Remember the deities YARR? This will be another of those massive, sprawling updates. Bear with me. This one is an attempt to categorise and list the main non-combat skills. Rules for gaining non-combat skills are to be found in the Non-Combat Abilities YARR, and to repeat them here would be redundant.

Non-combat skills are divided into five basic and somewhat arbitrary categories:

Nature skills include any skill relying on the character's attunement to nature and natural situations and systems. Their effectiveness may vary with any or all of a character's stats.

Social skills affect a character's interactions with people and cultures. Their effectiveness is usually based mostly on Wisdom, although a few also involve Agility to some degree.

Science skills consist of the application of knowledge to practical situations. Their effectiveness relies on Wisdom and often Agility.

Manual skills are those which primarily involve the character's ability to use their strength and dexterity toward specific tasks. Their effectiveness relies mostly on Strength and/or Agility.

Magic skills involve the use of magic in non-combat situations. While these skills do not have separate AP as combat spells do, they still draw upon the character's reserves of magical power (EP, if anyone really keeps track of EP). Obviously, the effectiveness of these skills is mostly based on Wisdom.

While there are no firm rules on the success rates of various applications of non-combat skills, the higher the stats involved in using a skill, the more generally useful the skill will be. There are also other ways for the effectiveness of skills to be improved or penalised: for example, a blessed druidic talisman might give a bonus to all Nature skills. A skill is *not* a guarantee of success, however; a would-be thief with an Agility of 10 runs a considerable risk of failure no matter how skilled he is in Lockpicking (although he'll still be better at it than an unskilled lockpicker with higher Agility).

Also, Magic skills are either more powerful than comparable non-magical skills or require fewer skill slots to be invested. The tradeoff, of course, is that a character can't keep using magic forever, and there are situations in which a character's magic may fail them completely. This may not be a big deal for something like a teleportation spell, which only needs to be used occasionally, but if one loses the effect of one's water-breathing magic in the middle of the ocean, the spell may not be the only thing that expires.

If a character wishes to gain one of the Magic skills listed below as a non-magical skill, this will require the investment of twice the listed number of skill slots. (It's also worth noting that in nearly all cases, the converted skill will be a Nature skill, as it will be considered a natural ability of the character who gains it. And yes, a level-20 character suddenly gaining the innate ability to levitate at will is, admittedly, rather silly. The logically-minded are free to assume the character performed some kind of ritual to permanently gain the ability, and particularly evil DMs are free to require this ritual to be researched and performed by the character, complete with any appropriate preparation costs.)

And now, without further ado, here are the skills. A number in parentheses after a skill's name indicates that more than one skill slot may be invested in that skill. For example, Blacksmithing (5) indicates that up to five skill slots may be invested in Blacksmithing skill.

Nature:

Agriculture: Includes knowledge of all the skills needed to run a farm or garden. The character skilled in Agriculture has a basic understanding of how to plant and harvest crops, raise and slaughter animals, and so on.

Animal Handling: A character skilled in Animal Handling knows how best to approach animals in order to avoid being attacked, and can also attempt to train a reasonably tame animal.

Biofeedback (2): Characters possessing this skill have learned to control their own biorhythms. These characters are generally better able to adapt to conditions of extreme physical hardship (starvation, extremes of heat or cold, drowning, etc.) and gain a small bonus to their effective Endurance for purposes of enduring such conditions. A second skill slot may be invested in this skill, increasing this effective bonus and allowing characters to temporarily stop vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat, permitting them to safely feign death for a minute or two. Characters feigning death will be unable to see clearly and will have their other senses dulled somewhat due to lack of oxygen supply to the brain, but will still be able to hear well enough to pick up normal conversation. Feigning death poses no risk to the character's health, as all vital functions will resume if the character attempts to feign death for too long and loses consciousness.

First Aid (5): Characters skilled in First Aid are more skilled at treating injuries, applying bandages, administering ointments, and other such non-magical medical techniques. A character with five slots invested in First Aid has about as much medical skill as a relatively competent doctor.

Hunting: A character skilled in Hunting can more easily recognise and follow the tracks of most animals.

Infravision: A character possessing this skill has the natural ability to see into the infrared spectrum, detecting heat sources (such as most living creatures) even in complete darkness. Infravision is not always as precise as regular vision: a character may be able to make out details, or may merely see a vague shape. The reliability of Infravision may be improved by skills such as Perception or Night Vision.

