Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 awaken_D_M_golem May 10, 2008 15:25:09	This idea seems fairly straight forward. 4th Edition has combined the 3 into 1 skill. I think 3(3.5) Edition can do this with no problem. There is no reason for 9th level casters to get this; they are powerful enough as is. So just consider 1 rank in swim or jump or climb, to function as 1 rank in all of them, provided +1 caster level to a 9th level progression isn't happening. Then, let any one skill be picked to replace the ~lost access of (up to) 2 other skills. Example : Fighter gets Diplomacy and UMD but has to take Athletics. What do you think? Yea or Nay.
#2 Endarire May 10, 2008 15:35:20	Uh, what?
#3 kuroimaken May 10, 2008 15:45:59	We already use a simplified skill set in our group based off SAGA. But the rest of the OP's post? I have NO FRIGGIN CLUE what he's talking about.
#4 bensan May 10, 2008 17:27:20	I'm not sure what's up with the caster rambling, but around where I play we tend to bundle up a number of skills. Swim/Jump/Climb = Athletics, Hide/Move Silently = Sneak, Spot/Listen = Notice, Open Lock/Disable Device = Disable Device. It means that skillmonkeys actually get to take advantage of their higher skill points rather than being locked into half a dozen or more "mandatory" skills to do two or three things between them all.
#5 auxitius May 10, 2008 18:39:38	Skill sets are also tied together in Iron Heroes by Monte Cook. Stealth = Hide and Move Silently and so on...
#6 awaken_D_M_golem May 11, 2008 14:43:05	This idea seemed fairly straight forward. 4th Edition has combined the 3 into 1 skill. *** Me + BenSan + 4th Edition + Monty Cook = Good company !!! I think 3(3.5) Edition can do this with no problem. *** yep There is no reason for 9th level casters to get this; they are powerful enough as is. *** Cleric need "help". Druids need "help". Wizards need "help". Standard co-board material. So just consider 1 rank in swim or jump or climb, to function as 1 rank in all of them, *** statement A, and statement B provided +1 caster level to a 9th level progression isn't happening. *** exception C, repeat of 2 lines above, in case someone wasn't paying attention Then, let any one skill be picked to replace the ~lost (up to) 2 other skills. Example : Fighter gets Diplomacy and UMD but has to take Athletics. *** clarified What do you think? Yea or Nay or What?! again , a 3rd time whoa, deja vu.
#7 davethemagicweasel May 11, 2008 14:59:58	It still doesn't make any sense.
#8 bensan May 11, 2008 15:11:23	Basically, there's no real reason for the whole casters thing to be involved. It's an absolutely meaningless nerf; the only time I've ever seen a full-caster taking any of the constituent skills of Athletics was in an explicitly nautical campaign where the DM suggested that everyone would eventually need Swim ranks and we weren't starting with any magical items. (Even at that, out of our party's two full-casters, only one took Swim, and that was me being deliberately suboptimal - I took Profession: Sailor too.) Consolidating the skills is a simple and effective change that boosts non-full-casters a little bit anyway. The paladin is the only non-full-caster that doesn't have one of the Athletics skills on its class list in core, and that's an easy enough houserule if you want to. The real point of skill consolidation has nothing to do with spellcasters (who can already pretty much do anything anyway), it has to do with freeing up skillmonkeys' options and letting characters who aren't dedicated skillmonkeys still do more than one thing reasonably well. Replacing the "lost" skills isn't necessary, either. They're still there, just a whole lot cheaper.
#9 Omen_of_Peace May 12, 2008 7:28:49	I also like (and use) simplified skills, but sometimes they require a bit of thought. For instance: Able Learner. I almost feel like 4E simplified them too much though.