Skills

[Black Plauge]

The following additions and/or modifications are made to each of the skills in the PHB and XPH:

Appraise (INT)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Appraise checks.
Synergy: If you have 5 ranks in any Craft skill or the associated Knowledge or Profession skill, you gain a +2 bonus on Appraise checks related to items made with that Craft skill.

Autohypnosis (WIS; Trained only)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Autohypnosis checks for memorization. You cannot take 10 or 20 for other uses.
Synergy: If you have 5 ranks in any Craft skill or the associated Knowledge or Profession skill, you gain a +2 bonus on Appraise checks related to items made with that Craft skill.

Balance (DEX; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Balance checks. You cannot take 20.

Bluff (CHA)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Bluff checks.

Climb (STR; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Climb checks. You cannot take 20.

Concentration (CON)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Concentration checks.

Craft (INT)
This skill has had a major revision. See post below.

Decipher Script (INT; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Decipher Script checks. You cannot take 20.

Diplomacy (CHA)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Diplomacy checks provided it is not an opposed roll. If the roll is opposed you cannot take 10. You cannot take 20.

Disable Device (INT; Trained Only)
This skill has undergone a moderate revision. See the post below.

Disguise (CHA)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Disguise checks.

Escape Artist (DEX; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Escape Artist checks provided it is not an opposed roll. If the roll is opposed, you cannot take 10 or 20.

Forgery (INT)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Forgery checks. Taking 20 represents making 20 different forgeries and picking the best one. Doing so may carry its own repercussions (such as getting caught with the forged documents).

Gather Information (CHA)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Gather Information checks. You can take 20, but doing so alerts interested parties to your interest.

Handle Animal (CHA; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Handle Animal checks except when rearing an animal. You cannot take 10 or 20 when rearing an animal.

Heal (WIS)
Check: (Addition) Revive Character: You can attempt to revive a character who has died due to suffocation or drowning, provided they are in an atmosphere they can breath (so a drowning victim cannot be revived underwater). Doing so requires 6 rounds at the end of which you must pass a Heal check with DC 15 + number or rounds dead. Characters so revived have 0 hit points and are staggered if they do not have any Constitution damage. If the character had Constitution damage then they are dying upon being revived (though a Heal check can be made to stabilize them).
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Heal checks. You cannot take 20.
Try Again: (Replacement) Varies. Generally speaking, you can’t try a Heal check again without proof of the original check’s failure. You can always retry a check to provide first aid, assuming the target of the previous attempt is still alive. You can always retry a check to revive a character that has died due to suffocation or drowning, but the longer they are dead the higher the DC will climb.

Hide (DEX; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Hide checks when setting an ambush. You cannot take 10 under any other circumstance. You cannot take 20.

Intimidate (CHA)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Intimidate checks.

Jump (STR; Armor Check Penalty)
Eliminate the special table for a creature's vertical reach and all references to it. The maximum height a creature can reach without jumping is equal to its space plus its reach.
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Jump checks. You cannot take 20.

Knowledge (INT; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Knowledge checks.
Special: A ranger gets his favored enemy bonus on Knowledge checks to identify his favored enemies. He is considered trained for these checks, even if he doesn’t have any ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill. Note: This only works for identifying the ranger’s favored enemies, not other uses of the particular Knowledge skill used. So a ranger with dragons as a favored enemies could use Knowledge(Arcana) to identify dragons and their special powers and vulnerabilities with out any ranks but would not be able to use it to identify constructs (presuming they are not a favored enemy) or to learn about magical traditions. A half-rank in Knowledge(Arcana) would allow him to learn about magical traditions and constructs, but he would not get his favored enemy bonus to this check.
Synergy: (Additon) If you have 5 or more ranks in an associated Knowledge skill, you get a +2 bonus on associated Craft and Profession checks and Appraise checks for items made by the associated Craft skill (see table under craft for common associated Knowledge skills).

Listen (WIS)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Listen checks.

Martial Lore (INT; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Martial Lore checks.

Move Silently (DEX; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Move Silently checks. You cannot take 20.

Open Lock (Dex; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Open Lock checks. You cannot take 20.

Perform (CHA)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Perform checks. You cannot take 20.

Profession (WIS; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Profession checks except for a familiarity check made in conjunction with the Craft skill. You cannot take 20.
Synergy: (Addition) If you have 5 ranks in an associated Profession skill you gain a +2 bonus on associated Craft and Knowledge checks and Appraise checks for items made by the associated Craft skill (see table under Craft for common associated Profession skills).

