Skills Reference

Strength

Awe

Impress or intimidate through presence.

• Inspire fear in a bandit with a stern glare
• Command attention at a town meeting
• Make a memorable first impression

Athletics

Perform feats of physical activity.

• Leap a stream
• Swim across a flooded path
• Climb a rocky cliff

Travel

Manage long-distance overland journeys.

• Endure a multi-day trek through the wilderness
• Choose where to camp and when to march
• Push through exhaustion on rough trails

Explore

Search or navigate unfamiliar places.

• Navigate through dense woods
• Search a ruin for hidden exits
• Plot a trail through an old marsh

Song

Recall and perform songs, poems, and tales.

• Sing to boost morale
• Recite a lore-rich poem
• Use an ancient tune to calm a crowd

Hunting

Track, stalk, or bring down prey.

• Follow tracks in the snow
• Set traps for game
• Stalk a group of thieves

Heart

Inspire

Rouse hearts to courage and action.

• Rally townsfolk to face danger
• Give a companion the will to press on
• Stir resolve before a battle

Persuade

Use reasoned words and courtesy to convince.

• Negotiate a truce
• Convince a reluctant ally to cooperate
• Talk your way past a suspicious guard

Courtesy

Practice proper social customs.

• Address a noble host respectfully
• Greet Elves with culturally appropriate deference
• Navigate a formal gathering without offense

Riddle

Speak subtly, solve puzzles, and gather information.

• Extract hidden meaning in conversation
• Trade stories to uncover rumors
• Converse in veiled terms with a suspicious stranger

Battle

Understand and direct combat engagements.

• Predict an enemy’s likely tactics
• Organize a defense for a caravan
• Take charge in a skirmish

Healing

Treat wounds and ailments using lore and herbs.

• Apply poultices to a sprained ankle
• Use Elvish herbs to reduce fever
• Help a wounded companion recover

Wits

Scan

Quickly notice things in your surroundings.

• Spot a hidden compartment
• Notice a suspicious mark on the ground
  - Catch a flash of movement nearby

Insight

Discern intentions and emotions in others.

• Detect falsehood or guilt
• Read tension between arguing parties
• Perceive hesitation in someone’s voice

Awareness

Remain alert to sounds, movement, and detail.

• Hear a branch snap in the dark
• Notice the change in someone’s mood
• Detect hidden watchers in the trees

Craft

Make, repair, or understand objects and tools.

• Forge a blade or mend armor
• Carve a walking stick
• Understand Dwarvish craftsmanship

Lore

Recall ancient tales, histories, and knowledge.

• Recognize Elvish inscriptions
• Remember a tale of the Lost Kings
• Understand the origin of a rune-key