Equivalencies of unique class 'skills'?

[Driddle]

Both the bard's "Bardic Knowledge" feature and the druid's (and ranger's) "Wild Empathy" feature are fundamentally equivalent to skills -- they're based on attributes (Int and Cha, respectively); improve by a single point each level (basically a dedicated skill point); and they're treated in the adventure scenario in much the same way as skills such as Knowledge or Diplomacy.

If you wanted to allow a character access to those exclusive skill-like features without requiring he take a level in the bard or druid classes, how would you work out an equivalent trade? What would he have to give up to gain the feature?

Also, a tangential question:

If we allow access to Wild Empathy (as a skill) via a special feat, which option would you prefer? 1. The character can use his Diplomacy skill on animals as well as people. 2. The character must develop a separate skill called "Wild Empathy" by assigning skill points (separate from Diplomacy).

 

[Taryn]

I'd say that allowing the character to take the skill as a cross-class skill that they'd have to put points into would probably work fine... mainly I'd allow that for reasons of character customization... a fighter who spent the first 18 years of life in the forest, or a wizard who, because of his Int 20 and Cha 18, just seemed to know everything about everybody. Stuff like that.

 

[Frostflame]

I would vouch for option two since otherwise a cleric with wild empathy and maxed out diplomacy (level +3) would be better at Wild Empathy than a druid (level) of the same level.
I have another idea: what if you make it like the classfeature and grant them 1 point in it when achieving the feat and giving them 1 additional point in it for each additional level they attain. In that case I would give the feats some kind of prerequisites though. For example 8 ranks in handle animal for Wild Empathy and 5 ranks in any two knowledge skills for Bardic Knowledge or something like that.
Just an idea though...

~FF

 

[Ferret]

I could see the pseudo-skills working as feats, I wouldn't want to give them out willy nill though, and I would make them take skill point in Wild Empathy though.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

The two things you've mentioned are worth about a feat. I'd make sure any player that took them however would have to have a good in game reason for doing so and made have some ability requirements. I don't like the idea of just handing out class features with out some restriction.

 

[silentspace]

nothing to see here