Skills of all kinds are necessary to not just an adventuring party’s survival, but
their success as well. In this chapter are described, in detail, each and every one of
the skills in I&A, as well as a brief treatise on how to increase your
proficiency with them.
Action Skills
Action Skills are used whenever you want to perform certain actions in the world
around you. There are a wide variety of skills used to perform a wide variety of actions,
and they have each been categorized under one of the seven Ability Scores and are
detailed below. Every character at level 1 starts 1 proficiency in each Action Skill,
and your Background (and possibly your Heritage)
will grant you a few more proficiencies, though you can always gain proficiency in more
as time goes on.
To make an Action Skill check, simply roll the same number of d10s as your proficiency
in the skill, then add the appropriate Ability Score; if the result is > the DR of the
check, then you succeed! If your
proficiency with a skill is 0, then just roll 1d6
and add the appropriate score. Though most Action Skills use the Ability Score it is
categorized under, there are times when the GM might require you to make a skill check
using a different score. In these instances, you still roll the appropriate
number of d10s, however instead of adding the score you would normally use, you instead
add the score specified by the GM.
It takes 1 Skill Point (SP) to increase your proficiency with an Action Skill,
and all Action Skills have a proficiency cap of 5, though like Ability Scores, special features
can increase this cap to 6. You gain 1 SP every time you
level up.
The purposes of the Climb and Swim skills are twofold: the first is to
give their user a climbing/swimming speed equal to double their
proficiency + double their STR score, and the second is to be able to
climb or swim in difficult situations or whenever a significant
challenge to the activity is present.
Climb. Climb checks are needed whenever a creature faces a
challenge in scaling a relatively vertical surface, such as the rope they’re
climbing being cut, some force shaking the wall the are hanging onto, or a creature
attempting to pull them off the surface they are scaling.
Swim. Swim checks are required whenever a non-aquatic
creature attempts to swim through troubled waters or other difficult situations,
such as upstream, in a storm, or with another creature on their back.
Sleight of Hand. Sleight of Hand checks are required whenever a creature
attempts to perform some sort of trickery or deceitful maneuver with their hands.
Some examples include pickpocketing, planting an object, or concealing something on
your person.
Stealth. Stealth is used whenever a creature attempts to
conceal themselves from others or hide in their surroundings. Some examples include
hiding from pursuers, camouflaging oneself using the terrain, or sneaking past an
unaware enemy. Stealth checks should be contested by the opposing party’s Perception
checks.
Arcana. Arcana is used when studying enchanted items, concoctions, and
other arcane effects such as eldritch glyphs or a sampling of Aetherite.
Some examples include checking for arcane traps, determining the properties of an
enchanted item, or figuring out what effect a given concoction will have.
Lore. The Lore skill is used when you wish to discern or recall information
about a specific part of the world, including religious information. Perhaps you
wish to remember the history behind a specific enchanted item, recall the role a
specific location played in some event, are trying to learn who the leader of a given
region of land is, or want to recall the specifics of a specific religious ritual.
Mechanics. Mechanics is used to discern how a machine works
and what it is designed to do. Passing a Mechanics check will allow a character to
understand the workings of a machine and/or its components, or allow them to alter
its function in a desired way – provided they have the necessary tools, components,
and ability to do so.
Medicine. The Medicine skill tells of your ability to discern and diagnose
various illnesses or the nature and effects of grisly wounds. Additionally, your
proficiency in Medicine Kits is equal to your proficiency in Medicine -1. The
uses for Medicine Kits are detailed below, under "Tool Skills". Lastly, Medicine
can be used to harvest crafting parts and Alchemy Ingredients from creatures you slay, though when this skill
is used in that way, you add your DEX to the check instead of your INT.
Nature. Nature is used whenever you want to recall
information on a specific aspect of something found in the natural world, such as a
creature, plant, or gas. Examples include learning about a specific breed of beast,
remembering information about a monster in the middle of a fight, or identifying the
effects of a gas.
Appraisal. Appraisal is used to discern the monetary value of
items, and if they might be worth more to some people than to others; it is also
used to determine a weapon's quality.
Some examples include figuring out the worth or rarity of a gem, how much an ancient
artifact would fetch for, or what the quality of a given weapon is.
