Secondary Skills
Summary:
Details
Career versus Hobby Skills: Secondary skills are divided into 2 types: career/occupation skills and hobby skills. Career skills are a group of skills that allow a character to perform an occupation. Consider all the sub-skills involved in "Farming/Agriculture" (animal handling, ... and even basics like sharpening tools and basic woodworking). To be a farmer, a person needs all of these sub-skills and extensive training/experience. It is up to the Player and the CK to agree upon which sub-skills would be part of a specific career. On the other hand, a hobby skill cannot be sub-divided and/or can be quickly learned. The necessary training for wood carving can be learned in a weekend. Note, your character will not be good at it without practice; but she will know how to do the skill.
Skills and Attributes: Every Secondary Skill listed is associated with a related attribute. Example: Armorer (Intelligence). The Player and CK might decide on a different attribute for a specific sub-skill in a career. For instance, the default attribute for Farming is Intelligence; however, an argument could be made for sub-skills such as Grain Harvesting being tied more closely to Dexterity or Constitution.
Character's Total Skills: Each beginning character is allowed a Career/Occupation skill and two Hobby skills (higher level characters can add in more skills under appropriate training/conditions). In addition, the character has his class skills (e.g. Ranger skills), skills that are role played by the Player (interpersonal skills such as diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, etc.), and common skills. This last category are skills that virtually everyone would possess (e.g. fire making with proper supplies or very basic cooking). In other words, these are skills which would be surprising if a character or NPC did not possess the skill.
Skill Checks: Skill Checks test if a character uses a specific skill successfully. These Checks are used where success is in doubt due to the situation (bad conditions) or the difficulty of the task. Mundane tasks under ideal conditions are not checked. To check the skill the following steps are done:
1. The Challenge Class is determined - it is the number the character must beat. The Challenge Class = "Attribute Base" + "Challenge Level". The Attribute Base is 12 for a Character's Primary Attributes and 18 for Secondary Attributes. The Challenge Level is a number (usually between 0 and 10 though it can be higher) that represents how difficult the Challenge is. Obviously the greater the challenge, the higher the number.
Example: Mario the Magnificent is escaping across a cable strung between two buildings. He possess "Tight rope walking" which is a Dexterity based skill. Luckily, Mario has Dexterity as a Primary Attribute (uses a "12"). A tight and thick cable on a still day might be a Challenge Level of "0". A loose cable that bounces increases it to a "2". Add in wind and/or needing to rush... the Challenge Level goes up. However, if we stick with Mario rushing to escape on the tight and thick cable on a still day, we will dictate a Challenge Level of 2. The Challenge Class is 12 (Primary Attribute)+ 2 (Challenge Level) = 14. Mario needs to equal or beat a 14 on his roll. Notice, if Mario had Dexterity as a Secondary Attribute he would have needed to equal or beat a 20 (18+2).
2. The Player gets to roll: d20 + Level of Skill + associated attribute modifier to = or beat the Challenge Class. First, the Player rolls a d20.
Second, the Player adds in the Skill Level. If the Character has been practicing this skill it is equal to his character's level. For example, Mario is a 4th level Rogue who has been constantly crossing either tight ropes or small ledges, etc. that require the same skills as tightrope walking. Thus, the CK rules Mario is also a 4th level tightrope walker so he can add +4 to his roll. Contrast Mario's situation to a 4th level Ranger who has not practiced his stone mason skills. At Level 1, the Ranger was both a 1st Level Ranger and a 1st Level Stone Mason. However, since he has not lifted a chisel or hammer since he started his adventuring career, his Ranger's skills may be at 4th level but his Stone Mason skills remain 1st level - so just +1.
Third, the Player adds the "Associated Attribute Modifier" to the roll. In Mario's case, it's his Dexterity modifier (His Dexterity is 16 so a +2 modifier). The skill being checked will be tied to 1 of the character's 6 attributes. Check your character sheet for the modifier for that particular attribute.
