Skill Trial

A Skill Trial is a type of Trial used whenever a character wants to attempt some feat of skill that doesn’t involve strict combat. When the PCs try to climb an obsidian cliff, persuade a crime boss to sell them some juicy blackmail material, pick the lock of a dwarf’s treasure-vault, or do something else that requires expertise, a Skill Trial is in order. Not every action requires a Trial — if a feat is something ordinary for a character’s background, or too unambiguous to carry meaningful consequence, the GM should let it succeed without a roll.

If a character is trained in a skill, they add their Prowess as well as the related attribute modifier to the Skill Trial. A GM may determine that for a particular Trial, a character must be trained in the skill to attempt it at all. Other times a character’s success may be limited — certain levels of success (Strong or Devastating) can only be achieved by those trained in the skill.

Skill Notation

When a skill is referenced in rules text, it always appears with its governing attribute in parentheses: Skill (Attribute). For example: Wildcraft (Vitality), Cunning (Agility), Heal (Spirit). This makes it immediately clear which attribute modifier applies without requiring a cross-reference.

See /core-mechanics/skill-trial/catalog/ for the full list of skills as individual lookup entries.

Skill Mastery

Skill Mastery represents a deeper command of a skill beyond standard training. Rather than adding a bigger bonus, Skill Mastery opens a new capability — a use case that trained characters cannot normally attempt, a restriction removed, or a meaningful refinement of what the skill can do.

Skill Mastery is acquired through the perk system. A character who wants to deepen their expertise in a specific skill selects a Skill Mastery perk at one of their perk progression levels. This makes it a deliberate identity choice with a real opportunity cost. Not all skills will have a defined Mastery — only those where a genuinely new capability can be expressed. The specific Skill Mastery perks will be detailed in the full perk catalog.

Spell Requisites

Some spells require specific physical actions or materials to cast. These are called Requisites — the conditions a spell demands of the caster. There are three Requisites:

Chant — the spell requires vocalization. The caster must be able to speak clearly and monitor pitch or rhythm. Effects that prevent hearing or speech (such as Deafened) may prevent spells with this Requisite from being cast.

Gesture — the spell requires deliberate hand or body movement. A caster who is restrained, has no free hand, or is otherwise physically impaired may be unable to cast spells with this Requisite.

Medium — the spell requires a physical component, focus, or material. The caster must have the Medium available and accessible.