Some skills will cap out at a particular level such as KAG, languages, literacies, lores, appraisal(?). There should be no skills that are 'pure RP' such as etiquette etc. Those skills are dependent on the player's RP skills.
Some skills might be used in atypical ways during a staff-run plot.
Crafting, cooking, etc. How to incorporate raw material quality and availability? High-quality materials can be ruined by poor crafting rolls.
Could skills be made so that as each increases they gain access to ‘lore’/etc? So when increasing in a weapon they learn relevant lore like who are/were the best swordsmiths, where the best swords come from, metallic composition, regional styles, legends, etc).
Access via skills and skill levels to special locations? For instance X levels in Y skill/stat allows a PC into the blackmarket area or sketchy pub etc
Could some skills require a particular item to be possessed to be functional? book, weapon, cloak, robe, instrument, etc
Room/object(climbing a trellis, etc) difficulty rating - Penalty (or bonus) to performing certain skills in particular locations. For example, a PC with swimming skill - swimming across a pond would have a DR of 0. The more challenging the higher the DR. DR should probably be a penalty to PC's relevant rolls. Pickpocketing in a crowded, busy place would have a DR of 0 while pickpocketing someone during a religious service would be much harder. Each room will have a DR relevant to a particular skill (acrobatics, swimming, pickpocket, combat, observation, etc)
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General Skills
Appraisal - Per category. Weapons, armour, gems, precious metals, base metals, clothes, art, etc. Gives the PC the ability to judge an item's worth. The more levels they have, the more precise the valuation. (rolls with intellect and intuition vs ? )
Art - The higher a PC's skill is in art, the better they can create paintings, sculpture, architecture, etc. (per category) (rolls with intellect and agility vs ? )
Camouflage - This allows a character to hide a PC's appearance and scent. (rolls with intellect and intuition)(one per category (appearance, scent, etc) per PC
Craft - Craft lets PCs create objects such as pottery, glassware, jewellery, sword smithing, armour smithing, etc. Per craft.(rolls with agility and intuition)
Cooking - Baking, cooking, brewing, vintnering, coffee/tea/chocolate prep, etc. Must be bought per category. (rolls with smell and intuition)
Healing - This lets a PC tend to injuries and the sick. (rolls with anatomy, intellect, and intuition vs (damage?), ?)
Hide - Hide a person or item somewhere in the setting (or on a person?). Must pass hide rolls every X minutes if others are present.(rolls with intuition and stealth), room difficulty rating
Knows A Guy (KAG) - Provides PCs with various bonuses for 'knowing a guy' in the relevant culture/subculture. All the nations are included as are the Hyenas, clergy, importers, underworld, justices of the peace, etc. Can allow lighter criminal penalties, cheaper prices, access to restricted areas, etc. Generally not rolled; PC improves as levels increase.
Language - Allows a PC to communicate with others who speak that language. Each of the playable species plus Jackal and Hyena. This skill isn't usually rolled, but instead stepwise improves the ability to speak a language (caps out at X levels). Can do this by replacing what a PC says with 'fake syllables' or something else
Literacy - Per language. Allows the PC to read and write (caps out at X levels). Generally not rolled; PC improves as levels improve.
Lore - Provides the PC with information relevant to the lore they've selected. You can choose from Anatomy (used in combat, healing), geography (per culture), history (per culture), nature, religion (per religion if used). Can be used in library research, etc. Generally not rolled; PC improves as levels improve.
Merchant - Imports and sells items (tea/coffee/chocolate, raw materials, luxury goods, etc). Per specialty. Generally not rolled; PC improves as levels improve. As PC improves, wholesale material costs go down and quality goes up.
Observation - Allows the PC to notice things others don't. This can be hidden doors, hiding places, hidden items, and so on. This skill is also used in combat and initiative. (rolls with intuition, sight, hearing, and smell? Diminished during off-vision times), room difficulty rating
Performing - The higher the level of skill in performing, the better one can dance, sing, or play an instrument. (per type of performance/instrument)(rolls with agility and intuition)
pickpocketing - Requires observation, nimbleness, stealth, etc by both target and thief roll as the attempt is made. Target gets bonus to detect. Gets easier the more PCs are in a room. (rolls with observation, agility, intuition, and stealth?) Can pickpocket for coins, possibly items.
