Skills

Skills are how character add bonuses to different actions they might want to perform. When you state that you would like your character to perform an action that requires skill, the Narrator will call on you to make a skill roll that fits with the action. The Narrator will choose a Difficulty Challenge based on how difficult the task is to perform in the given situation. Succeeding on this skill check is considered to be successfully performing the action. Failing to meet the DC is considered to be failing to complete the desired action. Some skills will be more or less valuable in certain campaign settings and some may be restricted by the Narrator.

Skill Modifiers

When rolling a skill roll there will usually be modifiers associated with the roll. Each Skill has a correlating attribute and that attribute’s modifier is what modifies the skill roll. The higher the attribute the higher the modifier attached to the skill check. Having a negative modifier is also possible, due to certain character traits, quirks or low Attribute values. Any training the character has in that skill is also added to the roll. This all notated and calculated in the skills section of a character sheet.

Difficulty Challenge

Commonly referred to as DC, the Difficulty Challenge is how the Narrator sets the bar for performing different tasks. Is it fairly easy to succeed? Then the DC should be low. Is it a more complex or difficult version of that task, or are there conditions that make it harder to perform? Then the DC should be higher. Below is an easy to follow reference chart for how high to set the DC for most skill challenges. As always the Narrator has the final say on what a DC is in a given setting and these rules are more like guidelines.

Skills Usage

This section will outline the various skills utilized in Altered Realms and outline when and where it is best to use them.

Acrobatics

Used when attempting to bend, contort, or maneuver your body in a flexible or lithe manner.

Apothecary

Used in the crafting of brews and potions, plant combinations, cooking and knowledge related to such things.

Arcane

Used for any magic related tasks or actions, such as utilizing magical senses or knowledge checks.

Athletics

Used when performing actions such as running, jumping, lifting, climbing and swimming.

Charm

Used when attempting to get a creature to be more friendly towards you via smooth words or flirtation.

Debate

Used when attempting to alter another sentient creature’s current point of view.

Deception

Used when attempting to lie, fib, bend the truth, or purposefully omit details and information in conversations with other sentient creatures.

Driving

Used for the control and maneuvering of mounts and vehicles.

Engineering

Used when attempting complex mathematics and to build, assemble, craft, program or deconstruct anything in game.

Fine Motor

Used when attempting tasks that require muscle memory and fine motor skills, such as lockpicking, pickpocketing, disarming Traps, activating Traps, drawing or writing quickly or elegantly.

Insight

Used when attempting to ascertain the current mood or mindset of another creature or creatures.

Intimidate

Used when trying to frighten, or coerce another creature.

Investigation

Used when a character is attempting to closely examine their surroundings, including touching and manipulating objects. Attempts at Investigation when you cannot touch the target of your investigation are always made with Disadvantage.

Knowledge

Used when making non magic related knowledge checks and when attempting to recall specific information to which your character has previously been exposed.

Medicine

Used when attempting to set broken bones, stabilize wounded individuals and staunch bleeding wounds.

Navigation

Used when attempting to plot courses for long distance travel or to use stars and other natural data to determine ones global or realm positioning.

Perception

Used whenever a character wants to actively survey their surroundings using any or all of their available senses.

Stealth

Used when attempting to hide items on your person or avoid detection.

Survival

Used when attempting to survive harsh conditions or track creatures in non-urban environments.

Item Crafting

To craft anything the crafter must have two things.: 1st, the crafter must have Materials necessary for the creation of such an item, 2nd, the crafter must make an appropriate corresponding Skill Roll in order to successfully Craft an item of that Rarity.

As a General Rule the Creation of Weapons, Armor, Art, Documents and Clothing should utilize the Fine Motor Skill. The Creation of Enchanted Items should utilize the Arcane Skill. The Creation of Designs, Inventions or Contraptions should utilize the Engineering Skill. The Creation of Potions, Poultices, Salves, Reagents, Poisons, Food, Beverage and Medicine should utilize the Apocathy Skill. Use the Tables below as a reference.

Crafting Failure

If the Crafter does not meet or exceed a DC of 16 the Materials are used but the desired Item is not Created. If the Desired item was a Weapon, Armor or Clothing the Materials can be recycled and used again.

Breaking Down Items

Crafters can freely use the materials found in other items to create new ones as long as they have the required toolkit to do so(Weaponsmith’s Toolkit for Weapons, Armorsmiths Toolkit for Armors, Tinkerers Toolkit for Items etc.). The item(s) created from recycled items must be the same size or smaller than the original item.

Collecting Materials

Creatures can Purchase or Salvage Item Materials and can Purchase or Forage for Potion Materials. Use the table below as a reference for how difficult it should be to find or salvage materials.

Physical Skill Rolls

Physical skill Rolls are made for actions that require direct interaction and substantial physical force.

