it. The maximum spell level of this spell must be equal to or less than your character level / 10 (dropping fractions; i.e. a 1st level spell if you are between levels 10 to 19, a 2nd level spell if you are between levels 20 to 29, and a 3rd level spell if you are level 30+).

Knowledge: Deep History

• specialist: Up to once per day, when in a library, you may perform a library check as a free action (normally, they require hours or days to perform).
• prodigy: You may use this skill in place of any other knowledge skill when performing a lore check, but you do so at a -3 penalty. If you also have the Skill Prodigy feat bonus for the Knowledge: History skill (or gained it through the Skill Virtuoso feat), you may instead use either this skill or History to perform any lore check, and do so with a +3 bonus to the check.

Knowledge: Dungeoneering

• specialist: Up to once per day when inside a dungeon, you can create a campsite that is completely safe from random encounters, preventing all encounters for up to 24 hours, as long as no allied creatures leave the campsite for any reason. The campsite you can create has a radius equal to your ranks in the Knowledge: Dungeoneering skill in feet, rounded down to the nearest 5-foot increment.
• prodigy: You gain the ability to cast the Greater Teleport spell, but only if the starting point or the destination of the spell is inside of a dungeon. This spell is a ritual, requiring multiple hours to cast, but it can be a very useful way to leave or return to a dungeon, without all the hassle of actually walking places.

Knowledge: Engineering

• specialist: When you perform a sunder maneuver, you inflict 1 additional point of siege damage / durability damage if you successfully equal or exceed the target's Maneuver Defense (in addition to the sunder damage you normally inflict. When you perform a Disarm Trap maneuver, you inflict 1d6 points of additional siege damage / durability damage to the target trap, as long as you equal or exceed the trap's Disarm DC.
• prodigy: Once per encounter, after you successfully perform a Disarm Trap maneuver against a trap that can distinguish friends from foes, you can alter that trap to switch the friend or foe status of one creature present in the encounter. If the trap cannot distinguish friend from foe, you can instead alter the trap to be unable to target one creature of your choice. These alterations remain in place until the trap is repaired or completely disabled, or until the end of the encounter.

Knowledge: Geography

• specialist: You are highly skilled at determining the natural swells and dips of various terrain types. Once per encounter as a free action, when in a natural (unmodified) location, you can declare one unoccupied, unblocked square of the battlefield to be higher ground. Any creature making a melee attack from that space gains the higher ground circumstance bonus (+1 to hit).
• prodigy: You are so accustomed to taking advantage of terrain features, it has become second nature to you. All of your movement speeds increase by 10 feet, and when determining the overland travel speed of your party, you increase everyone's speed by 10 feet (but only for overland travel).

Knowledge: History

• specialist: Up to once per day, when in a library, you may perform a library check as a free action (normally, they require hours or days to perform).
• prodigy: You may use this skill in place of any other knowledge skill when performing a lore check, but you do so at a -3 penalty. If you also have the Skill Prodigy feat bonus for the Knowledge: Deep History skill (or gained it through the Skill Virtuoso feat), you may instead use either this skill or Deep History to perform any lore check, and do so with a +3 bonus to the check.

Knowledge: Local

• specialist: While in a settlement, you are always treated as having a workshop or appropriate workspace.
• prodigy: You can reduce the downtime required to perform any downtime action by 1 day, after the check result is determined, but the minimum time to perform any downtime action remains 1 day.

Knowledge: Logic

• specialist: learn one 1st level alchemist's extract you don't already know, you are able to prepare and use three of these extracts per day. Even non-alchemists can use this. Has the same restrictions as alchemist extracts (self-use only unless you take discoveries to allow others to use it, expires after 24 hours, etc.)
• prodigy: choose one extract you are able to prepare. That extract no longer lays an arcane charge when you activate it. The maximum extract level of this extract must be equal to or less than your character level / 10 (dropping fractions; i.e. a 1st level extract if you are between levels 10 to 19, a 2nd level extract if you are between levels 20 to 29, and a 3rd level extract if you are level 30+).

Knowledge: Nature

• specialist: Up to once per day, you can create a campsite that is completely safe from random encounters, preventing all encounters for up to 24 hours, as long as no allied creatures leave the campsite for any reason. The campsite you can create has a radius equal to your ranks in the Knowledge: Nature skill, rounded down to the nearest 5 foot-increment.
• prodigy: You gain the ability to prepare one Ranger Poultice that you do not already know, once per day. The poultice level must be equal to or less than your character level / 10 (dropping fractions; i.e. poultice level 1 for character level 10 to 19, poultice level 2 for character level 20 to 29, and poultice level 3 for character level 30+). The chosen poultice does not lay an arcane charge when used on yourself (though it will lay an arcane charge if used by anyone other than you, assuming it lays a charge to begin with).