Putting it Together: To rapidly cross the tight rope, we saw that Mario was facing a Challenge Level of 14 (the number he needs to equal or exceed on his roll). Mario's Skill Level is 4 and his Dexterity modifier is a 2. Thus, Mario gets to add 6 to his d20 roll in order to equal or beat the target of 14. Or, put another way, if we take the Challenge Level of 14 and subtract Mario's bonuses (6 for Skill Level +modifier), we know his Player only needs to roll a 8 or higher on a 20 sided die.
2nd Example - Tougher Roll: Reilly the Redoubtable is a 4th level fighter who was a cook. She has disguised herself as a cook in the Duke's kitchen to infiltrate his castle. Unfortunately, she now has to prove she can cook a meal fit for a duke or she will be discovered. Cooking is an Intelligence based skill and it's one of Reilly's Secondary Attributes (so a base of 18). Cooking a meal fit for a Duke in a great kitchen is a Challenge Level of 2. So, Reilly's Challenge Class is 20 (18+2). Her player needs to equal a 20. Reilly gets to roll a d20+her cook level+her attribute modifier. Unfortunately, Reilly has not practiced her cooking skills since she picked up a sword; so while she is a 4th level fighter, she remains a 1st level cook (so skill = +1). Even worse news is Reilly's intelligence is a 8 (-1 modifier and probably explains why she thought impersonating a Duke's cook was a good idea!). So Reilly's skill of +1 added to her modifier of -1 means she adds 0 to her dice roll. That means with a Challenge Class of 20, Reilly will need to roll a 20 on a d20. Fortunately, her Player should be able to estimate Reilly's lack of chance of success before she even sets foot in the castle and come up with a different plan ...
Skill Challenges: Skill Checks are for the individual character while Skill Challenges are for the entire Party. The Party is confronted with a necessary task/challenge that would be tedious/time consuming/frustrating to play out in detail. For instance, the Party needs to travel several days cross country or escape a collapsing castle's basement levels or find a specific object hidden in an unoccupied house. Thus, the Skill Challenge!
Procedure: The Party is given the task. Then, each Party member explains what he or she can contribute, skill wise, to the completion of the task. Skills can be class skills, role playing skills, or secondary skills. Each Party member then does a skill check. If the Party reaches the required number of successes before they reach 3 total failures, the Party completes the task. The fewer the number of failures, the greater the degree of success. Each Party member may only use a specific skill once per Challenge - you cannot repeat the same skill in the same Challenge.
Necessary Number of Successes: The longer the task or the more demanding the task is, the greater the number of successes required. For example, two days travel through familiar woods might demand 2 successes versus 4 successes for 4 days travel through familiar woods. This task gets more complicated and demands more successes if the woods were new to the Party and/or particularly dangerous and/or rugged terrain, etc.
Example: The Party must find a kidnap victim in a townhouse before the owner/kidnapper returns and catches them. The house is large and the time is limited, but an adult human is a fairly large object to hide. The CK decides 6 successes are needed. The Ranger who was a Carpenter uses that skill to see if any room dimensions are off (for a secret room or compartment). The Bard uses her ability to read/judge people and with what she knows about the kidnapper she makes a skill check to gain insight into where the kidnapper would have stashed his victim. The Rogue uses his Listening class skill to try to detect the victim. The Wizard uses her background as a Servant to eliminate areas where the servants in the townhouse might stumble across the victim. The Party nets 3 successes and 1 failure. In the next round, the characters utilize different skills (can only use a skill once per Challenge). The Ranger examines for tracks with the stipulation he is looking for an area that has been used but only by 1 person and hopefully he can see drag marks. The Bard slips into the Cook's room and the Player role plays the skill of talking the only resident servant into helping the Party out. The Rogue uses his smuggling career skill to find likely hiding spots. The Wizard casts "Prestidigitation" (spells are a class skill) and uses it to lift and hold aloft a small cloud of ashes from the fireplace to locate any small drafts (possible secret doors) in likely places. The Party gets the necessary 3 successes with no more failures and finds the kidnap victim. With just 1 failure, the CK rules the kidnapper realizes the victim has outside help but has only vague suspicions the Party was involved. NOTE: The CK will give a rough idea of the Challenge Level for each skill check with description before the character attempts it. (For example, Bard #2 - You realize once you peek in at the sleeping cook that it's the same old woman who was laughing with her friends about putting spit and other bodily fluids into her employer's food). NOTE 2: The CK will give a very short narrative of the results of each success and failure. This information may be used to alter subsequent plans/checks. (For example, Bard#2 the CK and Bard Player does a short role playing skill check. The CK informs the Party - as the Cook- of how the **!!!** Master of the House takes a plate of food twice a day to his study after he eats). NOTE 3: This example is a bit awkward as it was made to show the different types of skills in action and different ways of approaching the Skill Challenge.
