Asmor
First Post
So here's a system I've had kicking around in my head for a while. My goals were three-fold:
1: Simplify the skill system down to a much smaller number of skills
2: Cut down on bookkeeping and other headaches that come with high-level and/or multiclass characters with skills
3: Make intelligence work like constitution, where gaining intelligence gives you access to more skills and losing it makes you lose skills.
There are 9 adventuring skills and 3 character skills. Every character is allowed to pick two character skills for free, representing knowledge the character gained before becoming an adventurer. You can either pick two skills from the same catergory (i.e. two different crafts) or two different skills from two different categories (i.e. a craft and a profession).
Skills are either known or unknown, you do not purchase ranks in them. You have a certain number of skill points with which to buy skills. With class skills, you have a base score equal to your HD +3 (so a level 3 fighter/level 3 rogue would have a base score of 9 in all class skills he bought). Cross-class skills have a bonus equal to half that, rounded down (so the same 3 fighter/3 rogue would have a base score of 4 in all cross-class skills he bought). Character skills are always considered class skills.
Skills cost either 1 or 2 points, depending on how important they are. Generally, skills which are central to a class or just generally useful cost 2 points.
You get your skill points according to your primary class. Your primary class is the class which you have the most levels in. Only count base classes, not prestige classes. If tied for primary class, the one which was primary most recently is considered it (for example, if you took level 1 in rogue, then 3 levels in fighter, then 2 more levels of rogue, fighter would still be your primary class).
To choose your skills, write out an ordered list of them. The list doesn't need to include all skills, but it should be long enough that you probably won't reach the end of it. You access the skills starting from the top and going down. If your intelligence modifier goes down, or your primary class becomes one with fewer skill points than you had before, you lose access to a certain number of skills as appropriate. Similarly, if your intelligence modifier goes up (including temporarily, such as through a spell or magic item), or your primary class becomes one with more skill points than before, you gain access to new skills continuing on down the list. Once the list of skills is made, it may not be changed. Your free character skills are not part of this list and you always know them, although you may choose to add more character skills to the list and treat them as normal. If your primary class changes, then whether skills are considered class or cross-class also changes.
Example: Bob is a fighter with 12 intelligence. This gives him 3 skill points. He makes the following skill list:
Athletics - 1
Notice - 2
Stealth - 2
Survival - 2
Social - 1
Thievery - 2
Bob has access to Athletics and Notice. If Bob's primary class later became Druid, he'd have 5 skill points, giving him access to Athletics, Notice and Stealth. If Bob then took 2 points of intelligence damage, he'd lose access to stealth because it costs 2 points and he'd only have 1 point left after paying for athletics and notice.
List of skills:
Adventuring Skills:
Arcana (Int) - 2
Athletics (Str) - 1
Deception (Cha) - 1
General Knowledge (Int) - 1
Notice (Wis) - 2
Social (Cha) - 1
Stealth (Dex) - 2
Survival (Wis) - 2
Thievery (Dex) - 2
Character Skills (Pick two for free):
Craft (Any one) (Int) - 1
Perform (Any one) (Cha) - 1
Profession (Any one) (Wis) - 1
Arcana - Autohypnosis (Psionic subtype required), Concentration (Spell- and power-related checks only), Decipher Script, Knowledge (Arcana, History, Psionics, Religion, The Planes), Psicraft, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Athletics - Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Ride, Swim, Tumble
Deception - Bluff, Forgery, Disguise
General Knowledge - Knowledge (History, Local, Religion)
Notice - Listen, Search, Spot
Social - Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (Local, Nobility and Royalty), Sense Motive
Stealth - Hide, Move Silently
Survival - Concentration (Non-spell- and power-related checks only), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Dungeoneering, Geography, Nature), Survival, Use Rope
Thievery - Disable Device, Escape Artist, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand
Appraise and Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) are now Profession skills, i.e. Profession (Appraise) and Profession (Architecture and Engineering)
Speak Language is no longer a skill. Not sure what I want to do with it yet. May just stick with bonus languages.