Knowledge: Nobility

• specialist: Learn one 1st level Paladin spell you don't already know, gain three spell slots to cast it (i.e. 3/day). Even non-casters can use this.
• prodigy: You gain the Lesser Nobility lifestyle for free forever, and the title to go with it, in a kingdom of your choosing. Once chosen, this location cannot be changed except through the Reselection Process.

Knowledge: Planes

• specialist: You have studied the secrets of the infinite planes of the multiverse. You can ignore an amount of environmental damage equal to your ranks in Knowledge: Planes (this counts as ER or DR of the appropriate type(s), but only for environmental damage).
• prodigy: You have sipped from the Well of Power, breathed the infinite purity of the Nascent Seed, and stood in the presence of the Outer Madness. You no longer need to breathe, eat, or drink, unless you want to.

Knowledge: Religion

• specialist: learn one 1st level Cleric spell you don't already know, gain three spell slots to cast it (i.e. 3/day). Even non-casters can use this.
• prodigy: choose one spell you are able to cast (can even be from a rod). That spell no longer lays a divine charge when you cast it. The maximum spell level of this spell must be equal to or less than your character level / 10 (dropping fractions; i.e. a 1st level spell if you are between levels 10 to 19, a 2nd level spell if you are between levels 20 to 29, and a 3rd level spell if you are level 30+).

Linguistics

• specialist: his name is a killing word - once per encounter, as an attack action, you can pronounce a single word of OM, against a single target you can perceive within 30 feet of your space, inflicting 1 point of psychic damage per character level you possess, times the tier of your character (for example, a level 10 character, who is tier 2, would inflict 20 points, while a level 11 character, who has just entered tier 3, would inflict 33).
• prodigy: for he IS the kwisa, quizatch, kiwi, ah whatever - you can now use 'his name is a killing word' up to once per round (instead of once per encounter), and it can be used as either a swift action or as an attack action (instead of just an attack action). Target can now be a single creature you can perceive within 120 feet of your space (instead of 30 feet).

Might

• specialist: choose one item you are carrying that weighs less than your light load. This item's weight is no longer counted against your light load (its weight is treated as 0 lbs).
• prodigy: all of your melee or ranged weapon attacks (includes rays?) are now treated as having the Sunder quality.

Movement

• specialist: you can perform an Overrun maneuver as an attack action. You are still limited to one combat maneuver per round, however (as always).
• prodigy: gain lesser flight equal to your walk speed. If you already have a source of flight speed, it increases by 30 feet, instead.

Naturalism

• specialist: Once per encounter, when you hit a creature with type or subtype of 'Humanoid', you can resolve your hit as a critical hit
• prodigy: Once per encounter (or once per day if there are no encounters that day), you can resolve a single skill check as though you rolled a natural 20 result.

Perception

• specialist: You may perform a Spot check (an active perception check) as an attack action (instead of a move action). During a full attack action, the attack action used by this ability can be any of your remaining attack actions, including your worst, and it may be performed during any part of your full attack action (i.e. it doesn't need to be done when you would normally roll your worst attack action in sequence).
• prodigy: Up to once per round, you may perform a Spot check (an active perception check) as a free action.

Perform

• specialist: Simply Enchanting: Learn one 1st level Bard spell you don't already know, gain three spell slots to cast it (i.e. 3/day). Even non-casters can use this.
• prodigy: Are You Not Entertained?: When you cast a spell or use an ability that grants one or more numerical bonuses to one or more target creatures, you may choose one of the numerical bonuses applied, and increase it by +1 for the duration of the spell or ability. This is performed as part of the same action as casting the spell or using the ability, and the increase applies to all recipients of the selected bonus. This effect cannot be used on more than one spell or ability at a time (using it again while an affected bonus is still in place will replace the older bonus).

Profession

• specialist: overcome failures - once per encounter, you can reroll a d20 roll you just made. If you have more than one profession with at least 11 ranks, you can use this a number of additional times per encounter equal to that number of qualifying profession skills.
• prodigy: learn from mistakes - permanently increase all three of your saves (Fort, Refl, and Will) by +1, --OR-- increase all of your to-hits by +1. You may only pick one of these, unless you have two or more professions with at least 21 ranks each, in which case you gain both. You cannot take the same benefit again, no matter how many professions you have 21 ranks in, however.

