The following is a list of new skills for FFd20 or new uses for old skills.
Table: FFD20 New Skills
| Computers | Craft (Electronic) | Craft (Explosive) | Craft (Mechanical) | Craft (Structural) |
| Drive | Knowledge (Technology) | Navigate | Pilot | Repair |
Table: FFD20 Changed Skills
| Disable Device | Knowledge (all) | Linguistics | Use Magic Device |
FFD20 Specific New Skills
Computers (Int; Trained Only)
Description: You can operate, manipulate, and hack into computer systems. If you don’t have physical access to a computer system’s user interface, you must use a hacking kit to access and manipulate the system. Computers are set up to give one or more authorized users “root access,” allowing them to access any information or function of the computer as a standard action, with no need for a Computers check. Firewalls can block off specific sections of a computer and grant different users root access to those sections. The base DC for many of the tasks of the Computers skill is 15. These DCs may be adjusted by the GM to reflect other circumstances.
Craft (Electronic) [Int; Trained Only]
Description: This skill allows a character to build and repair electronic equipment from scratch, such as audio and video equipment, timers and listening devices, or radios and communication devices.
Table: Craft (Electronic)
| Type of Scratch-Built Electronics (Examples) | Craft DC | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Simple (timer or detonator) | 15 | 1 hr. |
| Moderate (radio direction finder, electronic lock) | 20 | 12 hrs. |
| Complex (cell phone) | 25 | 24 hrs. |
| Advanced (computer) | 30 | 60 hrs. |
Special: A character without an electrical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (electronic) checks.
Craft (Explosive) [Int; Trained Only]
Description: This skill allows a character to connect, create and set explosives substances and devices. Setting a simple explosive to blow up at a certain spot doesn’t require a check, but connecting and setting a detonator does. Also, placing an explosive for maximum effect against a structure calls for a check, as does disarming an explosive device.
Check: A successful check produces a product of solid material, about the size of a brick. An explosive compound does not include a fuse or detonator.
Table: Craft (Explosive)
| Explosive | Craft DC | Reflex DC | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improvised (1d6/5 feet)* | 10 | 10 | 1 round | 50 gil |
| Simple (2d6/5 feet) | 15 | 12 | 10 mins. | 150 gil |
| Moderate (4d6/10 feet) | 20 | 12 | 1 hr. | 250 gil |
| Complex (6d6/15 feet) | 25 | 15 | 3 hrs. | 500 gil |
| Powerful (8d6/20 feet) | 30 | 15 | 12 hrs. | 750 gil |
| Devastating (10d6/25 feet) | 35 | 18 | 24 hrs. | 1,000 gil |
Set Detonator: Most explosives require a detonator to go off. Connecting a detonator to an explosive requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10). Failure means that the explosive fails to go off as planned. Failure by 10 or more means the explosive goes off as the detonator is being installed. A character can make an explosive difficult to disarm. To do so, the character chooses the disarm DC before making his or her check to set the detonator (it must be higher than 10). The character’s DC to set the detonator is equal to the disarm DC.
Place Explosive Device: Carefully placing an explosive against a fixed structure (a stationary, unattended inanimate object) can maximize the damage dealt by exploiting vulnerabilities in the structure’s construction. The GM makes the check (so that the character doesn’t know exactly how well he or he has done). On a result of 15 or higher, the explosive deals double damage to the structure against which it is placed. On a result of 25 or higher, it deals triple damage to the structure. In all cases, it deals normal damage to all other targets within its burst radius.
Disarm Explosive Device: Disarming an explosive that has been set to go off requires a Craft (explosives) check. The DC is usually 10, unless the person who set the detonator chose a higher disarm DC. If the character fails the check, he does not disarm the explosive. If the character fails by more than 5, the explosive goes off.
Action: Setting a detonator is usually a full-round action. Placing an explosive device takes 1 minute or more, depending on the scope of the job.
Try Again: Building an explosive from scratch is dangerous. If the Craft (explosives) check fails, the raw materials are wasted. If the check fails by 5 or more, the explosive compound detonates as it is being made, dealing half of its intended damage to the builder and anyone else in the burst radius.
Special: A character can take 10 when using the Craft (explosives) skill, but can’t take 20.
Craft (Mechanical) [Int; Trained Only]
Description: This skill allows a character to build and repair mechanical devices from scratch, including engines and engine parts, weapons, armor and other gadgets.