Psicraft (INT; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Psicraft checks.

Ride (DEX)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Ride checks. You cannot take 20.
Special: Your ride skill represents a familiarity with only one type of mount (e.g. equine, canine, fish, lizards, etc.). When riding a different type of mount than the one with which you are familiar you take a -2 circumstance penalty you your check. For mounts that are very different from the one you are used to, this penalty increases to -5. Mounts which use a different form of movement than the one with which you are familiar (such as flying or swimming for some one used to mounts that walk) are automatically considered very different.

Search (INT)
This skill has undergone a moderate revision. See the post below.

Sense Motive (WIS)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Sense Motive checks when not making an opposed check. You cannot take 10 on an opposed check. You cannot take 20.

Sleight of Hand (DEX; Trained Only; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Sleight of Hand checks. You cannot take 20.

Spellcraft (INT; Trained Only)
Taking 10 or 20: You cannot take 10 or 20 on Spellcraft checks.

Spot (WIS)
This skill has undergone a major revision. See the post below.

Survival (WIS)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Survival checks. You cannot take 20.

Swim (STR; Armor Check Penalty)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Swim checks. You cannot take 20.
Untrained: You can only make an untrained Swim check as a full-round action to keep your head above water (or bring it back towards the surface if you are already submerged). Each success when underwater eliminates one of the failures that brought you under (thus if you fail 3 swim checks, it takes 3 successes to bring you back above water). You cannot move through the
water.
Special: If you have 5 or more ranks in Swim you can attempt to rescue an untrained swimmer or a swimmer who is drowning. Such a rescue has a DC 5 higher than normal if the victim is on the surface and 10 higher then normal if the victim is underwater.

Tumble (DEX; Trained Only; Armor Check Penalty)
Change: “You can’t use this skill if your speed has been reduced by armor, excess equipment, or loot.” to: You can’t use this skill if carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing medium or heavy armor.
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Tumble checks. You cannot take 20.

Use Rope (DEX)
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Use Rope checks.

[Black Plauge]

Moderate Revisons

The following skills are largely the same as in the PHB except for some important details. The following text fully replaces what is found in the PHB.

Disable Device (INT; Trained Only)
Check: The Disable Device check is made secretly, so that you don’t necessarily know whether you’ve succeeded. The DC depends on how tricky the device is. Disabling (or rigging or jamming) a fairly simple device has a DC of 10; more intricate and complex devices have higher DCs.
If the check succeeds, you disable the device. If it fails by 4 or less, you have failed but can try again. If you fail by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If the device is a trap, you spring it. If you’re attempting some sort of sabotage, you think the device is disabled, but it still works normally.
You also can rig simple devices such as saddles or wagon wheels to work normally for a while and then fail or fall off some time later (usually after 1d4 rounds or minutes of use).
Device Time Disable Device DC* Example
Simple 1 round 10 Jam a lock
Tricky 1d4 rounds 15 Sabotage a wagon wheel
Difficult 2d4 rounds 20 Disarm a trap, reset a trap
Wicked 2d4 rounds 25 Disarm a complex trap, cleverly sabotage a clockwork device

* If you attempt to leave behind no trace of your tampering, add 5 to the DC.
Action: The amount of time needed to make a Disable Device check depends on the task, as noted above. Disabling a simple device takes 1 round and is a full-round action. An intricate or complex device requires 1d4 or 2d4 rounds.
Try Again: Varies. You can retry if you have missed the check by 4 or less, though you must be aware that you have failed in order to try again.
Special: If you have the Nimble Fingers feat, you get a +2 bonus on Disable Device checks.
A character who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (along with her companions) without disarming it.
A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the spell level of the magic used to create it.
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Disable Device checks. You cannot take 20.

