SkillsBasics

Skills can seem daunting at first. However, realize that not all skills or skill rules will apply to your character. It is unlikely that you will ever use all the skills available for even a fully leveled-up character. If you want to review the skills themselves, a list of them can be found on the Skills page. Also, Skills, similar to Abilities, are like themes representing a set of possible actions, and thus the Skills in FuturePath are not meant to be an exhaustive list.

Summary: Skills are actions that Characters can do in the game that require confirmation, as well as having defined outcomes. While a Generic action can be loosely associated with an Ability, a Skill is a more specific action. IE: Talking nicely to an NPC (Charisma check) vs attempting to convince the NPC of something (Diplomacy check). Skills have Ranks. The Rank determines the Skill Die that a Player rolls along with the standard d20. To gain more ranks, a player spends Skill Points which are earned at every level. Some skills are Natural which means the skill can be used even if the Rank is zero. Once a skill has at least one rank, then that Skill is considered to be Trained. A Character's Path and Class provides Favored Skills. All Favored Skills only cost 1 skill point to rank up, while non-favored skills require 2 skill points to improve the Rank. Whenever a Character gets a Favored Skill either at level 1 or at any other level, they get 1 Skill Point that they must spend directly on that Skill. Characters can hold onto Skill Points that they cannot or do not want to spend.

Skills also have Competency Levels. These resemble milestones in the Character's training, signifying the Character's advancement in a particular skill. The Competency Levels are Unexperienced (Rank 0-1), Novice (Rank 2-3), Intermediate (Rank 4-5), Competent (Rank 6-7), Expert (Rank 8-9), Master (Rank 10). Each Competency Level, starting at Novice, adds a +1 to the total. Sometimes, a task provided by the GM may have a Competency requirement. This will adjust the DC depending on the Player's skill Competency.

Success is determined by beating the Difficulty Class (DC). This is usually a number between 5 and 40, determined by the GM. Some skills are considered Rank Dependent which means that their Skill Rank predetermines the level of reward for a successful roll. The Rank Dependent skills have a few extra rules that focus on what is possible based on Skill Rank and require more attention.

Skills have specific rules for different Actions, Time, Trying Again, and Aiding Other Players. It is important to review the page for a specific Skill before using it.

Language skills are unique. The differences in Language are discussed on its Skill page here.

There are also Feat-based Skills that are only unlocked if the Character gains the associated Feat. These skills have special rules governing how a Character improves at them.

All About Skills

Skills are common abilities or groups of capabilities considered to be actions that the Character can do in the game. These actions usually occur outside combat situations and can affect the story or the game's direction. A Character cannot merely say that they do something difficult without some chance of failure. Sometimes skills can also be used inside of Combat. All Skills are also associated with an Ability Theme. For example, the Skill Athletics represents a set of different actions like "Swimming," "Jumping," "Climbing," and so on. They all fall under the Ability of Strength.

What do I Roll?: A d20 + Skill Die are rolled. The Player then adds the Ability Modifier and Miscellaneous Modifiers to determine the total, which is compared to a number to determine the success of the skill action. Skill Die is described below in section Skill Ranks. Learn about Ability Modifiers here. As a Character levels up, they can earn Misc Mods for different skills that help improve their odds.
What number do I need to beat?: Skill checks are usually against some Difficulty Class or DC. Typically, this number is predetermined by the GM using rules in the Skills section. Some Skills have Opossing checks. This is when a Skill roll is pitted against another Character's or NPC's Skill roll. For example, someone's Stealth check may be used as the DC for their Perception check.
How do I acquire Skills?: By default all Natural Skills a Character can utilize and already have as an option. To gain access to Skills that are UnNatural a Player spends Skill Points that are earned at each level, including level one. Skill Points can be spent to improve Skill Rank and unlocks unnatural skills.
How do I improve Skills?: The Character's Path and Intelligence modifier determine the number of Skill Points per level a Character gets. The minimum is 1, even if the Intelligence modifier is negative. To learn more about leveling, visit the Character Creation and Advancement page. The maximum Rank a skill can be is 1/2 Character Level rounded up. Skill Points do not need to be spent and can be held onto until the Player wishes to spend them. Meaning any unspent skill points roll over to the next level. Each Skill Point spent on a Skill improves its Rank. There are also Feats, Path and Class attributes that improve skills usually with Misc Mods (Miscellaneous Modifiers)
How do I use Skills?: The Player declares that they are going to use a Skill and for what purpose. The Player may also want to declare what they hope the outcome will be and how their Character will act. The GM has the final word on whether the Character can perform an action, but this should be in accordance with the rules. The rules should specify or provide guidelines on what the DC should be for any given check and desired outcome. If a Character can perform the action, the GM should inform the Player of any Advantages or Disadvantages. This should be agreed upon before rolling. To learn more about using a Skill, review the Using Skills section below.
How do Skills differ?: To learn about each skill, visit the Skills page. In short, there are different types of Skills. These types are: Favored, Natural/Unnatural, Rank Dependent. The different types will be explained in more detail below.
1. NOTE: Trained/UnTrained is not a type of skill. Untrained skills are simply skills with a rank of 0. While a Trained skill is a skill a Character has one or more ranks in. This is used to help describe the behavior of Natural vs Unnatural skills.

