“Skill isn’t talent. It’s hours of sweat, busted knuckles, and near-death moments that make your reflexes
mean something. Don’t just pick numbers—pick the kind of badass you want stories written about.”
—Delianna
In Grimhowl, skills are more than numbers on a character sheet. They define how you fight, survive,
adapt, and impose your will on the world around you.
Each skill is tied to an Attribute and represents training within a specific field of
action—combat, survival, crafting, social manipulation, or magic.
When making a Skill Check:
Strength governs raw force, endurance, aggression, and physical dominance. Strength skills are used to
overpower enemies, survive punishment, and control the battlefield through sheer might.
Description
Athletics covers feats of physical exertion such as climbing, swimming, jumping, sprinting, grappling, and
forcing movement through raw power.
Common Uses
Climb walls or obstacles
Swim against strong currents
Leap gaps or hazards
Force doors or barriers open
Perform combat maneuvers
Movement
Each ★ generated during movement-based Athletics checks grants:
The GM determines the DC based on terrain, distance, weather, and danger.
Combat Maneuvers
Athletics maneuvers target:
★ Required Effect
| +1 | Move the target 1 square from their current position |
|---|---|
| 1 | Apply the Grappled condition |
| 2 | Trip target and apply Prone |
| +2 | Throw the target 1 square from your current position |
Size Differences
| Size Difference | ★ Requirement Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Same size | Normal cost |
| Target 1 size larger | +1★ required |
| Target 2 sizes larger | +2★ required |
| Target 1 size smaller | -1★ required (minimum 1★) |
| Target 2 sizes smaller | -2★ required (minimum 1★) |
Grappled
the Grapple.
Delianna’s Note
“If you can’t climb a rope or throw a thug, don’t cry when the world stomps all over you.”
Description
Endurance measures physical resilience, pain tolerance, stamina, and the ability to survive punishment.
Common Uses
Recovery
Short or Extended Rest
Make an:
Endurance Check (DC 3)
Each ★ restores:
1 HP
Expert and Master scaling apply normally.
Lifestyle bonus dice and rerolls apply when resting.
Healing Potions
When consuming a Healing Potion:
Recover:
Expert and Master scaling apply normally.
Reactions
Untrained
Spend an action to prepare a held Endurance reaction.
Trained
You may freely trigger Endurance reactions whenever applicable as long as actions remain.
★ Spends Effect
★ Required Gain Advantage on an Athletics or Endurance check before the end of your next turn
Move 1 square
+1 Gain 1 temporary HP
Delianna’s Note
“Endurance isn’t sexy until you’re the last idiot still breathing.”
Description
Melee governs close-quarters combat using blades, axes, hammers, claws, shields, and other hand-held
weapons.
Mechanics
★ Spends
★ Required Effect
| +1 | Add +1 damage |
|---|---|
| +2 | Upgrade all weapon damage dice by one step |
| +3 | Reduce Armor, Shield, Shell by one step until it’s repaired or recovered |
| 1+ | Activate a weapon trait or ability |
When damaging armor, shields, or shell:
Shell recovers naturally:
Armor and shields must be repaired using Crafting.
The repair DC equals:
Delianna’s Note
“A good hit doesn’t just hurt. It leaves scars on steel.”
Description
Parry is the art of intercepting and deflecting incoming attacks using weapons, shields, positioning, and
timing.
Mechanics
If your Parry cancels all incoming ★:
Reactions
Untrained
Spend an action to prepare a held Parry.
Trained
You may freely trigger Parry reactions whenever applicable as long as actions remain.
★ Spends Effect
★ Required Shift yourself or the attacker 1 (melee only) square while remaining within combat reach
Inflict Disadvantage 1 on the attacker’s next Melee attack
+1 Damage a melee/thrown weapon, reducing its damage die one step until recovered
Delianna’s Note
“Any fool can swing a sword. Parry’s where the dance gets interesting.”
Description
Thrown governs combat using hurled weapons such as axes, spears, knives, bolas, and improvised
projectiles.
Mechanics
Expert and Master scaling apply normally.
