Skill Descriptions

As already stated, there is no need to add many new skills to the D&D game. The following skills are either skills from the PHB that, in my opinion require tweaking or further explanation, or they are skills from other sources. The availability of skills from beyond the PHB is at the discretion of the GM. Some of the definitions of the following skills differ from descriptions in the rulebooks.

Autohypnosis
(Wis; Trained Only)

Extraordianry useful for ignoring minor wounds and the effects of poison, memorising difficult texts, resisting fear and generally augmenting your stunning willpower. Usually only common in societies where mental acuity is highly valued and psionics is common place. See p36 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook for more information.

Concentration
(Con)

In addition to the description of Concentration on p69 of the Player's Handbook, psionic characters should remember that you use the Conscentration skill to "Gain Psionic Focus". See Expanded Psionics Handbook p37 for more information.

Control Shape
(Wis)

Characters who contract lycanthropy or have a similar affliction that means they lose control of their form, can take ranks in this skill in order to stabilise their form. Natrual lycanthropes and other shapechangers (such as doppelgangers or druids) don't need this skill as they can always control their shape. Attacks from certain creatures, like Chaos Beasts, may afflict a character with involuntary body changes and this skill can be used to resist it. Equally, if a character is the subject of a baleful polymorph spell he can make a check against this skill instead of a saving throw if it is more advantageous. Full details of this skill are on p303 of the Monster Manual.

Craft (Alchemy)
(Int; Trained Only)

Regardless of what it says on p71 of the PHB you do not need to be a spellcaster in order to take ranks in Craft: Alchemy. You still require dedication and all the various paraphenalia necessary, but the ability to cast magic is not a prerequisite. Alchemy is not magical. Its effects are Extraordinary in the same way a troll's regenerative abilities are Extraordinary, but that is as far as it goes. Unlike other Craft skills, Craft (Alchemy) is a "trained only" skill. Otherwise use the rules for Craft as stated on pp70-71 of the Player's Handbook.

Iaijutsu Focus
(Cha)

Introduced on p58 of Oriental Adventures, this skill enables a character to deal extra damage to a flat-footed opponent. This skill is normally only available in Oriental campaigns, and then only to samurai who practice the Iaijutsu techinque. The skill is also used by opposing samurai in an Iaijutsu duel. The samurai, as seen on p8 of Complete Warrior, has no particular understanding of this skill unless he takes ranks in it.

Knowledge
(Int; Trained Only)

The general rules for Knowledge are unchanged from p78 of the PHB. However, I disagree slightly with the number of 'core' knowledge skills for D&D characters and what taking them represents in terms of what you character actually knows. They are a little too general for my taste, so I have paired them down slightly and added a few new ones. Don't despair because on the whole characters do get more skill points to spend in my games. Here's my list of the standard areas of knowledge for adventurers:

• Arcana (ancient mysteries, traditions of arcane magic, arcane symbols, building magical constructs such as golems, an understanding of the theory behind arcane magic and magical beasts but not dragons).
• Architecture and Engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications).
• Dragons (an indepth knowledge of dragons including their powers and weaknesses, their history and beliefs and information about the roles they choose not to play in the world).
• Geography (the lands, terrain, climate and people of a particular region. Players choose a particular region based on the campaign world. The smaller the region the greater their knowledge. A player who specialiseshas Geography of Urova would know less about Norandor that someone who had chosen Geography of Norandor, for example).
• Local (the legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs and traditions of a specific area. This skill is far more precise than Geography or History that tend to be more general skills, but it also speaks from first hand experience. Someone with Knowledge: History of Uris would have gained his knowledge by study while someone with Local Knowledge of Uris would have lived it).
• History (knowledge of the historical events of a particular time and place that can encompass knowledge about royalty, wars, colonies, migrations and the founding of cities. Players must specialise in either a particular area or a particular time period. The narrower this choice the more specific facts a character can recall).
• Nature (information about all animals, fey, giants, monstrous humoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin, and also traditions of Nature Magic, assuming the character can wield Nature Magic).
• Nobility and Royalty (lineages, heraldry, family trees, mottoes and personalities of a particular country. Players must specialise in a country or possibly a region at the discretion of the GM).
• Religion (players must specialise in a particular religion, the degree of specialisation dictates the level of understanding. Most characters will probably specialise in a certain pantheon such as the Moon Gods, the Seldarine etc. The most devout priests may specilise in the work of a particular god to church to the exclusion of all else. This skill can give information regarding gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastical traditions, holy symbols and the traditions of divine magic associated with the religion).
• The Planes (at its most general this skill gives players an understanding of the inner, outer and transitive planes as well as information about the creatures that dwell there such as elementals and outsiders, and also how magic functions on given planes. Players may specialise their study in a particular plane for a greater insight).
• Psionics (a similar skill to arcana, but one that comes from a different tradition where psionics have replaced wizardry. This skill gives an understanding of ancient mysteries, psionic traditions, psyhic symbols, astral constructs and items created with psioncis and magical beasts).
• Undead (an understanding of the powers and abilities of various undead creatures, including the ability to recognise various undead, and knowledge of how to go about creating them). Note that the skill Ghost Lore from the Ghostwalk campaign setting is included in this skill.
• Underdark (caverns, spelunking, a general knowledge of the natural life that exists in the Underdark such as oozes, some aberrations and the like, but not organised societies like the drow).

