As found in the PHB, the AD&D game skills (secondary skills) can be used as written, but to really flesh out one's character, I found it better to heavily modify those rules in favor of the system developed by me. Though mostly developed by modifying other various systems into one comprehensive system, this skill system makes it possible to add depth and breadth to your characters while maintaining simplicity within the game. This system is presented here below.

The important thing about this skill system is that it may be used to flesh out your characters, making them more three dimensional and meaningful and memorable as well as more realistic, and it will allow them to gain skills normally found outside their character class. Furthermore, although most NPCs will never become adventurers (adventurers having a collection of an incredible number of skills), they may well learn a dozen worthwhile skills or more, and this systems shows how well they may know these skills.

Also, many times one may feel their character's development is arrested "in between" going up levels as nothing new has been added. With the inclusion of secondary and tertiary skills, they may still learn skills or improve old ones between those lengthy periods when "waiting" to acquire another weapon or non weapon proficiency. All of this makes for a much more interesting game filled with interesting characters that are trying to do many more interesting things. Without it, a player may feel like he's getting no where, especially in games where the rate one gains experience points is rather slow.

The AD&D class based system sometimes makes it seem as if one's character could not possibly learn any skills outside those normally found inside their character class, but it would be wrong to think that. Simply because the rules do not go into detail about how this may be done, many feel it can't be done, but nothing could be further from the truth. Thus, in order to alleviate the problem some find with the standard AD&D rules, I have worked on this system, revised it, and now present it to you for your consideration.

Unlike the book which uses 1d20 for skill rolls, I prefer 1d100 (percentile dice), or d%, for this system. This adds more possibilities in between those increments of 5%, gives skill ratings as a percentage (which is easier to grasp for many as straight probabilities or percentages), and doesn't particularly add difficulty to the game. Simply multiply the old 1d20 scores by 5 when necessary to convert the 1d20 skills to percentiles. For example, if your roll had been 14 (14 out of 20), your new roll would be 14 x 5= 70%. 14 out of 20 is not as easy to understand as 70% for most people.

Many skills will not require a roll since the task is so easy; the success should be nearly automatic. Walking across the room, for example, does not require a roll with a "walking" skill. Walking across a tightrope, on the other hand, will be harder. Jumping is no big deal (and even though this is a skill on the list, you do not need to roll to succeed at it), but jumping across a wide gap will require a roll. Swimming normally can be done (if you know how) and does not require a roll, but swimming against a current, while under attack, while trying to escape, or even while wearing armor all may require a roll.

Many of the skills below cannot normally be done by a character who does not posses that skill at all, and even a good roll may not succeed in their attempts to do something they really have no idea about. Many skills, however, once acquired even to a small degree, may be done automatically and do not need a roll. It is only under stressful circumstances, more difficult tasks, or attempting those skills requiring finer detail in knowledge and the like that the GM may require you to make your character's skill roll. For if your character has Black Smiting, for example, you need not roll to make a horseshoe, but you may need to roll to make something unusual or special.

Sometimes the skill rating doesn't represent a roll so much as a level of skill or mastery. For example, if Billy Bob knows the common language at 40%, he can get by as an average native might, but would not exactly seem like an educated man. This does not require a roll, as you see, but merely represents his current mastery of that skill. How a skill may be broken down is up to your game master. To give you an idea of what I mean (to use language as an example) look at this example given immediately below:

01-10 May only communicate simple ideas: "I want food."

11-30 May get across simple ideas and live day to day in the native country of the language speakers: "How many moneys for leg of lamb?"

31-50 Assured communication. One can speak better than a stupid native can (most stupid natives will be around 30%) and get most ideas across. "But that was only three coppers yesterday." Most average natives fall somewhere in this range.

51-80 Allows one to tell stories, sagas, songs, etc. One can argue and bargain as well as an intelligent native speaker can. "That lamb was rotten before it was butchered, and it never was worth the spit that it took to hit the tax collector in the eye last month."

81-00 This is the language of poets, philosophers, leaders, diplomats, emissaries, and others who aspire to a fluent grasp of the nation's speech. "Surely the assessment for this specimen of decomposing provender could be reevaluated in consideration of its advanced state of putrefaction."

