Your characters had some sort of occupation before they became adventurers. Your character may yearn for the simpler life they previously had, or may be glad to be free of its drudgery, but their past life will give them some skills.
Each skill is part of a field. The field is what gives the character a bonus when using their skills. In Gods & Monsters, characters are not specialists; they are doctors and scientists rather than surgeons and chemists.
When a character gains a new skill within a field, they gain the full benefit of their field bonus. A historian with Historical Science + 4 who learns the Frankish History skill will immediately gain a bonus of 4 to rolls involving Frankish history.
Some skills may fit within more than one field. For example, Elvish might be learned as a skill under Language Science, or as a skill under Elvish Culture. In some cases, the usefulness of a skill will vary depending on which field the character has it with.
It is up to the player to choose which field they learn their normal skills under, even their automatic ones such as their native tongue. For example, if a player wants their character to be a linguist, they will likely get the Language Science field for their character. If they wish it, they can place their native tongue under Language Science rather than under Native Culture. This will give them their Language Science field bonus with their native tongue; it will also help them read their native tongue if they add literacy to their Language Science field.
Such a choice will, however, affect the usefulness and character of the skill. In the example above, the linguist will likely be more precise in their use of their native tongue. Their fellow speakers may find them a bit pedantic; they may miss out on some of the cultural implications of the language, such as slang.
A player can move an automatic skill out of its default field any time they acquire a field that the skill could fit under.
There are four basic kinds of fields: Arts, Sciences, Crafts, and Cultures. Arts will have a tendency to use Charisma or Perception; Sciences will have a tendency to use Intelligence or Learning; and Crafts will have a tendency to use Wisdom or Willpower. However, it is only a tendency. The action determines the ability rolled against or the reaction made. For Survival Craft, for example, tracking is likely to be always a Perception roll. For the Athletic Art, many of the rolls are going to be against the physical abilities.
Culture fields can contain any culturally relevant skills such as languages, etiquettes, and lores.
Agricultural Craft: Animal Husbandry, Farming, Hunting, Fishing
Athletic Art: Basketball, Football, Soccer
Clothing Craft: Leather Work, Sewing, Shoemaking, Tailoring, Tanning
Culture: Native or Other: Common skills under Culture are: various forms of etiquette; native languages or dialects; literacy. Rituals of that culture. Contacts in that culture. Lore in that culture. Games in that culture. History in that culture.
Divine Science: Dogma, Ritual, any religion’s Hierarchy, any religion’s Lore
Education Science: Learning, Memory, Teaching, Lesson Writing
Building Craft: Masonry, Metalworking, Mining, Knots
Engineering Science: Architecture, Bridges, Cartography, Design, Management
Food Craft: Cooking, Baking, Brewing, Edible Plants, Gardening, Herbs & Spices.
Gambling Art: Bluff, Carousing, Poker, Pool
Gaming Science: Chess, Go, Poker
Gem Craft: Appraisal, Gem Cutting, Jewelry Making
Healing Craft: Healing Lore, Herbalism, Midwifery
Historical Science: Ancient history, locale history, locale lore
Language Science: any Language, Literacy
Logical Science: Algebra, Chess, Deduction, Geometry, Memory, Rhetoric
Magical Science: Astrology, Demonology, History of Magic, Rituals, Spellcraft, Spell Lore
Medical Science: Anatomy, Dissection, Medicine, Surgery
Merchant Art: Appraisal, Haggling
Metal Craft: Blacksmithing, Minting, Smelting
Natural Science: Animal Lore, Botany, Dissection, Taxidermy, Weather
Performance Art: Acting, Oratory, Prestidigitation, an Instrument, Singing, Songwriting, Storytelling
Personality Art: Bluff, Carousing, Contacts, Demagoguery, Mediation, Persuasion, any culture’s Etiquette
Political Science: Law, Mediation, Oratory, Rhetoric, any political structure’s Etiquette, any political structure’s Government
Sea Craft: Navigation, Knots, Rowing, Sailing, Weather
Survival Craft: Animal Lore, Direction Sense, Fishing, Hunting, Swimming, Knots, Spelunking, Tracking, Weather, any environment’s Survival
Visual Art: Cartography, Drawing, Painting, Sculpting.
War Art: Leadership, Tactics
War Craft: Armorer, Bowyer, Fletcher, Weaponsmith
Wood Craft: Carving
Writing Craft: Biography, Journalism, Lesson Writing, Songwriting, Storywriting
Some special fields and skills are available only to a single archetype. The Monk and Thief archetypes have several fields and skills available only to them. Warriors are the only ones with unfamiliar weapons, for example. Such special skills often bring with them specific benefits. But these skills are also normal skills in the sense that they can be used for ability rolls or reaction rolls. A warrior trying to determine the function of an unfamiliar weapon can use their Fighting Art field bonus because they have that skill.
Special skills will usually be described in the archetype or specialty that provides access to them.
The most common special field is Fighting Art. Every player character has it, but they cannot improve it except under special conditions: gaining a new level. Characters can add new weapons as skills to their Fighting Art field, but will be limited to either basic or simple weapons if they are not Warriors.
The unfamiliar weapons and all weapons skills are available only to warriors. The skill basic weapons is available only to thieves unless the character has a specialty that allows it.
The unarmed combat skill is a simple skill.
Warriors, who have unfamiliar weapons, can use an unfamiliar weapon with their field bonus, at a penalty of 2.