Reason

• specialist: up to once per day, you can gain the full benefits of a potion by drinking only half of it. You must drink the other half of the potion before your next full night's rest (or within 24 hours, whichever is sooner), or it becomes inert and useless.
• prodigy: any potion you consume is treated as having a creator level equal to your character level, instead of its actual creator level. Potions you purchase must still meet the minimum creator level required to cast the spell that the potion is providing, as always.

Ride

• specialist: gain access to an additional mount special ability from any mount (you must still advance the mount's CR to actually apply it, of course). You can take the same special ability more than once; if it has limited uses per encounter or day, you gain an additional use, etc.
• prodigy: gain access to two additional mount special abilities from any mount (for a total of 4 (1 base, 1 from previous feat, 2 from this feat)).

Sense Motive

• specialist: Predict Behavior -- once per day, before the start of an encounter, you may alter the starting location of a single enemy creature, placing it into any unblocked, unoccupied space that is no more than 50 feet away from another enemy creature. This ability may not be used on creatures with Roles that make them worth more XP than a single creature (i.e. it still works on minions and skirmishers, but not on heavies, tanks, threats, etc.) You must be aware of, and able to perceive, the creature you wish to affect with this ability (so it cannot be used if you are ambushed, or are surprised).
• prodigy: You can now use Predict Behavior once per encounter, and on up to two non-role creatures. In addition, you can use it even during a surprise round, as long as you can perceive the creature you wish to affect.

Sleight of Hand

• specialist: Any weapon you wield (including a ray) is treated as having the Deceptive quality. If the weapon already has the Deceptive quality, this ability has no effect.
• prodigy: Sleight of Being: The first time each encounter that you would be successfully hit by an attack (that included a to-hit roll that equaled or exceeded your AC), the attack is resolved as a miss. This ability can never be used more than once per encounter, even with the use of action points, and it must always be used against the first successful attack made against you (i.e., you can't save it up for a worse attack later).

Spellcraft

• specialist: Up to once per day, you can cast a spell from a scroll without consuming it, as long as you read it again (and actually consume it) before your next full night's rest (or within 24 hours, whichever is sooner), or the scroll becomes inert and is wasted.
• prodigy: any scroll you read is activated as though it has a caster level equal to your character level, instead of the creator level of the scroll.

Spycraft

• specialist: Depends On How You Look At It: Once per round as a free action, choose one ally you can perceive. You can declare one of the following:

• the ally is granting you a flank against one enemy they threaten (even if you aren't in a flanking position)
• the ally is threatening a creature they are adjacent to (even if they aren't wielding a weapon that threatens)
• the ally is not threatening a creature within their melee reach (even if they actually are threatening that creature)

The chosen effect is only applicable to your own attacks, and only until the end of your current turn.

• prodigy: Move Through The Shadows: Once per encounter, you can teleport (as Lesser Teleport) up to your Walk speed as a swift action.

Stealth

• specialist: Once per round, you may declare that a single enemy you can perceive does not have line of sight to you until the start of your next turn.
• prodigy: You can initiate a stealth stance and move up to half your speed up to once per round as a free action. However, this ability cannot be used during any round in which you broke a stealth stance for any reason (either voluntarily or due to discovery).

Survival

• specialist: triple any environmental ER or DR you possess (such as from clothing or armor, or the Endurance feat), and you can apply this to any damage caused by the environment, even if it is not specifically environmental damage (e.g. damage caused by a tree falling on you, if that tree was knocked over by a strong environmental wind).
• prodigy: you gain 'Hardened' against all environmental damage and damage caused by the environment.

Use Magic Device

• specialist: as part of a full night's rest, you can more completely attune to a single command-word-triggered item you own, allowing you to use that item as long as it is on your person and not in an extra-dimensional space (i.e. not in a bag of holding, handy haversack, etc.), even if you aren't wielding it.
• prodigy: you can issue a command word (e.g. to trigger a rod) as an attack action instead of a standard action

Warfare

• specialist: Up to once per round, you may add your Warfare skill bonus as bonus damage to a damage roll you are making against an enemy against whom you (or anyone in your party) have gained Full Lore knowledge.
• prodigy: Once per round, you may declare that an enemy you just hit with an attack is now flanked by any of your allies that can threaten that creature before the start of your next turn. You, or someone in your party, must have Full Lore knowledge of the creature in order to use this ability.