However, your DM may use these language percentages to see how well you communicate if he wishes you to roll. If so, both parties having above 50% skill in the same language assure communication. If one or more have less than 50%, the change of successfully communicating is 2 X the lowest skill.

When the DM requires you to make a roll, like the 1d20 where a 1 always succeeds and a 20 always fails for skill rolls (though it is opposite than for attack rolls, go figure), percentile skill rolls will similarly hold that 5% or less always works if there was any chance at all, and 96% or more always fails. For the simple skill roll, you will then attempt to roll your character's skill rating or less on percentile dice. If the roll is equal to or less than your character's skill rating, they have succeeded, and if greater than the skill rating, your character will have failed.

Torack, the thief (rogue) has a 62% skill rating in reading lips (of conversations in a language he knows at least at 62%. If he knew the language at 40%, for example, his read lips in this example couldn't be better than 40%). Since the conversation is well illuminated and not too far away, the DM rules there are no negative modifiers. Torack's player rolls a 56 on d%. This is a success, so he gets the major portions of that conversation (just as if he had heard it). If he rolled 63% or higher, for example, he would have failed (for a variety of reasons the DM could make up if desired: bad angle as one turned away from him, the guy had a lisp, someone got in the way, he kept covering his mouth or scratching his nose and you missed too much, etc.).

20% or less of one's CURRENT SKILL indicates a special success. For example, Torack's singing skill is 74%. Calculate 20% of 74%. (0.2 x 74% = 14.8 round = 15%). Thus, if the roll is 74% or less, he sings well, but if he rolls 15% or less, he sings especially well. Whether or not the DM does something special for this depends on the circumstances. Perhaps more people will stop and listen.

5% or less of one's CURRENT SKILL indicates a critical success. For example, Torack's singing skill is 74%. Calculate 5% of 74%. (0.05 x 74% = 03.7 round = 4%). Thus, if the roll is 74% or less, he sings well, 15% or less, he sings especially well, but if he rolls 4% or less, he sings extremely well. Whether or not the DM does something fantastic for this depends on the circumstances. Perhaps people will throw money at him in appreciation or walk around for hours humming his tune or feel a need to talk to him and get his name or autograph.

If your character can have special or critical rolls to succeed, they can fail miserably as well. This is known as the critical fumble or just a fumble (and applies to all skills, not just combat skills). To calculate the fumble %, take 5% of your failure rate. For example, Torack's singing skill is 74%. His failure would be 100% - 74% = 26%. Calculate 5% of 26%. (0.05 x 26% = 1.3 round = 1%. Thus, if he rolls 75% or higher he would fail, but if he rolled 00 (that 1% fumble chance is on the other end of the percentile dice, so rolling very high, like 00, is very bad), not only would he fail, but people may boo and jeer him, his voice may crack, his instrument may break (like a string on a guitar) or whatever else the DM may contrive.

As math may not be your strong point, I provide the table below:

Some skills may work against one another in a special way. For example, the Scan skill to find the Hide In Shadows, or the Search skill to find something hidden by the Conceal skill. When this happens, designate one skill as active (aggressive) and the other as passive (defensive).

The aggressive skill must first roll to see how well they did. If they roll higher than their skill level, not only do they fail, but also they fail badly enough such that it might help a person to find it. If they roll below their skill level, they succeed, but how well or how far below they make their roll makes a difference, too.

Example: Torack attempts to Hide In Shadows while slinking toward the guard. There is reasonable cover and shadows to do this, so the DM has no negative modifiers. Torack's Hide In Shadows skill is 72%. He rolls 1d% (probably the DM rolls so his player doesn't know if he succeeds or fails yet since it might not be obvious). Let us assume he rolls d% and gets 47%. Since his skill level was 72%, he succeeded, but in this case, we need to know how well. 72% - 47% = 25%. Thus, we subtract 25% to the passive rolls.

The two guards both have the Scan skill, one at 40%, the other at 85%, and they are both looking. The DM subtracts 25% (in this case) and finds the guards have a 15% and a 60% chance respectively, to spot Torack (at the level at which he succeeded to hide this time).

If Torack had rolled d% and got 10%, your would subtract 62% from the guard's rolls. 72% - 10% = 62%. Guard one: 40% - 62% = -22%. This guard needs to roll 5% or less (a critical always works). Second guard: 85% - 62% = 23%.