Beast Handling. Beast Handling comes into play whenever you
attempt to gain control of or domesticate a beast. Hungry, scared, or angry beasts
will require higher Beast Handling checks than beasts that have been
calmed or placated in some way.
Insight. Insight is used when trying to discern someone’s true
motives, emotions, or current mental state. Examples include telling if someone is
lying, determining how someone feels about received news, or determining whether or not
someone is presently hostile to you.
Navigation. Navigation is used to find your way and prevent
yourself from getting lost, especially in unfamiliar terrain. Examples include
navigating rough waters, finding your way through a foreign swamp, and forging your
way up a mountain. Navigation is also used when traveling.
Perception. Perception determines your ability to - unsurprisingly - perceive
the goings-on in the world around you and not get caught unawares. If a character or
player wishes to, they can specify which sense they want to focus their perceptions
on, such as seeing, hearing, smelling, etc., which may give them advantage or
nullify the disadvantage they would have when using a different sense. For GMs, if a
player does not specify which sense they are using, assume they are perceiving with
all of their senses equally. A character's immediate surroundings, such as the weather
or their lighting may affect their
ability to perceive. Some examples include searching a room, listening for the
approach of enemies, or sniffing the air to see if something smells amiss. For both
PCs and NPCs, if a character is sneaking up on or around another, the party that is
not sneaking must make a Perception check contested by the sneaking party’s Stealth
check to determine if the sneaking party is detected or not.
Survival. Survival is used primarily for tracking, hunting, and
surviving in the wilds. The amount of food
and water found during rests is determined via Survival checks. Additionally, Survival
can be used to harvest crafting parts and Alchemy Ingredients from creatures you slay, though
you add your DEX to the check instead of your WIS when using the skill in this way.
Examples include tracking a creature(s) through a forest, hunting for
game to survive, or finding food that is safe to eat.
Beguilement. The purpose of Beguilement checks is twofold: the first is when direct
deception is called for, such as lying or attempting to disguise yourself; the second
is when you are performing in some way, such as via acting or performing impressive
physical feats. The reason for this is because lying and performing largely requires
the same underlying talents, so hybridizing them into a single skill is just efficient.
Intimidation. Intimidation is used whenever you wish to
"coerce" another being into submitting to your will. When a creature makes an
Intimidation check, the creature they are attempting to intimidate should make a
Willpower save against their check to see if they resist the attempt.
Examples include forcing someone to follow your orders, scaring someone out of a
fight, or intimidating others into avoiding you.
Persuasion. Persuasion is used when you/your character believes diplomacy would be
most suited to a given situation, and wishes to use their words instead of fear or
violence. Examples include bartering on the price of goods, convincing a guard to
let you go free, or diplomatically resolving a tense situation.
Tool Skills
Tools are an important part of not just an adventurer’s work, but any craftsman,
artisan, or other skilled worker - after all, where would a thief be without her
lockpicks, or an alchemist without his mortar and pestle? Proficiency
with Tool Skills goes up the same way proficiency with Action Skills does, via Skill
Points. Like Action Skills, it takes 1 SP for proficiency with a Tool Skill to increase
by 1, and all Tool Skills have a proficiency cap of 5 that can be increased to 6 through special means.
Checks with Tool Skills are made similarly to Action Skill checks, in that you roll a number
of d10s equal to your proficiency in the appropriate skill (or 1d6 if your proficiency is 0);
also like Action Skills, the bonus to your roll is one of your Ability Scores, however which
it is depends on exactly what you are doing, and is up to the GM. For example, the bonus to a
check with Thieving Tools to pick a lock would be your DEX score.
Components. Every set of tools is made up of a handful of
components. Someone who has > 1 proficiency in a set of tools is familiar
with all of its components and knows how to use them.
Action Skills. Most every set of tools directly relates to
and/or benefits > 1 Action Skill(s). If proficiency with a set of tools directly relates to
a specific skill pointed out in the tool’s description, then when making checks on that
Action Skill, you may add your proficiency in the Tool Skill to your Action Skill check.
You can add this bonus from multiple sets of tools.