Favored Skills

Paths and Classes provide a number of Favored skills when selected for a Character. It is easier for a character to become more proficient in these skills, as they represent part of his/her professional training and constant practice. When a Character gains a Favored skill, the Character also gains a free Skill Point that has to be spent on that Skill. This also counts if the Character already has that Skill as a Favored Skill. Secondly, in order to add ranks to a Favored skill, the Player only needs to spend 1 skill point. All non-Favored skills require 2 skill points to gain a Rank.

NOTE: Skill Points gained from getting a new Favored Skill must be spent instantly unless the rules specify it cannot. IE: The Skill Rank is already at maximum. Then that Skill Point is saved and spent on that Skill as soon as it is possible.

Modifying Character Sheet: To record what skills are Favored Skills on your character sheet, there is a checkbox on the far left of the skill in question.

Natural/Unnatural

Natural skills imply that the average person in the Future Path universe knows how to perform this particular action. While Unnatural implies that it requires training before use. For example, Skill Perception is a Natural skill. Being able to perceive the environment around yourself using some form of sense, such as smell, sight, sound, or others. Unnatural skills such as crafting are not something a person is born knowing how to do, and even if the knowledge were genetically implanted, it would have to have come from somewhere first.

The biggest difference is that Natural skills do not require training first. Training simply means that the Skill is at least Rank 1. Unnatural skills cannot be used at all unless the Character has spent Skill Points in that skill. A Skill Check with a Natural untrained skill is d20 + Ability Modifier + Misc Mods.

Character Sheet: On the Character Sheet, skills that are Unnatural are identified with a '*' next to their name. You can also see this on the Skills page.

Rank Dependent Skills

The third and final type of skill is "Rank Dependent." Rank Dependent means that the best possible outcome is predetermined by the rank of the skill and that the Rank has another static effect on the Character. This does not affect the task's difficulty. The target "DC" is still the same.

The best way to explain Rank Dependent is with the Language skill. Let's say there are two Characters, one with a Skill Rank of 1 in "Common Human." That Player is just learning to speak/write and understand that language. The second Character, with a Skill Rank of 4 in "Common Human," is fluent in it. Both Characters are handed a holo-message in the Human language, which is garbled. The Players must still roll a Skill check to see if each Character can understand the message. DC is the same 15 for both players. Not only does the second Character with a rank of 4 have a better chance, but the Character also has the best possible outcome in that he can completely understand the message. However, the best possible outcome for the first Character with only 1 rank is only a word here or there. DC is the same for both. But the outcome if they succeed is different.

NOTE: Language has even more special rules than other Rank Dependent Skills. Such that the Language skill is considered a Class Skill for all Paths and is already considered Trained at level 1.

Here is a list of all Rank Dependent Skills:

Athletics

The rank can provide bonuses to a Character's base movement speed and their maximum carry capacity.

Craft

Determines when one can mastercraft and by how much

Perform

Directly determines the maximum possible amount of ISK earned in a performance.

Profession

Effects the monthly income and total Credit Score (spending allowance) the Character has.

Language

Directly affects the number of languages learned and for each language, how well they know that language and thus the most they can gain from trying to analyze written or spoken fragments of that language.

Treat Injury

The amount of Hit Die used to roll for recovery of health.

