Skills

Learn about the 16 skills in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, including active and passive skills, skill checks, and their specific uses.

Characters begin with 12 or 13 skill points (based on background) distributed across at least five skills. Each level-up grants two points, with one point mandatory for an active skill and one for a passive skill. By level 20, characters will have 50 or 51 points. The main character can gain an additional +1 in each skill through training.

Skill Checks

Skill checks occur at various points to influence outcomes. For instance, a check related to the natural world might require a Survival skill check. In conversations, these checks are made against the player character's (PC) skill rank. Other challenges may involve the party member with the highest rank or all party members attempting the challenge.

Other party members can contribute a bonus to skill checks based on their total points in a skill:

• Total 1: +1 Bonus
• Total 2-3: +2 Bonus
• Total 4-6: +3 Bonus
• Total 7-10: +4 Bonus
• Total 11-15: +5 Bonus
• Total 16-21: +6 Bonus

Active Skills

Alchemy

Alchemy influences the natural and supernatural properties of materials. Each point invested in Alchemy increases the Power Level (PL) of Potions and Drugs by +1. The potency of poisons increases by +1 PL for every two points of Alchemy.

Arcana

Arcana measures a character's magical knowledge. To use a scroll, a character needs an Arcana score equal to twice the spell's level (e.g., Arcana 8 is needed for a Scroll of Confusion). Every two points of Arcana add +1 PL to a scroll.

Athletics

Athletics measures physical fitness and is used in scripted interactions involving climbing, jumping, or strenuous activities. It also grants an 'in-encounter' healing ability called _Second Wind_, which restores 15 Health + 5 times the Athletics skill value (e.g., +20 Health at Athletics 1, +50 at Athletics 7).

Explosives

Explosives relates to the use of bombs. Each point invested adds +1 PL to bombs and reduces the chance of accidents when handling them.

Mechanics

Mechanics is the skill for picking locks and handling traps. Locks and traps have a minimum Mechanics skill requirement. Each point in Mechanics adds +3 to a trap's Accuracy when setting them, though trap PL scales with character level and this does not affect damage.

Note: Mechanics is not used to spot traps; that is handled by the Perception attribute.

Sleight of Hand

Sleight of Hand governs pickpocketing. The base difficulty of a pickpocketing check depends on the item's value and is modified by the owner's level:

• CL 1: +1 Difficulty
• CL 2: +2 Difficulty
• CL 3-4: +3 Difficulty
• CL 5-6: +4 Difficulty
• CL 7-9: +5 Difficulty
• CL 10-12: +6 Difficulty
• CL 13-15: +7 Difficulty
• CL 16-18: +8 Difficulty
• CL 19+: +9 Difficulty

The item's type also affects difficulty; stealing armor is harder than stealing cheese. If undetected, you can move an item into the target's inventory, which will explode after 10 seconds with +100% Accuracy, Penetration, and damage if it is a bomb.

Stealth

Stealth measures a character's ability to remain unseen. It is used automatically in Scouting mode, allowing closer approaches to enemies and increasing the time before they become aware of your presence. It can also be used in scripted interactions to avoid encounters or start with an advantage.

Passive Skills

There are 9 passive skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, History, Insight, Intimidate, Metaphysics, Religion, Streetwise, and Survival.

Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Streetwise are speech skills. Bluff is for lying, Diplomacy for persuasion, Intimidate for threats, and Streetwise for navigating less reputable social circles. Diplomacy is checked most frequently in conversation. Insight helps intuit emotions and motivations, overlapping with Perception. History, Metaphysics, and Religion are knowledge skills checked less often, where companions can assist. Survival is often important, as failures in scripted interactions can have severe consequences.