Certain portions of this document are Open Game Content, per the Open Game License. The Open Game License is attached to the end of the main page. All of the pages and text in the House Rules section is Open Game Content except any mentioned setting names (primarily Theralis and Forgotten Realms). Artwork and text in any other section is Closed Content. Open Content may be reproduced per the rules of the Open Game License. Closed Content may not be reproduced.
Please see the Open Gaming License for the appropriate legalese.
Note: The actual skill list is included with the feats, in the Skill Feats section.
Characters gain a number of skill points at each level based on their point allocation in the Class Rules section. A character may have 12 skills which are considered "class skills" (based on background and childhood interests); these cost 1 skill point per +1 rank in the skill. All other skills cost 2 skill points per +1 rank in the skill.
A character may have a maximum of level +3 skill points into any single skill. The actual skill rank can be higher by means of high attributes, feats, enchantments and various other effects.
In addition to class-based skill points, a character gains a number of skill points equal to his or her INT modifier (treat as 0 if INT is below 10).
When the character uses a skill, the character makes a skill check to see how well the character does. The higher the result on the character's skill check, the better the character does. Based on the circumstances, the character's result must match or beat a particular number to use the skill successfully. The harder the task, the higher the number the character needs to roll.
To make a skill check, roll 1d20 and add the character's skill modifier for that skill. The skill modifier incorporates the character's rank with that skill, the character's ability modifier for that skill's key ability, and any other miscellaneous modifiers the character has, including racial bonuses and any armor check penalty. The higher the result, the better. A natural 20 is not an automatic success, and a natural 1 is not an automatic failure.
DC: Some checks are made against a Difficulty Class (DC). The DC is a number that the character must score as a result on the character's skill check to succeed.
Opposed Checks: Some skill checks are opposed checks. They are made against a randomized number, which is usually another character's skill check result. Whoever gets the higher result wins the contest. For ties on opposed checks, the character with the higher key ability score wins. If these scores are the same, flip a coin.
Retries: In general, the character can try a skill check again if the character fails, and can keep trying indefinitely. Some skills, however, have consequences of failure that must be taken into account. Some skills are virtually useless once a check has failed on an attempt to accomplish a particular task. For most skills, when a character has succeeded once at a given task, additional successes are meaningless.
If a skill carries no penalties for failure, the character can take 20 and assume that the character goes at it long enough to succeed eventually.
Untrained: Generally, if the character attempts to use a skill the character doesn't possess, the character makes a skill check as normal. The character's skill modifier doesn't have the character's skill rank added in because the character doesn't have any ranks in the skill. The character does get other modifiers added into the skill modifier, though, such as the ability modifier for the skill's key ability.
Many skills can only be used if the character is trained in the skill. Skills that cannot be used untrained are marked with a "No" in the "Untrained" column on Table: Skills.
Ability Checks: Sometimes the character tries to do something to which no specific skill really applies. In these cases, the character makes an ability check. An ability check is the roll of 1d20 plus the appropriate ability modifier. Essentially, the character is making an untrained skill check. The DM assigns a Difficulty Class.
Conditional Modifiers: Some situations may make a skill easier or harder to use, resulting in a bonus or penalty added into the skill modifier for the skill check or a change to the DC of the skill check. The DM can alter the odds of success in four ways to take into account exceptional circumstances:
A bonus to the character's skill modifier and a reduction in the check's DC have the same result: they create a better chance that the character will succeed. But they represent different circumstances, and sometimes that difference is important.
Time: Using a skill might take a round, take no time, or take several rounds or even longer. Most skill uses are standard actions, move-equivalent actions, or full-round actions. Types of actions define how long activities take to perform within the framework of a combat round (6 seconds) and how movement is treated with respect to the activity. Some skill checks are instant and represent reactions to an event, or are included as part of an action. These skill checks are not actions. Other skill checks represent part of movement. The distance the character jumps when making a Jump check, for example, is part of the character's movement. Some skills take more than a round to use, and the skill descriptions often specify how long these skills take to use.Taking 10: When the character is not in a rush and is not being threatened or distracted, the character may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate the character's pesult as if the character had rolled a 10.
Taking 20: When the character has plenty of time (generally 2 minutes for a skill that can normally be checked in 1 round, one full-round action, or one standard action), and when the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure, the character can take 20. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate the character's result as if the character had rolled a 20. Taking 20 means the character is trying until the character gets it right. Taking 20 takes about twenty times as long as making a single check would take.