In the above list I have mentioned on several occassions that players can choose to narrow their area of expertise in order to become more proficient in it. How does this work? Well, say for example Goner the Wizard specialised in the study of the Abyss. His skill would be Knowledge (The Planes: Abyss). He wouldn't know diddly about any other planes of existence, and wouldn't even be able to roll against his skill. However, in regard to the Abyss he would be something of an expert. The GM lowers the DC against which Goner would have to roll by 5 points. The DC for a really tough question on the Abyss would only be 25 for Goner and not 30. See p78 of the PHB for more information on DCs.

Lucid Dreaming
(Wis; Trained Only)

In campaign settings where the Realm of Dreams exists, this skill is one of the few ways a character can enter that realm and the only known way in which he can directly manipulate the dream-matter around him. Full rules for dreaming and the Region of Dreams can be found on p201 of the Manual of the Planes. You can use this skill to realise you are dreaming, consciously direct the elements of a dream, and to move into other dreamscapes.

Check: Making a Lucid Dreaming check is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

* This is an opposed Lucid Dreaming vrs Lucid Dreaming check. If your target does not have the Lucid Dreaming skill they may substitute a Wisdom check instead.

Change Aspect: An aspect of a dreamscape includes background features such as lighting, terrain, architecture of a given building, vegetation (or lack thereof) and other relatively innocuous characteristics of a dreamscape. You cannot use Lucid Dreaming to make a bolt of lightning to strike a foe, or open a pit below an enemy.

Change Appearance: You can adopt the outward appearance of any other creature or thing. If you want to turn into a palm tree that is completely within your power. Equally, you can take on the exact appearance of any other creature. Dreamers with more ranks in Lucid Dreaming than you can always see throught this deception. Other dreamers can make opposed Lucid Dreaming checks to discover the illusion. Changes to your appearance do not affect your actual abilities.

Harness the Dreamheart: A highly proficient lucid dreamer in the Dreamheart can use this skill to manipulate reality to genuinely injure other dreamers. The Dreamheart is caprious however and extremely dangerous. A Lucid Dreamer can use this ability to mimic any spell available to a spellcaster with as many levels as the dreamer has ranks in this skill (to a maximum of ninth level spells). Ranks in Lucid Dreaming effectively become the character's 'caster level'. There are a few limitations to this. Firstly, only spells that have a physical effect such as earthquake or fireball can be created in this manner. Secondly, the duration of the effect is only one combat round regardless of spell description. Dreamers can choose to make an opposed Lucid Dreaming check in lieu of a saving throw to completely avoid any effect generated in this manner.

Dreamers vrs Dreamers: Dreamers can actively oppose the activities of other dreamers in both dreamscapes and in the Dreamheart. This is accomplished by opposed Lucid Dreaming checks. A dreamer may always make such a check instead of any other check or saving throw if it is more advantageous.

Retry: You can make one Lucid Dreaming check each round.

Psicraft
(Int, Trained Only)

This skill no longer exists. Its mechanics are completely subsumed by the Spellcraft skill.

Spellcraft
(Int, Trained Only)

This skill from p82 of the Player's Handbook functions exactly as written. However, it can also be used for indentifying psionic powers and effects as listed on p38 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook in the entry for the skill "Psicraft". Although different types of magic have different knowledge skills (Arcana, Religion, Psionics) there is no difference in the skill of interpreting movements in the weave and predicting the type of magical effect. Psicraft no longer exists as a skill, but has been merged into Spellcraft.

Use Magical Device
(Cha, Trained Only)

This skill from p85 of the Player's Handbook functions exactly as written. However, I would add that it is equally useful for using psionic items. Rules for using psionic items are listed on p38 of the Expanded Psionics Hanbook under the skill Use Psionic Device. That skill no longer exists in my system - psionics and magic are supposed to be the same after all.

Use Psionic Device
(Cha, Trained Only)

This skill no longer exists. Its mechanics are completely subsumed by the Use Magical Device skill.