Hardcoded Skills

All of lines 0 through 26 have some aspect of hardcoded nature to them, such as Skill Focus feats. This page will list all relevant information for each skill and how they work.

Obviously parts of skills which are not hardcoded - ie are part of skills.2da itself (eg the associated ability score) - are not usually listed.

Any Skill Hardcoded Notes

There are penalties applied to Strength and Dexterity based skills automatically when blinded; it is in ruleset.2da as BLIND_PENALTY_TO_SKILL_CHECK and is set to a default of 4.

EffectNegativeLevel has an impact of -2 to all skills (should probably be only -1) to simulate "losing levels".

Skills are limited to a maximum of 127, minimum of -127.

0 - Animal Empathy

The skill can be allowed on more classes although it is usually restricted.

It is an active skill and works like a feat almost:

• You must have the skill (ie ranks in it) to use it
• You select a target to use the skill on
• The game moves you near to the target, and then you try to do Animal Empathy if they are RACIAL_TYPE_ANIMAL, RACIAL_TYPE_BEAST or RACIAL_TYPE_MAGICAL_BEAST and the creature is not a friend - neutral or enemy animals only. It will also fail if the target is a PC (eg; they are polymorphed into a bear).
• The DC check is 15 + animals hit dice if a usual animal, or DC 19 + beast/magical beast hit dice to succeed (these are ruleset.2da entries as noted above) You can take 20 if not in combat.
• If you fail by 5 or more and the animal isn't already hostile, it fires the targets OnPhysicalAttacked event. Needs further testing if the game auto makes them enemies.
• If you try and use the skill it has a 6 second cooldown to use it again

It should remove invisibility/stealth when used since it is set as HostileSkill 1, regardless if the attempt succeeded.

If it is successful it essentially applies EffectDominated for 60 seconds per your hit dice (not class levels). The effect is temporary and of a supernatural type. It will therefore fail on animals who have immunities to these that effect or mind affecting spells, or if they are already dominated.

It is rather odd how this isn't done as a script, since the above is quite easily replicated by a script for it; example below (minus feedback messages).

// Animal Empathy Script if it was a Spell Script
void main()
{
    object oTarget = GetSpellTargetObject();
    float fDuration = TurnsToSeconds(GetHitDice(OBJECT_SELF));
    effect eDom = SupernaturalEffect(EffectDominated());

    // Need ranks in the skill
    if(!GetHasSkill(SKILL_ANIMAL_EMPATHY, OBJECT_SELF)) return;

    // Never PCs due to EffectDominated() being weird.
    if(GetIsPC(oTarget)) return;

    // Only animals or beasts
    int nRacialType = GetRacialType(oTarget);
    if(nRacialType != RACIAL_TYPE_ANIMAL && nRacialType != RACIAL_TYPE_BEAST && nRacialType != RACIAL_TYPE_MAGICAL_BEAST) return;

    // Calculate DC
    int nDC = 15;
    if(nRacialType != RACIAL_TYPE_ANIMAL) nDC = 19;
    nDC += GetHitDice(oTarget);

    // Roll - take into account take 20
    int nRoll = 20;
    if(GetIsInCombat()) nRoll = d20();

    // Need to know failure so custom roll (else use GetIsSkillSuccessful).
    if(nRoll >= nDC)
    {
        // Success feedback + dominate
        ApplyEffectToObject(DURATION_TYPE_TEMPORARY, eDom, oTarget, fDuration);
    }
    else if(nRoll < nDC - 5)
    {
        // Critical failure set as enemy
        SetIsTemporaryEnemy(OBJECT_SELF, oTarget, FALSE);
        // Combat round
        DelayCommand(0.5, ExecuteScript(GetEventScript(oTarget, EVENT_SCRIPT_CREATURE_ON_END_COMBATROUND), oTarget));
    }
    else
    {
        // Failure feedback
    }
}

1 - Concentration

2 - Disable Trap

3 - Discipline

4 - Heal

5 - Hide

6 - Listen

7 - Lore

8 - Move Silently

9 - Open Lock

10 - Parry

11 - Perform

12 - Persuade

13 - Pick Pocket

14 - Search

15 - Set Trap

16 - Spellcraft

17 - Spot

18 - Taunt

19 - Use Magic Device

20 - Appraise

21 - Tumble

22 - Craft Trap

23 - Bluff

24 - Intimidate

25 - Craft Armor

26 - Craft Weapon