Reason
Description
Ability Score Used: Choose One Usable Untrained? No (Bailiwick) Armor Check Penalty Applies? No
Only Alchemists and Monks may learn this bailiwick skill. No other class may place ranks in it unless they have an ability which specifically states they may put ranks into a bailiwick skill not normally offered by their class. A bailiwick skill is a new skill that represents the core competency of a style of adventure, and has many useful applications.
The Reason skill is an expression of your practical knowledge of all things related to cognition, philosophy and thinking, regardless of your intelligence score. Inductive and deductive reasoning comes naturally to you. For each rank a character places in Reason, the character receives a free rank in Knowledge (Logic). Note that no character may ever have more ranks in a skill than her character level. Furthermore, the Reason skill may be used in place of the Profession (Gambler) skill if you wish.
At the time the player places her first ranks in this skill, she must select one of her ability modifiers, and use that ability modifier as the key ability modifier for this skill. Once selected, this ability modifier may not be changed, except through the Character Retraining rules.
Regardless of which ability modifier is used, Bailiwick skills never suffer an armor check penalty.
Check
Reason is used to simulate your ability at piecing together information into a coherent picture. Reason can be used to instantly tally loose coins, rapidly perform sums and calculations, identify the name of a secret language used in your presence, and to tilt the odds in your favor when gambling in games that aren't completely chance-based.
| Task | Reason DC |
|---|---|
| Instantly perform a feat of mathematics | 15 |
| Convert a spell to an extract (Alchemist only) | 15 + spell level |
| Identify the name of a secret language | 20 |
| Determine Tactics of Mindless Creature | 10 + creature's CR (or 20 + creature's CR) |
| Identify the properties of a magic item | 15 + item's caster level |
| Craft a magic item with the Creator feat | Varies by item |
Action
Instantly Perform a Feat of Mathematics
It is a standard action to tally loose coins, or perform some other feat of mathematics in your head.
Identify the Name of a Secret Language
Identifying a secret language as it is being spoken requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see and hear the speaker, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors.
Convert a Spell to an Extract (Alchemist Only)
It takes one hour of studying the spell to be converted before a Reason check may be made. If the check is successful, it takes another 1 hour per spell level (or 30 minutes for a zero-level spell) to inscribe the formula of the new extract into your formula book.
Crafting Magic Items
Reason is one of the skills which, when combined with the Creator feat, may be used to create new magic items.
Determine Tactics of Mindless Creature
Reason may be used to figure out how a creature that is mindless will behave based on its situational awareness and general purpose. This requires a standard action to perform, and the DC is 10 + the creature's CR. Characters may instead attempt a DC of 20 + the creature's CR to perform this as a swift action.
Determine Properties of Magic Item
Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.
Try Again
Instantly Perform a Feat of Mathematics
No. If you fail at your first attempt, you will most likely believe you are correct until shown otherwise, and then only if the person correcting you shows all their work.
Identify the Name of a Secret Language
Yes, but you must be in the presence of the language being spoken for an additional hour before a new check can be made.
Convert a Spell to an Extract (Alchemist Only)
If you fail to convert a spell to an extract, you must wait at least 1 week before you can try again.
Crafting Magic Items
Yes, but resources used in the creation of the item are often expended and must be repurchased. Additionally, the process of the item's creation must be restarted from the beginning.
Determine Tactics of Mindless Creature
Yes, this can be attempted on a subsequent round. A character may not make more than one attempt in the same round, however.
Determine Properties of Magic Item
When attempting to learn the properties of magic items, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day. Additional attempts that day reveal the same results. Note that this skill may be used to assist another party member's attempt at determining the properties of a magic item, even if the other party member is using a different skill to make the check.
Epic Skill Uses
Note: All uses below require a minimum of 21 Ranks in the skill to use.
Solve Impossible Puzzle or Riddle
(DC 50 + double campaign level)
Identify an object's creator by studying it
(DC 50 + caster level of item)
Know Sphinx
(DC 120) - you figure out the secret language of sphynx
Know OM
(DC 150) - you figure out the secret language of OM