weapons and magic, will you? Well, I suppose you could, but...

Backstabbing: This skill is checked whenever you hit an enemy from behind. A successful check allows you to deal significantly more damage. While it pairs well with stealth, you can backstab any enemy not facing you. Archery is also effective for backstabbing.

Stealth: This skill is checked automatically when you enter an enemy's range. It allows you to get the first strike, potentially enabling a backstab, and helps you avoid attracting the attention of wandering monsters in dungeons. Moving slowly grants bonuses to stealth; crouching further slows your movement, making the combination of crouching and sneaking the most effective method. Stealth pairs well with Illusion magic.

Language Skills: These skills (Centaurian, Daedric, Dragonish, Giantish, Harpy, Impish, Nymph, Orcish, and Spriggan) offer a chance that a creature will not attack you, presumably by talking to it. It is advised not to have your weapon drawn when attempting to talk to monsters, as this will likely provoke an attack. However, these skills are generally considered pointless, as killing monsters is often more practical for looting. Some players may enjoy the roleplaying aspect. New players are advised to skip these skills.

Lockpicking: This skill is implemented poorly and is very slow to train. You typically get only one attempt per door for exterior and dungeon doors. While you can attempt interior town doors multiple times, guards will be summoned on the second try. Fortunately, locked doors can be bypassed using the Mysticism spell 'Open' or by bashing them with a weapon or fist. The weakest 'Open' spell can unlock any door in any town. Bashing doors in towns is noisy and alerts guards. Bashing doors in dungeons is also noisy but less consequential. Bashing doors can cause significant wear and tear on your weapon, so carrying a spare or using your fists is recommended.

Pickpocket: This skill is deemed useless. It allows you to pickpocket people and monsters for small amounts of gold. It also governs shoplifting, which is strongly discouraged due to a low success rate and the greater profitability of breaking into shops at night.

Critical Strike: This skill is checked every time you hit an enemy in combat. A successful check results in a Critical Strike, dealing more damage than usual. The higher your skill level, the more frequently Critical Strikes occur. This skill benefits anyone who engages in combat with weapons.

Dodging: This skill helps you avoid enemy attacks in combat, regardless of your armor choice. While you can manually dodge by moving out of range, this tactic is not always effective in confined spaces or when surrounded. It is a useful skill to possess.

Climbing: This skill is useful for scaling city walls to enter cities at night if the gates are shut, especially if you cannot use levitation magic. To complete the main story, you must be able to either levitate or climb. Climbing is performed by facing a wall perpendicularly and walking into it, which should initiate scaling within seconds.

Jumping: This skill governs your ability to jump. It is useful for crossing pitfalls in dungeons that cannot be levitated over.