Skills and Character Background: The chosen career is a major component of the character's backstory. Before she was adventuring, what did your character do for a living/how was she raised? Consider this aspect carefully. If you were a farmer, then you're likely sympathetic to farmers and see the world through that lens. You will see a flat area of woodland as a great place to clear and grow crops (even if you took up adventuring so you never had to farm again). A forester or trapper will see the same place much differently.
It is probable that your secondary skill inspired your choice of character class. A forester leads naturally to a ranger - a cut purse from the city is unlikely to become a ranger. As a result, if your class and secondary skill reinforce each other (e.g. ranger and forester or trapper or herbalist), then your skill will likely advance the same rate as your class and you will have an expanded list of skills. For instance, the Ranger's Survival skill or his Traps skill will be expanded. The Ranger and herbalist combination could enhance and expand the Delay/Neutralize Poisons skill to include curing other afflictions. Of course, there will be more opportunities to work in training in related career and hobby skills. A Ranger's Player can indicate she is constantly using herbalism to improve cooking and travel and looking for chances to improve her herbalism skill by talking to Rangers and Herbalists along the way. The Player should look for these possibilities and bring them up. As always, the CK and common sense dictates what will be allowed.
Certain secondary skills may require a little more thought to your backstory or might not be allowed at all. For instance, "Sailor" needs constant access to ships - is there a nearby body of water that is significant enough to allow ships? Can the little village that you are all from really support the Alchemist or Armorer or Historian…. who gave you your initial training? So, you will need to have some explanation how it's possible. Keep it simple - you moved to the area recently or your mother cooks for the oddball guy who lives by himself after moving from the big city…. See the Backstory section for a few more details.
Lastly, different skills are learned at different rates/ages. For example, let's presume a human character. At 18 years of age, he decides to be an adventurer. That means his secondary skill represents what he learned before the age of 18. Farm children start chores at 4 years of age so an 18 year old would have a pretty good command of all aspects of farming. On the other hand, a weaponsmith would just know the basics of simple smithing. He might have fetched and carried for several years; but actually doing forge work (to have the strength, dexterity, and knowledge necessary) would have only begun a few years earlier and at basic levels. An 18 year old could run a farm competently; an 18 year old smith could make a spear, not a sword. So, the more complicated the skill and how long the character would have been able to actually do the skill will affect the Challenge level along with the actual difficulty of the task. Again, common sense.
SECONDARY SKILLS - CAREERS AND HOBBIES
(Note: If there is an appropriate hobby or career that is missing, find a related career or hobby in the list, note the linked attribute, and then pitch your idea to the CK).