Other Ways to Beat a Trap
It’s possible to ruin many traps without making a Disable Device check.
Ranged Attack Traps: Once a trap’s location is known, the obvious way to ruin it is to smash the mechanism – assuming the mechanism can be accessed. Failing that, it’s possible to plug up the holes from which the projectiles emerge. Doing this prevents the trap from firing unless its ammunition does enough damage to break through the plugs.
Melee Attack Traps: These devices can be thwarted by smashing the mechanism or blocking the weapons, as noted above. Alternatively, if a character studies the trap as it triggers, he might be able to time his dodges just right to avoid damage. A character who is doing nothing but studying a trap when it first goes off gains a +4 dodge bonus against its attacks if it is triggered again within the next minute.
Pits: Disabling a pit trap generally ruins only the trapdoor, making it an uncovered pit. Filling in the pit or building a makeshift bridge across it is an application of manual labor, not the Disable Device skill. Characters could neutralize any spikes at the bottom of a pit by attacking them – they break just as daggers do.


Search (INT)
Check: You generally must be within 10 feet of the object or surface to be searched. The table below gives DCs for typical tasks involving the Search skill.
Task Search DC
Ransack a chest full of
junk to find a certain item 10
Notice a typical secret door
or a simple trap 20
Find a difficult nonmagical trap 21 or higher
Find a magic trap 25 + level of spell used to create trap
Notice a well-hidden secret door 30
Find a footprint Varies*

* A successful Search check can find a footprint or similar sign of a creature’s passage, but it won’t let you find or follow a trail. See the Track feat for the appropriate DC.
Action: It takes a full-round action to search a 5-foot-by-5-foot area or a volume of goods 5 feet on a side.
Special: An elf has a +2 racial bonus on Search checks, and a half-elf has a +1 racial bonus. An elf (but not a half-elf) who simply passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door can make a Search check to find that door.
If you have the Investigator feat, you get a +2 bonus on Search checks.
The spells explosive runes, fire trap, glyph of warding, symbol, and teleportation circle create magic traps that a character can find by making a successful Search check and then can attempt to disarm by using Disable Device. Identifying the location of a snare spell has a DC of 23. Spike growth and spike stones create magic traps that can be found using Search, but against which Disable Device checks do not succeed. See the individual spell descriptions for details.
Active abjuration spells within 10 feet of each other for 24 hours or more create barely visible energy fluctuations. These fluctuations give you a +4 bonus on Search checks to locate such abjuration spells.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Search, you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks to find or follow tracks.
If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (architecture and engineering), you get a +2 bonus on Search checks to find secret doors or hidden compartments.
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Search checks.

[Black Plauge]

Major Revision

The craft skill has been completly revamped. The text below wholy replaces that in the PHB.

Craft (INT)
(Based on Thalanator’s Revised Masterwork System from the 3EBB, the Complex Skill Check Variant from UA p. 82 and my own modifications.)