Research - Helps a PC find information in libraries and other institutions. (rolled with intellect and literacy)
Search - Used to find hidden places, items, and people. (rolls with intelligence, intuition, observation, and luck)
Shadowing - Lets a PC follow another character without them being noticed. (rolls with agility, intuition, and speed) Roll vs other PC’s skills in observation, main sense and intuition, and room difficulty rating
Stealth - Allows a PC to try to enter or exit a room without being noticed. (rolls with agility, intuition, and stamina vs room difficulty rating .)
Swim - A PC with the swim skill can swim to reach locations many others cannot. (rolls with stamina vs room difficulty rating)
Locomotion Skills
Acrobatics - The PC can jump, flip, and such. This allows them to reach places most others can't. This is also used in combat. This rolls with agility and intuition. vs room difficulty rating etc.
Climbing - With this skill a PC can climb better than the average person and reach places they can't. (rolls with agility), room difficulty rating
Swimming - Swimming lets a character swim and potentially reach places others cannot. (rolls with stamina) vs room difficulty rating
Combat Skills See combat for what these roll with.
Offensive Skills
Unarmed - This skill permits a character to fight without a weapon. Successful attacks cause little damage, but this skill may be used with gauntlets, thereby letting a PC inflict the same damage as weapons do (treated as a weapon by the game).
Weapon - This skill lets a character use a weapon in combat. This is per weapon.
Defensive Skills
Block - This skill allows a character to parry an attack with a weapon.
Dodge - This skill lets a PC avoid an attack.
Shield - This skill allows a character to use a shield for defence.
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Skill rolls
the maximum number rolled is the result. So -
A PC has the skills/stats Sight (level 5) and tracking (12) rolls 4 and 3. Largest number is 4.
Another PC has sight(6), sword (9), intellect (16) rolls 4, 8, and 1. Their largest number is 8.
4 vs 8 = second PC wins
In a tie, use the second-highest roll, then the third highest, etc
Skill increasing
The cost of new levels in skills increases in an exponential curve as your character gains experience. Here are the costs of the first ten levels.
1 = 5 (level one of a skill costs five points)
2 = 5
3 = 6
4 = 7
5 = 8
6 = 9
7 = 10
8 = 11
9 = 13
10 = 15
And so on.
x^2+50=y*10 for exponential curve
0 = 0 cost Skill costs start at 5 xp
1 = 5+0 = 5 (level one of a skill costs five points)
2 = 5+0 = 5
3 = 5+1 = 6
4 = 5+2 = 7
5 = 5+3 = 8
6 = 5+4 = 9
7 = 5+5 = 10
8 = 5+6 = 11
9 = 5+8 = 13
10 = 5+10 = 15
11 = 5+12 = 17
12 = 5+14 = 19
13 = 5+17 = 22
14 = 5+20 = 25
15 = 5+23 = 28
16 = 5+25 = 30
17 = 5+28 = 33
18 = 5+33 = 38
19 = 5+36 = 41
20 = 5+40 = 45
21 = 5+44 = 49
22 = 5+48 = 53
23 = 5+53 = 58
24 = 5+58 = 63
25 = 5+63 = 68
26 = 5+67 = 72
27 = 5+73 = 78
28 = 5+78 = 83
29 = 5+85 = 90
30 = 5+90 = 95
etc
Skill rolls
the maximum number rolled is the result. So -
A PC has the skills/stats Sight (level 5) and tracking (12) rolls 4 and 3. Largest number is 4.
Another PC has sight(6), sword (9), intellect (16) rolls 4, 8, and 1. Their largest number is 8.
4 vs 8 = second PC wins
In a tie, use the highest number, then the second-highest, then third highest, etc