Table: Craft (Mechanical)
| Type of Scratch-Built Mechanical (Examples) | Craft DC | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Simple (tripwire trap) | 15 | 1 hr. |
| Moderate (light tactical armor) | 20 | 12 hrs. |
| Complex (medium and heavy tactical armor) | 25 | 24 hrs. |
| Advanced (airship engine) | 30 | 60 hrs. |
When building a mechanical device from scratch, the character describes the kind of device he wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides if the device is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced compared to current technology.
Craft (Structural) [Int; Trained Only]
Description: This skill allows a character to build and repair wooden, concrete, or metal structures from scratch, including bookcases, desks, walls, houses and so forth and includes such handyman skills as plumbing, house painting, drywall, laying cement and building cabinets.
Table: Craft (Structural)
| Scratch-Built Structure | Craft DC | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Simple (bookcase) | 15 | 12 hrs. |
| Moderate (house deck) | 20 | 24 hrs. |
| Complex (bunker) | 25 | 60 hrs. |
| Advanced (house) | 30 | 600 hrs. |
When building a structure from scratch, the character describes the kind of structure he or he wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides if the structure is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced in scope and difficulty.
Drive (Dex) [Trained Only]
Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary driving, don’t require a skill check. Make a check only when some unusual circumstance exists (such as inclement weather or an icy surface), or when the character is driving during a dramatic situation (the character is being chased or attacked, for example, or is trying to reach a destination in a limited amount of time). The following tasks do require checks.
- Accelerate (Move): You attempt a Drive check (DC 15) to get ahead, moving forward one zone immediately on a success. If the vehicle encounters any hazards or similar effects that occur upon entering a zone, they trigger immediately. The vehicle later moves forward one additional zone in the chase progress phase, even on a failed check, unless you failed the check by 5 or more.
- Break Free (Move): You attempt a Drive check (DC = 5 + the enemy vehicle’s CMD) to disengage from an engagement with other vehicles. If the engagement includes multiple enemy vehicles, the DC equals the highest CMD among the enemy vehicles + 5 per enemy vehicle beyond the first. If all parties are willing to end the engagement, no Drive check is required to break free.
- Engage Another Vehicle (Move): You attempt a Drive check (DC = the CMD of the enemy vehicle) to engage your vehicle with an enemy vehicle in the same zone. Two allied vehicles can engage freely; this is useful to allow people on one vehicle to board the other. In both cases, your vehicle then automatically becomes engaged with all other vehicles in the engagement. You can make melee attacks against those on another vehicle only if your vehicle is engaged with it; see the Engagement sidebar for more information.
- Evade (Move): You can attempt a Drive check (DC 20) to grant your vehicle a +2 circumstance bonus to its AC for 1 round. If you evade twice, the bonuses aren’t cumulative.
- Keep Pace (Move): You attempt a Drive check (DC 15) to stay in the same position in the chase. If you’re successful, your vehicle moves forward during the chase progress phase. If you fail, your vehicle falls back one zone during that phase. Many other driver actions can also result in a vehicle moving forward one zone during the chase progress phase, but they have a higher DC, increasing the chance the driver will fail.
- Slow Down (Move): Your vehicle doesn’t move during the chase progress phase. This driver action doesn’t require a check.
- Trick (Move): You can try a risky maneuver, use the terrain, or take an unconventional route to foil pursuers. You attempt a skill check (DC 20); this skill check could be a Drive check if the ploy requires intricate maneuvering, but it might instead be a Bluff, Stealth, or other skill check at the GM’s discretion. If you succeed, the Drive checks of all vehicles behind you take a –2 penalty for 1 round. You can attempt multiple Tricks with the double maneuver action, but the penalties imposed on the vehicles behind you aren’t cumulative. Penalties from multiple different drivers who are ahead and successfully perform Tricks, however, are cumulative.
- Double Maneuver (Full): You can take two of the aforementioned driver actions, but take a –4 penalty to each Drive check or other skill check. You take the driver actions in succession, but can choose your second action after taking the first one and can take an action more than once. If you don’t want to use your second action, you forfeit it but still take the penalty to your first check. Unlike other driver actions, a double maneuver takes your full action. If your vehicle is significantly faster than the other vehicles in the chase, you have an advantage when performing a double maneuver. If your vehicle’s full speed is at least 50 feet faster than the fastest enemy vehicle, you take only a –2 penalty when performing a double maneuver. Regardless of how many driver actions you take as part of a double maneuver, you move forward at most one zone during the chase progress phase.
Magitek operators use the Drive skill to operate their magitek. In general, magitek operators don’t need to make Drive checks to steer their magitek around the battlefield. However, this skill may come into play in combat under the following circumstances:
- When trying to move past a foe without provoking an attack of opportunity, a magitek operator can make a Drive check instead of an Acrobatics check.
