Rules Reference
You will need to track your actions carefully in an encounter. At the start of each turn you take in an encounter, you regain 3 actions and 1 reaction to spend that round. You can spend your actions in many different ways.
There are four types of actions: single actions, activities, reactions, and free actions.
Single actions can be completed in a very short time. They’re self-contained, and their effects are generated within the span of that single action.
Activities usually take longer and require using multiple actions, which must be spent in succession.
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
is a single action, but Sudden Charge is an activity in which you use both the
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
and
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
actions to generate its effect.
Reactions have triggers, which must be met for you to use the reaction. You can use a reaction anytime its trigger is met, whether it’s your turn or not. Outside of encounters, your use of reactions is more flexible and up to the GM. Reactions are usually triggered by other creatures or by events outside your control.
Free actions don’t cost you any of your actions per turn, nor do they cost your reaction. A free action with no trigger follows the same rules as a single action (except the action cost). It must be used on your turn and can’t be used during another action. A free action with a trigger follows the same rules as a reaction (except the reaction cost). It can be used any time its trigger is met.
Activities
An activity typically involves using multiple actions to create an effect greater than you can produce with a single action, or combining multiple single actions to produce an effect that’s different from merely the sum of those actions. In some cases, usually when spellcasting, an activity can consist of only 1 action, 1 reaction, or even 1 free action.
An activity might cause you to use specific actions within it. You don’t have to spend additional actions to perform them—they’re already factored into the activity’s required actions.
You have to spend all the actions of an activity at once to gain its effects. In an encounter, this means you must complete it during your turn. If an activity gets interrupted or disrupted in an encounter, you lose all the actions you committed to it.
Actions with Triggers
You can use free actions that have triggers and reactions only in response to certain events. Each such reaction and free action lists the trigger that must happen for you to perform it. When its trigger is satisfied—and only when it is satisfied—you can use the reaction or free action, though you don’t have to use the action if you don’t want to.
Limitations on Triggers
The triggers listed in the stat blocks of reactions and some free actions limit when you can use those actions. You can use only one action in response to a given trigger. For example, if you had a reaction and a free action that both had a trigger of “your turn begins,” you could use either of them at the start of your turn—but not both. If two triggers are similar, but not identical, the GM determines whether you can use one action in response to each or whether they’re effectively the same thing. Usually, this decision will be based on what’s happening in the narrative. This limitation of one action per trigger is per creature; more than one creature can use a reaction or free action in response to a given trigger. If multiple actions would be occurring at the same time, and it’s unclear in what order they happen, the GM determines the order based on the narrative.
Simultaneous Actions
You can use only one single action, activity, or free action that doesn’t have a trigger at a time. You must complete one before beginning another. For example, the Sudden Charge activity states you must
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
twice and then ,
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
so you couldn’t use an
◆ Manipulate
You use your hand or hands to manipulate an object or the terrain. You can grab an unattended or stored object, draw a weapon, swap a held item for another, open a door, or achieve a similar effect. On rare occasions, you might have to attempt a skill check to determine if your Interact action was successful.
action to open a door in the middle of the movement, nor could you perform part of the move, make your attack, and then finish the move.
Free actions with triggers and reactions work differently. You can use these whenever the trigger occurs, even if the trigger occurs in the middle of another action.
Subordinate Actions
An action might allow you to use a simpler action— usually one of the Basic Actions—in a different circumstance or with different effects. This subordinate action still has its normal traits and effects, but it’s modified in any ways listed in the larger action. For example, an activity that tells you to
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
up to half your Speed alters the normal distance you can move in a .
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
The
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
would still have the
An action with this trait involves moving from one space to another.
trait, would still trigger reactions that occur based on movement, and so on. The subordinate action doesn’t gain any of the traits of the larger action unless specified. The action that allows you to use a subordinate action doesn’t require you to spend more actions or reactions to do so; that cost is already factored in.
Using an activity is not the same as using any of its subordinate actions. For example, the quickened condition you get from the haste spell lets you spend an extra action each turn to
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
or ,
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
but you couldn’t use the extra action for an activity that includes a
◆ Move
You move up to your Speed.
or .
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
As another example, if you used an action that specified, “If the next action you use is a ,”
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
an activity that includes a
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
wouldn’t count, because the next thing you are doing is starting an activity, not using the
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
basic action. Diseases and poisons are types of afflictions, as are curses and radiation. An affliction can infect a creature for a long time, progressing through different and often increasingly debilitating stages.
Name and Traits
The affliction’s name is given first, followed by its traits in parentheses—including the trait for the type of affliction (curse, disease, poison, and so forth). If the affliction needs to have a level specified, it follows the parentheses, followed by any unusual details, such as restrictions on removing the conditions imposed by an affliction. If no level is listed, the affliction matches the level of the creature, hazard, or item causing the affliction.
Saving Throw
When you’re first exposed to the affliction, you must attempt a saving throw against it. This first attempt to stave off the affliction is called the initial save. An affliction usually requires a Fortitude save, but the exact save and its DC are listed after the name and type of affliction. Spells that can cause an affliction typically use the caster’s spell DC.
On a successful initial saving throw, you are unaffected by that exposure to the affliction. You don’t need to attempt further saving throws against it unless you are exposed to the affliction again.
If you fail the initial saving throw, you advance to stage 1 of the affliction and are subjected to the listed effect. On a critical failure, after its onset period (if applicable), you advance to stage 2 of the affliction and are subjected to that effect instead.
Onset
Some afflictions have onset times. For these afflictions, once you fail your initial save, you don’t gain the effects for the first stage of the affliction until the onset time has elapsed. If this entry is absent, you gain the effects for the first stage (or the second stage on a critical failure) immediately upon failing the initial saving throw.
Maximum Duration
If an affliction lasts only a limited amount of time, it lists a maximum duration. Once this duration passes, the affliction ends. Otherwise, it lasts until you succeed at enough saves to recover, as described in Stages below.
Stages
An affliction typically has multiple stages, each of which lists an effect followed by an interval in parentheses. When you reach a given stage of an affliction, you are subjected to the effects listed for that stage.
At the end of a stage’s listed interval, you must attempt a new saving throw. On a success, you reduce the stage by 1; on a critical success, you reduce the stage by 2. You are then subjected to the effects of the new stage. If the affliction’s stage is ever reduced below stage 1, the affliction ends and you don’t need to attempt further saves unless you’re exposed to the affliction again.
On a failure, the stage increases by 1; on a critical failure, the stage increases by 2. You are then subjected to the effects listed for the new stage. If a failure or critical failure would increase the stage beyond the highest listed stage, the affliction instead repeats the effects of the highest stage.
Damage and Conditions
Any damage listed for a stage happens immediately when you reach that stage. Conditions affect you when you reach the stage and last for their normal duration. For instance, if you were drained for an affliction with a maximum duration of 5 minutes, you remain drained after the affliction ends, as normal for the drained condition. A condition that automatically changes its value or ends under certain circumstances, like frightened, still does so. Any condition that doesn’t have a default duration, such as clumsy or paralyzed, lasts as long as you’re at that stage unless noted otherwise, as do any penalties or any other effect of the stage that doesn’t list a duration.
Multiple Exposures
Multiple exposures to the same curse or disease currently affecting you have no effect. For a poison, however, failing the initial saving throw against a new exposure increases the stage by 1 (or by 2 if you critically fail) without affecting the maximum duration. This is true even if you’re within the poison’s onset period, though it doesn’t change the onset length. If the poison does not have an onset time or it’s already elapsed, you are immediately subject to the effects of the new stage.
Virulent Afflictions
Afflictions with the virulent trait are harder to remove. You must succeed at two consecutive saves to reduce a virulent affliction’s stage by 1. A critical success reduces a virulent affliction’s stage by only 1 instead of by 2.
Removing Afflictions
Apart from waiting them out, afflictions can be removed through certain uses of the skills and spells. The Treat Disease and Treat Poison uses of Medicine are commonly used to treat those afflictions.
The cleanse affliction spell is also available to most spellcasters. Spells that counteract conditions at the source, such as sound body, can also be effective against diseases and poisons that cause those conditions.
Curses are trickier, requiring solutions that specifically mention them, such as a 4th-rank cleanse affliction or the Break Curse skill feat. When you use a
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
action or make a spell attack, you attempt a check called an attack roll. Attack rolls take a variety of forms and are often highly variable based on the weapon you are using for the attack, but there are three main types: melee attack rolls, ranged attack rolls, and spell attack rolls.
You compare your attack roll to Armor Class (AC), a special type of DC.
Multiple Attack Penalty
The more attacks you make beyond your first in a single turn, the less accurate you become, represented by the multiple attack penalty. The second time you use an attack action during your turn, you take a –5 penalty to your check. The third time you attack, and on any subsequent attacks, you take a –10 penalty to your check. Every check that has the
An ability with this trait involves an attack. For each attack you make beyond the first on your turn, you take a multiple attack penalty.
trait counts toward your multiple attack penalty, including ,
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
spell attack rolls, certain skill actions like Shove, and many others.
Some weapons and abilities reduce multiple attack penalties, such as agile weapons, which reduce these penalties to –4 on the second attack or –8 on further attacks.
Always calculate your multiple attack penalty based on the weapon you’re using on that attack, not ones you used on previous attacks. For example, let’s say you’re wielding a longsword in one hand and a shortsword (which has the agile trait) in your other hand, and you make three
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
with these weapons over the course of your turn. The first
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
you make during your turn has no penalty, no matter what weapon you are using. The second
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
will take either a –5 penalty if you use the longsword or a –4 penalty if you use the shortsword. Your third attack would be a –10 penalty with the longsword and a –8 penalty with the shortsword, no matter what weapon you used for your previous .
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
The multiple attack penalty applies only during your turn, so you don’t have to keep track of it if you can perform a
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Trigger A creature within the monster’s reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it’s using; Effect The monster attempts a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, the monster disrupts that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward the monster’s multiple attack penalty, and its multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.
or a similar reaction that lets you make a
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
on someone else’s turn.
Range Penalty
Ranged and thrown weapons each have a listed range increment, and attacks with them grow less accurate against targets farther away. As long as your target is at or within the listed range increment, also called the first range increment, you take no penalty to the attack roll. If you’re attacking beyond that range increment, you take a –2 penalty for each additional increment beyond the first. You can attempt to attack with a ranged weapon or thrown weapon up to six range increments away, but the farther away you are, the harder it is to hit your target. Sometimes you will be called on to attempt a basic saving throw (or “basic save”). This type of saving throw works just like any other saving throw—the “basic” part refers to the effects. For a basic save, you’ll attempt the check and determine whether you critically succeed, succeed, fail, or critically fail like you would any other saving throw. Then one of the following outcomes applies based on your —
Whenever you attempt a check, you compare your result against the Difficulty Class (DC) of the check. Your check succeeds if it’s equal to or greater than the DC. If you roll anything less than the DC, you fail.
Many times, it’s important to determine not only if you succeed or fail, but also how spectacularly you succeed or fail. Exceptional results—either good or bad—can cause you to critically succeed or critically fail at a check.
You critically succeed when the check’s result meets or exceeds the DC by 10 or more. If the check is an attack roll, this is also known as a critical hit. You can also critically fail a check. The rules for critical failure—sometimes called a fumble—are the same as those for a critical success, but in the other direction: if you fail a check by 10 or more, that’s a critical failure.
Some actions and abilities have stronger effects on a critical success or failure. For example, a Strike deals double damage on a critical hit. If an effect doesn’t list a critical success effect, the critical success effect is the same as the success effect, and the same goes for critical failures.
Natural 1 and Natural 20
If you rolled a 20 on the die (a “natural 20”), your result is one degree of success better than it would be by numbers alone. If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a “natural 1”), your result is one degree worse. This means that a natural 20 usually results in a critical success and natural 1 usually results in a critical failure. However, if you were going up against a very high DC, you might get only a success with a natural 20, or even a failure if 20 plus your total modifier is 10 or more below the DC. Likewise, if your modifier for a statistic is so high that adding it to a 1 from your d20 roll exceeds the DC by 10 or more, you can succeed even if you roll a natural 1!
Certain abilities can change the degree of success on a roll. When resolving such an ability, apply the adjustment from a natural 20 or natural 1 before anything else.
no matter what caused the saving throw. Some spells or abilities add an additional effect on certain results but still use a basic saving throw for brevity.
• Critical Success You take no damage from the effect.
• Success You take half the listed damage from the effect.
• Failure You take the full damage listed from the effect.
• Critical Failure You take double the listed damage from the effect.
Doubling and Halving Damage
Sometimes you’ll need to halve or double an amount of damage, such as when the outcome of your
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
is a critical hit or when you succeed at a basic Reflex save against a spell. When this happens, you roll the damage normally, adding all the normal modifiers, bonuses, and penalties. Then you double or halve the amount as appropriate. As normal, round down if you halve the damage (though 1 damage halved remains at a minimum of 1 damage).
When doubling, the GM might allow you to roll the dice twice and double the modifiers, bonuses, and penalties instead of doubling the entire result, but this usually works best for single-target attacks or spells at low levels when you have a small number of damage dice to roll. Benefits you gain specifically from a critical hit, like the extra damage die from the fatal weapon trait, aren’t doubled. While adventuring, characters (and sometimes their belongings) are affected by abilities and effects that apply conditions. For example, a spell or magic item might turn you invisible or cause you to be gripped by fear. Conditions change your state of being in some way, and they represent everything from the attitude other creatures have toward you and how they interact with you to what happens when a creature drains your blood or life essence.
Conditions are persistent. Whenever you’re affected by a condition, its effects last until the condition’s stated duration ends, the condition is removed, or terms dictated in the condition itself cause it to end.
Condition Values
Some conditions have a number after the condition, called a condition value. This value conveys the severity of a condition, and such conditions often give you a bonus or penalty equal to their value. These values can often be reduced by skills, spells, or simply waiting. If a condition value is ever reduced to 0, the condition ends.
Overriding Conditions
Some conditions override others. This is always specified in the entry for the overriding condition. When this happens, all effects of the overridden condition are suppressed until the overriding condition ends. The overridden condition’s duration continues to elapse, and it might run out while suppressed.
Redundant Conditions
You can have a given condition only once at a time. If an effect would impose a condition you already have, you now have that condition for the longer of the two durations. The shorter-duration condition effectively ends, though other conditions caused by the original, shorter-duration effect might continue.
For example, let’s say you have been hit by a monster that crushes your arm; your wound causes you to be enfeebled 2 and off-guard until the end of the monster’s next turn. Before the end of that creature’s next turn, a trap poisons you, making you enfeebled 2 for 1 minute. In this case, the enfeebled 2 that lasts for 1 minute replaces the enfeebled 2 from the monster, so you would be enfeebled 2 for the longer duration. You would remain off-guard, since nothing replaced that condition, and it still lasts only until the end of the monster’s next turn.
Any ability that removes a condition removes it entirely, no matter what its condition value is or how many times you’ve been affected by it. In the example above, a spell that removes the enfeebled condition from you would remove it entirely—the spell wouldn’t need to remove it twice.
Redundant Conditions with Values
Conditions with different values are considered different conditions. If you’re affected by a condition with a value multiple times, you apply only the highest value, although you might have to track both durations if one has a lower value but lasts longer. For example, if you had a slowed 2 condition that lasts 1 round and a slowed 1 condition that lasts for 6 rounds, you’d be slowed 2 for the first round, and then you’d change to slowed 1 for the remaining 5 rounds of the second effect’s duration. If something reduces the condition value, it reduces it for all conditions of that name affecting you. For instance, in this example above, if something reduced your slowed value by 1, it would reduce the first condition from the example to slowed 1 and reduce the second to slowed 0, removing it.
Groups of Conditions
Some conditions exist relative to one another or share a similar theme. It can be useful to look at these conditions together to understand how they interact.
• Detection: Observed, hidden, undetected, unnoticed
• Senses: Blinded, concealed, dazzled, deafened, invisible
• Death and Dying: Doomed, dying, unconscious, wounded
• Attitudes: Hostile, unfriendly, indifferent, friendly, helpful
• Lowered Abilities: Clumsy, drained, enfeebled, stupefied Some effects try to counteract spells, ,
Diseases and poisons are types of afflictions, as are curses and radiation. An affliction can infect a creature for a long time, progressing through different and often increasingly debilitating stages.
Name and Traits
The affliction’s name is given first, followed by its traits in parentheses—including the trait for the type of affliction (curse, disease, poison, and so forth). If the affliction needs to have a level specified, it follows the parentheses, followed by any unusual details, such as restrictions on removing the conditions imposed by an affliction. If no level is listed, the affliction matches the level of the creature, hazard, or item causing the affliction.
Saving Throw
When you’re first exposed to the affliction, you must attempt a saving throw against it. This first attempt to stave off the affliction is called the initial save. An affliction usually requires a Fortitude save, but the exact save and its DC are listed after the name and type of affliction. Spells that can cause an affliction typically use the caster’s spell DC.
On a successful initial saving throw, you are unaffected by that exposure to the affliction. You don’t need to attempt further saving throws against it unless you are exposed to the affliction again.
If you fail the initial saving throw, you advance to stage 1 of the affliction and are subjected to the listed effect. On a critical failure, after its onset period (if applicable), you advance to stage 2 of the affliction and are subjected to that effect instead.
Onset
Some afflictions have onset times. For these afflictions, once you fail your initial save, you don’t gain the effects for the first stage of the affliction until the onset time has elapsed. If this entry is absent, you gain the effects for the first stage (or the second stage on a critical failure) immediately upon failing the initial saving throw.
Maximum Duration
If an affliction lasts only a limited amount of time, it lists a maximum duration. Once this duration passes, the affliction ends. Otherwise, it lasts until you succeed at enough saves to recover, as described in Stages below.
Stages
An affliction typically has multiple stages, each of which lists an effect followed by an interval in parentheses. When you reach a given stage of an affliction, you are subjected to the effects listed for that stage.
At the end of a stage’s listed interval, you must attempt a new saving throw. On a success, you reduce the stage by 1; on a critical success, you reduce the stage by 2. You are then subjected to the effects of the new stage. If the affliction’s stage is ever reduced below stage 1, the affliction ends and you don’t need to attempt further saves unless you’re exposed to the affliction again.
On a failure, the stage increases by 1; on a critical failure, the stage increases by 2. You are then subjected to the effects listed for the new stage. If a failure or critical failure would increase the stage beyond the highest listed stage, the affliction instead repeats the effects of the highest stage.
Damage and Conditions
Any damage listed for a stage happens immediately when you reach that stage. Conditions affect you when you reach the stage and last for their normal duration. For instance, if you were drained for an affliction with a maximum duration of 5 minutes, you remain drained after the affliction ends, as normal for the drained condition. A condition that automatically changes its value or ends under certain circumstances, like frightened, still does so. Any condition that doesn’t have a default duration, such as clumsy or paralyzed, lasts as long as you’re at that stage unless noted otherwise, as do any penalties or any other effect of the stage that doesn’t list a duration.
Multiple Exposures
Multiple exposures to the same curse or disease currently affecting you have no effect. For a poison, however, failing the initial saving throw against a new exposure increases the stage by 1 (or by 2 if you critically fail) without affecting the maximum duration. This is true even if you’re within the poison’s onset period, though it doesn’t change the onset length. If the poison does not have an onset time or it’s already elapsed, you are immediately subject to the effects of the new stage.
Virulent Afflictions
Afflictions with the virulent trait are harder to remove. You must succeed at two consecutive saves to reduce a virulent affliction’s stage by 1. A critical success reduces a virulent affliction’s stage by only 1 instead of by 2.
Removing Afflictions
Apart from waiting them out, afflictions can be removed through certain uses of the skills and spells. The Treat Disease and Treat Poison uses of Medicine are commonly used to treat those afflictions.
The cleanse affliction spell is also available to most spellcasters. Spells that counteract conditions at the source, such as sound body, can also be effective against diseases and poisons that cause those conditions.
Curses are trickier, requiring solutions that specifically mention them, such as a 4th-rank cleanse affliction or the Break Curse skill feat.
conditions, or other effects. Counteract checks compare the power of two forces and determine which defeats the other. Successfully counteracting an effect disrupts it, preventing it from having any effect, unless noted otherwise.
When attempting a counteract check, add the relevant skill modifier or other appropriate modifier to your check against the target’s DC. If you’re counteracting an ,
Diseases and poisons are types of afflictions, as are curses and radiation. An affliction can infect a creature for a long time, progressing through different and often increasingly debilitating stages.
Name and Traits
The affliction’s name is given first, followed by its traits in parentheses—including the trait for the type of affliction (curse, disease, poison, and so forth). If the affliction needs to have a level specified, it follows the parentheses, followed by any unusual details, such as restrictions on removing the conditions imposed by an affliction. If no level is listed, the affliction matches the level of the creature, hazard, or item causing the affliction.
Saving Throw
When you’re first exposed to the affliction, you must attempt a saving throw against it. This first attempt to stave off the affliction is called the initial save. An affliction usually requires a Fortitude save, but the exact save and its DC are listed after the name and type of affliction. Spells that can cause an affliction typically use the caster’s spell DC.
On a successful initial saving throw, you are unaffected by that exposure to the affliction. You don’t need to attempt further saving throws against it unless you are exposed to the affliction again.
If you fail the initial saving throw, you advance to stage 1 of the affliction and are subjected to the listed effect. On a critical failure, after its onset period (if applicable), you advance to stage 2 of the affliction and are subjected to that effect instead.
Onset
Some afflictions have onset times. For these afflictions, once you fail your initial save, you don’t gain the effects for the first stage of the affliction until the onset time has elapsed. If this entry is absent, you gain the effects for the first stage (or the second stage on a critical failure) immediately upon failing the initial saving throw.
Maximum Duration
If an affliction lasts only a limited amount of time, it lists a maximum duration. Once this duration passes, the affliction ends. Otherwise, it lasts until you succeed at enough saves to recover, as described in Stages below.
Stages
An affliction typically has multiple stages, each of which lists an effect followed by an interval in parentheses. When you reach a given stage of an affliction, you are subjected to the effects listed for that stage.
At the end of a stage’s listed interval, you must attempt a new saving throw. On a success, you reduce the stage by 1; on a critical success, you reduce the stage by 2. You are then subjected to the effects of the new stage. If the affliction’s stage is ever reduced below stage 1, the affliction ends and you don’t need to attempt further saves unless you’re exposed to the affliction again.
On a failure, the stage increases by 1; on a critical failure, the stage increases by 2. You are then subjected to the effects listed for the new stage. If a failure or critical failure would increase the stage beyond the highest listed stage, the affliction instead repeats the effects of the highest stage.
Damage and Conditions
Any damage listed for a stage happens immediately when you reach that stage. Conditions affect you when you reach the stage and last for their normal duration. For instance, if you were drained for an affliction with a maximum duration of 5 minutes, you remain drained after the affliction ends, as normal for the drained condition. A condition that automatically changes its value or ends under certain circumstances, like frightened, still does so. Any condition that doesn’t have a default duration, such as clumsy or paralyzed, lasts as long as you’re at that stage unless noted otherwise, as do any penalties or any other effect of the stage that doesn’t list a duration.
Multiple Exposures
Multiple exposures to the same curse or disease currently affecting you have no effect. For a poison, however, failing the initial saving throw against a new exposure increases the stage by 1 (or by 2 if you critically fail) without affecting the maximum duration. This is true even if you’re within the poison’s onset period, though it doesn’t change the onset length. If the poison does not have an onset time or it’s already elapsed, you are immediately subject to the effects of the new stage.
Virulent Afflictions
Afflictions with the virulent trait are harder to remove. You must succeed at two consecutive saves to reduce a virulent affliction’s stage by 1. A critical success reduces a virulent affliction’s stage by only 1 instead of by 2.
Removing Afflictions
Apart from waiting them out, afflictions can be removed through certain uses of the skills and spells. The Treat Disease and Treat Poison uses of Medicine are commonly used to treat those afflictions.
The cleanse affliction spell is also available to most spellcasters. Spells that counteract conditions at the source, such as sound body, can also be effective against diseases and poisons that cause those conditions.
Curses are trickier, requiring solutions that specifically mention them, such as a 4th-rank cleanse affliction or the Break Curse skill feat.
the DC is in the ’s
Diseases and poisons are types of afflictions, as are curses and radiation. An affliction can infect a creature for a long time, progressing through different and often increasingly debilitating stages.
Name and Traits
The affliction’s name is given first, followed by its traits in parentheses—including the trait for the type of affliction (curse, disease, poison, and so forth). If the affliction needs to have a level specified, it follows the parentheses, followed by any unusual details, such as restrictions on removing the conditions imposed by an affliction. If no level is listed, the affliction matches the level of the creature, hazard, or item causing the affliction.
Saving Throw
When you’re first exposed to the affliction, you must attempt a saving throw against it. This first attempt to stave off the affliction is called the initial save. An affliction usually requires a Fortitude save, but the exact save and its DC are listed after the name and type of affliction. Spells that can cause an affliction typically use the caster’s spell DC.
On a successful initial saving throw, you are unaffected by that exposure to the affliction. You don’t need to attempt further saving throws against it unless you are exposed to the affliction again.
If you fail the initial saving throw, you advance to stage 1 of the affliction and are subjected to the listed effect. On a critical failure, after its onset period (if applicable), you advance to stage 2 of the affliction and are subjected to that effect instead.
Onset
Some afflictions have onset times. For these afflictions, once you fail your initial save, you don’t gain the effects for the first stage of the affliction until the onset time has elapsed. If this entry is absent, you gain the effects for the first stage (or the second stage on a critical failure) immediately upon failing the initial saving throw.
Maximum Duration
If an affliction lasts only a limited amount of time, it lists a maximum duration. Once this duration passes, the affliction ends. Otherwise, it lasts until you succeed at enough saves to recover, as described in Stages below.
Stages
An affliction typically has multiple stages, each of which lists an effect followed by an interval in parentheses. When you reach a given stage of an affliction, you are subjected to the effects listed for that stage.
At the end of a stage’s listed interval, you must attempt a new saving throw. On a success, you reduce the stage by 1; on a critical success, you reduce the stage by 2. You are then subjected to the effects of the new stage. If the affliction’s stage is ever reduced below stage 1, the affliction ends and you don’t need to attempt further saves unless you’re exposed to the affliction again.
On a failure, the stage increases by 1; on a critical failure, the stage increases by 2. You are then subjected to the effects listed for the new stage. If a failure or critical failure would increase the stage beyond the highest listed stage, the affliction instead repeats the effects of the highest stage.
Damage and Conditions
Any damage listed for a stage happens immediately when you reach that stage. Conditions affect you when you reach the stage and last for their normal duration. For instance, if you were drained for an affliction with a maximum duration of 5 minutes, you remain drained after the affliction ends, as normal for the drained condition. A condition that automatically changes its value or ends under certain circumstances, like frightened, still does so. Any condition that doesn’t have a default duration, such as clumsy or paralyzed, lasts as long as you’re at that stage unless noted otherwise, as do any penalties or any other effect of the stage that doesn’t list a duration.
Multiple Exposures
Multiple exposures to the same curse or disease currently affecting you have no effect. For a poison, however, failing the initial saving throw against a new exposure increases the stage by 1 (or by 2 if you critically fail) without affecting the maximum duration. This is true even if you’re within the poison’s onset period, though it doesn’t change the onset length. If the poison does not have an onset time or it’s already elapsed, you are immediately subject to the effects of the new stage.
Virulent Afflictions
Afflictions with the virulent trait are harder to remove. You must succeed at two consecutive saves to reduce a virulent affliction’s stage by 1. A critical success reduces a virulent affliction’s stage by only 1 instead of by 2.
Removing Afflictions
Apart from waiting them out, afflictions can be removed through certain uses of the skills and spells. The Treat Disease and Treat Poison uses of Medicine are commonly used to treat those afflictions.
The cleanse affliction spell is also available to most spellcasters. Spells that counteract conditions at the source, such as sound body, can also be effective against diseases and poisons that cause those conditions.
Curses are trickier, requiring solutions that specifically mention them, such as a 4th-rank cleanse affliction or the Break Curse skill feat.
stat block. If it’s a spell, use the caster’s DC. The GM can also calculate a DC based on the target effect’s level. For spells, the counteract check modifier is your spellcasting attribute modifier plus your spellcasting proficiency bonus, plus any bonuses and penalties that specifically apply to counteract checks.
What you can counteract depends on the check result and the target’s counteract rank. If an effect is a spell, its rank is the counteract rank. Otherwise, halve its level and round up to determine its counteract rank (minimum counteract rank 0). If an effect’s level is unclear and it came from a creature, halve and round up the creature’s level.
• Critical Success Counteract the target if its counteract rank is no more than 3 higher than your effect’s counteract rank.
• Success Counteract the target if its counteract rank is no more than 1 higher than your effect’s counteract rank.
• Failure Counteract the target if its counteract rank is lower than your effect’s counteract rank.
• Critical Failure You fail to counteract the target. When you’re behind an obstacle that could block weapons, guard you against explosions, and make you harder to detect, you’re behind cover. Standard cover gives you a +2 circumstance bonus to AC, to Reflex saves against area effects, and to Stealth checks to ,
◆ Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
,
◆ Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
or otherwise avoid detection. You can increase this to greater cover using the
◆
Requirements You are benefiting from standard cover, are near a feature that allows you to take cover, or are prone.
You press yourself against a wall or duck behind an obstacle to take better advantage of cover. If you would have standard cover, you instead gain greater cover, which provides a +4 circumstance bonus to AC; to Reflex saves against area effects; and to Stealth checks to Hide, Sneak, or otherwise avoid detection. Otherwise, you gain the benefits of standard cover (a +2 circumstance bonus instead).
You can Take Cover while prone to hunker down and gain greater cover against ranged attacks, even if you don’t have an object to get behind, which grants you a +4 circumstance bonus to AC against ranged attacks (but you remain off-guard).
This lasts until you move from your current space, use an attack action, become unconscious, or end this effect as a free action.
basic action, increasing the circumstance bonus to +4. If cover is especially light, typically when it’s provided by a creature, you have lesser cover, which grants a +1 circumstance bonus to AC. A creature with standard cover or greater cover can attempt to use Stealth to ,
◆ Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
but lesser cover isn’t sufficient.
Cover is relative, so you might simultaneously have cover against one creature and not another. Cover applies only if your path to the target is partially blocked. If a creature is entirely behind a wall or the like, you don’t have
When creating an effect, you usually need an unblocked path to the target of a spell, the origin point of an effect’s area, or the place where you create something with a spell or other ability. This is called a line of effect. You have line of effect unless a creature is entirely behind a solid physical barrier. Visibility doesn’t matter for line of effect, nor do portcullises and other barriers that aren’t totally solid. Usually a 1-foot-square gap is enough to maintain a line of effect, though the GM makes the final call.
In an area effect, creatures or targets must have line of effect to the point of origin to be affected. If there’s no line of effect between the origin of the area and the target, the effect doesn’t apply to that target. For example, if there’s a solid wall between the origin of a fireball and a creature that’s within the burst radius, the wall blocks the effect—that creature is unaffected by the fireball and doesn’t need to attempt a save against it. Likewise, any ongoing effects created by an ability with an area cease to affect anyone who moves outside of the line of effect.
and typically can’t target it at all.
Usually, the GM can quickly decide whether your target has cover. If you’re uncertain or need to be more precise, draw a line from the center of your space to the center of the target’s space. If that line passes through any terrain or object that would block the effect, the target has standard cover (or greater cover if the obstruction is extreme or the target has ).
◆
Requirements You are benefiting from standard cover, are near a feature that allows you to take cover, or are prone.
You press yourself against a wall or duck behind an obstacle to take better advantage of cover. If you would have standard cover, you instead gain greater cover, which provides a +4 circumstance bonus to AC; to Reflex saves against area effects; and to Stealth checks to Hide, Sneak, or otherwise avoid detection. Otherwise, you gain the benefits of standard cover (a +2 circumstance bonus instead).
You can Take Cover while prone to hunker down and gain greater cover against ranged attacks, even if you don’t have an object to get behind, which grants you a +4 circumstance bonus to AC against ranged attacks (but you remain off-guard).
This lasts until you move from your current space, use an attack action, become unconscious, or end this effect as a free action.
If the line passes through a creature instead, the target has lesser cover. When measuring cover against an area effect, draw the line from the effect’s point of origin to the center of the creature’s space.
Cover and Large Creatures
If a creature between you and a target is two or more sizes larger than both you and your target, that creature’s space blocks the effect enough to provide standard cover instead of lesser cover. The GM might determine that a creature doesn’t gain cover from terrain that it’s significantly larger than. For example, a Huge dragon probably wouldn’t receive any benefit from being behind a 1-foot-wide pillar.
Special Circumstances
Your GM might allow you to overcome your target’s cover in some situations. If you’re right next to an arrow slit, you can shoot without penalty, but you have greater cover against someone shooting back at you from far away. Your GM might let you reduce or negate cover by leaning around a corner to shoot or the like. This usually takes an action to set up, and the GM might measure cover from an edge or corner of your space instead of your center. Each creature’s rules appear in a stat block, with a structure similar to those of feats, spells, and magic items. Because creatures have more abilities than those game elements, however, their statistics include more entries, many of which have special formatting.
A creature’s traits line sometimes begins with a rarity; if the creature’s rarity is common, no rarity is listed. The next entry is the creature’s size (Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, or Gargantuan). Any other traits are then listed alphabetically.
Actions and activities the creature can use have the appropriate icons next to those abilities’ names noting how many actions they require. A creature always has the requisite proficiency ranks or other abilities required to use what’s listed in its stat block. For instance, a spellcasting creature can perform the
The casting of a spell can range from a simple word of magical might that creates a fleeting effect to a complex process taking hours to cast and producing a long-term impact. Casting a spell requires the caster to make gestures and utter incantations, so being unable to speak prevents spellcasting for most casters. If your character has a long-term disability that prevents or complicates them from speaking (as described in GM Core), work with the GM to determine an analogous way they cast their spells, such as tapping in code on their staff or whistling.