Acting Charisma
Administration Intelligence
Alchemy Intelligence
Agriculture Intelligence
Anatomy Intelligence
Animal Handling Wisdom
Ancient History Intelligence
Animal Lore Intelligence
Animal Noise Wisdom
Animal Training Wisdom
Appraising Intelligence
Armorer Intelligence
Artistic Ability (misc. artistic skill not specifically listed) Wisdom
Astrology Intelligence
Astronomy Intelligence
Baker Intelligence
Barber Dexterity
Blacksmithing Strength
Boating Wisdom
Boatwright Intelligence
Bookbinding Intelligence
Bowyer/Fletcher Dexterity
Brewing Intelligence
Brick/tile maker Strength
Bureaucracy Intelligence
Butcher Strength
Camouflage Intelligence
Carpentry Intelligence
Cartography Intelligence
Charcoal maker Strength
Charioteering Dexterity
Cheesemaking intelligence
City Guard/Constable Charisma
Cobbling Dexterity
Cooking Intelligence
Cooper Dexterity
Craft (misc./not specifically listed e.g. Carpenter) Intelligence
Craft Instrument Dexterity
Cryptography Intelligence
Dancing Dexterity
Deep Diving Constitution
Direction Sense Wisdom
Disguise Charisma
Distance Sense Wisdom
Doctor/Physician Intelligence
Dowsing Wisdom (For water)
Drinking Constitution (Success means can drink 2X normal amount of alcohol before being affected)
Endurance Constitution (Success means can perform strenuous activity 2X as long as normal)
Engineering Intelligence
Etiquette Charisma
Falconry Wisdom
Fire-building Wisdom (Character has greater chance of building a fire in adverse conditions)
Fishing Wisdom
Forgery Dexterity
Fortune Telling Charisma
Fungi Recognition Intelligence
Gaming/Gambler Charisma
Geography Intelligence
Glassblowing/Glass making Dexterity
Gem Cutting Dexterity
Groom Wisdom
Healing Wisdom
Heraldry Intelligence
Herbalism Intelligence
History (specific to a time period) Intelligence
Hunting Wisdom
Hypnotism Charisma
Innkeeper Charisma
Jeweler Wisdom
Jousting Dexterity
Juggling Dexterity
Jumping Strength
Languages, Ancient Intelligence
Languages, Modern Intelligence
Law Wisdom
Leatherworking Intelligence
Local History/Information (locates sources only) Charisma
Locksmithing Dexterity
Looting Dexterity
Merchant/Trader Charisma
Midwife Wisdom
Mining Constitution
Mountaineering Dexterity
Musical Instrument Dexterity
Navigation Intelligence
Omen Reading Wisdom
Orienteering Intelligence
Painting- Artistic Intelligence
Painting - 'House' Dexterity
Papermaking Intelligence
Pest Control Wisdom
Plasterer Dexterity
Poetry Intelligence
Pottery Dexterity
Prospecting Wisdom
Reading/Writing Intelligence
Reading Lips Intelligence
Religion Wisdom
Riding, Land-based Dexterity
Roofer Strength
Rope maker Dexterity
Rope Use Dexterity
Running Constitution (Success means character can move 2X normal rate for a day)
Scribe Dexterity
Sculpting Dexterity
Seamanship Dexterity
Seamstress/Tailor Dexterity
Servant Charisma
Set Snares Intelligence
Sign Language Intelligence
Signaling Intelligence
Singing Charisma
Smelting Intelligence
Smith (Tin or Silver) Intelligence
Sound Analysis Wisdom
Spelunking Intelligence
Stonemasonry Strength
Survival Intelligence (applies to a specific environment)
Survival,Underground Intelligence
Swimming Strength
Tailoring Dexterity
Tanner Constitution
Tattooing Dexterity
Teacher Charisma
Teamster/Freighter Intelligence
Throwing Dexterity (Can add 10’ to each range increment OR +1 to damage with thrown weapons)
Tightrope Walking Dexterity
Toxicology Intelligence
Tracking Wisdom
Trader/Merchant Charisma
Trail Marking Wisdom
Trapper/Furrier Wisdom
Tumbling Dexterity
Ventriloquism Intelligence
Veterinary Healing Wisdom
Voice Mimicry Charisma
Wainwright Intelligence
Weaponsmithing Intelligence
Weather Sense Wisdom
Weaving Intelligence
Whistling/Humming Dexterity
Winemaking Intelligence
Woodcarving Dexterity
Woodsman Constitution
- 1. Characters have 2 types of skills: Class skills specific to their character class (covered in Class), and Secondary or non-weapon skills (covered below).
- 2. Unlike the Pathfinder game, skills such as "Diplomacy" are role played rather than rolled.
- 3. Secondary (non-weapon) skills are divided into career/occupation skills and hobby skills. A career skill requires a sub-set of skills and substantial training while a hobby skill is either only one skill and/or requires very minimal training.