Skill Ranks

Skills are Ranked. The skill ranks are 1 through 10. The maximum Rank for a skill that a character can have is half Character Level, rounded up. IE, At Character level 2, it is still just Rank 1, while at level 15, it is Rank 8. Skill points can be spent to rank up a Skill. It costs 1 skill point to move a Favored Skill up a rank and 2 skill points to move a Non-Favored Skill up a rank.

Skill Competency Levels

Skills also have a Competency Level that is determined by the Rank. Competency Levels are used to distinguish Characters who have focused on a Skill. The levels provide a Miscellaneous Modification Bonus to the Skill Check. The Competency levels are: Unexperienced +0 (Rank 0-1), Novice +1 (Rank 2-3), Intermediate +2 (Rank 4-5), Competent +3 (Rank 6-7), Expert +4 (Rank 8-9), Master +5(Rank 10)

Sometimes a DC may include a Competency level requirement. For example: "An attempt to Hack into the Ship's computer system: Computer Use DC15 (Competent)". This means for a Character whose Computer Use is rank 4 or 5 the DC is 15. But for every Competency Level below or above the GM should add or remove 4 to the DC.

GM Note: This is a solid tool to help distinguish a Player who has put Ranks into a Skill. It makes it harder for another high-rolling player to use their Rank 1 Computer Use to outshine the Player with 4 Ranks just because they have a high Intelligence Ability and somehow always roll really well. It is also an excellent way to create a challenge that may appear impossible at first, but becomes much easier after a level or two.

GM Note 2: This can also be used to help pre-determine success based on which character succeeded. For example, if the character who was a Novice hacker beat the DC, perhaps they were successful but left a trace, or failed in another way that helps propel the story forward. This is similar to different outcomes or levels of success based on how much more a Player beats a DC check, except the outcome could differ depending on which Character did it.

Skill Die Levels

The rank determines the Skill Die Level which in turn tells the Player what Die to roll when doing a skill check. An untrained Skill cannot have a Skill Die when doing a Check, as it cannot have ranks.

Below is a list of Skill Dies listed by their Skill Rank level. This includes the +X provided by the Competency Level that is associated with the Rank.

Table: Skill Rank/Die Levels and success %
Skill Rank*	Competency Level	Skill Die	DC5	DC10	DC15	DC20	DC25	DC30	DC35
Rank 0	Unexperienced	0	80.00%	55.00%	30.00%	5.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 1	Unexperienced	1d2	87.50%	62.50%	37.50%	12.50%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 2	Novice	1d2+1	92.50%	67.50%	42.50%	17.50%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 3	Novice	1d4+1	96.25%	72.50%	47.50%	22.50%	1.25%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 4	Intermediate	1d4+2	98.75%	77.50%	52.50%	27.50%	3.75%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 5	Intermediate	1d6+2	99.17%	82.50%	57.50%	32.50%	8.33%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 6	Competent	1d6+3	100.00%	87.50%	62.50%	37.50%	12.50%	0.00%	0.00%
Rank 7	Competent	1d8+3	100.00%	90.62%	67.50%	42.50%	17.50%	1.88%	0.00%
Rank 8	Expert	1d8+4	100.00%	93.75%	72.50%	47.50%	22.50%	3.75%	0.00%
Rank 9	Expert	1d10+4	100.00%	95.00%	77.50%	52.50%	27.50%	7.50%	0.00%
Rank 10	Master	1d10+5	100.00%	97.00%	82.00%	57.50%	32.50%	10.50%	0.50%
This is NOT character level but Skill Rank level. Most characters max out at an AD Level of 16, Feats, Abilities, Techniques, etc., can enhance the Die level.

Note: It may appear nearly impossible to succeed at a DC of 35 and completely impossible above this value. However, the probability chart does not account for the Ability Modifier, nor does it account for any Misc Modifiers a Character may earn. There are also times when Advantage can be added to checks, which significantly increases the odds of success.

Using Skills

Using a skill by rolling:

1d20 + Skill Die + Ability Modifier + Miscellaneous Modifiers

This is called a Skill Check and it is usually rolled against a Difficulty Class or DC. Some Skill Checks are Opposing Checks. Opposing checks are when the outcome of the skills action is determined by how another Player, GM-controlled character, monster, or object also rolls on their own Skill/Ability check.

However, there are several things to consider before a Player should commit their Character to a Skill action.