Special Use. In addition to aiding with Action Skill checks,
many tools also have a handful of other activities they can be used for, such as brewing
concoctions, fixing armor, or patching up an ally. Special uses for each set of tools
are described after the Action Skills that that set of tools gives a bonus to, though
there may be some others that aren’t listed. If you think of a special use, discuss it
with your GM.
Sample DRs. Lastly, for each set of tools, some sample DRs are
given for various activities that can be performed using the described tools. The
activities given are by no means an exhaustive list, merely some examples.
Components. Alchemy Supplies are comprised of a mortar and pestle,
vials and flasks of various sizes and shapes, and a distillation set.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves any sort of
chemicals, concoctions, reagents, alchemical processes, or the like, you
can add your proficiency with these tools to the following skills:
Appraisal, Arcana, Mechanics, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Survival.
Gather Alchemy Ingredients. Concoctions require ingredients to be brewed, and
you can use your downtime to gather these ingredients, the details for which are covered
here.
Perform Alchemy. These tools can be used to brew concoctions and enchant items
via alchemy (assuming you have the
time and resources).
Make Gunpowder. Using 3 Aeons' worth of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, you can use
these tools to craft a pound of gunpowder (DR below). Failing this check causes
you to take 2d6 burn damage, reduced only by your Natural Armor.
Components. Art supplies are made up of several pencils, colored dyes and paints,
paintbrushes, a palette, a 3x3 easel, enough clay to create a 1-cubic-foot sculpture,
and various sculpting tools.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves any sort of piece of
artwork, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the following
skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, Perception, and
Persuasion.
Create Art. During your downtime, you can create
an art piece of your choosing.
Activity
DR
Mold small clay figurine
10
Create forgery
25
Components. Blacksmithing tools are comprised of a hammer, tongs, and a whetstone.
Without a forge, anvil, and crucible, these tools are not very useful.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves any sort of metal
equipment or smithing materials, you can add your proficiency with these
tools to the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Lore, Mechanics, Nature,
and Perception.
Forge and Repair Equipment. Assuming you have a forge and the proper materials at
your disposal, you can spend some of your downtime forging
new equipment for you or your allies. How difficult it is to repair equipment is
generally determined by how badly damaged the equipment is, but a good guideline to
follow is half the DR to create the piece from scratch.
Activity
DR
Forge a weapon
Varies
Forge armor
Varies
Repair a weapon
Varies
Repair armor
Varies
Components. Used to build wooden structures, these tools are comprised of a
hammer, some nails, a hatchet, a saw, an adze, a plane, and a chisel.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves a wooden
construction of some form, you can add your proficiency with these tools to
the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Mechanics,
Perception, and Persuasion.
Construct. Given an appropriate amount of wood and time, you can build
a construction of your choice. The quality – including the structural stability – of
your construction is determined by the result of your check.
Activity
DR
Build wooden furniture
8
Reinforce a door or window
10
Design a simple wooden structure
14
Find a weak point in a wooden structure
18
Design a complex wooden structure
24
Components. Cartography tools are comprised of a compass, a ruler, calipers, a
pencil, a pen, and some ink.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves a map or
navigational documents you can add your proficiency with these tools to the
following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, Perception,
and Persuasion.
Create a Map. During your travels or downtime you can draw
a map to keep track of your progress and keep your group from getting lost; you can also
attempt to create a map during your downtime. The result of your check determines the
quality and accuracy of the map.
Activity
DR
Estimate direction and distance to a landmark
8
Determine the age and origin of a map
12
Discern the accuracy of a map
16
Fill in missing parts of a map
18
Components. Cooking supplies are comprised of a small multitude of pots and pans,
a ladle, a stirring spoon, and some basic utensils.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves food, cooking, or
ingredients, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the following
skills: Appraisal, Beguilement, Insight, Nature, Perception, and Survival.
Cook a Meal. During your downtime, you can whip up
a delicious meal for < 5 people (or more, though this takes longer), provided
you have the ingredients. The consumer then has their Health restored by an amount equal
to the result your check. You can also prepare rations during your downtime, which
restore an amount of Health equal to half your check.
Activity
DR
Determine the quality of a meal
5
Duplicate a simple meal
6
Duplicate a gourmet meal
22
Components. A disguise kit utilizes various cosmetics such as
makeups, hair dyes, a multitude of props, and several articles of clothing.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves cosmetics, disguises,
or costumes (not including perceiving someone in a costume), you can add
your proficiency with these tools to the following skills: Appraisal,
Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, and Nature.