Like Knowledge, Perform, and Profession, Craft is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Craft skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill. A Craft skill is specifically focused on creating something. If nothing is created by the endeavor, it probably falls under the heading of a Profession skill.
Check: You can practice your trade and make a decent living, earning about half a simple check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the craft’s daily tasks, how to supervise untrained helpers, and how to handle common problems. (Untrained laborers and assistants earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.)
The basic function of the Craft skill, however, is to allow you to make an item of the appropriate type. The DC and the number of required successes depends on the complexity of the item to be created. The DC, your check results, and the price of the item determine how long it takes to make a particular item. The item’s finished price also determines the cost of raw materials.
In some cases, the fabricate power can be used to achieve the results of a Craft check with no actual check involved. However, you must make an appropriate Craft check when using the spell to make articles requiring a high degree of craftsmanship (one chance to get necessary number of successes before three failures).
All crafts require artisan’s tools to give the best chance of success. If improvised tools are used, the check is made with a -2 circumstance penalty. On the other hand, better than average tools provide a bonus to the check (see rules below).
To determine how much time and money it takes to make an item, follow these steps:
Determine the DC based on the quality of the item desired and the number of required successes based on the crafter’s familiarity with the item.
Find the item’s price (including quality modifiers).
Pay one-third of the item’s price for the cost of raw materials.
The other two-thirds represent the value of the work to be put into creating the item. Put this value into silver pieces (1 gp = 10 sp). This is the value of the work that must be put into making the item. Feats and abilities which reduce the cost of the raw materials increase the value of the work put into creating the item by a corresponding amount (i.e. a raw materials cost decrease of 5 gp translates into a work value increase of 50 sp).
Make a complex Craft skill check with the appropriate Craft skill. You may make one roll per day per 5 ranks in the Craft skill that you have. If you have Skill Focus in the Craft skill being used you can make an additional roll each day. The DC of this check is based on the quality of the item being made (see table below). Every time you achieve the required number of successes you make progress on the item. Three failures without progress ruins half the raw materials and any unused successes are wasted. You must pay the additional raw material cost before continuing. As long as you work on the item at least 1 day per month you continue to accumulate successes and failures normally. Each month during which you do not work on the item uses up one of your successes, potentially undoing progress you have already made and increasing the probability of ruining the current progress attempt (failures are not erased). Progress undone in this manner costs an additional amount equal to half the progress undone in replacement materials.
Each time you make progress on the item reduce the value of the remaining work by (31 - DC) * your average check result since progress was last made (including failures). The item is finished when the value of the remaining work is zero or negative.
Repairing Items: Generally, you can repair an item using the same process as if the item were incomplete. Assess the damage done to the object in silver pieces. HP damage is assessed as a percentage of the object's total hp times the work value necessary to make the item. Hardness damage is assessed as a percentage of the object's total hardness times the market price of the item. Treat the total value of the damage as if it was progress undone by inactivity (so there is an additional cost in raw materials equal to 1/2 the total value of the damage). Once you start repairing an object you cannot use it until the repairs are complete.
Action: Does not apply. Craft checks are complex checks with a limit to the number of rolls that can be made per day. See above.
Try Again: See the rules above on failure.
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 on Craft checks. You cannot take 20.
Special: A dwarf has a +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal, because dwarves are especially capable with stonework and metalwork.
A gnome has a +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks because gnomes have sensitive noses.
To make an item using Craft (alchemy) or Craft (posionmaking), you must have alchemical equipment and either have a Common or Everyday familiarity with the item, or have a written formula to follow (this does not change the number or required successes). Also, if you are working in a city, you can buy the QW equipment that you need as part of the raw materials cost to make the item, but alchemical equipment is difficult (only AW quality available) or impossible to come by in some places. Purchasing and maintaining an alchemist’s lab grants a circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks based on the quality of the lab because you have the perfect tools for the job, but it does not affect the cost of any items made using the skill.
Synergy: If you have 5 ranks in a Craft skill, you get a +2 bonus on Appraise checks related to items made with that Craft skill.
If you have 5 ranks in an associated Profession or Knowledge skill (one that could be used to make a familiarity check), you get a +2 bonus on the associated Craft skill.
If you have 5 ranks in two closely related Craft skills you gain a +2 bonus to each skill (e.g. Weaponsmithing and Blacksmithing).
Untrained: An untrained crafter can only hope to make AW quality items and cannot take 10 on their check.

Quality based DC and Benefits
DC to Armor Check Max Dex Arcane Spell Hit Other
Quality Create To Hit Damage Penalty Bonus Failure Hardness Points Bonus Cost
AW 10 -1 -1 +1 -1 +2% -1 -5 -1 ½ Normal
QW 15 0 0 0 0 0% 0 0 0 Normal
EW 20 +1 0 -1 0 0% 0 +5 +2 +300 GP
MW 25 +1 +1 -1 +1 -2% +1 +5 +4 +750 GP
GMW 30 +2 +2 -2 +2 -4% +2 +10 +6 +5000 GP

Quality: See definitions below.
To Hit: If the item is a weapon it grants the bonus (or penalty if AW) listed to hit based on its exceptional craftsmanship (as a mundane enhancement bonus or penalty). In the case of a projectile weapon/ammunition mismatch, use the lower value (e.g. a GMW bow with AW arrows uses the -1 to hit modifier).
Damage: If the item is a weapon it grants the bonus (or penalty if AW) listed to damage based on its exceptional craftsmanship (as a mundane enhancement bonus or penalty). In the case of a projectile weapon/ammunition mismatch, use the lower value (e.g. a GMW bow with AW arrows uses the -1 damage modifier).
Armor Check Penalty: If the item is a suit of armor or shield the armor check penalty is reduced by the amount listed due to the item's exceptional craftsmanship. AW is of substandard quality and has its armor check penalty increased.
Max Dex Bonus: If the item is a suit of armor or shield the maximum dexterity bonus to armor class is increased by the amount listed due to the item's exceptional craftsmanship. AW is of substandard quality and has its maximum dexterity bonus to armor class decreased.
Arcane Spell Failure: If the item is a suit of armor or shield the arcane spell failure is reduced by the amount listed due to the item’s exceptional craftsmanship. AW is of substandard quality and has its arcane spell failure increased.
Hardness: Exceptionally well made items are more difficult to damage and gain a bonus to their hardness as listed in the table. AW is of substandard quality is of substandard quality and has a penalty to its hardness (to a minimum of 0).
Hit Points: Exceptionally well made items are more durable and gain a bonus to their hit points as listed in the table. AW is of substandard quality is of substandard quality and has a penalty to its hit points (to a minimum of 1).
Other Bonus: If the item is used to perform some other task it provides the listed bonus on checks to complete that task. AW is of substandard quality and penalizes the check, though not as badly as not having the item altogether (a -2 penalty).