Finally, Torack may have messed up too. If his player rolls d% and gets above his skill level, it's easier to spot him. If he rolled 94%, for example: 72% - 94% = -22%. You subtract a negative, or add the positive (same thing). Guard one: 40% + 22% = 62%. Guard two: 85% + 22% = 107%. Thus, guard two will see Torack if he rolls 95% or less. (96% to 100% is always a failure).

Sometimes, similar skills are in competition. Strength vs. Strength in an arm wrestling contest, for example. In such instances, subtract the lower skill or attribute from the higher and multiply the difference by 5%. The person (or thing) with the higher skill adds this to a base 50% chance and the lower skill subtracts this from a base 50% chance. Each player (or the player and the DM) rolls until only one succeeds. The first to succeed while the other fails will win.

Example: Torack, wiry but tough, has a STR of 13, and he goes up against Torail, a local tough, who has a STR of 16! 16 - 13 = 3. 3 x 5% = 15%. This will give Torail a 65% chance and Torack a 35% chance. (These numbers should add up to 100%). Each one rolls d% until only one succeeds. If both succeed, roll again; if both fail, roll again. The DM may rule that a special success will beat a normal success and/or a critical success will beat a special success if they wish. When this happens, the contest is over.

Sometimes a character may only have time to try an action once, other times they can try again and again until they succeed (it just takes more time). There will be those times when you may not know if you succeeded or failed until it is too late to try again. Finally, sometimes failure results in injury. If you can take it, your character can try again and again until they die or you decide they have had enough. Normally, the DM will make the call as to which of these situations apply.

a.) If the first failure kills the character (or destroys the item being worked with), that's that.

b.) If failure injures the character, assess the damage and let them try again after they have sufficiently recovered (got their wind back, bandaged their injuries, etc.).

c.) Otherwise, let them keep trying, but have a negative modifier for each attempt after the first. The DM may decide to subtract whatever they feel is appropriate for the situation for each subsequent roll, depending on the task. Furthermore, the DM may also rule that each subsequent task takes double the normal time. Naturally, this does not mean the task is getting harder but only demonstrates there is something already hard about it. Some tasks are so difficult the DM may rule each failure reduces the character's chance by as much as half their normal skill level. Thus, only two attempts may be made. Other tasks may not be so difficult. If the DM wishes to set a fixed number of attempts, as a general rule of thumb, it may be easiest to divide the character's skill by that number and subtract that much for each failure. An example is given below.

As DM, sometimes your best bet is to assign a percentage to a task you know the characters will have to do. For example, you may decide an item is well hidden (by conceal) and will take a skill of at least 50% with search to find it. IF a character has this skill at 50% or higher AND they say they are searching, THEN it is automatically revealed and no roll is required. This makes things simple. If they have a search skill less than 50%, they will automatically fail UNLESS they say they are searching and they roll a special or a critical success (the DM decides how good the roll must be to succeed before the roll). However, not every situation can be planned for (or the DM may leave it up to chance anyway), and the DM will have to make a judgment call when these items come up.

Black Bart, with a Search skill of 60% for example, may search an area for a secret door and the DM will secretly make that roll. If the roll is higher than 60%, Bart fails to find it and the DM simply tells Bart's player they have found nothing. But what if a second character also has the search skill (albeit at a lesser skill level)? The DM may either rule that it takes at least 60% to find the door now (or a special or critical success), or they may adjust the second roll downwards (by whatever negative modifiers the DM feels is appropriate, usually at least 5% to perhaps as much as HALF the failed first roller's skill) and then roll secretly for that character. All of this assumes both characters are searching in the same area under the same lighting conditions, etc., for if the conditions get better or worse, appropriate adjustments should be made and/or new rolls may be given.

For example, Bart didn't find the secret door. But Sandra may have a search skill of 35%. But Bart's failure shows the DM this particular door is already well hidden (hence he decides it is at a -5%, -10%, or maybe even -30% (half of Bart's skill!!!). In this example, let us say the DM decides no more than two attempts may be made per character. 60% divided by 2 is 30%, so each failure will cause all subsequent rolls to be at -30%. The door is WELL hidden. This means the Sandra's base chance is now only 5% (even though she didn't roll yet, Bart has already shown the door is so well hidden, it is at -30% to find it) and if Bart wished to spend another 20 minutes searching the wall again his roll would now be at 30% (normally it takes 10 minutes to search for a secret door, but the DM decides to double the time for subsequent, apparently more careful attempts). In this example, it would practically take a critical success for Sandra to find this door after Bart failed (or just 5% or less as this always succeeds if the character has at least 5% in a skill), but Bart still has a reasonable chance (if he even has reason to think he may have missed something and decides to spend even more time searching the same area again).

