%%%%
Fighting

Fighting skill increases your accuracy and damage in hand-to-hand combat, and
also increases your maximum hit points.
%%%%
Short Blades

Being skilled with a particular type of weapon will allow you to attack more
quickly with all weapons of this type, as well as increasing your accuracy and
damage with them. It is generally recommended to concentrate your efforts on
one or two weapon types to become more powerful in them.

Short Blades have a reputation for producing rather little damage in the late
game, but, on the other hand, they are the best implements for stabbing.

Being skilled with Short Blades makes it easier to become more skilled with
Long Blades, and vice versa.
%%%%
Long Blades

Being skilled with a particular type of weapon will allow you to attack more
quickly with all weapons of this type, as well as increasing your accuracy and
damage with them. It is generally recommended to concentrate your efforts on
one or two weapon types to become more powerful in them.

Being skilled with Long Blades makes it easier to become more skilled with
Short Blades, and vice versa.
%%%%
Axes

Being skilled with a particular type of weapon will allow you to attack more
quickly with all weapons of this type, as well as increasing your accuracy and
damage with them. It is generally recommended to concentrate your efforts on
one or two weapon types to become more powerful in them.

Axes cleave through multiple enemies with a single swing, hitting foes in an
arc around the wielder.

Being skilled with Axes makes it easier to become more skilled with Maces &
Flails or Polearms, and vice versa.
%%%%
Maces & Flails

Being skilled with a particular type of weapon will allow you to attack more
quickly with all weapons of this type, as well as increasing your accuracy and
damage with them. It is generally recommended to concentrate your efforts on
one or two weapon types to become more powerful in them.

Being skilled with Maces & Flails makes it easier to become more skilled with
Axes or Staves, and vice versa.
%%%%
Polearms

Being skilled with a particular type of weapon will allow you to attack more
quickly with all weapons of this type, as well as increasing your accuracy and
damage with them. It is generally recommended to concentrate your efforts on
one or two weapon types to become more powerful in them.

Polearms can be evoked with 'v' to attack enemies from two spaces away.

Being skilled with Polearms makes it easier to become more skilled with Axes or
Staves, and vice versa.
%%%%
Staves

Being skilled with a particular type of weapon will allow you to attack more
quickly with all weapons of this type, as well as increasing your accuracy and
damage with them. It is generally recommended to concentrate your efforts on
one or two weapon types to become more powerful in them.

Staves require a relatively low amount of skill to be used most effectively,
although they lack the high damage potential of some other weapon classes.

Being skilled with Staves makes it easier to become more skilled with Maces &
Flails or Polearms, and vice versa.
%%%%
Slings

Being skilled in a particular type of ranged attack will let you deal more
damage when using the appropriate launcher and ammunition.

Being skilled with Slings makes it easier to become more skilled in Throwing,
and vice versa.
%%%%
Bows

Being skilled in a particular type of ranged attack will let you deal more
damage when using the appropriate launcher and ammunition.
%%%%
Crossbows

Being skilled in a particular type of ranged attack will let you deal more
damage when using the appropriate launcher and ammunition.
%%%%
Darts

Being skilled in a particular type of ranged attack will let you deal more
damage when using the appropriate launcher and ammunition.
%%%%
Throwing

Training Throwing will make thrown weapons (such as javelins) and blowguns more
effective. In particular, it makes weapons of returning more likely to return
to their thrower, and makes certain magical needles more likely to have an
effect when fired from a blowgun.

Being skilled in Throwing makes it easier to become more skilled with Slings,
and vice versa.
%%%%
Armour

Armour skill increases the AC gained by wearing heavy armour, and it also helps
lessen the hindrance of heavy armour on melee combat and spellcasting.
%%%%
Dodging

The Dodging skill will affect your chance of dodging an attack, be it melee,
ranged or magical. Certain types of attack cannot be dodged, however, such as
enchantments (which must be resisted) and explosions.
%%%%
Stealth

By training Stealth, you can make it less likely that monsters will notice you
if they are asleep or otherwise unalert, and increase your chances of monsters
losing track of you after you leave their vision. Note that monsters become
more suspicious and observant as you descend.
%%%%
Stabbing

Stabbing is the skill that governs the likeliness of doing a great amount of
damage when attacking a distracted or helpless creature (usually with a short
blade), as well as the amount of extra damage dealt. Some gods may disapprove
of this.
%%%%
Shields