Quality Definitions
Apprentice Work (AW): The first items made by an apprentice or those made by an unskilled individual. Because of the inexperience of the crafter these items are not up to the usual standards of quality. Occasionally a journeyman or master may make items of this quality in order to ‘mass produce’ the item. In this case the poor quality is due to the haste with which the work was done.
Quality Work (QW): These are the bread and butter of the smith's income. They are the standard items that his more skilled apprentices make. It's their training for the journeyman test.
Expert Work (EW): Apprentices must be able to craft a weapon of this quality to become journeymen. Most items of this quality and above are made from special materials (though they do not have to be).
Masterwork (MW): Journeymen must be able to craft items of this quality to become masters. Only masters can operate their own forge and take on apprentices.
Grandmaster Work (GMW): The epitome of the craft this is the highest quality of item possible without magic. Items of this level are never for sale.

Number of Required Successes
The number of success required to make an item is dependant on the crafter’s familiarity with the item. When in doubt, make a Knowledge or Profession check to determine the crafter’s familiarity with the item (the Knowledge or Profession must be directly related to the Craft skill used to create the item, such as Profession(Blacksmith) for a item made with Craft(Blacksmith, Weaponsmith, Armorsmith, or Locksmith) or Knowledge(Architecture and Engineering) for an item made with Craft(Masonry)). Associated Knowledge and Profession skills for the most common Craft skills are listed in the following table. The higher the result, the more familiar the crafter is with the item.

Associated Knowledge and Profession Skills
Craft Skill Associated Knowledge Skill Associated Profession Skill
Alchemy Arcana or Nature Apothecary or Herbalist
Armorsmithing Metallurgy Armorer or Blacksmith
Basketweaving Nature Basket weaver
Bookbinding Library Studies Bookkeeper or Scribe
Bowmaking/Fletcher Nature Bower or Fletcher
Blacksmithing Metallurgy Blacksmith
Calligraphy Library Studies Bookkeeper or Scribe
Carpentry Architecture and Engineering Carpenter
Cobbling Nature Tanner
Gemcutting Geology Jeweler
Jewelry Geology Jeweler
Leatherworking Nature Tanner
Locksmithing Metallurgy Blacksmith
Painting Art Painter
Poisonmaking Arcana or Nature Apothecary or Herbalist
Pottery Geology Potter
Sculpting Art Sculptor
Ship making Sailing Boater or Sailor
Stone masonry Architecture and Engineering Mason
Trap making* Varies Varies
Weaponsmithing Metallurgy Armorer or Blacksmith
Weaving Nature Tailor or Weaver

* The associated Knowledge or Profession skills depend on the type of trap being created. In general mechanical traps are associated with Knowledge(Architecture and Engineering) and Profession (Engineer) while simple hunting traps are associated with Knowledge(Nature) and Profession(Hunter).
Historical Note: In a mediaeval type society specialists as we are used to them today did not exist. The skill set for many individuals was generally broad enough that they could shift fairly easily between related jobs. Thus one should avoid making Knowledge or Profession skills too specific. This is why certain of the associated Knowledge or Profession skills may seem, at first glance, only slightly related to their Craft skill. They represent a much broader skill basis than we are used to. For instance, Knowledge(Metallurgy) indicates a understanding of not just metallic properties and the creation of alloys, but also the refining of ore and the preparation and use of various metals.

