Skills

A character's skills represent a variety of abilities. As a character advances in level, s/he gets better at using some or all of the chosen skills.

To accomplish something using a skill, there is a Difficulty Class (DC) that must be met or exceeded in order to successfully use the skill. A skill use requires a 1d20 roll, then add the rank the character has in that skill, the ability modifier for that skill, and any miscellaneous modifiers for that skill. If the roll + rank + ability mod + misc mod matches or exceeds the difficulty for the task, you succeed.

Ranks

There are a maximum number of ranks that a character can have in any given skill, which is equal to 3 + the character's level. For example, a lvl1 character can have a maximum of 4 ranks in any given class skill and a maximum of 2 ranks in any given cross-class skill.

There are two types of skills: class and cross-class. Each character class has a set of skills that are natural abilities for that class; all other skills are not natural for the class. A rank in a class skill costs one skill point. A rank in a cross-class skill costs two skill points.

Use of Skills

Some skills can be used untrained, so you don't have to buy ranks in them to have a modifier to use on your skill checks.

Two skills can work in opposition. For example, a character using a Move Silently skill to sneak past a guard has to beat the guard's Listen check in order to successfully sneak by.

Most skills can be attempted multiple times, which requires multiple skill checks. However, if the character is not being influenced by some sort of distraction, s/he can choose to "take 10"; if there's no distraction, no penalty for failing a skill check, and plenty of time, the character can choose to "take 20" instead of rolling repeatedly; this choice assumes that the character tries to accomplish the task repeatedly and fails at least a few times before completing the task successfully.

Favorable and unfavorable conditions can affect the dice rolls, as well. For example, a thief with a Thief's Tool kit gets a +2 circumstance bonus on any thieving activities because of having the perfect tool for the job (having to improvise a tool to do a job results in a -2 circumstance penalty instead). Favorable conditions, such as a friendly audience for a performance, reduce the DC for a performance check; a hostile audience increases the DC.

Most of the time, skill checks apply to only to the character making the check. However, characters can get assistance for some tasks, such as healing; this only applies if the assisting character could make the skill check on his/her own.

Some skills are synergistic, such as Bluff and Diplomacy. Once a character has 5 or more ranks in a synergistic skill, it provides a +2 bonus to another skill.

Disable Device

Description	Use this skill to disarm a trap, jam a lock (in either the open or closed position), or rig a wagon wheel to fall off. You can examine a fairly simple or fairly small mechanical device and disable it. The effort requires at least a simple tool of the appropriate sort (pick, prybar, saw, file, or the like).
Ability	Int
Action	Varies Simple device: 1 round (6 seconds) Intricate or complex device: 1d4 to 2d4 rounds
Try Again	Varies You can retry if you miss by 4 or less, but you must know you've failed in order to retry.
Check Details	Your DM makes your Disable Device check for you in secret so you don't know whether you've succeeded or not. The DC depends on how tricky the device is. If you succeed, you disable the device. If it fails by 4 or less, you have failed but can try again. If it fails by 5 or more, something goes wrong (if the device is a trap, it's sprung; if you're attempting sabotage, you think it's disabled but it continues to operate normally). You can rig simple devices to work normally for a while and then fail later (usually after 1d4 rounds or minutes of use). Device Time 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 Wicked 2d4 rounds 25 Disarm a complex trap, cleverly sabotage a clockwork device If you attempt to leave behind no trace of tampering, add 5 to the DC. Favorable Conditions Use of masterwork theif's tools grants a +2 bonus on checks. Unfavorable Conditions Attempting a Disable Device check without a set of theif's tools imposes a -2 penalty on checks.
Special	Nimble Fingers feat grants +2 bonus A rogue who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (along with any companions) without disarming it.
Synergy	None
Untrained	No

Restrictions
Rogues and other characters with the trapfinding class feature can disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC 25 + the spell level of the magic used to create it (e.g., disarming a trap set by the casting of explosive runes has a 28 DC because that spell is a 3rd-level spell).

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 traps against which Disable Device checks cannot succeed.

Other Methods
There are other ways to disable a trap short of using a Disable Device check.

Ranged Attack Traps: Once a trap's location is known, the obvious way to ruin it is to smash the mechanism--assuming that the mechanism can be accessed. Failing that, it's possible to plug up the holes from which the projectiles emerge. This prevents the trap from firing unless its ammunition does enough damage to break through the plugs.

Melee Attack Traps: As with ranged traps, these can be disabled by destroying the mechanism or by blocking the weapons. Alternatively, if a character studies the trap, s/he might be able to time dodges just right to avoid the strikes. A character who is doing nothing but studying the trap when it first goes off gains a +4 Dodge bonus against its attacks if it's triggered again within one minute (10 rounds).

Pits: Disabling a pit trap generally ruins only the trapdoor, making it into an uncovered pit. Filling in the pit or building a makeshift bridge across it is an application of manual labor, not the Disable Device skill. Characters can neutralize any spikes in the bottom of the pit by attacking them; they are treated as daggers for the purpose of breaking.

Magic Traps: Dispel magic spells help here, provided the trap's location has been identified (must use targeted version of spell, not area version). Someone who succeeds on a caster level check against the level of the trap's creator suppresses the trap for 1d4 rounds.

Forgery

Description	Use this skill to fake a written order from the duchess instructing a jailer to release prisoners, to create an authentic-looking treasure map, or to detect forgeries that others may attempt to pass off.
Ability	Int
Action	Forging a very short or simple document takes 1 minute (10 rounds). A longer or more complex document takes 1d4 minutes per page.
Try Again	Usually no. A retry is never possible after a particular reader detects a particular forgery, but the document may be used to fool someone else. The result of a Forgery check for a particular document must be used for every instance of a different reader examining the document. No reader can attempt to detect the forgery more than once; if that one opposed check goes in favor of the forger, then the reader can't try using own skill again, even if suspicious of the document.
Check Details	Forgery requires writing materials appropriate to the document being forged, enough light or sufficient visual acuity to see the details of what you're writing, wax for seals (if appropriate), and time. To forge a document not requiring mimicry of a specific person's handwriting, 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, granting you a +4 bonus. To forge a large document mimicking a specific person's handwriting, you need a large sample of that person's handwriting. The DM makes your Forgery checks in secret so you don't know how good your forgery is. As with Disguise checks, you don't have to make a check unless someone examines the work. Your Forgery check is opposed by the examiner's Forgery check. The examiner gains bonuses based on the following table. Condition Examiner's 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 well known to reader +2 Reader only casually reviews document -2 A document that contradicts procedure, orders, or previous knowledge, or one that requires sacrifice on the part of the reader can increase the character's suspicion and create favorable circumstances for their opposing check.
Special	Deceitful feat grants +2 bonus
Synergy	None
Untrained	Yes

Restrictions
Forgery is language-dependent; thus, to forge documents and detect forgeries, you must be able to read and write the language in question.

Barbarians cannot learn the Forgery skill unless he has learned to read and write.