Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 fragsie Oct 15, 2008 10:05:44	My players have only been playing D&D for just over a year, and none of them had ever played anything like it before (no wargames, not much fantasy computer games. they were very much 'un-geeky' before i got my hands on them!). I started a campaign in 3.5 rules that would span 10-12 levels, and they got to lvl 5 before the release of 4th edition. The party was a monk, a druid, a sorcerer and a duskblade, so i couldnt just transfer them to the new system. Instead we started a new campaign with new characters with the intention of returning to the 3.5 campaign after i had got a hang of DMing 4th ed. That happened last week, and there was a lot of worry amoung my players that they wouldnt be able to shift back into 3.5 very easily. It wasn't a problem in the end, but after the session ended they all had the same point to make: Although 4th ed is a lot quicker in combat, and a lot simpler for them to play (not having to cross reference in loads of book), they now lament at the lack of Craft, Perform and Proffesion skills in 4th. I was hoping that someone had homebrewed a system that reintroduces these 'backround/roleplay' skills back into the game. I would give it a go myself, but i have my hands full with an update to my own setting, can anyone point me in the right direction, or perhaps suggest a simple way that i can do this?
#2 wyld_mutation Oct 15, 2008 10:19:01	There are the backgrounds that were previewed in one of the dragon articles I think. I have seen several crafting attempts on this board. I can try to track one down. However my input would be to handle crafting as a skill challenge.
#3 tequila_sunrise Oct 15, 2008 10:51:10	Although 4th ed is a lot quicker in combat, and a lot simpler for them to play (not having to cross reference in loads of book), they now lament at the lack of Craft, Perform and Proffesion skills in 4th. I was hoping that someone had homebrewed a system that reintroduces these 'backround/roleplay' skills back into the game. I would give it a go myself, but i have my hands full with an update to my own setting, can anyone point me in the right direction, or perhaps suggest a simple way that i can do this? The simplest way to handle background skills to allow PCs to do things according to their histories. The party wizard grew up in a gypsy caravan? Well then I'm sure he could make the tavern-goers happy by singing and strumming a guitar. The party fighter grew up as an blacksmith's apprentice? Well then I'm sure that, given access to a forge, he could crank out a few mundane items in a week's time. The secret is that none of these things require mechanics; the PCs are heroes, not commoners so it doesn't matter exactly how well they can do these things. Let the players describe their PCs' performance/craft to you, describe the in-game results and then move on with the adventure. If you it really makes you and your players feel better to roll dice, just have them roll a d20 and half their level, plus Cha/Int and slap a +5 "background training" bonus on it. TS
#4 zombiegleemax Oct 15, 2008 19:10:29	Check my signature.
#5 salla Oct 16, 2008 19:12:10	The simplest way to handle background skills to allow PCs to do things according to their histories. The party wizard grew up in a gypsy caravan? Well then I'm sure he could make the tavern-goers happy by singing and strumming a guitar. The party fighter grew up as an blacksmith's apprentice? Well then I'm sure that, given access to a forge, he could crank out a few mundane items in a week's time. The secret is that none of these things require mechanics; the PCs are heroes, not commoners so it doesn't matter exactly how well they can do these things. Let the players describe their PCs' performance/craft to you, describe the in-game results and then move on with the adventure. If you it really makes you and your players feel better to roll dice, just have them roll a d20 and half their level, plus Cha/Int and slap a +5 "background training" bonus on it. TS +1.
#6 doomsought Oct 16, 2008 20:01:05	I prefer using an alteration of the list of knowledge and craft skills from modern. Call them utility skills, A player has a number of them equal to their wisdom modifier or int modifier, whichever is higher. Unless otherwise stated, all use int. Knowledge: Arcana Civics (law, ect) History Tactics Religion Craft: Alchemy Smithing mechanical structural visual art/perform(Cha) Survivalist(skinning, tanning, firemaking)(wis)
#7 fragsie Oct 18, 2008 11:48:20	Theres loads of ideas there, thanks peeps. I shall present these to my players at the start of next month, im having a go at a free-form horror for halloween so we're not DnDing for a couple of weeks.
#8 Shadowfax7 Oct 19, 2008 10:22:21	I have added the Craft skill to 4e, it includes the Appraise skill. I did not feel that the Perform or Profession skills were needed, ability checks will do IMO. Craft (Intelligence) Appraise an item: You can tell the value of an item Craft an item: You can make an item with the appropriate tools The DCs are 15 for mundane items, 20 for rare or high-quality items and 25 for exotic or complex items.