Skills represent broad areas of trained ability and expertise. They determine how likely a character is to succeed at various tasks and are associated with one of the three core attributes: Corpus, Anima, or Spiritus. Skills have a Core Skill and associated Focus abilities. The Core Skills are generalist areas that cover the broad spectrum of capabilities, while Focus areas amplify and add new capabilities on top of the abilities granted by a Core skill. You must first possess a Core Skill to be able to gain a Focus ability. Further, you cannot have more ranks in a Focus area than you possess in the Core skill.

Skill Checks

To attempt a skill check, roll a d20 and follow these steps:

• Apply the relevant BAM! difficulty for the task (Average 13 is the default unless otherwise specified).
• Apply any Advantage or Disadvantage to adjust BAM!
• Add the appropriate attribute modifier.
• Include one point for each rank in the relevant skill.

Skill Progression

Skills use a five-rank system for base proficiency, with a separate three-tier Focus track. The base skill ranks are:

• Apprentice (+1): you have studied and possess book or trained knowledge if not practical experience
• Skilled (+2): you have advanced beyond a learner and have practical skill
• Expert (+3): your skill is evident and you can hold your own in most instances
• Master (+4): you are extremely practiced in your field and have spent much time in advanced study
• Grand Master (+5): you have achieved the pinnacle of skill. There are none better

Skill Focus

Skill Focus grants extra benefits to a Core skill. To gain a Skill Focus, you must already possess the Core skill, and your Focus Rank cannot surpass your main skill rank (for example, an Apprentice in Alchemy cannot have a Focus beyond Competent).

• Competent (Rank 1): beyond training, you have an innate aptitude for the area of focus
• Accomplished (Rank 2): your skill and aptitude combine to make you capable of impressive feats
• Adept (Rank 3): you have an innate ability beyond what most are capable of

Skill Focus benefits vary by skill, but they may include:

• Adjusting BAM! Difficulty Ratings for Activity Checks by adding an Advantage:
• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage
• Gaining incremental advantages with each Focus rank, such as:
• Extra Action (such as an additional attack or increased movement rate)
• Additional Companions
• Extra bonuses for recovery, Vitality, and other aspects

Corpus, Anima, and Spiritus skills

Skills are broken down into skillsets under the three attributes. Within these skillsets, Skill Focus provide you with avenues for specialised expertise in areas such as Athleticism, Skulduggery, and Arcane. Skill Focus Ranks reflect increasing competence within the selected specialized focus area.

When you start the game, you don’t automatically have any weapon skills unless you choose Combat as one of your Corpus skills. You can still try to use weapons, but your ability is based on a BAM! check that uses only your Corpus attribute modifier for the result.

Corpus Skills

Athleticism

Core: You train your body and mind for top performance and strength. Add your skill rank to physical actions like jumping, climbing, or escaping from danger. You also add your Athleticism rank to Corpus saves against physical effects such as being knocked down, grappled or thrown. This does not stack with Endurance; use the higher rank.

Focus: Chain Reaction

You can perform several different physical actions in one round, like moving, attacking, and retreating. As long as you don’t repeat the same action consecutively, you don’t add a mishap die for Diminishing Returns (See Diminishing Returns under Playing the Game). For each skill focus rank you have, you get the following advantages on these actions:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage and reduce the Mishap die by maximum of 1
• Accomplished = Major Advantage and reduce the Mishap dice by maximum of 2
• Adept = Extreme Advantage and reduce the Mishap dice by maximum of 3

Focus: Defensive Manoeuvres

When you are targeted by an attack, you may make an opposing dodge check against the attacker’s successful roll. Roll d20 + Corpus modifier + Athleticism rank vs. the attacker's attack roll result. On a success, the attack is negated. You may use this reaction once per round regardless of focus rank. At each focus rank (Competent, Accomplished, Adept), you gain +1/+2/+3 to your dodge roll.

Focus: Iron Will

Iron Will functions as a damage reduction focus. It works as an armour replacement or enhancement. When unarmoured it works as follows:

• At Competent rank: reduce all incoming physical damage by 1 and gain a Moderate Advantage to one Critical Damage result per Short Rest.
• At Accomplished rank: reduce physical damage by 2 and gain a Major Advantage one Critical Damage result per Short Rest (a hit that would cause attribute damage instead causes a Minor condition).
• At Adept rank: reduce by 3 and negate one forced Critical Damage per Short Rest.

If used with armour, you do not get the benefit of armour reduction, but you do retain the ability to mitigate or absorb critical damage.

Combat

Core: You add your Corpus and skill modifiers to Activity checks to hit, and you add your skill rank to damage (1 point per skill rank) with melee and ranged weapons.

