D&D (2024) How would you change skills in 5.5e

[RealAlHazred]

Those skills could then act as saving throw proficiencies as well. That would definitely help in streamlining the game.

BUT... what if we streamlined the game by changing the saving throws to actually refer to the things they are saving against! We could make them against things like, I don't know... dragon's breath is a pretty common thing in games, so that's one. Maybe paralyzation? And some of the magic items, like wands, staffs and rods, although it would make it better if we combined those into one, I guess...

 

[DEFCON 1]

There is no skill system that is going to be right for all tables. Thus, there is no reason to try and get WotC to change things if they show no interest in wanting to change things.

Instead... you change things yourself for your table. Make the game right for you. And stop trying to convince everybody else that what you think the skill system should be is what everyone else should think it should be, just so you can use it as a flag to wave in order to try and get WotC to follow your lead and install the skill system you want. Because no one gets any points for "playing RAW"... so needing the rules to change so you can is pointless.

 

[Minigiant]

There is no skill system that is going to be right for all tables. Thus, there is no reason to try and get WotC to change things if they show no interest in wanting to change things.

Instead... you change things yourself for your table. Make the game right for you. And stop trying to convince everybody else that what you think the skill system should be is what everyone else should think it should be, just so you can use it as a flag to wave in order to try and get WotC to follow your lead and install the skill system you want. Because no one gets any points for "playing RAW"... so needing the rules to change so you can is pointless.

There is no skill system that is going to be right for all tables. But WOTC can offer 2-4 working skill systems that work for most tables.

There is no burger for all eaters. But burger joints offer vegan burgers and chicken burgers to feed most potential customers.

 

[RealAlHazred]

There is no skill system that is going to be right for all tables.

Well, I mean, you could use my system, or you could use a system that is definitively wrong...

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

There is no skill system that is going to be right for all tables. But WOTC can offer 2-4 working skill systems that work for most tables.

There is no burger for all eaters. But burger joints offer vegan burgers and chicken burgers to feed most potential customers.

While I like rules options and dials, they are worthless if they don't mix well with existing stat blocks and rules. If skills were re-designed to have different names, connected to different abilities, and have built in actions, that would require a full redesign of how all other rules interact with skills. If the actions are built in to skill training, it means that there is now a bit more exception-based design where there is only one way to do a precise thing.

That is full-edition worthy redesign. I would hazard a guess that is beyond the 2024 design intent. Sounds like extensive house rules/3rd party clone variation, rather than a viable option for Wizards to design

 

[Minigiant]

While I like rules options and dials, they are worthless if they don't mix well with existing stat blocks and rules. If skills were re-designed to have different names, connected to different abilities, and have built in actions, that would require a full redesign of how all other rules interact with skills. If the actions are built in to skill training, it means that there is now a bit more exception-based design where there is only one way to do a precise thing.

That is full-edition worthy redesign. I would hazard a guess that is beyond the 2024 design intent. Sounds like extensive house rules/3rd party clone variation, rather than a viable option for Wizards to design

That's the funny thing.
The 5e skill system is so barebones, you do not need a redesign.

For example,the game already has Strength Checks to

• Force open a stuck, locked, or barred door
• Break free of bonds
• Tip over a statue
• Keep a boulder from rolling

You just don't have a skill to add proficient or expertise to it. Adding a optional Force/Demolition (Str) doesn't break the game. And DMs are allowed to swap skills and ignore requirement on NPCs anyways.

And you can go the opposite way with less skills. No redesign needed.

 

[Lojaan]

Replace savings throws with skills. Don't need a fortitude save when you can make an athletics check. Don't need a reflex save when you can make an acrobatics check etc... They're the same thing

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Replace savings throws with skills. Don't need a fortitude save when you can make an athletics check. Don't need a reflex save when you can make an acrobatics check etc... They're the same thing

Fortitude is not athletics.

But one could add an endurance(con) skill.

But I think this would put too much weight onto selections that should not have that much of an impact on class functionality.

 

[DEFCON 1]

What really should happen is that people should just start considering attacks and saves as part of the "skill system". Because all three of those things are exactly the same-- roll a d20, add your ability score modifier, add your proficiency bonus if you are proficient in the thing. They are all of a type. There's really no reason you need to separate them if you don't want to.

We want more "Strength skills"? Realize then that melee attacks with every single weapon are each a "strength skill". Need a Constitution skill all about surviving long-distance fatigue, like 'Endurance'? That's what the Constitution Saving Throw is. It's the 'Endurance' skill under a different name. But the mechanics of both are exactly the same-- roll a d20, add your CON modifier, and if you have some experience dealing with long-distance fatigue you add your proficiency bonus. What else is there to need?

Other than of course many people's desire for all the little boxes to be named and organized the same way because it "looks nicer". The 'Constitution Saving Throw' skill does not roll off the tongue as nice as the 'Endurance' skill, nor is it in the long skill list section of the character sheet... so some people just don't like that. But that doesn't mean the game needs to change because of that.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

BUT... what if we streamlined the game by changing the saving throws to actually refer to the things they are saving against! We could make them against things like, I don't know... dragon's breath is a pretty common thing in games, so that's one. Maybe paralyzation? And some of the magic items, like wands, staffs and rods, although it would make it better if we combined those into one, I guess...

I know this is a TSR era joke, but it could work... "Save vs spell, Save vs Breath Weapon and Save vs knock around" all sound desent, but I will raise you mixing 3e and 4e... have no AC, but a Reflex defense, a Toughness Defense, and a Mental Defense BUT also have a Fort Save and a Will Save.