Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Elgeis 04-24-07, 08:05 PM	I have a quick question about the skills. At class skills below the "Game Rule Information" on (as an example ill use a rouge) 50 of players handbook, it lists the different class skills as well as the # of skill points which equal one rank point unless it is a cross-class skill then it is 2 points = one rank. Here are the now two questions. (Yes i thought of another while typing, just that well informed :weep: ). One what is a cross class skill exactly and two, when i look over at page 51 it gives me another list of basic skills and says to pick 8 + int, yet some/most are on the list to the left where it says this is just what you get. As a DM I have read and re-read trying to find out which list to go by, and untill now we have just been guessing with what makes most sence per class. Plz respond quickly, got a game tomarrow. Thank you, Elgeis :cool:
tos_shai_hulud 04-24-07, 08:21 PM	Question 1: A class skill indicates something that a particular class picks up quickly by virtue of their class. Wizards, who spend a lot of time researching and studying, gain knowledge quickly, but not skill at long jumping. Fighters, who spend time practicing in fights, are good at intimidating, but not so much at diplomacy. No character is told that they cannot do something, only that they cannot do it as well as a class that specializes in it (or has the potential to specialize in it). Question 2: Those are suggested skills for the character. They do not need to take all of them. If they decide they want to spend all of their skill points on Speak Language (for example), they better have a good reason, but it is within the rules.
Elgeis 04-24-07, 11:51 PM	Ok the first question is answered but i still dont understand the 2nd one. Do they start with those talents? Do they pick which ones they want to put points in? Why do they give you the talents and then expect you to use your limited picks to re-optain them? or are they just suggestions and you can really just pick any up to the # indicated?
tos_shai_hulud 04-25-07, 03:51 AM	Those are just suggestions. They provide the suggestions of common skills used by each class. A character who decides to break the mold may decide that he does not want to spend skill points on any of the "suggested" skills. They are not "given" to you, but suggested, as you are indicating. So, an example, a 1st level human rogue with an intelligence of 12 would start with 40 skill points (36 from being a Rogue and 4 from being Human). The Player's Handbook suggests that he choose ten skills and place maximum ranks into them. So, let's build a stealthy thief: We choose 10 of the suggested skills: Hide 4 ranks Move Silently 4 ranks Spot 4 ranks Listen 4 ranks Search 4 ranks Disable Device 4 ranks Open Lock 4 ranks Sleight of Hand 4 ranks Bluff 4 ranks Profession - Locksmith 4 ranks Here, I have chosen 9 skills from their suggestions and one extra for flavor. Alternately, I can choose a rogue who is a linguist. Rather than train in stealth or anything like that, he spent his time travelling to different lands and throughout the wilderness, learning languages and discovering how to gather information. Here, I might choose the following skills: Bluff 4 ranks Diplomacy 4 ranks Gather Information 4 ranks Knowledge - Local 4 ranks Knowledge - Nobility 2 ranks (4 skill points spent on a cross-class skill) Sense Motive 4 ranks Speak Language 8 times (costs 16 skill points) Note that Speak Language does not have ranks. For a rogue, every two skill points used buy another language. This character would make a fine diplomat. Perhaps removing two languages and placing 4 ranks into Disguise would be a good idea. Another idea might be a character who is studying arcane magics. He is a trickster and an acrobat, eventually planning to progress as an Arcane Trickster (prestige class from the Dungeon Master's Guide). He might possess the following skills: Sleight of Hand 4 ranks Bluff 4 ranks Knowledge (arcana) 2 ranks (costs 4 skill points for 2 ranks in a cross-class skill) Spellcraft 2 ranks (costs 4 skill points for 2 ranks in a cross-class skill) Tumble 4 ranks Open Lock 4 ranks Decipher Script 4 ranks Search 4 ranks Disable Device 4 ranks Escape Artist 4 ranks