Does anyone here know what the maximum skill level is? Also, if a skill is not known (i.e. is at zero) how would I go about learning it? I started my game without a swimming skill, thinking I could set nets on an adjacent water tile in Travel mode. Not so. It turns out that I have to swim for about 3 squares out into the water for Nets. It worked tentatively at first, but then I hit the arrow key one more time then I meant, and then I started sinking, eventually drowning. I can fish with Nets as long as I don't go more than 3 squares out from land. But it is still too dangerous, and I have had to re-load my backup Save Game about 3 times now. I don't want to start over with a new character, as this one is already 2 months into it (yes, some may consider backup Saves cheating, but in fact, it's the way Saves are supposed to work in the first place :) ).
Thanks

the scale maxes out at 100%, as one would imagine.
however, there's never 100% chance of success.

as to how to aquire a skill, I'm not sure, but I imagine just using it would enable it, only you're starting from 0%, instead of the higher levels that starting skills are at.

You can acquire swimming and tracking from rituals - but at a very low level

Maxed out dodge and am at 99% on dagger.
Word of advice - daggers arent good as main weapons, really.

Nope. I rolled a guy that started with almost 90 dagger, and while it hit nearly every time it was nearly impossible to kill anything. Daggers and knives just don't do enough damage :(

I never risk swimming - if you're going to rely on net fishing, punts are your best friend.

Unless you have a big-o northman knife. I've scored plenty of bleeding head wounds with that. :D

I'm fond of the hunting knife for the same reason. After all, all you need is *one* bleeding wound and the ability to run away/hide while you wait for the target to drop. :D