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Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Starfinder RPG

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Pathfinder Unchained / Grouped Skills

Skill Group Rules

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 70
At 1st level, a character gains training in a number of skill groups determined by her class’s number of skill ranks per level, as shown on Table 2–3: Skill Specialties and Groups by Level. A character can gain training in any skill group, even if none of the included skills are class skills for her.

At 1st level, a character gains one skill specialty, plus a number of bonus skill specialties equal to 1/2 her Intelligence modifier. At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a character gains a specialty in one additional skill. If at any point her Intelligence modifier increases or decreases, her number of bonus skill specialties changes accordingly. Each skill specialty applies to a single, specific skill, and a character is allowed to take a specialty in a skill that isn’t in one of her skill groups. However, her bonus with that skill isn’t as high as it would be if she were also trained in the corresponding skill group.

When determining whether a character can use a trained-only skill, the character counts as trained if she has either a specialty in that skill or training in the skill’s group.

Skill GroupsIncluded Skills
NaturalHandle Animal, Heal, Survival
PerceptivePerception, Sense Motive
PhysicalAcrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, Swim
ScholarlyAppraise, Craft, Knowledge (All), Profession, Spellcraft
SocialBluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perform
ThievingDisable Device, Disguise, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Use Magic Device


For example, a 1st-level druid with an Intelligence score of 12 gains training in two skill groups. She chooses Natural and Physical. She has one specialty to spend (1/2 her Intelligence modifier rounds down to 0 in this case, so she won’t gain bonus specialties unless she increases her Intelligence score to 14 or higher). The druid chooses Perception for her skill specialty.

Table 2-3: Skill Specialties and Groups by Level

Groups
Character LevelSkill Specialties12+Int24+Int36+Int48+Int5
1st12233
2nd22233
3rd22233
4th32233
5th32233
6th42233
7th42233
8th52334
9th52334
10th63344
11th63344
12th73344
13th73344
14th83344
15th83344
16th93344
17th93344
18th103445
19th103445
20th113445
1 A character adds 1/2 her Intelligence bonus to her number of specialties; characters always have a minimum of 1 specialty.
2 This category includes the arcanist, cleric, fighter, magus, paladin, sorcerer, summoner, warpriest, witch, and wizard.
3 This category includes the alchemist, barbarian, bloodrager, brawler, druid, gunslinger, monk, oracle, shaman, skald, and swashbuckler.
4 This category includes the bard, cavalier, hunter, inquisitor, investigator, ranger, and slayer.
5 This category includes the rogue.

Calculating Skill Bonuses

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 70
If a character has a specialty in a skill and that skill is also in a skill group she’s trained in, her bonus on checks using the skill is equal to her relevant ability modifier + her character level. If only one applies—she only has a specialty in the skill or she is trained in that skill’s group but doesn’t have a specialty in the skill—her bonus is equal to her relevant ability modifier + 1/2 her character level (minimum 1).

If a skill is on her class skill list, she gains the +3 bonus if she’s trained in its skill group or has a specialty in it— she doesn’t have to both be trained and have a specialty. Class skill bonuses look only at specific skills, not groups. If Diplomacy is on a character’s class skill list but Bluff isn’t, having training in the Social skill group doesn’t allow that character to gain the class skill bonus on Bluff checks. Any circumstance that modifies skill checks, such as the Skill Focus feat or certain spells, still grants the same bonus or penalty as it would if the campaign weren’t using grouped skills.

Linguistics

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 71
A character’s bonus languages from the Linguistics skill work like the bonus on skill checks she gains from her level. She gains a number of bonus languages equal to 1/2 her level (minimum 1) if she has either a specialty in Linguistics or training in the Social skill group. If she has both a specialty in Linguistics and training in the Social skill group, she knows a number of bonus languages equal to her full level.

Multiclassing

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 71
A multiclassed character uses the class with the lowest number of skill ranks per level to determine her number of skill groups. This doesn’t cause her to lose skill groups she’s already selected if she gains a level in a new class that would have fewer skill groups at her character level—once a skill group has been selected, it can’t be unselected. For instance, a character with 6 levels in rogue would have training in three skill groups. If she then took a level in druid, she would still have three groups, but the number of skill groups she knows would now increase to four at character level 18th instead of at character level 8th.