( ⇪ Adventuring Variants )

In a nutshell: To give skill ranks more meaning, in various circumstances you’ll add your number of ranks in a skill to a roll.

Skill synergies no longer have prerequisites and don’t grant the same benefit. Instead, at any time you can add half your ranks in the benefactor skill of a synergy as a bonus to checks made for the benefitted purpose of the synergy. Only the original skill’s ranks make a check trained.

When doing this…	…with this…	…add half your ranks in this skill!
Anything	Bardic Knowledge Class Ability	Knowledge (History)
Turn Undead checks	Turn Undead Class Ability	Knowledge (Religion)
Anything	Wild Empathy Class Ability	Handle Animal
When examining a related object	Appraise checks	Craft
Anything	Autohypnosis checks	Concentration
Anything	Balance checks	Tumble
Climbing rope	Climb checks	Use Rope
Anything	Diplomacy checks	Bluff
Anything	Diplomacy checks	Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty)
Anything	Diplomacy checks	Sense Motive
When you know you’re being observed	Disguise checks	Bluff
Escaping rope restraints	Escape Artist checks	Use Rope
Anything	Gather Information checks	Knowledge (Local)
Anything	Heal checks	Profession (Doctor)
Anything	Intimidate checks	Bluff
Anything	Jump checks	Tumble
Hacking	Knowledge (Hypertechnology) checks	Decipher Script
Using non-Hyperion advanced technology (but not ancient hypertechnology)	Knowledge (Hypertechnology) checks (ranks are halved)	sum of: Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), Knowledge (Xenolore)
Anything	Knowledge (Nature) checks	Survival
Anything	Knowledge (Psionics) checks	Autohypnosis
Anything	Psicraft checks	Knowledge (Psionics)
Address power stones	Psicraft checks	Use Psionic Device
Anything related to riding an animal	Ride checks	Handle Animal
Find secret doors and compartments	Search checks	Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering)
Anything	Sleight of Hand Checks checks	Bluff
Anything	Spellcraft checks	Knowledge (Arcana)
Decipher spells on scrolls	Spellcraft checks	Use Magic Device
Getting lost in an area you know	Survival checks	Knowledge (Geography)
Getting lost in an area you know	Survival checks	Knowledge (Local)
Anything above ground	Survival checks	Knowledge (Nature)
Anything underground	Survival checks	Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
On other planes	Survival checks	Knowledge (The Planes)
Following tracks	Survival checks	Search
Avoiding getting lost	Survival checks	Knowledge (Geography)
Anything	Truespeak checks	any two combined of: Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes)
Anything	Tumble checks	Jump
Anything related to scrolls	Use Magic Device checks	Decipher Script
Anything related to scrolls	Use Magic Device checks	Spellcraft
Hacking	Use Magic Device checks	Open Lock
Anything related to power stones	Use Psionic Device checks	Psicraft
Binding someone with rope	Use Rope checks	Escape Artist

Additionally, you can add your skill ranks to the following circumstances:

When doing this…	…add this many…	…of this…	…to this!
“Fighting Defensively” option	all your ranks	Tumble	as a dodge bonus to AC (max +4) on top of the normal +2 dodge bonus to AC (and -4 to attacks)
“Total Defense” action	twice your ranks	Tumble	as a dodge bonus to AC (max +8) on top of the normal +4 dodge bonus to AC (and can’t make AoOs)
Provoke AoO for making a ranged attack	all your combined ranks	Balance and Tumble	as a dodge bonus to AC (max +4) against that AoO
Weakening Strike ability ( Battle Dancers or Monks)	all your ranks	relevant Knowledge skill	initial damage

Ancient Hypertechnology

Ancient forms of hypertechnology can be found on rare occasion. Understanding and use of this technology is only partially associated with your other knowledge skills. It’s thus more a matter of intuition than memory to understand and use ancient Hypertechnology.

Your number of ranks applicable to checks to understand or use ancient technology is half of your combined ranks in:

• Knowledge (Arcana),
• Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering),
• Knowledge (Hypertechnology), and
• Knowledge (Xenolore).

If half of your combined ranks is at least 1, you can make checks regarding ancient hypertechnology (this is an exception to the normal rule for skill advantages). These checks use your wisdom bonus or your intelligence bonus, whichever is higher.