Create a Disguise. During your downtime you can create
a disguise for yourself or someone else. The Perception DR to see through your disguise
is equal to the result of your check. Creating any sort of full disguise or costume
completely uses up the kit, while smaller activities such as covering up distinguishing
marks will only use part of it, such as ½ or ¼, at your GM’s discretion.
Activity
DR
Slightly alter your appearance
5
Cover injuries or distinguishing marks
8
Copy the appearance of a Sentient of similar heritage
22
Copy the appearance of a Sentient of differing heritage
35
Components. An explosives kit is made up of various vials, flasks, a mortar and
pestle, a measuring cup, a funnel, and a scale. The kit does not include any gunpowder
or the ingredients to make it, however each of those things can be purchased or
created using Alchemy Supplies.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves explosives,
gunpowder, or any sort of volatile and dangerous substance or chemical, you
can add your proficiency with these tools to the following skills:
Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Intimidation, Mechanics, Nature, Perception,
Persuasion, and Sleight of Hand.
Create Explosives. During your downtime and with the right materials, you can
craft various explosives.
Components. These tools are comprised of several different types of ink,
parchments, wax, gold and silver leaf, a multitude of quills, and a handful of small
tools to sculpt melted wax into a seal.
Action Skills. When making a check involving seals and official
documents, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the following
skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, Perception, and
Persuasion.
Create Forgery. During your downtime, you can
forge an official document. The
result of your check sets the Perception DR to detect the falsehood of the
forgery.
Activity
DR
Duplicate a wax seal
15
Mimic handwriting
24
Components. Like Musical Instruments, there are multiple Gaming Sets
in Iron & Aether, but for simplicity’s sake they have been narrowed down to
3: Cards, Dice, and Juggling.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves a Gaming Set that
you have proficiency in, you can add your proficiency with these tools to
the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Lore,
Mechanics, Perception, Persuasion, and Sleight of Hand.
Play. During your downtime, you can play games using any Gaming Set in your
possession. When playing, it is up to you whether you wish to gamble or just play a
friendly game. In either case, your check is contested against your opponents’ checks.
Activity
DR
Catch a player cheating
Contested
Cheat
Contested
Components. These tools, used to clean and repair firearms, are made up of a
metallic brush, a small screwdriver, and a pair of pliers.
Action Skills. When making a check involving flintlocks, arquebuses,
repeaters, revolvers, or any other kind of firearm (excepting blowguns or
crossbows of any kind), you can add your proficiency with these tools to
the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Intimidation,
Lore, Mechanics, Perception, and Persuasion.
Make Bullets. During your downtime you can use these tools to
create bullets for a repeater or
revolver.
Activity
DR
Disable a gun
8
Repair a gun
15
Components. An herbalism kit is comprised of a pair of shears, a small pair of
clippers, a magnifying glass, an eyedropper, a mortar and pestle, and a handful of small
vials and containers.
Action Skills. When making a check involving herbs, spices, plants,
or other flora, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the
following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, Medicine,
Nature, Perception, Persuasion, and Survival.
Brew Weak Concoctions. Using your knowledge of various flora and their
effects, you can spend your downtime brewingweak concoctions using materials that you have bought or gathered.
Gather Alchemy Ingredients. Concoctions require ingredients to be brewed, and
you can use your downtime to gather these ingredients, the details for which are
covered here.
Activity
DR
Identify a plant
8
Safely harvest a dangerous plant
12
Discern a plant’s effect(s)
16
Components. Jeweling Tools are made up of a small microscope, a magnifying glass,
a set of scales, a pair of tweezers, a pair of pliers, a small hammer, a small saw, and
a file.
Action Skills. When making a check involving any sort of jewel or
precious mineral, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the
following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, Nature,
Perception, and Persuasion.
Cut Gems. Using these tools, you can carve and shape gems and other precious
minerals into shapes and designs of your choice, within reason. The value, in Aeons,
of the gem you cut is equal to 3 times the result of your check.