Focus: Martial Arts

At the beginning of your attack, you may choose to make a specialized strike to either stun, disable, or lethal attack. On a successful hit, the target must make a save (d20 + relevant attribute modifier vs. Difficult (16)) or suffer stat damage equal to your skill focus rank directly to the affected ability: Disabling Strikes target Anima (Anima save), Stunning Strikes target Spiritus (Spiritus save), and Lethal Strikes target Corpus (Corpus save). On a successful save, the target still takes 1 point of stat damage (minimum effect). Armour does not reduce this damage.

Focus: Multiple Attacks

You gain advantage for each skill focus rank you possess when making successive melee attacks attempts per round to reduce the disadvantages posed by multiple action per round through Diminishing Returns (see Diminishing Returns under Playing the Game). The advantages are as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage and reduce the Mishap die by maximum of 1

• Accomplished = Major Advantage and reduce the Mishap dice by maximum of 2
• Adept = Extreme Advantage and reduce the Mishap dice by maximum of 3

Note: you cannot lower the BAM! of successive attacks lower than the BAM! of the first attack. Example: your first attack is against an opponent with a BAM! of Difficult (16). The normal progression for successive attacks would mean a second attempt is made at Challenging (19), a third at Formidable (22), and a Fourth at Inconceivable (25). If you have a Focus Rank of Accomplished, then you can reduce the BAM! of the second attack from Challenging to Difficult, and the Third Attack would be at Difficult as well (Major Advantage shifts two categories). Note: four attempts per round is the maximum attack attempts from all sources combined (Chain Reaction, Dual Wielding, Multiple Attacks, Quick Shot, and any special abilities).

Focus Area: Quick Shot

You gain advantage for each skill focus rank you possess when making successive ranged attacks attempts per round as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage and reduce the Mishap die by maximum of 1
• Accomplished = Major Advantage and reduce the Mishap dice by maximum of 2
• Adept = Extreme Advantage and reduce the Mishap dice by maximum of 3

Note: you cannot lower the BAM! of successive attacks lower than the BAM! of the first attack. Example: your first attack is against an opponent with a BAM! of Difficult (16). The normal progression for successive attacks would mean a second attempt is made at Challenging (19), a third at Formidable (22), and a Fourth at Inconceivable (25). If you have a Focus Rank of Accomplished, then you can reduce the BAM! of the second attack from Challenging to Difficult, and the Third Attack would be at Difficult as well (Major Advantage shifts two categories). Note: four attempts per round is the maximum attack attempts from all sources combined (Chain Reaction, Dual Wielding, Multiple Attacks, Quick Shot, and any special abilities).

Endurance

Core: You add your Endurance skill rank to your Corpus modifier for saves to resist Conditions and Fatigue. Fatigue will still occur as usual after 24 hours.

Focus: Hardened

This skill focuses on building stamina and toughness through regular physical training. Each Focus rank adds 2 to your maximum Vitality (maximum total bonus: +6). In addition, you apply your Skill Focus Rank to Corpus saves against critical damage.

Focus: Recovery

This focus reduces the recovery time for Vitality. For each focus point, you recover an additional point of Vitality per 10-minute rest, up to a maximum of 4 vitality per tick.

Focus: Resilience

For each skill focus rank you have in Resilience, you can travel one additional watch without checking for fatigue (maximum of 3 watches). At the end of your Resilience extension, you are subject to the normal travel rules and must immediately rest or check for fatigue every hour. Additionally, you can add your Skill Focus rank to your Corpus saves against Fatigue.

Anima Skills

Guile

Core: Combat isn’t always necessary—persuasion, negotiation, and charm can resolve situations and avoid conflict. This skill improves your interactions with intelligent creatures (other than animals), letting you add your skill rank to the Activity Check versus their BAM! to influence their attitude. Persuasion checks are as follows:

Focus: Influence

You exert a powerful charismatic pull that can charm, intimidate, or taunt a creature. Choose one approach and make a Persuasion check, adding your Guile skill rank and Anima modifier. The BAM! is determined by the target's starting disposition for Charm and Taunt and by an opposed Persuasion (Anima) check against a BAM! of Challenging (19) for you and Average (13) for the target (Modified by your skill rank) for Intimidate. Apply Advantage based on your Influence Focus rank:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage.

On a success, apply the chosen effect below:

• Charm: The target's disposition toward you becomes Helpful. This is not magical control: the target retains its will and will not act against its nature. If you ask it to harm itself or endanger someone it values, resolve an opposed Influence check: the target uses Average (13), while you use Challenging (19), applying your Focus-rank Advantage to your roll.
• Intimidate: The target is overcome by fear and doubt. Any hostile action it makes against you suffers Disadvantage equal to your Influence Focus rank: Moderate at Competent, Major at Accomplished, or Extreme at Adept.
• Taunt:
The target's disposition toward you becomes Hostile. It abandons its current activity and, if able, directs its next action toward attacking you. This does not compel an impossible or self-destructive action and does not prevent the target from defending itself.