Familiarity Table
Minimum Required Number of Required
Familiarity Familiarity Check Result Successes to make Progress
Everyday 40 2
Common 35 3
Unusual 30 4
Rare 25 5
Obscure 20 6
Unheard Of – 8

Everyday: The crafter is intimately familiar with these items. They probably use or see them on a daily basis and may have had time to study them extensively. Items which the crafter has made at least 100 times before are automatically everyday items.
Common: The crafter knows these items well. They may use or see them often (though not necessarily daily) and may have had time to study them. Items which the crafter has made at least 50 times before are automatically common items.
Unusual: The crafter is familiar with these items, but doesn’t use or see them regularly. Any study of the item the crafter may have done is cursory at best. Items which the crafter has made at least 25 times before are automatically unusual items.
Rare: The crafter has seen these items before and may have even used them once or twice. They have a good mental picture of the item to guide them, but have not studied its construction. Items which the crafter has made at least 10 times before are automatically rare items.
Obscure: The crafter has probably seen the item before but only once or twice. They have never had the opportunity to study the item and are primarily using the customer’s description as a guide. Items which the crafter had made at least once before are automatically obscure items.
Unheard Of: The crafter has no prior experience with the item and must go solely based on the customer’s description of the item. No item which the crafter has made before is an unheard of item.
Study: Given time a crafter can improve their familiarity with an item through study. In order to study an item they must either have one in their possession or access to a professional library dedicated to their craft. Access to both provides a +2 bonus to the study check. A week’s study costs 100 gp (in consultation fees and materials for experimentation). At the end of the week the crafter makes a DC 20 Knowledge or Profession check using the appropriately associated skill (the one used to make a familiarity check). Success indicates that they have improved their familiarity with the object by one category. Failure indicates no improvement.

Special Item Rules
Certain items are automatically of a certain quality which cannot be changed (mostly alchemical items and poisons). Their cost already takes this into account.
For alchemical items: Acid, disappearing ink, and scentbreaker are quality work. Alchemist’s fire, glowpowder, phantom ink, smokesticks, suregrip, and tindertwigs are expert work. General purpose antitoxins, flashpellets, healing salves, sunrods, tanglefoot bags, and thunderstones are masterwork. Poison specific antitoxins are grandmaster work.
For poisons: Arsenic, black adder venom, bloodroot, blue whinnis, carrion crawler brain juice, greenblood oil, id moss, medium-size spider venom, oil of taggit, small cetipede poison, and striped toadstool are quality work. Giant wasp poison, insanity mist, large scorpion venom, lich dust, malyss root paste, nitharit, purple worm poison, sassone leaf residue, shadow essence, and ungol dust are expert work. Burnt othur fumes, dark reaver powder, deathblade, and ungol dust are master work. Dragon bile is grand master work. Black lotus extract is not only grand masterwork, but also requires 2 additional successes to make progress due to its exceptionally complicated formula.
Note: The matieral costs for poisons assume that the active ingredient is legally available for purchase. If the active ingredient is harvested directly from the source, reduce the material costs by ½ (to one sixth the market price). If the active ingredient cannot be legally purchased, the raw material cost will be higher (usually between 3/4 and full market price) if the character can find a seller. These changes to the cost of the raw materials do not affect the value of the work that must be put into the item (which remains two-thirds the market price).

Special Materials
Both the costs and effects associated with making an item out of special materials stack with those for the quality of the work.

[Black Plauge]

Major Revision

The spot skill has undergone a major revision. The text below wholly replaces that in the PHB.

Spot (WIS)
Check: Spot DCs are measured in much the same way as range increments are measured for ranged attacks. A vision increment is assigned based on terrain, weather, and lighting conditions and there is a DC +2 to the spot check for every full vision increment beyond the first. Anything within the first vision increment is DC 0. These penalties do not stack against ranged attacks. It is assumed that part of the reason such long distance shots are so difficult is due to difficulty in seeing the target. However, these modifiers do stack with use of some skills such as Hide, Sleight of Hand, and Disguise which are visually detectable.
First, determine the vision increment multiplier based on the Weather and Terrain conditions:
Terrain
Weather Open Light Medium Heavy
Clear 1 0.6 0.3 0.1
Light 0.8 0.5 0.25 0.1
Medium 0.2 0.3 0.05 5'*
Heavy 0.1 0.05 5'* 5'*

* These combinations of conditions are such that the vision increment is five feet regardless of lighting conditions.
Open Terrain: Plains. No significant obstructions to line of sight.
Light Terrain: Sparse woods, Large, but occasional bushes or cacti.
Medium Terrain: Fairly thick woods with moderate undergrowth.
Heavy Terrain: Jungle/Thick Wood conditions. Thick undergrowth. "Hack your way through" terrain.
Clear Weather: No adverse weather conditions.
Light Weather: Mist, Haze, Light Rain
Medium Weather: Light Fog, Heavy Rain, Snow, Duststorm
Heavy Weather: Moderate Fog, Blizzard, Sandstorm
Heavy fog always provides a vision increment of 5', regardless of Terrain and Light.