A high Shields skill helps you block melee attacks or projectiles (both magical
and non-magical) with your equipped (or a magical) shield. Some attacks, such
as penetrating bolts, cannot be blocked at all.
%%%%
Traps

A character trained in Traps will be more observant to his or her surroundings
and be quicker in noticing traps, as well as more able to disarm them.
%%%%
Unarmed Combat

Being skilled in Unarmed Combat increases your accuracy, damage and attack
speed in melee combat when barehanded. It also allows you to occasionally punch
with your off hand as an additional melee attack, provided your hand is free to
do so.
%%%%
Spellcasting

Training Spellcasting makes it easier to learn and cast spells, along with
increasing your magical reserves. Gaining a level in Spellcasting gives you
more "spell slots" to spend on new spells. Spellcasting skill and your
intelligence are the only factors countering spell hunger.
%%%%
Conjurations

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Conjurations are battle oriented spells, which often work by conjuring up a
chunk of short-lived matter and propelling it towards the victim to deal direct
damage. Being skilled in Conjurations usually increases the damage of such
spells, and sometimes affects their range or the size of the area affected.
%%%%
Hexes

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Hexes try to bestow various enchantments on nearby things. While none do direct
damage, being ensorcelled can effectively take an opponent out of combat,
although they often require overcoming an opponent's resistance to hostile
enchantments to have an effect. Being skilled in Hexes will help overcome this
resistance.
%%%%
Charms

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Charms provide you with a number of self-enhancing auras. Training Charms skill
will often increase the duration or effectiveness of these auras.
%%%%
Summonings

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Summonings deals with summoning creatures from another plane of reality to join
your army or distract your foes. Increasing Summonings skill may have a number
of effects depending on the spell, such as longer duration, more powerful
allies, or lower chances of creating hostile creatures. Note that summoned
beings don't leave corpses and don't give experience when killed, and their
equipment is as ephemeral as they are.
%%%%
Necromancy

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Necromancy is the art of draining and gaining life, although most often
associated with zombies and other undead. As such, Necromancy spells have a
wide range of effects, ranging from spells to create or control the undead to
spells granting unholy healing in various forms.
%%%%
Translocations

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Translocations focus on the spatial movement of beings or objects, including
useful spells to translocate yourself over short distances quickly or to
transport your enemies away from you.
%%%%
Transmutations

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Transmutations deal with changing shapes. Many Transmutations involve changing
your own form, but the school also contains spells to change the shape of
enemies, or to transform objects around you.
%%%%
Fire Magic

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Fire Magic focuses mainly on dealing fire damage over long distances, with many
effective Conjurations.

Being skilled in Fire Magic makes Ice Magic harder to learn, and vice versa.
%%%%
Ice Magic

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Ice Magic contains a range of direct damage spells, as well as some defensive
effects such as spells to craft temporary shields and armour from ice.

Being skilled in Ice Magic makes Fire Magic harder to learn, and vice versa.
%%%%
Air Magic

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Air Magic provides spells to deal damage directly with the wind, as well as
noisy but powerful lightning conjurations. It also provides some utility
spells, such as Charms to call the wind to assist your movement or protect you
from projectile attacks.

Being skilled in Air Magic makes Earth Magic harder to learn, and vice versa.
%%%%
Earth Magic

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Earth Magic contains spells able to deal large amounts of direct physical
damage, which cannot be resisted like fire, cold and lightning damage can. It
is also linked with some Transmutations, with spells to liquefy the earth
around you, or to turn your enemies to stone.

Being skilled in Earth Magic makes Air Magic harder to learn, and vice versa.
%%%%
Poison Magic

Being skilled in a magical "school" makes it easier to learn and cast spells of
this school. Many spells belong to a combination of several schools, in which
case spellcasting success and power will depend on the average skill in these
schools.

Poison magic is at its most useful early on, as many monsters are resistant to
poison in the later game. There are poison spells of high utility throughout
the game, though.
%%%%
Invocations

Your Invocations skill affects the likelihood that an attempt to use a divine
ability will be successful, and often the power of such abilities. The
Invocations skill also affects your magical reserve, but to a lesser degree
than the Spellcasting skill, and only the highest contribution is used.
%%%%
Evocations

Evocations is all about using magical items like wands, decks or other uncommon
objects. The higher your skill, the more likely a positive outcome is when
evoking items. Also, high skill may let you determine the amount of charges a
zapped wand has left. The Evocations skill also affects your magical reserve,
but to a lesser degree than the Spellcasting skill, and only the highest
contribution is used.
%%%%