- 4. Each secondary skill has an associated attribute. Utilizing the skill will involve an attribute check (see below).
- 5. A beginning character may have 1 career/occupation skill and 2 hobby skills. Note: a player may decide to substitute a sub-skill from an career skill for one of her hobby skills.
- 6. At the bottom of this page is a list of career and hobby skills with their corresponding attributes.
- 7. Skills are used in Skill Checks (a check of an individual character's specific skill) and Skill Challenges (a pooling of the Party's skills/skill checks to accomplish a larger goal).
Details
Career versus Hobby Skills: Secondary skills are divided into 2 types: career/occupation skills and hobby skills. Career skills are a group of skills that allow a character to perform an occupation. Consider all the sub-skills involved in "Farming/Agriculture" (animal handling, ... and even basics like sharpening tools and basic woodworking). To be a farmer, a person needs all of these sub-skills and extensive training/experience. It is up to the Player and the CK to agree upon which sub-skills would be part of a specific career. On the other hand, a hobby skill cannot be sub-divided and/or can be quickly learned. The necessary training for wood carving can be learned in a weekend. Note, your character will not be good at it without practice; but she will know how to do the skill.
Skills and Attributes: Every Secondary Skill listed is associated with a related attribute. Example: Armorer (Intelligence). The Player and CK might decide on a different attribute for a specific sub-skill in a career. For instance, the default attribute for Farming is Intelligence; however, an argument could be made for sub-skills such as Grain Harvesting being tied more closely to Dexterity or Constitution.
Character's Total Skills: Each beginning character is allowed a Career/Occupation skill and two Hobby skills (higher level characters can add in more skills under appropriate training/conditions). In addition, the character has his class skills (e.g. Ranger skills), skills that are role played by the Player (interpersonal skills such as diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, etc.), and common skills. This last category are skills that virtually everyone would possess (e.g. fire making with proper supplies or very basic cooking). In other words, these are skills which would be surprising if a character or NPC did not possess the skill.
Skill Checks: Skill Checks test if a character uses a specific skill successfully. These Checks are used where success is in doubt due to the situation (bad conditions) or the difficulty of the task. Mundane tasks under ideal conditions are not checked. To check the skill the following steps are done:
1. The Challenge Class is determined - it is the number the character must beat. The Challenge Class = "Attribute Base" + "Challenge Level". The Attribute Base is 12 for a Character's Primary Attributes and 18 for Secondary Attributes. The Challenge Level is a number (usually between 0 and 10 though it can be higher) that represents how difficult the Challenge is. Obviously the greater the challenge, the higher the number.
Example: Mario the Magnificent is escaping across a cable strung between two buildings. He possess "Tight rope walking" which is a Dexterity based skill. Luckily, Mario has Dexterity as a Primary Attribute (uses a "12"). A tight and thick cable on a still day might be a Challenge Level of "0". A loose cable that bounces increases it to a "2". Add in wind and/or needing to rush... the Challenge Level goes up. However, if we stick with Mario rushing to escape on the tight and thick cable on a still day, we will dictate a Challenge Level of 2. The Challenge Class is 12 (Primary Attribute)+ 2 (Challenge Level) = 14. Mario needs to equal or beat a 14 on his roll. Notice, if Mario had Dexterity as a Secondary Attribute he would have needed to equal or beat a 20 (18+2).
2. The Player gets to roll: d20 + Level of Skill + associated attribute modifier to = or beat the Challenge Class. First, the Player rolls a d20.
Second, the Player adds in the Skill Level. If the Character has been practicing this skill it is equal to his character's level. For example, Mario is a 4th level Rogue who has been constantly crossing either tight ropes or small ledges, etc. that require the same skills as tightrope walking. Thus, the CK rules Mario is also a 4th level tightrope walker so he can add +4 to his roll. Contrast Mario's situation to a 4th level Ranger who has not practiced his stone mason skills. At Level 1, the Ranger was both a 1st Level Ranger and a 1st Level Stone Mason. However, since he has not lifted a chisel or hammer since he started his adventuring career, his Ranger's skills may be at 4th level but his Stone Mason skills remain 1st level - so just +1.