★ Spends Effect
★ Required
+1 Add +1 damage
+2 Upgrade all weapon damage dice by one step
+3 Reduce Armor, Shield, Shell by one step until it’s repaired or recovered
1+ Activate a weapon trait or ability
Delianna’s Note
“Why carry a second weapon? Because sometimes the first one’s already buried in someone’s skull.”
Agility governs reflexes, coordination, speed, and precision. Agility skills are used to evade danger,
reposition quickly, strike from range, and navigate the battlefield through timing and finesse rather than
raw force.
Description
Dodge represents evasive movement, reaction speed, footwork, and survival instinct. It allows you to
avoid attacks, hazards, spells, and environmental dangers by simply not being where the danger lands.
Mechanics
Dodge opposes: — o Thrown attacks o Ranged attacks o Magic attacks o Environmental hazards
Roll Dodge to cancel incoming ★.
Dodge ★ scale normally based on Skill Rank.
If your Dodge cancels all incoming ★:
Reactions
Untrained
Spend an action to prepare a held Dodge.
Trained
You may freely trigger Dodge reactions whenever applicable as long as actions remain.
| ★ Spends | Effect |
|---|---|
| ★ Required | Move 1 square |
| +1 | Inflict Disadvantage 1 on the attacker’s next attack |
Delianna’s Note
“Armor’s great until a house falls on you. Dodge works on everything.”
Description
Finesse covers acrobatics, balance, sleight of hand, escape artistry, and nimble movement. It allows
characters to bypass obstacles, manipulate objects quickly, and maneuver gracefully through dangerous
situations.
Common Uses
Standing From Prone
Standing from Prone costs:
1 action
After standing, make a:
Finesse Check (DC 3)
Each ★ allows you to immediately move:
up to your base movement speed.
Moving Through Enemies
When trying to move through an enemy roll a Finesse check opposed by the target’s Athletics. Each ★
allows you to move 1 square through the creature’s space. If you end a move inside a creature’s space
you are immediately knocked prone.
Difficult Terrain
When navigating difficult terrain:
Sleight of Hand
Sleight of hand checks are opposed by:
Observation — or
Vigilance
depending on the situation.
Locks & Restraints
Delianna’s Note
“The difference between a thief and a corpse is usually about half a second and faster hands.”
Description
Ranged governs bows, pistols, rifles, crossbows, and other weapons designed to kill from a distance.
Mechanics
Expert and Master scaling apply normally.
Range Increments
Attacks beyond a weapon’s listed range increase the attack DC by:
Reloading
Reloading costs actions unless the weapon has:
★ Spends Effect
★ Required Add +1 damage
Suppress the target, inflicting Disadvantage 1
+1 Upgrade all weapon damage dice by one step
+2 Reduce Armor, Shield, Shell by one step until it’s repaired or recovered
+2 Activate weapon traits or abilities
Suppression
Suppressed targets suffer:
Delianna’s Note
“Always have a backup plan. Preferably one loud enough to ruin someone’s day from across the street.”
Description
Stealth allows you to move unseen, unheard, and unnoticed. It governs ambushes, infiltration, hidden
movement, and avoiding detection.
Common Uses
Hide
Entering a Hidden state is opposed by:
Silent Movement
While Hidden:
Ambush
Attacking a target while Hidden grants:
Advantage
Remaining Hidden after attacking requires:
a new Stealth Check
Delianna’s Note
“Strike first. Strike last. Leave them arguing about whether you were ever there at all.”
Description
Wrangling governs mounts, beasts, and vehicles. It is used to control living mounts, pilot machinery,
navigate hazards, and maintain control during dangerous maneuvers.
Common Uses
Reactions
While mounted or operating a vehicle:
Mounted & Vehicle Maneuvers
Wrangling may also substitute for:
Delianna’s Note
“Whether it’s a warhorse or a steam-cart, panic travels faster than wheels. Keep control or get buried
under it.”
Intellect governs knowledge, analysis, magical understanding, memory, and specialized expertise.
Intellect skills allow characters to identify weaknesses, analyze threats, manipulate magical phenomena,
and weaponize understanding itself.
The five Insight Skills each represent mastery over a different aspect of Chondara and its creatures.
While mechanically similar, each applies to different enemies, magical forces, and forms of knowledge.
