Skills by Category

Skills are organized into three classic groups reminiscent of Warrior, Thief/Stealth, and Mage archetypes. This does not prevent a character from freely choosing skills from any group – a scholar can very well learn to fight with a sword, a warrior can know a few practical magic tricks, etc. Each skill is described below with its field of application.

Melee Combat

Mastery of melee weapons: swords, axes, maces, spears, daggers in close combat. Covers both one-handed and two-handed weapons (a character very focused on one weapon type can specify it, but by default this skill applies to all contact combat).

Ranged Combat (Archery)

Accuracy with ranged weapons: bows, crossbows, javelins, slings. Used to hit a distant target with precision. Includes the general ability to calculate trajectory, compensate for wind, etc.

Defense (Heavy Armor & Parry)

Ability to protect oneself effectively in combat. This includes shield handling (parrying blows, blocking) and the art of wearing heavy armor (reducing movement penalties, knowing how to take hits on one's armor). A character without this skill who wears heavy armor will be hindered and noisy, while a specialist will know how to make the best of it.

Athletics

General physical abilities: running long distances, sprinting, swimming, climbing a wall, jumping over an obstacle, resisting fatigue. Any action requiring endurance or sustained physical strength uses Athletics. A warrior in armor chasing an enemy, a thief climbing a ladder quickly, or an unathletic mage trying to swim against the current will all make an Athletics roll to assess their success.

Survival (Wildlife)

Skills for life in hostile environments: orientation, tracking creatures or enemies, hunting and fishing, knowledge of nature, ability to find water and food, setting up a safe camp, lighting a fire, or resisting bad weather. Useful for rangers, explorers and any outdoor adventure in the wilds of Tamriel.

Stealth

The art of going unnoticed, sneaking silently, hiding in shadows. This skill is used to avoid the attention of patrolling guards, approach a target without waking it, or blend into a crowd. In combat, a successful Stealth roll allows engaging an enemy by surprise (sneak attack). It also covers the ability to commit certain acts without being seen (e.g. hiding an object on oneself, blending into a setting).

Lockpicking

Knowledge of manipulating locks, traps and security mechanisms. A thief can open chests and closed doors using tools and this skill. Also used to discreetly disarm a mechanical trap, or sabotage a device (e.g. discreetly raising a fort's portcullis from inside). Lockpicking difficulty depends on the complexity of the lock (from DD 5 for a simple wooden latch, up to 20+ for a sophisticated Dwemer mechanism).

Pickpocket

The art of pickpocketing and pilfering. Allows stealing small objects from a person (purse, key hanging from a belt) or from a stall, without being detected. Can also be used for fine dexterity manipulations, such as palming an object to hide it, discreetly exchanging a scroll in a library, etc. Often used in combination with Stealth (approach) and Speech (distraction).

Speech

Talent for speech, persuasion and verbal deception. This skill covers commercial haggling (merchants, price negotiation), social rhetoric (convincing an NPC to reveal information, defusing a tense situation) or intimidation. A charismatic character will use Speech to influence others orally, whether through charm, clever lies or veiled threats.

Perception

Keen eyesight, fine hearing and intuition allowing to detect hidden elements of the environment. Used to spot a detail invisible at first glance: a hidden trapdoor, the presence of a creature in ambush, a camouflaged trap, or even notice the nervous tic of a witness lying. The game master can request passive Perception tests to indicate to players what their characters perceive. High Perception equates to a sharp sixth sense, valuable for an infiltrated agent or a cautious adventurer.