Helping the Leader: Sometimes the individual PCs are essentially reacting to the same situation, but they can work together and help each other out. In this case, one character is considered the leader of the effort and makes a skill check while each helper makes a skill check against DC 10. (the character can't take 10 on this check.) For each helper who succeeds, the leader gets a +2 circumstance bonus (as per the rule for favorable conditions). In many cases, a character's help won't be beneficial, or only a limited number of characters can help at once. The DM limits cooperation as she sees fit for the given conditions.
Skill Synergy: It's also possible for a character to have two skills that work well together. In general, having 5 or more ranks in one skill gives the character a +2 synergy bonus on skill checks with its synergistic skills, as noted in the skill description.
By default, each person in Theralis speaks one base language (with a single dialect) and is illiterate. To learn a new language costs 1 skill point. To become literate in a single script costs 1 skill point. Some special cases:
Decipher Script: This skill has been replaced with a feat + skill set.
Innuendo (WIS; Trained): This is a largely urban phenomena, and each major region or city has its own criminal argot. When the character takes this skill, she gets one argot for free. The argot for new regions costs an extra 1 skill point to learn; the character may use the skill with any known regions.
Read Magic: Magic has its own jargon, which is mixed in with whatever language the character speaks. A spell caster does not need to learn this separately - it is taken care of by the 0-level spell casting feat. Non spell casters can spend 1 skill point to understand one set of magical jargon (such as arcanist or esper).
Taesti: The common tongue of the civilized areas of the peninsula. Although any given city-state will have their own dialect, the dialects are close enough to each other (preserved by the power of literte writing), that citizens of one can generally understand citizens of another. It is the only language spoken in the Theralis valleys. [i]Taesti is based loosely on greek.[/i]
Orc: Each tribe has its own variant of this, but tribes close to each other can generally understand each other... it gets more difficult with distance, to the point of near impossibility. Each point put in [i]orc[/i] covers a major territory, past which understanding is impossible; there are about five major territories. [i]Orc is based loosely on english, run through an old germanic meat grinder.[/i]
Draconic: The dragons speak a sibilant, hissing language that is not easy to speak or listen to. All dragons are believed to speak the same dialect, although it's a difficult theory to test. [i]Draconic is based on lizard speech stereotypes.[/i]
Kobold: Kobolds were originally all servants of the dragons, and developed their own servant's tongue, a kind of code to speak in so as to not bother their masters. As the tongue disseminated out to kobold bands, it altered and evolved to the exact needs of the kobolds at the time, and it has never truly stayed still. Each band practically speaks their own tongue, although there are similarities between all of them. Kobold is structured similar to draconic, but replaces sibilant sounds with liquids (such as L or R) and labials (M and N). It is designed to be extremely quiet. [i]Kobold is based on lizard speech stereotypes turned on their ear.[/i]
Phel Script: The standard alphabet of the taesti tongue. Strongly resembles the greek alphabet.
This is just a brief overview of how magic relates to skills. See the magic section for more complete rules.
Spell casters must put 1 skill point in each spell they can cast (they can put an additional skill point in a spell to be particularly good at it). In addition, each type of spell caster has a special skill which is used for all spell casting, which the character will need to have.
In general, spell casters can expect to put 1-3 skill points into magic every level, more if they are truly dedicated.
By default, a character is not proficient in any weapon or armor. Using a weapon with which the character is not proficient gives a -4 penalty to hsi or her BAB. Using armor with which the character is not proficient suffers its armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve moving, including Ride.
Proficiency in a general type of armor (light, medium, heavy, shield, tower shield) costs 1 skill point to learn. Tower shields are considered separate from standard shields for these purposes.
Proficiency in a weapon costs 1 skill point. Additional skill points may be put into a particular weapon proficiency for increased skill. Each point gives you one feat with that weapon only. You must meet all of the normal prerequisites for the feat (to Deflect Arrows, you must have DEX 13+). You can still take the feat normally (in which case it applies to all weapons that it would normally apply to). Feats which may be taken in this manner include that in their descriptions.
Unarmed combat is actually broken into two proficiencies: unarmed strikes and wrestling.
Alchemy does not exist as such in Theralis.