Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Endarire 04-11-08, 01:43 AM	Do you forsee balance problems of allowing cross-class skills to have the same max number of ranks as class skills if cross-class skills still cost 2 points per rank?
SolEiji 04-11-08, 01:47 AM	Nope.
Fireclave 04-11-08, 02:09 AM	Not really.
MnemonicSV 04-11-08, 07:17 AM	It's not broken. In fact, some DMs have already invoked this sort of houserule. I seem to recall reading an article a ways back by one of the D&D designers in which he invoked a similar houserule for his own campaign (or maybe it was full ranks per skill point, but still half-max?) because he liked players with a wider skill variety. This may make a couple prestige classes more easily accessible, but that isn't imbalancing, since a higher-Int character could pull off the same thing anyway (through slight multiclassing). Just remind your players not to spread themselves too thin. You don't want the party fighter blowing his few precious skill points on skills he may never (or rarely) use. Remind players that their actual class-skills will still serve them best in the long run.
herrdoktor 04-11-08, 09:02 AM	It's not broken. In fact, some DMs have already invoked this sort of houserule. I seem to recall reading an article a ways back by one of the D&D designers in which he invoked a similar houserule for his own campaign (or maybe it was full ranks per skill point, but still half-max?) because he liked players with a wider skill variety. our group uses 1 point per rank, half max for cross-class skills. it makes it a lot easier to diversify our skills, while still giving a lot of meaning to class skills (speak language, i believe, still costs 2 for non-bards, factotums, etc.)
Tordak 04-11-08, 11:00 AM	I don't see it being a problem. I'd actually encouraged any DM wanting to try alternative skill system. You could let player drop 2 class skill to get a cross-class skill as a class skill, not limit rank but keep the cost, ect.
LSMFT 04-11-08, 11:55 AM	There are consequences to this. Whether they are problems or not is your opinion. People won’t get into prestige classes sooner; they will get in sooner with different classes. If you have a class that requires 8 ranks in Hide, well clearly only some classes can get in at level 5. The rogue can, the fighter can’t. Is it a problem if the fighter can? Up to you. But the way it was designed was with multiclassing (at least) in mind. You’re also going to make unskilled classes more skilled. That might be what you want, but it does have an impact on the skilled classes. Part of their balance (pretending for a moment that they are) is that they can be so much more skilled compared to the others. Making it easier for the others to be skilled decreases the relative position of those that are now “the skill monkeys.”
Metafictional 04-11-08, 12:02 PM	About the only problem I could see is if you allow Humans to take the Able Learner Feat from Races of Destiny.
narack 04-11-08, 12:29 PM	i prefer letting my player choose their class skills and the rest are cross class. They have access to all skill no lock skill. Although i still use the skill table, they calculate how much class skill their class usually have and they select the same amount.
herrdoktor 04-12-08, 11:17 PM	i prefer letting my player choose their class skills and the rest are cross class. They have access to all skill no lock skill. Although i still use the skill table, they calculate how much class skill their class usually have and they select the same amount. a bit like how the generic classes from UA work?
elonin 04-13-08, 09:57 AM	Allowing players to buy 1/1 for cross class skills up to the cc maximum would make able learner worthless. Also, the in class selection is a large contributer to the classes flavor. One example of what could come of this is your fighter maxing out use magic device.