Skill Checks

Stormchaser has a variety of skills, from Athletics to Medicine to Religion. Each grants you a set of related actions that rely on you rolling a skill check. Each skill has a key ability score, based on the scope of the skill in question. For example, Athletics deals with feats of physical prowess, like swimming and jumping, so its key ability score is Strength. Medicine deals with the ability to diagnose and treat wounds and ailments, so its key ability score is Wisdom. The key ability score for each skill is listed under Skills. No matter which skill you’re using, you calculate a check for it using the following formula.

Skill check result = highest roll in your d20 dice pool + modifier of the relevant attribute + other bonuses + penalties

You’re unlikely to be trained in every skill. When using a skill in which you’re untrained, your dice pool begins with only a single d20. Otherwise, add one die for trained, plus on additional die for each rank, once you become an expert or a master. The proficiency rank is specific to the skill you’re using.

Aid from another character or some other beneficial situation may grant you a circumstancial bonus die. A status bonus might come from a helpful spell or magical effect. Sometimes tools related to the skill grant you an item bonus to your skill checks.

Conversely, unfavourable situations might give you a circumstance penalty to your skill check, while harmful spells, magic, or conditions might also impose a status penalty. Using shoddy or makeshift tools might cause you to take an item penalty.

Sometimes a skill action can be an attack and, in these cases, the skill check might suffer a multiple attack penalty.

When an ability calls for you to use the passive score for a specific skill, you can calculate it by adding 10 + your total modifier for that skill. If you have +1d to a score (e.g. from proficiency), then this grants a bonus to the score. The second die in your pool grants +4 to your score, the third +2, and +1 thereafter to a maximum of total dice pool modifier of +10.

Dice Pool Size	Score
2d20kh1	14 + modifier
3d20kh1	16 + modifier
4d20kh1	17 + modifier
5d20kh1	18 + modifier
6d20kh1	19 + modifier
7d20kh1	20 + modifier