Spellcasting creates obvious sensory manifestations, such as bright lights, crackling sounds, and sharp smells from the gathering magic. Nearly all spells manifest a spell signature—a colorful, glowing ring of magical runes that appears in midair, typically around your hands, though what kind of spellcaster you are can affect this— academic wizards typically have neat and ordered spell signatures, while a druid’s might be more organic and a cleric’s might be inspired by their deity. How spellcasting looks can vary from one spellcasting tradition or class to another, or even from person to person. You have a great deal of freedom in flavoring your character’s magic however you wish!
Spells can vary in how many actions they take, as shown in the spell’s stat block. You cast cantrips, spells from spell slots, and focus spells using the same process, but must expend the spell when casting a spell from a spell slot and must spend 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell. Some rules will refer to the Cast a Spell activity, such as “if the next action you use is to Cast a Spell.” Any spell qualifies as a Cast a Spell activity, and any characteristics of the spell use those of the specific spell you’re casting.
activity, and a creature is never untrained with any of its items.
Skills
The creature is trained or better in these skills. For untrained skills, use the corresponding attribute modifier.
Melee and Ranged
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
The name of the weapon or unarmed attack the creature uses for a melee ,
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
followed by the attack modifier and traits in parentheses. If a creature has any abilities or gear that would affect its attack modifier, such as a weapon with a +1 weapon potency rune, those calculations are already included, Damage amount and damage type, plus any additional effects (this entry is Effect if the
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
doesn’t deal damage).
Ranged: As Melee, but also lists range or range increment with traits, Damage as Melee.
Spells
The entry starts with the magical tradition and whether the spells are prepared or spontaneous, followed by the DC (and spell attack modifier if any spells require spell attack rolls). Spells are listed by rank, followed by .
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
A spell prepared multiple times lists the number of times in parentheses—for example, “(×2).” Spontaneous spells list the number of spell slots after the spell rank.
Innate Spells
These are listed like other spells, but can also include constant, at-will, and focus spells. If the creature has a focus spell as an ,
Certain spells are natural to your character, typically coming from your ancestry or a magic item. They’re called innate spells. Innate spells don’t let you qualify for abilities that require you to be a spellcaster—those require you to have spell slots. The ability that gives you an innate spell tells you how often you can cast it—usually once per day—and its magical tradition. Innate spells are refreshed during your daily preparations. Innate cantrips are cast at will and automatically heightened as normal for cantrips unless otherwise specified.
When you gain an innate spell, you become trained in the spell attack modifier and spell DC statistics. At 12th level, these proficiencies increase to expert. Unless noted otherwise, Charisma is your spellcasting attribute modifier for innate spells.
If you have an innate spell, you can cast it even if it’s not of a spell rank you can normally cast. This is especially common for monsters.
You can’t use your spell slots to cast your innate spells, but you might have an innate spell and also be able to prepare or cast the same spell through your class. You also can’t heighten innate spells, but some abilities that grant innate spells might give you the spell at a higher rank than its base rank or change the rank at which you cast the spell.
Creature Innate Spells
These are listed like other spells, but can also include constant, at-will, and focus spells. If the creature has a focus spell as an innate spell, it works like other innate spells with listed uses, rather than costing Focus Points. Spells that can be used an unlimited number of times list “(at will)” after the spell’s name. Constant spells appear at the end, separated by rank.
At-Will Spells
The monster can cast its at-will spells any number of times without using up spell slots.
Constant Spells
A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.
it works like other
Certain spells are natural to your character, typically coming from your ancestry or a magic item. They’re called innate spells. Innate spells don’t let you qualify for abilities that require you to be a spellcaster—those require you to have spell slots. The ability that gives you an innate spell tells you how often you can cast it—usually once per day—and its magical tradition. Innate spells are refreshed during your daily preparations. Innate cantrips are cast at will and automatically heightened as normal for cantrips unless otherwise specified.
When you gain an innate spell, you become trained in the spell attack modifier and spell DC statistics. At 12th level, these proficiencies increase to expert. Unless noted otherwise, Charisma is your spellcasting attribute modifier for innate spells.
If you have an innate spell, you can cast it even if it’s not of a spell rank you can normally cast. This is especially common for monsters.
You can’t use your spell slots to cast your innate spells, but you might have an innate spell and also be able to prepare or cast the same spell through your class. You also can’t heighten innate spells, but some abilities that grant innate spells might give you the spell at a higher rank than its base rank or change the rank at which you cast the spell.
Creature Innate Spells
These are listed like other spells, but can also include constant, at-will, and focus spells. If the creature has a focus spell as an innate spell, it works like other innate spells with listed uses, rather than costing Focus Points. Spells that can be used an unlimited number of times list “(at will)” after the spell’s name. Constant spells appear at the end, separated by rank.
At-Will Spells
The monster can cast its at-will spells any number of times without using up spell slots.
Constant Spells
A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.
with listed uses, rather than costing Focus Points. Spells that can be used an unlimited number of times list “(at will)” after the spell’s name. Constant spells appear at the end, separated by rank.
Focus Spells
If a creature has focus spells, this entry lists the spells, the spells’ rank, the Focus Points in the creature’s focus pool, and the DC.
Rituals
Any rituals the creature can cast appear here. The creature can choose to automatically succeed without rolling on any of these rituals or can roll normally. Whenever you attempt a check, you compare your result against the Difficulty Class (DC) of the check. Your check succeeds if it’s equal to or greater than the DC. If you roll anything less than the DC, you fail.
Many times, it’s important to determine not only if you succeed or fail, but also how spectacularly you succeed or fail. Exceptional results—either good or bad—can cause you to critically succeed or critically fail at a check.
You critically succeed when the check’s result meets or exceeds the DC by 10 or more. If the check is an attack roll, this is also known as a critical hit. You can also critically fail a check. The rules for critical failure—sometimes called a fumble—are the same as those for a critical success, but in the other direction: if you fail a check by 10 or more, that’s a critical failure.
Some actions and abilities have stronger effects on a critical success or failure. For example, a
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
deals double damage on a critical hit. If an effect doesn’t list a critical success effect, the critical success effect is the same as the success effect, and the same goes for critical failures.
Natural 1 and Natural 20
If you rolled a 20 on the die (a “natural 20”), your result is one degree of success better than it would be by numbers alone. If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a “natural 1”), your result is one degree worse. This means that a natural 20 usually results in a critical success and natural 1 usually results in a critical failure. However, if you were going up against a very high DC, you might get only a success with a natural 20, or even a failure if 20 plus your total modifier is 10 or more below the DC. Likewise, if your modifier for a statistic is so high that adding it to a 1 from your d20 roll exceeds the DC by 10 or more, you can succeed even if you roll a natural 1!
Certain abilities can change the degree of success on a roll. When resolving such an ability, apply the adjustment from a natural 20 or natural 1 before anything else. Various abilities and conditions, such as a ,
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Trigger A creature within the monster’s reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it’s using; Effect The monster attempts a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, the monster disrupts that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward the monster’s multiple attack penalty, and its multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.
can disrupt an action. When an action is disrupted, you still use the actions or reactions you committed and you still expend any costs, but the action’s effects don’t occur. In the case of an activity, you usually lose all actions spent for the activity up through the end of that turn. For instance, if you began to
The casting of a spell can range from a simple word of magical might that creates a fleeting effect to a complex process taking hours to cast and producing a long-term impact. Casting a spell requires the caster to make gestures and utter incantations, so being unable to speak prevents spellcasting for most casters. If your character has a long-term disability that prevents or complicates them from speaking (as described in GM Core), work with the GM to determine an analogous way they cast their spells, such as tapping in code on their staff or whistling.
Spellcasting creates obvious sensory manifestations, such as bright lights, crackling sounds, and sharp smells from the gathering magic. Nearly all spells manifest a spell signature—a colorful, glowing ring of magical runes that appears in midair, typically around your hands, though what kind of spellcaster you are can affect this— academic wizards typically have neat and ordered spell signatures, while a druid’s might be more organic and a cleric’s might be inspired by their deity. How spellcasting looks can vary from one spellcasting tradition or class to another, or even from person to person. You have a great deal of freedom in flavoring your character’s magic however you wish!
Spells can vary in how many actions they take, as shown in the spell’s stat block. You cast cantrips, spells from spell slots, and focus spells using the same process, but must expend the spell when casting a spell from a spell slot and must spend 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell. Some rules will refer to the Cast a Spell activity, such as “if the next action you use is to Cast a Spell.” Any spell qualifies as a Cast a Spell activity, and any characteristics of the spell use those of the specific spell you’re casting.
requiring 3 actions and the first action was disrupted, you lose all 3 actions that you committed to that activity.
The GM decides what effects a disruption causes beyond simply negating the effects that would have occurred from the disrupted action. For instance, a Leap disrupted midway wouldn’t transport you back to the start of your jump, and a disrupted item hand off might cause the item to fall to the ground instead of staying in the hand of the creature who was trying to give it away. Getting Knocked Out
Creatures can’t be reduced to fewer than 0 Hit Points. When most creatures reach 0 Hit Points, they die and are removed from play unless the attack was nonlethal, in which case they’re instead knocked out for a significant amount of time (usually 10 minutes or more). When undead and constructs reach 0 Hit Points, they’re destroyed.
Player characters, their companions, and other significant characters and creatures don’t automatically die when they reach 0 Hit Points. Instead, they are knocked out and are at risk of death. The GM might determine that villains, powerful monsters, special NPCs, and enemies with special abilities that are likely to bring them back to the fight (like ferocity, regeneration, or healing magic) can use these rules as well.
As a player character, when you’re reduced to 0 Hit Points, you’re knocked out with the following effects:
• Move your initiative position to directly before the turn in which you were reduced to 0 HP.
• Gain the dying 1 condition. If the effect that knocked you out was a critical success from the attacker or the result of your critical failure, you gain the dying 2 condition instead. If you have the wounded condition, increase your dying value by an amount equal to your wounded value. If the damage was dealt by a nonlethal attack or nonlethal effect, you don’t gain the dying condition; you’re instead unconscious with 0 Hit Points.
Dying
While you have the dying condition, you’re bleeding out or otherwise at death’s door. You’re unconscious while you have the dying condition. Dying always includes a value. If this value ever reaches dying 4, you die. While you’re dying, your dying value can increase or decrease in two ways.
Recovery Checks
While you’re dying, attempt a recovery check at the start of each of your turns. This is a
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
with a DC equal to 10 + your current dying value to see if you get better or worse.
• Critical Success Your dying value is reduced by 2.
• Success Your dying value is reduced by 1.
• Failure Your dying value increases by 1.
• Critical Failure Your dying value increases by 2.
Taking Damage
If you take damage while you already have the dying condition, increase your dying condition value by 1, or by 2 if the damage came from an attacker’s critical hit or your own critical failure.
Losing the Dying Condition
You lose the dying condition if it ever reaches dying 0. If you’re still at 0 Hit Points, you remain unconscious, but you can wake up as described in that condition. You lose the dying condition automatically and wake up if you ever have 1 Hit Point or more.
Anytime you lose the dying condition, you gain the wounded 1 condition, or increase your wounded value by 1 if you already have that condition.
Death
After you die, you can’t act or regain actions, can’t be affected by spells that target creatures (unless they specifically target dead creatures), and for all other purposes, you’re an object. When you die, you’re reduced to 0 Hit Points if you had a different amount, and you can’t be brought above 0 Hit Points as long as you remain dead. Some magic can bring creatures back to life, such as the resurrect ritual or the raise dead spell, though these abilities aren’t without their risks or effects, and rare artifacts and powers can even interfere with them.
Death Effects
Some spells and abilities can kill you immediately or bring you closer to death without needing to reduce you to 0 Hit Points first. These abilities have the death trait and usually involve energy from the Void, the antithesis of life, or other effects that target the mind or soul. If you’re reduced to 0 Hit Points by a death effect, you’re slain instantly without needing to reach dying 4. For instance, the vision of death spell automatically kills those it reduces to 0 Hit Points as terrifying hallucinations cause them to drop dead.
A death effect might state that it kills you outright, without dealing damage, in which case you die without having to first reach dying 4 or be reduced to 0 Hit Points. For instance, the Grim Reaper, an extremely powerful entity of death, can automatically slay creatures who fail their save against its death strike ability.
Massive Damage
You die instantly if you ever take damage equal to or greater than double your maximum Hit Points in one blow.
Heroic Recovery
If you have at least 1 Hero Point, you can spend all of your remaining Hero Points at the start of your turn or when your dying value would increase. You lose the dying condition entirely and stabilize with 0 Hit Points. You don’t gain the wounded condition or increase its value from losing the dying condition in this way, but if you already had that condition, you don’t lose it or decrease its value. When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail. Effects can change the number of actions you can use on your turn, or whether you can use actions at all. The slowed condition, for example, causes you to lose actions, while the quickened condition causes you to gain them. Whenever you lose a number of actions—whether from these conditions or in any other way—you choose which to lose if there’s any difference between them. For instance, the haste spell makes you quickened, but it limits what you can use your extra action to do. If you lost an action while haste was active, you might want to lose the action from haste first, since it’s more limited than your normal actions.
Some effects are even more restrictive. Certain abilities, instead of or in addition to changing the number of actions you can use, say specifically that you can’t use reactions. The most restrictive form of reducing actions is when an effect states that you can’t act: this means you can’t use any actions, or even speak. When you can’t act, you still regain your actions unless another effect (like the stunned condition) prevents it. Damage and effects can be negated, deal less damage, or deal more damage due to the recipient’s immunity, weakness, or resistance.
Apply immunities first, then weaknesses, and resistances third.
Immunity
When you have immunity to a specific type of damage, you ignore all damage of that type. If you have immunity to a specific condition or type of effect, you can’t be affected by that condition or any effect of that type. You can still be targeted by an ability that includes an effect or condition you are immune to; you just don’t apply that particular effect or condition.
If you have immunity to effects with a certain trait (such as death effects, poison, or disease), you are unaffected by effects with that trait. Often, an effect both has a trait and deals that type of damage (such as a lightning bolt spell). In these cases, the immunity applies to the effect corresponding to the trait, not just the damage. However, some complex effects might have parts that affect you even if you’re immune to one of the effect’s traits; for instance, a spell that deals both fire and acid damage can still deal acid damage to you even if you’re immune to fire.
Immunity to Critical Hits
Immunity to critical hits works a little differently. When a creature immune to critical hits is critically hit by a
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
or other attack that deals damage, it takes normal damage instead of double damage. This does not make it immune to any other critical success effects of the actions, such as a critical specialization effect or the extra damage of the deadly trait. However, in some cases the GM might determine the added effects don’t apply.
Immunity to Nonlethal
Another exception is immunity to the nonlethal trait. If you’re immune to nonlethal, you’re immune to all damage from attacks and effects with the nonlethal trait, no matter what other type the damage has. For instance, a typical construct has immunity to nonlethal attacks. No matter how hard you hit it with your fist, you’re not going to damage it. However, you can take a penalty to remove the nonlethal trait from your fist, and some abilities give you unarmed attacks without the nonlethal trait.
Temporary Immunity
Some effects grant you immunity to the same effect for a set amount of time. If an effect grants you temporary immunity, repeated applications of that effect don’t affect you for as long as the temporary immunity lasts. Unless the effect says it applies only to a certain creature’s ability, it doesn’t matter who created the effect. For example, the blindness spell says, “The target is temporarily immune to blindness for 1 minute.” If anyone casts blindness on that creature again before 1 minute passes, the spell has no effect.
Temporary immunity doesn’t prevent or end ongoing effects of the source of the temporary immunity. For instance, if an ability makes you frightened and you then gain temporary immunity to the ability, you don’t immediately lose the frightened condition due to the immunity you just gained—you simply don’t become frightened if you’re targeted by the ability again before the immunity ends.
Weakness
If you have a weakness to a certain type of damage or damage from a certain source, that type of damage is extra effective against you. Whenever you would take that type of damage, increase the damage you take by the value of the weakness. For instance, if you are dealt 2d6 fire damage and have weakness 5 to fire, you take 2d6+5 fire damage.
If you have a weakness to something that doesn’t normally deal damage, such as water, you take damage equal to the weakness value when touched or affected by it. The GM determines when this weakness is triggered.
Resistance
If you have resistance to a type of damage, each time you take that type of damage, reduce the amount of damage you take by the listed number (to a minimum of 0 damage).
Resistance can specify combinations of damage types or other traits. For instance, you might encounter a monster that’s resistant to non-magical bludgeoning damage, meaning it would take less damage from bludgeoning attacks that weren’t magical, but would take normal damage from your +1 mace (since it’s magical) or a non-magical spear (since it deals piercing damage). A resistance also might have an exception. For example, resistance 10 to physical damage (except silver) would reduce any physical damage by 10 unless that damage was dealt by a silver weapon.
Applying Weaknesses and Resistances
Apply each applicable weakness and resistance only once to a single effect. Different weaknesses can apply to the same effect, including a damage-type weakness and a weakness to a material. If several resistances could reduce the same damage type, apply only one, normally the highest. A broad resistance, such as resistance to physical damage, all damage, or spells, is applied once to the effect; the recipient chooses which eligible damage type it reduces. The same damage can trigger a weakness and then be reduced by a resistance.
For an activity with ,
You will need to track your actions carefully in an encounter. At the start of each turn you take in an encounter, you regain 3 actions and 1 reaction to spend that round. You can spend your actions in many different ways.
There are four types of actions: single actions, activities, reactions, and free actions.
Single actions can be completed in a very short time. They’re self-contained, and their effects are generated within the span of that single action.
Activities usually take longer and require using multiple actions, which must be spent in succession. Stride is a single action, but Sudden Charge is an activity in which you use both the Stride and Strike actions to generate its effect.
Reactions have triggers, which must be met for you to use the reaction. You can use a reaction anytime its trigger is met, whether it’s your turn or not. Outside of encounters, your use of reactions is more flexible and up to the GM. Reactions are usually triggered by other creatures or by events outside your control.
Free actions don’t cost you any of your actions per turn, nor do they cost your reaction. A free action with no trigger follows the same rules as a single action (except the action cost). It must be used on your turn and can’t be used during another action. A free action with a trigger follows the same rules as a reaction (except the reaction cost). It can be used any time its trigger is met.
Activities
An activity typically involves using multiple actions to create an effect greater than you can produce with a single action, or combining multiple single actions to produce an effect that’s different from merely the sum of those actions. In some cases, usually when spellcasting, an activity can consist of only 1 action, 1 reaction, or even 1 free action.
An activity might cause you to use specific actions within it. You don’t have to spend additional actions to perform them—they’re already factored into the activity’s required actions.
You have to spend all the actions of an activity at once to gain its effects. In an encounter, this means you must complete it during your turn. If an activity gets interrupted or disrupted in an encounter, you lose all the actions you committed to it.
Actions with Triggers
You can use free actions that have triggers and reactions only in response to certain events. Each such reaction and free action lists the trigger that must happen for you to perform it. When its trigger is satisfied—and only when it is satisfied—you can use the reaction or free action, though you don’t have to use the action if you don’t want to.
Limitations on Triggers
The triggers listed in the stat blocks of reactions and some free actions limit when you can use those actions. You can use only one action in response to a given trigger. For example, if you had a reaction and a free action that both had a trigger of “your turn begins,” you could use either of them at the start of your turn—but not both. If two triggers are similar, but not identical, the GM determines whether you can use one action in response to each or whether they’re effectively the same thing. Usually, this decision will be based on what’s happening in the narrative. This limitation of one action per trigger is per creature; more than one creature can use a reaction or free action in response to a given trigger. If multiple actions would be occurring at the same time, and it’s unclear in what order they happen, the GM determines the order based on the narrative.
Simultaneous Actions
You can use only one single action, activity, or free action that doesn’t have a trigger at a time. You must complete one before beginning another. For example, the Sudden Charge activity states you must Stride twice and then Strike, so you couldn’t use an Interact action to open a door in the middle of the movement, nor could you perform part of the move, make your attack, and then finish the move.
Free actions with triggers and reactions work differently. You can use these whenever the trigger occurs, even if the trigger occurs in the middle of another action.
Subordinate Actions
An action might allow you to use a simpler action— usually one of the Basic Actions—in a different circumstance or with different effects. This subordinate action still has its normal traits and effects, but it’s modified in any ways listed in the larger action. For example, an activity that tells you to Stride up to half your Speed alters the normal distance you can move in a Stride. The Stride would still have the move trait, would still trigger reactions that occur based on movement, and so on. The subordinate action doesn’t gain any of the traits of the larger action unless specified. The action that allows you to use a subordinate action doesn’t require you to spend more actions or reactions to do so; that cost is already factored in.
Using an activity is not the same as using any of its subordinate actions. For example, the quickened condition you get from the haste spell lets you spend an extra action each turn to Stride or Strike, but you couldn’t use the extra action for an activity that includes a Stride or Strike. As another example, if you used an action that specified, “If the next action you use is a Strike,” an activity that includes a Strike wouldn’t count, because the next thing you are doing is starting an activity, not using the Strike basic action.
resolve each subordinate action’s weaknesses and resistances separately unless the activity specifically combines their damage for this purpose. Certain spells are natural to your character, typically coming from your ancestry or a magic item. They’re called innate spells. Innate spells don’t let you qualify for abilities that require you to be a spellcaster—those require you to have spell slots. The ability that gives you an innate spell tells you how often you can cast it—usually once per day—and its magical tradition. Innate spells are refreshed during your daily preparations. Innate
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
are cast at will and automatically heightened as normal for
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
unless otherwise specified.
When you gain an innate spell, you become trained in the spell attack modifier and spell DC statistics. At 12th level, these proficiencies increase to expert. Unless noted otherwise, Charisma is your spellcasting attribute modifier for innate spells.
If you have an innate spell, you can cast it even if it’s not of a spell rank you can normally cast. This is especially common for monsters.
You can’t use your spell slots to cast your innate spells, but you might have an innate spell and also be able to prepare or cast the same spell through your class. You also can’t heighten innate spells, but some abilities that grant innate spells might give you the spell at a higher rank than its base rank or change the rank at which you cast the spell.
Creature Innate Spells
These are listed like other spells, but can also include constant, at-will, and focus spells. If the creature has a focus spell as an innate spell, it works like other innate spells with listed uses, rather than costing Focus Points. Spells that can be used an unlimited number of times list “(at will)” after the spell’s name. Constant spells appear at the end, separated by rank.
At-Will Spells
The monster can cast its at-will spells any number of times without using up spell slots.
Constant Spells
A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires. Three conditions measure the degree to which you can sense a creature: observed, hidden, and undetected. However, the concealed and invisible conditions can partially mask a creature, and the unnoticed condition indicates you have no idea a creature is around.
With the exception of invisible, these conditions are relative to the viewer—it’s possible for a creature to be observed to you but hidden from your ally. Most of these rules apply to objects as well as creatures.
Typically, the GM tracks how well creatures detect each other, since neither party has perfect information. For example, you might think a creature is in the last place you sensed it, but it was able to
◆ Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
away. Or you might think a creature can’t see you in the dark, but it has darkvision.
You can attempt to avoid detection by using the Stealth skill to Avoid Notice, ,
◆ Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
or ,
◆ Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
or by using Deception to Create a Diversion.
Precise Senses
Average vision is a precise sense—a sense that can be used to perceive the world in nuanced detail. The only way to target a creature without having drawbacks is to use a precise sense. You can usually detect a creature automatically with a precise sense unless that creature is hiding or obscured by the environment, in which case you can use the
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
basic action to better detect the creature.
Imprecise Senses
Average hearing is an imprecise sense—it can’t detect the full range of detail that a precise sense can. You can usually sense a creature automatically with an imprecise sense, but it has the hidden condition instead of the observed condition. It might be undetected by you if it’s using Stealth or is in an environment that distorts the sense, such as a noisy room in the case of hearing. In those cases, you have to use the
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
basic action to detect the creature. At best, an imprecise sense can be used to make an undetected creature (or one you didn’t even know was there) merely hidden—it can’t make the creature observed.
Vague Senses
A character also has many vague senses—ones that can alert you that something is there but aren’t useful for zeroing in on it to determine exactly what it is. The most useful of these for a typical character is the sense of smell. At best, a vague sense can be used to detect the presence of an unnoticed creature, making it undetected. Even then, the vague sense isn’t sufficient to make the creature hidden or observed.
When one creature might detect another, the GM almost always uses the most precise sense available.
Pathfinder’s rules assume that a given creature has vision as its only precise sense and hearing as its only imprecise sense. Some characters and creatures, however, have precise or imprecise senses that don’t match this assumption. For instance, a character with poor vision might treat that sense as imprecise, an animal with the scent ability can use its sense of smell as an imprecise sense, and a creature with echolocation or a similar ability can use hearing as a precise sense. Such senses are often given special names and appear as “echolocation (precise),” “scent (imprecise) 30 feet,” etc.
Light
There are three levels of light: bright light, dim light, and darkness. The rules in this book assume that all creatures are in bright light unless otherwise noted. A source of light lists the radius in which it sheds bright light, and it sheds dim light to double that radius.
Bright Light
In bright light, such as sunlight, creatures and objects can be observed clearly by anyone with average vision or better.
Dim Light
Areas in shadow or lit by weak light sources are in dim light. Creatures and objects in dim light have the concealed condition, unless the seeker has darkvision or low-light vision, or a precise sense other than vision.
Darkness
A creature or object within darkness is hidden or undetected unless the seeker has darkvision or a precise sense other than vision. A creature without darkvision or another means of perceiving in darkness has the blinded condition while in darkness, though it might be able to see illuminated areas beyond the darkness. If a creature can see into an illuminated area, it can observe creatures within that illuminated area normally. After being in darkness, sudden exposure to bright light might make you dazzled for a short time, as determined by the GM. Spell Slots
Characters of spellcasting classes can cast a number of spells each day; the spells you can cast in a day are referred to as spell slots. At 1st level, a character has only a small number of 1st-rank spell slots per day, but as you advance in level, you gain more spell slots of higher rank. A spell’s rank indicates its overall power, from 1 to 10.
Prepared Spells
If you’re a prepared spellcaster—such as a cleric, druid, witch, or wizard—you must spend time each day preparing spells for that day. At the start of your daily preparations, you select a number of spells of different spell ranks, determined by your character level and class. Your spells remain prepared until you cast them or until you prepare spells again.
Each prepared spell is expended after a single casting, so if you want to cast a particular spell more than once in a day, you need to prepare that spell multiple times. The exception to this rule is for spells with the
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
trait; once you prepare a ,
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
you can cast it as many times as you want until the next time you prepare spells.
You might gain an ability that allows you to swap prepared spells or perform other aspects of preparing spells at different times throughout the day, but only your daily preparation counts for the purpose of effects that last until the next time you prepare spells.
Spontaneous Spells
If you’re a spontaneous spellcaster—such as a bard—you choose which spell from your spell repertoire that you’re using a spell slot for at the moment you decide to cast it. This provides you with more freedom in your spellcasting, but you have fewer spells in your spell repertoire, as determined by your character level and class. When you make your daily preparations, all your spell slots are refreshed, but you don’t get to change the spells in your repertoire.
Heightened Spells
Both prepared and spontaneous spellcasters can cast a spell at a higher spell rank than that listed for the spell. This is called heightening the spell. A prepared spellcaster can heighten a spell by preparing it in a higher-rank slot than its normal spell rank, while a spontaneous spellcaster can heighten a spell by casting it using a higher-rank spell slot, so long as they know the spell at that rank (see Heightened Spontaneous Spells below). When you heighten your spell, the spell’s rank increases to match the higher rank of the spell slot you’ve prepared it in or used to cast it. This is useful for any spell, because some effects, such as ,
Some effects try to counteract spells, afflictions, conditions, or other effects. Counteract checks compare the power of two forces and determine which defeats the other. Successfully counteracting an effect disrupts it, preventing it from having any effect, unless noted otherwise.
When attempting a counteract check, add the relevant skill modifier or other appropriate modifier to your check against the target’s DC. If you’re counteracting an affliction, the DC is in the affliction’s stat block. If it’s a spell, use the caster’s DC. The GM can also calculate a DC based on the target effect’s level. For spells, the counteract check modifier is your spellcasting attribute modifier plus your spellcasting proficiency bonus, plus any bonuses and penalties that specifically apply to counteract checks.
What you can counteract depends on the check result and the target’s counteract rank. If an effect is a spell, its rank is the counteract rank. Otherwise, halve its level and round up to determine its counteract rank (minimum counteract rank 0). If an effect’s level is unclear and it came from a creature, halve and round up the creature’s level.
• Critical Success Counteract the target if its counteract rank is no more than 3 higher than your effect’s counteract rank.
• Success Counteract the target if its counteract rank is no more than 1 higher than your effect’s counteract rank.
• Failure Counteract the target if its counteract rank is lower than your effect’s counteract rank.
• Critical Failure You fail to counteract the target.
depend on the spell’s rank.
In addition, many spells have additional specific benefits when they are heightened, such as increased damage. These extra benefits are described at the end of the spell’s stat block. Some heightened entries specify one or more ranks at which the spell must be prepared or cast to gain these extra advantages. Each of these heightened entries states specifically which aspects of the spell change at the given rank. Read the heightened entry only for the spell rank you’re using or preparing; if its benefits are meant to include any of the effects of a lower-rank heightened entry, those benefits will be included in the entry.
Other heightened entries give a number after a plus sign, indicating that heightening grants extra advantages over multiple ranks. The listed effect applies for every increment of ranks by which the spell is heightened above its lowest spell rank, and the benefit is cumulative. For example, fireball says “Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 2d6.” Because fireball deals 6d6 fire damage at 3rd rank, a 4th-rank fireball would deal 8d6 fire damage, a 5th-rank spell would deal 10d6 fire damage, and so on.
Heightened Spontaneous Spells
If you’re a spontaneous spellcaster, you must know a spell at the specific rank that you want to cast it in order to heighten it. You can add a spell to your spell repertoire at more than a single rank so that you have more options when casting it. For example, if you added fireball to your repertoire as a 3rd-rank spell and again as a 5th-rank spell, you could cast it as a 3rd-rank or a 5th-rank spell; however, you couldn’t cast it as a 4th-rank spell.
Many spontaneous spellcasting classes provide abilities like the signature spells class feature, which allows you to cast a limited number of spells as heightened versions even if you know the spell at only a single rank.
As a spontaneous caster, you can also choose to cast a lower-rank spell using a higher-rank spell slot without heightening it or knowing it at a higher rank. This casts the spell at the rank you know the spell, not the rank of the higher slot. The spell doesn’t have any heightened effects, so it’s usually not a very efficient use of your magic outside of highly specific circumstances. For instance, if your party was having trouble with an invisible enemy, and you had revealing light in your repertoire but had already spent all of your 2nd-rank spell slots, it might be worth it to use a 3rd-rank spell slot to cast the spell, even though it’d have no heightened benefit.
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
A
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a ’s
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
stat block says “”
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
trait. Casting a
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
each day. You can’t prepare a
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
in a spell slot.
A
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
Focus Spells
Focus spells are a special type of spell attained directly from a branch of study, from a deity, or from another specific source. You can learn focus spells only through special class features or feats, rather than choosing them from a spell list. Furthermore, you cast focus spells using a special pool of Focus Points—you can’t prepare a focus spell in a spell slot or use your spell slots to cast focus spells; similarly, you can’t spend your Focus Points to cast spells that aren’t focus spells. Even some classes that don’t normally grant spellcasting can grant focus spells, such as the ranger. The title of a focus spell’s stat block says “Focus” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the focus trait.
Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, just like
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
are. You can’t cast a focus spell if its minimum rank is greater than half your level rounded up, even if you somehow gain access to it.
Casting any of your focus spells costs you 1 Focus Point. You automatically gain a focus pool the first time you gain an ability that gives you a focus spell. The maximum number of points in your pool is equal to the number of focus spells you know or 3, whichever is lower. This counts only spells that require Focus Points to cast. For example, a bard’s composition
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
don’t count toward the size of the pool.
You replenish all the Focus Points in your pool during your daily preparations. You can also use the
Concentrate, Exploration
Requirements You have a focus pool.
You spend 10 minutes performing deeds to restore your magical connection. This restores 1 Focus Point to your focus pool. The deeds you need to perform are specified in the class or ability that gives you your focus spells. These deeds can usually overlap with other tasks that relate to the source of your focus spells. For instance, a cleric with focus spells from a holy deity can usually Refocus while tending the wounds of their allies.
activity to pray, study, meditate, or otherwise reattune yourself to the source of your focus magic and regain 1 Focus Point. You can
Concentrate, Exploration
Requirements You have a focus pool.
You spend 10 minutes performing deeds to restore your magical connection. This restores 1 Focus Point to your focus pool. The deeds you need to perform are specified in the class or ability that gives you your focus spells. These deeds can usually overlap with other tasks that relate to the source of your focus spells. For instance, a cleric with focus spells from a holy deity can usually Refocus while tending the wounds of their allies.
multiple times to regain multiple points, up to your pool’s maximum.
Casting Spells
The casting of a spell can range from a simple word of magical might that creates a fleeting effect to a complex process taking hours to cast and producing a long-term impact. Casting a spell requires the caster to make gestures and utter incantations, so being unable to speak prevents spellcasting for most casters. If your character has a long-term disability that prevents or complicates them from speaking (as described in GM Core), work with the GM to determine an analogous way they cast their spells, such as tapping in code on their staff or whistling.
Spellcasting creates obvious sensory manifestations, such as bright lights, crackling sounds, and sharp smells from the gathering magic. Nearly all spells manifest a spell signature—a colorful, glowing ring of magical runes that appears in midair, typically around your hands, though what kind of spellcaster you are can affect this— academic wizards typically have neat and ordered spell signatures, while a druid’s might be more organic and a cleric’s might be inspired by their deity. How spellcasting looks can vary from one spellcasting tradition or class to another, or even from person to person. You have a great deal of freedom in flavoring your character’s magic however you wish!
Spells can vary in how many actions they take, as shown in the spell’s stat block. You cast ,
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
spells from spell slots, and focus spells using the same process, but must expend the spell when casting a spell from a spell slot and must spend 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell. Some rules will refer to the Cast a Spell activity, such as “if the next action you use is to Cast a Spell.” Any spell qualifies as a Cast a Spell activity, and any characteristics of the spell use those of the specific spell you’re casting.
