I thought I'd share some extended uses for skills I've been using in my game and thought maybe other GMs could share theirs (if they have any).

Riddle
I use this as a general Logic type skill. Anything that might be covered by an intelligence test in other RPGs gets a Riddle test instead. This makes it a lot more useful and allows me to give characters hints if they get lost.

Song
This is the skill for magic in my game. The world of Middle Earth was sung into existence, with Morgoth singing evil into its very fabric. It doesn't necessarily mean a character sings, they might intone a rhyme or hum a tune. It seems pretty clear that Tolkein wanted to give the impression that songs have power so I make that more explicit. I also use it for the Elven The Speakers virtue to awaken spirits that are slumbering.

I have also allowed dramatically-appropriate Song rolls to reduce Shadow gain or Hope loss on occasion.

vs

I think that this is brilliant! Great idea, sir.

Craft
I intend to use this skill beyond the 'creating something' connotation and use it as a general fine manipulation and hand-eye coordination skill; basically covering what most dexterity-based skills do in other game systems (other than acrobatics and athletic-type skills, which has its own common skill in TOR).

Glorfindel

Can't remember if this is in the actual skill description, but there's the appraising a piece of work aspect to Craft as well as the "making something". For example, looking at a piece of stonework and determining its approximate age and the quality of the work involved.

I often base my choice as a GM which skills go to the action the player want to use like this;

What kind of attribute is it based on? Body (physical)? Heart (Spirit or will)? Or Wits (Intelligence)? Then what skillgroup would I say it is in, is it perhaps survival? Customs? perception?

Example: Are the player trying to scare the goblin off with his body language to seem threating? Then it should be body, and to evoke emotions in other (like fear or respect) is personality. Therefor Awe.

In some tricky situations its need some thought, as the above example again. If the character tries to use wits to intimidate the foe, should it be Persuade? Perhaps battle would do?

At the moment Riddle and Song have come up in my game more often than craft, insight or battle. Often since I use song also as sometime like a lore check. And Riddle I have even used to figure out peoples reaction rather than Insight. Insight is for me based on the characters spirit to feel whats right or wrong, riddle is to figure something out.

Example about using Song as lore: To know about Luthiel and Beren you could roll a lore to get the facts, but since its lore from long time ago its a very diffcult roll. But the song still lives on, and people with song can roll to see if they gain any knowleadge from the verse they remember from it.