Is this skill usable in combat?
How much in-game time does it take to use this Skill?
Can I simply take 10 or 20, or do I have to roll?
If I fail, what are the consequences?
Can I try again?
Can I get help from other players?

Figuring out the answers to the questions above is part of the strategy and choice-making within Future Path. A Character may only have time to make 1 or 2 checks while analyzing a situation, and they may not be able to try again. Figuring out which skills to use and when to use them, along with having a party or team with a well-rounded skill set, is important.

Information about each skill is provided on a per-skill basis. You can get a list of all Skills and their pages at the Skills page or below.

Strength:

Athletics, Intimidate, Escape Artist

Dexterity:

Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Pilot, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Escape Artist

Constitution:

None

Intelligence:

Computer Use, Craft, Decipher Script, Demolitions, Disable Device, Knowledge, Study, Bluff, Demolitions

Wisdom:

Perception, Profession, Sense Motive, Survival, Treat Injury, Diplomacy, Demolitions, Handle Animal

Charisma:

Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, Handle Animal

Time

A skill check represents an attempt to accomplish some goal, usually while under some sort of pressure. This requires some time, often measured in rounds (in combat) or in seconds, minutes, or hours.

If a Skill states the action takes X number of rounds and a Player wonders how long that would be outside of combat, it should be: 3 Seconds * Number of Rounds. However, actions that can be taken both in and out of combat should be measured differently. In combat, time is shortened and the action's DC should be increased because of the rushed and dangerous nature. If there is a question of time for an action done outside of combat, the minimal calculation should be 10 Seconds * Number of Rounds, and the maximum should be 1 Minute * Number of Rounds, and this is determined by the GM.

Taking 10 and Taking 20

If a Character is not under a time constraint, such as combat, then a Character can take 10 or 20 minutes to perform the necessary actions. A simple explanation is that the Character takes their time to focus and to perform a task diligently. This means actually taking 10 or 20 minutes of in-game time to perform the action associated with the skill. The Player declares that their Character spends that amount of time doing just that and nothing else, with the exception of being able to converse with other Characters.

NOTE: The Player must also be aware of the time constraints within the narrative. The GM should inform them of any time issues before they commit to an action. This doesn't mean the GM tells the Players the odds of something negative happening or even what will happen. However, Players should be reminded that in-game time is a resource that needs to be spent carefully.

Requirements for taking 10/20

The Player and GM must agree that there is enough in-game time that the story will allow.
The Character is not faced with any threads or distractions.
The action being attempted carries no penalties for failure.
1. This should be considered anything that would damage a Character, provide a negative effect or condition, and even remove the ability to try again. However, this does not include story-specific negative side effects, which are left to the GM's discretion to determine whether they disqualify the taking 10/20 ability.

Taking 20

The Player declares that their Character is going to 'Take 20' for a particular action/skill check. This means the Player doesn't need to roll; instead, the d20 automatically counts as a 20, and the Skill Rank Level and Misc Mods are directly added for the total. In other words, the total for the Skill Check is 20 + Skill Rank Level + Misc Mods.

This doesn't mean automatic success; the end result could still be a failure if the DC is simply higher than your Character's Take 20 Skill Check total. This cannot be considered a 'critical success'.

Taking 10

The same as Taking 20, except that the total Skill Check is 10 + Skill Rank Level + Misc Mods.

Trying Again

If a character fails on a skill check, he or she can sometimes try again. Check the skill description to find out if, and under what circumstances, a character can try again. Many skills, however, have natural consequences for failing that must be accounted for. Some skills can’t be retried once a check for a particular task has failed. If the use of a skill carries no penalty for failure, a Character can keep trying until he or she eventually succeeds.

GM Note: A skill check usually takes 1 to 2 minutes of in-game time. (There are different rules for in-combat Skill checks). The GM can set a time limit, usually 2 minutes. That gives the players enough time to perform the check before the next scene occurs. If they try again, the GM should consider whether to impose consequences. Some game time is not really important. The GM should communicate with the Players about things like the importance of time as a resource in the game. If that is something that the GM wishes to change as the story changes, please keep the Players informed.

Aiding Another

In some situations, characters can cooperate to accomplish a given task. One character is designated as the leader of the effort, while the others try to aid them. A Character aids another by making the same skill check, which includes any adjustments associated with competency levels. This is a Standard Round action if done in combat. The helping Character can’t take 10 or 20, even if the leader is. The attempt to aid can only occur if the helping character can also perform the same skill. If the check succeeds, the Character’s ally gains 1 + the number over the DC to apply to his or her skill check to complete the task.

