Appraise, Craft, Handle Animal, Linguistics, Perform, Profession, and some Knowledge specialties are all background skills. All PCs gain their normal number of skill ranks in Adventuring Skills as well as 2 ranks of Background Skills per level. The skill modifier is calculated normally- if a class has a Background Skill as a class skill, they add the class skill bonus to their ranks and ability bonus to determine the skill modifier.

The table below lists the new and redefined skills, separated into adventuring and background skills.

Adventuring Skills

• Acrobatics
• Bluff
• Climb
• Diplomacy
• Disable Device
• Disguise
• Escape Artist
• Fly
• Heal
• Intimidate
• Knowledge (arcana)
• Knowledge (dungeoneering)
• Knowledge (local)
• Knowledge (nature)
• Knowledge (planes)
• Knowledge (religion)
• Perception
• Ride
• Sense Motive
• Spellcraft
• Stealth
• Survival
• Swim
• Use Magic Device

Background Skills

• Appraise
• Craft
• Handle Animal
• Knowledge (engineering)
• Knowledge (geography)
• Knowledge (history)
• Knowledge (nobility)
• Linguistics
• Perform
• Profession
• Sleight of Hand