Skill List

Skills are separated by Skill Category. Many times, an ability may refer to Skills within a certain category in order to limit/group what Skills are applicable to the ability’s effect.

Skill Mechanics

Skill Limits

For any standard character, it is impossible to have a skill below 10, or above 90. Skills have a soft-limit range of 20-80 (the highest you can achieve through natural means), but in some circumstances (such as magic effects, or higher level play) you may be able to achieve between 10-90. If an effect would reduce your Skill to below 10, or increase it above 90, the Skill remains within the range of 10-90 instead.

Skill Modifiers

Many times in Ettes Eternal, the text will refer to your Skill Modifier; this represents a shorthand of your Skill’s level, and is used for small modifiers to various effects. You Skill Modifier in any skill is simply determined by the tens digit of your Skill. Note that this is NOT “Skill ÷ 10, rounded”

Basic Competency

There are many things in other systems that commonly require checks from adventurers: horseback riding, climbing, and swimming to name a few. In Ettes Eternal, you are heroes worthy (eventually…) of legend. We assume every adventurer has basic competency in, well, basic adventuring. You can swim well (enough), you can ride a horse, you can scale a wall with good handholds.

However, there are still plenty of situations that may call for a check even with this assumption. Swimming through rapids, climbing a sheer cliff without gear, or racing through difficult thick forests on horseback in a mad dash. If it makes sense that the average person who knows how to do this thing would have some difficulty, the GM is welcome to ask for a check on this.

If however, the water is calm, the cliff is rocky, and the horse is a happy boy on a flat plain, well…just do the thing and move onto more exciting stuff. Nothing more boring than your epic adventurer dying trying to ford a relatively calm river.

Skill Descriptions

Many Skills are more obvious as to what they can be applied to for their rolls. Below, some skills will include “example actions” explicitly called out that show certain things you may not consider to fall under that Skill’s domain.

Multiple different Skills can be appropriate to achieve a specific goal! You might use Influence to Intimidate someone, but you can also use your Melee or Athletics skill as well, depending on how you describe it! Final judgement as always falls to the GM on what is appropriate.

Combat

Melee

Your ability to fight with hand-to-hand weapons and in close quarters combat. This encompasses weapon technique, positioning, and understanding of combat timing and distance.

Example Actions

Intimidating Display

Use your weapon skills to make threatening gestures that cow opponents.

Break Objects

Use your weapon training to efficiently destroy doors, chains, or other obstacles.

Ranged

Your skill with projectile weapons including bows, crossbows, and thrown weapons. This includes accuracy, range estimation, and understanding of ballistics and wind conditions.

Example Actions

Intimidating Display

Use your weapon skills to make threatening gestures that cow opponents.

Spellcasting

Your ability to manipulate magical forces, understand arcane theory, and channel supernatural energies. This skill governs both the casting of spells and understanding of magical phenomena.

Example Actions

Identify Magic

Determine the nature and properties of magical effects, items, or phenomena. The amount you learn about the magic depends on how well you do on the roll, at GM discretion.

Physical

Agility

Your speed, reflexes, and ability to move with grace and precision. This encompasses quick reactions, balance, and fine motor control under pressure.

Athletics

Your physical prowess in activities requiring strength, coordination, and bodily control. This includes climbing, jumping, swimming, and other feats of physical capability.

Example Actions

Force Open

Use brute strength to break down doors, bend bars, or overcome physical barriers.

Strong Arm

Use physical intimidation and presence to coerce or threaten others.

Endurance

Your stamina, pain tolerance, and ability to push through physical hardship. This skill governs how well you handle exhaustion, environmental extremes, and physical stress.

Mental

Perception

Your awareness of your surroundings and ability to notice important details. This includes all five senses as well as intuitive awareness of danger or hidden elements.

Example Actions

Track Movement

Follow the trail left by some target across various terrain.

Willpower

Your mental fortitude, self-control, and resistance to mental influence. This skill helps you maintain focus under stress and resist psychological manipulation.

Social

Deception

Your skill at lying, misdirection, and concealing your true intentions. This encompasses both verbal lies and physical acts of subterfuge or disguise.

Example Actions

Create False Identity

Establish a convincing alternate persona with backstory and mannerisms.

Create Disguise

Use makeup, clothing, and mannerisms to alter your physical appearance.

Forge Documents

Create false papers, signatures, or official documentation.

Influence

Your ability to persuade, lead, and inspire others through force of personality. This includes leadership, public speaking, and the art of convincing others to see your point of view.

Example Actions

Gather Information

Use social connections and conversation to learn rumors, news, and useful facts.

Insight

Your ability to read people’s emotions, motivations, and hidden agendas. This skill helps you understand what others are really thinking and feeling beneath their words and actions.

Technical

Crafting

Your knowledge of creating, repairing, and modifying physical objects. This includes working with various materials, understanding of tools, and knowledge of construction techniques.

Example Actions

Craft Item

Create useful objects from available materials using appropriate tools and time.

Repair Equipment

Fix damaged weapons, armor, or other equipment to restore functionality.

Appraise Quality

Assess the workmanship, materials, and value of crafted items.

Medicine

Your knowledge of healing, anatomy, and treatment of injuries and diseases. This skill encompasses both magical and mundane healing techniques as well as understanding of the body.

Example Actions

Administer Healing

Outside of combat, you may take 2 hours to Administer Healing to another character. You roll your Medicine Skill, and on success the character may immediately make one Recovery Roll. Higher successes yield better results:

The player doing the Recovery Roll still gets to choose between Safe and Luck for the Recovery Roll.

Diagnose Condition

Identify diseases, poisons, curses, or other ailments affecting a patient.

Apply First Aid

A successful check provides {Level÷2} HP back. This will immediately stabilize a Dying creature or player. This cannot be performed more than once per day on any target.

Survival

Your ability to thrive in wilderness environments and handle outdoor challenges. This includes finding food and shelter, navigation, and understanding of natural dangers.

Example Actions

Find Shelter

Locate or construct protection from weather and environmental hazards.

Track Movement

Follow the trail left by creatures or vehicles across various terrain.

Thievery

Your expertise in stealth, lockpicking, and other activities typically associated with criminal endeavors. This includes moving unseen, bypassing security, and acquiring things quietly.

Example Actions

Pick Locks

Open locked doors, chests, or other secured mechanisms without keys.

Move Stealthily

Travel without being detected by sight, sound, or other senses.

Disable Trap

Safely disarm mechanical or magical traps without triggering them.

Knowledge

Academia

Your knowledge of history, literature, mathematics, and other scholarly pursuits. This represents formal education and understanding of intellectual subjects.

Arcana

Your knowledge of magical theory, arcane lore, and supernatural phenomena. This encompasses understanding of how magic works, magical creatures, and the history of arcane arts.

Example Actions

Identify Magic

Determine the nature and properties of magical effects, items, or phenomena.

Identify Magical Creatures

Recognize supernatural beings and recall their abilities, weaknesses, and behaviors.

Decode Magical Writing

Translate magical scripts, decipher spell formulae, or understand arcane symbols.

Nature

Your understanding of the natural world including plants, animals, weather, and ecosystems. This knowledge helps you understand how natural systems work and interact.

Religion

Your understanding of divine powers, religious practices, and theological matters. This includes knowledge of various faiths, their hierarchies, rituals, certain planes and monsters, and the nature of divine magic.

Example Actions

Perform Ceremony

Conduct religious rituals for weddings, funerals, or other significant occasions.

Identify Intervention

Recognize the signs and effects of divine interventions, blessings, or curses.