Costs and Loci
Some spells require you to pay a cost or provide a locus. If the spell lists a cost, you must have the listed money, valuable materials, or other resources to cast the spell (such as gems or magical reagents), and they’re expended during the casting.
A locus is an object that funnels or directs the magical energy of the spell but is not consumed in its casting. As part of Casting the Spell, you retrieve the locus (if necessary, and if you have a free hand), and you can put it away again if you so choose. Loci tend to be expensive, and you need to acquire them in advance to cast the spell, but they aren’t expended like costs are. Unless noted otherwise, a locus has negligible Bulk.
Long Casting Times
Some spells take minutes or hours to cast. You can’t use other actions or reactions while casting such a spell, though at the GM’s discretion, you might be able to speak a few sentences. As with other activities that take a long time, these spells have the
An activity with this trait takes more than a turn to use, and can usually be used only during exploration mode.
trait, and you can’t cast them in an encounter. If combat breaks out while you’re casting one, your spell is disrupted (see Disrupted and Lost Spells below).
Disrupted and Lost Spells
Some abilities and spells can disrupt a spell, causing it to have no effect and be lost. When you lose a spell, you’ve already expended the spell slot and spent the spell’s costs and actions. If a spell is disrupted during a
◆ Concentrate
Choose one of your effects that has a sustained duration or lists a special benefit when you Sustain it. Most such effects come from spells or magic item activations. If the effect has a sustained duration, its duration extends until the end of your next turn. (Sustaining more than once in the same turn doesn’t extend the duration to subsequent turns.) If an ability can be sustained but doesn’t list how long, it can be sustained up to 10 minutes.
An effect might list an additional benefit that occurs if you Sustain it, and this can even appear on effects that don’t have a sustained duration. If the effect has both a special benefit and a sustained duration, your Sustain action extends the duration as well as having the special benefit.
If your Sustain action is disrupted, the ability ends.
action, the spell immediately ends.
Durations
The duration of a spell is how long the spell effect lasts. Spells that last for more than an instant have a Duration entry. A spell might last until the start or end of a turn, for some number of rounds, for minutes, or even longer. If a spell’s duration is given in rounds, the number of rounds remaining decreases by 1 at the start of each of the spellcaster’s turns, ending when the duration reaches 0.
Some spells have effects that remain even after the spell’s magic is gone. Any ongoing effect that isn’t part of the spell’s duration entry isn’t magical. For instance, a spell that creates a brief, loud sound might deafen someone for a time, even permanently. This deafness couldn’t be counteracted because it is not itself magical (though it might be cured by other magic, such as sound body).
If a spell’s caster dies or is incapacitated during the spell’s duration, the spell remains in effect until its duration ends, using the caster’s initiative order.
◆ Concentrate
Choose one of your effects that has a sustained duration or lists a special benefit when you Sustain it. Most such effects come from spells or magic item activations. If the effect has a sustained duration, its duration extends until the end of your next turn. (Sustaining more than once in the same turn doesn’t extend the duration to subsequent turns.) If an ability can be sustained but doesn’t list how long, it can be sustained up to 10 minutes.
An effect might list an additional benefit that occurs if you Sustain it, and this can even appear on effects that don’t have a sustained duration. If the effect has both a special benefit and a sustained duration, your Sustain action extends the duration as well as having the special benefit.
If your Sustain action is disrupted, the ability ends.
Spells
If the spell’s duration is “sustained,” it lasts until the end of your next turn unless you use the
◆ Concentrate
Choose one of your effects that has a sustained duration or lists a special benefit when you Sustain it. Most such effects come from spells or magic item activations. If the effect has a sustained duration, its duration extends until the end of your next turn. (Sustaining more than once in the same turn doesn’t extend the duration to subsequent turns.) If an ability can be sustained but doesn’t list how long, it can be sustained up to 10 minutes.
An effect might list an additional benefit that occurs if you Sustain it, and this can even appear on effects that don’t have a sustained duration. If the effect has both a special benefit and a sustained duration, your Sustain action extends the duration as well as having the special benefit.
If your Sustain action is disrupted, the ability ends.
action on that turn to extend the duration of that spell.
◆ Concentrate
You end an effect that states you can Dismiss it. Dismissing ends the entire effect unless noted otherwise.
Some spells can be dismissed, ending the duration early. This requires the caster or target to use the
◆ Concentrate
You end an effect that states you can Dismiss it. Dismissing ends the entire effect unless noted otherwise.
action. A trait is a keyword that conveys additional information about a rules element, such as which ancestry a feat belongs to or the rarity of an item. Often, a trait indicates how other rules interact with an ability, creature, item, or another rules element that has that trait.
An ability with this trait involves an attack. For each attack you make beyond the first on your turn, you take a multiple attack penalty.
An ability with this trait involves an attack. For each attack you make beyond the first on your turn, you take a .
The more attacks you make beyond your first in a single turn, the less accurate you become, represented by the multiple attack penalty. The second time you use an attack action during your turn, you take a –5 penalty to your check. The third time you attack, and on any subsequent attacks, you take a –10 penalty to your check. Every check that has the attack trait counts toward your multiple attack penalty, including Strikes, spell attack rolls, certain skill actions like Shove, and many others.
Some weapons and abilities reduce multiple attack penalties, such as agile weapons, which reduce these penalties to –4 on the second attack or –8 on further attacks.
Always calculate your multiple attack penalty based on the weapon you’re using on that attack, not ones you used on previous attacks. For example, let’s say you’re wielding a longsword in one hand and a shortsword (which has the agile trait) in your other hand, and you make three Strikes with these weapons over the course of your turn. The first Strike you make during your turn has no penalty, no matter what weapon you are using. The second Strike will take either a –5 penalty if you use the longsword or a –4 penalty if you use the shortsword. Your third attack would be a –10 penalty with the longsword and a –8 penalty with the shortsword, no matter what weapon you used for your previous Strikes.
The multiple attack penalty applies only during your turn, so you don’t have to keep track of it if you can perform a Reactive Strike or a similar reaction that lets you make a Strike on someone else’s turn.
An action with this trait requires a degree of mental concentration and discipline.
An action with this trait requires a degree of mental concentration and discipline.
An ability with this trait can take a character completely out of the fight or even kill them, and it’s harder to use on a more powerful character. If a spell has the incapacitation trait, any creature of more than twice the spell’s rank treats the result of their check to prevent being incapacitated by the spell as one degree of success better, or the result of any check the spellcaster made to incapacitate them as one degree of success worse. If any other effect has the incapacitation trait, a creature of higher level than the item, creature, or hazard generating the effect gains the same benefits.
An ability with this trait can take a character completely out of the fight or even kill them, and it’s harder to use on a more powerful character. If a spell has the
An ability with this trait can take a character completely out of the fight or even kill them, and it’s harder to use on a more powerful character. If a spell has the incapacitation trait, any creature of more than twice the spell’s rank treats the result of their check to prevent being incapacitated by the spell as one degree of success better, or the result of any check the spellcaster made to incapacitate them as one degree of success worse. If any other effect has the incapacitation trait, a creature of higher level than the item, creature, or hazard generating the effect gains the same benefits.
trait, any creature of more than twice the spell’s rank treats the result of their check to prevent being incapacitated by the spell as one
Whenever you attempt a check, you compare your result against the Difficulty Class (DC) of the check. Your check succeeds if it’s equal to or greater than the DC. If you roll anything less than the DC, you fail.
Many times, it’s important to determine not only if you succeed or fail, but also how spectacularly you succeed or fail. Exceptional results—either good or bad—can cause you to critically succeed or critically fail at a check.
You critically succeed when the check’s result meets or exceeds the DC by 10 or more. If the check is an attack roll, this is also known as a critical hit. You can also critically fail a check. The rules for critical failure—sometimes called a fumble—are the same as those for a critical success, but in the other direction: if you fail a check by 10 or more, that’s a critical failure.
Some actions and abilities have stronger effects on a critical success or failure. For example, a Strike deals double damage on a critical hit. If an effect doesn’t list a critical success effect, the critical success effect is the same as the success effect, and the same goes for critical failures.
Natural 1 and Natural 20
If you rolled a 20 on the die (a “natural 20”), your result is one degree of success better than it would be by numbers alone. If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a “natural 1”), your result is one degree worse. This means that a natural 20 usually results in a critical success and natural 1 usually results in a critical failure. However, if you were going up against a very high DC, you might get only a success with a natural 20, or even a failure if 20 plus your total modifier is 10 or more below the DC. Likewise, if your modifier for a statistic is so high that adding it to a 1 from your d20 roll exceeds the DC by 10 or more, you can succeed even if you roll a natural 1!
Certain abilities can change the degree of success on a roll. When resolving such an ability, apply the adjustment from a natural 20 or natural 1 before anything else.
better, or the result of any check the spellcaster made to incapacitate them as one
Whenever you attempt a check, you compare your result against the Difficulty Class (DC) of the check. Your check succeeds if it’s equal to or greater than the DC. If you roll anything less than the DC, you fail.
Many times, it’s important to determine not only if you succeed or fail, but also how spectacularly you succeed or fail. Exceptional results—either good or bad—can cause you to critically succeed or critically fail at a check.
You critically succeed when the check’s result meets or exceeds the DC by 10 or more. If the check is an attack roll, this is also known as a critical hit. You can also critically fail a check. The rules for critical failure—sometimes called a fumble—are the same as those for a critical success, but in the other direction: if you fail a check by 10 or more, that’s a critical failure.
Some actions and abilities have stronger effects on a critical success or failure. For example, a Strike deals double damage on a critical hit. If an effect doesn’t list a critical success effect, the critical success effect is the same as the success effect, and the same goes for critical failures.
Natural 1 and Natural 20
If you rolled a 20 on the die (a “natural 20”), your result is one degree of success better than it would be by numbers alone. If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a “natural 1”), your result is one degree worse. This means that a natural 20 usually results in a critical success and natural 1 usually results in a critical failure. However, if you were going up against a very high DC, you might get only a success with a natural 20, or even a failure if 20 plus your total modifier is 10 or more below the DC. Likewise, if your modifier for a statistic is so high that adding it to a 1 from your d20 roll exceeds the DC by 10 or more, you can succeed even if you roll a natural 1!
Certain abilities can change the degree of success on a roll. When resolving such an ability, apply the adjustment from a natural 20 or natural 1 before anything else.
worse. If any other effect has the
An ability with this trait can take a character completely out of the fight or even kill them, and it’s harder to use on a more powerful character. If a spell has the incapacitation trait, any creature of more than twice the spell’s rank treats the result of their check to prevent being incapacitated by the spell as one degree of success better, or the result of any check the spellcaster made to incapacitate them as one degree of success worse. If any other effect has the incapacitation trait, a creature of higher level than the item, creature, or hazard generating the effect gains the same benefits.
trait, a creature of higher level than the item, creature, or hazard generating the effect gains the same benefits.
Something with the magical trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the magical trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.
Something with the
Something with the magical trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the magical trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.
trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the
Something with the magical trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the magical trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.
trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.
Manipulate
You must physically manipulate an item or make gestures to use an action with this trait. Creatures without a suitable appendage can’t perform actions with this trait. Manipulate actions often trigger reactions. Almost all characters start out trained in unarmed attacks. You can
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
with your fist or another body part, calculating your attack and damage rolls in the same way you would with a weapon. Unarmed attacks can belong to a weapon group, and they might have weapon traits. However, unarmed attacks aren’t weapons, and effects and abilities that work with weapons never work with unarmed attacks unless they specifically say so.
The Unarmed Attacks table lists the statistics for an unarmed attack with a fist, though you’ll usually use the same statistics for attacks made with any other parts of your body. Certain ancestry feats, class features, and spells give access to special, more powerful unarmed attacks. For instance, goblins with the razortooth heritage can attack with their sharp jaws. While most unarmed attacks are melee, some, especially those from certain ancestries, might even be ranged, like the leshy’s ability to launch hard seedpods. Details for those unarmed attacks are provided in the abilities that grant them.
| Unarmed Attack | Price | Damage | Bulk | Hands | Group | Weapon Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fist | — | 1d4 B | — | 1 | Brawling | Agile, finesse, nonlethal, unarmed |
Skills
While your character’s attributes represent their raw talent and potential, skills represent their training and experience at performing certain tasks. Each skill is keyed to one of your character’s attributes and used for an array of related actions. Your character’s expertise in a skill comes from several sources, including their background and class. This section describes skills, their scope, and the actions they can be used for.
A character’s acumen in skills can come from all sorts of training, from practicing acrobatic tricks to studying academic topics to rehearsing a performing art. When you create your character and as they advance in level, you have flexibility as to which skills they become better at and when. Some classes depend heavily on certain skills—such as the bard’s reliance on Performance—but for most classes, you can choose whichever skills make the most sense for your character’s theme and backstory at 1st level, then use their adventure and downtime experiences to inform how their skills should improve as your character levels up.
A character gains training in certain skills at 1st level: typically two from their background, a small number of predetermined skills from their class, and several skills of your choice granted by their class. This training increases your proficiency ranks for those skills to trained instead of untrained and lets you use more of the skills’ actions. Sometimes you might become trained in the same skill from multiple sources, such as if your background granted training in Survival and you took the ranger class, which also grants training in Survival. Each time after the first that you’d become trained in a given skill, you instead allocate the trained proficiency to any other skill of your choice—though if the skill is a Lore skill, the new skill must also be a Lore skill.
Key Attribute
Each skill is tied to a key attribute. You add your modifier for this attribute to checks and DCs when using that skill. For example, skulking about the shadows of a city at night with Stealth uses your Dexterity modifier, navigating the myriad personalities and power plays of court politics with Society uses your Intelligence modifier, and so on. The key attribute for each skill is listed on the Skills, Key Attributes, and Actions table and also appears in parentheses following the skill’s name in the skill entries below. If the GM deems it appropriate for a certain situation, however, they might have you use a different attribute modifier for a skill check or when determining your skill DC.
Skill Actions
The actions you can perform with a given skill are sorted into those you can use untrained and those that require you to be trained in the skill, as shown on the Skills, Key Attributes, and Actions table. The untrained and trained actions of each skill appear in separate sections within the skill’s description.
Anyone can use a skill’s untrained actions, but you can use trained actions only if you have a proficiency rank of trained or better in that skill. A circumstance, condition, or effect might bar you from a skill action regardless of your proficiency rank, and sometimes using a skill in a specific situation might require you to have a higher proficiency rank than what is listed on the table. For instance, even though a fighter untrained in Arcana could identify a construct with a lucky roll using Arcana to Recall Knowledge, the GM might decide that Recalling Knowledge to determine the spells used to create such a construct is beyond the scope of the fighter’s anecdotal knowledge. The GM decides whether a task requires a particular proficiency rank.
Improving Skills
As your character advances in level, there are two main ways their skills improve: skill increases and skill feats. Your class lists the levels at which you gain each of these improvements.
Skill Increases
Skill increases improve your proficiency in skills of your choice. You can use these increases to become trained in new skills or increase your proficiency rank in skills you’re trained in (from trained to expert at any level, expert to master at 7th level or higher, and master to legendary at 15th level or higher). Unlike when you first become trained at a skill, if two different abilities would make you an expert, master, or legendary in a skill, you don’t get to choose a second skill to become expert in—the redundant benefit simply has no effect.
Skill Feats
Skill feats are a type of general feat that often grant you a new way to use a skill or make you better at using a skill in a particular way. Skill feats always have the skill trait.
Skill Checks and DCs
When you’re actively using a skill, often by performing one of its actions, you might attempt a skill check: rolling a d20 and adding your skill modifier. To determine this modifier, add your attribute modifier for the skill’s key attribute, your proficiency bonus for the skill, and any other bonuses and penalties.
Skill modifier = skill’s key attribute modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Proficiency Bonus
When attempting a check that involves something you have some training in, you will also add your proficiency bonus. This bonus depends on your proficiency rank: untrained, trained, expert, master, or legendary. If you’re untrained, your bonus is +0—you must rely on raw talent and any bonuses from the situation. Otherwise, the bonus equals your character’s level plus a certain amount depending on your rank. If your proficiency rank is trained, this bonus is equal to your level + 2, and higher proficiency ranks further increase the amount you add to your level.
When noting the modifier on your character sheet, you should write down only the numbers that always apply—typically just your attribute modifier and proficiency bonus at 1st level. At higher levels, you may wear or use items to improve your skills with item bonuses pretty much all the time; you should include those in your calculation, too.
The GM sets the DC of a skill check. The DCs you’re most likely to encounter frequently are the five simple skill DCs below, which are presented here to give you a sense of what number you’ll need to roll to succeed at most tasks.
When someone or something tests your skill, they attempt a check against your skill DC, which is equal to 10 plus your skill modifier. A skill DC works like any other DC to determine the effect of an opposing creature’s skill action.
Armor and Skills
Some armor imposes a penalty on specific skill checks and DCs. If a creature is wearing armor that imparts a skill penalty, that penalty is applied to the creature’s Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and skill DCs, unless the action has the attack trait.
Secret Checks
Sometimes you won’t know whether you have succeeded at a skill check. If an action has the secret trait, the GM rolls the check for you and informs you of the effect without revealing the result of the roll or the degree of success. The GM rolls secret checks when your knowledge about the outcome is imperfect, like when you’re searching for a hidden creature or object, attempting to deceive someone, translating a tricky bit of ancient text, or remembering some piece of lore. This way, you as the player don’t know things that your character wouldn’t. This rule is the default for actions with the secret trait, but the GM can choose not to use secret checks if they would rather some or all rolls be public.
Exploration and Downtime Activities
Some skill activities have the exploration or downtime trait. Exploration activities usually take a minute or more, while downtime activities may take a day or more. They usually can’t be used during an encounter, though the GM might bend this restriction. If you’re not sure whether you have the time to use one of these activities, ask your GM.
D: This skill action is used during downtime.
E: This skill action is used during exploration.
G: This is a general skill action, described in General Skill Actions.
Reading Skill Entries
The following entries describe the skills in the game. The heading for each entry provides the skill’s name, with that skill’s key attribute in parentheses.
A brief description of the skill is followed by a list of actions anyone can use, and then the actions you can perform only if you are trained in that skill. Some actions list sample tasks for each rank to give you a better sense of what you can accomplish as your proficiency increases. As the actions of a skill aren’t comprehensive, there may be times when the GM asks you to attempt a skill check without using any of the listed actions, or times when the GM asks you to roll using a different key attribute modifier.
Most skills include entries for success and failure, as well as descriptions of what occurs on a critical success or a critical failure. If either of the critical entries is absent, treat those results as a success or failure, as normal.
A character’s acumen in skills can come from all sorts of training, from practicing acrobatic tricks to studying academic topics to rehearsing a performing art. When you create your character and as they advance in level, you have flexibility as to which skills they become better at and when. Some classes depend heavily on certain skills—such as the bard’s reliance on Performance—but for most classes, you can choose whichever skills make the most sense for your character’s theme and backstory at 1st level, then use their adventure and downtime experiences to inform how their skills should improve as your character levels up.
A character gains training in certain skills at 1st level: typically two from their background, a small number of predetermined skills from their class, and several skills of your choice granted by their class. This training increases your proficiency ranks for those skills to trained instead of untrained and lets you use more of the skills’ actions. Sometimes you might become trained in the same skill from multiple sources, such as if your background granted training in Survival and you took the ranger class, which also grants training in Survival. Each time after the first that you’d become trained in a given skill, you instead allocate the trained proficiency to any other skill of your choice—though if the skill is a Lore skill, the new skill must also be a Lore skill.
Key Attribute
Each skill is tied to a key attribute. You add your modifier for this attribute to checks and DCs when using that skill. For example, skulking about the shadows of a city at night with Stealth uses your Dexterity modifier, navigating the myriad personalities and power plays of court politics with Society uses your Intelligence modifier, and so on. The key attribute for each skill is listed on the Skills, Key Attributes, and Actions table and also appears in parentheses following the skill’s name in the skill entries below. If the GM deems it appropriate for a certain situation, however, they might have you use a different attribute modifier for a skill check or when determining your skill DC.
Skill Actions
The actions you can perform with a given skill are sorted into those you can use untrained and those that require you to be trained in the skill, as shown on the Skills, Key Attributes, and Actions table. The untrained and trained actions of each skill appear in separate sections within the skill’s description.
Anyone can use a skill’s untrained actions, but you can use trained actions only if you have a proficiency rank of trained or better in that skill. A circumstance, condition, or effect might bar you from a skill action regardless of your proficiency rank, and sometimes using a skill in a specific situation might require you to have a higher proficiency rank than what is listed on the table. For instance, even though a fighter untrained in Arcana could identify a construct with a lucky roll using Arcana to Recall Knowledge, the GM might decide that Recalling Knowledge to determine the spells used to create such a construct is beyond the scope of the fighter’s anecdotal knowledge. The GM decides whether a task requires a particular proficiency rank.
Improving Skills
As your character advances in level, there are two main ways their skills improve: skill increases and skill feats. Your class lists the levels at which you gain each of these improvements.
Skill Increases
Skill increases improve your proficiency in skills of your choice. You can use these increases to become trained in new skills or increase your proficiency rank in skills you’re trained in (from trained to expert at any level, expert to master at 7th level or higher, and master to legendary at 15th level or higher). Unlike when you first become trained at a skill, if two different abilities would make you an expert, master, or legendary in a skill, you don’t get to choose a second skill to become expert in—the redundant benefit simply has no effect.
Skill Feats
Skill feats are a type of general feat that often grant you a new way to use a skill or make you better at using a skill in a particular way. Skill feats always have the skill trait.
Skill Checks and DCs
When you’re actively using a skill, often by performing one of its actions, you might attempt a skill check: rolling a d20 and adding your skill modifier. To determine this modifier, add your attribute modifier for the skill’s key attribute, your proficiency bonus for the skill, and any other bonuses and penalties.
Skill modifier = skill’s key attribute modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Proficiency Bonus
When attempting a check that involves something you have some training in, you will also add your proficiency bonus. This bonus depends on your proficiency rank: untrained, trained, expert, master, or legendary. If you’re untrained, your bonus is +0—you must rely on raw talent and any bonuses from the situation. Otherwise, the bonus equals your character’s level plus a certain amount depending on your rank. If your proficiency rank is trained, this bonus is equal to your level + 2, and higher proficiency ranks further increase the amount you add to your level.
| Proficiency Rank | Proficiency Bonus |
|---|---|
| Untrained | 0 |
| Trained | Your level + 2 |
| Expert | Your level + 4 |
| Master | Your level + 6 |
| Legendary | Your level + 8 |
The GM sets the DC of a skill check. The DCs you’re most likely to encounter frequently are the five simple skill DCs below, which are presented here to give you a sense of what number you’ll need to roll to succeed at most tasks.
| Task Difficulty | Simple DC |
|---|---|
| Untrained | 10 |
| Trained | 15 |
| Expert | 20 |
| Master | 30 |
| Legendary | 40 |
Armor and Skills
Some armor imposes a penalty on specific skill checks and DCs. If a creature is wearing armor that imparts a skill penalty, that penalty is applied to the creature’s Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and skill DCs, unless the action has the attack trait.
Secret Checks
Sometimes you won’t know whether you have succeeded at a skill check. If an action has the secret trait, the GM rolls the check for you and informs you of the effect without revealing the result of the roll or the degree of success. The GM rolls secret checks when your knowledge about the outcome is imperfect, like when you’re searching for a hidden creature or object, attempting to deceive someone, translating a tricky bit of ancient text, or remembering some piece of lore. This way, you as the player don’t know things that your character wouldn’t. This rule is the default for actions with the secret trait, but the GM can choose not to use secret checks if they would rather some or all rolls be public.
Exploration and Downtime Activities
Some skill activities have the exploration or downtime trait. Exploration activities usually take a minute or more, while downtime activities may take a day or more. They usually can’t be used during an encounter, though the GM might bend this restriction. If you’re not sure whether you have the time to use one of these activities, ask your GM.
| Skill | Key Attribute | Untrained Actions | Trained Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrobatics | Dexterity | Balance ◆; Tumble Through ◆ | Maneuver in Flight ◆; Squeeze (E) |
| Arcana | Intelligence | Recall Knowledge (G) ◆ | Borrow an Arcane Spell (E); Decipher Writing (E, G); Identify Magic (E, G); Learn a Spell (E, G) |
| Athletics | Strength | Climb ◆; Force Open ◆; Grapple ◆; High Jump ◆◆; Long Jump ◆◆; Reposition ◆; Shove ◆; Swim ◆; Trip ◆ | Disarm ◆ |
| Crafting | Intelligence | Recall Knowledge (G) ◆; Repair (E) | Craft (D); Earn Income (D, G); Identify Alchemy (E) |
| Deception | Charisma | Create a Diversion ◆; Impersonate (E); Lie | Feint ◆ |
| Diplomacy | Charisma | Gather Information (E); Make an Impression (E); Request ◆ | — |
| Intimidation | Charisma | Coerce (E); Demoralize ◆ | — |
| Lore | Intelligence | Recall Knowledge (G) ◆ | Earn Income (D, G) |
| Medicine | Wisdom | Administer First Aid ◆◆; Recall Knowledge (G) ◆ | Treat Disease (D); Treat Poison ◆; Treat Wounds (E) |
| Nature | Wisdom | Command an Animal ◆; Recall Knowledge (G) ◆ | Identify Magic (E, G); Learn a Spell (E, G) |
| Occultism | Intelligence | Recall Knowledge (G) ◆ | Decipher Writing (E, G); Identify Magic (E, G); Learn a Spell (E, G) |
| Performance | Charisma | Perform ◆ | Earn Income (D, G) |
| Religion | Wisdom | Recall Knowledge (G) ◆ | Decipher Writing (E, G); Identify Magic (E, G); Learn a Spell (E, G) |
| Society | Intelligence | Recall Knowledge (G) ◆; Subsist (D, G) | Create Forgery (D); Decipher Writing (E, G) |
| Stealth | Dexterity | Conceal an Object ◆; Hide ◆; Sneak ◆ | — |
| Survival | Wisdom | Sense Direction (E); Subsist (D, G) | Cover Tracks (E); Track (E) |
| Thievery | Dexterity | Palm an Object ◆; Steal ◆ | Disable a Device ◆◆; Pick a Lock ◆◆ |
E: This skill action is used during exploration.
G: This is a general skill action, described in General Skill Actions.
Reading Skill Entries
The following entries describe the skills in the game. The heading for each entry provides the skill’s name, with that skill’s key attribute in parentheses.
A brief description of the skill is followed by a list of actions anyone can use, and then the actions you can perform only if you are trained in that skill. Some actions list sample tasks for each rank to give you a better sense of what you can accomplish as your proficiency increases. As the actions of a skill aren’t comprehensive, there may be times when the GM asks you to attempt a skill check without using any of the listed actions, or times when the GM asks you to roll using a different key attribute modifier.
Most skills include entries for success and failure, as well as descriptions of what occurs on a critical success or a critical failure. If either of the critical entries is absent, treat those results as a success or failure, as normal.
General skill actions are skill actions that can be used with multiple different skills. When you use a general skill action, you might use your modifier from any skill that lists it as one of the skill’s actions, depending on the situation.
Decipher Writing (Trained)
Skills: Arcana, Occultism, Religion, Society
When you encounter particularly archaic or esoteric texts, the GM might require you to Decipher the Writing before you can understand it. You must be trained in the relevant skill to Decipher Writing.
The skills used for Deciphering Writing and the types of texts they usually decipher are:
• Arcana for writing about magic or science
• Occultism for esoteric texts about mysteries and philosophy
• Religion for scripture
• Society for coded messages or archaic documents.
DECIPHER WRITING
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Secret
You attempt to decipher complicated writing or literature on an obscure topic. This usually takes 1 minute per page of text, but might take longer (typically an hour per page for decrypting ciphers or the like). The text must be in a language you can read, though the GM might allow you to attempt to decipher text written in an unfamiliar language using Society instead.
The DC is determined by the GM based on the state or complexity of the document. The GM might have you roll one check for a short text or a check for each section of a larger text.
Critical Success You understand the true meaning of the text.
Success You understand the true meaning of the text. If it was a coded document, you know the general meaning but might not have a word-for-word translation.
Failure You can’t understand the text and take a –2 circumstance penalty to further checks to decipher it.
Critical Failure You believe you understand the text on that page, but you have in fact misconstrued its message.
Sample Decipher Tasks
• Trained entry-level philosophy treatise
• Expert complex code, such as a cipher
• Master spymaster’s code or advanced research notes
• Legendary esoteric planar text written in metaphor by an ancient celestial
Earn Income (Trained)
Skills: Crafting, Lore, Performance, others
You can use a skill to earn money during downtime. You must be trained in the skill to do so. This takes time to set up, and your income depends on your proficiency rank and how lucrative a task you can find. Because this process requires a significant amount of time and involves tracking things outside the progress of adventures, it won’t come up in every campaign.
The most typical ways to Earn Income, detailed further in this section are:
• Crafting goods for the market (Crafting)
• Practicing a Trade (Lore)
• Staging a Performance (Performance)
In some cases, the GM might let you use a different skill to Earn Income through specialized work. Usually, this is scholarly work, such as using Religion in a monastery to study old texts—but giving sermons at a church would still fall under Performance instead of Religion. You also might be able to use physical skills to make money, such as using Acrobatics to perform feats in a circus or Thievery to pick pockets. If you’re using a skill other than Crafting, Lore, or Performance, the DC tends to be significantly higher.
EARN INCOME
Traits Downtime
You use one of your skills to make money during downtime. The GM assigns a task level representing the most lucrative job available. You can search for lower-level tasks, with the GM determining whether you find any. Sometimes you can attempt to find better work than the initial offerings, though this takes time and requires using the Diplomacy skill to Gather Information, doing some research, or socializing.
When you take on a job, the GM secretly sets the DC of your skill check. After your first day of work, you roll to determine your earnings. You gain an amount of income based on your result, the task’s level, and your proficiency rank (as listed on the Income Earned table).
You can continue working at the task on subsequent days without needing to roll again. For each day you spend after the first, you earn the same amount as the first day, up until the task’s completion. The GM determines how long you can work at the task. Most tasks last a week or two, though some can take months or even years.
Critical Success You do outstanding work. Gain the amount of currency listed for the task level + 1 and your proficiency rank.
Success You do competent work. Gain the amount of currency listed for the task level and your proficiency rank.
Failure You do shoddy work and get paid the bare minimum for your time. Gain the amount of currency listed in the failure column for the task level. The GM will likely reduce how long you can continue at the task.
Critical Failure You earn nothing for your work and are fired immediately. You can’t continue at the task. Your reputation suffers, potentially making it difficult for you to find rewarding jobs in that community in the future.
Sample Earn Income Tasks
These examples use Alcohol Lore to work in a bar or Legal Lore to perform legal work.
• Trained bartend, do legal research
• Expert curate drink selection, present minor court cases
• Master run a large brewery, present important court cases
• Legendary run an international brewing franchise, present a case in Hell’s courts
Crafting Goods for the Market (Crafting)
Using Crafting, you can work at producing common items for the market. It’s usually easy to find work making basic items whose level is 1 or 2 below your settlement’s level.
Higher-level tasks represent special commissions, which might require you to Craft a specific item using the Craft downtime activity and sell it to a buyer at full Price. These opportunities don’t occur as often and might have special requirements—or serious consequences if you disappoint a prominent client.
Practicing a Trade (Lore)
You apply the practical benefits of one of your Lore specialties during downtime by practicing your trade. This is most effective for Lore specialties such as business, law, or sailing, where there’s high demand for workers. The GM might increase the DC or determine only low-level tasks are available if you’re attempting to use an obscure Lore skill to Earn Income. You might also need specialized tools to accept a job, like mining tools to work in a mine or a merchant’s scale to buy and sell valuables in a market.
Staging a Performance (Performance)
You perform for an audience to make money. The available audiences determine the level of your task, since more discerning audiences are harder to impress but provide a bigger payout. The GM determines the task level based on the audiences available. Performing for a typical audience of commoners on the street is a level 0 task, but a performance for a group of artisans with more refined tastes might be a 2nd- or 3rd-level task, and ones for merchants, nobility, and royalty are increasingly higher level.
Your degree of success determines whether you moved your audience and whether you were rewarded with applause or rotten fruit.
Extra Preparation
When Earning Income, you might be able to spend days of downtime to prepare for your task and lower the DC of the skill check. This might involve rehearsing a play, studying a topic, and so on. The GM determines how long preparation takes and how much the DC changes. This is most useful when you’re trying a task that’s higher level than you.
Ending or Interrupting Tasks
When a task you’re doing is complete, or if you stop in the middle of one, you normally have to find a new task if you want to keep Earning Income. For instance, if you quit your job working at the docks, you’ll need to find another place of employment instead of picking up where you left off. This usually takes 1 day or more of downtime looking for leads on new jobs.
However, you might pause a task due to an adventure or event that wouldn’t prevent you from returning to the old job later. The GM might decide that you can pick up where you left off, assuming the task hasn’t been completed by others in your absence. Whether you roll a new skill check when you resume is also up to the GM. Generally speaking, if you had a good initial roll and want to keep it, you can, but if you had a bad initial roll, you can’t try for a better one by pausing to do something else. If your statistics changed during the break—usually because you leveled up while adventuring—you can attempt a new check.
Income Examples
The following examples show the kinds of tasks your character might take on to Earn Income during low-level and high-level play.
Harsk Makes Tea
Harsk is a 3rd-level ranger and an expert at harvesting and brewing tea. He has a Tea Lore modifier of +7.
He has 30 days of downtime at his disposal and decides to work at a prestigious local tea house. The GM decides this is a 5th-level task if Harsk wants to assist the tea master, or a 2nd-level task if he wants to serve tea. Harsk chooses the tougher task, and the GM secretly sets the DC at 20.
Harsk rolls a 4 on his Tea Lore check for a result of 11. Poor Harsk has failed! He earns only 2 sp for his efforts and continues working for 3 more days, for a total of 8 sp.