Then, determine the actual vision increment based on the lighting conditions: Lighting Condition
Multiplier Clear Cloudy Twilight Full Moon No Moon
1 500 250 100 30 10
0.8 400 200 80 25 5
0.6 300 150 60 15 5
0.5 250 125 50 15 5
0.3 150 75 30 10 5
0.25 125 60 25 5 5
0.2 100 50 20 5 5
0.1 50 25 10 5 5
0.05 25 10 5 5 5

Low-Light Vision: Double the vision increment for any lighting condition other than Clear.
Darkvision: Use the “clear” column, but vision only extends to the range of the Darkvision itself (usually 60').
Blindsense, Blindsight and Tremorsense: Ignore these ranges entirely. Full "visual" ability (as described in the MM description of these abilities) is conferred within the respective ranges (indicated in the creature’s MM entry).
Complete Darkness: All of the above range increments assume that there is at least some natural light present (even if its nothing more than starlight in the case of No Moon). If there is no natural light present, then vision is limited by the light sources present (see below).
Light Sources: The light source itself uses the "clear" column for determining its spot DC (i.e. the DC to spot it, not for it to spot something else). Anything within its Bright illumination radius automatically uses the "twilight" for determining its spot DC. Anything within the Shadowy illumination radius automatically uses the "full moon" for determining its spot DC. In all cases, it does not matter where the spotting character is (i.e. they could be well away from the light source and still use it to spot the characters holding it).

Other Modifiers
If the spotter is distracted they receive a -5 penalty to their check.
In the case of creatures or characters actively using a skill (such as Hide) add the creature’s or character’s skill check to the DC.
In the case of creatures or characters not actively using a skill the following modifiers affect the base Spot DC (the skills already accounts for these modifiers in the form of penalties or bonuses to the target’s skill check):
Size: use the size modifier from the hide skill of the creature/object being spotted.
Movement: If the creature is moving at less than half-speed the DC is unchanged. If the creature is moving at one-half to full speed the DC gets a -5 modifier (its easier to spot a moving object than a stationary one). If the creature is moving at greater than full speed (i.e. running or charging) the DC gets a -20 modifier. Moving objects use the speed of the creature moving them to determine the modifier. Objects that obviously shouldn’t move (such as large stones or terrain features) automatically receive at least the -5 modifier even if they are being moved at slower than half the creature’s speed.

Success
Beating the DC allows the spotter to notice the creature or object in question. Beating the DC by a large amount allows the spotter to pick out more details.
Type: If you beat the DC by 5 you can determine the type of creature or object; such as whether it is human, elf, orc, chair, etc.
Identify: If you beat the DC by 10 you can determine who or what exactly it is; such as if it's Bob the Ranger or if its your wagon and not somebody else's.
Detail: If you beat the DC by 15 you can determine specifics; such as condition, items worn, if he needs to shave, etc.
Instinctive Awareness: If you beat the DC by 20 or more you determine the presence, but not the location, of an invisible creature who is not actively hiding. For a invisible creature that is hiding it is enough to beat the DC since they already have a bonus to their Hide check for being invisible.
Read Lips: To understand what someone is saying by reading lips, you must be within 30 feet of the speaker, be able to see him or her speak, and understand the speaker’s language. (This use of the skill is language-dependent.) The base DC is 15, but it increases for complex speech or an inarticulate speaker. You must maintain a line of sight to the lips being read. If the current vision increment is less than 30 feet, add the normal +2 for every full vision increment.
If your Spot check succeeds, you can understand the general content of a minute’s worth of speaking, but you usually still miss certain details. If the check fails by 4 or less, you can’t read the speaker’s lips. If the check fails by 5 or more, you draw some incorrect conclusion about the speech. The check is rolled secretly in this case, so that you don’t know whether you succeeded or missed by 5.