Activity
DR
Identify a gem
8
Determine a gem’s recent history
14
Find a weak point in a gem
20
Components. Leatherworking tools are comprised of a small knife, an awl, an edger,
a hole punch, and several lengths of thread.
Action Skills. Whenever making a check involving any sort of leather
goods, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the following
skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Insight, Nature, Perception,
Persuasion, and Survival.
Tan Hides. You can tan hides and animal skins in your possession, turning them
into leather over the course of 6 days.
Make Armor. During your downtime, you can craft
leather and hide armor.
Activity
DR
Repair a pair of leather gloves/boots
5
Craft a pair of leather gloves/boots
10
Repair hide armor
10
Repair leather armor
14
Craft hide armor
20
Craft leather armor
28
Components. Used to construct stone structures, masonry tools include a trowel, a
hammer, a ruler, a chisel, and some brushes.
Action Skills. When making a check involving any sort of stone
structure or construction, you can your proficiency with these tools to the
following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Climb, Insight, Mechanics,
Nature, Perception, and Persuasion.
Demolish. Using your knowledge of stonework, you can find and exploit the weak
points of a stone structure, allowing you to easily tear it down however you see fit.
Activity
DR
Chisel a hole into a stone wall
10
Find a weak point in a stone wall
14
Medicine Kits are a special skill, as they are the only Tool Skill that a character
can get better with by increasing a corresponding Action Skill: specifically,
proficiency in Medicine Kits is equal to a character's Medicine proficiency -1,
unless a character specifically spends 1 SP to make the two equal.
Components. A medicine kit is comprised of a surgical needle and thread, a small
pair of scissors, several lengths of gauze, a collection of various sizes of small,
adhesive, single-use bandages, and a sampling of pain-relieving drugs.
Action Skills. Because of Med Kits' special relationship to the Medicine skill,
they do not also double as a bonus to that skill.
Healing. A single medicine kit can be used to heal a single person over a
variable period of time - from 10 minutes to an hour depending on what exactly is
being done and how injured the person is. To do this, a character who is proficient
with Medicine Kits and has at least one in their inventory makes a check with it on
a creature of their choice; the creature that the kit is being used on regains an
amount of Health equal to the total result of the roll. Alternatively, instead of
taking the full length of time, the creature making the check can take 15 seconds to apply the
kit less effectively, healing the subject by an amount equal to half the result of
their check. Either way, the kit is consumed and its components are completely used
up. This does not work on Automata; instead,
Tinkering Tools must be used.
Stabilizing. If a creature is Enduring,
someone who is proficient with Medicine Kits and has one can attempt to stabilize
them. To do this, that character can use 4 actions to make a check on the
Enduring creature; this check has a DR equal to
the current save DR of the Enduring creature.
If this check succeeds, the creature is stabilized and no longer needs to make
saves; if the check fails, the Enduring Save DR increases by 5, to a maximum of 20;
if you get a Partial Success, the creature is not stabilized but neither does the
save DR increase. The kit is consumed regardless of success or failure. This does
not work on Automata; instead, Tinkering Tools
must be used.
Activity
DR
Staunch bleeding
8
Temporarily relieve disease/poison symptoms
Varies
Components. A musical instrument is made up of just the instrument itself. There
are as many instruments in I&A as one can think of, but for the sake of
simplicity, there are four instruments described here: the Drum, the Flute, the Lute,
and the Viola. Each is an example of one type of instrument: percussion, wind, plucked
string, and string, respectively. Your proficiency with one type of instrument does not
extend to the other types.
Action Skills. When making a check involving musical instruments, you
can add your proficiency with these tools to the following skills:
Appraisal, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, Mechanics, and Perception.
Perform. Using an instrument in your possession, you can add the full result of a
check with these tools to a Beguile check as you use this instrument to perform.
Activity
DR
Tune an instrument
12
Components. Navigation Tools contain a sextant, a compass, calipers,
and a ruler.
Action Skills. When making a check involving navigating or tools used
to do so, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the following
skills: Appraisal, Beguilement, Insight, Lore, and Mechanics (for Navigation, see
"Navigate" below).
Navigate. Navigation tools, unsurprisingly, make navigation
easier. Whenever attempting to find your way to another place, particularly to someplace
you’ve never been before, you can use these tools to help you find your way. If you have
just a compass, you have advantage on your Navigation checks to find your way to your
destination; if you have a full set of Navigation Tools, you still have advantage and
you can add half the result of a check with these tools to your Navigation check.