Remember, this second search will usually not be done at all since there is probably more than just a single 10 foot section of wall to cover and no one has good reason to believe they missed something the first time. It already took a hundred minutes to search this 30-foot X 20-foot room, for example. Now, taking double the time, it will take 200 MORE minutes to really go over it CAREFULLY. Sandra can search at the same time Bart is searching, so this takes no more time than what Bart uses. So, unless Bart concentrates his search to one and only one 10-foot section of the wall, this will take hours. Let's assume in this case the party is mapping the dungeon complex and only one 10-foot section of the wall really interests them (due to an anomaly on the map). Thus, Bart failed to find it in the first 10 minutes (Sandra may or may not search the same section WHILE Bart is searching, depending on available space). Bart now decides there MUST be a door there (a conclusion he draws from looking at the map) and decides to spend another 20 minutes really going over that 10 foot section. His roll (at -30%) is now 30%. The DM secretly rolls again. 31% or higher pretty much means no one is going to find this door until their skills improve, they go up a level, or some time has passed to put them in a significantly different frame of mind. For now, they leave the wall behind. Of course, if he rolls 30% or less (or Sandra rolled 5% or less), they would have found it.

Some players will attempt to manipulate the rules, especially when they are carefully laid out for them, as if their characters also knew these rules as well as the players know them. This is bad roleplaying and the DM should probably award less experience to such players AND tell them why so as to put them on the right track for future scenarios. For example, Mark, a player, reads the above rules and decides that if there is poor light to begin with for the search, a Continual Light may improve their odds, but he will only use the Continual Light AFTER they have failed (if they fail). His thinking is that new and better conditions will wipe the slate clean and the characters may roll anew (getting a second bite at the same apple), and he may well be right, for the above rules do suggest if conditions improve, new rolls may be taken afresh. Thus, Mark, thinking himself clever, is really just roleplaying badly and does not deserve to benefit from it.

The DM's best way to avoid this (without penalty to the players) is to ask obvious things like "Do you want to search using the continual light in your bag?" since he knows they have one handy. If the manipulating player says no (for no other reason in the DM's opinion than to manipulate the rules), he simply will not give them new rolls when the light is brought out and may even rule the door is so well hidden (after they failed to find it in the dark) they will never find it now (without some serious magic like Detect Invisibility, which may also reveal secret and hidden things, or True Seeing). OR, he may give this area a 50% penalty to all rolls at first since it is very dark, let them waste their time, then give them new rolls only after the light is produced. The latter most method is the preferred method since this reflects reality closest and penalizes the players only the extra time it takes to make those extra searches that are doomed to failure (searching in the dark when you don't have to, please!). However the DM wishes to handle it, suffice it to say manipulating the rules like this will usually not sit well with your DM, so don't try it unless you are prepared to pay the penalty, both as character (wasted time) and as a player (lost xp and a bad roleplaying reputation).

Many skills may also be found within an adventurer's class. For example, the Climb Walls skill can be found in the rogue class. In fact, many of the rogue's skills are on these tables. (Back Stab is not, for example, but most are there). A player may either use the normal method of acquiring and improving these skills within their class and the rules governing that class or they may try to learn them as all the other skills are learned.

In this system, it is assumed all non-weapon proficiency skills cost the same number of NWP slots - that is one slot for each skill. They are no longer broken down by class since all characters (PCs or NPCs) may take them. However, some classes get bonuses (usually +15%) for certain skills that are closely related to their other skills within their class. For example, everyone may learn Weaving at the same percentage to start with (attributes notwithstanding), but Rogues and Mages may learn Gem Cutting better than most. Where this happens, it will be indicated on the table as a bonus % under that class heading.

During the adventure, your character may attempt to use some skill in a high stress situation. They succeed by rolling their skill % or less on d%. If your character succeeds AND the DM agrees this was a high stress situation, they will allow you to record a check mark by this skill (you may have to ask them when you do it while it is fresh in their mind: "Do I get a check for that?"). When the DM later awards normal experience points, they will let you roll for those checked skills to see if your character has learned something from their experience.

To learn by experience, roll d% and add the ATTRIBUTE for that skill to the roll. If the result is HIGHER than your current skill level, your character will have learned something. Note: As the skill % gets higher and higher, it will be much easier to get a check mark, but it will also be much harder to learn something new.

Example: The rabid dogs almost get you but you jump over the wide chasm to save yourself at the last second. You succeed (you rolled 32% and your skill is 44%). The DM agrees this was a high stress situation, so you may have a check mark by your jumping skill. Later it's XP time, and you try to roll d% and get HIGHER than 44. Remember, you may add 4% to your roll since this was the attribute modifier for this skill with your character's statistics. You roll 42, *sigh*. But wait! 42+4=46, and this is HIGHER than 44%, so your rogue has learned how to jump better. Congratulations.

Note:It is a good idea to make note of each skill's attribute modifier next to the skill on your character sheet so you need not recalculate it every time.

When your character succeeds in learning by experience check, they may either add 1d6 to their skill OR they may add 3% points. You must decide which before you roll. Naturally, you then erase the check and may use the skill at the higher % at a future date, perhaps gaining another check.

Caution: Having your character run through their list of skills every week trying to get checks (as if they were some character in a game) is manipulating the rules, so don't expect the DM to give you check marks (even if the situations are stressful) if he feels you are using your weaknesses in times of dire need (just to get a check) rather than going with your strength (your best weapon, where you already may have a check for that session, for example).

It is possible (in many instances even required) to increase your skill not by experience checks but by paying an instructor to teach you. This takes time and money, assuming you can find an instructor. The instructor must have a skill % at least 10% points higher than your character's skill % for the skill they wish to learn. It will take one hour per % point to complete the instruction. Thus, if you wished to improve your Gem Cutting skill (currently at 42%), it would take 42 hours of study. If you wished to augment your Ancient History skill currently at 56%, it will take 56 hours of study. Since you may only work 10 hours a day, this would take more than 4 days, possibly the better part of 5 days. Remember that your character may have other things that need practicing or other things to do as well. You DM will instruct you on the TIME constraints of their world.

After paying the instructor and studying the appropriate number of hours, your character may increase their skill % by 1d6-2 OR by adding 2%. You must decide before you roll. Note: It is possible to learn nothing (2-2=0) or even lose skill (1-2=-1) with a bad roll (faulty instruction, poor student, who knows what?).

Many skills must be taught since there is no realistic opportunity to learn them under high stress situations (High stress Evaluation of goods?). Other skills the DM may decide are too powerful to learn easily and insists they are learned from masters rather than picked up willy-nilly. Some class skills (mostly Rogue) that are given here may either be learned as above (but forgoing the level additions of +30%/level) or they may be learned in the normal manner within the class (but not both). Ultimately, the DM will limit the number of skills you can acquire (while still being able to perform your class skills without detriment), or limit the quality of the skill (how high a % you can get).

On my world (Orlantia), I limit my players to no more secondary skills than they have points of INT, and only half of those may exceed 50%. If a skill is normally found in their class (as many rogue skills are for monks or rogues), or if the skills are given to the character for free or for less than one NWP slot (as part of a package deal in character generation, such as a priest of Poseidon may acquire Seamanship for free, a ranger may acquire tracking for free, a bard may acquire language and music skills for half cost, etc.), such skills will not count toward this limit. These skills outside the realm of your class are also called tertiary skills, though secondary skills is fine as well as names go.

To learn a skill past 100%, one must roll higher than 100 on d%. This would be impossible except you get to add your ATTRIBUTE to the roll, making it possible. Once a skill gets to this level, you no longer have to roll higher than your skill but only higher than 100. You still add 1d6 or 3 to your skill each time this happens. You may NOT normally receive instruction past 100%. As a game rule, never allow any skill to exceed 200%. Please!

Since 96 to 100 is always a failure, what good is learning past 100%? Good question. There are two answers:

First: Your special and critical successes are calculated based on your skill %, and if that is higher than 100%, these other skills are higher and possible. For example, if your evaluate gems is at 135%, your critical success is 5% of 135% or 7%. Normally, it would be 5% or less, but now it is higher and possible to achieve this. Same thing with specials for 20% of 135 is 27% and that is a lot higher than 20%.

Second: Skill vs. skill. If you are at 135% and someone has a contrary skill, it makes a big difference how well you roll in comparison to your skill level. For example, if you roll 45%, then 135% - 45% = 90% you get to subtract from passive rolls vs. that skill. Otherwise, it would have only been 100% - 45% = 55%, which is a lot less than 90%.

When your character has another NWP slot coming due to an increase in level (as found in the PHB), they may take another skill at its BASE %, OR they may forgo this and take 100 hours of training in the skills they already have. With this, they may have several rolls for low % skills or perhaps one or two rolls for a high % skill before they have used all 100 hours.

Your character may acquire new skills in several ways:

First, they may pick them during character generation. The number of NWP slots is given in the PHB, plus bonus slots for high INT are awarded (check the INT table).

Second, they may wait until the normal NWP slot is available due to an increase in level for their class. When this happens, they may simply acquire any skill at its BASE % plus modifiers for class and ATTRIBUTE.

Third, they may spend one week of uninterrupted study with a teacher. At the end of that week, you try to roll less than your attribute for that skill on 1d20. If you succeed, you have learned that skill at the BASE % but do NOT get to add your class bonus. Picking up skills in this fashion may seem easy, but remember, you are limited to only so many skills (no more skills than your character has INT points, and only half of those can be beyond 50%). If you roll higher on 1d20 than your attribute score, you didn't learn the skill, but you may try again later (spend another week and pay for another week of instruction).

Before you acquire a skill, your character will probably have NO chance to succeed in such attempts. For example, without the Tracking skill, your character may NOT track (though if the DM feels there are MANY positive modifiers, he may let you track an animal through the mud or the snow, AND theoretically, a roll of 05 or less always succeeds, but he may not allow that for knowledge skills. You would have NO chance to know about King Shaleroot's Queen without Ancient History, for example, no matter how well you rolled.

If your character wishes to replace one skill with another, you may acquire the new skill as normal, but let your DM know which skill you wish to forget. It will be assume you have stopped practicing that skill and are forgetting it (and have been for some time). Eventually, you will no longer be able to perform that skill at a worthwhile level, so just take it off your list. This makes the character more versatile and interesting as their needs and desires may change, and they will not be hampered by a rigid, inflexible system. Also, if you have more than half your INT score in skills over 50%, pick the ones that you are not practicing. These skills will suffer (stay at or below 50%) due to a lack of time to practice them and to keep them sharp.

Unless your DM tells you otherwise, most skills may be learned from quite common folk and will command quite common prices. Perhaps twice the cost of living for the instructor is typical of the cost. On Orlantia, one may live comfortably for 400 SP/week or 4 GP/week. (Twice this will be 8 GP/week). An instructor may take on as many as 16 students (low skill) to as few as 1 (high skill), but the price must be met, whether by 16 students chipping in or 1 student (an adventurer typically is a lone student since they have no time to arrange for other people's schedules). Thus, adventurers often foot the entire bill, but they can usually well afford it. Remember, only 10 hours/day so no more than 60 hours/week (with a day off) may be taken in training, and this already ASSUMES you have nothing else that needs to be done or practiced for your more demanding character class skills.

Some skills require EXPERTS, masters at over 90% skill level OR holders of arcane lore, and the DM will require much higher prices for these. Remember, a teacher's skill must be at least 10% more than the student's, so when your characters achieve 80%, they will need a master to learn by instruction, and they should expect to pay handsomely for the privilege. Furthermore, such teachers are fewer and far between, so one may not always be available. Just seeking one out may sometimes prove to be an adventure in its own right.

Other skills may not be learned or improved. Finding secret doors, for example, is usually not a skill one improves upon, most adventures have a 1 in 6 chance or 17%. It has been ruled that elves are better at this because their Infravision helps to detect small differences in temperature around seams and cracks and the like. Thus, even an elf may not teach your human character how to do it better since they may not teach infravision.

Finally, this system has not been extensively play tested (YET). If you find mistakes or have comments or suggestions, please write and I'll consider them.