Third, the Player adds the "Associated Attribute Modifier" to the roll. In Mario's case, it's his Dexterity modifier (His Dexterity is 16 so a +2 modifier). The skill being checked will be tied to 1 of the character's 6 attributes. Check your character sheet for the modifier for that particular attribute.
Putting it Together: To rapidly cross the tight rope, we saw that Mario was facing a Challenge Level of 14 (the number he needs to equal or exceed on his roll). Mario's Skill Level is 4 and his Dexterity modifier is a 2. Thus, Mario gets to add 6 to his d20 roll in order to equal or beat the target of 14. Or, put another way, if we take the Challenge Level of 14 and subtract Mario's bonuses (6 for Skill Level +modifier), we know his Player only needs to roll a 8 or higher on a 20 sided die.
2nd Example - Tougher Roll: Reilly the Redoubtable is a 4th level fighter who was a cook. She has disguised herself as a cook in the Duke's kitchen to infiltrate his castle. Unfortunately, she now has to prove she can cook a meal fit for a duke or she will be discovered. Cooking is an Intelligence based skill and it's one of Reilly's Secondary Attributes (so a base of 18). Cooking a meal fit for a Duke in a great kitchen is a Challenge Level of 2. So, Reilly's Challenge Class is 20 (18+2). Her player needs to equal a 20. Reilly gets to roll a d20+her cook level+her attribute modifier. Unfortunately, Reilly has not practiced her cooking skills since she picked up a sword; so while she is a 4th level fighter, she remains a 1st level cook (so skill = +1). Even worse news is Reilly's intelligence is a 8 (-1 modifier and probably explains why she thought impersonating a Duke's cook was a good idea!). So Reilly's skill of +1 added to her modifier of -1 means she adds 0 to her dice roll. That means with a Challenge Class of 20, Reilly will need to roll a 20 on a d20. Fortunately, her Player should be able to estimate Reilly's lack of chance of success before she even sets foot in the castle and come up with a different plan ...
Skill Challenges: Skill Checks are for the individual character while Skill Challenges are for the entire Party. The Party is confronted with a necessary task/challenge that would be tedious/time consuming/frustrating to play out in detail. For instance, the Party needs to travel several days cross country or escape a collapsing castle's basement levels or find a specific object hidden in an unoccupied house. Thus, the Skill Challenge!
Procedure: The Party is given the task. Then, each Party member explains what he or she can contribute, skill wise, to the completion of the task. Skills can be class skills, role playing skills, or secondary skills. Each Party member then does a skill check. If the Party reaches the required number of successes before they reach 3 total failures, the Party completes the task. The fewer the number of failures, the greater the degree of success. Each Party member may only use a specific skill once per Challenge - you cannot repeat the same skill in the same Challenge.
Necessary Number of Successes: The longer the task or the more demanding the task is, the greater the number of successes required. For example, two days travel through familiar woods might demand 2 successes versus 4 successes for 4 days travel through familiar woods. This task gets more complicated and demands more successes if the woods were new to the Party and/or particularly dangerous and/or rugged terrain, etc.