Limiting Number of Helpers: A general rule of thumb is that 1 additional Character can help. However, the GM can limit the number of other Characters who can aid, as he or she sees fit given the conditions. The GM may find that some tasks can be large enough that it would be reasonable for more Characters to help. An example is the construction of a large object, such as a spaceship. If there is more than 1 helper, the total bonus is for all rolls, including failures and how much they failed by. IE, If one player beats the DC by 2, then their bonus is 3 (1 + 2 over the DC). If another Character fails by 2, then they would subtract 2 from the total, so the final bonus to the leader is 1. In this way, a Character who asks for more help gains the chance of both great success and failure.

Dividing up the Task

Aiding and dividing up a task are two different things. Dividing up a task means that all Characters perform a section of the work, and all have to succeed in order for a successful outcome. Crafting large items, such as structures, is an example of when tasks can be divided. This makes the task go by faster but not easier.

NOTE: You cannot divide up to take 10 or take 20 actions. The helper Character or Characters cannot take 10 or 20.

Cooperative Check

Another scenario is cooperative work. This is when all characters can perform the same task and roll for themselves. However, not all have to be successful for a positive outcome. An example of this would be searching for clues. Each Player rolls a Perception skill check for their respective Characters, but only one has to be successful at spotting the clue. Yet the party as a whole shares in the positive outcome.

NOTE: This is not the same as aiding and is pointed out here to explain that in this type of situation, each Character is still on their own, and there is no leader that gets a bonus.

Ability Checks

Ability Checks are when a Character performs a task that requires confirmation of success but doesn't fit directly in one of the Skills. For example, determining if a drink or poison affected the Character (Constitution Check).

An Ability Check Roll is:

d20 + Ability Die

However, if the Character has an Affinity with the Ability, the roll is: d20 + Ability Die + Ability Mod. There can also be situations that provide advantages or disadvantages to Ability Checks, the same as for Skill Checks.

There are also Ability Saving Throws. These are when actions are done to the Character, and the Character must react to avoid the consequences, usually negative, such as damage. The roll is the same as the Ability check.

A Character can aid another Character in Ability Checks as long as that Character has at least a score of 10 in that Ability. They cannot aid in Ability Saving Throws. The Take 10/20 rules do not apply to Ability Checks/Saving Throws.

Ability Checks Examples

Strength: Forcing open a jammed or locked door
Dexterity: Tying a rope
Constitution: Holding one’s breath
Intelligence: Navigating a maze
Wisdom: Recognize a person you’ve seen before
Charisma: Getting yourself noticed in a crowd

There can also be opposing Ability checks. For example, two characters arm wrestle, make opposed Strength checks.

GM Related Skill Information

Below are rules and information that will likely be important for a GM to know, but not necessary for a Player.

Difficulty Class

Most checks are made against a Difficulty Class (DC). The DC is a number set by the GM (using the skill rules as a guideline) that a Character must meet or beat to be successful. This DC is used not only for skills but also for other roles, such as Saving throws. Also, a DC can have a Competency Level associated with it. For example, DC12 (Novice). This can adjust the DC based on the Character's Skill Competency level, attempting to beat it.

Table: Difficulty Class Examples:
Difficulty (DC)	Example (Skill Used)
Very easy (0)	Read something in your native language (Language)
Easy (5)	Climb a knotted rope (Athletics: Climb)
Average (10)	Hear an approaching security guard (Perception)
Tough (15)	Disarm an explosive (Disable Device/Demolitions)
Challenging (20)	Fly a space ship through a dense asteroid field (Pilot)
Formidable (25)	Break into a secure computer system (Computer Use)
Heroic (30)	Do surgery on an Alien species in a combat zone (Treat Injury: Surgery)
Superheroic (35)	Convince the guards that even though you’re not wearing an ID badge and aren’t on their list, they should let you into the building (Bluff)
Nearly impossible (40)	Track a trained commando through an alien forest on an overcast night after 12 days of rainfall (Survival)

Any DC seen as 0-4 (Very Easy) should be an automatic success and not require a roll. Although a Character may not be able to beat it, and it may be very important, the GM may still have them roll for an ultra-low DC.

