Simple skills house rule for those who don't like skills tied to class [Archive] - Wizards Community

Simple skills house rule for those who don't like skills tied to class [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Longarms
08-18-07, 02:58 PM House rule:
Identify skills for which your stat bonuses and racial bonuses for that skill produce a combined bonus of +2 or higher. If those identified skills are cross class skills for you, re-mark them on your character sheet as class skills. These are now "class" skills for you.

If you use greater than 25 point point buy, you might want the threshold to be +3.
Witch
08-18-07, 03:13 PM So high stats, aside from offering large ability bonuses to skills, also allow you which skills can have most ranks? I don't agree.
Longarms
08-18-07, 03:28 PM "So high stats, aside from offering large ability bonuses to skills..."

I disagree with your characterization that under the core rules high stats offer "large" bonuses to skills. At my table where most stat bonuses are +3 or less, already at level 1 the stat bonus is usually less influential than the # of skill ranks. For example, at level 1 somebody with a 16 in STR and 1 rank in swimming is an equal swimmer as somebody with 10 in STR and 4 ranks of swimming. Moreover, a +3 bonus in a skill check is barely larger than the +2 situational modifier recommended for DMS.

No, I think under the core rules the stat bonus offers a slight bonus to skills. This house rule obviously changes that, so, knowing that, adopt at your table's preference...
DM-Scott
08-18-07, 04:38 PM I believe I pointed out a few variations on a previous thread. Here are some simple house rules for handling free form skills.

Keep cross class skills, but make them cost the same as regular skills. Thus you can spend your skill points more freely, but keep a small limitation showing it's not your primary focus.

Example: You have 16 skill points to spend. Your max ranks are 4/2, and you decided to dump 12 of your skill points into three primary skills, then you decide you want to pick up listen and spot (cross class skills), so you dump 2 points into each, giving you three skills at 4 ranks, and two skills at 2 ranks.

Note: Has the added benefit of making characters easier to generate on the fly, and make NPCs faster, and better.

Keep the system as it is, but include some sort of occupation system like in d20 modern so that the players can get a small number of permanent class skills for the character.

There are doubtlessly lots of other ideas for handling cross class skills than these. Hopefully more people will contribute. ^_^

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Longarms 08-18-07, 02:58 PM	House rule: Identify skills for which your stat bonuses and racial bonuses for that skill produce a combined bonus of +2 or higher. If those identified skills are cross class skills for you, re-mark them on your character sheet as class skills. These are now "class" skills for you. If you use greater than 25 point point buy, you might want the threshold to be +3.
Witch 08-18-07, 03:13 PM	So high stats, aside from offering large ability bonuses to skills, also allow you which skills can have most ranks? I don't agree.
Longarms 08-18-07, 03:28 PM	"So high stats, aside from offering large ability bonuses to skills..." I disagree with your characterization that under the core rules high stats offer "large" bonuses to skills. At my table where most stat bonuses are +3 or less, already at level 1 the stat bonus is usually less influential than the # of skill ranks. For example, at level 1 somebody with a 16 in STR and 1 rank in swimming is an equal swimmer as somebody with 10 in STR and 4 ranks of swimming. Moreover, a +3 bonus in a skill check is barely larger than the +2 situational modifier recommended for DMS. No, I think under the core rules the stat bonus offers a slight bonus to skills. This house rule obviously changes that, so, knowing that, adopt at your table's preference...
DM-Scott 08-18-07, 04:38 PM	I believe I pointed out a few variations on a previous thread. Here are some simple house rules for handling free form skills. Keep cross class skills, but make them cost the same as regular skills. Thus you can spend your skill points more freely, but keep a small limitation showing it's not your primary focus. Example: You have 16 skill points to spend. Your max ranks are 4/2, and you decided to dump 12 of your skill points into three primary skills, then you decide you want to pick up listen and spot (cross class skills), so you dump 2 points into each, giving you three skills at 4 ranks, and two skills at 2 ranks. Note: Has the added benefit of making characters easier to generate on the fly, and make NPCs faster, and better. Keep the system as it is, but include some sort of occupation system like in d20 modern so that the players can get a small number of permanent class skills for the character. There are doubtlessly lots of other ideas for handling cross class skills than these. Hopefully more people will contribute. ^_^