Activity
DR
Read a map
4
Plot a course
10
Discover your position on a map or nautical chart
20
Components. Thieving Tools are comprised of a small file, a set of lock picks, a
small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of
pliers.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves some sort of trap
or lock, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the following
skills: Mechanics, Perception, and Sleight of Hand.
Set Traps. Using these tools and your knowledge of the workings of traps you can make a
check to spend an appropriate an amount of time creating and setting various traps
provided you have the materials available. The total of your check becomes the DR for
someone else to disarm your trap, and the damage your trap deals (if it is
a damage-dealing trap) is a number of d6s equal to your proficiency.
Activity
DR
Disable a trap
Varies
Discern how a trap works
Varies
Pick a lock
Varies
Components. Tinkering tools include a variety of small hand tools (wrenches,
pliers, wirecutters, etc.), some needles, some copper wires, nuts and bolts, and some
glue.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves a mechanism,
machine, or device, you can add your proficiency with these tools to the
following skills: Appraisal, Beguilement, Insight, Intimidation, Lore,
Mechanics, Nature, Perception, and Persuasion.
Repair. Using an hour of your time and these tools, you can make a check to repair
a damaged device. The amount of Health the device regains is equal to the result of your
check; this also applies to Automata,
in much the same way medicine kits work on organic creatures.
Tinker. During your downtime, you can tinker
together a device of your own design.
Activity
DR
Assess a mechanism’s non-obvious condition
15
Repair a somewhat damaged prosthetic
16
Create a small device or toy
18
Improve an existing mechanism
24
Repair a severely damaged prosthetic
30
Components. Air vehicles are comprised of small, medium, and large airships, as
well as hot air balloons and blimps. Various air vehicles can be read about here.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves any sort of
air-based vehicle or mount, you can add your proficiency with these tools
to the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Beast Handling,
Lore, Nature, Navigation, Mechanics, Perception, and Persuasion.
Pilot an Aircraft. Using your proficiency with air-based vehicles, you are able to
pilot and commandeer aircraft and winged mounts.
Activity
DR
Assess a vehicle’s non-obvious condition
20
Perform a difficult maneuver
25
Navigate turbulent weather
28
Land a crashing vehicle
38
Components. Land vehicles are comprised of wagons, autocars, and trains, as well as
different mounts and ridable beasts. Various land vehicles can be read about here.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves any sort of
land-based vehicle or mount, you can add your proficiency with these
tools to the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Beast
Handling, Lore, Nature, Navigation, Mechanics, Perception, and
Persuasion.
Drive a Vehicle. Using your proficiency with land-based vehicles, you are able to
drive and commandeer mounts and wheeled transportation.
Activity
DR
Assess a vehicle’s non-obvious condition
10
Navigate turbulent weather at slow speeds
12
Navigate turbulent weather at high speeds
20
Perform a difficult maneuver
24
Maintain control of a crashing vehicle
25
Components. Water vehicles are largely comprised of ships and boats of various
sizes, as well as submarines. Various water vehicles can be read about here.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves any sort of
water-based vehicle or mount, you can add your proficiency with these
tools to the following skills: Appraisal, Arcana, Beguilement, Beast
Handling, Lore, Nature, Navigation, Mechanics, Perception, and
Persuasion.
Helm a Boat. Using your proficiency with water-based vehicles, you are able to
helm and commandeer ships, boats, and aquatic mounts.
Activity
DR
Assess a vehicle’s non-obvious condition
15
Navigate troubled waters
24
Components. Woodcarving tools are comprised of a carving knife, a gouge, a small
chisel, a small saw, and a pair of carving gloves.
Action Skills. When making a check that involves anything to do
with wood that has been carved or manufactured in some way, you can
add your proficiency with these tools to the following skills:
Appraisal, Lore, Mechanics, Nature, and Perception.
Whittle. Provided you have wood at your disposal, you can use
your downtime to whittle.
