Skills

For the more modern setting that the Alvanzian campaign guide is based around, some skills were dropped and replaced with other skills. Here is a list of the skills used in my modded system.

Strength


Athletics

Athletics is primarily based on Strength, but sometimes Dexterity. Athletics covers you in difficult situations you encounter while climbing, jumping, swimming, or performing another feat of athletic prowess.

Athletics remains mostly unchanged, but includes Arcobatics as well (usually using Dexterity for these checks).

Source: 5e SRD



Pry

Pry is a skill which is used to force your way through something. This may be breaking the lock off of a chest or kicking in a door, this skill is using your strength to identify the weak points of objects and then smash them open. This may also be used for other things such as tearing a carried object out of another creature’s hand or to render a non-magical item unusable. Finally, you use pry when trying to break out of a grapple using your sheer strength.



Dexterity


Handling

Handling is your gross motor skills, such as driving, throwing accurately, operating complex machinery delicately, such as a crane, and other operations. A general rule of thumb is that if Sleight of Hand feels like it doesn't fit, usually handling fits.



Sleight of Hand

Whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something on someone else or concealing an object on your person, make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. The GM might also call for a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to determine whether you can lift a coin purse off another person or slip something out of another person's pocket.

Source: 5e SRD



Stealth

Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you attempt to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone without being seen or heard.

Source: 5e SRD



Intelligence


Anthropology

Anthropology deals with the happenings of the material planes and intraplanar affairs of kith. Your Anthropology check measures your ability to recall lore about historical events, legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes, recent wars, and lost civilizations.

This may include knowledge of great kith societies and wars and customs and technology but excludes things such as fey history and knowledge about other planes.

The reason for the reword is to be more exclusive to kith history and not just an all-encompassing lore check.



Chemistry

Chemistry is your understanding of chemicals and the makeup of different medicines and substances. Chemistry is used in the creation and identification of various things such as explosives, acids, and more.



Cosmology

Cosmology deals with a lot of things including the knowledge about things which do not involve kith, but rather extraplanar or extrakith affairs.

This may include knowing what the layers of hell are and what they are known for or knowledge about constellations and stars. Additionally, this may serve as knowledge about the Gods or even the far realms. Cosmology includes both myth and fact of the world beyond the kith world.



Investigation

When you look around for clues and make deductions based on those clues, you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check. You might deduce the location of a hidden object, discern from the appearance of a wound what kind of weapon dealt it, or determine the weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse. Poring through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden fragment of knowledge might also call for an Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Source: 5e SRD



Repair

Repair is your ability to fix things when they go wrong. This could include your ability to change a tire to fixing a generator when the power goes out. When things go wrong, you know how to use a toolkit to fix the problems of everyday life.



Spellcraft

Spellcraft is one’s knowledge about the schools of magic, their different runes and applications.

This encompasses the Arcana stat from 5e, but more aptly enforces the idea that Spellcraft is less of an intuition but a learned study.



Wisdom


Biology

Biology is your understanding of life. This includes your knowledge of different substances and natural sciences. This also includes your knowledge of the anatomy and weaknesses of certain types of creatures. This is also the study of virulent diseases and deals with physical curses, plagues, and maladies, such as Vampirism, Lycanthropy, Measles, et cetera.

This is sort of a merge between Nature and Medicine, but shares Medicine with Chemistry.



Engineering

Engineering is a skill that has to do with creation and your understanding of how the creations of man operate. When creating something, you may use your Engineering skill to blueprint a design and then execute said design. You may use Engineering for checks to determine points of weakness on a machine or structure and other bigger picture evaluations of systems, and applying your knowledge of architecture, machines, and other things practically. You may also use this skill to blueprint ideas of creation to aid in the construction of items. Generally Engineering goes in tandem with a tool proficiency or Skill Specialty to use it to its greatest effect. Engineering is the primary skill used in enchanting items, but Spellcraft is primarily used in identifying runes on items.



Insight

Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether you can determine the true intentions of a creature, such as when searching out a lie or predicting someone's next move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body language, speech habits, and changes in mannerisms.

Source: 5e SRD



Metaphysics

Metaphysics deals with the manifestation of and the relationship between the body and the soul. Metaphysics is the understanding of magical sources and how different magical sources interact with the world around us and how one forms an attuned connection to magic. Metaphysics also deals with the tenets of Philosophy.

Metaphysics may be used to understand how a fey intends to take advantage of a deal you are making with them, or to understand advanced topics in animancy. Metaphysics is also used in the understanding and usage of spell scrolls, tablos and sequestered magics such as Psionic magic or Occult magic.

Metaphysics is more of a physical understanding than an intellectual understanding. It’s hard to describe to others one’s connection and comprehension of the different sources of magic, and generally most people don’t crack into more than one source of magic.



Perception

Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of something. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of your senses. For example, you might try to hear a conversation through a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, or hear monsters moving stealthily in the forest. Or you might try to spot things that are obscured or easy to miss, whether they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, thugs hiding in the shadows of an alley, or candlelight under a closed secret door.

Source: 5e SRD



Survival

The GM might ask you to make a Wisdom (Survival) check to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs that owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid quicksand and other natural hazards.

Source: 5e SRD



Charisma


Intimidation

When you attempt to influence someone through overt threats, hostile actions, and physical violence, the GM might ask you to make a Intimidation check. Examples include trying to pry information out of a prisoner, convincing street thugs to back down from a confrontation, or using the edge of a broken bottle to convince a sneering vizier to reconsider a decision.

Source: 5e SRD



Performance

Your Charisma (Performance) check determines how well you can delight an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of entertainment. This also deals with how good you can impersonate or pretend to be another individual

Source: 5e SRD



Persuasion

When you attempt to influence someone or a group of people, the GM might ask you to make a Persuasion check. Persuasion also includes your ability to decieve and take advantage of individuals, and explain complicated topics more precisely or simply to individuals.

Deception has been merged with Persuasion as there's not necessarily a huge difference between the two besides intention. Additionally, other skills such as grace and politicking also remove some aspects from persuasion.



Honor


Grace

A Honor (Grace) check may be used when it is important to blend in with higher society. A Grace check may be used to obtain information about the customs of a certain authority and how to properly act in line with their customs. Grace may also be used to maintain proper etiquette and save face in particularly difficult situations, such as surrendering or being mocked. Grace may be used to influence those with no power than you that you are worth listening to and that you are their authority. If you don’t actually have the authority you assert, you would make a Charisma (Persuasion) check instead.

Grace is also used when recalling myths, legends, and symbols of a culture, and used a lot in foreign linguistics.



Politicking

You may use a politicking check when trying to assert authority to another figure of authority. For instance, trying to get into the elite district in town, but the guards are being fussy, you may use your Politicking to convince them. This can also be used to accumulate power and to use your influence to impact a decision between figures of power.

If persuasion is convincing someone by charm and wit, politicking is convincing someone by raw assertion of authority or promises thereof.