I've still got to tweak (reduce) how many skill points each class gets, and what their class skills are.
1: Simplify the skill system down to a much smaller number of skills
2: Cut down on bookkeeping and other headaches that come with high-level and/or multiclass characters with skills
3: Make intelligence work like constitution, where gaining intelligence gives you access to more skills and losing it makes you lose skills.
There are 9 adventuring skills and 3 character skills. Every character is allowed to pick two character skills for free, representing knowledge the character gained before becoming an adventurer. You can either pick two skills from the same catergory (i.e. two different crafts) or two different skills from two different categories (i.e. a craft and a profession).
Skills are either known or unknown, you do not purchase ranks in them. You have a certain number of skill points with which to buy skills. With class skills, you have a base score equal to your HD +3 (so a level 3 fighter/level 3 rogue would have a base score of 9 in all class skills he bought). Cross-class skills have a bonus equal to half that, rounded down (so the same 3 fighter/3 rogue would have a base score of 4 in all cross-class skills he bought). Character skills are always considered class skills.
Skills cost either 1 or 2 points, depending on how important they are. Generally, skills which are central to a class or just generally useful cost 2 points.
You get your skill points according to your primary class. Your primary class is the class which you have the most levels in. Only count base classes, not prestige classes. If tied for primary class, the one which was primary most recently is considered it (for example, if you took level 1 in rogue, then 3 levels in fighter, then 2 more levels of rogue, fighter would still be your primary class).
To choose your skills, write out an ordered list of them. The list doesn't need to include all skills, but it should be long enough that you probably won't reach the end of it. You access the skills starting from the top and going down. If your intelligence modifier goes down, or your primary class becomes one with fewer skill points than you had before, you lose access to a certain number of skills as appropriate. Similarly, if your intelligence modifier goes up (including temporarily, such as through a spell or magic item), or your primary class becomes one with more skill points than before, you gain access to new skills continuing on down the list. Once the list of skills is made, it may not be changed. Your free character skills are not part of this list and you always know them, although you may choose to add more character skills to the list and treat them as normal. If your primary class changes, then whether skills are considered class or cross-class also changes.
Example: Bob is a fighter with 12 intelligence. This gives him 3 skill points. He makes the following skill list:
Athletics - 1
Notice - 2
Stealth - 2
Survival - 2
Social - 1
Thievery - 2
Bob has access to Athletics and Notice. If Bob's primary class later became Druid, he'd have 5 skill points, giving him access to Athletics, Notice and Stealth. If Bob then took 2 points of intelligence damage, he'd lose access to stealth because it costs 2 points and he'd only have 1 point left after paying for athletics and notice.
List of skills:
Adventuring Skills:
Arcana (Int) - 2
Athletics (Str) - 1
Deception (Cha) - 1
General Knowledge (Int) - 1
Notice (Wis) - 2
Social (Cha) - 1
Stealth (Dex) - 2
Survival (Wis) - 2
Thievery (Dex) - 2
Character Skills (Pick two for free):
Craft (Any one) (Int) - 1
Perform (Any one) (Cha) - 1
Profession (Any one) (Wis) - 1
Arcana - Autohypnosis (Psionic subtype required), Concentration (Spell- and power-related checks only), Decipher Script, Knowledge (Arcana, History, Psionics, Religion, The Planes), Psicraft, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Athletics - Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Ride, Swim, Tumble
Deception - Bluff, Forgery, Disguise
General Knowledge - Knowledge (History, Local, Religion)
Notice - Listen, Search, Spot
Social - Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (Local, Nobility and Royalty), Sense Motive
Stealth - Hide, Move Silently
Survival - Concentration (Non-spell- and power-related checks only), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Dungeoneering, Geography, Nature), Survival, Use Rope
Thievery - Disable Device, Escape Artist, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand
Appraise and Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) are now Profession skills, i.e. Profession (Appraise) and Profession (Architecture and Engineering)
Speak Language is no longer a skill. Not sure what I want to do with it yet. May just stick with bonus languages.
I've still got to tweak (reduce) how many skill points each class gets, and what their class skills are.
Last edited:
