The game's skill have many different uses—as many as players and DMs can imagine. Each skill is presented in the following format.

Key Ability: The first line of a skill description after the name of the skill shows the key ability for that skill. Use the ability modifier of a skill's key ability to help determine a creature's skill check modifier for that skill.

Armor Check Penalty: For skills based on Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity, the line containing the key ability also includes a reminder that an adventurer's armor check penalty applies to that skill.

Typical Uses and DCs: A skill description describes typical ways that the skill is used. Each description provides sample DCs and specifies the kind of action that is usually required to use the skill. Some of the descriptions specify the consequences of success and failure.

If a skill provides a sample DC that says "easy", "moderate", or "hard", use the DC on the Difficulty Class by Level table that corresponds to the creature's level.

A few skill uses are marked as "Trained Only", which means a creature must have training in the skill to use it in that particular way. For instance, a creature must have training in Acrobatics to make a check to reduce falling damage.

Improvisation Suggestions: In addition to providing rules for the typical uses of a skill, some skill descriptions include suggestions for how players and DMs might use the skill as they improvise various actions in the game. These suggestions include sample DCs.

Skills are meant to be open-ended, and players and DMs are encouraged to use them creatively. Just as for regular uses of a skill, the DM sets the DCs for improvisational uses, decides what sort of action is required for the checks, and determines the consequences of success or failure. The DM also has the final say on what a skill's possible uses are.