Spotting Groups
Groups of creatures are generally easier to spot than a single creature. Each time the size of the group doubles, treat the group as being a single creature one size larger than the size of the creatures in the group (i.e. a group of 2 medium creatures is as easy to see as a larger creautre and a group of 4 medium creatures is as easy to see as a huge creature). If the group is made up of different sized creatures, then combine smaller creatures to get larger ones until you've got the one creature equivalent (i.e. a group of 2 small creatures and a medium creature is the equivalent of a large creature (2 smalls make a medium, 2 mediums make a large)). You can make out the individual members of the group when you can make the spot DC for that creature when considered by itself.

Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to spot something in a reactive manner you can make a Spot check without using an action. Trying to spot something you failed to see previously is a move action. To read lips, you must concentrate for a full minute before making a Spot check, and you can’t perform any other action (other than moving at up to half speed) during this minute.
Try Again: Yes. You can try to spot something that you failed to see previously at no penalty. You can attempt to read lips once per minute.
Taking 10 or 20: You can take 10 or 20 on Spot checks except when trying to read lips. You cannot take 10 or 20 when reading lips.
Special: A fascinated creature takes a -4 penalty on Spot checks made as reactions.
If you have the Alertness feat, you get a +2 bonus on Spot checks.
A ranger gains a bonus on Spot checks when using this skill against a favored enemy.
An elf has a +2 racial bonus on Spot checks.

[Black Plauge]

Languages

There is no "common" tongue. Instead, each race has their own racial language or uses the racial language of another race (with the former being much more common than the latter).

An individual's proficency in a language is measured using the following scale:

0 - Doesn't know the language: Fairly self explanitory. All non-native languages start out at this level for all characters. Skill checks or abilites which are language dependant are impossible (in both directions) for the character in a language at this level.
1 - Phrase Book knowledge: The character knows a few phrases in the language, such as how to order dinner or ask for a room, but does not actually understand the language. Skill checks or abilities which are language dependant are impossible for the character (in both directions) except for very simple phrases that the character already knows.
2 - Passable: The character has a rudimentary understanding of the language and a decent vocabulary. As a result they can make themselves understood in most situations. However, when time is at issue, or the task is difficult (such as one requiring a skill check) the character has only a 50% chance of understanding or making themselves understood properly. This percent chance is rolled before any check and if it fails, does not prevent the character from trying again, even with a skill that wouldn't allow retries. Note: This percent chance stacks if both persons involved in the communication only have a passable rating in the language being used.
3 - Fluent: The character speaks the language perfectly. Language dependant effects, skill checks, and abilities work normally for (and on) this character.
4+ - Eloquent: The character has mastered the subtle intricasies of the language to the point that in certian situations he's more effective than normal. Choose a skill which can be used in conjunction with this language (such as Diplomacy or Bluff). For every point above 3 that you invest in the language, you gain a bonus to the choosen skill equal to the number of points invested, but only when using this language with that skill. This bonus can be split between multiple skills if desired, but the choice must be made when the language points are invested and cannot be later changed. For example, if you have 6 points in Elven, you are entitled to a +3 bonus to one skill, a +2 bonus to one skill and a +1 bonus to another, or a +1 bonus to three skills, but only when speaking Elven.
You may also use these points to increase the DC of language-dependant effects or spells. You still must choose one ability or spell to benefit, and in these cases, however, the DC increases by 1 for every two points invested. You can also divide the bonus between multiple language-dependant effects or spells, or with the skill bonuses.

Example: Gimble, the gnomish bard has 10 language points invested in Gnome (3 for free since its his racial language, 2 from a high Int, and 5 from skill points). This entitles him to 7 points of bonuses. He's decided to split this up and has a +1 save DC bonus to suggestion (2 points), a +1 save DC bonus to entrall (2 points), a +2 bonus to diplomacy (2 points), and a +1 bonus to sense motive (1 point). All of these bonuses only work when Gimble is using these abilities in gnomish (speaking in the case of the first 3, listening in the case of the last one).

Languages that a race or class gains automatically are set at the fluent (3 point) level.

Bonus Languages for high Int at 1st level: When creating a character with an above average Int score, the chracter gains a number of language points equal to twice their Int bonus which can be invested into the languages listed as bonus languages for their race (and only those languages).

Speak Language: When a character invests skill points in this skill they gain a number of language points equal to the number of ranks they have times 2 (i.e. cross class skill points net 1 language point and class skill points net 2 language points). These language points can then be invested in any one language or split between multiple languages to learn them or improve one's proficency with them.