At that point, the GM offers Harsk a choice: either he can finish out the week with the tea master and look for a new job, or he can lower his ambitions and serve in the tea house. Harsk, now more aware of his own capabilities, accepts the less prestigious job for now. He moves to his new job and attempts a new Tea Lore check against DC 16. Rolling a 19, he gets a result of 26—a critical success! He earns 5 sp per day (like a success at a 3rd-level task).
The GM rules that demand will be high enough that Harsk can work there for the remainder of his downtime if he so chooses, a total of 26 days. Harsk accepts and earns a total of 138 sp (13 gp, 8 sp) that month.
Lem Performs
Lem is a 16th-level bard and legendary in Performance, and he has a magical flute that grants him an item bonus on Performance checks. He has a Performance modifier of +31 when playing his magical flute.
With 30 days of downtime ahead of him, Lem wonders if he can find something that might excite him more than performing in front of a bunch of stuffy nobles. He finds a momentous offer indeed—a performance in a celestial realm, and Lem’s patron goddess Shelyn might even be in attendance! This is a 20th-level task, and the GM secretly sets the DC at 40.
Lem rolls an 11 on his Performance check for a result of 42. Success! The engagement lasts for a week, and at the end, the grateful celestials present Lem with a beautiful living diamond rose in constant bloom worth 1,400 gold pieces (200 gp per day for 7 days).
With 23 days of downtime left, Lem accepts a 14th-level task performing at a prestigious bardic college for members of a royal court. The GM secretly sets the DC at 32, and Lem critically succeeds, earning 28 gp per day for a total of 644 gp. Between the two performances, Lem has earned just over 2,000 gold pieces during his downtime—though he’s not sure he’ll ever sell that rose.
Magical Traditions and Skills
Each magical tradition has a corresponding skill, as shown on the table below. You must have the trained proficiency rank in a skill to use it to Identify Magic or Learn a Spell. Something without a specific tradition, such as an item with the magical trait, can be identified using any of these skills.
Identify Magic (Trained)
Skills: Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion
Using the skill related to the appropriate tradition, as explained in Magical Traditions and Skills, you can attempt to identify a magical item, location, or ongoing effect. In many cases, you can use a skill to attempt to Identify Magic of a tradition other than your own at a higher DC. The GM determines whether you can do this and what the DC is.
IDENTIFY MAGIC
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Secret
Once you discover that an item, location, or ongoing effect is magical, you can spend 10 minutes to try to identify the particulars of its magic. If your attempt is interrupted, you must start over. The GM sets the DC for your check. Cursed magic or esoteric subjects usually have higher DCs or might even be impossible to identify using this activity alone. Heightening a spell doesn’t increase the DC to identify it.
Critical Success You learn all the attributes of the magic, including its name (for an effect), what it does, any means of activating it (for an item or location), and whether it is cursed.
Success For an item or location, you get a sense of what it does and learn any means of activating it. For an ongoing effect (such as a spell with a duration), you learn the effect’s name and what it does. You can’t try again in hopes of getting a critical success.
Failure You fail to identify the magic and can’t try again for 1 day.
Critical Failure You misidentify the magic as something else of the GM’s choice.
Learn a Spell (Trained)
Skills: Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion
If you’re a spellcaster, you can use the skill corresponding to your magical tradition to learn a new spell of that tradition. The Learning a Spell table lists the Price of the materials needed to Learn a Spell of each rank. Learning a Spell is most useful for classes that use a limited list of spells, like the bard, witch, or wizard, though other classes might use it to gain rare or uncommon spells.
LEARN A SPELL
Traits Concentrate, Exploration
Requirements You have a spellcasting class feature, and the spell you want to learn is on your magical tradition’s spell list.
You can gain access to a new spell of your tradition from someone who knows that spell or from magical writing like a spellbook or scroll. If you can cast spells of multiple traditions, you can Learn a Spell of any of those traditions, but you must use the corresponding skill to do so. For example, if you were a cleric with the bard multiclass archetype, you couldn’t use Religion to add an occult spell to your bardic spell repertoire.
To learn the spell, you must do the following:
• Spend 1 hour per spell rank, during which you must remain in conversation with a person who knows the spell or have the magical writing in your possession.
• Have materials with the Price indicated in the Learning a Spell table.
• Attempt a skill check for the skill corresponding to your tradition (DC determined by the GM, often close to the DC on the Learning a Spell Table). Uncommon or rare spells have higher DCs; full guidelines for the GM appear in GM Core.
Critical Success You expend half the materials and learn the spell.
Success You expend the materials and learn the spell.
Failure You fail to learn the spell but can try again after you gain a level. The materials aren’t expended.
Critical Failure As failure, except you expend half the materials.
Learned Spells
A spell you learn is added to your repository of spells, such as a spellbook for a wizard, familiar for a witch, or spell list for a cleric or druid. If you have a spell repertoire, such as a bard, it’s not automatically added since you can only know a limited number of spells. Instead, you can select it when you add or swap spells.
Recall Knowledge (Untrained)
Skills: Arcana, Crafting, Lore, Medicine, Nature, Occultism, Religion, Society, others
To remember useful information on a topic, you can attempt to Recall Knowledge. This action is one you’re likely to use frequently. Learning more about the world and people around you is one of the best ways to inform your decisions, and Recalling Knowledge can help you figure out how to best fight monsters and figure out puzzles and social challenges.
You might know basic information about something without needing to attempt a check, but Recall Knowledge requires you to stop and think for a moment so you can recollect more specific facts and apply them. You might even need to spend time investigating first. For instance, to use Medicine to learn the cause of death, you might need to conduct a forensic examination before attempting to Recall Knowledge.
RECALL KNOWLEDGE ◆
Traits Concentrate, Secret
You attempt a skill check to try to remember a bit of knowledge regarding a topic related to that skill. Suggest which skill you’d like to use and ask the GM one question. The GM determines the DC. You might need to collaborate with the GM to narrow down the question or skills, and you can decide not to Recall Knowledge before committing to the action if you don’t like your options.
Critical Success You recall the knowledge accurately. The GM answers your question truthfully and either tells you additional information or context, or answers one follow-up question.
Success You recall the knowledge accurately. The GM answers your question truthfully.
Critical Failure You recall incorrect information. The GM answers your question falsely (or decides to give you no information, as on a failure).
Recall Knowledge Tasks
The following examples use Society or Religion.
• Untrained name of a ruler, head of state, key noble, or major deity
• Trained line of succession for a major noble family, core doctrines of a major deity
• Expert genealogy of a minor noble, teachings of an ancient priest
• Master hierarchy of a genie noble court, major extraplanar temples of a deity
• Legendary existence of a long-lost noble heir, secret doctrines of a religion
Recall Knowledge Skills
The following skills can be used to Recall Knowledge about the listed topics. Some topics might appear on multiple lists, but the skills could give different information. For example, Arcana might tell you about the magical defenses of a construct, whereas Crafting could tell you about its sturdy resistance to physical attacks.
• Arcana: Arcane theories, magical traditions, creatures of arcane significance, and arcane planes.
• Crafting: Alchemical reactions and creatures, item value, engineering, unusual materials, and constructs.
• Lore: The subject of the Lore skill’s subcategory.
• Medicine: Diseases, poisons, wounds, and forensics.
• Nature: The environment, flora, geography, weather, creatures of natural origin, and natural planes.
• Occultism: Ancient mysteries, folk superstition, obscure philosophy, creatures of occult significance, and esoteric planes.
• Religion: Divine agents, divine planes, theology, obscure myths, and creatures of religious significance.
• Society: Local history, key personalities, legal institutions, societal structure, and humanoid culture.
Using an applicable Lore to Recall Knowledge about a topic, such as Engineering Lore instead of Crafting to find structural weaknesses in a bridge, typically comes with a lower DC. Your special interests can pay off! In some cases, you can get the GM’s permission to use a different but related skill, usually against a higher DC than normal. The GM might allow checks to Recall Knowledge using other skills. For example, you might assess the skill of an acrobat using Acrobatics. If you’re using a physical skill (like in this example), the GM will most likely have you use a mental modifier—typically Intelligence—instead of the skill’s normal physical attribute modifier.
Recall Knowledge Questions
When encountering a subject for the first time, your first question will likely be a basic “What is it?”, which the GM can answer with a name and basic description like, “That’s an ogre, a tough and cruel giant” or “This is the symbol of Urgathoa, a goddess of disease, gluttony, and undeath.” If you already know this base level of detail on the subject, the list below includes some reasonable questions. The GM determines what other questions to allow. Usually this is simple as long as you stick to one question. Any question must be about something observable in the game world, not the abstract numbers of the rules. The GM might tell you a lumbering monster’s Reflex save is its weakest—translating a concept your character could understand using the game term for clarity—but wouldn’t reveal the exact Reflex modifier. The GM can find more guidance in GM Core.
Creatures: “Can it be reasoned with?” “What environments does it live in?” “What’s its most notable offensive ability?” “Is it highly vulnerable or resistant to anything?” “Are any of its defenses weak?”
Magic: “How can it be avoided?” “What type of people use this magic?” “How long does it last?”
Organizations: “What kind of influence does it have?” “Where is it headquartered?” “How large is it?” “What kind of members does it have?” “Who are its major authorities?” “Do they have any notable allies and enemies?”
People: “What’s their personality like?” “What do they look like?” “Do they have any notable talents?” “Do they have notable allies and enemies?” “What kind of influence do they have?” “Do they have any vices?”
Sites: “What’s its general location?” “How large is it?” “What’s the government like?” “Do any notable people live there?” “What kind of monsters dwell there?” “What’s the environment and terrain like?”
Subsist (Untrained)
Skills: Society, Survival
If you need to provide food and shelter, you can use the Subsist downtime activity. This typically uses Society if you’re in a settlement or Survival if you’re in the wild.
SUBSIST
Traits Downtime
You try to provide food and shelter for yourself, and possibly others as well, with the standard of living given in the results below. The GM determines the DC based on the nature of the place where you’re trying to Subsist. You might need a minimum proficiency rank to Subsist in particularly strange environments. Unlike most downtime activities, you can Subsist after 8 hours or less of exploration, but if you do, you take a –5 penalty.
Critical Success You either provide a subsistence living for yourself and one additional creature, or you improve your own food and shelter, granting yourself a comfortable living.
Success You find enough food and shelter with basic protection from the elements to provide you a subsistence living.
Failure You’re exposed to the elements and don’t get enough food, becoming fatigued until you attain sufficient food and shelter.
Critical Failure You attract trouble, eat something you shouldn’t, or otherwise worsen your situation. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Subsist for 1 week. You don’t find any food at all; if you don’t have any stored up, you’re in danger of starving or dying of thirst if you continue failing.
Sample Subsist Tasks
• Untrained a lush forest with calm weather or a large city with plentiful resources
• Trained typical hillside or village
• Expert typical mountains or insular hamlet
• Master typical desert or city under siege
• Legendary barren wasteland or city of undead
| General Skill Action | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Decipher Writing | Trained |
| Earn Income | Trained |
| Identify Magic | Trained |
| Learn a Spell | Trained |
| Recall Knowledge ◆ | Untrained |
| Subsist | Untrained |
Skills: Arcana, Occultism, Religion, Society
When you encounter particularly archaic or esoteric texts, the GM might require you to Decipher the Writing before you can understand it. You must be trained in the relevant skill to Decipher Writing.
The skills used for Deciphering Writing and the types of texts they usually decipher are:
• Arcana for writing about magic or science
• Occultism for esoteric texts about mysteries and philosophy
• Religion for scripture
• Society for coded messages or archaic documents.
DECIPHER WRITING
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Secret
You attempt to decipher complicated writing or literature on an obscure topic. This usually takes 1 minute per page of text, but might take longer (typically an hour per page for decrypting ciphers or the like). The text must be in a language you can read, though the GM might allow you to attempt to decipher text written in an unfamiliar language using Society instead.
The DC is determined by the GM based on the state or complexity of the document. The GM might have you roll one check for a short text or a check for each section of a larger text.
Critical Success You understand the true meaning of the text.
Success You understand the true meaning of the text. If it was a coded document, you know the general meaning but might not have a word-for-word translation.
Failure You can’t understand the text and take a –2 circumstance penalty to further checks to decipher it.
Critical Failure You believe you understand the text on that page, but you have in fact misconstrued its message.
Sample Decipher Tasks
• Trained entry-level philosophy treatise
• Expert complex code, such as a cipher
• Master spymaster’s code or advanced research notes
• Legendary esoteric planar text written in metaphor by an ancient celestial
Earn Income (Trained)
Skills: Crafting, Lore, Performance, others
You can use a skill to earn money during downtime. You must be trained in the skill to do so. This takes time to set up, and your income depends on your proficiency rank and how lucrative a task you can find. Because this process requires a significant amount of time and involves tracking things outside the progress of adventures, it won’t come up in every campaign.
The most typical ways to Earn Income, detailed further in this section are:
• Crafting goods for the market (Crafting)
• Practicing a Trade (Lore)
• Staging a Performance (Performance)
In some cases, the GM might let you use a different skill to Earn Income through specialized work. Usually, this is scholarly work, such as using Religion in a monastery to study old texts—but giving sermons at a church would still fall under Performance instead of Religion. You also might be able to use physical skills to make money, such as using Acrobatics to perform feats in a circus or Thievery to pick pockets. If you’re using a skill other than Crafting, Lore, or Performance, the DC tends to be significantly higher.
EARN INCOME
Traits Downtime
You use one of your skills to make money during downtime. The GM assigns a task level representing the most lucrative job available. You can search for lower-level tasks, with the GM determining whether you find any. Sometimes you can attempt to find better work than the initial offerings, though this takes time and requires using the Diplomacy skill to Gather Information, doing some research, or socializing.
When you take on a job, the GM secretly sets the DC of your skill check. After your first day of work, you roll to determine your earnings. You gain an amount of income based on your result, the task’s level, and your proficiency rank (as listed on the Income Earned table).
You can continue working at the task on subsequent days without needing to roll again. For each day you spend after the first, you earn the same amount as the first day, up until the task’s completion. The GM determines how long you can work at the task. Most tasks last a week or two, though some can take months or even years.
Critical Success You do outstanding work. Gain the amount of currency listed for the task level + 1 and your proficiency rank.
Success You do competent work. Gain the amount of currency listed for the task level and your proficiency rank.
Failure You do shoddy work and get paid the bare minimum for your time. Gain the amount of currency listed in the failure column for the task level. The GM will likely reduce how long you can continue at the task.
Critical Failure You earn nothing for your work and are fired immediately. You can’t continue at the task. Your reputation suffers, potentially making it difficult for you to find rewarding jobs in that community in the future.
| Task Level | Failure | Trained | Expert | Master | Legendary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 cp | 5 cp | 5 cp | 5 cp | 5 cp |
| 1 | 2 cp | 2 sp | 2 sp | 2 sp | 2 sp |
| 2 | 4 cp | 3 sp | 3 sp | 3 sp | 3 sp |
| 3 | 8 cp | 5 sp | 5 sp | 5 sp | 5 sp |
| 4 | 1 sp | 7 sp | 8 sp | 8 sp | 8 sp |
| 5 | 2 sp | 9 sp | 1 gp | 1 gp | 1 gp |
| 6 | 3 sp | 1 gp, 5 sp | 2 gp | 2 gp | 2 gp |
| 7 | 4 sp | 2 gp | 2 gp, 5 sp | 2 gp, 5 sp | 2 gp, 5 sp |
| 8 | 5 sp | 2 gp, 5 sp | 3 gp | 3 gp | 3 gp |
| 9 | 6 sp | 3 gp | 4 gp | 4 gp | 4 gp |
| 10 | 7 sp | 4 gp | 5 gp | 6 gp | 6 gp |
| 11 | 8 sp | 5 gp | 6 gp | 8 gp | 8 gp |
| 12 | 9 sp | 6 gp | 8 gp | 10 gp | 10 gp |
| 13 | 1 gp | 7 gp | 10 gp | 15 gp | 15 gp |
| 14 | 1 gp, 5 sp | 8 gp | 15 gp | 20 gp | 20 gp |
| 15 | 2 gp | 10 gp | 20 gp | 28 gp | 28 gp |
| 16 | 2 gp, 5 sp | 13 gp | 25 gp | 36 gp | 40 gp |
| 17 | 3 gp | 15 gp | 30 gp | 45 gp | 55 gp |
| 18 | 4 gp | 20 gp | 45 gp | 70 gp | 90 gp |
| 19 | 6 gp | 30 gp | 60 gp | 100 gp | 130 gp |
| 20 | 8 gp | 40 gp | 75 gp | 150 gp | 200 gp |
| 20 (critical) | — | 50 gp | 90 gp | 175 gp | 300 gp |
These examples use Alcohol Lore to work in a bar or Legal Lore to perform legal work.
• Trained bartend, do legal research
• Expert curate drink selection, present minor court cases
• Master run a large brewery, present important court cases
• Legendary run an international brewing franchise, present a case in Hell’s courts
Crafting Goods for the Market (Crafting)
Using Crafting, you can work at producing common items for the market. It’s usually easy to find work making basic items whose level is 1 or 2 below your settlement’s level.
Higher-level tasks represent special commissions, which might require you to Craft a specific item using the Craft downtime activity and sell it to a buyer at full Price. These opportunities don’t occur as often and might have special requirements—or serious consequences if you disappoint a prominent client.
Practicing a Trade (Lore)
You apply the practical benefits of one of your Lore specialties during downtime by practicing your trade. This is most effective for Lore specialties such as business, law, or sailing, where there’s high demand for workers. The GM might increase the DC or determine only low-level tasks are available if you’re attempting to use an obscure Lore skill to Earn Income. You might also need specialized tools to accept a job, like mining tools to work in a mine or a merchant’s scale to buy and sell valuables in a market.
Staging a Performance (Performance)
You perform for an audience to make money. The available audiences determine the level of your task, since more discerning audiences are harder to impress but provide a bigger payout. The GM determines the task level based on the audiences available. Performing for a typical audience of commoners on the street is a level 0 task, but a performance for a group of artisans with more refined tastes might be a 2nd- or 3rd-level task, and ones for merchants, nobility, and royalty are increasingly higher level.
Your degree of success determines whether you moved your audience and whether you were rewarded with applause or rotten fruit.
Extra Preparation
When Earning Income, you might be able to spend days of downtime to prepare for your task and lower the DC of the skill check. This might involve rehearsing a play, studying a topic, and so on. The GM determines how long preparation takes and how much the DC changes. This is most useful when you’re trying a task that’s higher level than you.
Ending or Interrupting Tasks
When a task you’re doing is complete, or if you stop in the middle of one, you normally have to find a new task if you want to keep Earning Income. For instance, if you quit your job working at the docks, you’ll need to find another place of employment instead of picking up where you left off. This usually takes 1 day or more of downtime looking for leads on new jobs.
However, you might pause a task due to an adventure or event that wouldn’t prevent you from returning to the old job later. The GM might decide that you can pick up where you left off, assuming the task hasn’t been completed by others in your absence. Whether you roll a new skill check when you resume is also up to the GM. Generally speaking, if you had a good initial roll and want to keep it, you can, but if you had a bad initial roll, you can’t try for a better one by pausing to do something else. If your statistics changed during the break—usually because you leveled up while adventuring—you can attempt a new check.
Income Examples
The following examples show the kinds of tasks your character might take on to Earn Income during low-level and high-level play.
Harsk Makes Tea
Harsk is a 3rd-level ranger and an expert at harvesting and brewing tea. He has a Tea Lore modifier of +7.
He has 30 days of downtime at his disposal and decides to work at a prestigious local tea house. The GM decides this is a 5th-level task if Harsk wants to assist the tea master, or a 2nd-level task if he wants to serve tea. Harsk chooses the tougher task, and the GM secretly sets the DC at 20.
Harsk rolls a 4 on his Tea Lore check for a result of 11. Poor Harsk has failed! He earns only 2 sp for his efforts and continues working for 3 more days, for a total of 8 sp.
At that point, the GM offers Harsk a choice: either he can finish out the week with the tea master and look for a new job, or he can lower his ambitions and serve in the tea house. Harsk, now more aware of his own capabilities, accepts the less prestigious job for now. He moves to his new job and attempts a new Tea Lore check against DC 16. Rolling a 19, he gets a result of 26—a critical success! He earns 5 sp per day (like a success at a 3rd-level task).
The GM rules that demand will be high enough that Harsk can work there for the remainder of his downtime if he so chooses, a total of 26 days. Harsk accepts and earns a total of 138 sp (13 gp, 8 sp) that month.
Lem Performs
Lem is a 16th-level bard and legendary in Performance, and he has a magical flute that grants him an item bonus on Performance checks. He has a Performance modifier of +31 when playing his magical flute.
With 30 days of downtime ahead of him, Lem wonders if he can find something that might excite him more than performing in front of a bunch of stuffy nobles. He finds a momentous offer indeed—a performance in a celestial realm, and Lem’s patron goddess Shelyn might even be in attendance! This is a 20th-level task, and the GM secretly sets the DC at 40.
Lem rolls an 11 on his Performance check for a result of 42. Success! The engagement lasts for a week, and at the end, the grateful celestials present Lem with a beautiful living diamond rose in constant bloom worth 1,400 gold pieces (200 gp per day for 7 days).
With 23 days of downtime left, Lem accepts a 14th-level task performing at a prestigious bardic college for members of a royal court. The GM secretly sets the DC at 32, and Lem critically succeeds, earning 28 gp per day for a total of 644 gp. Between the two performances, Lem has earned just over 2,000 gold pieces during his downtime—though he’s not sure he’ll ever sell that rose.
Magical Traditions and Skills
Each magical tradition has a corresponding skill, as shown on the table below. You must have the trained proficiency rank in a skill to use it to Identify Magic or Learn a Spell. Something without a specific tradition, such as an item with the magical trait, can be identified using any of these skills.
| Magical Tradition | Corresponding Skill |
|---|---|
| Arcane | Arcana |
| Divine | Religion |
| Occult | Occultism |
| Primal | Nature |
Skills: Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion
Using the skill related to the appropriate tradition, as explained in Magical Traditions and Skills, you can attempt to identify a magical item, location, or ongoing effect. In many cases, you can use a skill to attempt to Identify Magic of a tradition other than your own at a higher DC. The GM determines whether you can do this and what the DC is.
IDENTIFY MAGIC
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Secret
Once you discover that an item, location, or ongoing effect is magical, you can spend 10 minutes to try to identify the particulars of its magic. If your attempt is interrupted, you must start over. The GM sets the DC for your check. Cursed magic or esoteric subjects usually have higher DCs or might even be impossible to identify using this activity alone. Heightening a spell doesn’t increase the DC to identify it.
Critical Success You learn all the attributes of the magic, including its name (for an effect), what it does, any means of activating it (for an item or location), and whether it is cursed.
Success For an item or location, you get a sense of what it does and learn any means of activating it. For an ongoing effect (such as a spell with a duration), you learn the effect’s name and what it does. You can’t try again in hopes of getting a critical success.
Failure You fail to identify the magic and can’t try again for 1 day.
Critical Failure You misidentify the magic as something else of the GM’s choice.
Learn a Spell (Trained)
Skills: Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion
If you’re a spellcaster, you can use the skill corresponding to your magical tradition to learn a new spell of that tradition. The Learning a Spell table lists the Price of the materials needed to Learn a Spell of each rank. Learning a Spell is most useful for classes that use a limited list of spells, like the bard, witch, or wizard, though other classes might use it to gain rare or uncommon spells.
LEARN A SPELL
Traits Concentrate, Exploration
Requirements You have a spellcasting class feature, and the spell you want to learn is on your magical tradition’s spell list.
You can gain access to a new spell of your tradition from someone who knows that spell or from magical writing like a spellbook or scroll. If you can cast spells of multiple traditions, you can Learn a Spell of any of those traditions, but you must use the corresponding skill to do so. For example, if you were a cleric with the bard multiclass archetype, you couldn’t use Religion to add an occult spell to your bardic spell repertoire.
To learn the spell, you must do the following:
• Spend 1 hour per spell rank, during which you must remain in conversation with a person who knows the spell or have the magical writing in your possession.
• Have materials with the Price indicated in the Learning a Spell table.
• Attempt a skill check for the skill corresponding to your tradition (DC determined by the GM, often close to the DC on the Learning a Spell Table). Uncommon or rare spells have higher DCs; full guidelines for the GM appear in GM Core.
Critical Success You expend half the materials and learn the spell.
Success You expend the materials and learn the spell.
Failure You fail to learn the spell but can try again after you gain a level. The materials aren’t expended.
Critical Failure As failure, except you expend half the materials.
| Spell Rank | Price | Typical DC |
|---|---|---|
| 1st or cantrip | 2 gp | 15 |
| 2nd | 6 gp | 18 |
| 3rd | 16 gp | 20 |
| 4th | 36 gp | 23 |
| 5th | 70 gp | 26 |
| 6th | 140 gp | 28 |
| 7th | 300 gp | 31 |
| 8th | 650 gp | 34 |
| 9th | 1,500 gp | 36 |
| 10th | 7,000 gp | 41 |
A spell you learn is added to your repository of spells, such as a spellbook for a wizard, familiar for a witch, or spell list for a cleric or druid. If you have a spell repertoire, such as a bard, it’s not automatically added since you can only know a limited number of spells. Instead, you can select it when you add or swap spells.
Recall Knowledge (Untrained)
Skills: Arcana, Crafting, Lore, Medicine, Nature, Occultism, Religion, Society, others
To remember useful information on a topic, you can attempt to Recall Knowledge. This action is one you’re likely to use frequently. Learning more about the world and people around you is one of the best ways to inform your decisions, and Recalling Knowledge can help you figure out how to best fight monsters and figure out puzzles and social challenges.
You might know basic information about something without needing to attempt a check, but Recall Knowledge requires you to stop and think for a moment so you can recollect more specific facts and apply them. You might even need to spend time investigating first. For instance, to use Medicine to learn the cause of death, you might need to conduct a forensic examination before attempting to Recall Knowledge.
RECALL KNOWLEDGE ◆
Traits Concentrate, Secret
You attempt a skill check to try to remember a bit of knowledge regarding a topic related to that skill. Suggest which skill you’d like to use and ask the GM one question. The GM determines the DC. You might need to collaborate with the GM to narrow down the question or skills, and you can decide not to Recall Knowledge before committing to the action if you don’t like your options.
Critical Success You recall the knowledge accurately. The GM answers your question truthfully and either tells you additional information or context, or answers one follow-up question.
Success You recall the knowledge accurately. The GM answers your question truthfully.
Critical Failure You recall incorrect information. The GM answers your question falsely (or decides to give you no information, as on a failure).
Recall Knowledge Tasks
The following examples use Society or Religion.
• Untrained name of a ruler, head of state, key noble, or major deity
• Trained line of succession for a major noble family, core doctrines of a major deity
• Expert genealogy of a minor noble, teachings of an ancient priest
• Master hierarchy of a genie noble court, major extraplanar temples of a deity
• Legendary existence of a long-lost noble heir, secret doctrines of a religion
Recall Knowledge Skills
The following skills can be used to Recall Knowledge about the listed topics. Some topics might appear on multiple lists, but the skills could give different information. For example, Arcana might tell you about the magical defenses of a construct, whereas Crafting could tell you about its sturdy resistance to physical attacks.
• Arcana: Arcane theories, magical traditions, creatures of arcane significance, and arcane planes.
• Crafting: Alchemical reactions and creatures, item value, engineering, unusual materials, and constructs.
• Lore: The subject of the Lore skill’s subcategory.
• Medicine: Diseases, poisons, wounds, and forensics.
• Nature: The environment, flora, geography, weather, creatures of natural origin, and natural planes.
• Occultism: Ancient mysteries, folk superstition, obscure philosophy, creatures of occult significance, and esoteric planes.
• Religion: Divine agents, divine planes, theology, obscure myths, and creatures of religious significance.
• Society: Local history, key personalities, legal institutions, societal structure, and humanoid culture.
Using an applicable Lore to Recall Knowledge about a topic, such as Engineering Lore instead of Crafting to find structural weaknesses in a bridge, typically comes with a lower DC. Your special interests can pay off! In some cases, you can get the GM’s permission to use a different but related skill, usually against a higher DC than normal. The GM might allow checks to Recall Knowledge using other skills. For example, you might assess the skill of an acrobat using Acrobatics. If you’re using a physical skill (like in this example), the GM will most likely have you use a mental modifier—typically Intelligence—instead of the skill’s normal physical attribute modifier.
Recall Knowledge Questions
When encountering a subject for the first time, your first question will likely be a basic “What is it?”, which the GM can answer with a name and basic description like, “That’s an ogre, a tough and cruel giant” or “This is the symbol of Urgathoa, a goddess of disease, gluttony, and undeath.” If you already know this base level of detail on the subject, the list below includes some reasonable questions. The GM determines what other questions to allow. Usually this is simple as long as you stick to one question. Any question must be about something observable in the game world, not the abstract numbers of the rules. The GM might tell you a lumbering monster’s Reflex save is its weakest—translating a concept your character could understand using the game term for clarity—but wouldn’t reveal the exact Reflex modifier. The GM can find more guidance in GM Core.
Creatures: “Can it be reasoned with?” “What environments does it live in?” “What’s its most notable offensive ability?” “Is it highly vulnerable or resistant to anything?” “Are any of its defenses weak?”
Magic: “How can it be avoided?” “What type of people use this magic?” “How long does it last?”
Organizations: “What kind of influence does it have?” “Where is it headquartered?” “How large is it?” “What kind of members does it have?” “Who are its major authorities?” “Do they have any notable allies and enemies?”
People: “What’s their personality like?” “What do they look like?” “Do they have any notable talents?” “Do they have notable allies and enemies?” “What kind of influence do they have?” “Do they have any vices?”
Sites: “What’s its general location?” “How large is it?” “What’s the government like?” “Do any notable people live there?” “What kind of monsters dwell there?” “What’s the environment and terrain like?”
Subsist (Untrained)
Skills: Society, Survival
If you need to provide food and shelter, you can use the Subsist downtime activity. This typically uses Society if you’re in a settlement or Survival if you’re in the wild.
SUBSIST
Traits Downtime
You try to provide food and shelter for yourself, and possibly others as well, with the standard of living given in the results below. The GM determines the DC based on the nature of the place where you’re trying to Subsist. You might need a minimum proficiency rank to Subsist in particularly strange environments. Unlike most downtime activities, you can Subsist after 8 hours or less of exploration, but if you do, you take a –5 penalty.
Critical Success You either provide a subsistence living for yourself and one additional creature, or you improve your own food and shelter, granting yourself a comfortable living.
Success You find enough food and shelter with basic protection from the elements to provide you a subsistence living.
Failure You’re exposed to the elements and don’t get enough food, becoming fatigued until you attain sufficient food and shelter.
Critical Failure You attract trouble, eat something you shouldn’t, or otherwise worsen your situation. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Subsist for 1 week. You don’t find any food at all; if you don’t have any stored up, you’re in danger of starving or dying of thirst if you continue failing.
Sample Subsist Tasks
• Untrained a lush forest with calm weather or a large city with plentiful resources
• Trained typical hillside or village
• Expert typical mountains or insular hamlet
• Master typical desert or city under siege
• Legendary barren wasteland or city of undead
Acrobatics measures your ability to perform tasks requiring coordination and grace. When you use the Escape basic action, you can use your Acrobatics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier. You can also use it for the basic actions Arrest a Fall and Grab an Edge instead of Reflex.
BALANCE ◆
Traits Move
Requirements You are in a square that contains a narrow surface, uneven ground, or another similar feature.
You move across a narrow surface or uneven ground, attempting an Acrobatics check against its Balance DC. You are off-guard while on a narrow surface or uneven ground.
Critical Success You move up to your Speed.
Success You move up to your Speed, treating it as difficult terrain (every 5 feet costs 10 feet of movement).
Failure You must remain stationary to keep your balance (wasting the action) or you fall. If you fall, your turn ends.
Critical Failure You fall and your turn ends.
TUMBLE THROUGH ◆
Traits Move
You Stride up to your Speed. During this movement, you can try to move through the space of one enemy. Attempt an Acrobatics check against the enemy’s Reflex DC as soon as you try to enter its space. You can Tumble Through using Climb, Fly, Swim, or another action instead of Stride in the appropriate environment.
Success You move through the enemy’s space, treating the squares in its space as difficult terrain (every 5 feet costs 10 feet of movement). If you don’t have enough Speed to move all the way through its space, you get the same effect as a failure.
Failure Your movement ends, and you trigger reactions as if you had moved out of the square you started in.
Acrobatics Trained Actions
MANEUVER IN FLIGHT ◆
Traits Move
Requirements You have a fly Speed.
You try a difficult maneuver while flying. Attempt an Acrobatics check. The GM determines what maneuvers are possible, but they rarely allow you to move farther than your fly Speed.
Success You succeed at the maneuver.
Failure Your maneuver fails. The GM chooses if you simply can’t move or if some other detrimental effect happens. The outcome should be appropriate for the maneuver you attempted (for instance, being blown off course if you were trying to fly against a strong wind).
Critical Failure As failure, but the consequence is more dire.
SQUEEZE
Traits Exploration, Move
You contort yourself to squeeze through a space so small you can barely fit through. This action is for exceptionally small spaces; many tight spaces are difficult terrain that you can move through more quickly and without a check.
Critical Success You squeeze through the tight space in 1 minute per 10 feet of squeezing.
Success You squeeze through in 1 minute per 5 feet.
Critical Failure You become stuck in the tight space. While you’re stuck, you can spend 1 minute attempting another Acrobatics check at the same DC. Any result on that check other than a critical failure causes you to become unstuck.
BALANCE ◆
Traits Move
Requirements You are in a square that contains a narrow surface, uneven ground, or another similar feature.
You move across a narrow surface or uneven ground, attempting an Acrobatics check against its Balance DC. You are off-guard while on a narrow surface or uneven ground.
Critical Success You move up to your Speed.
Success You move up to your Speed, treating it as difficult terrain (every 5 feet costs 10 feet of movement).
Failure You must remain stationary to keep your balance (wasting the action) or you fall. If you fall, your turn ends.