Shared Insight Mechanics
When using an Insight Skill against:
roll against a DC determined by the GM based on:
Insight vs Creatures
★ Required Effect
| +1 | Gain Advantage on your next action against the target before the end of your next turn |
|---|---|
| +2 | An ally gains Advantage on their next action against the target before the end of their |
next turn
| +1 | Learn one of the creature’s Attribute Dice |
|---|---|
| +2 | Learn the creature’s natural armor or a special defense |
| +3 | Learn the creature’s Rank in a chosen Skill |
Magical Effect Analysis
Insight Skills may be used to analyze, identify, or bypass magical effects.
★ Required Effect
| 1 | Identify the magic’s source or field |
|---|---|
| 2 | Determine the effect’s purpose |
| 3 | Discover a bypass, weakness, or disarm method |
Examples include:
Medical Supplies and Knowledge
Use the relevant Insight check when using Medical Supplies on a target. See page 176 for additional
information.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Stitcher’s Kit | Bandages, sutures, blood staunching |
| Redleaf Satchel | Herbs, poultices, alchemical remedies |
| Fumewraps | Chemical stimulants, tech patches, pain suppressants |
Healing Kit Results
Make an Intellect skill check based on the patient’s race and the creature DC. If they are a humanoid use
Nature, if they are a giant use Elemental, etc. Treating an Elf would be a Nature check DC 3.
Success
Restore:
No healing is restored.
The healing item is still consumed unless otherwise stated.
Delianna’s Note
“Knowledge keeps people alive. Usually right after it gets someone horribly injured first.”
Implements
Some weapons channel specialized knowledge rather than traditional combat training.
Implements are ranged weapons permanently tied to one of the five Intellect Skills:
Implement Rules
Attacks made with Implements:
o Slicing
o Stabbing
o Smashing
Expert and Master scaling apply normally.
★ Spends Effect
★ Required Add +1 damage
Upgrade all weapon damage dice by one step
+1 Reduce Armor, Shield, Shell by one step until it’s repaired or recovered
+2 Activate a weapon trait or ability
Languages & Literacy
Languages in Grimhowl are intentionally broad.
Rather than tracking hundreds of individual languages and regional dialects, Grimhowl groups related
languages into Language Groups tied to your knowledge and understanding of the world. A Language
Group represents a collection of related tongues, dialects, symbols, and cultural traditions rather than a
single spoken language.
Knowing a Language Group does not mean you automatically understand every creature you encounter.
Instead, it means you possess enough familiarity with that culture, tradition, or way of thinking to
attempt communication.
Every character begins able to speak their racial language. If a character possesses at least Rank I in any
Intellect skill, they may also read and write their native language. This is a special exception and does not
follow the normal language rules.
As your knowledge grows, so does your ability to communicate with the creatures and cultures
associated with it.
Trained (Rank I-II)
Expert (Rank III-IV)
Master (Rank V)
Knowing a language allows communication, but does not guarantee perfect understanding. Regional
dialects, ancient variations, cultural differences, and unfamiliar terminology may still require an Intellect
check at the GM's discretion.
When communicating with creatures using one of your known language groups, the DC of the Intellect
skill check is typically equal to the creature's Description DC, ★ may be spent to improve the quality of
understanding.
★ Spends Effect
★ Required You can communicate verbally to exchange simple ideas and instructions
You share a spoken tongue and can have normal conversations
1 You are fluent in the targets language and can share complex ideas
Unfamiliar Languages
Even when you do not share a language, communication is still possible.
A character may always attempt a DC 2 Intellect check using the skill associated with the target's
Language Group to understand the basic meaning of a message conveyed through speech, gestures,
tone, and context. Success allows the character to grasp very simple ideas such as warnings, directions,
emotions, requests, or immediate needs.
This does not provide detailed information, complex instructions, or precise wording.
Characters who spend significant time interacting with one another often develop a shared
understanding regardless of language barriers. After a period of time determined by the GM, routine
communication between familiar individuals may no longer require these checks.
Delianna’s Note
“Most people think knowledge is power. In Grimhowl, knowledge is usually attached to a weapon.”
Description
Arcane represents the study of classical magic, spellcraft, magical constructs, enchanted relics, and
structured magical systems.
Applies To
Delianna’s Note
“Arcane scholars spend decades learning reality’s rules just so they can break them professionally.”
