Skill check
A skill check is equally comprised of luck, ones innate ability, and relevant experience. In game terms, it is comprised of the following:
A die roll
- + ranks in the skill
- + points in the relevant attribute
- + relevant bonuses from trumps, spells, items, etc.
The relevant attribute is what a character might use in conjunction with the skill — Endurance with Swim for example. It's usually constant, but sometimes your GM might have you use a different attribute. For example, if you're trying to stay afloat in strong current, not just swim a long distance, the GM might tell you to use Muscle instead.
The sum of the die roll, skill points, attribute points, and any applicable bonuses is your total skill check.
Pass or Fail
To pass a skill check, you want the total number to meet or exceed a Difficulty Level determined by your GM. If your total is less than the Difficulty Level your character fails for that attempt at the task. Some tasks cannot be retried.
Teamwork
Skills marked with an asterisk (*) can have assistance added to them when a check is made. Decide on one character to make the actual check. Each other character assisting in the activity can add their own ranks in the skill to the result (as well as any supernatural bonuses, like from spells or trumps). The GM should decide if there is a limit to the number of people who can assist a given task.