- A magitek operator can oppose a trip attempt with a Drive check.
Try Again?: Most driving checks have consequences for failure that make trying again impossible.
Special: A character can take 10 when driving, but can’t take 20.
Time: A Drive check is a move action.
Knowledge (Technology) (Int, Trained Only)
You can make a Knowledge (technology) check to correctly identify airships, vehicles, and Magitek.
Check: The DCs for identifying technological items vary depending on the type of information required.
- Identifying an airship by its type, identifying a Magitek by its structure, or identifying a vehicle by its frame: DC 15.
- Determining the function or purpose of a particular mechanical system: DC 20.
- Recalling the standard, factory-model design specs of a particular type of airship, Magitek, or vehicle: DC 25.
When confronted with an unfamiliar piece of technology, you can make a Knowledge (technology) check to correctly surmise the primary (if not singular) purpose of the device. A successful check result does not enable you to activate the item, nor does it make you proficient with the item. For basic tools or instruments, the DC is 10. For anything else, the DC is 20.
Navigate (Int)
With the usage of Airships and regular ships, you can use the Navigate skill to plot a course between continents, cities, islands, or across oceans.
Check: Make a Navigate check when you’re trying to find your way to a distant location without directions or other specific guidance. The DC depends on the length of the trip. If you succeed, you move via the best reasonable course toward your goal. If you fail, you still reach the goal, but it takes you twice as long (you lose time backtracking and correcting your path). If you fail by more than 5, you travel the expected time, but only get halfway to your destination, at which point you become lost.
You may make a second Navigate check (DC 20) to regain your path. If you succeed, you continue on to your destination; the total time for your trip is twice the normal time. If you fail, you lose half a day before you can try again. You keep trying until you succeed, losing half a day for each failure.
Table: Navigate
| Length of Trip | DC |
|---|---|
| Short (a few hours) | 20 |
| Moderate (a day or two) | 22 |
| Long (up to a week) | 25 |
| Extreme (more than a week) | 28 |
You can use Navigate to determine your position on earth without the use of any high-tech equipment by checking the constellations or other natural landmarks. You must have a clear view of the night sky to make this check. The DC is 15.
Special: You can take 10 when making a Navigate check. You can take 20 only when determining your location, not when traveling.
Time: Plotting a course is a full-round action.
Pilot (Dex) [Trained Only]
You can use the Pilot skill to fly any kind of airship.
Checks are required during combat, for special maneuvers, or in other extreme circumstances, or when the pilot wants to attempt something outside the normal parameters of the vehicle. When flying, the character can attempt simple maneuvers and stunts (actions in which the pilot attempts to do something complex very quickly or in a limited space).
Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary flying, don’t require a skill check. Make a check only when some unusual circumstance exists.
Take-Off: You must spend 4 full-round actions to perform a normal take-off from a stationary speed. Even if you fail this check, there is no risk of crashing. As you attempt faster take-offs, the deadliness of a crash is higher.
- DC to take off with 4 full-round actions: 10
- DC to take off with 3 full-round actions: 20
- DC to take off with 2 full-round action: 40
- DC to take off with 1 full-round action: 60
Land: You must be in the slow speed category and on your next turn, spend a full-round action within 10 squares of a landing strip or flat surface to begin landing.
- DC on Strip: 10
- Makeshift Runway: 15
- Carrier: 20
- Short makeshift Runway: 25
Recover from Stall: As a full-round action, you may recover from a stall and go back into Slow Speed. There is a 75% chance each round that you’ll end up nose-down in a stall, so even if you recover- it may be impossible to pull up in time.
DC to recover: 20 + 2 for each round you were previously stalling.
Synergy: For every 5 ranks you have in Pilot, you gain a +1 bonus to Pilot (Evasion) and Pilot (Maneuver) skill checks.
Pilot (Evasion): Used primarily for avoiding missiles, debris, or hazards in your path.
- DC to avoid a Flock of birds: 15
- DC to avoid Airship debris: 20
- DC to avoid a Radio Tower: 25
- DC to avoid an Office Building: 30
- DC to avoid a Skyscraper: 35
- DC to avoid Megalith Tunnels: 40
Pilot (Maneuver): Used to perform aerial maneuvers that will put you in an advantageous position.
- DC to Barrel Roll: 5
- DC to Flat Scissors: 10
- DC to Rolling Scissors: 15
- DC to Controlled Stall: 30
Repair (Int)
You can repair or jury-rig damaged machinery, including ordinary items, Shindroids, vehicles, airships and Magitek.