Activity
DR
Carve a small statue
8
Craft a small toy
12
Carve a small piece of furniture
20
Weapon Skills
Weapon Skills measure one’s proficiency with a given
weapon, specifically through what category of weapon that weapon belongs to: Archery, Exotic,
Firearm, Large, Medium, Polearm, Small, Throwing, or Unarmed.
Part 5: Chapter 2 contains the full list of weaponry in
I&A, and at 1st Level you decide which Weapon Skill you want to gain proficiency in as you
level up, though you can gain proficiency in more later on.
Archery weapons are weapons that fire arrows or small projectiles, and are comprised
of bows and slings.
Exotic weapons are unique, usually quite rare weapons that require specialized
training of their own to be used effectively; for this reason, there is no “Exotic”
Weapon Skill – instead, you put WP into each Exotic weapon individually. Most are
foreign to the vast majority; even veteran warriors are usually not quite sure how to
handle one when they first encounter it. Many of them are unique to certain monk
monasteries and are extremely rare or unheard of outside of them. Some Exotic weapons
are made to be dual-wielded, while others cannot be without the “Two-handed
Dual-Wielding” feat. Some examples of Exotic weapons included meteor hammers,
nun’chaku, and chakram.
Firearm weapons are not just weapons that fire bullets and use gunpowder, but also
fire bolts; this includes crossbows, flintlocks, and repeaters. Shots made with Firearm
weapons while prone have advantage.
Large weapons are very heavy and almost always need to be wielded with two hands; for
this reason, Large weapons cannot be dual-wielded without the “Two-handed
Dual-Wielding” classless feat.
Examples of Large weapons include greatclubs and claymores.
Medium weapons are a bit heavier than Small weapons and can usually be wielded with
one or two hands; while Medium weapons can be dual-wielded, each individual weapon
may deal less damage than it would if wielded with two hands. Some examples of
Medium weapons are swords, battleaxes, and maces.
Polearm weapons are long weapons that typically have a lot of reach and end with a
bladed tip. Polearm weapons require the use of two hands to wield, and under no
circumstances can be dual-wielded. Examples of Polearm weapons include pikes, halberds,
and glaives.
Small weapons are weapons that are usually light and always fit in one hand; because
of this, it is easy to dual-wield Small weapons. Some examples of these weapons are
daggers, clubs, and handaxes.
Throwing weapons are weapons that are designed or are able to be thrown. These
weapons have their standard/long ranges in the Property column of the Normal
Weapons table. Examples of throwing weapons include daggers, javelins, and nets.
Unarmed weapons apply to both attacks made with just your body, such as your hands
and feet, and attacks made with weapons that simulate bodily movements, such as claws.
Unarmed strikes (e.g. your punches and kicks) deal 1d2 + your STR physical
base damage and cost an action unless otherwise indicated by a special exception.
Skill Checks Using Weapons
Sometimes, a character may wish to perform a task using their weapon that isn't explicitly an
attack, but more a test of skill, like an archer trying to shoot an apple off the head of another
creature. In these instances, rather than roll using the weapon's damage dice, instead have the
player roll a number of d10s equal to their Weapon Skill proficiency, like you would with an
Action or Tool Skill check, and add the appropriate Ability Score.
Improvised and Mechanical Weapons
Two types of weapons - improvised and mechanical - do not have corresponding skills of
their own, and are instead explained here.
Improvised Weapons. Improvised weapons are objects that are not typically meant
to be wielded as weapons but are used as such by the clever and creative adventurer
thinking on their feet. When a character decides to use an object as an improvised
weapon, it is up to the GM to decide whether that object can be wielded as a weapon and,
if it can, its damage, its corresponding skill (Small, Medium, Polearm, etc.) and by
extension your character’s proficiency with it, and other such information; most
improvised weapons happen to fit the criteria for Small weapons, but this is not always
the case. Some examples of improvised weapons include bottles, chairs, and sticks.
Mechanical Weapons. Mechanical weapons are special weapons that contain some sort of
mechanical component; some can transform into another weapon at the
behest of the character wielding it, while others have varying alterations that may,
for instance, make them easier to carry or allow them to fire more frequently. The mechanics of a mech weapon
can be figured out with a successful DR 14 Mechanics check; unless this check is passed,
a character cannot figure out how to properly use a mech weapon unless they are shown
how or are trained in its use.