Critical Failure You fall and your turn ends.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Untrained | tangled roots, uneven cobblestones |
| Trained | wooden beam |
| Expert | deep, loose gravel |
| Master | tightrope, smooth sheet of ice |
| Legendary | razor’s edge, chunks of floor falling in midair |
Traits Move
You Stride up to your Speed. During this movement, you can try to move through the space of one enemy. Attempt an Acrobatics check against the enemy’s Reflex DC as soon as you try to enter its space. You can Tumble Through using Climb, Fly, Swim, or another action instead of Stride in the appropriate environment.
Success You move through the enemy’s space, treating the squares in its space as difficult terrain (every 5 feet costs 10 feet of movement). If you don’t have enough Speed to move all the way through its space, you get the same effect as a failure.
Failure Your movement ends, and you trigger reactions as if you had moved out of the square you started in.
Acrobatics Trained Actions
MANEUVER IN FLIGHT ◆
Traits Move
Requirements You have a fly Speed.
You try a difficult maneuver while flying. Attempt an Acrobatics check. The GM determines what maneuvers are possible, but they rarely allow you to move farther than your fly Speed.
Success You succeed at the maneuver.
Failure Your maneuver fails. The GM chooses if you simply can’t move or if some other detrimental effect happens. The outcome should be appropriate for the maneuver you attempted (for instance, being blown off course if you were trying to fly against a strong wind).
Critical Failure As failure, but the consequence is more dire.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Trained | steep ascent or descent |
| Expert | fly against the wind |
| Master | reverse direction |
| Legendary | fly through gale force winds |
Traits Exploration, Move
You contort yourself to squeeze through a space so small you can barely fit through. This action is for exceptionally small spaces; many tight spaces are difficult terrain that you can move through more quickly and without a check.
Critical Success You squeeze through the tight space in 1 minute per 10 feet of squeezing.
Success You squeeze through in 1 minute per 5 feet.
Critical Failure You become stuck in the tight space. While you’re stuck, you can spend 1 minute attempting another Acrobatics check at the same DC. Any result on that check other than a critical failure causes you to become unstuck.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Trained | space barely fitting your shoulders |
| Master | space barely fitting your head |
Arcana measures how much you know about arcane magic and creatures. Even if you’re untrained, you can Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about arcane theories; magic traditions; creatures of arcane significance (like constructs, beasts, and elementals); and the Astral Plane, Elemental Planes, and the Netherworld.
Arcana Trained Actions
You must be trained in Arcana to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Decipher Writing about arcane theory.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the arcane tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the arcane tradition.
BORROW AN ARCANE SPELL
Traits Concentrate, Exploration
If you’re an arcane spellcaster who prepares spells, you can attempt to prepare a spell from someone else’s arcane spellbook, arcane witch familiar, or the like. The GM sets the DC for the check based on the spell’s rank and rarity; it’s typically a bit easier than Learning the Spell.
Success You prepare the borrowed spell as part of your normal spell preparation.
Failure You fail to prepare the spell, but the spell slot remains available for you to prepare a different spell. You can’t try to borrow this spell again until the next time you prepare spells.
• Recall Knowledge about arcane theories; magic traditions; creatures of arcane significance (like constructs, beasts, and elementals); and the Astral Plane, Elemental Planes, and the Netherworld.
Arcana Trained Actions
You must be trained in Arcana to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Decipher Writing about arcane theory.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the arcane tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the arcane tradition.
BORROW AN ARCANE SPELL
Traits Concentrate, Exploration
If you’re an arcane spellcaster who prepares spells, you can attempt to prepare a spell from someone else’s arcane spellbook, arcane witch familiar, or the like. The GM sets the DC for the check based on the spell’s rank and rarity; it’s typically a bit easier than Learning the Spell.
Success You prepare the borrowed spell as part of your normal spell preparation.
Failure You fail to prepare the spell, but the spell slot remains available for you to prepare a different spell. You can’t try to borrow this spell again until the next time you prepare spells.
Athletics allows you to perform deeds of physical prowess. Most Athletics actions let you move about the environment (Climb, High Jump, Long Jump, Swim) or control your opponent’s movement in combat (Grapple, Reposition, Shove, Trip, and Disarm).
Escape: When you use the Escape basic action, you can use your Athletics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier.
CLIMB ◆
Traits Move
Requirements You have two hands free.
You attempt an Athletics check to move a maximum distance of 5 feet up, down, or across an incline. You’re off-guard while climbing unless you have a climb Speed. The GM determines the DC based on the nature of the incline and environmental circumstances; you might get an automatic critical success on an incline that’s trivial to climb. If your land Speed is 40 feet or higher, increase the maximum distance by 5 feet for every 20 feet of Speed above 20 feet.
Critical Success You move along the incline, increasing the maximum distance by 5 feet.
Success You move along the incline.
Critical Failure You fall. If you began the climb on stable ground, you fall and land prone.
FORCE OPEN ◆
Traits Attack
Using your body, a lever, or some other tool, you attempt to forcefully open a door, window, container or heavy gate. With a high enough result, you can even smash through walls. Without a crowbar, prying something open takes a –2 item penalty to the Athletics check to Force Open.
Critical Success You open the door, window, container, or gate and can avoid damaging it in the process.
Success You break the door, window, container, or gate open, and it gains the broken condition. If it’s especially sturdy, the GM might have it take damage but not be broken.
Critical Failure Your attempt jams the door, window, container, or gate shut, imposing a –2 circumstance penalty on future attempts to Force it Open.
GRAPPLE ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one free hand and your target is no more than one size larger than you.
You attempt to grab a creature or object with your free hand. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Fortitude DC. You can Grapple a target you already have grabbed or restrained without having a hand free.
Critical Success Your target is restrained until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Success Your target is grabbed until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Failure You fail to grab your target. If you already had the target grabbed or restrained using a Grapple, those conditions on the target end.
Critical Failure If you already had the target grabbed or restrained, it breaks free. Your target can either grab you, as if it succeeded at using the Grapple action against you, or force you to fall and land prone.
HIGH JUMP ◆◆
You Stride, then attempt a DC 30 Athletics check to jump vertically. If you didn’t Stride at least 10 feet, you automatically fail. This DC might be increased or decreased due to the situation, as determined by the GM.
Critical Success You Leap up to 8 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally.
Success You Leap up to 5 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally.
Failure You Leap normally.
Critical Failure You fall prone in your space.
LONG JUMP ◆◆
You Stride, then attempt a DC 15 Athletics check to make a long jump in the direction you were Striding. If you didn’t Stride at least 10 feet, you automatically fail your check. The GM might increase or decrease this DC depending on the situation.
Success You Leap up to a distance equal to your check result rounded down to the nearest 5 feet. You can’t jump farther than your land Speed.
Failure You make a normal horizontal Leap.
Critical Failure You make a normal horizontal Leap, then fall and land prone.
REPOSITION ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You either have at least one hand free, or you’re grabbing or restraining the target. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You muscle a creature or object around. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Fortitude DC.
Critical Success You move the creature up to 10 feet. It must remain within your reach during this movement, and you can’t move it into or through obstacles.
Success You move the target up to 5 feet. It must remain within your reach during this movement, and you can’t move it into or through obstacles.
Critical Failure The target can move you up to 5 feet as though it successfully Repositioned you.
SHOVE ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You push a creature away from you. Attempt an Athletics check against your target’s Fortitude DC.
Critical Success You push your target up to 10 feet away from you. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Success You push your target back 5 feet. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Critical Failure You lose your balance, fall, and land prone.
SWIM ◆
Traits Move
You attempt an Athletics check to move a maximum distance of 10 feet through water. The GM determines the DC based on the turbulence or danger of the water; in most instances of calm water, you get an automatic critical success. If your land Speed is 40 feet or higher, increase the maximum possible distance by 5 feet for every 20 feet of Speed above 20 feet.
If you end your turn in water and haven’t succeeded at a Swim action that turn, you sink 10 feet or get moved by the current, as determined by the GM. This doesn’t apply if your last action on your turn was to enter the water.
Critical Success You move through the water, increasing the maximum distance by 5 feet.
Success You move through the water.
Critical Failure You make no progress. If you’re holding your breath, you lose 1 round of air.
TRIP ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one hand free. Your target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You try to knock a creature to the ground. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Reflex DC.
Critical Success The target falls, lands prone, and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Success The target falls and lands prone.
Critical Failure You lose your balance, fall, and land prone.
Athletics Trained Action
DISARM ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You try to knock an item out of a creature’s grasp. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Reflex DC.
Critical Success You knock the item out of the target’s grasp. It falls to the ground in the target’s space.
Success You weaken your target’s grasp on the item. Further attempts to Disarm the target of that item gain a +2 circumstance bonus, and the target takes a –2 circumstance penalty to attacks with the item or other checks requiring a firm grasp on the item. The creature can end the effect by Interacting to change its grip on the item; otherwise, it lasts as long as the creature holds the item.
Critical Failure You lose your balance and become off-guard until the start of your next turn.
Falling
When you fall more than 5 feet, you take falling damage when you land, which is bludgeoning damage equal to half the distance you fell. If you take any damage from a fall, you’re knocked prone when you land. You can Grab an Edge as a reaction to reduce or eliminate the damage from some falls.
Multiple Attacks with Athletics
Several Athletics actions have the attack trait, meaning that using them more than once in the same turn makes them less accurate. Since these actions use your free hand, you use the traits for your fist attack to determine the multiple attack penalty, so your fist’s agile trait applies. Therefore, you take a –4 penalty if the action is your second attack of the turn, or a –8 if it’s the third.
Some weapon traits allow you to take these actions using a weapon, in which case the penalty might be –5 or –10 if the weapon doesn’t have the agile trait. Some characters can get unarmed attacks without the agile trait as well. If it’s unclear which penalty to use, the GM makes the call.
Leap
The Leap basic action is used for High Jump and Long Jump. A horizontal Leap lets you jump up to 10 feet horizontally if your Speed is at least 15 feet, or up to 15 feet horizontally if your Speed is at least 30 feet. You land in the space where your Leap ends (meaning you can typically clear a 5-foot gap if your Speed is between 15 feet and 30 feet, or a 10-foot gap if your Speed is 30 feet or more).
A vertical Leap lets you jump up to 3 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally onto an elevated surface.
Forced Movement
Reposition and Shove force a creature to move. When an effect forces you to move, or if you start falling, the distance you move is defined by the effect that moved you, not by your Speed. Because you’re not acting to move, this doesn’t trigger reactions triggered by movement.
Escape: When you use the Escape basic action, you can use your Athletics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier.
CLIMB ◆
Traits Move
Requirements You have two hands free.
You attempt an Athletics check to move a maximum distance of 5 feet up, down, or across an incline. You’re off-guard while climbing unless you have a climb Speed. The GM determines the DC based on the nature of the incline and environmental circumstances; you might get an automatic critical success on an incline that’s trivial to climb. If your land Speed is 40 feet or higher, increase the maximum distance by 5 feet for every 20 feet of Speed above 20 feet.
Critical Success You move along the incline, increasing the maximum distance by 5 feet.
Success You move along the incline.
Critical Failure You fall. If you began the climb on stable ground, you fall and land prone.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Untrained | ladder, steep slope, low-branched tree |
| Trained | rigging, rope, typical tree |
| Expert | wall with small handholds and footholds |
| Master | ceiling with handholds and footholds, rock wall |
| Legendary | smooth surface |
Traits Attack
Using your body, a lever, or some other tool, you attempt to forcefully open a door, window, container or heavy gate. With a high enough result, you can even smash through walls. Without a crowbar, prying something open takes a –2 item penalty to the Athletics check to Force Open.
Critical Success You open the door, window, container, or gate and can avoid damaging it in the process.
Success You break the door, window, container, or gate open, and it gains the broken condition. If it’s especially sturdy, the GM might have it take damage but not be broken.
Critical Failure Your attempt jams the door, window, container, or gate shut, imposing a –2 circumstance penalty on future attempts to Force it Open.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Untrained | fabric, flimsy glass |
| Trained | ice, sturdy glass |
| Expert | flimsy wooden door, wooden portcullis |
| Master | sturdy wooden door, iron portcullis, metal bar |
| Legendary | stone or iron door |
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one free hand and your target is no more than one size larger than you.
You attempt to grab a creature or object with your free hand. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Fortitude DC. You can Grapple a target you already have grabbed or restrained without having a hand free.
Critical Success Your target is restrained until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Success Your target is grabbed until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Failure You fail to grab your target. If you already had the target grabbed or restrained using a Grapple, those conditions on the target end.
Critical Failure If you already had the target grabbed or restrained, it breaks free. Your target can either grab you, as if it succeeded at using the Grapple action against you, or force you to fall and land prone.
HIGH JUMP ◆◆
You Stride, then attempt a DC 30 Athletics check to jump vertically. If you didn’t Stride at least 10 feet, you automatically fail. This DC might be increased or decreased due to the situation, as determined by the GM.
Critical Success You Leap up to 8 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally.
Success You Leap up to 5 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally.
Failure You Leap normally.
Critical Failure You fall prone in your space.
LONG JUMP ◆◆
You Stride, then attempt a DC 15 Athletics check to make a long jump in the direction you were Striding. If you didn’t Stride at least 10 feet, you automatically fail your check. The GM might increase or decrease this DC depending on the situation.
Success You Leap up to a distance equal to your check result rounded down to the nearest 5 feet. You can’t jump farther than your land Speed.
Failure You make a normal horizontal Leap.
Critical Failure You make a normal horizontal Leap, then fall and land prone.
REPOSITION ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You either have at least one hand free, or you’re grabbing or restraining the target. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You muscle a creature or object around. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Fortitude DC.
Critical Success You move the creature up to 10 feet. It must remain within your reach during this movement, and you can’t move it into or through obstacles.
Success You move the target up to 5 feet. It must remain within your reach during this movement, and you can’t move it into or through obstacles.
Critical Failure The target can move you up to 5 feet as though it successfully Repositioned you.
SHOVE ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You push a creature away from you. Attempt an Athletics check against your target’s Fortitude DC.
Critical Success You push your target up to 10 feet away from you. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Success You push your target back 5 feet. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Critical Failure You lose your balance, fall, and land prone.
SWIM ◆
Traits Move
You attempt an Athletics check to move a maximum distance of 10 feet through water. The GM determines the DC based on the turbulence or danger of the water; in most instances of calm water, you get an automatic critical success. If your land Speed is 40 feet or higher, increase the maximum possible distance by 5 feet for every 20 feet of Speed above 20 feet.
If you end your turn in water and haven’t succeeded at a Swim action that turn, you sink 10 feet or get moved by the current, as determined by the GM. This doesn’t apply if your last action on your turn was to enter the water.
Critical Success You move through the water, increasing the maximum distance by 5 feet.
Success You move through the water.
Critical Failure You make no progress. If you’re holding your breath, you lose 1 round of air.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Untrained | lake or other still water |
| Trained | flowing water, like a river |
| Expert | swiftly flowing river |
| Master | stormy sea |
| Legendary | maelstrom, waterfall |
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one hand free. Your target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You try to knock a creature to the ground. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Reflex DC.
Critical Success The target falls, lands prone, and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Success The target falls and lands prone.
Critical Failure You lose your balance, fall, and land prone.
Athletics Trained Action
DISARM ◆
Traits Attack
Requirements You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You try to knock an item out of a creature’s grasp. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Reflex DC.
Critical Success You knock the item out of the target’s grasp. It falls to the ground in the target’s space.
Success You weaken your target’s grasp on the item. Further attempts to Disarm the target of that item gain a +2 circumstance bonus, and the target takes a –2 circumstance penalty to attacks with the item or other checks requiring a firm grasp on the item. The creature can end the effect by Interacting to change its grip on the item; otherwise, it lasts as long as the creature holds the item.
Critical Failure You lose your balance and become off-guard until the start of your next turn.
Falling
When you fall more than 5 feet, you take falling damage when you land, which is bludgeoning damage equal to half the distance you fell. If you take any damage from a fall, you’re knocked prone when you land. You can Grab an Edge as a reaction to reduce or eliminate the damage from some falls.
Multiple Attacks with Athletics
Several Athletics actions have the attack trait, meaning that using them more than once in the same turn makes them less accurate. Since these actions use your free hand, you use the traits for your fist attack to determine the multiple attack penalty, so your fist’s agile trait applies. Therefore, you take a –4 penalty if the action is your second attack of the turn, or a –8 if it’s the third.
Some weapon traits allow you to take these actions using a weapon, in which case the penalty might be –5 or –10 if the weapon doesn’t have the agile trait. Some characters can get unarmed attacks without the agile trait as well. If it’s unclear which penalty to use, the GM makes the call.
Leap
The Leap basic action is used for High Jump and Long Jump. A horizontal Leap lets you jump up to 10 feet horizontally if your Speed is at least 15 feet, or up to 15 feet horizontally if your Speed is at least 30 feet. You land in the space where your Leap ends (meaning you can typically clear a 5-foot gap if your Speed is between 15 feet and 30 feet, or a 10-foot gap if your Speed is 30 feet or more).
A vertical Leap lets you jump up to 3 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally onto an elevated surface.
Forced Movement
Reposition and Shove force a creature to move. When an effect forces you to move, or if you start falling, the distance you move is defined by the effect that moved you, not by your Speed. Because you’re not acting to move, this doesn’t trigger reactions triggered by movement.
You can use this skill to create and repair items. Even if you’re untrained, you can Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about alchemical reactions, the value of items, engineering, unusual materials, and alchemical or mechanical creatures. The GM determines which creatures this applies to, but it usually includes constructs.
REPAIR
Traits Exploration, Manipulate
Requirements You are holding or wearing a repair toolkit.
You spend 10 minutes attempting to fix a damaged item, placing the item on a stable surface and using the repair toolkit with both hands. Roll a Crafting check. The GM sets the DC, but it’s usually about the same DC to Repair a given item as it is to Craft it in the first place. You can’t Repair a destroyed item.
Critical Success You restore 10 Hit Points to the item, plus an additional 10 Hit Points per proficiency rank you have in Crafting (a total of 20 HP if you’re trained, 30 HP if you’re an expert, 40 HP if you’re a master, or 50 HP if you’re legendary).
Success You restore 5 Hit Points to the item, plus an additional 5 per proficiency rank you have in Crafting (for a total of 10 HP if you are trained, 15 HP if you’re an expert, 20 HP if you’re a master, or 25 HP if you’re legendary).
Critical Failure You deal 2d6 damage to the item. Apply the item’s Hardness to this damage.
Crafting Trained Actions
You must be trained in Crafting to use it to Earn Income.
• Earn Income by crafting goods for the market.
CRAFT
Traits Downtime, Manipulate
You can make an item from raw materials. You need the Alchemical Crafting skill feat to create alchemical items and the Magical Crafting skill feat to create magic items.
To Craft an item, you must meet the following requirements:
• The item is your level or lower. An item that doesn’t list a level is level 0. If the item is 9th level or higher, you must be a master in Crafting, and if it’s 17th or higher, you must be legendary.
• The item must be common, or you must otherwise have access to it.
• You have an appropriate set of tools and, in many cases, a workshop. For example, you need access to a smithy to forge a metal shield, or an alchemist’s lab to produce alchemical items.
• You must supply raw materials worth at least half the item’s Price. You always expend at least that amount of raw materials when you Craft successfully. If you’re in a settlement, you can usually spend currency to get the amount of raw materials you need, except in the case of rarer precious materials.
You attempt a Crafting check after you spend 2 days of work setting up, or 1 day if you have the item’s formula. The GM determines the DC to Craft the item based on its level, rarity, and other circumstances.
If your attempt to create the item is successful, you expend the raw materials you supplied. You can pay the remaining portion of the item’s Price in materials to complete the item immediately, or you can spend additional downtime days working on it. For each additional day you spend, reduce the value of the materials you need to expend to complete the item. This amount is determined using the Income Earned table, based on your proficiency rank in Crafting and using your own level instead of a task level.
After any of these downtime days, you can complete the item by spending the remaining portion of its Price in materials. If the downtime days you spend are interrupted, you can return to finish the item later, continuing where you left off. An example of Crafting appears in the sidebar below.
Critical Success Your attempt is successful. Each additional day spent Crafting reduces the materials needed to complete the item by an amount based on your level + 1 and your proficiency rank in Crafting.
Success Your attempt is successful. Each additional day spent Crafting reduces the materials needed to complete the item by an amount based on your level and your proficiency rank.
Failure You fail to complete the item. You can salvage the raw materials you supplied for their full value. If you want to try again, you must start over.
Critical Failure You fail to complete the item. You ruin 10% of the raw materials you supplied, but you can salvage the rest. If you want to try again, you must start over.
Alchemical and Magical Items
If you want to Craft alchemical items or magic items, you need to select the skill feat for Alchemical Crafting or Magical Crafting in addition to being trained. Stat blocks and details of these items appear in GM Core, so consult with your GM.
Consumables and Ammunition
You can Craft items with the consumable trait in batches, making up to four of the same item at once with a single check. This requires you to include the raw materials for all the items in the batch at the start, and you must complete the batch all at once. You also Craft non-magical ammunition in batches, using the quantity listed in the Ranged Weapons Table (typically 10).
Formulas
A written formula for an item helps you create it with less difficulty. This has two functions. First, it reduces the time needed to start Crafting from 2 days to 1, as you have less preparation to do. Second, you can Craft uncommon and rarer items if you’re able to acquire their formulas.
Crafting Example
Ezren is a 5th-level wizard and an expert in Crafting. He has a Crafting modifier of +13 and the Magical Crafting feat. With 2 weeks of downtime ahead of him, he decides to craft a striking rune, a 4th-level item. He uses the rune’s formula. The GM secretly chooses a DC of 19.
The item has a Price of 65 gp, so Ezren prepares 32 gp, 5 sp worth of raw materials. He has another 32 gp, 5 sp worth of raw materials on hand. After spending 1 day building and incanting spells, he rolls a 12 on his Crafting check, for a result of 25. That’s a success! At this point, Ezren can spend the additional 32 gp, 5 sp worth of materials to complete the item immediately for 65 gp.
However, Ezren has 13 more days on his hands, so he decides to spend additional time to complete the item. Because he’s a 5th-level character and an expert at Crafting, he reduces the amount he has to pay by 1 gp for each day spent. After spending 13 days working, he reduces the total cost to complete the item from 65 gp to 52 gp. He spends the remaining portion of its Price in materials, completes the striking rune, and goes out on his next adventure. (He could have stayed home to keep working on the striking rune, eventually reducing the item’s total Price to just the half he paid up front, but adventuring is far more lucrative!)
If Ezren’s Crafting check result were a 29 or higher, he’d have gotten a critical success. In that case, he’d reduce the remaining amount by 2 gp per day (the amount for a 6th-level expert), lowering the amount needed to complete the item after 13 additional days of work to 39 gp.
IDENTIFY ALCHEMY
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Secret
Requirements You are holding or wearing an alchemist’s toolkit.
You can identify the nature of an alchemical item with 10 minutes of testing using your alchemist’s toolkit. If your attempt is interrupted in any way, you must start over.
Success You identify the item and the means of activating it.
Failure You fail to identify the item but can try again.
Critical Failure You misidentify the item as another item of the GM’s choice.
• Recall Knowledge about alchemical reactions, the value of items, engineering, unusual materials, and alchemical or mechanical creatures. The GM determines which creatures this applies to, but it usually includes constructs.
REPAIR
Traits Exploration, Manipulate
Requirements You are holding or wearing a repair toolkit.
You spend 10 minutes attempting to fix a damaged item, placing the item on a stable surface and using the repair toolkit with both hands. Roll a Crafting check. The GM sets the DC, but it’s usually about the same DC to Repair a given item as it is to Craft it in the first place. You can’t Repair a destroyed item.
Critical Success You restore 10 Hit Points to the item, plus an additional 10 Hit Points per proficiency rank you have in Crafting (a total of 20 HP if you’re trained, 30 HP if you’re an expert, 40 HP if you’re a master, or 50 HP if you’re legendary).
Success You restore 5 Hit Points to the item, plus an additional 5 per proficiency rank you have in Crafting (for a total of 10 HP if you are trained, 15 HP if you’re an expert, 20 HP if you’re a master, or 25 HP if you’re legendary).
Critical Failure You deal 2d6 damage to the item. Apply the item’s Hardness to this damage.
Crafting Trained Actions
You must be trained in Crafting to use it to Earn Income.
• Earn Income by crafting goods for the market.
CRAFT
Traits Downtime, Manipulate
You can make an item from raw materials. You need the Alchemical Crafting skill feat to create alchemical items and the Magical Crafting skill feat to create magic items.
To Craft an item, you must meet the following requirements:
• The item is your level or lower. An item that doesn’t list a level is level 0. If the item is 9th level or higher, you must be a master in Crafting, and if it’s 17th or higher, you must be legendary.
• The item must be common, or you must otherwise have access to it.
• You have an appropriate set of tools and, in many cases, a workshop. For example, you need access to a smithy to forge a metal shield, or an alchemist’s lab to produce alchemical items.
• You must supply raw materials worth at least half the item’s Price. You always expend at least that amount of raw materials when you Craft successfully. If you’re in a settlement, you can usually spend currency to get the amount of raw materials you need, except in the case of rarer precious materials.
You attempt a Crafting check after you spend 2 days of work setting up, or 1 day if you have the item’s formula. The GM determines the DC to Craft the item based on its level, rarity, and other circumstances.
If your attempt to create the item is successful, you expend the raw materials you supplied. You can pay the remaining portion of the item’s Price in materials to complete the item immediately, or you can spend additional downtime days working on it. For each additional day you spend, reduce the value of the materials you need to expend to complete the item. This amount is determined using the Income Earned table, based on your proficiency rank in Crafting and using your own level instead of a task level.
After any of these downtime days, you can complete the item by spending the remaining portion of its Price in materials. If the downtime days you spend are interrupted, you can return to finish the item later, continuing where you left off. An example of Crafting appears in the sidebar below.
Critical Success Your attempt is successful. Each additional day spent Crafting reduces the materials needed to complete the item by an amount based on your level + 1 and your proficiency rank in Crafting.
Success Your attempt is successful. Each additional day spent Crafting reduces the materials needed to complete the item by an amount based on your level and your proficiency rank.
Failure You fail to complete the item. You can salvage the raw materials you supplied for their full value. If you want to try again, you must start over.
Critical Failure You fail to complete the item. You ruin 10% of the raw materials you supplied, but you can salvage the rest. If you want to try again, you must start over.
Alchemical and Magical Items
If you want to Craft alchemical items or magic items, you need to select the skill feat for Alchemical Crafting or Magical Crafting in addition to being trained. Stat blocks and details of these items appear in GM Core, so consult with your GM.
Consumables and Ammunition
You can Craft items with the consumable trait in batches, making up to four of the same item at once with a single check. This requires you to include the raw materials for all the items in the batch at the start, and you must complete the batch all at once. You also Craft non-magical ammunition in batches, using the quantity listed in the Ranged Weapons Table (typically 10).
Formulas
A written formula for an item helps you create it with less difficulty. This has two functions. First, it reduces the time needed to start Crafting from 2 days to 1, as you have less preparation to do. Second, you can Craft uncommon and rarer items if you’re able to acquire their formulas.
Crafting Example
Ezren is a 5th-level wizard and an expert in Crafting. He has a Crafting modifier of +13 and the Magical Crafting feat. With 2 weeks of downtime ahead of him, he decides to craft a striking rune, a 4th-level item. He uses the rune’s formula. The GM secretly chooses a DC of 19.
The item has a Price of 65 gp, so Ezren prepares 32 gp, 5 sp worth of raw materials. He has another 32 gp, 5 sp worth of raw materials on hand. After spending 1 day building and incanting spells, he rolls a 12 on his Crafting check, for a result of 25. That’s a success! At this point, Ezren can spend the additional 32 gp, 5 sp worth of materials to complete the item immediately for 65 gp.
However, Ezren has 13 more days on his hands, so he decides to spend additional time to complete the item. Because he’s a 5th-level character and an expert at Crafting, he reduces the amount he has to pay by 1 gp for each day spent. After spending 13 days working, he reduces the total cost to complete the item from 65 gp to 52 gp. He spends the remaining portion of its Price in materials, completes the striking rune, and goes out on his next adventure. (He could have stayed home to keep working on the striking rune, eventually reducing the item’s total Price to just the half he paid up front, but adventuring is far more lucrative!)
If Ezren’s Crafting check result were a 29 or higher, he’d have gotten a critical success. In that case, he’d reduce the remaining amount by 2 gp per day (the amount for a 6th-level expert), lowering the amount needed to complete the item after 13 additional days of work to 39 gp.
IDENTIFY ALCHEMY
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Secret
Requirements You are holding or wearing an alchemist’s toolkit.
You can identify the nature of an alchemical item with 10 minutes of testing using your alchemist’s toolkit. If your attempt is interrupted in any way, you must start over.
Success You identify the item and the means of activating it.
Failure You fail to identify the item but can try again.
Critical Failure You misidentify the item as another item of the GM’s choice.
You can trick and mislead others using disguises, lies, and other forms of subterfuge. Deception often has a drawback if you get found out, and it’s often best to be out of town by the time this happens.
CREATE A DIVERSION ◆
Traits Mental
With a gesture, a trick, or some distracting words, you can create a diversion that draws creatures’ attention elsewhere. If you use a gesture or trick, this action gains the manipulate trait. If you use distracting words, it gains the auditory and linguistic traits.
Attempt a single Deception check and compare it to the Perception DCs of the creatures whose attention you’re trying to divert. Whether or not you succeed, creatures you attempt to divert gain a +4 circumstance bonus to their Perception DCs against your attempts to Create a Diversion for 1 minute.
Success You become hidden to each creature whose Perception DC is less than or equal to your result. (The hidden condition allows you to Sneak away.) This lasts until the end of your turn or until you do anything except Step or use the Stealth skill to Hide or Sneak. If you Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise.
Failure You don’t divert the attention of any creatures whose Perception DC exceeds your result, and those creatures are aware you were trying to trick them.
IMPERSONATE
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Manipulate, Secret
You create a disguise to pass yourself off as someone or something you are not. Assembling a convincing disguise takes 10 minutes and requires a disguise kit, but a simpler, quicker disguise might do the job if you’re not trying to imitate a specific individual, at the GM’s discretion.
In most cases, creatures have a chance to detect your deception only if they use the Seek action to attempt Perception checks against your Deception DC. If you attempt to directly interact with someone while disguised, the GM rolls a secret Deception check for you against that creature’s Perception DC instead.
If you’re disguised as a specific individual, the GM might give creatures you interact with a circumstance bonus based on how well they know the person you’re imitating, or the GM might roll a secret Deception check even if you aren’t directly interacting with others.
Success You trick the creature into thinking you’re the person you’re disguised as. You might have to attempt a new check if your behavior changes.
Failure The creature can tell you’re not who you claim to be.
Critical Failure The creature can tell you’re not who you claim to be, and it recognizes you if it would know you without a disguise.
LIE
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental, Secret
You try to fool someone with an untruth. Doing so takes at least 1 round, or longer if the lie is elaborate. You roll a single Deception check and compare it against the Perception DC of every creature you are trying to fool. The GM might give them a circumstance bonus based on the situation and the nature of the lie you are trying to tell. Elaborate or highly unbelievable lies are much harder to get a creature to believe than simpler and more believable lies, and some lies are so big that it’s impossible to get anyone to believe them.
At the GM’s discretion, if a creature initially believes your lie, it might attempt a Perception check later to Sense Motive against your Deception DC to realize it’s a lie. This usually happens if the creature discovers enough evidence to counter your statements.
Success The target believes your lie.
Failure The target doesn’t believe your lie and gains a +4 circumstance bonus against your attempts to Lie for the duration of your conversation. The target is also more likely to be suspicious of you in the future.
Deception Trained Action
FEINT ◆
Traits Mental
Requirements You are within melee reach of the target you attempt to Feint.
With a misleading flourish, you leave an opponent unprepared for your real attack. Attempt a Deception check against your target’s Perception DC.
Critical Success You throw your enemy’s defenses against you entirely off. The target is off-guard against melee attacks that you attempt against it until the end of your next turn.
Success Your foe is fooled, but only momentarily. The target is off-guard against the next melee attack that you attempt against it before the end of your current turn.
Critical Failure Your feint backfires. You are off-guard against melee attacks the target attempts against you until the end of your next turn.
CREATE A DIVERSION ◆
Traits Mental
With a gesture, a trick, or some distracting words, you can create a diversion that draws creatures’ attention elsewhere. If you use a gesture or trick, this action gains the manipulate trait. If you use distracting words, it gains the auditory and linguistic traits.
Attempt a single Deception check and compare it to the Perception DCs of the creatures whose attention you’re trying to divert. Whether or not you succeed, creatures you attempt to divert gain a +4 circumstance bonus to their Perception DCs against your attempts to Create a Diversion for 1 minute.
Success You become hidden to each creature whose Perception DC is less than or equal to your result. (The hidden condition allows you to Sneak away.) This lasts until the end of your turn or until you do anything except Step or use the Stealth skill to Hide or Sneak. If you Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise.
Failure You don’t divert the attention of any creatures whose Perception DC exceeds your result, and those creatures are aware you were trying to trick them.
IMPERSONATE
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Manipulate, Secret
You create a disguise to pass yourself off as someone or something you are not. Assembling a convincing disguise takes 10 minutes and requires a disguise kit, but a simpler, quicker disguise might do the job if you’re not trying to imitate a specific individual, at the GM’s discretion.
In most cases, creatures have a chance to detect your deception only if they use the Seek action to attempt Perception checks against your Deception DC. If you attempt to directly interact with someone while disguised, the GM rolls a secret Deception check for you against that creature’s Perception DC instead.
If you’re disguised as a specific individual, the GM might give creatures you interact with a circumstance bonus based on how well they know the person you’re imitating, or the GM might roll a secret Deception check even if you aren’t directly interacting with others.
Success You trick the creature into thinking you’re the person you’re disguised as. You might have to attempt a new check if your behavior changes.
Failure The creature can tell you’re not who you claim to be.
Critical Failure The creature can tell you’re not who you claim to be, and it recognizes you if it would know you without a disguise.
