Editing Magic and Abilities (section)

==Skills==
:''Full article: [[Ability List]]''
The term "skill" refers to a broad group of physical actions that cannot be described as regular attacks or spells. Skills cover a wide range of actions with some focusing on [[Falcon Slash|deft weapon use]], [[Dodgy Dance|agile footwork]], or rendering the body able to [[Defending Champion|endure any punishment]]. Several skills can also be used in the field or in dungeons, providing [[Eye for Distance|reconnaissance]] or [[Padfoot|stealthily avoiding enemies]]. Most skills originally cost no MP to perform, but have since been assigned MP requirements to better adjust the balance of the games.

The first skill in the series was the [[Fire Breath|fire breath]] used by monsters in the original game, but quickly expanded to a variety of different actions throughout the sequels. Skills performed by humans first appeared in {{DQ3}} as the antics that [[Gadabout]]s would perform in battle, but these were selected at random and had just as much a chance of hindering the party as helping it. Players would be able to have reliable access to skills beginning with {{DQ5}} through the addition of [[Monster recruitment|tamable monsters]]: if an enemy monster could use a skill, so could its tamed counterpart. A monster's skills are grouped along with their spells in every version of ''V'' under a command menu option called "abilities".

{{DQ6}} introduced the concept of humans learning skills via advancing in level and acquiring them by progressing in rank from a variety of [[Vocation system|vocations]], and added a new option to the command menu specifically for skill selection. {{DQ8}} would alter the use of offensive skills by shifting them from techniques to be performed with any weapon to specialist actions that can only be used with the proper weapon equipped. For example if [[Yangus]] is equipped with an [[Axe Weapon Family|axe]] then he will be able to perform [[Helm Splitter]], but he will not be able to use the [[Hammer Weapon Family|hammers-only]] skills such as [[Heart Breaker]].