Meditation: A character possessing this skill can relax her mind through meditation, gaining all the benefits of restful sleep. Such characters can "sleep" through conditions that would wake up an ordinary sleeper, while still remaining alert enough to awaken quickly in response to any potentially dangerous stimuli. Furthermore, since brief periods of meditation may be distributed throughout the day, characters skilled in meditation can survive on less sleep than other people.

Mountaineering: A character skilled in Mountaineering knows how to most easily and safely negotiate rock faces and other steeply-sloping terrain, and has an understanding of the use of basic climbing tools.

Night Vision: Characters skilled in Night Vision can see well under conditions of low light. While not able to see in complete darkness, and still unable to see quite as well in darkness as in full sunlight, such characters' vision in darkness is comparable to that of a nocturnal animal such as an owl or cat.

Perception: Characters skilled in Perception tend generally to be more likely to notice details in their surroundings. A character with this skill has an increased chance of such serendipitous events as overhearing a conversation through a wall, or spotting a tripwire stretched across the path in front of him.

Riding: A character with this skill knows how to properly spur on an animal and remain balanced on its back. This skill is essential for riding untamed, flying or aquatic animals, and helpful for riding horses and other mundane beasts.

Sailing: Characters skilled in Sailing have a knowledge of the skills and techniques necessary to sail most common types of ship.

Stealth (2): Characters skilled in Stealth can move around virtually unnoticed given favourable conditions (soft floor, semi-darkness, moving slowly, no metal armour worn), and has a reduced chance of being noticed in less favourable conditions. A second skill slot can be invested in this skill, further increasing a character's chance of success in any attempts to hide or sneak around.

Swimming: Fairly self-explanatory. Characters unskilled in swimming are just about able to stay afloat in calm water, if they're lucky and not weighed down by their possessions. With this skill, the swimmer's chances under adverse conditions are significantly improved.

Social:

Cooking: Skilled or not, most characters know enough about food preparation to create a reasonably edible meal. The Cooking skill encompasses a knowledge of the finer culinary arts and preferred dishes of each culture.

Deception: Characters possessing this skill can tell lies convincingly; unless the people they speak to have serious reasons to doubt their claims (or their claims are particularly unbelievable), lies told by such characters can generally be detected only by magical means.

Disguise (2): A character with this skill is a master of disguise, and given basic familiarity with a particular social group (thieves' guild, army, nation or whatever) can often convincingly impersonate a member of such a group. Characters with two skill slots invested in this ability can easily imitate the mannerisms and voice of specific individuals.

Etiquette (6): A character with this skill knows the customs and traditions of a region, and can generally avoid committing an offensive social faux pas. Each slot invested in this skill makes the character familiar with the etiquette of one nation or region of his choice (Alelith, Emnar, Eastern Milya, Guarep, Helb or Bours).

Heraldry (2): A character with this skill understands the significance of various heraldic symbols. While even an unskilled character will usually recognise basic symbols such as the military standard of his home country, one slot invested in this skill will allow easy identification of such major symbols of all countries, while two slots will allow the identification of minor, ancient or otherwise obscure symbols.

History (5): This skill gives a character an extensive knowledge of the social and political history of a continent, both modern and ancient. Each slot invested in this skill makes the character familiar with the history of one continent of his choice (Milya, Bours, Guarep, Helb or Thrask). Note that since the continent of Thrask no longer exists, all history relating to it may be considered ancient history.

Performance: A character with this skill can confidently and skillfully engage in singing, public speaking or other such activities performed in front of a crowd.

Dancing: A character with this skill has knowlegde of common formal dances and training in performing such dances.

Theology: A character skilled in Theology knows the history of the Church of the Pantheon, its cultural and political effects and differences in theological views and interpretations among various nations.

Manual:

Blacksmithing (5): Characters skilled in Blacksmithing are able to craft useful items, including weapons and armour, out of metal (assuming that the right tools and materials are available, of course). A character with five skill slots invested in this ability is a master smith capable of truly impressive workmanship. Note, however, that fashioning high-quality weapons and armour will also require the Weaponmaster or Armourer skills.

Carpentry: This skill allows characters to proficiently craft items and structures from wood.

Gemcraft: Characters with this skill are able to craft uncut gems into valuable works of art, given the appropriate tools.

Knotwork: A character with this skill can tie various knots for different purposes, and has a good chance of being able to escape if bound with rope or similar restraints.

Leatherwork: A character with this skill can fashion leather into useful objects such as boots or clothing.