LIE
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental, Secret
You try to fool someone with an untruth. Doing so takes at least 1 round, or longer if the lie is elaborate. You roll a single Deception check and compare it against the Perception DC of every creature you are trying to fool. The GM might give them a circumstance bonus based on the situation and the nature of the lie you are trying to tell. Elaborate or highly unbelievable lies are much harder to get a creature to believe than simpler and more believable lies, and some lies are so big that it’s impossible to get anyone to believe them.
At the GM’s discretion, if a creature initially believes your lie, it might attempt a Perception check later to Sense Motive against your Deception DC to realize it’s a lie. This usually happens if the creature discovers enough evidence to counter your statements.
Success The target believes your lie.
Failure The target doesn’t believe your lie and gains a +4 circumstance bonus against your attempts to Lie for the duration of your conversation. The target is also more likely to be suspicious of you in the future.
Deception Trained Action
FEINT ◆
Traits Mental
Requirements You are within melee reach of the target you attempt to Feint.
With a misleading flourish, you leave an opponent unprepared for your real attack. Attempt a Deception check against your target’s Perception DC.
Critical Success You throw your enemy’s defenses against you entirely off. The target is off-guard against melee attacks that you attempt against it until the end of your next turn.
Success Your foe is fooled, but only momentarily. The target is off-guard against the next melee attack that you attempt against it before the end of your current turn.
Critical Failure Your feint backfires. You are off-guard against melee attacks the target attempts against you until the end of your next turn.
You influence others through negotiation and flattery, or find out information through friendly chats.
GATHER INFORMATION
Traits Exploration, Secret
You canvass local markets, taverns, and gathering places in an attempt to learn about a specific individual or topic. The GM determines the DC of the check and the amount of time it takes (typically 2 hours, but sometimes more), along with any benefit you might be able to gain by spending coin on bribes, drinks, or gifts.
Success You collect information about the individual or topic. The GM determines the specifics.
Critical Failure You collect incorrect information about the individual or topic.
MAKE AN IMPRESSION
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Exploration, Linguistic, Mental
With at least 1 minute of conversation, during which you engage in charismatic overtures, flattery, and other acts of goodwill, you seek to make a good impression on someone to make them temporarily agreeable. At the end of the conversation, attempt a Diplomacy check against the Will DC of one target. You can instead choose up to five targets if you take a –2 penalty. The GM might add other bonuses or penalties based on the situation. Any impression you make lasts for only the current social interaction unless the GM decides otherwise. See the Changing Attitudes sidebar for a summary of the attitude conditions.
Critical Success The target’s attitude toward you improves by two steps.
Success The target’s attitude toward you improves by one step.
Critical Failure The target’s attitude toward you decreases by one step.
REQUEST ◆
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental
You can make a request of a creature that’s friendly or helpful to you. You must couch the request in terms that the target would accept given their current attitude toward you. The GM sets the DC based on the difficulty of the request. Some requests are unsavory or impossible, and even a helpful NPC would never agree to them.
Critical Success The target agrees to your request without qualifications.
Success The target agrees to your request, but they might demand added provisions or alterations to the request.
Failure The target refuses the request, though they might propose an alternative that is less extreme.
Critical Failure Not only does the target refuse the request, but their attitude toward you decreases by one step due to the temerity of the request.
Changing Attitudes
Your influence on NPCs is measured with a set of attitudes that reflect how they view your character. These are only a brief summary of a creature’s disposition. The GM will supply additional nuance based on the history and beliefs of the characters you’re interacting with, and their attitudes can change in accordance with the story. The attitudes are detailed in the Conditions Appendix and are summarized here.
• Helpful: Willing to help you and responds favorably to your requests.
• Friendly: Has a good attitude toward you, but won’t necessarily stick their neck out to help you.
• Indifferent: Doesn’t care about you either way. (Most NPCs start out indifferent.)
• Unfriendly: Dislikes you and doesn’t want to help you.
• Hostile: Actively works against you—and might attack you just because of their dislike.
No one can ever change the attitude of a player character with these skills. You can roleplay interactions with player characters, and even use Diplomacy results if the player wants a mechanical sense of how convincing or charming a character is, but players make the ultimate decisions about how their characters respond.
GATHER INFORMATION
Traits Exploration, Secret
You canvass local markets, taverns, and gathering places in an attempt to learn about a specific individual or topic. The GM determines the DC of the check and the amount of time it takes (typically 2 hours, but sometimes more), along with any benefit you might be able to gain by spending coin on bribes, drinks, or gifts.
Success You collect information about the individual or topic. The GM determines the specifics.
Critical Failure You collect incorrect information about the individual or topic.
| Proficiency Rank | Sample Tasks |
|---|---|
| Untrained | talk of the town |
| Trained | common rumor |
| Expert | obscure rumor, poorly guarded secret |
| Master | well-guarded or esoteric information |
| Legendary | information known only to an incredibly select few, or only to extraordinary beings |
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Exploration, Linguistic, Mental
With at least 1 minute of conversation, during which you engage in charismatic overtures, flattery, and other acts of goodwill, you seek to make a good impression on someone to make them temporarily agreeable. At the end of the conversation, attempt a Diplomacy check against the Will DC of one target. You can instead choose up to five targets if you take a –2 penalty. The GM might add other bonuses or penalties based on the situation. Any impression you make lasts for only the current social interaction unless the GM decides otherwise. See the Changing Attitudes sidebar for a summary of the attitude conditions.
Critical Success The target’s attitude toward you improves by two steps.
Success The target’s attitude toward you improves by one step.
Critical Failure The target’s attitude toward you decreases by one step.
REQUEST ◆
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental
You can make a request of a creature that’s friendly or helpful to you. You must couch the request in terms that the target would accept given their current attitude toward you. The GM sets the DC based on the difficulty of the request. Some requests are unsavory or impossible, and even a helpful NPC would never agree to them.
Critical Success The target agrees to your request without qualifications.
Success The target agrees to your request, but they might demand added provisions or alterations to the request.
Failure The target refuses the request, though they might propose an alternative that is less extreme.
Critical Failure Not only does the target refuse the request, but their attitude toward you decreases by one step due to the temerity of the request.
Changing Attitudes
Your influence on NPCs is measured with a set of attitudes that reflect how they view your character. These are only a brief summary of a creature’s disposition. The GM will supply additional nuance based on the history and beliefs of the characters you’re interacting with, and their attitudes can change in accordance with the story. The attitudes are detailed in the Conditions Appendix and are summarized here.
• Helpful: Willing to help you and responds favorably to your requests.
• Friendly: Has a good attitude toward you, but won’t necessarily stick their neck out to help you.
• Indifferent: Doesn’t care about you either way. (Most NPCs start out indifferent.)
• Unfriendly: Dislikes you and doesn’t want to help you.
• Hostile: Actively works against you—and might attack you just because of their dislike.
No one can ever change the attitude of a player character with these skills. You can roleplay interactions with player characters, and even use Diplomacy results if the player wants a mechanical sense of how convincing or charming a character is, but players make the ultimate decisions about how their characters respond.
You bend others to your will using threats. Unlike Deception or Diplomacy, Intimidation is typically a blunt instrument with little room for nuance or care.
COERCE
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Emotion, Exploration, Linguistic, Mental
With threats either veiled or overt, you attempt to bully a creature into doing what you want. You must spend at least 1 minute of conversation with the creature. At the end of the conversation, attempt an Intimidation check against the target’s Will DC, modified by any circumstances the GM determines. (The attitudes referenced in the effects below are summarized in Changing Attitudes under Diplomacy and described in full in Conditions.)
Critical Success The target gives you the information you seek or agrees to follow your directives so long as they aren’t likely to harm the target in any way. The target continues to comply for an amount of time determined by the GM but not exceeding 1 day, at which point the target becomes unfriendly (if it wasn’t already unfriendly or hostile). However, the target is too scared of you to retaliate—at least in the short term.
Success As critical success, but once the target becomes unfriendly, they might decide to act against you—for example, by reporting you to the authorities or assisting your enemies.
Failure The target doesn’t do what you say, and if they were not already unfriendly or hostile, they become unfriendly.
Critical Failure The target refuses to comply, becomes hostile if they weren’t already, and is temporarily immune to your Coercion for at least 1 week.
DEMORALIZE ◆
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Emotion, Fear, Mental
With a sudden shout, a well-timed taunt, or a cutting put‑down, you can shake an enemy’s resolve. Choose a creature within 30 feet of you who you’re aware of. Attempt an Intimidation check against that target’s Will DC. If the target doesn’t understand the language you are speaking, or you’re not speaking a language, you take a –4 circumstance penalty to the check. Regardless of your result, the target is temporarily immune to your attempts to Demoralize it for 10 minutes.
Critical Success The target becomes frightened 2.
Success The target becomes frightened 1.
COERCE
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Emotion, Exploration, Linguistic, Mental
With threats either veiled or overt, you attempt to bully a creature into doing what you want. You must spend at least 1 minute of conversation with the creature. At the end of the conversation, attempt an Intimidation check against the target’s Will DC, modified by any circumstances the GM determines. (The attitudes referenced in the effects below are summarized in Changing Attitudes under Diplomacy and described in full in Conditions.)
Critical Success The target gives you the information you seek or agrees to follow your directives so long as they aren’t likely to harm the target in any way. The target continues to comply for an amount of time determined by the GM but not exceeding 1 day, at which point the target becomes unfriendly (if it wasn’t already unfriendly or hostile). However, the target is too scared of you to retaliate—at least in the short term.
Success As critical success, but once the target becomes unfriendly, they might decide to act against you—for example, by reporting you to the authorities or assisting your enemies.
Failure The target doesn’t do what you say, and if they were not already unfriendly or hostile, they become unfriendly.
Critical Failure The target refuses to comply, becomes hostile if they weren’t already, and is temporarily immune to your Coercion for at least 1 week.
DEMORALIZE ◆
Traits Auditory, Concentrate, Emotion, Fear, Mental
With a sudden shout, a well-timed taunt, or a cutting put‑down, you can shake an enemy’s resolve. Choose a creature within 30 feet of you who you’re aware of. Attempt an Intimidation check against that target’s Will DC. If the target doesn’t understand the language you are speaking, or you’re not speaking a language, you take a –4 circumstance penalty to the check. Regardless of your result, the target is temporarily immune to your attempts to Demoralize it for 10 minutes.
Critical Success The target becomes frightened 2.
Success The target becomes frightened 1.
You have specialized information on a narrow topic. Lore features many subcategories. You might have Military Lore, Sailing Lore, Vampire Lore, or any similar subcategory of the skill. Each subcategory counts as its own skill, so applying a skill increase to Planar Lore wouldn’t increase your proficiency with Sailing Lore, for example.
Most backgrounds make you trained in a specific subcategory of the Lore skill. The GM determines what other subcategories they’ll allow as Lore skills, though these categories are always less broad than any of the other skills that allow you to Recall Knowledge, and they should never be able to take the place of another skill’s Recall Knowledge action. For instance, you couldn’t choose Magic Lore to recall the breadth of knowledge about magic covered by Arcana, Nature, Occultism, and Religion, or choose Adventuring Lore to give you all the information an adventurer needs, or choose Planar Lore to gain all the information spread across various skills and subcategories such as Heaven Lore.
If you’re making a check and multiple subcategories of Lore could apply, or a non-Lore skill could apply, you can use whichever skill you prefer. If there’s any doubt whether a Lore skill applies to a specific topic or action, the GM decides whether it can be used or not.
Even if you’re untrained in Lore, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about the subject of the Lore skill’s subcategory.
Lore Trained Action
You must be trained in Lore to use it to Earn Income.
• Earn Income by using your knowledge to practice a trade.
Common Lore Subcategories
You can learn any Lore skill your GM gives you permission to take. The following list covers a wide variety of common Lore topics appropriate for player characters in most campaigns. Backgrounds often grant you a Lore skill from this list.
• Academia Lore
• Accounting Lore
• Architecture Lore
• Art Lore
• Astronomy Lore
• Carpentry Lore
• Circus Lore
• Driving Lore
• Engineering Lore
• Farming Lore
• Fishing Lore
• Fortune-Telling Lore
• Games Lore
• Genealogy Lore
• Gladiatorial Lore
• Guild Lore
• Heraldry Lore
• Herbalism Lore
• Hunting Lore
• Labor Lore
• Legal Lore
• Library Lore
• Lore about a specific deity (Abadar Lore, Iomedae Lore)
• Lore about a specific creature or narrow category of creatures (Demon Lore, Giant Lore, Vampire Lore)
• Lore about a specific plane other than the Universe, or the plane in which the game is set if not the Universe (Astral Plane Lore, Heaven Lore, Outer Rifts Lore)
• Lore about a specific public organization (Hellknights Lore, Pathfinder Society Lore)
• Lore about a specific settlement (Absalom Lore, Magnimar Lore)
• Lore about a specific terrain (Mountain Lore, River Lore)
• Lore about a type of food or drink (Alcohol Lore, Baking Lore, Butchering Lore, Cooking Lore, Tea Lore)
• Mercantile Lore
• Midwifery Lore
• Milling Lore
• Mining Lore
• Piloting Lore
• Sailing Lore
• Scouting Lore
• Scribing Lore
• Stabling Lore
• Tanning Lore
• Theater Lore
• Underworld Lore
• Warfare Lore
Most backgrounds make you trained in a specific subcategory of the Lore skill. The GM determines what other subcategories they’ll allow as Lore skills, though these categories are always less broad than any of the other skills that allow you to Recall Knowledge, and they should never be able to take the place of another skill’s Recall Knowledge action. For instance, you couldn’t choose Magic Lore to recall the breadth of knowledge about magic covered by Arcana, Nature, Occultism, and Religion, or choose Adventuring Lore to give you all the information an adventurer needs, or choose Planar Lore to gain all the information spread across various skills and subcategories such as Heaven Lore.
If you’re making a check and multiple subcategories of Lore could apply, or a non-Lore skill could apply, you can use whichever skill you prefer. If there’s any doubt whether a Lore skill applies to a specific topic or action, the GM decides whether it can be used or not.
Even if you’re untrained in Lore, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about the subject of the Lore skill’s subcategory.
Lore Trained Action
You must be trained in Lore to use it to Earn Income.
• Earn Income by using your knowledge to practice a trade.
Common Lore Subcategories
You can learn any Lore skill your GM gives you permission to take. The following list covers a wide variety of common Lore topics appropriate for player characters in most campaigns. Backgrounds often grant you a Lore skill from this list.
• Academia Lore
• Accounting Lore
• Architecture Lore
• Art Lore
• Astronomy Lore
• Carpentry Lore
• Circus Lore
• Driving Lore
• Engineering Lore
• Farming Lore
• Fishing Lore
• Fortune-Telling Lore
• Games Lore
• Genealogy Lore
• Gladiatorial Lore
• Guild Lore
• Heraldry Lore
• Herbalism Lore
• Hunting Lore
• Labor Lore
• Legal Lore
• Library Lore
• Lore about a specific deity (Abadar Lore, Iomedae Lore)
• Lore about a specific creature or narrow category of creatures (Demon Lore, Giant Lore, Vampire Lore)
• Lore about a specific plane other than the Universe, or the plane in which the game is set if not the Universe (Astral Plane Lore, Heaven Lore, Outer Rifts Lore)
• Lore about a specific public organization (Hellknights Lore, Pathfinder Society Lore)
• Lore about a specific settlement (Absalom Lore, Magnimar Lore)
• Lore about a specific terrain (Mountain Lore, River Lore)
• Lore about a type of food or drink (Alcohol Lore, Baking Lore, Butchering Lore, Cooking Lore, Tea Lore)
• Mercantile Lore
• Midwifery Lore
• Milling Lore
• Mining Lore
• Piloting Lore
• Sailing Lore
• Scouting Lore
• Scribing Lore
• Stabling Lore
• Tanning Lore
• Theater Lore
• Underworld Lore
• Warfare Lore
You can patch up wounds and help people recover from diseases and poisons. Treat Wounds is especially useful, allowing your adventuring party to heal up between fights. It can be made more efficient with skill feats like Continual Recovery and Ward Medic.
Even if you’re untrained in Medicine, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about diseases, injuries, poisons, and other ailments. You can use this to perform forensic examinations if you spend 10 minutes (or more, as determined by the GM) checking for evidence such as wound patterns. This is most useful when determining how a body was injured or killed.
ADMINISTER FIRST AID ◆◆
Traits Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You perform first aid on an adjacent creature that is dying or bleeding. If a creature is both dying and bleeding, choose which ailment you’re trying to treat before you roll. You can Administer First Aid again to attempt to remedy the other effect.
• Stabilize Attempt a Medicine check on a creature that has 0 Hit Points and the dying condition. The DC is equal to 5 + that creature’s recovery roll DC (typically 15 + its dying value).
• Stop Bleeding Attempt a Medicine check on a creature that is taking persistent bleed damage. The DC is usually the DC of the effect that caused the bleed.
Success If you’re trying to stabilize, the target loses the dying condition (but remains unconscious). If you’re trying to stop bleeding, the target benefits from an assisted recovery with the lowered DC for particularly appropriate help.
Critical Failure If you were trying to stabilize, the target’s dying value increases by 1. If you were trying to stop bleeding, the target immediately takes an amount of damage equal to its persistent bleed damage.
Medicine Trained Actions
TREAT DISEASE
Traits Downtime, Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You spend at least 8 hours caring for a diseased creature. Attempt a Medicine check against the disease’s DC. After you attempt to Treat a Disease for a creature, you can’t try again until after that creature’s next save against the disease.
Critical Success You grant the creature a +4 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the disease.
Success You grant the creature a +2 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the disease.
Critical Failure Your efforts cause the creature to take a –2 circumstance penalty to its next save against the disease.
TREAT POISON ◆
Traits Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You treat a patient to prevent the spread of poison. Attempt a Medicine check against the poison’s DC. After you attempt to Treat a Poison for a creature, you can’t try again until after the next time that creature attempts a save against the poison.
Critical Success You grant the creature a +4 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the poison.
Success You grant the creature a +2 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the poison.
Critical Failure Your efforts cause the creature to take a –2 circumstance penalty to its next save against the poison.
TREAT WOUNDS
Traits Exploration, Healing, Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You spend 10 minutes treating one injured living creature (targeting yourself, if you so choose). The target is then temporarily immune to Treat Wounds actions for 1 hour, but this interval overlaps with the time you spent treating (so a patient can be treated once per hour, not once per 70 minutes).
The Medicine check DC is usually 15, though the GM might adjust it based on the circumstances, such as treating a patient outside in a storm, or treating magically cursed wounds. If you’re an expert in Medicine, you can instead attempt a DC 20 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 10; if you’re a master of Medicine, you can instead attempt a DC 30 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 30; and if you’re legendary, you can instead attempt a DC 40 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 50. The damage dealt on a critical failure remains the same.
If you succeed at your check, you can continue treating the target to grant additional healing. If you treat it for a total of 1 hour, double the Hit Points it regains from Treat Wounds.
The result of your Medicine check determines how many Hit Points the target regains.
Critical Success The target regains 4d8 Hit Points and loses the wounded condition.
Success The target regains 2d8 Hit Points, and loses the wounded condition.
Critical Failure The target takes 1d8 damage.
Even if you’re untrained in Medicine, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about diseases, injuries, poisons, and other ailments. You can use this to perform forensic examinations if you spend 10 minutes (or more, as determined by the GM) checking for evidence such as wound patterns. This is most useful when determining how a body was injured or killed.
ADMINISTER FIRST AID ◆◆
Traits Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You perform first aid on an adjacent creature that is dying or bleeding. If a creature is both dying and bleeding, choose which ailment you’re trying to treat before you roll. You can Administer First Aid again to attempt to remedy the other effect.
• Stabilize Attempt a Medicine check on a creature that has 0 Hit Points and the dying condition. The DC is equal to 5 + that creature’s recovery roll DC (typically 15 + its dying value).
• Stop Bleeding Attempt a Medicine check on a creature that is taking persistent bleed damage. The DC is usually the DC of the effect that caused the bleed.
Success If you’re trying to stabilize, the target loses the dying condition (but remains unconscious). If you’re trying to stop bleeding, the target benefits from an assisted recovery with the lowered DC for particularly appropriate help.
Critical Failure If you were trying to stabilize, the target’s dying value increases by 1. If you were trying to stop bleeding, the target immediately takes an amount of damage equal to its persistent bleed damage.
Medicine Trained Actions
TREAT DISEASE
Traits Downtime, Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You spend at least 8 hours caring for a diseased creature. Attempt a Medicine check against the disease’s DC. After you attempt to Treat a Disease for a creature, you can’t try again until after that creature’s next save against the disease.
Critical Success You grant the creature a +4 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the disease.
Success You grant the creature a +2 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the disease.
Critical Failure Your efforts cause the creature to take a –2 circumstance penalty to its next save against the disease.
TREAT POISON ◆
Traits Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You treat a patient to prevent the spread of poison. Attempt a Medicine check against the poison’s DC. After you attempt to Treat a Poison for a creature, you can’t try again until after the next time that creature attempts a save against the poison.
Critical Success You grant the creature a +4 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the poison.
Success You grant the creature a +2 circumstance bonus to its next saving throw against the poison.
Critical Failure Your efforts cause the creature to take a –2 circumstance penalty to its next save against the poison.
TREAT WOUNDS
Traits Exploration, Healing, Manipulate
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You spend 10 minutes treating one injured living creature (targeting yourself, if you so choose). The target is then temporarily immune to Treat Wounds actions for 1 hour, but this interval overlaps with the time you spent treating (so a patient can be treated once per hour, not once per 70 minutes).
The Medicine check DC is usually 15, though the GM might adjust it based on the circumstances, such as treating a patient outside in a storm, or treating magically cursed wounds. If you’re an expert in Medicine, you can instead attempt a DC 20 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 10; if you’re a master of Medicine, you can instead attempt a DC 30 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 30; and if you’re legendary, you can instead attempt a DC 40 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 50. The damage dealt on a critical failure remains the same.
If you succeed at your check, you can continue treating the target to grant additional healing. If you treat it for a total of 1 hour, double the Hit Points it regains from Treat Wounds.
The result of your Medicine check determines how many Hit Points the target regains.
Critical Success The target regains 4d8 Hit Points and loses the wounded condition.
Success The target regains 2d8 Hit Points, and loses the wounded condition.
Critical Failure The target takes 1d8 damage.
You know about the natural world, and you command and train animals and magical beasts. Even if you’re untrained in Nature, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about fauna, flora, geography, weather, the environment, creatures of natural origin (like animals, beasts, fey, and plants), the First World, and the Elemental Planes.
COMMAND AN ANIMAL ◆
Traits Auditory, Concentrate
You issue an order to an animal. Attempt a Nature check against the animal’s Will DC. The GM might adjust the DC if the animal has a good attitude toward you, you suggest a course of action it was predisposed toward, or you offer it a treat.
You automatically fail if the animal is hostile or unfriendly to you. If the animal is helpful to you, increase your degree of success by one step. You might be able to Command an Animal more easily with a feat like Ride.
Most animals know the Drop Prone, Leap, Seek, Stand, Stride, and Strike basic actions. If an animal knows an activity, such as a horse’s Gallop, you can Command the Animal to perform the activity, but you must spend as many actions on Command an Animal as the activity’s number of actions. You can also spend multiple actions to Command the Animal to perform that number of basic actions on its next turn; for instance, you could spend 3 actions to Command an Animal to Stride three times or to Stride twice and then make a Strike.
Success The animal does as you command on its next turn.
Failure The animal is hesitant or resistant, and it does nothing.
Critical Failure The animal misbehaves or misunderstands, and it takes some other action determined by the GM.
Nature Trained Actions
You must be trained in Nature to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the primal tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the primal tradition.
Commanded Animals
Issuing commands to an animal doesn’t always go smoothly. An animal is an independent creature with limited intelligence. Most animals understand only the simplest instructions, so you might be able to instruct an animal to move to a certain square but not dictate a specific path to get there, or command it to attack a certain creature but not to make its attack nonlethal. The GM decides the specifics of the action the animal uses.
The animal does what you commanded as soon as it can, usually as its first action on its next turn. If you successfully commanded it multiple times, it does what you said in order. It forgets all commands beyond what it can accomplish on its turn. If multiple people command the same animal, the GM determines how the animal reacts. The GM might also make the DC higher if someone has already tried to Command the Animal that round.
If you have a pet, animal companion, familiar, or similar minion, you can command it much more effectively.
• Recall Knowledge about fauna, flora, geography, weather, the environment, creatures of natural origin (like animals, beasts, fey, and plants), the First World, and the Elemental Planes.
COMMAND AN ANIMAL ◆
Traits Auditory, Concentrate
You issue an order to an animal. Attempt a Nature check against the animal’s Will DC. The GM might adjust the DC if the animal has a good attitude toward you, you suggest a course of action it was predisposed toward, or you offer it a treat.
You automatically fail if the animal is hostile or unfriendly to you. If the animal is helpful to you, increase your degree of success by one step. You might be able to Command an Animal more easily with a feat like Ride.
Most animals know the Drop Prone, Leap, Seek, Stand, Stride, and Strike basic actions. If an animal knows an activity, such as a horse’s Gallop, you can Command the Animal to perform the activity, but you must spend as many actions on Command an Animal as the activity’s number of actions. You can also spend multiple actions to Command the Animal to perform that number of basic actions on its next turn; for instance, you could spend 3 actions to Command an Animal to Stride three times or to Stride twice and then make a Strike.
Success The animal does as you command on its next turn.
Failure The animal is hesitant or resistant, and it does nothing.
Critical Failure The animal misbehaves or misunderstands, and it takes some other action determined by the GM.
Nature Trained Actions
You must be trained in Nature to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the primal tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the primal tradition.
Commanded Animals
Issuing commands to an animal doesn’t always go smoothly. An animal is an independent creature with limited intelligence. Most animals understand only the simplest instructions, so you might be able to instruct an animal to move to a certain square but not dictate a specific path to get there, or command it to attack a certain creature but not to make its attack nonlethal. The GM decides the specifics of the action the animal uses.
The animal does what you commanded as soon as it can, usually as its first action on its next turn. If you successfully commanded it multiple times, it does what you said in order. It forgets all commands beyond what it can accomplish on its turn. If multiple people command the same animal, the GM determines how the animal reacts. The GM might also make the DC higher if someone has already tried to Command the Animal that round.
If you have a pet, animal companion, familiar, or similar minion, you can command it much more effectively.
You know a great deal about ancient philosophies, esoteric lore, obscure mysticism, and supernatural creatures. Even if you’re untrained in Occultism, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about ancient mysteries; obscure philosophies; creatures of occult significance (like aberrations, spirits, and oozes); and esoteric planes like the Astral Plane, Creation’s Forge, the Ethereal Plane, the Netherworld, and the Void.
Occultism Trained Actions
You must be trained in Occultism to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Decipher Writing on occult topics, including complex metaphysical systems, syncretic principles, obscure philosophies, and incoherent ramblings.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the occult tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the occult tradition.
• Recall Knowledge about ancient mysteries; obscure philosophies; creatures of occult significance (like aberrations, spirits, and oozes); and esoteric planes like the Astral Plane, Creation’s Forge, the Ethereal Plane, the Netherworld, and the Void.
Occultism Trained Actions
You must be trained in Occultism to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Decipher Writing on occult topics, including complex metaphysical systems, syncretic principles, obscure philosophies, and incoherent ramblings.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the occult tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the occult tradition.
You are skilled at a form of performance, using your talents to impress a crowd or make a living.
Basic Competence
Some performances require you to be more than just charismatic, and if you don’t meet the demands of the art form or the audience, the GM might apply a penalty based on the relevant attribute. For example, if you’re dancing and have a negative Dexterity modifier, you might take a penalty to your attempt at dancing. Likewise, if you are orating and have a negative Intelligence modifier, you might have to hope your raw Charisma can overcome the penalties from your intellectual shortcomings—or ask someone to help write your speeches!
Performance Traits
When you use an action that utilizes the Performance skill, it gains one or more traits relevant to the type of performance. The GM might change these depending on the circumstances, but the most common performance-based traits are listed below.
If you want to be particularly skilled with one type of performance, you can select the Virtuosic Performer skill feat. That feat breaks down some of the performance listed above into specific instrument types, and your GM might allow you to add your own type.
PERFORM ◆
Traits Concentrate
When making a brief performance—one song, a quick dance, or a few jokes—you use the Perform action. This action is most useful when you want to prove your capability or impress someone quickly. Performing rarely has an impact on its own, but it might influence the DCs of subsequent Diplomacy checks against the observers, or even change their attitudes if the GM sees fit.
Critical Success Your performance impresses the observers, and they’re likely to share stories of your ability.
Success You prove yourself, and observers appreciate the quality of your performance.
Failure Your performance falls flat.
Critical Failure You demonstrate only incompetence.
Performance Trained Action
You must be trained in Performance to use it to Earn Income.
• Earn Income by staging a performance.
Basic Competence
Some performances require you to be more than just charismatic, and if you don’t meet the demands of the art form or the audience, the GM might apply a penalty based on the relevant attribute. For example, if you’re dancing and have a negative Dexterity modifier, you might take a penalty to your attempt at dancing. Likewise, if you are orating and have a negative Intelligence modifier, you might have to hope your raw Charisma can overcome the penalties from your intellectual shortcomings—or ask someone to help write your speeches!
Performance Traits
When you use an action that utilizes the Performance skill, it gains one or more traits relevant to the type of performance. The GM might change these depending on the circumstances, but the most common performance-based traits are listed below.
| Performance | Additional Traits |
|---|---|
| Act or perform comedy | Auditory, linguistic, and visual |
| Dance | Move and visual |
| Play an instrument | Auditory and manipulate |
| Orate or sing | Auditory and linguistic |
PERFORM ◆
Traits Concentrate
When making a brief performance—one song, a quick dance, or a few jokes—you use the Perform action. This action is most useful when you want to prove your capability or impress someone quickly. Performing rarely has an impact on its own, but it might influence the DCs of subsequent Diplomacy checks against the observers, or even change their attitudes if the GM sees fit.
Critical Success Your performance impresses the observers, and they’re likely to share stories of your ability.
Success You prove yourself, and observers appreciate the quality of your performance.
Failure Your performance falls flat.
Critical Failure You demonstrate only incompetence.
| Proficiency Rank | Task |
|---|---|
| Untrained | audience of commoners |
| Trained | audience of artisans |
| Expert | audience of merchants or minor nobles |
| Master | audience of high nobility or minor royalty |
| Legendary | audience of major royalty or otherworldly beings |
You must be trained in Performance to use it to Earn Income.
• Earn Income by staging a performance.
The secrets of deities, dogma, faith, and the realms of divine creatures both sublime and sinister are open to you. You also understand how magic works, though your training imparts a religious slant to that knowledge. Even if you’re untrained in Religion, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
• Recall Knowledge about divine agents, the finer points of theology, obscure myths regarding a faith, and creatures of religious significance (like celestials, fiends, and undead), Creation’s Forge, the Void, and the Outer Sphere.
Religion Trained Actions
You must be trained in Religion to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Decipher Writing of a religious nature, including allegories, homilies, and proverbs.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the divine tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the divine tradition.
• Recall Knowledge about divine agents, the finer points of theology, obscure myths regarding a faith, and creatures of religious significance (like celestials, fiends, and undead), Creation’s Forge, the Void, and the Outer Sphere.
Religion Trained Actions
You must be trained in Religion to use it for the following general skill actions.
• Decipher Writing of a religious nature, including allegories, homilies, and proverbs.
• Identify Magic, particularly magic of the divine tradition.
• Learn a Spell from the divine tradition.
You understand the people and systems that make civilization run, and you know the historical events that make societies what they are today. Further, you can use that knowledge to navigate the complex physical, societal, and economic workings of settlements. Even if you’re untrained in Society, you can use it for the following general skill actions.
• Recall Knowledge about local history, important personalities, legal institutions, societal structure, and humanoid cultures. The GM might allow Society to apply to other creatures that are major elements of society in your region, such as the draconic nobility in a kingdom of humans ruled by dragons.
• Subsist in a settlement by finding shelter, scrounging, or begging for food.
Society Trained Actions
You must be trained in Society to use it to Decipher Writing.
• Decipher Writing that’s a coded message, text written in an incomplete or archaic form, or in some cases, text in a language you don’t know.
CREATE FORGERY
Traits Downtime, Secret
Requirements You provide the proper writing materials for your forgery.
You create a forged document, usually over the course of a day or a week. The GM rolls a secret DC 20 Society check. If you need to forge a specific person’s handwriting, you need a sample of that person’s handwriting. Otherwise, you need only to have seen a similar document, and you gain up to a +4 circumstance bonus to the check (the GM determines the bonus).
Success The forgery is of good enough quality that passive observers can’t notice the fake (but see Examining Forgeries).
Failure The forgery has some obvious signs of being a fake, potentially allowing passive observers to detect it. Each time a passive observer sees the document, the GM compares your check result to the observer’s Perception DC or Society DC, whichever is higher. If your result doesn’t exceed a passive observer’s DC, that observer knows the document is a forgery.
Examining Forgeries
A creature on the lookout for forgeries, even one who was fooled on a passive glance, can take time to closely examine a document to see if it’s a forgery. They apply different techniques and analysis methods to look beyond the surface elements and attempt a secret Perception or Society check against the forger’s Society DC; any bonus you had to create the forgery initially applies to this DC. On a success, the examiner knows the document is a forgery. On a failure, they think the document is genuine and can’t try again unless they get a new reason to be suspicious of the document. If a PC examines a genuine document, the GM might still pretend to roll a secret check before revealing the document is genuine.
• Recall Knowledge about local history, important personalities, legal institutions, societal structure, and humanoid cultures. The GM might allow Society to apply to other creatures that are major elements of society in your region, such as the draconic nobility in a kingdom of humans ruled by dragons.
• Subsist in a settlement by finding shelter, scrounging, or begging for food.
Society Trained Actions
You must be trained in Society to use it to Decipher Writing.
• Decipher Writing that’s a coded message, text written in an incomplete or archaic form, or in some cases, text in a language you don’t know.
CREATE FORGERY
Traits Downtime, Secret
Requirements You provide the proper writing materials for your forgery.
