Skills

Skill
Skill Class skill Skill point Skill usefulness
Skills Cross-class skill Skill rank
Passive													Active

(For a chart of skills by class, see Class skill)

During creation and during level-up a character will receive a specific amount of skill points, that can be spent to increase his or her current skill ranks. The amount you receive depends on your race, class and your base intelligence modifier. The minimum amount you can ever receive is 1 and there is technically no upper limit, although increasing your intelligence is limited, which puts a limit on the amount of skill points you can receive.

Enhancements or effects that modify your intelligence will not modify your number of available skill points. So, equipping a Clever Item or bestowing a temporary effects (such as a Fox's Cunning spell/potion) will have no effect on your current skill points, nor during the actual level-up process.

Only your base score is taken into account to determine the modifier. The only exception is a Tome of Clear Thought, which will grant additional skill points during your next level-up if its effect at your current level increases your intelligence modifier. However, tomes do not work retroactively.

When creating a new character, he or she will receive 4 times the amount of skill points at level one. For this reason it is recommended to select the one class of your planned build that receives the most skill points at first level, as this can significantly alter your available skill points. It is as well recommended to set your intelligence to the planned final value on level one instead of increasing it during the attributes selection at later level-ups, as skill points are not granted retroactively.

For further optimizations, see also: Skill usefulness

Racial modifiers

• Humans: +1 additional skill point. Note that the Iconic Hero Purple Dragon Knight is considered human and therefore receives the additional skill point.
• Drow, Sun Elf, Gnome, and Deep Gnome: Receive +2 intelligence, which is included when calculating skill points.
• Half-Orc and Wood Elf: Receive -2 intelligence, which is included when calculating skill points.

Class modifiers

Each class will receive its (fixed) amount of base skill points + intelligence modifier during level-up. Only the class you are currently in the progress of leveling will have an effect on the amount of skill points you can spend. The base skill points for each class are as follows:

Class	Artificer	Alchemist	Barbarian	Bard	Cleric	Druid	Favored Soul	Fighter	Monk	Paladin	Ranger	Rogue	Sorcerer	Warlock	Wizard
Base skill points	4	4	4	6	2	4	2	2	4	2	6	8	2	2	2

List of Skills

Not all Pen & Paper skills are included in DDO, and some traditional skills have been modified to fit DDO. This table describes all the skills present in DDO.

Icon	Skill	Ability	Type	Affix	Description
	Balance	Dexterity	Passive	Balance	Increases the speed with which you get up after being knocked down.
	Bluff	Charisma	Active	Bluff	Allows you to bluff certain NPCs, draw monsters away from their group, or make an individual monster vulnerable to sneak attack for six seconds. You also gain a decrease in threat generation for a short period of time after successfully using this ability. (15 second cooldown, Shares cooldown with Diplomacy, cannot be used while raged)
	Concentration	Constitution	Passive	Inner Focus	Allows you a chance to continue casting a spell after being damaged or otherwise interrupted. Allows monks to retain Ki.
	Diplomacy	Charisma	Active	Eloquence	Allows you to negotiate more effectively with certain NPCs and to encourage monsters to find targets other than yourself. Any accumulated threat you have with enemies that you successfully diplomacize is reduced. (15 second cooldown, Shares cooldown with Bluff, cannot be used when Raged)
	Disable Device	Intelligence	Active	Disable Device	Can be used to disarm traps in dungeons. Requires that the control box of the trap has been located by a successful Search check. If the Disable Device check succeeds, you disable the trap. If it fails by 4 or less, you have failed but can try again. If you fail by 5 or more the control box explodes (causing some damage to those in an area around the box) and can't be used again (the trap will remain dangerous, of course!). Using this skill consumes one thieves' tool.
	Haggle	Charisma	Passive	Haggle, Bartered	Allows you to negotiate better prices with vendors.
	Heal	Wisdom	Passive/Active	Sustenance	Allows you to revive unconscious and bleeding companions to 1 hit point (each attempt requires one healing kit). Also, the character with the highest Heal skill is used when using Rest shrines to dictate how much health is recovered. Does not affect Warforged characters. Each point of skill adds 1 point to Positive and Negative Spell Power. (1 second cooldown)
	Hide	Dexterity	Passive	Hiding	Allows you to sneak past monsters, avoiding their sight. Hide ties directly into the feat Sneak.
	Intimidate	Charisma	Active	Intimidating	Allows you to intimidate certain NPCs and to draw the attention of monsters while in battle. You will suffer a -4 penalty to your intimidate skill for every size category you are smaller than the creature your are trying to intimidate, or +4 for every size category your are larger. Halflings suffer a -4 penalty to Intimidate due to their small size. (15 second cooldown)
	Jump	Strength	Passive	Jump|Springing	Allows you to jump higher. This skill has a maximum cap of 40. 9th level and higher casters can cast +30 Jump (spell)
	Listen	Wisdom	Passive	Listening	Allows you to hear approaching enemies. You will be notified by red pulses (footsteps) as they approach. There are certain quests that utilize the listen check for floor-crumbling traps (i.e. The Chamber of Raiyum).
	Move Silently	Dexterity	Passive	Silencing	Allows you to sneak past monsters, avoiding their hearing. It ties directly into the feat Sneak.
	Open Lock	Dexterity	Active	Escape	Allows you to attempt to open locked doors, chests, and other objects. Using the skill consumes one thieves’ tool.
	Perform	Charisma	Passive	Performing	Allows you to use and improve your musical ability to inspire and fascinate others. This skill is required for bards to be able to use their Bardic Music. Each point of skill adds 1 point to Sonic Spell Power.
	Repair	Intelligence	Passive/Active	Repairing	Allows you to restore a disabled warforged character to 1 hit point (each attempt requires one repair kit). Also, the character with the highest Repair skill is used when using Rest shrines to dictate how much health is recovered. Only affects Warforged characters. Each point of skill adds 1 point to Repair and Rust Spell Power. (1 second cooldown)
	Search	Intelligence	Active	Minute Seeing, Inspected	Allows you to find hidden doors, traps, and objects when activated. Note that (like Spot) there is no die roll involved. If your score is high enough you will always succeed and if it's too low you'll never find something. (1 second cooldown)
	Spellcraft	Intelligence	Passive	Spellsight	Adds 1 point of Spell Power per point of skill with following damage types: Acid, Cold, Electric, Fire, Force and Light.
	Spot	Wisdom	Passive	Eagle	Allows you to sense nearby hidden doors, traps, objects, and stealthed enemies. Except for the enemies, the exact locations will be unknown until a search check is successfully made.
	Swim	Strength	Passive	Swimming	Allows you to swim faster and for a longer period of time underwater.
	Tumble	Dexterity	Passive	Tumbling	Allows you to tumble and roll away from attacking enemies. Tumbling can be accomplished by blocking and using a movement key. A skill rating higher than 30 allows you to dive to the side and do back flips instead of rolling. Skill also reduces falling damage.
	Use Magic Device (UMD)	Charisma	Passive	Use Magic Device (UMD)	Grants you the ability to use magic devices which you could not normally use. This also allows you to bypass racial and alignment restrictions upon items.