Example: The Party must find a kidnap victim in a townhouse before the owner/kidnapper returns and catches them. The house is large and the time is limited, but an adult human is a fairly large object to hide. The CK decides 6 successes are needed. The Ranger who was a Carpenter uses that skill to see if any room dimensions are off (for a secret room or compartment). The Bard uses her ability to read/judge people and with what she knows about the kidnapper she makes a skill check to gain insight into where the kidnapper would have stashed his victim. The Rogue uses his Listening class skill to try to detect the victim. The Wizard uses her background as a Servant to eliminate areas where the servants in the townhouse might stumble across the victim. The Party nets 3 successes and 1 failure. In the next round, the characters utilize different skills (can only use a skill once per Challenge). The Ranger examines for tracks with the stipulation he is looking for an area that has been used but only by 1 person and hopefully he can see drag marks. The Bard slips into the Cook's room and the Player role plays the skill of talking the only resident servant into helping the Party out. The Rogue uses his smuggling career skill to find likely hiding spots. The Wizard casts "Prestidigitation" (spells are a class skill) and uses it to lift and hold aloft a small cloud of ashes from the fireplace to locate any small drafts (possible secret doors) in likely places. The Party gets the necessary 3 successes with no more failures and finds the kidnap victim. With just 1 failure, the CK rules the kidnapper realizes the victim has outside help but has only vague suspicions the Party was involved. NOTE: The CK will give a rough idea of the Challenge Level for each skill check with description before the character attempts it. (For example, Bard #2 - You realize once you peek in at the sleeping cook that it's the same old woman who was laughing with her friends about putting spit and other bodily fluids into her employer's food). NOTE 2: The CK will give a very short narrative of the results of each success and failure. This information may be used to alter subsequent plans/checks. (For example, Bard#2 the CK and Bard Player does a short role playing skill check. The CK informs the Party - as the Cook- of how the **!!!** Master of the House takes a plate of food twice a day to his study after he eats). NOTE 3: This example is a bit awkward as it was made to show the different types of skills in action and different ways of approaching the Skill Challenge.
Skills and Character Background: The chosen career is a major component of the character's backstory. Before she was adventuring, what did your character do for a living/how was she raised? Consider this aspect carefully. If you were a farmer, then you're likely sympathetic to farmers and see the world through that lens. You will see a flat area of woodland as a great place to clear and grow crops (even if you took up adventuring so you never had to farm again). A forester or trapper will see the same place much differently.
It is probable that your secondary skill inspired your choice of character class. A forester leads naturally to a ranger - a cut purse from the city is unlikely to become a ranger. As a result, if your class and secondary skill reinforce each other (e.g. ranger and forester or trapper or herbalist), then your skill will likely advance the same rate as your class and you will have an expanded list of skills. For instance, the Ranger's Survival skill or his Traps skill will be expanded. The Ranger and herbalist combination could enhance and expand the Delay/Neutralize Poisons skill to include curing other afflictions. Of course, there will be more opportunities to work in training in related career and hobby skills. A Ranger's Player can indicate she is constantly using herbalism to improve cooking and travel and looking for chances to improve her herbalism skill by talking to Rangers and Herbalists along the way. The Player should look for these possibilities and bring them up. As always, the CK and common sense dictates what will be allowed.
Certain secondary skills may require a little more thought to your backstory or might not be allowed at all. For instance, "Sailor" needs constant access to ships - is there a nearby body of water that is significant enough to allow ships? Can the little village that you are all from really support the Alchemist or Armorer or Historian…. who gave you your initial training? So, you will need to have some explanation how it's possible. Keep it simple - you moved to the area recently or your mother cooks for the oddball guy who lives by himself after moving from the big city…. See the Backstory section for a few more details.
Lastly, different skills are learned at different rates/ages. For example, let's presume a human character. At 18 years of age, he decides to be an adventurer. That means his secondary skill represents what he learned before the age of 18. Farm children start chores at 4 years of age so an 18 year old would have a pretty good command of all aspects of farming. On the other hand, a weaponsmith would just know the basics of simple smithing. He might have fetched and carried for several years; but actually doing forge work (to have the strength, dexterity, and knowledge necessary) would have only begun a few years earlier and at basic levels. An 18 year old could run a farm competently; an 18 year old smith could make a spear, not a sword. So, the more complicated the skill and how long the character would have been able to actually do the skill will affect the Challenge level along with the actual difficulty of the task. Again, common sense.
SECONDARY SKILLS - CAREERS AND HOBBIES
(Note: If there is an appropriate hobby or career that is missing, find a related career or hobby in the list, note the linked attribute, and then pitch your idea to the CK).