You create a forged document, usually over the course of a day or a week. The GM rolls a secret DC 20 Society check. If you need to forge a specific person’s handwriting, you need a sample of that person’s handwriting. Otherwise, you need only to have seen a similar document, and you gain up to a +4 circumstance bonus to the check (the GM determines the bonus).
Success The forgery is of good enough quality that passive observers can’t notice the fake (but see Examining Forgeries).
Failure The forgery has some obvious signs of being a fake, potentially allowing passive observers to detect it. Each time a passive observer sees the document, the GM compares your check result to the observer’s Perception DC or Society DC, whichever is higher. If your result doesn’t exceed a passive observer’s DC, that observer knows the document is a forgery.
Examining Forgeries
A creature on the lookout for forgeries, even one who was fooled on a passive glance, can take time to closely examine a document to see if it’s a forgery. They apply different techniques and analysis methods to look beyond the surface elements and attempt a secret Perception or Society check against the forger’s Society DC; any bonus you had to create the forgery initially applies to this DC. On a success, the examiner knows the document is a forgery. On a failure, they think the document is genuine and can’t try again unless they get a new reason to be suspicious of the document. If a PC examines a genuine document, the GM might still pretend to roll a secret check before revealing the document is genuine.
You are skilled at avoiding detection, allowing you to slip past foes, hide, or conceal an item.
CONCEAL AN OBJECT ◆
Traits Manipulate, Secret
You hide a small object on your person (such as a weapon of light Bulk). When you try to sneak a concealed object past someone who might notice it, the GM rolls your Stealth check and compares it to this passive observer’s Perception DC. Once the GM rolls your check for a concealed object, that same result is used no matter how many passive observers you try to sneak it past. If a creature is specifically searching you for an item, it can attempt a Perception check against your Stealth DC (finding the object on success).
You can also conceal an object somewhere other than your person, such as among undergrowth or in a secret compartment within a piece of furniture. In this case, characters Seeking in an area compare their Perception check results to your Stealth DC to determine whether they find the object.
Success The object remains undetected.
Failure The searcher finds the object.
HIDE ◆
Traits Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
SNEAK ◆
Traits Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
Being Stealthy
If you want to sneak around when there are creatures that can see you, you can use a combination of Hide and Sneak to do so.
• First, Hide behind something (either by taking advantage of cover or having the concealed condition due to fog, a spell, or a similar effect). A successful Stealth check makes you hidden, though the creatures still know roughly where you are.
• Second, now that you’re hidden, you can Sneak. That means you can move at half your Speed and attempt another Stealth check. If it’s successful, you’re now undetected. That means the creatures don’t know which square you’re in anymore.
If you were approaching creatures that didn’t know you were there, you could begin Sneaking right away, since they didn’t know your location to start with. Some actions can cause you to become observed again, but they’re mostly what you’d expect: standing out in the open, attacking someone, making a bunch of noise, and so forth. Quiet actions such as reloading or Recalling Knowledge do not, by themselves, make a hidden or undetected creature easier to detect. If you Strike someone after successfully Hiding or Sneaking, though, they’re off-guard to that Strike.
Creatures can try to find you using the Seek action.
Three conditions explain the states of detection. Remember that these conditions are relative to each creature—you can be observed by one creature while hidden to another and undetected by a third.
Observed
You’re in the creature’s clear view.
Hidden
The creature knows your location but can’t see you.
Undetected
The creature doesn’t know your location.
Unobservable Stealth
In some cases, it can be impossible for a creature to fully observe you. Typically this happens if you’re invisible, the observer is blinded, or you’re in darkness and the creature can’t see in darkness. In such cases, any critical failure you roll on a check to Sneak is a failure instead. You also continue to be undetected if you lose cover or greater cover against or are no longer concealed from such a creature.
CONCEAL AN OBJECT ◆
Traits Manipulate, Secret
You hide a small object on your person (such as a weapon of light Bulk). When you try to sneak a concealed object past someone who might notice it, the GM rolls your Stealth check and compares it to this passive observer’s Perception DC. Once the GM rolls your check for a concealed object, that same result is used no matter how many passive observers you try to sneak it past. If a creature is specifically searching you for an item, it can attempt a Perception check against your Stealth DC (finding the object on success).
You can also conceal an object somewhere other than your person, such as among undergrowth or in a secret compartment within a piece of furniture. In this case, characters Seeking in an area compare their Perception check results to your Stealth DC to determine whether they find the object.
Success The object remains undetected.
Failure The searcher finds the object.
HIDE ◆
Traits Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
SNEAK ◆
Traits Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
Being Stealthy
If you want to sneak around when there are creatures that can see you, you can use a combination of Hide and Sneak to do so.
• First, Hide behind something (either by taking advantage of cover or having the concealed condition due to fog, a spell, or a similar effect). A successful Stealth check makes you hidden, though the creatures still know roughly where you are.
• Second, now that you’re hidden, you can Sneak. That means you can move at half your Speed and attempt another Stealth check. If it’s successful, you’re now undetected. That means the creatures don’t know which square you’re in anymore.
If you were approaching creatures that didn’t know you were there, you could begin Sneaking right away, since they didn’t know your location to start with. Some actions can cause you to become observed again, but they’re mostly what you’d expect: standing out in the open, attacking someone, making a bunch of noise, and so forth. Quiet actions such as reloading or Recalling Knowledge do not, by themselves, make a hidden or undetected creature easier to detect. If you Strike someone after successfully Hiding or Sneaking, though, they’re off-guard to that Strike.
Creatures can try to find you using the Seek action.
Three conditions explain the states of detection. Remember that these conditions are relative to each creature—you can be observed by one creature while hidden to another and undetected by a third.
Observed
You’re in the creature’s clear view.
Hidden
The creature knows your location but can’t see you.
Undetected
The creature doesn’t know your location.
Unobservable Stealth
In some cases, it can be impossible for a creature to fully observe you. Typically this happens if you’re invisible, the observer is blinded, or you’re in darkness and the creature can’t see in darkness. In such cases, any critical failure you roll on a check to Sneak is a failure instead. You also continue to be undetected if you lose cover or greater cover against or are no longer concealed from such a creature.
You are adept at living in the wilderness, foraging for food and building shelter, and with training you discover the secrets of tracking and hiding your trail. Even if you’re untrained, you can still use Survival to Subsist.
• Subsist in the wild by foraging for food and building shelter.
SENSE DIRECTION
Traits Exploration, Secret
Using the stars, the position of the sun, traits of the geography or flora, or the behavior of fauna, you can stay oriented in the wild. Typically, you attempt a Survival check only once per day, but some environments or changes might necessitate rolling more often. The GM determines the DC and how long this activity takes (usually just a minute or so). More unusual locales or those you’re unfamiliar with might require you to have a minimum proficiency rank to Sense Direction. Without a compass, you take a –2 item penalty to checks to Sense Direction.
Critical Success You get an excellent sense of where you are. If you are in an environment with cardinal directions, you know them exactly.
Success You gain enough orientation to avoid becoming hopelessly lost. If you are in an environment with cardinal directions, you have a sense of those directions.
Survival Trained Actions
COVER TRACKS
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Move
You cover your tracks, moving up to half your travel Speed. You don’t need to attempt a Survival check to cover your tracks, but anyone tracking you must succeed at a Survival check against your Survival DC if it is higher than the normal DC to Track.
In some cases, you might Cover Tracks in an encounter. In this case, Cover Tracks is a single action and doesn’t have the exploration trait.
TRACK
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Move
You follow tracks, moving at up to half your travel Speed. After a successful check to Track, you can continue following the tracks at half your Speed without attempting additional checks for up to 1 hour.
In some cases, you might Track in an encounter. In this case, Track is a single action and doesn’t have the exploration trait, but you might need to roll more often because you’re in a tense situation. The GM determines how often you must attempt this check.
You attempt your Survival check when you start Tracking, once every hour you continue tracking, and any time something significant changes in the trail. The GM determines the DCs for such checks, depending on the freshness of the trail, the weather, and the type of ground.
Success You find the trail or continue to follow the one you’re already following.
Failure You lose the trail but can try again after a 1-hour delay.
Critical Failure You lose the trail and can’t try again for 24 hours.
• Subsist in the wild by foraging for food and building shelter.
SENSE DIRECTION
Traits Exploration, Secret
Using the stars, the position of the sun, traits of the geography or flora, or the behavior of fauna, you can stay oriented in the wild. Typically, you attempt a Survival check only once per day, but some environments or changes might necessitate rolling more often. The GM determines the DC and how long this activity takes (usually just a minute or so). More unusual locales or those you’re unfamiliar with might require you to have a minimum proficiency rank to Sense Direction. Without a compass, you take a –2 item penalty to checks to Sense Direction.
Critical Success You get an excellent sense of where you are. If you are in an environment with cardinal directions, you know them exactly.
Success You gain enough orientation to avoid becoming hopelessly lost. If you are in an environment with cardinal directions, you have a sense of those directions.
| Proficiency Rank | Task |
|---|---|
| Untrained | determine a cardinal direction using the sun |
| Trained | find an overgrown path in a forest |
| Expert | navigate a hedge maze |
| Master | navigate a byzantine labyrinth or relatively featureless desert |
| Legendary | navigate an ever-changing dream realm |
COVER TRACKS
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Move
You cover your tracks, moving up to half your travel Speed. You don’t need to attempt a Survival check to cover your tracks, but anyone tracking you must succeed at a Survival check against your Survival DC if it is higher than the normal DC to Track.
In some cases, you might Cover Tracks in an encounter. In this case, Cover Tracks is a single action and doesn’t have the exploration trait.
TRACK
Traits Concentrate, Exploration, Move
You follow tracks, moving at up to half your travel Speed. After a successful check to Track, you can continue following the tracks at half your Speed without attempting additional checks for up to 1 hour.
In some cases, you might Track in an encounter. In this case, Track is a single action and doesn’t have the exploration trait, but you might need to roll more often because you’re in a tense situation. The GM determines how often you must attempt this check.
You attempt your Survival check when you start Tracking, once every hour you continue tracking, and any time something significant changes in the trail. The GM determines the DCs for such checks, depending on the freshness of the trail, the weather, and the type of ground.
Success You find the trail or continue to follow the one you’re already following.
Failure You lose the trail but can try again after a 1-hour delay.
Critical Failure You lose the trail and can’t try again for 24 hours.
| Proficiency Rank | Task |
|---|---|
| Untrained | the path of a large army following a road |
| Trained | relatively fresh tracks of a rampaging bear through the plains |
| Expert | a nimble panther’s tracks through a jungle, tracks obscured by rainfall |
| Master | tracks obscured by winter snow, tracks of a mouse or smaller creature, tracks left on surfaces that can’t hold prints like bare rock |
| Legendary | old tracks through a windy desert’s sands, tracks obscured by a major blizzard or hurricane |
You are trained in a particular set of skills favored by thieves and miscreants.
PALM AN OBJECT ◆
Traits Manipulate
You pick up a small, unattended object and try not to be noticed. Roll a single Thievery check against the Perception DCs of all creatures who are currently observing you. You can typically only Palm Objects of negligible Bulk, though the GM might determine otherwise depending on the situation.
Success The creature doesn’t notice you Palming the Object.
Failure The creature notices you Palming the Object.
STEAL ◆
Traits Manipulate
You try to take a small object from another creature without being noticed. You need a free hand. Typically, you can Steal only an object of negligible Bulk, and you automatically fail if the creature who has the object is in combat or on guard.
Attempt a Thievery check to determine if you successfully Steal the object. The DC is usually the Perception DC of the creature wearing the object. It’s easiest to steal an object that is worn but not closely guarded (like a loosely carried pouch filled with coins, or an object within such a pouch). The GM might increase the DC if the object is protected or if the nature of the object makes it harder to steal (such as a very small item in a large pack, or a sheet of parchment mixed in with other documents). For instance, the DC is typically 5 higher if the object is in a pocket, held in a creature’s hand, or similarly protected.
You might also need to compare your Thievery check result against the Perception DCs of observers other than the person wearing the object. The GM might impose a circumstance penalty to the DCs of observers who are distracted.
Success You steal the item without the bearer noticing, or an observer doesn’t see you take or attempt to take the item.
Failure The item’s bearer notices your attempt before you can take the object, or an observer sees you take or attempt to take the item. The GM determines the response of any creature that notices your theft.
Thievery Trained Actions
DISABLE A DEVICE ◆◆
Traits Manipulate
This action allows you to disarm a trap or another complex device. Often, a device requires numerous successes before becoming disabled, depending on its construction and complexity. A thieves’ toolkit is helpful and sometimes even required to Disable a Device, as determined by the GM, and sometimes a device requires a higher proficiency rank in Thievery to disable it.
Your Thievery check result determines your progress.
Critical Success You disable the device, or you achieve two successes toward disabling a device requiring more than one success. You leave no trace of your tampering, and you can rearm the device later, if that type of device can be rearmed.
Success You disable the device, or you achieve one success toward disabling a device that requires more than one success.
Critical Failure You trigger the device.
PICK A LOCK ◆◆
Traits Manipulate
Requirements You’re holding or wearing a thieves’ toolkit.
Opening a lock without a key is very similar to Disabling a Device, but the DC of the check is determined by the complexity and construction of the lock you are attempting to pick. Locks of higher quality might require multiple successes to unlock. If you lack the proper tools, the GM might let you use improvised picks, which are treated as a shoddy toolkit.
Critical Success You unlock the lock, or you achieve two successes toward opening a lock that requires more than one success. You leave no trace of your tampering.
Success You open the lock, or you achieve one success toward opening a lock that requires more than one success. You leave behind damage that indicates the lock was picked on close scrutiny.
Critical Failure You break your toolkit and leave behind obvious damage. Fixing a broken toolkit requires using Crafting to Repair it or else swapping in replacement picks (costing 3 sp, or 3 gp for an infiltrator thieves’ toolkit).
PALM AN OBJECT ◆
Traits Manipulate
You pick up a small, unattended object and try not to be noticed. Roll a single Thievery check against the Perception DCs of all creatures who are currently observing you. You can typically only Palm Objects of negligible Bulk, though the GM might determine otherwise depending on the situation.
Success The creature doesn’t notice you Palming the Object.
Failure The creature notices you Palming the Object.
STEAL ◆
Traits Manipulate
You try to take a small object from another creature without being noticed. You need a free hand. Typically, you can Steal only an object of negligible Bulk, and you automatically fail if the creature who has the object is in combat or on guard.
Attempt a Thievery check to determine if you successfully Steal the object. The DC is usually the Perception DC of the creature wearing the object. It’s easiest to steal an object that is worn but not closely guarded (like a loosely carried pouch filled with coins, or an object within such a pouch). The GM might increase the DC if the object is protected or if the nature of the object makes it harder to steal (such as a very small item in a large pack, or a sheet of parchment mixed in with other documents). For instance, the DC is typically 5 higher if the object is in a pocket, held in a creature’s hand, or similarly protected.
You might also need to compare your Thievery check result against the Perception DCs of observers other than the person wearing the object. The GM might impose a circumstance penalty to the DCs of observers who are distracted.
Success You steal the item without the bearer noticing, or an observer doesn’t see you take or attempt to take the item.
Failure The item’s bearer notices your attempt before you can take the object, or an observer sees you take or attempt to take the item. The GM determines the response of any creature that notices your theft.
Thievery Trained Actions
DISABLE A DEVICE ◆◆
Traits Manipulate
This action allows you to disarm a trap or another complex device. Often, a device requires numerous successes before becoming disabled, depending on its construction and complexity. A thieves’ toolkit is helpful and sometimes even required to Disable a Device, as determined by the GM, and sometimes a device requires a higher proficiency rank in Thievery to disable it.
Your Thievery check result determines your progress.
Critical Success You disable the device, or you achieve two successes toward disabling a device requiring more than one success. You leave no trace of your tampering, and you can rearm the device later, if that type of device can be rearmed.
Success You disable the device, or you achieve one success toward disabling a device that requires more than one success.
Critical Failure You trigger the device.
PICK A LOCK ◆◆
Traits Manipulate
Requirements You’re holding or wearing a thieves’ toolkit.
Opening a lock without a key is very similar to Disabling a Device, but the DC of the check is determined by the complexity and construction of the lock you are attempting to pick. Locks of higher quality might require multiple successes to unlock. If you lack the proper tools, the GM might let you use improvised picks, which are treated as a shoddy toolkit.
Critical Success You unlock the lock, or you achieve two successes toward opening a lock that requires more than one success. You leave no trace of your tampering.
Success You open the lock, or you achieve one success toward opening a lock that requires more than one success. You leave behind damage that indicates the lock was picked on close scrutiny.
Critical Failure You break your toolkit and leave behind obvious damage. Fixing a broken toolkit requires using Crafting to Repair it or else swapping in replacement picks (costing 3 sp, or 3 gp for an infiltrator thieves’ toolkit).
Conditions
You can’t see. All normal terrain is
Difficult terrain is any terrain that impedes your movement, ranging from particularly rough or unstable surfaces to thick ground cover and countless other impediments. Moving into a square of difficult terrain (or moving 5 feet into or within an area of difficult terrain, if you’re not using a grid) costs an extra 5 feet of movement. Moving into a square of greater difficult terrain instead costs 10 additional feet of movement. This additional cost is not increased further when moving diagonally. You can’t Step into difficult terrain.
Movement you make while jumping ignores the terrain you’re jumping over. Some abilities (such as flight or being incorporeal) allow you to avoid the movement reduction from some types of difficult terrain.
to you. You can’t detect anything using vision. You automatically critically fail Perception checks that require you to be able to see, and if vision is your only ,
Average vision is a precise sense—a sense that can be used to perceive the world in nuanced detail. The only way to target a creature without having drawbacks is to use a precise sense. You can usually detect a creature automatically with a precise sense unless that creature is hiding or obscured by the environment, in which case you can use the Seek basic action to better detect the creature.
you take a –4 status penalty to Perception checks. You are immune to
A visual effect can affect only creatures that can see it. This applies only to visible parts of the effect, as determined by the GM.
effects. Blinded overrides dazzled. Broken is a condition that affects only objects. An object is broken when damage has reduced its Hit Points to equal or less than its .
An item can be broken or destroyed if it takes enough damage. Every item has a Hardness value. Each time an item takes damage, reduce any damage the item takes by its Hardness. The rest of the damage reduces the item’s Hit Points. Normally an item takes damage only when a creature is directly attacking it—commonly targeted items include doors and traps. A creature that attacks you doesn’t normally damage your armor or other gear, even if it hits you. However, the Shield Block reaction can cause your shield to take damage as you use it to prevent damage to yourself, and some monsters have exceptional abilities that can damage your items.
An item that takes damage can become broken and eventually destroyed. It becomes broken when its Hit Points are equal to or lower than its Broken Threshold (BT); once its Hit Points are reduced to 0, it is destroyed. A broken item has the broken condition until Repaired above its Broken Threshold. Anything that automatically makes an item broken immediately reduces its Hit Points to its Broken Threshold if the item had more Hit Points than that when the effect occurred. If an item has no Broken Threshold, then it has no relevant changes to its function due to being broken, but it’s still destroyed at 0 Hit Points. A destroyed item can’t be Repaired.
An item’s Hardness, Hit Points, and Broken Threshold usually depend on the material the item is made of. Information on materials appears in GM Core.
A broken object can’t be used for its normal function, nor does it grant bonuses—with the exception of armor. Broken armor still grants its item bonus to AC, but it also imparts a status penalty to AC depending on its category: –1 for broken light armor, –2 for broken medium armor, or –3 for broken heavy armor.
A broken item still imposes penalties and limitations normally incurred by carrying, holding, or wearing it. For example, broken armor would still impose its Dexterity modifier cap, check penalty, and so forth. If an effect makes an item broken automatically and the item has more HP than its ,
An item can be broken or destroyed if it takes enough damage. Every item has a Hardness value. Each time an item takes damage, reduce any damage the item takes by its Hardness. The rest of the damage reduces the item’s Hit Points. Normally an item takes damage only when a creature is directly attacking it—commonly targeted items include doors and traps. A creature that attacks you doesn’t normally damage your armor or other gear, even if it hits you. However, the Shield Block reaction can cause your shield to take damage as you use it to prevent damage to yourself, and some monsters have exceptional abilities that can damage your items.
An item that takes damage can become broken and eventually destroyed. It becomes broken when its Hit Points are equal to or lower than its Broken Threshold (BT); once its Hit Points are reduced to 0, it is destroyed. A broken item has the broken condition until Repaired above its Broken Threshold. Anything that automatically makes an item broken immediately reduces its Hit Points to its Broken Threshold if the item had more Hit Points than that when the effect occurred. If an item has no Broken Threshold, then it has no relevant changes to its function due to being broken, but it’s still destroyed at 0 Hit Points. A destroyed item can’t be Repaired.
An item’s Hardness, Hit Points, and Broken Threshold usually depend on the material the item is made of. Information on materials appears in GM Core.
that effect also reduces the item’s current HP to the .
An item can be broken or destroyed if it takes enough damage. Every item has a Hardness value. Each time an item takes damage, reduce any damage the item takes by its Hardness. The rest of the damage reduces the item’s Hit Points. Normally an item takes damage only when a creature is directly attacking it—commonly targeted items include doors and traps. A creature that attacks you doesn’t normally damage your armor or other gear, even if it hits you. However, the Shield Block reaction can cause your shield to take damage as you use it to prevent damage to yourself, and some monsters have exceptional abilities that can damage your items.
An item that takes damage can become broken and eventually destroyed. It becomes broken when its Hit Points are equal to or lower than its Broken Threshold (BT); once its Hit Points are reduced to 0, it is destroyed. A broken item has the broken condition until Repaired above its Broken Threshold. Anything that automatically makes an item broken immediately reduces its Hit Points to its Broken Threshold if the item had more Hit Points than that when the effect occurred. If an item has no Broken Threshold, then it has no relevant changes to its function due to being broken, but it’s still destroyed at 0 Hit Points. A destroyed item can’t be Repaired.
An item’s Hardness, Hit Points, and Broken Threshold usually depend on the material the item is made of. Information on materials appears in GM Core. Your movements become clumsy and inexact. Clumsy always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to the condition value to Dexterity-based rolls and DCs, including AC, Reflex saves, ranged attack rolls, and skill checks using Acrobatics, Stealth, and Thievery. You are difficult for one or more creatures to see due to thick fog or some other obscuring feature. You can be concealed to some creatures but not others. While concealed, you can still be observed, but you’re tougher to target. A creature that you’re concealed from must succeed at a DC 5
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
when targeting you with an attack, spell, or other effect. If the check fails, you aren’t affected. Area effects aren’t subject to this .
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail. You don’t have your wits about you, and you attack wildly. You are off-guard, you don’t treat anyone as your ally (though they might still treat you as theirs), and you can’t ,
◇
Trigger Your turn begins.
You wait for the right moment to act. The rest of your turn doesn’t happen yet. Instead, you’re removed from the initiative order. You can return to the initiative order as a free action triggered by the end of any other creature’s turn. This permanently changes your initiative to the new position. You can’t use reactions until you return to the initiative order. If you Delay an entire round without returning to the initiative order, the actions from the Delayed turn are lost, your initiative doesn’t change, and your next turn occurs at your original position in the initiative order.
When you Delay, any persistent damage or other negative effects that normally occur at the start or end of your turn occur immediately when you use the Delay action. Any beneficial effects that would end at any point during your turn also end. The GM might determine that other effects end when you Delay as well. Essentially, you can’t Delay to avoid negative consequences that would happen on your turn or to extend beneficial effects that would end on your turn.
,
◆◆ Concentrate
You prepare to use an action that will occur outside your turn. Choose a single action or free action you can use, and designate a trigger. Your turn then ends. If the trigger you designated occurs before the start of your next turn, you can use the chosen action as a reaction (provided you still meet the requirements to use it). You can’t Ready a free action that already has a trigger.
If you have a multiple attack penalty and your readied action is an attack action, your readied attack takes the multiple attack penalty you had at the time you used Ready. This is one of the few times the multiple attack penalty applies when it’s not your turn.
or use reactions.
You use all your actions to
◆ Attack
You attack with a weapon you’re wielding or with an unarmed attack, targeting one creature within your reach (for a melee attack) or within range (for a ranged attack). Roll an attack roll using the attack modifier for the weapon or unarmed attack you’re using, and compare the result to the target creature’s AC to determine the effect.
Critical Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal double damage.
Success You make a damage roll according to the weapon or unarmed attack and deal damage.
or cast offensive ,
A cantrip is a special type of spell that’s weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility. The title of a cantrip’s stat block says “Cantrip” instead of “Spell”, and the spell has the cantrip trait. Casting a cantrip doesn’t use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. If you’re a prepared caster, you can prepare a specific number of cantrips each day. You can’t prepare a cantrip in a spell slot.
A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have.
though the GM can have you use other actions to facilitate attack, such as draw a weapon, move so a target is in reach, and so forth. Your targets are determined randomly by the GM. If you have no other viable targets, you target yourself, automatically hitting but not scoring a critical hit. If it’s impossible for you to attack or cast spells, you babble incoherently, wasting your actions.
Each time you take damage from an attack or spell, you can attempt a DC 11
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
to recover from your confusion and end the condition. You have been commanded, magically dominated, or otherwise had your will subverted. The controller dictates how you act and can make you use any of your actions, including attacks, reactions, or even .
◇
Trigger Your turn begins.
You wait for the right moment to act. The rest of your turn doesn’t happen yet. Instead, you’re removed from the initiative order. You can return to the initiative order as a free action triggered by the end of any other creature’s turn. This permanently changes your initiative to the new position. You can’t use reactions until you return to the initiative order. If you Delay an entire round without returning to the initiative order, the actions from the Delayed turn are lost, your initiative doesn’t change, and your next turn occurs at your original position in the initiative order.
When you Delay, any persistent damage or other negative effects that normally occur at the start or end of your turn occur immediately when you use the Delay action. Any beneficial effects that would end at any point during your turn also end. The GM might determine that other effects end when you Delay as well. Essentially, you can’t Delay to avoid negative consequences that would happen on your turn or to extend beneficial effects that would end on your turn.
The controller usually doesn’t have to spend their own actions when controlling you. Your eyes are overstimulated or your vision is swimming. If vision is your only ,
Average vision is a precise sense—a sense that can be used to perceive the world in nuanced detail. The only way to target a creature without having drawbacks is to use a precise sense. You can usually detect a creature automatically with a precise sense unless that creature is hiding or obscured by the environment, in which case you can use the Seek basic action to better detect the creature.
all creatures and objects are concealed from you. You can’t hear. You automatically critically fail Perception checks that require you to be able to hear. You take a –2 status penalty to Perception checks for initiative and checks that involve sound but also rely on other senses. If you perform an action that has the
Auditory actions and effects rely on sound. An action with the auditory trait can be successfully performed only if the creature using the action can speak or otherwise produce the required sounds. A spell or effect with the auditory trait has its effect only if the target can hear it. This applies only to sound-based parts of the effect, as determined by the GM. This is different from a sonic effect, which still affects targets who can’t hear it (such as deaf targets) as long as the effect itself makes sound.
trait, you must succeed at a DC 5
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
or the action is lost; attempt the check after spending the action but before any effects are applied. You are immune to
Auditory actions and effects rely on sound. An action with the auditory trait can be successfully performed only if the creature using the action can speak or otherwise produce the required sounds. A spell or effect with the auditory trait has its effect only if the target can hear it. This applies only to sound-based parts of the effect, as determined by the GM. This is different from a sonic effect, which still affects targets who can’t hear it (such as deaf targets) as long as the effect itself makes sound.
effects while deafened. Your soul has been gripped by a powerful force that calls you closer to death. Doomed always includes a value. The dying value at which you die is reduced by your doomed value. If your maximum dying value is reduced to 0, you instantly die. When you die, you’re no longer doomed.
Your doomed value decreases by 1 each time you get a full night’s rest. Your health and vitality have been depleted as you’ve lost blood, life force, or some other essence. Drained always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to your drained value on Constitution-based rolls and DCs, such as Fortitude saves. You also lose a number of Hit Points equal to your level (minimum 1) times the drained value, and your maximum Hit Points are reduced by the same amount. For example, if you become drained 3 and you’re a 3rd-level character, you lose 9 Hit Points and reduce your maximum Hit Points by 9. Losing these Hit Points doesn’t count as taking damage.
Each time you get a full night’s rest, your drained value decreases by 1. This increases your maximum Hit Points, but you don’t immediately recover the lost Hit Points. You are bleeding out or otherwise at death’s door. While you have this condition, you are unconscious. Dying always includes a value, and if it ever reaches dying 4, you die. When you’re dying, you must attempt a
While you’re dying, attempt a recovery check at the start of each of your turns. This is a flat check with a DC equal to 10 + your current dying value to see if you get better or worse.
• Critical Success Your dying value is reduced by 2.
• Success Your dying value is reduced by 1.
• Failure Your dying value increases by 1.
• Critical Failure Your dying value increases by 2.
at the start of your turn each round to determine whether you get better or worse. Your dying condition increases by 1 if you take damage while dying, or by 2 if you take damage from an enemy’s critical hit or a critical failure on your save.
If you lose the dying condition by succeeding at a
While you’re dying, attempt a recovery check at the start of each of your turns. This is a flat check with a DC equal to 10 + your current dying value to see if you get better or worse.
• Critical Success Your dying value is reduced by 2.
• Success Your dying value is reduced by 1.
• Failure Your dying value increases by 1.
• Critical Failure Your dying value increases by 2.
and are still at 0 Hit Points, you remain unconscious, but you can wake up as described in that condition. You lose the dying condition automatically and wake up if you ever have 1 Hit Point or more. Any time you lose the dying condition, you gain the wounded 1 condition, or increase your wounded condition value by 1 if you already have that condition. You are carrying more weight than you can manage. While you’re encumbered, you’re clumsy 1 and take a 10-foot penalty to all your Speeds. As with all penalties to your Speed, this can’t reduce your Speed below 5 feet. You’re physically weakened. Enfeebled always includes a value. When you are enfeebled, you take a status penalty equal to the condition value to Strength-based rolls and DCs, including Strength-based melee attack rolls, Strength-based damage rolls, and Athletics checks. You’re compelled to focus your attention on something, distracting you from whatever else is going on around you. You take a –2 status penalty to Perception and skill checks, and you can’t use
An action with this trait requires a degree of mental concentration and discipline.
actions unless they (or their intended consequences) are related to the subject of your fascination, as determined by the GM. For instance, you might be able to
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
and Recall Knowledge about the subject, but you likely couldn’t cast a spell targeting a different creature. This condition ends if a creature uses
Sometimes spells prevent a target from using hostile actions, or the spell ends if a creature uses any hostile actions. A hostile action is one that can harm or damage another creature, whether directly or indirectly, but not one that a creature is unaware could cause harm. For instance, casting fireball into a crowd would be a hostile action, but opening a door and accidentally freeing a horrible monster wouldn’t be. The GM is the final arbitrator of what is a hostile action.
against you or any of your allies. You’re tired and can’t summon much energy. You take a –1 status penalty to AC and saving throws. You can’t use exploration activities performed while traveling.
You recover from fatigue after a full night’s rest. You’re forced to run away due to fear or some other compulsion. On your turn, you must spend each of your actions trying to escape the source of the fleeing condition as expediently as possible (such as by using
An action with this trait involves moving from one space to another.
actions to flee, or opening doors barring your escape). The source is usually the effect or creature that gave you the condition, though some effects might define something else as the source. You can’t
◇
Trigger Your turn begins.
You wait for the right moment to act. The rest of your turn doesn’t happen yet. Instead, you’re removed from the initiative order. You can return to the initiative order as a free action triggered by the end of any other creature’s turn. This permanently changes your initiative to the new position. You can’t use reactions until you return to the initiative order. If you Delay an entire round without returning to the initiative order, the actions from the Delayed turn are lost, your initiative doesn’t change, and your next turn occurs at your original position in the initiative order.
When you Delay, any persistent damage or other negative effects that normally occur at the start or end of your turn occur immediately when you use the Delay action. Any beneficial effects that would end at any point during your turn also end. The GM might determine that other effects end when you Delay as well. Essentially, you can’t Delay to avoid negative consequences that would happen on your turn or to extend beneficial effects that would end on your turn.
or
◆◆ Concentrate
You prepare to use an action that will occur outside your turn. Choose a single action or free action you can use, and designate a trigger. Your turn then ends. If the trigger you designated occurs before the start of your next turn, you can use the chosen action as a reaction (provided you still meet the requirements to use it). You can’t Ready a free action that already has a trigger.
If you have a multiple attack penalty and your readied action is an attack action, your readied attack takes the multiple attack penalty you had at the time you used Ready. This is one of the few times the multiple attack penalty applies when it’s not your turn.
while fleeing. This condition reflects a creature’s disposition toward a particular character, and only supernatural effects (like a spell) can impose this condition on a PC. A creature that is friendly to a character likes that character. It is likely to agree to
◆ Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental
Skill Diplomacy
You can make a request of a creature that’s friendly or helpful to you. You must couch the request in terms that the target would accept given their current attitude toward you. The GM sets the DC based on the difficulty of the request. Some requests are unsavory or impossible, and even a helpful NPC would never agree to them.
Critical Success The target agrees to your request without qualifications.
Success The target agrees to your request, but they might demand added provisions or alterations to the request.
Failure The target refuses the request, though they might propose an alternative that is less extreme.
