Earn skills other than by levels [Archive] - Wizards Community

Earn skills other than by levels [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
MindWorX
10-09-07, 04:43 PM Hey,

I was wondering, would it be completely game breaking to give skills other than by level? The way i was thinking of doing it, was by letting my players read books on the subject. Depending on the skill, some of them might not be read only things, and might use some practical application. But stuff like Knowledge(Religion) would be gained from reading some book on deities, gods or other high beings, spending 2 months would make it non-cross class, then after that, it'll raise by 1 point every 2 week. Reading will never allow a skill be be higher than your class level, rather than 3+class level as normal ranks would.

How does it sound? Depending on the speed of the game, i think it sounds fairly balanced to me. Any thoughts?

- MindWorX
archerpwr
10-09-07, 04:45 PM Sounds like you are allowing people to dump int. I wouldn't do it.
MindWorX
10-09-07, 04:53 PM Well, main reason i want to do this, is to make some people just a slight more usefull in areas they'd like to be able to help in, but where they just plainly suck. I don't know how the timeline goes in other peoples games, but in my games, a month is generally 6-8 game sessions. That means, in 12-16 game sessions, you'd have a skill moved to non-cross-class, and that's just that one skill. Then he'd have to spend 4 game sessions to move it up one rank.
But i guess you're right, depending on the game, this might mean any player could get ranks up to max-3. But in my game, it'll help the fighter get that single point in Knowledge(Local), so he can do something else than just hitting things.
Vharuck
10-09-07, 05:26 PM When you level up, it's assumed that whatever skills in which you place ranks were learned by training throughout the entire character level. You don't gut a goblin, advancing you from level 2 to level 3, and suddenly say, "Hey! I know how to jump really well now!" For as long as you were level 2, you were practicing jumping.

So for your "book learning," that can easily be explained using the rules as is. The characters might not get their ranks now, but when they level up they should feel free to put a lot of ranks into that skill to prove how much they learned from Jasper's Journal of Jumping.
archerpwr
10-09-07, 05:27 PM Well, main reason i want to do this, is to make some people just a slight more usefull in areas they'd like to be able to help in, but where they just plainly suck. I don't know how the timeline goes in other peoples games, but in my games, a month is generally 6-8 game sessions. That means, in 12-16 game sessions, you'd have a skill moved to non-cross-class, and that's just that one skill. Then he'd have to spend 4 game sessions to move it up one rank.
But i guess you're right, depending on the game, this might mean any player could get ranks up to max-3. But in my game, it'll help the fighter get that single point in Knowledge(Local), so he can do something else than just hitting things.

IMO skills should be a closely watched resource. Being a high int character should be more than just high dcs. Just me though. If you just want everybody to be a bit more skilled I think giving able learner and nymphs kiss as bonus feats would be a better way to do it.
MindWorX
10-09-07, 05:35 PM Hmmm, well, guess i'll just play test it, it can't get that bad i think... :)
Rustmonster
10-09-07, 06:25 PM One thing to concider.

If I can train my skills in this way, why can't I, say, train my BAB in the same way? My saves? My ability scores? My HP?

As was stated before, when you level up, the skills and other bonuses represent how much better you got over the time between one level and the next. That incorperates book learnin', weapons training, etc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MindWorX 10-09-07, 04:43 PM	Hey, I was wondering, would it be completely game breaking to give skills other than by level? The way i was thinking of doing it, was by letting my players read books on the subject. Depending on the skill, some of them might not be read only things, and might use some practical application. But stuff like Knowledge(Religion) would be gained from reading some book on deities, gods or other high beings, spending 2 months would make it non-cross class, then after that, it'll raise by 1 point every 2 week. Reading will never allow a skill be be higher than your class level, rather than 3+class level as normal ranks would. How does it sound? Depending on the speed of the game, i think it sounds fairly balanced to me. Any thoughts? - MindWorX
archerpwr 10-09-07, 04:45 PM	Sounds like you are allowing people to dump int. I wouldn't do it.
MindWorX 10-09-07, 04:53 PM	Well, main reason i want to do this, is to make some people just a slight more usefull in areas they'd like to be able to help in, but where they just plainly suck. I don't know how the timeline goes in other peoples games, but in my games, a month is generally 6-8 game sessions. That means, in 12-16 game sessions, you'd have a skill moved to non-cross-class, and that's just that one skill. Then he'd have to spend 4 game sessions to move it up one rank. But i guess you're right, depending on the game, this might mean any player could get ranks up to max-3. But in my game, it'll help the fighter get that single point in Knowledge(Local), so he can do something else than just hitting things.
Vharuck 10-09-07, 05:26 PM	When you level up, it's assumed that whatever skills in which you place ranks were learned by training throughout the entire character level. You don't gut a goblin, advancing you from level 2 to level 3, and suddenly say, "Hey! I know how to jump really well now!" For as long as you were level 2, you were practicing jumping. So for your "book learning," that can easily be explained using the rules as is. The characters might not get their ranks now, but when they level up they should feel free to put a lot of ranks into that skill to prove how much they learned from Jasper's Journal of Jumping.
archerpwr 10-09-07, 05:27 PM	Well, main reason i want to do this, is to make some people just a slight more usefull in areas they'd like to be able to help in, but where they just plainly suck. I don't know how the timeline goes in other peoples games, but in my games, a month is generally 6-8 game sessions. That means, in 12-16 game sessions, you'd have a skill moved to non-cross-class, and that's just that one skill. Then he'd have to spend 4 game sessions to move it up one rank. But i guess you're right, depending on the game, this might mean any player could get ranks up to max-3. But in my game, it'll help the fighter get that single point in Knowledge(Local), so he can do something else than just hitting things. IMO skills should be a closely watched resource. Being a high int character should be more than just high dcs. Just me though. If you just want everybody to be a bit more skilled I think giving able learner and nymphs kiss as bonus feats would be a better way to do it.
MindWorX 10-09-07, 05:35 PM	Hmmm, well, guess i'll just play test it, it can't get that bad i think... :)
Rustmonster 10-09-07, 06:25 PM	One thing to concider. If I can train my skills in this way, why can't I, say, train my BAB in the same way? My saves? My ability scores? My HP? As was stated before, when you level up, the skills and other bonuses represent how much better you got over the time between one level and the next. That incorperates book learnin', weapons training, etc.