Lockpicking (3): This skill allows characters to use a purpose-built lockpick, a piece of wire or a similar tool to attempt to force open a lock. Investing a greater number of skill slots into Lockpicking allows the character to pick more complex locks with a higher rate of success.

Pickpocketing: This skill allows a character to take small objects from the possession of another without being noticed. It can be also used to perform various minor feats of sleight of hand.

Stonework: With the right tools, a character with this skill can safely carve stone. This skill also includes the knowledge needed to mine or dig tunnels through rock with a reasonable degree of safety.

Textiles: A character with this skill has an understanding of spinning, weaving, sewing and other techniques used to create and mend items made from various fabrics.

Trapcraft (4): This skill allows characters to find, set or disarm traps. Investing additional skill slots into Trapcraft allows more complex traps to be set or disarmed with less risk.

Science:

Alchemy (4): This skill allows the brewing of potions and other magical substances.

Appraisal: Given a complete knowledge of the composition and properties of an item, a character with this skill can determine its approximate market value in any given region.

Armourer: A character with this skill can determine the non-magical properties and overall quality of any piece of armour. This skill is also necessary in order for a character to use Blacksmithing skill to make armour.

Astrology: A character with this skill is able to read various natural signs and omens in order to make vague predictions about the future.

Cartography: This skill gives a character the ability to make detailed and accurate maps.

Engineering (3): This skill allows a character to design sound plans for buildings, structures, or machines. Spending more skill slots on this ability allows more complex plans and designs to be made (within the limits of this world's technology).

Geology: Characters with this skill can survey a region of land, determining the probable location of mineral deposits, rivers and other features within the nearby area.

Graphology: This skill allows a character to analyse a painting or a handwritten letter in order to determine facts such as whether it was produced by a particular person (in order to do this, the character will need access to a known sample of that person's work for comparison). A character with this ability can also attempt to produce forged letters or artworks in the style of a person whose writing or painting he is familiar with.

Herbalism: This skill allows a character to recognise various significant plants and to know which are edible, which are poisonous, which are useful as alchemical ingredients, and so on.

Meteorology: A character with this skill can predict weather with reasonable accuracy up to a day or two ahead of the present.

Navigation: A character with this skill possesses a variety of techniques useful for determining the direction in which he is travelling and otherwise avoiding becoming hopelessly lost.

Spellcraft (3): This skill gives characters an understanding of the theory behind various forms of magic. Given an exotic potion, the character may be able to determine its effects, or even what ingredients could be used to produce a similar potion. Given an unknown scroll or other magical device, the character may be able to determine its function. Investing more skill slots into this ability increases the amount of knowledge which can be gained through it.

Weaponmaster: This skill fulfils a similar function to Armourer, but for weapons rather than armour.

Magic:

Detection (3): The spellcaster can detect auras of magic, life or other energy, and determine their approximate strength. More skill slots allow more precise information to be determined - level-3 Detection is the equivalent of an Identify spell, although it only determines the magical properties of an item and not the inherent properties resulting from its materials and craftsmanship. (Thus, a flaming sword would be recognised as such, but without Weaponmaster skill the caster would have no way of knowing how well-made a sword it was overall.)

Enchantment (5): With the assistance of other skills, spells, and items, this ability allows the caster to create magical items. A player intending to have her character create a magical item should consult her DM, who will determine whether the requested item can be created and what research and work will be involved in doing so. More skill slots allow the caster to create more powerful items.

Flight (4): The caster is granted magical flight. One skill slot invested into the ability grants levitation and slows descent to a safe speed in case of a fall, two slots allow the character to glide moderate distances (up to a few hundred metres), three allow long-distance gliding and full flight over moderate distances, while four give full long-distance flight.

Light: The caster can temporarily produce a glowing ball of light, following her around to illuminate dark areas.

Teleportation (4): One skill slot invested in this ability allows the caster to teleport short distances in order to bypass a wall, trap or other small obstacle. Two skill slots allow teleportation to a place which the caster is familiar with, within a radius of a hundred miles. Three slots allow teleportation to any place which he has previously visited, while four slots allow the caster to teleport just about anywhere in the world if given an accurate description of it. Forms of magical shielding exist which may limit or prevent teleportation.

Water Breathing: Use of this spell allows the caster to breathe underwater for some time.

(Many more possible Magic skills exist - you can pretty much think up any non-combat spell you like and your DM will give you an idea of how many skill slots it will cost)