Feats providing skill bonuses

Skill scores can also be boosted by training specific feats available:

• Acrobatic Provides a +2 bonus to your Jump and Tumble skills.
  
• Alertness Provides a +2 bonus to your Listen and Spot skills.
  
• Athletic Provides a +2 bonus to your Balance and Swim skills.
  
• Bullheaded Provides a +2 bonus on Intimidate skill checks.
  
• Coin Lord Finishing School Training Grants a +2 bonus to your Diplomacy and Intimidate skills.
  
• Combat Casting Provides a +4 bonus to Concentration while casting spells in combat.
  
• Completionist Provides a +2 bonus to all skills.
  
• Discipline Provides a +2 bonus to your Concentration skill.
  
• Dwarven Stability Provides a +4 bonus to your Balance skill.
  
• Dwarven Stonecutting Provides a +2 bonus to your Search skill.
  
• Elven Keen Senses Elves have keen senses and gain a +2 bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks.
  
• Epic Reputation +3 Bluff, Diplomacy, Haggle, Intimidate and Perform.
  
• Epic Skill Focus Skill - +5 to the desired skill. Must have at least 20 trained ranks in the skill and maxed xp in the relevant Destiny sphere.
  
• Epic Skills As part of your epic training, you gain +1 to all skills.
  
• Gnomish Proficiencies Provides a +2 bonus to Haggle and Use Magic Device.
  
• Half-Elven Keen Senses Elves have keen senses and gain a +1 bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks.
  
• Half-Elven Social Graces Provides a +2 Racial bonus to Diplomacy.
  
• Halfling Agility Halflings are agile and gain a +2 bonus to Jump and Move Silently checks.
  
• Halfling Keen Ears Halflings have keen ears and gain a +2 bonus to Listen checks.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Finding Provides a +2 bonus to your Search skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Healing Provides a +2 bonus to your Heal skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Making Provides a +2 bonus to your Repair skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Passage Provides a +2 bonus to your Balance skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Sentinel Provides a +2 bonus to your Intimidate skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Shadow Provides a +2 bonus to your Hide skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Scribing Provides a +2 bonus to your Use Magic Device skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Storm Provides a +2 bonus to your Balance skill.
  
• Least Dragonmark of Warding Provides a +2 bonus to your Search skill.
  
• Negotiator Provides a +2 bonus to the character's Diplomacy and Haggle skills.
  
• Nimble Fingers Provides a +2 bonus to the character's Disable Device and Open Lock skills.
  
• Racial Completionist Provides a +2 bonus to all skills.
  
• Racial Past Life All tier 1 level racial past lives grant +1 to a specific skill based on the race.
  
• Scion of the Ethereal Plane +4 to all skills.
  
• Self Sufficient Provides a +2 bonus to the character's Heal and Repair skills.
  
• Skill Focus Skill, a +3 bonus to the selected skill.
  
• Skill Mastery This ability gains +1 to all skills.
  
• Small Size bonus As a Small creature, you receive a +4 bonus on Hide checks. -4 penalty to Intimidate.
  
• Stealthy Provides a +2 bonus to the character's Hide and Move Silently skills.
  

See also

• Skill - Definition
• Category of Skills - List of all skills in category format