The values in the chart above are for an average Character at a level around 10. This means the DC value should adjust slightly depending on the characters' average level. A game where the players are all level 18+ should see 40 as not necessary, nearly impossible, but instead Heroic or Superheroic. Basically, every 5 levels, these values should be adjusted by 2-5 points. At level 1, almost all actions that have a DC of 30+ should just be considered automatic failures, even ones that the Character specializes in.

Some Characters will find the same task just as impossible at level 20 as it was at level 1. The GM should be aware of all their Characters' strong and weak points, as well as what their max rolls for tasks are, in order to help determine the appropriate DC.

Altering The DC

There are times when the GM may want to alter the default DC to fit the situation. There are several options for doing this.

As the GM, it is important to understand the success rate of the dice. The easiest way to do that is to take the maximum possible dice roll before miscellaneous modifiers and divide it by two. For a d20 that would be 10. If it's a d20 + d10, that would be 15 (actually higher, but you should round the number), and so on. If the challenge has a DC15, then the Player can roll d20+d10, and before modifiers, the Character has a ~50% chance of success. Adding static modifiers such as +1 would change the average roll, so when calculating a challenge for a Player to overcome, consider what that Player's Character stats are. DC values noted in the book are guidelines or starting places. As the GM, feel free to adjust, but do not do so without explanation. A Player may ask why this electronic lock is so hard to bypass. As the GM, you should be ready to provide an explanation that fits the story.

Competency Levels

The GM can add a Competency Level to the check. This works if the Check is a Skill check. Then, only Characters with the required Competency level can attempt with the DC unaltered. Character's with lower Competency Levels will take a +4 to the DC per Competency level. Competency can imply that the obstacle is inherently more difficult than others without adjusting the DC. This can help create an obstacle that is impossible for all but one Player whose Competency in a particular skill is high enough giving that Player a chance to shine.

Advantage/Disadvantage

The GM can grant the Player an advantage or disadvantage in accordance with the Advantage rules. Note that the maximum number of advantage dice that can be added to a roll is 3. Advantage allows a Player to add their Advantage die to the roll to help boost the total and gain a statistically higher chance of success. The same happens with disadvantages, except in reverse. This should be followed by an explanation of why the advantage or disadvantage is being given, one that fits the environment or story. Players may ask for an advantage, and if so, the GM should ask for an explanation from the Player as to why their Character has an advantage.

Simple Adjust the DC

The GM can alter the odds by simply adjusting the DC. This is the simplest way to make an obstacle more challenging for Characters. The disadvantage here is that the Players may know the rules and want to know why this particular obstacle is different. The GM can make up a story or some basic excuse, but it can take Players out of a story if the world appears inconsistent. A GM should not overuse this option. Often, the obstacle is an item with a provided DC rating. If that is the case, there are usually rules, such as masterwork or tech up, that can increase the DC of the item. The GM should know the rules for any obstacles the players must deal with.

Opposed Checks

Some skill checks are Opposing Checks. They are made against a randomized number, usually another character’s skill check result. If a check ties the character with the higher key Ability Score wins. If those scores are the same, roll again.

Table: Example Opposed Checks::
Task	Skill	Opposing Skill
Sneak up on someone	Stealth	Perception
Con someone	Bluff	Sense Motive
Win a car race	Pilot	Pilot
Change appearance	Disguise	Perception
Steal a key chain	Sleight of Hand	Perception
Create a fake ID	Language	Perception

Tools / Profession kits

Some skill applications require tools. If tools are needed, the specific items required are mentioned in the skill description. These kits are categorized as Profession kits.

These kits sometimes also provide bonuses to actions. And they have a limited number of uses. By default, a new non-masterworked kit has 20 uses. A failure with a skill check still causes the kit to the used.

Skill Synergy

Sometimes, the GM may decide that having one skill provides a bonus when a character uses another skill in certain situations. In this cause the Player roles for both Skill checks and takes the higher roll. Example: Sleight of Hand could be argued to help in Surgery. Surgery is a sub-action within the Treat Injury skill. If the Character has ranks in both Treat Injury and Sleight of Hand, then they can roll for both skill checks and take the higher.

Skill Synergy is an optional rule at the GM's discretion. Players and the GM should agree on skill synergies before games.