Critical Failure Not only does the target refuse the request, but their attitude toward you decreases by one step due to the temerity of the request.
from that character as long as they are simple, safe, and don’t cost too much to fulfill. If the character (or one of their allies) uses
Sometimes spells prevent a target from using hostile actions, or the spell ends if a creature uses any hostile actions. A hostile action is one that can harm or damage another creature, whether directly or indirectly, but not one that a creature is unaware could cause harm. For instance, casting fireball into a crowd would be a hostile action, but opening a door and accidentally freeing a horrible monster wouldn’t be. The GM is the final arbitrator of what is a hostile action.
against the creature, the creature gains a worse attitude condition depending on the severity of the hostile action, as determined by the GM. You’re gripped by fear and struggle to control your nerves. The frightened condition always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to this value to all your checks and DCs. Unless specified otherwise, at the end of each of your turns, the value of your frightened condition decreases by 1. You’re held in place by another creature, giving you the off-guard and immobilized conditions. If you attempt a manipulate action while grabbed, you must succeed at a DC 5
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
or it is lost; roll the check after spending the action, but before any effects are applied. This condition reflects a creature’s disposition toward a particular character, and only supernatural effects (like a spell) can impose this condition on a PC. A creature that is helpful to a character wishes to actively aid that character. It will accept reasonable
◆ Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental
Skill Diplomacy
You can make a request of a creature that’s friendly or helpful to you. You must couch the request in terms that the target would accept given their current attitude toward you. The GM sets the DC based on the difficulty of the request. Some requests are unsavory or impossible, and even a helpful NPC would never agree to them.
Critical Success The target agrees to your request without qualifications.
Success The target agrees to your request, but they might demand added provisions or alterations to the request.
Failure The target refuses the request, though they might propose an alternative that is less extreme.
Critical Failure Not only does the target refuse the request, but their attitude toward you decreases by one step due to the temerity of the request.
from that character, as long as such requests aren’t at the expense of the helpful creature’s goals or quality of life. If the character (or one of their allies) uses a
Sometimes spells prevent a target from using hostile actions, or the spell ends if a creature uses any hostile actions. A hostile action is one that can harm or damage another creature, whether directly or indirectly, but not one that a creature is unaware could cause harm. For instance, casting fireball into a crowd would be a hostile action, but opening a door and accidentally freeing a horrible monster wouldn’t be. The GM is the final arbitrator of what is a hostile action.
against the creature, the creature gains a worse attitude condition depending on the severity of the ,
Sometimes spells prevent a target from using hostile actions, or the spell ends if a creature uses any hostile actions. A hostile action is one that can harm or damage another creature, whether directly or indirectly, but not one that a creature is unaware could cause harm. For instance, casting fireball into a crowd would be a hostile action, but opening a door and accidentally freeing a horrible monster wouldn’t be. The GM is the final arbitrator of what is a hostile action.
as determined by the GM. While you’re hidden from a creature, that creature knows the space you’re in but can’t tell precisely where you are. You typically become hidden by using Stealth to .
◆ Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
When
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
a creature using only ,
Average hearing is an imprecise sense—it can’t detect the full range of detail that a precise sense can. You can usually sense a creature automatically with an imprecise sense, but it has the hidden condition instead of the observed condition. It might be undetected by you if it’s using Stealth or is in an environment that distorts the sense, such as a noisy room in the case of hearing. In those cases, you have to use the Seek basic action to detect the creature. At best, an imprecise sense can be used to make an undetected creature (or one you didn’t even know was there) merely hidden—it can’t make the creature observed.
it remains hidden, rather than observed. A creature you’re hidden from is off-guard to you, and it must succeed at a DC 11
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
when targeting you with an attack, spell, or other effect or it fails to affect you. Area effects aren’t subject to this .
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
A creature might be able to use the
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
action to try to observe you. This condition reflects a creature’s disposition toward a particular character, and only supernatural effects (like a spell) can impose this condition on a PC. A creature hostile to a character actively seeks to harm that character. It doesn’t necessarily attack, but it won’t accept
◆ Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental
Skill Diplomacy
You can make a request of a creature that’s friendly or helpful to you. You must couch the request in terms that the target would accept given their current attitude toward you. The GM sets the DC based on the difficulty of the request. Some requests are unsavory or impossible, and even a helpful NPC would never agree to them.
Critical Success The target agrees to your request without qualifications.
Success The target agrees to your request, but they might demand added provisions or alterations to the request.
Failure The target refuses the request, though they might propose an alternative that is less extreme.
Critical Failure Not only does the target refuse the request, but their attitude toward you decreases by one step due to the temerity of the request.
from the character. You are incapable of movement. You can’t use any actions that have the
An action with this trait involves moving from one space to another.
trait. If you’re immobilized by something holding you in place and an external force would move you out of your space, the force must succeed at a check against either the DC of the effect holding you in place or the relevant defense (usually Fortitude DC) of the monster holding you in place. This condition reflects a creature’s disposition toward a particular character, and only supernatural effects (like a spell) can impose this condition on a PC. A creature that is indifferent to a character doesn’t really care one way or the other about that character. Assume a creature’s attitude to a given character is indifferent unless specified otherwise. You can’t be seen. You’re undetected to everyone. Creatures can
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
to detect you; if a creature succeeds at its Perception check against your Stealth DC, you become hidden to that creature until you
◆ Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
to become undetected again. If you become invisible while someone can already see you, you start out hidden to them (instead of undetected) until you successfully .
◆ Move, Secret
You attempt to move to another place while becoming or staying undetected. Stride up to half your Speed. (You can use Sneak while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type; you must move at half that Speed.)
At the end of your movement, the GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you were hidden from or undetected by at the start of your movement. If you have cover or greater cover from the creature throughout your Stride, you gain the +2 circumstance bonus from cover (or +4 from greater cover) to your Stealth check. Because you’re moving, the bonus increase from Taking Cover doesn’t apply. You don’t get to roll against a creature if, at the end of your movement, you neither are concealed from it nor have cover or greater cover against it. You automatically become observed by such a creature.
Success You’re undetected by the creature during your movement and remain undetected by the creature at the end of it.
You become observed as soon as you do anything other than Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check. If you speak or make a deliberate loud noise, you become hidden instead of undetected.
If a creature uses Seek and you become hidden to it as a result, you must Sneak if you want to become undetected by that creature again.
Failure A telltale sound or other sign gives your position away, though you still remain unseen. You’re hidden from the creature throughout your movement and remain so.
Critical Failure You’re spotted! You’re observed by the creature throughout your movement and remain so. If you’re invisible and were hidden from the creature, instead of being observed you’re hidden throughout your movement and remain so.
You can’t become observed while invisible except via special abilities or magic. Anything in plain view is observed by you. If a creature takes measures to avoid detection, such as by using Stealth to ,
◆ Secret
You huddle behind cover or greater cover or deeper into concealment to become hidden, rather than observed. The GM rolls your Stealth check in secret and compares the result to the Perception DC of each creature you’re observed by but that you have cover or greater cover against or are concealed from. You get a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if you have standard cover (or +4 from greater cover).
Success If the creature could see you, you’re now hidden from it instead of observed. If you were hidden from or undetected by the creature, you retain that condition.
If you successfully become hidden to a creature but then cease to have cover or greater cover against it or be concealed from it, you become observed again. You cease being hidden if you do anything except Hide, Sneak, or Step. If you attempt to Strike a creature, the creature remains off-guard against that attack, and you then become observed. If you do anything else, you become observed just before you act unless the GM determines otherwise. The GM might allow you to perform a particularly unobtrusive action without being noticed, possibly requiring another Stealth check.
If a creature uses Seek to make you observed by it, you must successfully Hide to become hidden from it again.
it can become hidden or undetected instead of observed. If you have another
Average vision is a precise sense—a sense that can be used to perceive the world in nuanced detail. The only way to target a creature without having drawbacks is to use a precise sense. You can usually detect a creature automatically with a precise sense unless that creature is hiding or obscured by the environment, in which case you can use the Seek basic action to better detect the creature.
besides sight, you might be able to observe a creature or object using that sense instead. You can observe a creature with only your .
Average vision is a precise sense—a sense that can be used to perceive the world in nuanced detail. The only way to target a creature without having drawbacks is to use a precise sense. You can usually detect a creature automatically with a precise sense unless that creature is hiding or obscured by the environment, in which case you can use the Seek basic action to better detect the creature.
When
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
a creature using only ,
Average hearing is an imprecise sense—it can’t detect the full range of detail that a precise sense can. You can usually sense a creature automatically with an imprecise sense, but it has the hidden condition instead of the observed condition. It might be undetected by you if it’s using Stealth or is in an environment that distorts the sense, such as a noisy room in the case of hearing. In those cases, you have to use the Seek basic action to detect the creature. At best, an imprecise sense can be used to make an undetected creature (or one you didn’t even know was there) merely hidden—it can’t make the creature observed.
it remains hidden, rather than observed. You’re distracted or otherwise unable to focus your full attention on defense. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to AC. Some effects give you the off-guard condition only to certain creatures or against certain attacks. Others—especially conditions—can make you off-guard against everything. If a rule doesn’t specify that the condition applies only to certain circumstances, it applies to all of them, such as “The target is off-guard.” You’re frozen in place. You have the off-guard condition and can’t act except to Recall Knowledge and use actions that require only your mind (as determined by the GM). Your senses still function, but only in the areas you can perceive without moving, so you can’t .
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM. You are taking damage from an ongoing effect, such as from being lit on fire. This appears as “X persistent [type] damage,” where “X” is the amount of damage dealt and “[type]” is the damage type. Like normal damage, it can be doubled or halved based on the results of an attack roll or saving throw. Instead of taking persistent damage immediately, you take it at the end of each of your turns as long as you have the condition, rolling any damage dice anew each time. After you take persistent damage, roll a DC 15
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
to see if you recover from the persistent damage. If you succeed, the condition ends.
Persistent Damage Rules
The additional rules presented below apply to persistent damage in certain cases.
Persistent damage runs its course and automatically ends after a certain amount of time as fire burns out, blood clots, and the like. The GM determines when this occurs, but it usually takes 1 minute.
Assisted Recovery
You can take steps to help yourself recover from persistent damage, or an ally can help you, allowing you to attempt an additional
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
before the end of your turn. This is usually an activity requiring 2 actions, and it must be something that would reasonably improve your chances (as determined by the GM). For example, you might try to smother a flame or wash off acid. This allows you to attempt an extra
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
immediately, but only once per round.
The GM decides how your help works, using the following examples as guidelines when there’s not a specific action that applies.
• The action to help might require a skill check or another roll to determine its effectiveness.
• Reduce the DC of the
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
to 10 for a particularly appropriate type of help, such as dousing you in water to put out flames.
• Automatically end the condition due to the type of help, such as healing that restores you to your maximum HP to end persistent ,
Another special type of physical damage is bleed damage. This is persistent damage that represents loss of blood. Nonliving creatures and living creatures that don’t need blood to live are usually immune to bleed damage; check the creature’s Immunities entry. Weaknesses and resistances to physical damage apply. Bleed damage ends automatically if you’re healed to your full Hit Points.
or submerging yourself in a lake to end persistent fire damage.
• Alter the number of actions required to help you if the means the helper uses are especially efficient or remarkably inefficient.
Immunities, Resistances, and Weaknesses
Immunities, resistances, and weaknesses all apply to persistent damage. If an effect deals initial damage in addition to persistent damage, apply immunities, resistances, and weaknesses separately to the initial damage and to the persistent damage. Usually, if an effect negates the initial damage, it also negates the persistent damage, such as with a slashing weapon that also deals persistent
Another special type of physical damage is bleed damage. This is persistent damage that represents loss of blood. Nonliving creatures and living creatures that don’t need blood to live are usually immune to bleed damage; check the creature’s Immunities entry. Weaknesses and resistances to physical damage apply. Bleed damage ends automatically if you’re healed to your full Hit Points.
because it cut you. The GM might rule otherwise in some situations.
Multiple Persistent Damage Conditions
You can be simultaneously affected by multiple persistent damage conditions so long as they have different damage types. If you would gain more than one persistent damage condition with the same damage type, the higher amount of damage overrides the lower amount. If it’s unclear which damage would be higher, such as if you’re already taking 2 persistent fire damage and then begin taking 1d4 persistent fire damage, the GM decides which source of damage would better fit the scene. The damage you take from persistent damage occurs all at once, so if something triggers when you take damage, it triggers only once; for example, if you’re dying with several types of persistent damage, the persistent damage increases your dying condition only once. You have been turned to stone. You can’t act, nor can you sense anything. You become an object with a
Carrying especially heavy or unwieldy items can make it more difficult for you to move, as can overloading yourself with too much gear. The Bulk value of an item reflects how difficult the item is to handle, representing its size, weight, and general awkwardness. If you have a high Strength modifier, you usually don’t need to worry about Bulk unless you’re carrying numerous substantial items.
Bulk Limits
You can carry an amount of Bulk equal to 5 plus your Strength modifier without penalty; if you carry more, you gain the encumbered condition. You can’t hold or carry more Bulk than 10 plus your Strength modifier.
Bulk Values
Items can have a number to indicate their Bulk value, or they can be light (indicated by an L) or negligible (indicated by a —) for the purpose of determining Bulk. For instance, full plate armor is 4 Bulk, a longsword is 1 Bulk, a dagger or scroll is light, and a piece of chalk is negligible. Ten light items count as 1 Bulk, and you round down fractions (so 9 light items count as 0 Bulk, and 11 light items count as 1 Bulk). Items of negligible Bulk don’t count toward Bulk unless you try to carry vast numbers of them, as determined by the GM.
Estimating an Item’s Bulk
Generally, an item that weighs 5 to 10 pounds is 1 Bulk, an item weighing less than a few ounces is negligible, and anything in between is light. Particularly unwieldy items might have higher Bulk values. For example, a 10-foot pole isn’t heavy, but its length makes it awkward to manage, so its Bulk is 1. Items made for larger or smaller creatures have greater or lesser Bulk.
Bulk of Coins
Coins are a popular means of exchange due to their portability, but they can still add up. A thousand coins of any denomination or combination of denominations count as 1 Bulk. It’s not usually necessary to determine the Bulk of coins in fractions of 1,000; simply round down fractions of 1,000. In other words, 100 coins don’t count as a light item, and 1,999 coins are 1 Bulk, not 2.
Bulk of Creatures
You might need to know the Bulk of a creature, especially if you need to carry someone. This table lists the typical Bulk of a creature, but the GM might adjust this number.
| Size of Creature | Bulk |
|---|---|
| Tiny | 1 |
| Small | 3 |
| Medium | 6 |
| Large | 12 |
| Huge | 24 |
| Gargantuan | 48 |
In some situations, you might drag an object or creature rather than carry it. If you’re dragging something, treat its Bulk as half. Typically, you can drag one thing at a time, you must use both hands to do so, and you drag slowly—roughly 50 feet per minute. Use the total Bulk of what you’re dragging, for instance, if you’re dragging a sack filled with treasure, total the Bulk of everything inside.
double your normal
Carrying especially heavy or unwieldy items can make it more difficult for you to move, as can overloading yourself with too much gear. The Bulk value of an item reflects how difficult the item is to handle, representing its size, weight, and general awkwardness. If you have a high Strength modifier, you usually don’t need to worry about Bulk unless you’re carrying numerous substantial items.
Bulk Limits
You can carry an amount of Bulk equal to 5 plus your Strength modifier without penalty; if you carry more, you gain the encumbered condition. You can’t hold or carry more Bulk than 10 plus your Strength modifier.
Bulk Values
Items can have a number to indicate their Bulk value, or they can be light (indicated by an L) or negligible (indicated by a —) for the purpose of determining Bulk. For instance, full plate armor is 4 Bulk, a longsword is 1 Bulk, a dagger or scroll is light, and a piece of chalk is negligible. Ten light items count as 1 Bulk, and you round down fractions (so 9 light items count as 0 Bulk, and 11 light items count as 1 Bulk). Items of negligible Bulk don’t count toward Bulk unless you try to carry vast numbers of them, as determined by the GM.
Estimating an Item’s Bulk
Generally, an item that weighs 5 to 10 pounds is 1 Bulk, an item weighing less than a few ounces is negligible, and anything in between is light. Particularly unwieldy items might have higher Bulk values. For example, a 10-foot pole isn’t heavy, but its length makes it awkward to manage, so its Bulk is 1. Items made for larger or smaller creatures have greater or lesser Bulk.
Bulk of Coins
Coins are a popular means of exchange due to their portability, but they can still add up. A thousand coins of any denomination or combination of denominations count as 1 Bulk. It’s not usually necessary to determine the Bulk of coins in fractions of 1,000; simply round down fractions of 1,000. In other words, 100 coins don’t count as a light item, and 1,999 coins are 1 Bulk, not 2.
Bulk of Creatures
You might need to know the Bulk of a creature, especially if you need to carry someone. This table lists the typical Bulk of a creature, but the GM might adjust this number.
| Size of Creature | Bulk |
|---|---|
| Tiny | 1 |
| Small | 3 |
| Medium | 6 |
| Large | 12 |
| Huge | 24 |
| Gargantuan | 48 |
In some situations, you might drag an object or creature rather than carry it. If you’re dragging something, treat its Bulk as half. Typically, you can drag one thing at a time, you must use both hands to do so, and you drag slowly—roughly 50 feet per minute. Use the total Bulk of what you’re dragging, for instance, if you’re dragging a sack filled with treasure, total the Bulk of everything inside.
(typically 12 for a petrified Medium creature or 6 for a petrified Small creature), AC 9, 8,
Every item has a Hardness value. Each time an item takes damage, reduce any damage the item takes by its Hardness. The rest of the damage reduces the item’s Hit Points.
and the same current Hit Points you had when alive. You don’t have a .
An item can be broken or destroyed if it takes enough damage. Every item has a Hardness value. Each time an item takes damage, reduce any damage the item takes by its Hardness. The rest of the damage reduces the item’s Hit Points. Normally an item takes damage only when a creature is directly attacking it—commonly targeted items include doors and traps. A creature that attacks you doesn’t normally damage your armor or other gear, even if it hits you. However, the Shield Block reaction can cause your shield to take damage as you use it to prevent damage to yourself, and some monsters have exceptional abilities that can damage your items.
An item that takes damage can become broken and eventually destroyed. It becomes broken when its Hit Points are equal to or lower than its Broken Threshold (BT); once its Hit Points are reduced to 0, it is destroyed. A broken item has the broken condition until Repaired above its Broken Threshold. Anything that automatically makes an item broken immediately reduces its Hit Points to its Broken Threshold if the item had more Hit Points than that when the effect occurred. If an item has no Broken Threshold, then it has no relevant changes to its function due to being broken, but it’s still destroyed at 0 Hit Points. A destroyed item can’t be Repaired.
An item’s Hardness, Hit Points, and Broken Threshold usually depend on the material the item is made of. Information on materials appears in GM Core.
When the petrified condition ends, you have the same number of Hit Points you had as a statue. If the statue is destroyed, you immediately die. While petrified, your mind and body are in stasis, so you don’t age or notice the passing of time. You’re lying on the ground. You are off-guard and take a –2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls. The only
An action with this trait involves moving from one space to another.
actions you can use while you’re prone are
◆ Move
Requirements You are prone and your Speed is at least 10 feet.
You move 5 feet by crawling and continue to stay prone.
and .
◆ Move
You stand up from being prone.
◆ Move
You stand up from being prone.
up ends the prone condition. You can
◆
Requirements You are benefiting from standard cover, are near a feature that allows you to take cover, or are prone.
You press yourself against a wall or duck behind an obstacle to take better advantage of cover. If you would have standard cover, you instead gain greater cover, which provides a +4 circumstance bonus to AC; to Reflex saves against area effects; and to Stealth checks to Hide, Sneak, or otherwise avoid detection. Otherwise, you gain the benefits of standard cover (a +2 circumstance bonus instead).
You can Take Cover while prone to hunker down and gain greater cover against ranged attacks, even if you don’t have an object to get behind, which grants you a +4 circumstance bonus to AC against ranged attacks (but you remain off-guard).
This lasts until you move from your current space, use an attack action, become unconscious, or end this effect as a free action.
while prone to hunker down and gain greater
When you’re behind an obstacle that could block weapons, guard you against explosions, and make you harder to detect, you’re behind cover. Standard cover gives you a +2 circumstance bonus to AC, to Reflex saves against area effects, and to Stealth checks to Hide, Sneak, or otherwise avoid detection. You can increase this to greater cover using the Take Cover basic action, increasing the circumstance bonus to +4. If cover is especially light, typically when it’s provided by a creature, you have lesser cover, which grants a +1 circumstance bonus to AC. A creature with standard cover or greater cover can attempt to use Stealth to Hide, but lesser cover isn’t sufficient.
Cover is relative, so you might simultaneously have cover against one creature and not another. Cover applies only if your path to the target is partially blocked. If a creature is entirely behind a wall or the like, you don’t have line of effect and typically can’t target it at all.
Usually, the GM can quickly decide whether your target has cover. If you’re uncertain or need to be more precise, draw a line from the center of your space to the center of the target’s space. If that line passes through any terrain or object that would block the effect, the target has standard cover (or greater cover if the obstruction is extreme or the target has Taken Cover). If the line passes through a creature instead, the target has lesser cover. When measuring cover against an area effect, draw the line from the effect’s point of origin to the center of the creature’s space.
Cover and Large Creatures
If a creature between you and a target is two or more sizes larger than both you and your target, that creature’s space blocks the effect enough to provide standard cover instead of lesser cover. The GM might determine that a creature doesn’t gain cover from terrain that it’s significantly larger than. For example, a Huge dragon probably wouldn’t receive any benefit from being behind a 1-foot-wide pillar.
Special Circumstances
Your GM might allow you to overcome your target’s cover in some situations. If you’re right next to an arrow slit, you can shoot without penalty, but you have greater cover against someone shooting back at you from far away. Your GM might let you reduce or negate cover by leaning around a corner to shoot or the like. This usually takes an action to set up, and the GM might measure cover from an edge or corner of your space instead of your center.
against ranged attacks, even if you don’t have an object to get behind, which grants you a +4 circumstance bonus to AC against ranged attacks (but you remain off-guard).
If you would be knocked prone while you’re
◆ Move
Requirements You have two hands free.
You attempt an Athletics check to move a maximum distance of 5 feet up, down, or across an incline. You’re off-guard while climbing unless you have a climb Speed. The GM determines the DC based on the nature of the incline and environmental circumstances; you might get an automatic critical success on an incline that’s trivial to climb. If your land Speed is 40 feet or higher, increase the maximum distance by 5 feet for every 20 feet of Speed above 20 feet.
Critical Success You move along the incline, increasing the maximum distance by 5 feet.
Success You move along the incline.
Critical Failure You fall. If you began the climb on stable ground, you fall and land prone.
or ,
◆ Move
Requirements You have a fly Speed.
You move through the air up to your fly Speed. Moving upward (straight up or diagonally) uses the rules for moving through difficult terrain. You can move straight down 10 feet for every 5 feet of movement you spend. If you Fly to the ground, you don’t take falling damage. You can use an action to Fly 0 feet to hover in place. If you’re airborne at the end of your turn and didn’t use a Fly action this round, you fall.
you fall. You can’t be knocked prone when .
◆ Move
You attempt an Athletics check to move a maximum distance of 10 feet through water. The GM determines the DC based on the turbulence or danger of the water; in most instances of calm water, you get an automatic critical success. If your land Speed is 40 feet or higher, increase the maximum possible distance by 5 feet for every 20 feet of Speed above 20 feet.
If you end your turn in water and haven’t succeeded at a Swim action that turn, you sink 10 feet or get moved by the current, as determined by the GM. This doesn’t apply if your last action on your turn was to enter the water.
Critical Success You move through the water, increasing the maximum distance by 5 feet.
Success You move through the water.
Critical Failure You make no progress. If you’re holding your breath, you lose 1 round of air. You’re able to act more quickly. You gain 1 additional action at the start of your turn each round. Many effects that make you quickened require you use this extra action only in certain ways. If you become quickened from multiple sources, you can use the extra action you’ve been granted for any single action allowed by any of the effects that made you quickened. Because quickened has its effect at the start of your turn, you don’t immediately gain actions if you become quickened during your turn. You’re tied up and can barely move, or a creature has you pinned. You have the off-guard and immobilized conditions, and you can’t use any
An ability with this trait involves an attack. For each attack you make beyond the first on your turn, you take a multiple attack penalty.
or manipulate actions except to attempt to
◆ Attack
You attempt to escape from being grabbed, immobilized, or restrained. Choose one creature, object, spell effect, hazard, or other impediment imposing any of those conditions on you. Attempt a check using your unarmed attack modifier against the DC of the effect. This is typically the Athletics DC of a creature grabbing you, the Thievery DC of a creature who tied you up, the spell DC for a spell effect, or the listed Escape DC of an object, hazard, or other impediment. You can attempt an Acrobatics or Athletics check instead of using your attack modifier if you choose (but this action still has the attack trait).
Critical Success You get free and remove the grabbed, immobilized, and restrained conditions imposed by your chosen target. You can then Stride up to 5 feet.
Success You get free and remove the grabbed, immobilized, and restrained conditions imposed by your chosen target.
Critical Failure You don’t get free, and you can’t attempt to Escape again until your next turn.
or
◆ Attack
Using your body, a lever, or some other tool, you attempt to forcefully open a door, window, container or heavy gate. With a high enough result, you can even smash through walls. Without a crowbar, prying something open takes a –2 item penalty to the Athletics check to Force Open.
Critical Success You open the door, window, container, or gate and can avoid damaging it in the process.
Success You break the door, window, container, or gate open, and it gains the broken condition. If it’s especially sturdy, the GM might have it take damage but not be broken.
Critical Failure Your attempt jams the door, window, container, or gate shut, imposing a –2 circumstance penalty on future attempts to Force it Open.
your bonds. Restrained overrides grabbed. You feel ill. Sickened always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to this value on all your checks and DCs. You can’t willingly ingest anything—including elixirs and potions—while sickened.
You can spend a single action retching in an attempt to recover, which lets you immediately attempt a Fortitude save against the DC of the effect that made you sickened. On a success, you reduce your sickened value by 1 (or by 2 on a critical success). You have fewer actions. Slowed always includes a value. When you regain your actions, reduce the number of actions regained by your slowed value. Because you regain actions at the start of your turn, you don’t immediately lose actions if you become slowed during your turn. You’ve become senseless. You can’t act. Stunned usually includes a value, which indicates how many total actions you lose, possibly over multiple turns, from being stunned. Each time you regain actions, reduce the number you regain by your stunned value, then reduce your stunned value by the number of actions you lost. For example, if you were stunned 4, you would lose all 3 of your actions on your turn, reducing you to stunned 1; on your next turn, you would lose 1 more action, and then be able to use your remaining 2 actions normally. Stunned might also have a duration instead, such as “stunned for 1 minute,” causing you to lose all your actions for the duration.
Stunned overrides slowed. If the duration of your stunned condition ends while you are slowed, you count the actions lost to the stunned condition toward those lost to being slowed. So, if you were stunned 1 and slowed 2 at the beginning of your turn, you would lose 1 action from stunned, and then lose only 1 additional action by being slowed, so you would still have 1 action remaining to use that turn.
If you become stunned during your turn, finish the action or activity underway. For stunned with a value, immediately lose your remaining actions as needed to reduce that value. Your thoughts and instincts are clouded. Stupefied always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to this value on Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based rolls and DCs, including Will saving throws, spell attack modifiers, spell DCs, and skill checks that use these attribute modifiers. Any time you attempt to
The casting of a spell can range from a simple word of magical might that creates a fleeting effect to a complex process taking hours to cast and producing a long-term impact. Casting a spell requires the caster to make gestures and utter incantations, so being unable to speak prevents spellcasting for most casters. If your character has a long-term disability that prevents or complicates them from speaking (as described in GM Core), work with the GM to determine an analogous way they cast their spells, such as tapping in code on their staff or whistling.
Spellcasting creates obvious sensory manifestations, such as bright lights, crackling sounds, and sharp smells from the gathering magic. Nearly all spells manifest a spell signature—a colorful, glowing ring of magical runes that appears in midair, typically around your hands, though what kind of spellcaster you are can affect this— academic wizards typically have neat and ordered spell signatures, while a druid’s might be more organic and a cleric’s might be inspired by their deity. How spellcasting looks can vary from one spellcasting tradition or class to another, or even from person to person. You have a great deal of freedom in flavoring your character’s magic however you wish!
Spells can vary in how many actions they take, as shown in the spell’s stat block. You cast cantrips, spells from spell slots, and focus spells using the same process, but must expend the spell when casting a spell from a spell slot and must spend 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell. Some rules will refer to the Cast a Spell activity, such as “if the next action you use is to Cast a Spell.” Any spell qualifies as a Cast a Spell activity, and any characteristics of the spell use those of the specific spell you’re casting.
while stupefied, the spell is disrupted unless you succeed at a
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
with a DC equal to 5 + your stupefied value. You’re sleeping or have been knocked out. You can’t act. You take a –4 status penalty to AC, Perception, and Reflex saves, and you have the blinded and off-guard conditions. When you gain this condition, you fall prone and drop items you’re holding unless the effect states otherwise or the GM determines you’re positioned so you wouldn’t.
If you’re unconscious because you’re dying, you can’t wake up while you have 0 Hit Points. If you are restored to 1 Hit Point or more, you lose the dying and unconscious conditions and can act normally on your next turn.
If you are unconscious and at 0 Hit Points, but not dying, you return to 1 Hit Point and awaken after sufficient time passes. The GM determines how long you remain unconscious, from a minimum of 10 minutes to several hours. If you are healed, you lose the unconscious condition and can act normally on your next turn.
If you’re unconscious and have 1 or more Hit Points (typically because you are asleep or unconscious due to an effect), you wake up in one of the following ways.
• You take damage, though if the damage reduces you to 0 Hit Points, you remain unconscious and gain the dying condition as normal.
• You receive healing, other than the natural healing you get from resting.
• Someone shakes you awake with an
◆ Manipulate
You use your hand or hands to manipulate an object or the terrain. You can grab an unattended or stored object, draw a weapon, swap a held item for another, open a door, or achieve a similar effect. On rare occasions, you might have to attempt a skill check to determine if your Interact action was successful.
action.
• Loud noise around you might wake you. At the start of your turn, you automatically attempt a Perception check against the noise’s DC (or the lowest DC if there is more than one noise), waking up if you succeed. If creatures are attempting to stay quiet around you, this Perception check uses their Stealth DCs. Some effects make you sleep so deeply that they don’t allow you this Perception check.
• If you are simply asleep, the GM decides you wake up either because you have had a restful night’s sleep or something disrupted that rest. When you are undetected by a creature, that creature can’t see you at all, has no idea what space you occupy, and can’t target you, though you still can be affected by abilities that target an area. When you’re undetected by a creature, that creature is off-guard to you.
A creature you’re undetected by can guess which square you’re in to try targeting you. It must pick a square and attempt an attack. This works like targeting a hidden creature (requiring a DC 11 ),
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
but the
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
and attack roll are rolled in secret by the GM, who doesn’t reveal whether the attack missed due to failing the ,
When the chance something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you’ll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks’ DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks.
If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail.
failing the attack roll, or choosing the wrong square. They can
◆ Concentrate, Secret
You scan an area for signs of creatures or objects, possibly including secret doors or hazards. Choose an area to scan. The GM determines the area you can scan with one Seek action—almost always 30 feet or less in any dimension. The GM might impose a penalty if you search far away from you or adjust the number of actions it takes to Seek a particularly cluttered area.
The GM attempts a single secret Perception check for you and compares the result to the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden creatures in the area, or the DC to detect each object in the area (as determined by the GM or by someone Concealing the Object). A creature you detect might remain hidden, rather than becoming observed, if you’re using an imprecise sense or if an effect (such as invisibility) prevents the subject from being observed.
Critical Success Any undetected or hidden creature you critically succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of objects in the area you critically succeeded against.
Success Any undetected creature you succeeded against becomes hidden from you instead of undetected, and any hidden creature you succeeded against becomes observed by you. You learn the location of any object or get a clue to its whereabouts, as determined by the GM.
to try to find you. This condition reflects a creature’s disposition toward a particular character, and only supernatural effects (like a spell) can impose this condition on a PC. A creature that is unfriendly to a character dislikes and distrusts that character. The unfriendly creature won’t accept
◆ Auditory, Concentrate, Linguistic, Mental
Skill Diplomacy
You can make a request of a creature that’s friendly or helpful to you. You must couch the request in terms that the target would accept given their current attitude toward you. The GM sets the DC based on the difficulty of the request. Some requests are unsavory or impossible, and even a helpful NPC would never agree to them.
Critical Success The target agrees to your request without qualifications.
Success The target agrees to your request, but they might demand added provisions or alterations to the request.
Failure The target refuses the request, though they might propose an alternative that is less extreme.
Critical Failure Not only does the target refuse the request, but their attitude toward you decreases by one step due to the temerity of the request.
from the character. If you’re unnoticed by a creature, that creature has no idea you’re present. When you’re unnoticed, you’re also undetected. This matters for abilities that can be used only against targets totally unaware of your presence. You have been seriously injured. If you lose the dying condition and do not already have the wounded condition, you become wounded 1. If you already have the wounded condition when you lose the dying condition, your wounded condition value increases by 1. If you gain the dying condition while wounded, increase your dying condition value by your wounded value.
The wounded condition ends if someone successfully restores Hit Points to you using ,
Exploration, Healing, Manipulate
Requirements Trained in Medicine
Requirements You’re wearing or holding a healer’s toolkit.
You spend 10 minutes treating one injured living creature (targeting yourself, if you so choose). The target is then temporarily immune to Treat Wounds actions for 1 hour, but this interval overlaps with the time you spent treating (so a patient can be treated once per hour, not once per 70 minutes).
The Medicine check DC is usually 15, though the GM might adjust it based on the circumstances, such as treating a patient outside in a storm, or treating magically cursed wounds. If you’re an expert in Medicine, you can instead attempt a DC 20 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 10; if you’re a master of Medicine, you can instead attempt a DC 30 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 30; and if you’re legendary, you can instead attempt a DC 40 check to increase the Hit Points regained by 50. The damage dealt on a critical failure remains the same.
If you succeed at your check, you can continue treating the target to grant additional healing. If you treat it for a total of 1 hour, double the Hit Points it regains from Treat Wounds.
The result of your Medicine check determines how many Hit Points the target regains.
Critical Success The target regains 4d8 Hit Points and loses the wounded condition.
Success The target regains 2d8 Hit Points, and loses the wounded condition.
Critical Failure The target takes 1d8 damage.
or if you are restored to full Hit Points by any means and rest for 10 minutes.
Creature Types & Subtypes
Coming soon to an Index page near you!