Check: Repairing damage to items, Shindroids, vehicles, airships, and Magitek takes 1 hour of work, a mechanical tool kit, and a proper facility such as a workshop or hanger bay. (Without the toolkit, you take a -4 penalty on your Repair check.) At the end of the hour, make a Repair check (DC 15). Success repairs 1d6 points of damage and for every 5 you exceed the DC, you repair an additional 1d6 points of damage. If damage remains, you may continue to make repairs for as many hours as it takes to restore the objects to full hit points. Shindroids can be provided long-term first aid like the Heal skill.
Special: Items, vehicles, and airships that are reduced to 0 hp cannot be repaired. It can be salvaged for parts, however (see the Salvage class feature (engineer) description for details).
FFD20 Specific Changed Skills
Disable Device [Dex; AC Penalty; Trained Only]
With the Technologist feat, you can use Disable Device to interact safely with explosive devices and disable technological devices and traps.
Arm Explosive: If you possess a detonator, you can arm an explosive weapon as a trap. Connecting a detonator to an explosive requires a successful DC 10 Disable Device check. Failure means that the attempt fails, but you can attempt to arm the explosive again. Failure by 5 or more means the explosive is triggered as the detonator is installed. You can attempt to make an explosive difficult to disarm. To do so, choose a target disarm DC of 15 or higher, with a DC increment of 5. This becomes your target DC to set the explosive as well as the DC to disarm the explosive.
Disable Electronic Device: Disabling an electronically controlled trap or unlocking an electronically locked door is easier if you use an e-pick. Without an e-pick, you take a -5 penalty on any attempt to use Disable Device on an electronic device.
Disarm Explosive: Disarming an explosive requires the character to succeed at a Disable Device check as if disarming a trap. The DC is usually lo, unless the person who set the explosive successfully did so with a higher disarm DC. A failure to disarm an explosive by 5 or more immediately triggers the explosive.
Special: A character can take 10 when using Disable Device to arm or disarm explosives, but cannot take 20.
Time: Arming an explosive device takes 1 minute or more, depending on the scope of the job. Disarming an explosive is treated as if the explosive were a complex trap, and takes 2d4 rounds to attempt.
Knowledge all (Int, Trained Only)
- Arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, constructs, dragons, magical beasts); Although robots are constructs, Knowledge (arcana) cannot be used to identify robots or their abilities and weaknesses.
- Dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)
- Engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
- Geography (lands, terrain, climate, people); Used for astronomy.
- History (wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities)
- Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)
- Nature (animals, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin)
- Nobility (lineages, heraldry, personalities, royalty)
- Planes (the Inner Planes, the Outer Planes, the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, outsiders, planar magic)
- Religion (gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols, undead)
- Technology (robots, machines, computers)
Check: In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s CR. For common monsters, such as goblins, the DC of this check equals 5 + the monster’s CR. For particularly rare monsters, such as primals, the DC of this check equals 15 + the monster’s CR or more. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.
Action: Usually none. In most cases, a Knowledge check doesn’t take an action. You cannot make this check untrained if the DC is higher than 10 unless you have access to a library which lengthens this action to 1d4 hours.
Retry? No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn’t let you know something that you never learned in the first place.
Traits to learn (But are not limited to):
How many HD
Type/s and Subtype/s
Lowest Save
Highest Save
All weaknesses
All resistances
All immunities
DR Type
Does it have SR
Main Attack
Main Magic
Secondary Magic
Special Attacks (Trip, grapple etc. One per selection.)
Special Abilities (Supernatural attacks, acid, poison etc. One per selection.)
Modes of Movement (not speed)
Speed
Battle Tactics
Pack or Solo
Linguistics (Int, Trained only)
You are skilled at working with language, in both its spoken and written forms. You can speak multiple languages, and can decipher nearly any tongue given enough time. Your skill in writing allows you to create and detect forgeries as well. This list is to be used in addition to Pathfinder’s languages.
You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.)
Both the Linguistics check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check are made secretly by the GM, so that you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.