Description
Divine represents knowledge of gods, celestials, fiends, sacred relics, blessings, curses, and holy rituals.
Applies To
Delianna’s Note
“The gods always want something, darling. Divine magic’s just the receipt.”
Description
Nature governs understanding of beasts, plants, anatomy, survival, terrain, poisons, disease, and the
natural world.
Applies To
Delianna’s Note
“Nature’s beautiful right up until it decides to digest you.”
Description
Elemental represents mastery of elemental forces such as fire, ice, lightning, acid, storms, and unstable
magical energies.
Applies To
Elemental Language List
Delianna’s Note
“Elemental magic’s easy. Step one: point fire away from your own face.”
Description
Occult governs forbidden knowledge, corrupted life cycles, unnatural regeneration, soul-binding,
spiritual decay, and rituals that violate natural or cosmic law.
Applies To
Delianna’s Note
“Poking the occult is like flirting with a loaded trap. Thrilling right up until something screams back.”
Perception governs awareness, precision, intuition, environmental understanding, and practical control
over the world around you. Perception skills help characters notice danger, interpret clues, survive
hostile environments, and prepare for threats before they strike.
Perception often determines:
Description
Crafting represents your ability to create, repair, modify, and maintain equipment, traps, machinery,
armor, weapons, and mechanical systems.
Whether you’re repairing shattered armor beside a campfire or hammering runes into steel at a forge,
Crafting keeps your gear—and your party—functional.
Common Uses
Trap Interaction
Crafting may be used to:
Disable
Jam
Bypass
Safely dismantle
mechanical or technological traps.
Trap DCs are determined by:
Trap complexity
Magical reinforcement
Construction quality
Additional trap rules are covered later in the Traps section.
Equipment Modification
Crafting is required to:
Insight Usage
Crafting may also function as an Insight Skill when analyzing:
Delianna’s Note
“Any idiot can break a sword. The smart ones know how to keep fighting after everyone else’s gear falls
apart.”
Description
Investigation represents your ability to interpret evidence, connect clues, recognize patterns, and
reconstruct hidden truths from scattered information.
Observation notices details.
Investigation determines what those details actually mean.
Common Uses
Social Deduction
Investigation may be paired with:
Observation
to identify:
Deception
Inconsistencies
Hidden motives
Suspicious behavior.
Delianna’s Note
“Most people see blood on the floor. Investigation tells you whose blood, how long it’s been there, and
who’s about to spill more.”
Description
Observation represents active awareness and focused attention. It governs your ability to deliberately
search for danger, hidden details, concealed threats, and environmental clues.
Observation is intentional.
If you are actively looking for something, you are using Observation.
Common Uses
Opposes
Observation opposes:
Traps
Observation may be used to:
Social Awareness
Observation may reveal:
Delianna’s Note
“Eyes open. Ears sharp. Mouth shut. Congratulations—you’re already smarter than half the people
buried in Chondara.”
Description
Survival governs tracking, navigation, foraging, environmental adaptation, and enduring hostile
wilderness conditions.
It represents practical field knowledge and the instinct to stay alive where civilization fails.
Common Uses
Tracking
Survival may oppose:
Stealth
when following:
Tracks
Trails
Disturbed terrain
Broken foliage
Blood
Environmental signs.
The GM determines the DC based on:
Weather
Terrain
Visibility
How carefully the target moved.
Foraging
Survival may be used to:
Navigation & Environmental Hazards
Survival may also be used to:
Avoid natural dangers
Identify safe paths
Predict weather
Traverse dangerous terrain
Locate shelter.
Examples include:
Swamps
Blizzards
Collapsing ruins
Deserts
Poisoned forests
Mountain passes.
The GM determines the DC based on:
Terrain difficulty
Weather severity
Visibility
Environmental danger.
Delianna’s Note
“Nature doesn’t hate you, darling. You’re just soft and delicious.”
Description
Vigilance represents passive awareness, instinct, intuition, and your subconscious ability to sense danger
before fully recognizing it.
Unlike Observation, Vigilance is not actively declared by players.
It represents what your character notices naturally.
Common Uses
Passive Awareness
The GM may call for Vigilance when:
Danger is hidden
Tension rises
Traps are nearby
Enemies attempt ambushes
You entire a new situation
Players do not normally declare Vigilance checks themselves.
