Must Have Skills and Waste of Point Skills [Archive] - Wizards Community

Must Have Skills and Waste of Point Skills [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
GEEKAZOID
11-19-07, 10:37 PM What with all the talk of a new edition and game design I got to wondering which skills are the must have adventuring skills and which were least likely to be used.

If you could pare down the list to only those skills essential to adventuring what would they be and why?
navar100
11-20-07, 01:45 AM Underwater basketweaving.
:D
Essex
11-20-07, 12:45 PM I find that unless you're going for some sort of extreme athlete skill monkey, Climb and Jump are often poor choices for skills. Flight granting items and effects make both skills irrelevant while any effect that increases your speed will have a greater impact on your Jump checks then any actual ranks you put in the skill.

I prefer to put at least one rank into every Knowledge skill possible so that I can always attempt Knowledge skill checks beyond DC 10. I then pump extra points into Knowledge skills with useful synergies and those that cover numerous sorts of creatures. The same sort of argument goes for Appraise and Spellcraft. A slim chance at gaining useful information is better than no chance.
Legdiwena
11-20-07, 06:36 PM Open lock and concentration
flibbits
11-20-07, 07:13 PM Well, it depends on class... Concentration, spellcraft, hide, move silently, and Use Magic Device seem to come up often, though. Spot, listen, search, disable device, and survival help, too, if you're a good class for them, as does perform.
sapient
11-20-07, 07:13 PM Tumble. Defintely tumble...

(Especially with our houserule that lets fighter types in medium or heavy armor tumble, albeit with double AC pentalty as for swim.)
tyrecian
11-20-07, 07:26 PM ride if you have a mount. Heal is also nice if you are stuck in a slow campaign at low levels with subpar healers... :)
MagusBlack
11-20-07, 08:13 PM Depends on the DM; your campane; your personal style...and whatnot.

To me the most important ones are Tumble, Jump, Balance, Climb, Swim.

Least useful..."Speak (Elf)":smirk:
Dyax
11-21-07, 10:56 AM Spot
Listen
Search
Tumble
Use Magic Device
celestialkin
11-21-07, 11:25 AM Sadly my favorite skills are apparently getting removed in the next addition. Although very few players actually use them (like myself), my favorite skills are Craft, and to a lower extent Profession.

I love crafting items in game, and if the campaign/module permits most players rarely have a problem taking a week or so off (in game) so I can craft what I want. I have played a number of characters who have magic items which allowed them to not sleep (at all), so I would regularly craft throughout the night while everyone else slept. My favorite was a Psion who during the night would paint/sketch epic heroic portraits of the adventure the party had during the day, or he would paint comical scenes that happened during the battles if they were worth remembering.

Craft and Profession are both pretty useful if you have followers, since they can always bring in some extra cash. If you have a character with no way of making money, or nothing to do while your party spends some extended time in a city/town it can be beneficial to put at least 1 rank in a profession skill. Some money is better than no money!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GEEKAZOID 11-19-07, 10:37 PM	What with all the talk of a new edition and game design I got to wondering which skills are the must have adventuring skills and which were least likely to be used. If you could pare down the list to only those skills essential to adventuring what would they be and why?
navar100 11-20-07, 01:45 AM	Underwater basketweaving. :D
Essex 11-20-07, 12:45 PM	I find that unless you're going for some sort of extreme athlete skill monkey, Climb and Jump are often poor choices for skills. Flight granting items and effects make both skills irrelevant while any effect that increases your speed will have a greater impact on your Jump checks then any actual ranks you put in the skill. I prefer to put at least one rank into every Knowledge skill possible so that I can always attempt Knowledge skill checks beyond DC 10. I then pump extra points into Knowledge skills with useful synergies and those that cover numerous sorts of creatures. The same sort of argument goes for Appraise and Spellcraft. A slim chance at gaining useful information is better than no chance.
Legdiwena 11-20-07, 06:36 PM	Open lock and concentration
flibbits 11-20-07, 07:13 PM	Well, it depends on class... Concentration, spellcraft, hide, move silently, and Use Magic Device seem to come up often, though. Spot, listen, search, disable device, and survival help, too, if you're a good class for them, as does perform.
sapient 11-20-07, 07:13 PM	Tumble. Defintely tumble... (Especially with our houserule that lets fighter types in medium or heavy armor tumble, albeit with double AC pentalty as for swim.)
tyrecian 11-20-07, 07:26 PM	ride if you have a mount. Heal is also nice if you are stuck in a slow campaign at low levels with subpar healers... :)
MagusBlack 11-20-07, 08:13 PM	Depends on the DM; your campane; your personal style...and whatnot. To me the most important ones are Tumble, Jump, Balance, Climb, Swim. Least useful..."Speak (Elf)":smirk:
Dyax 11-21-07, 10:56 AM	Spot Listen Search Tumble Use Magic Device
celestialkin 11-21-07, 11:25 AM	Sadly my favorite skills are apparently getting removed in the next addition. Although very few players actually use them (like myself), my favorite skills are Craft, and to a lower extent Profession. I love crafting items in game, and if the campaign/module permits most players rarely have a problem taking a week or so off (in game) so I can craft what I want. I have played a number of characters who have magic items which allowed them to not sleep (at all), so I would regularly craft throughout the night while everyone else slept. My favorite was a Psion who during the night would paint/sketch epic heroic portraits of the adventure the party had during the day, or he would paint comical scenes that happened during the battles if they were worth remembering. Craft and Profession are both pretty useful if you have followers, since they can always bring in some extra cash. If you have a character with no way of making money, or nothing to do while your party spends some extended time in a city/town it can be beneficial to put at least 1 rank in a profession skill. Some money is better than no money!