Realm of Runes treats skills almost entirely independently of class, much like esoteric proficiency. Each class uses its initial proficiency section to pass out a number of skills that a character can be trained in, and a choice of one with good class synergy to be an expert in. The expert proficiency is chosen from a specific pair, but the trained skills are entirely at the player's discretion. Want to be a Barbarian that uses sleight of hand to do magic tricks? A wizard that likes to grapple people? An alchemist that performs seances and predicts the future? It's entirely up to you, the world of skills is your oyster.
Each skill in Realm of Runes has three sections in its description. Unrestricted uses that anyone can use the skill for, even if they have no training in it whatsoever, Trained uses that only those who have become at least trained in the skill can do with it, and skill feats. Unrestricted uses tend to be basic things that pretty much everyone should be able to do, or at least try. Trained uses tend to be a bit more niche, and not something that is as fundamental as unrestricted, but still common enough that nobody should have to spend additional character resources besides training to unlock. Many unrestricted and trained-only uses reward those with better proficiency in the skill by automatically having improved results or expanded uses for higher proficiency tiers.
Each skill also has ten skill feats available. Most of these skill feats can be chosen if you are at least trained in the skill, but several have tier prerequisites of expert, master, and even legendary. These skill feats add completely new uses for their skill or allow existing ones to be used differently, and also frequently include natural scaling for higher proficiency tiers. Skill feats are always optional, but the choice between increasing your proficiency and grabbing a new skill feat can be a hard one to make. Both improve your character dramatically, but differently.
Skills generally fall into four distinct categories: Physical skills, Intelligence skills, Wisdom skills, and Charisma skills. This distinction is not important in terms of playing the game, and is naturally delineated by which Ability Modifier a skill uses as its key ability, but since they fall into roughly equal proportions, and talking about seventeen different skills at once is a bit much, these blog posts are going to look at the skills collected in these groups. As the title suggests, we're starting with the physical skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Legerdemain and Stealth.
It will not be covered in this blog, but a tasty preview is that Intimidation, normally a Charisma skill, can be converted to a Strength-based skill instead. Indeed, ways to use some skills to cover the abilities of others is a fairly common theme among skill feats for a majority of skills. With so many skills, and so many skill feats, and only so many boosts and feats to go around, finding new ways to use a skill to perform related tasks from another area helps reward those who like to specialize without punishing those that like to generalize.
ACROBATICS (KEY ABILITY: AGILITY)
Acrobatics is used for broad physical dexterity. Things like maintaining your balance, maneuvering if you can fly, escaping from and squeezing through tight spaces, and maneuvering around or past opponents that are just itching to take advantage of any opening you present or block your movement. All Acrobatics skill uses are available to characters without restriction, but most of them naturally improve for users with better proficiency.
Acrobatics skill feats generally make you more maneuverable, but also blur the lines between Acrobatics and Athletics. Parkour lets you use Acrobatics instead of Athletics for uses related to movement, and Deft Maneuvers lets you use Acrobatics instead of Athletics for maneuvers like Grapple, Disarm and Trip - giving dexterous characters a way to have their nimbleness make up for a lack of raw power. Legendary Acrobatics skill feats let you do incredible things like always count as having a hand free or jumping from wall to wall without stopping.
ATHLETICS (KEY ABILITY: STRENGTH)
Athletics is used for physical might. Combat maneuvers, like Grapple, Disarm, Shove and Trip are found here, as are strenuous physical activities like climbing, swimming and jumping. All Athletics skill uses are available to characters without restriction, but many of them naturally improve for users with better proficiency. Uses with the attack trait are tactical alternatives to straight-up attacking, which can be used to incapacitate enemies or hinder their movement and action economy, making them easier to deal with. You can even Trip flying enemies, if you can reach them or do so at range, sending them plummeting to the ground so your buddies that didn't bring a ranged weapon can join in the pummeling.
Athletics skill feats generally focus on making you better at using maneuvers, but also blur the lines between Athletics and Acrobatics. Power Through lets you use your raw physicality to replicate the effects of many Acrobatics movement abilities - giving strong characters a way to have their raw power make up for a lack of nimbleness. Legendary Athletics skills feats make you an incredible force with the maneuvers you choose to specialize in, and can even exempt your maneuvers from the dreaded Multiple Attack Penalty, so using these maneuvers doesn't interfere with your continued use of more traditional weapon attacks, and provides a great alternative to those later attacks in a round that are less likely to make contact.
LEGERDEMAIN (KEY ABILITY: AGILITY)
Legerdemain is used for manual dexterity and fine motor function. Things like disarming traps, picking locks and picking pockets. Anyone can use Legerdemain to try to make an object "disappear" from plain sight, of from its owner's possession, or learn how to use tools to effectively defuse dangerous traps or maneuver the tricky tumblers of locks. Those with better proficiency can achieve success with these abilities faster, or perform implausible stunts like stealing the very pants off an unsuspecting mark, pockets included.
Legerdemain skill feats generally focus on adding new and interesting ways to make your fine motor skills work for you. Stage Magician is one of only two ways to make practicing a day job to earn some quick cash a physical activity instead of a mental one, and Quick Hands lets you reload weapons much faster than normal. Legendary Legerdemain feats make your nimble fingers quick enough to steal active spells from others, whether to selflessly remove a crippling debuff from your party tank or to craftily turn the tables on a magically inclined foe, or even disarm a trap after it's been sprung but before it has a chance to wreak havoc, in case nobody noticed it!
STEALTH (KEY ABILITY: AGILITY)
Stealth is used for evading detection from others, and for keeping the upper hand. Things like hiding in place or sneaking from cover-to-cover utilize your Stealth. All Stealth skill uses are available to characters without restriction, but tend to improve for users with better proficiency. Keeping out of sight doesn't generally help to defeat foes directly, but sometimes avoiding a fight is a worthy effort to save resources, or lives, and some classes like the rogue have a natural tendency to like attacking from surprise.
Stealth skill feats generally focus on making your stealth work for you, and for your party as well. Quiet Allies lets you help your buddies stop breaking your surprise all the time. Concealed Arsenal not only helps you hide more weapons on your person, but makes those hidden weapons weigh you down less, too. Sniper Shot lets you make ranged attacks that don't give away your position. Legendary Stealth skill feats let you do things like always start a fight unnoticed to those who go after you in initiative or make your sniping almost never give you away. Your targets will never know what hit them, or from where!
Skills in general are extremely important in Realm of Runes. They allow characters to branch out organically from the chassis of their class into a more well-rounded package. Physical skills in particular are some of the most freely available skills, giving great utility even to those that don't invest heavily in them but dabble from time to time. Those that put some effort into them will be some of the most effective at getting around the battlefield, or stopping unwanted encounters before they even happen. Next time we're going to alternate back to looking at classes, with the first name to come to mind when you think "physical," the Barbarian.
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