Focus: Devoted Follower

To gain a Devoted Follower, the target must already be friendly or helpful. Then, succeed a Persuasion Activity Check against Formidable (22) BAM!, lowering difficulty with each skill focus rank:

• Competent = Challenging (19)
• Accomplished = Difficult (16)
• Adept = Average (13)

Devoted Followers will go to any lengths for you. The maximum number of devoted followers you can have equals your skill focus rank, but combined companions (Devoted Followers and Soul Bound animals) cannot exceed your Skill Focus rank + your Anima modifier (minimum 1).

Focus: Soul Bound

You can bond with a friendly animal that has an Anima score higher than 1, making it your loyal companion. To gain a Soul Bound companion, the target must already be friendly or helpful and pass a BAM! Persuasion check at Formidable (22), but the difficulty drops with Devoted Follower ranks:

• Competent: 19
• Accomplished: 16
• Adept: 13

Soul Bound companions are loyal and will protect you. The maximum number of Soul Bound animals you can have equals your skill focus rank, but combined companions (Devoted Followers and Soul Bound animals) cannot exceed your Skill Focus rank + your Anima modifier (Minimum 1).

Wiles

Core: This ability governs how you move quietly, hide effectively, gain surprise in an encounter, or flee from combat. Your Anima modifier and Skill rank are added to activity checks and saves to determine if you succeed.

Focus: Ambush

• Death Blow: applies only to the opening strike after you won surprise at the start of the encounter. If the hit leaves a creature without Might at half its Vitality or less, it makes a Corpus save against your attack roll or dies. A creature with Might cannot be slain this way; it instead loses its next action.
• Death Blow against player characters: a player character struck by a Death Blow makes the Corpus save at Moderate Advantage, lowering the number they must reach by 3. On a failure they die and Recursion follows as normal for the game being played.

Once the target knows you are there, Ambush no longer applies until you hide again.

Focus: Evasion

Your ability to stealthily pass through an area enables you to lower the area's Danger Die by 1 for each Skill Focus Rank you have, but it can't go below the baseline 1 Danger Die. Further, when attempting to Move Through (see Move Through under movement in Playing the Game) an area without being detected, attackers are at a disadvantage when using ranged attacks against you as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Disadvantage
• Accomplished = Major Disadvantage
• Adept = Extreme Disadvantage

Focus: Skulduggery

This is the ability to pick pockets, steal items, detect, disarm, and set traps. You apply your Anima modifier and Wiles skill rankl bonus to your Wiles Activity Checks and saves. For each skill rank in Skulduggery, you gain advantage as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

If detected, you are immediately under suspicious and target’s reaction shifts to Wary (or Hostile if already at Wary – see Parley under the Encounter Actions in the Playing the Game section).

Wits

Core: You have keen insight and intuitive knowledge that aids you in spotting things or understanding how items are crafted. Add your Anima modifier and Wits skill rank to the check to see if you succeed in spotting hidden objects, can determine how to repair items, or possess knowledge about unusual objects or creatures.

Focus: Repair

Your skill lets you make repairs to even complex or magical items more easily. Each skill focus rank gives you an Advantage for repairs as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Focus: Survival

Survival aids in your ability to forage successfully and works in a couple of ways as follows:

• Targeted Foraging: when you are seeking something specific (i.e. a specific component for Arcane arts), you make a Wits check (Anima modifier + Wits rank) against the rarity of the item you are searching for, with Advantage from your Survival Focus rank (Moderate at Competent, Major at Accomplished, Extreme at Adept). A success indicates that you have found the specified item.
• For an unspecified search: when you are seeing what you can find in a location without looking for a specific thing, each Survival Focus rank adds 1d6 to the Forage Die pool (base 1d6; maximum pool is 4d6 total). When foraging, roll all dice in the pool and take the highest result, then consult the Forage table.

Focus: Lore

Your knowledge of history, craftsmanship, trade, and unusual objects allows you to assess an item. Examine the item and make a Wits check, adding your Wits skill rank and Anima modifier. Set the BAM! by the item's availability as follows:

• Common = Easy (10);
• Uncommon = Average (13);
• Rare = Difficult (16);
• Exotic = Challenging (19);
• Legendary = Formidable (22);
• Fabled, Unique, or otherwise unknown) = Inconceivable (25).

Apply Advantage based on your Lore Focus rank:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Spiritus Skills

Conjuration

Core: Conjuration covers your knowledge of spirits and supernatural creatures, including Demonic, Elemental, Fae, and Undead beings.

1. Brownie
2. Fairy
3. Goblin
4. Imp
5. Skeleton
6. Zombie

Focus: Binding

Binding lets you control an entity (Demonic, Elemental, Fae, or Undead) if you know its Nominal or Resonant True Name (see Paths Arcane for more). For each Binding Skill Focus rank, you gain Advantage on Conjuration checks to bind an entity:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Refer to the Conjuration section under Paths Arcane for more information.