Initiative
Combat initiative is determined in the following order:
Ambushes & Hidden Threats
Successful Vigilance checks may allow characters to:
Delianna’s Note
“That feeling in your gut right before everything goes wrong? That’s Vigilance. Listen to it.”
Charisma governs presence, force of personality, emotional influence, leadership, manipulation, and
mental resilience. Charisma skills allow characters to dominate conversations, control battlefield
momentum, pressure enemies psychologically, and inspire allies to push beyond their limits. Unless
otherwise stated, these skills may affect creatures within 5 spaces that can perceive your words,
presence, or actions.
In Grimhowl, words can wound just as deeply as blades.
Description
Charming represents your ability to attract attention, build trust, disarm hostility, and manipulate
emotions through wit, beauty, confidence, humor, or sheer presence.
Whether seducing nobles, calming tensions, or dazzling enemies in combat, Charming turns attention
into opportunity.
Social Uses
Combat Uses
★ Required Effect
| +1 | Gain Advantage on your next action against the target |
|---|---|
| +2 | Target suffers Disadvantage 1 on their next action against you |
| +3 | Target hesitates, reducing their available actions by 1 on their next turn |
Charisma effects are opposed by:
Delianna’s Note
“Charm’s like a dagger, darling—best used before they realize they’ve been stabbed.”
Description
Deception governs lies, feints, false intentions, hidden motives, disguises, and battlefield trickery. It
allows characters to manipulate perception and bait enemies into mistakes.
Social Uses —
Combat Uses
★ Required Effect
| +1 | Gain Advantage on your next attack |
|---|---|
| +2 | Move the target 1 square as they react to your feint |
| +3 | The target wastes 1 action reacting to your deception |
| 2 | The target cannot gain Advantage against you until your next turn |
Charisma effects are opposed by:
Delianna’s Note
“Truth’s useful. Lies are profitable.”
Description
Diplomacy represents leadership, negotiation, coordination, inspiration, and social control through
confidence and authority.
Diplomacy turns cooperation into power—whether calming a hostile crowd or directing allies in the
chaos of battle.
Social Uses
Combat Uses
★ Required Effect
| +1 | An ally rerolls 1 die on their next action |
|---|---|
| +2 | One ally gains Advantage on their next check |
| +3 | One ally immediately gains 1 action* |
*A character may only benefit from this effect once per round, regardless of how many allies use
Diplomacy.
Charisma effects are opposed by:
Delianna’s Note
“The best leaders don’t shout louder. They make people want to follow.”
Description
Intimidation represents dominance, fear, pressure, and psychological aggression. It allows characters to
suppress enemies, provoke hesitation, and weaponize fear itself.
Social Uses
Combat Uses
★ Required Effect
| +1 | Gain Advantage on your next action against the target |
|---|---|
| +2 | Move the target 1 square |
| +3 | The target gains 1 stack of Disadvantage |
| 3 | The target must immediately spend 1 action moving toward or away from you |
Disadvantage Stacks
Some Intimidation effects apply stacking Disadvantage.
Each stack:
Applies Disadvantage 1
Stacks are cumulative.
At the end of each action:
Remove 1 stack of Disadvantage.
Charisma effects are opposed by:
Willpower
Delianna’s Note
“Fear’s honest. Everyone understands it eventually.”
Description
Willpower represents mental resilience, emotional control, concentration, and resistance against
manipulation, fear, supernatural influence, and psychological pressure.
It is your defense against those who would control your mind, shake your confidence, or break your
resolve.
Common Uses
Withstand magical influence or mental pressure
Reactions
Untrained
Spend an action to prepare a held Willpower reaction.
Trained
You may freely trigger Willpower reactions whenever applicable as long as actions remain.
Mental Defense
Willpower functions similarly to Parry or Dodge but against:
Roll Willpower to cancel incoming ★.
If all incoming ★ are canceled:
Willpower ★ scale normally based on Skill Rank.
★ Spends Effect
★ Required Gain Advantage on a Charisma check before the end of your next turn
Move 1 square
+1 Gain 1 MP
Delianna’s Note
“A weak blade breaks against armor. A weak mind breaks against everything.”