To attempt a physical skill check, expend an Action, Motion or Movement depending on the task type. Then Roll an Athletics or Acrobatics Skill Roll, whichever applies to the situation and Add the Corresponding Skill Modifier to the Die Result.The Narrator will Specify and has the final call on what skills apply to which situations.

For the Narrator: Physical Skill Rolls that involve movement over distance should typically require a Movement Action. Physical Skill Rolls that involve breaking, smashing or dealing damage should typically require an Attack Action. Physical Skill Rolls that involve small feats of Strength or Dexterity, such as doing a handstand or flipping a table should typically require a Motion.

Mental Skill Rolls

Mental skill checks are actions that don’t require physical interaction in order to accomplish, such as calculations and observations. To attempt a Mental skill check simply state your desired intent to the Narrator and Roll the Skill Roll Tpe given and add the correlation Skill Modifier to the Die Roll.

For the Narrator: If a creature is attempting to recall or determine if they know something, Knowledge should typically be used. If a Creature is attempting to solve a complex problem, interpret designs or schematics or read blueprints, Engineering should typically be used. If a Creature is trying to closely examine data, clues or surroundings, Investigation should typically be used, this usually requires touching. If a creature is attempting to interact with magic in any way shape or form, the Arcane Skill should typically be used and should not be utilized by untrained individuals.

Social Skill Rolls

Social skill checks are made whenever a Creature attempts to use language and
communication skills in order to accomplish a desired effect or outcome, or to convey and message in a specific way.

For the Narrator: If a creature is attempting to mislead or deceive another in any way, Deception should typically be used. If a creature is attempting to endear or butter up another creature, Charm should typically be used. If a creature is attempting to Argue or Convince another creature to see things their way, Debate should typically be used. If a creature is attempting to frighten, belittle or cow another, Intimidation should typically be used.

Perception Skill Rolls

The Perception Skill is always used when attempting to quickly detect danger, other creatures or examine one's surroundings, usually without touching.

Players and Creatures can also use Insight to detect moods and emotional climates as well as attempt to determine the sincerity of other creatures in person communications.

When perceiving its surroundings a Creature is considered to use all of their available senses and narrators should keep in mind that immersive creatures cannot only be seen, they can also be heard, smelled and in some situations, touched.

Skill Times

As a rule Perception and Insight Skill Rolls typically use a single Motion, Skill Rolls such as Acrobatics and Athletics typically require an Action and CHA and INT based Skill Rolls can be made once per turn at no Action Cost.

Extended skill rolls such as Fine Motor Skills to pick a lock or create art and Investigation rolls to search rooms, require various amounts of time to perform that is largely up to the Narrator. Use the Table below as a Reference.

Failing Skill Rolls

When a character Fails a Skill Roll they cannot attempt that same Skill Roll again for at least 10 Minutes, unless their bonuses for that Skill Check are modified by a spell or ability or they are Convinced to do so, via a CHA based Skill Check, by another Player or NPC. As far as the character who failed the skill check knows, they did the task to the best of their ability and would not be willing to try again until conditions or their mindset changes. If they are alone or unobserved when they perform a skill check that does not immediately reveal whether or not it failed, such as securing a rope or setting a trap, they are also considered to be unaware of how well they performed on their skill check and would not take actions to correct mistakes unless they took the time to Investigate their work.

Failing a Skill Check should, at least sometimes, have physical Consequences; If you fail an Athletics skill check to break down a door you may receive a d4 or d6 of Blunt Damage, Or if you fail to climb a rope you may fall, Or if you fail to disarm a trap it may activate, Or if you fail a Navigation skill Check you may get lost.

Critical Success and Failure

Rolling a 20 or a 1 on a d20 should always feel significant. When a creature rolls a 1 or a 20 on a skill roll the below section applies.

Critically Succeeding on Skill Rolls

When you roll a 20 on the die on a skill check, If your roll is high enough to meet the DC, you are considered to execute the check with style and flair and may grant a +1 Inspiration Bonus to allies that can see you until the end of your next turn.

Critically Failing on Skill Rolls

When you roll a 1 on the die on a skill check, you are considered to automatically fail, regardless of whether you were able to meet the DC or not

Skill Training

Skill Training grants players a static bonus to trained skills and the bonus granted from Skill Training increases with character level. Refer to the following chart for progression.

Spending XP on Skill Training

Each time a character levels up and during character creation they may spend XP directly on Skill Training. Keep in mind that many traits and abilities will also grant training in specific skills.

The cost for skill training increases incrementally at higher levels, refer to the table below for the XP cost for new skill training at all levels.

Calculating Skill Bonuses

All skills have a correlating Attribute that adds its Modifier to applicable skill checks. The applicable Attribute Modifier is noted adjacent to the skill. Skill Training is then added if applicable, then any miscellaneous modifiers from Items, Abilities or Conditions, noted in the next two adjacent spaces. Your total is what you will refer to when rolling skills. Remember to recalculate these numbers when leveling up.