Focus: Exorcism

With this focus, you can drive out or banish entities of the supernatural type (Demonic, Elemental, Fae, or Undead) if you know its Nominal or Resonant True name (see Paths Arcane for more). For each Exorcism skill focus rank, you get a higher rank of Advantage on Conjuration checks to exorcise entities:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Refer to the Conjuration section under Paths Arcane for more information.

Focus: Summoning

With this skill focus, you can summon an entity (Demonic, Elemental, Fae, or Undead) if you know its Nominal or Resonant True name. For each Summoning skill focus rank, you get a higher level of Advantage on Conjuration checks for summoning an entity:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Mysticism

Core: You are finely attuned to the mystic forces that permeate the world. As such, you can use your Mysticism skill to detect if there are magical forces active within your vicinity (be it creature, item, or other). This does not grant the ability to detect what the magic effects are, just that there is magic present and what item, area, or entity is magical. Further, because of your ability to detect and understand magical forces, you can use your skill rank with your Spiritus modifier to add to saves versus magical effects and even create Focus Objects which store vitality that can be used to lessen Vitality costs required for Mystical effects such as Psionics and Healing. For more, see the Focus Object Section under Paths Arcane.

Focus: Mystic Channel

Mystic Channel allows you to absorb damage from arcane spells and abilities, converting it into temporary Vitality. Once per watch, when an arcane spell or ability would deal damage to you, make a save using your Mysticism rank. On a successful save, you absorb damage up to the limit allowed by your Focus rank and gain an equal amount of Vitality. This Vitality lasts for one Watch. At the end of the Watch, any Vitality above your normal maximum is lost; any absorbed Vitality that leaves you at or below your normal maximum remains. Your Vitality cannot exceed its normal maximum by more than the amount allowed by your Focus rank as indicated below.

• Competent: 6 Vitality
• Accomplished: 8 Vitality
• Adept: 12 Vitality

Focus: Healing

You can focus your own vital forces into the healing of yourself and others You need the right ingredients (and, for 2nd and 3rd Order powers, a Healer’s Kit: 1 slot, 2sp) and must pass an Activity Check against the BAM! of the Healing Order ability you’re attempting. Use your Spiritus modifier and Mysticism skill rank for these checks. If you succeed, consume one Healing Herb and apply its healing effect. If you fail, no component is consumed; on a natural 1, roll on the Magical Misfire table. Each skill focus rank gives you an Advantage for spell casting as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Focus: Psionics

You can channel raw mental force to perform remarkable feats without components or preparation. Roll d20 + Spiritus modifier + Mysticism skill rank vs. the power’s BAM!. Vitality is paid after a successful cast; on failure no Vitality is spent but roll on the Magical Misfire table. Each focus rank reduces the Vitality cost of psionic powers and unlocks use of a Psionic Focus Object at Adept rank. See the full Psionics rules in the Paths Arcane section for complete Vitality costs, Focus Object rules, and the full power list. Focus rank casting check bonuses are:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Occultism

Core: The base skill grants you the rudiments of magic and spell casting. You apply your Spiritus modifier and skill rank to your spell casting Activity Checks. To use Occultism, you must carry a Grimoire and have the alchemical formula, arcane sigils, or written spell in your grimoire. The Grimoire takes up 1 item slot and contains the base sigils that make up the magic vocabulary, the cantrips used to read magic, and the base formulae used for alchemical arts. See Arcane Paths - Occultism for details.

Focus: Alchemy

You can craft potions, elixirs, oils, and powders that augment allies, debilitate foes, and transform the body. You need an alchemist’s kit, the right Alchemical Components, an alchemical formula in your Grimoire for the item being crafted, and must pass an Activity Check against the BAM! of the item you’re making. Use your Spiritus modifier and Occultism skill rank for these checks. Each skill focus rank gives you an Advantage for creating alchemical products as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Focus: Arcana

You can cast powerful spells to help or harm. You need the spell in your Grimoire, the right ingredients and must pass an Activity Check against the BAM! of the spell you’re casting. Use your Spiritus modifier and Occultism skill rank for these checks. Each skill focus rank gives you an Advantage for spell casting as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage

Focus: Sigilcraft

This skill reflects the research into the study of magic glyphs, sigils, and runes. To create a magical binding sigil, you must possess the appropriate sigil formations in your grimoire. Sigilcraft allows you to charge these symbols to create effects such as guards and wards. You may keep 3, 6 or 9 active imbued items at Competent, Accomplished or Adept, shared with Alchemy and using the higher of the two Focus ranks (see Paths Arcane). Each skill focus rank gives you an Advantage for Sigil Crafting as follows:

• Competent = Moderate Advantage
• Accomplished = Major Advantage
• Adept = Extreme Advantage