Common Uses
Learn a Language: Whenever you put a rank into this skill, you learn to speak and read a new language. Common languages (and their typical speakers) are listed below in Table: Common Languages
Table: Beast Tribe Languages
| Language | Spoken By | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amalij'aa | Amalij'aa | Language of the Amalij'aas. |
| Antican | Anticas | Language of the Anticas. |
| Goblin | Goblins | Language of the Goblins. |
| Kojin | Kojins | Language of the Kojins. |
| Loporrit | Loporrit | Language of the Loporrit. |
| Matanga | Matanga | Language of the Matanga. |
| Orc | Orcs | Language of the Orcs. |
| Qiqirn | Qiqirns | Language of the Qiqirns. |
| Quadav | Quadavs | Language of the Quadavs. |
| Sahagin | Sahagins | Language of the Sahagins. |
| Sylvan | Sylphs | Language of the Sylphs. |
| Vanu | Vanu Vanus | Language of the Vanu Vanus. |
| Yagudo | Ixals and Yagudos | Language of the Ixals and Yagudos. |
Table: Common Languages
| Language | Spoken By | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aegyllan | Aegyls | Language of the Aegyls. |
| Albhedian | Al Bheds | Language of the Al Bheds. |
| Banganese | Bangaas | Language of the Bangaas. |
| Burmecian | Burmecians | Language of the Burmecians. |
| Draconese | Dracobaltian | Language of the Dracobaltians. |
| Draconic | Dragons, Auri, and Grias | Language of the Auri, Dragons, and Grias. |
| Dwarven | Dwarves | Language of the Dwarves. |
| Elvaan | Elvaans | Language of the Elvaans. |
| Galkan | Galkas | Language of the Galkas. |
| Garif | Garif | Language of the Garif. |
| Guado | Guado | Language of the Guado. |
| Hypello | Hypello | Language of the Hypello. |
| Lambkin | Lambkin | Language of the Lambkin. |
| Lalafellan | Tarutarus | Language of the Tarutarus. |
| Lionese | Seto Lion | Language of the Seto Lions. |
| Lupin | Vargs | Language of the Vargs. |
| Mandragoran | Mandragoras | Language of the Mandragoras. |
| Mithran | Mithras | Language of the Mithras. |
| Moogle | Moogles | Language of the Moogles. |
| Numish | Nu Mous | Language of the Nu Mous. |
| Queran | Qus | Language of the Qus. |
| Pupon | Pupu | Language of the Pupu. |
| Roegadyn | Roegadyns | Language of the Roegadyns. |
| Ronsaur | Ronsos | Language of the Ronsos. |
| Seeq | Seeq | Language of the Seeq. |
| Tonberry | Tonkins, and Tonberries | Language of the Tonkins and Tonberries. Note: This is a telepathically-spoken language. |
| Vieran | Vieras | Language of the Vieras. |
Table: Common Elemental Languages
| Language | Spoken By | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aquan | Aquatic and water-based creatures | The so-called “tongue of the sea” is spoken primarily in the sunken nation of the locathahs— those who trade frequently with the ocean empires often speak this tongue as well. |
| Auran | Flying creatures, air-based creatures | A soft-spoken, breathy language, also known as the “tongue of the heavens.” |
| Auroran | Ice-based creatures. | A crackly-spoken, breezy language, also known as the "tongue of ice." |
| Enochian | Divine and holy-based creatures. | A softly-spoken, gentle language, also known as the "tongue of the light." |
| Ignan | Fire-based creatures. | Also called the “tongue of fire.” |
| Runic | Arcane and non-elemental based creatures | A language in-between all the other elemental languages also called the “tongue of arcane.” |
| Terran | Underground and Earth-based creatures. | Also called the “tongue of earth.” |
| Thorian | Lightning-based creatures. | A sharp-spoken, zippy language, also known as the "tongue of the storm." |
| Umbran | Unholy and shadow-based creatures. | A deep-spoken language, also known as the "tongue of darkness." |
Use Magic Device (Cha; Trained Only)
Use this skill to activate materia to cast spells.
Check: To use the materia, you need to attune yourself to a materia first; this requires a standard action and a Use Magic Device skill check DC 20 (DC 25 in combat). You may only be attuned to one materia at a time. Once attuned, you need not attune again unless you attune to a new materia. In order to cast a spell from materia, you must have a Caster Level equal to double the spell level (1st level spells at 2nd level, 2nd level spells at 4th level, and so on). Your ranks in Use Magic Device are treated as your Caster Level if your class(es) lack casting abilities. If you’ve attuned to the materia, have a high enough caster level, and the materia belongs to the Spell, Support, or Summon types, it may be treated as if it were a wand that has 3 charges that recharge every 24 hours. You may expend a charge to cast a spell from the materia. Once all charges are expended, the materia ceases to provide bonuses until it has recharged.
Action: None. The Use Magic Device check is made as part of the action (if any) required to activate the materia.
Try Again: Yes, but if you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate a materia and you fail, then you lose all charges and must wait for it to recharge.
Special: You cannot take 10 with this skill. You can’t aid another on Use Magic Device checks. Only the user of the item may attempt such a check.
