You can keep your balance while traversing narrow or treacherous surfaces. You can also dive, flip, jump, and roll to avoid attacks and overcome obstacles.
You can use Acrobatics to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground without falling. A successful check allows you to move at half speed across such surfaces.
You cannot move through a square occupied by an opponent, except by tumbling. To do so, make an Acrobatics check against their save DC. If successful, you can move through their square. Otherwise, you lose the rest of your movement action and are stuck in place. Whether you succeed or fail, this movement provokes an attack of opportunity. Squares occupied by enemies are considered rough terrain.
You can use the Acrobatics skill to soften a fall. A DC 15 Acrobatics skill check allows you to ignore the first 10 feet fallen (5 hp), although you still end up prone if you take damage. An acrobatics check may also determine whether you remain standing or prone when thrown by another creature as well.
Athletics checks include attempts at climbing, jumping, swimming, and similar acts of physical prowess. While strength checks deal with general feats of strength, Athletics checks should be made for feats that also require some degree of training. All athletics feats that require movement are done at ¼ movement speed (swimming, climbing).
You typically make a climb check each round. A regular failure means you make no progress that round. A spectacular failure means you fall.
For long jumps, the standard Athletics DC is equal to the number of feet you need to jump. For high jumps, the typical DC is +4 for every foot. DCs double if you do not have at least 10 feet of running space.
You can swim or tread water. The DC for a particular feat of swimming is equal to half of the total weight of your armor and any metal items in your inventory. As such, without metal weighing you down, you shouldn't have issue swimming short distances and unless your Athletics is very low, you don’t even need to make checks. The GM may increase this DC for particular difficult swimming conditions (up to +10 for stormy water).
Usually, one Athletics check is necessary for a short swim through water, but the GM may require extra checks every minute or so for longer stretches or each time you attempt a particularly difficult swimming task (diving down to the bottom of a murky lake, fighting the current of a stream, removing items underwater, and so forth).
A failed swimming check might mean you sink underwater, especially if wearing armor or attempting a long distance swim. When underwater, you can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score, but only if you do nothing other than take move actions, bonus, or free actions. Each round you take a standard action or a full-round action (such as making an attack), the duration for which you can hold your breath is reduced by 1 round. After this duration expires, you must make a DC 10 Constitution check to continue holding your breath. Each round, this DC increases by 1. If you fail the Constitution check, you fall unconscious and begin to drown. While drowning, you take 1d6 CON damage each round until you are dead.
During combat you may use Athletics to attempt to trip, grapple, or move your opponent. Your opponent sets the DC for this check by making an Athletics or Acrobatics check of his own. If successful, you are able to control your opponent in the desired way (see Combat Maneuvers).
Use deception whenever you wish to fool someone. This could be with a direct lie, forged papers, a disguise, or other subterfuge. A deception check is typically made as an opposed check against an opponent's Insight check. Deception can be used to feint in combat (see Movement Actions).
An insight check is an attempt to detect falsehood and true intentions. Insight is typically made as an opposed check against an opponent's Deception check. A spectacular failure might give the character misleading or incorrect information.
You can use this skill to frighten an opponent or to get them to act in a way that benefits you. This skill includes verbal threats and displays of prowess. The DC for a check is the target's save DC. A successful intimidation check will demoralize an opponent, putting him at frightened (level 1) for a round. If you beat your target's DC by 10 points, they are at frightened (level 2). This only works on one opponent at a time.
You use Investigation whenever you search for clues, look for secret doors, search a room, find the location of a hidden object, or ask around town for a piece of knowledge. A spectacular failure might, produce false information, or other unfortunate results. Traps should be used for trap-based searches instead of Investigation.
Perception lets you spot an unusual item, notice creatures approaching you, hear a sound down the hall, or otherwise use your senses to detect something. Typically, Perception is used for immediate notice of something, while Investigation is used for a prolonged search.
You can use this skill to persuade others to agree with your arguments, to resolve differences, and to gather valuable information or rumors from people. This skill is also used to negotiate conflicts by using the proper etiquette and manners suitable to the problem. The DC for persuasion checks depends on your target’s attitude toward you and the party (see Conditions – NPC Attitude).
Your ability to pick pockets, palm an object, draw or conceal hidden weapon without notice, or take any small action without being noticed. To pick a pocket you must make a sleight of hand check against a DC 20, but the target also gets an opposed perception check to see if they notice you. It's possible to successfully pick a pocket and be noticed.
You are skilled at avoiding detection, allowing you to slip past foes or strike from an unseen position. This skill covers hiding and moving silently. Stealth checks are generally opposed by an opponent's Perception check. See Hiding.