Editing Yagura:SRD:Skills Summary (section)

===Using Skills===

To make a [[Yagura:SRD:Skill Check|skill check]], roll: 1d20 + skill modifiers. Skill modifiers includes your skill ranks, your attribute bonus from the related attribute, and any miscellaneous modifiers for circumstances related to the ability, ranging from racial bonuses to equipment bonuses and armor check penalties. 

This roll works just like an [[Yagura:SRD:Attack Roll|attack roll]] or a [[Yagura:SRD:Saving Throw|saving throw]]— the higher the roll, the better. Either you’re trying to match or exceed a certain [[Yagura:SRD:DC|Difficulty Class]] ([[Yagura:SRD:DC|DC]]), or you’re trying to beat another character’s check result.

Your skill check result determines the degree of success or failure your character experiences.

=====Skill Modifiers=====

While your ranks are important for providing a level of competence and opening up new abilities, equally important is your total bonus to these ability checks. Bonuses to skills are broken up into five groups:
* Skill ranks
* The ability modifier for the skill's ''[[Yagura:SRD:Key Ability|key ability]]'' (the ability associated with the skill’s use).
* Conditional modifiers are those gained based on actual conditions when you use a skill ability, and are generally detailed in the skill descriptions. Bonuses arising from different conditions stack, unless otherwise noted in the condition description.
* Competence modifiers are any racial ability, class feature, feat, gear, spell, or any other bonus or penalty to a skill that does not fit into one of the other groupings. Competence bonuses do not stack with other competence bonuses, and cannot exceed +3. Competence penalties do not stack with other competence penalties, but are not capped. Only the largest available competence bonus and penalty apply on any particular roll.
* Circumstance modifiers are a miscellaneous +/-2 modifier that the GM may apply as necessary. They should be reserved for special cases where the existing condition modifiers do not adequately cover the situation. 

=====Checks Without Rolls=====
Making a roll for a skill ability includes the potential for both great success and great failure, and there are times when you might rather just get by without worrying about it. These times are generally those when you are not under pressure to perform (as you would in combat or under stress), and when you have time to focus.

With some restrictions you may "take" a roll result of 10, 15, or 20 with any skill ability whenever you are not actively threatened or distracted. If you have 4 or more ranks in the skill than the minimum ranks required to use a skill ability then you may "take" a result even when you are actively threatened or distracted.

======Taking 10======
Taking 10 represents putting in an average amount of effort, and not attempting to reach for a greater result. It can be thought of as doing "just enough to get by". For the purposes of your skill check, you treat your 1d20 roll as if it had come up 10. Taking this option takes the same amount of time as a normal use of the skill ability does.

======Taking 15======
Taking 15 represents spending time and effort to do a good job, but without spending time to make it perfect. It can be thought of as "taking the time to do it right". For the purposes of your skill check, you treat your 1d20 roll as if it had come up 15. Taking this option takes four times as long as a normal use of the skill ability does.

======Taking 20======
Taking 20 represents putting in a great deal of effort in an attempt to make the check as "perfect as you can get". It means doing it over, and over, and over until you get it right... even if you get it wrong once or twice along the way. If you would fail the check in a way that would not allow you to retry it had you rolled a 1, you treat your 1d20 roll as if it had come up 1. Otherwise you treat your 1d20 roll as if it had come up 20. Taking this option takes 20 times as long as a normal use of the skill ability.