Acting Charisma
Administration Intelligence
Alchemy Intelligence
Agriculture Intelligence
Anatomy Intelligence
Animal Handling Wisdom
Ancient History Intelligence
Animal Lore Intelligence
Animal Noise Wisdom
Animal Training Wisdom
Appraising Intelligence
Armorer Intelligence
Artistic Ability (misc. artistic skill not specifically listed) Wisdom
Astrology Intelligence
Astronomy Intelligence
Baker Intelligence
Barber Dexterity
Blacksmithing Strength
Boating Wisdom
Boatwright Intelligence
Bookbinding Intelligence
Bowyer/Fletcher Dexterity
Brewing Intelligence
Brick/tile maker Strength
Bureaucracy Intelligence
Butcher Strength
Camouflage Intelligence
Carpentry Intelligence
Cartography Intelligence
Charcoal maker Strength
Charioteering Dexterity
Cheesemaking intelligence
City Guard/Constable Charisma
Cobbling Dexterity
Cooking Intelligence
Cooper Dexterity
Craft (misc./not specifically listed e.g. Carpenter) Intelligence
Craft Instrument Dexterity
Cryptography Intelligence
Dancing Dexterity
Deep Diving Constitution
Direction Sense Wisdom
Disguise Charisma
Distance Sense Wisdom
Doctor/Physician Intelligence
Dowsing Wisdom (For water)
Drinking Constitution (Success means can drink 2X normal amount of alcohol before being affected)
Endurance Constitution (Success means can perform strenuous activity 2X as long as normal)
Engineering Intelligence
Etiquette Charisma
Falconry Wisdom
Fire-building Wisdom (Character has greater chance of building a fire in adverse conditions)
Fishing Wisdom
Forgery Dexterity
Fortune Telling Charisma
Fungi Recognition Intelligence
Gaming/Gambler Charisma
Geography Intelligence
Glassblowing/Glass making Dexterity
Gem Cutting Dexterity
Groom Wisdom
Healing Wisdom
Heraldry Intelligence
Herbalism Intelligence
History (specific to a time period) Intelligence
Hunting Wisdom
Hypnotism Charisma
Innkeeper Charisma
Jeweler Wisdom
Jousting Dexterity
Juggling Dexterity
Jumping Strength
Languages, Ancient Intelligence
Languages, Modern Intelligence
Law Wisdom
Leatherworking Intelligence
Local History/Information (locates sources only) Charisma
Locksmithing Dexterity
Looting Dexterity
Merchant/Trader Charisma
Midwife Wisdom
Mining Constitution
Mountaineering Dexterity
Musical Instrument Dexterity
Navigation Intelligence
Omen Reading Wisdom
Orienteering Intelligence
Painting- Artistic Intelligence
Painting - 'House' Dexterity
Papermaking Intelligence
Pest Control Wisdom
Plasterer Dexterity
Poetry Intelligence
Pottery Dexterity
Prospecting Wisdom
Reading/Writing Intelligence
Reading Lips Intelligence
Religion Wisdom
Riding, Land-based Dexterity
Roofer Strength
Rope maker Dexterity
Rope Use Dexterity
Running Constitution (Success means character can move 2X normal rate for a day)
Scribe Dexterity
Sculpting Dexterity
Seamanship Dexterity
Seamstress/Tailor Dexterity
Servant Charisma
Set Snares Intelligence
Sign Language Intelligence
Signaling Intelligence
Singing Charisma
Smelting Intelligence
Smith (Tin or Silver) Intelligence
Sound Analysis Wisdom
Spelunking Intelligence
Stonemasonry Strength
Survival Intelligence (applies to a specific environment)
Survival,Underground Intelligence
Swimming Strength
Tailoring Dexterity
Tanner Constitution
Tattooing Dexterity
Teacher Charisma
Teamster/Freighter Intelligence
Throwing Dexterity (Can add 10’ to each range increment OR +1 to damage with thrown weapons)
Tightrope Walking Dexterity
Toxicology Intelligence
Tracking Wisdom
Trader/Merchant Charisma
Trail Marking Wisdom
Trapper/Furrier Wisdom
Tumbling Dexterity
Ventriloquism Intelligence
Veterinary Healing Wisdom
Voice Mimicry Charisma
Wainwright Intelligence
Weaponsmithing Intelligence
Weather Sense Wisdom
Weaving Intelligence
Whistling/Humming Dexterity
Winemaking Intelligence
Woodcarving Dexterity
Woodsman Constitution