Skill specialization

[tjoneslo]

I'm looking for some feedback on this idea. Good? Bad? Too munchkin like? not useful?

Skill specialization is an optional addition to the skills. When a character specializes in a skill, they are focusing on a subset of what the skill provides, gaining a deeper knowledge of the area of expertise.
In game terms, a specialized skill costs 1/2 a skill point per rank and a character may have up to their class level + 5 skill ranks in their specialized skill. Not all skills can be specialized the skill description will have a list of specializations. You can only start to specialize in a skill if it is a class skill, and if you later add a level in a class where the skill is not a class skill, ranks in the specialized skill cost double as normal.

 

[Michael Morris]

The problem with skill specialization is that not all skills are created equal. This would be murderous with spellcraft, insuring a wizard would never fail to identify or learn a spell. Ditto spot, hide, move silently, listen or tumble. Meanwhile this is fairly weak if it's on craft: cooking.

Skill Focus, with a +3 bonus, is formidable enough on certain skills. A better plan is to create feats with high rank thresholds

 

[Nifft]

There's sort-of already skill specialization, if by that you mean "a bonus to a particular sub-type of skill check".

Most Feats that grant a +4 to something are "specialization". Examples include Combat Casting and Improved Feint (the latter grants something extra, too).

So, that's how I'd model it -- make more variants of Combat Casting.

E.g.:
"Is that the Tarrasque?!" [General]
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on Bluff and Hide checks when executing a bluff/hide combo (to distract an observer and then hide).

-- N

 

[tjoneslo]

I wanted to put this into the Skills section to use the more available skill points rather than the rarer feats. I can easly see doing this with feats (and adding about 900 of them). But my players dislike using their feat for skill focus activities, thinking them relatively useless. They would prefer to use feats for more useful things like item crafting feats which you can't do any other way.

Would it make a difference if this was to be used for D20 modern?

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I here you on players not wanting to take feats that simply improve and already existing skill. IME players prefer feats that grant them the ability to do something they can't do otherwise.

 

[Nifft]

I'd allow someone to "specialize" and add up to four skill points above their normal limit to a sub-set of a skill (like those mentioned in the Feat idea above). E.g. putting four extra skill points into "sniping" would give you a +4 on Hide checks related to sniping.

I'd limit the "specialty" skill points to 4, or perhaps to 2 + 1/4 character level.

-- N

 

[B4cchus]

I'd never allow characters to advance more than lvl+3 in a skill.
Not only does it make certain checks too easy at a given level (as mentioned above), but it also ruins te whole prestige class system.
Many prestige classes have minimum ranks in certain skills to keep characters from adopting it at a too low level. This is one of the few regulators for restricting a prestige class to a certain level, and the only that works for every type of character. The others, like BAB and "cast #th level spells", only works well with warrior and spellcaster classes. The skill rank cap works with every type.

 

[tjoneslo]

Specialized skills will not allow a character to qualify for a prestige class. I'll add that to the description above.

 

[Lobo Lurker]

Eh, in my opinion, this functionality is already built into the system via feats. Consider this:

Joe the Rogue has a Dex of 16 at level 3.
He has Gloves of Dexterity +2 as well (not factored in above).
He maxed out his ranks in Hide & Move Silently.
Human Feat = Stealthy (+2 Hide & Move Silently checks)
Level 1 Feat = Skill Focus: Hide (+3 to Hide checks)
Level 3 Feat = Skill Focus: Move Silently (+3 to Move Silently checks.

Final Result:
Hide: +15 (6 ranks, +4 dex, +2 stealthy, +3 skill focus)
Move Silently: +15 (6 ranks, +4 dex, +2 stealthy, +3 skill focus)

Bottom Line: When Joe decides to hide, no one (especially someone at or beneath his level) is going to find him save for an equally specialized Elf/Half-Elf).

EDIT: Lord forbid that this guy get his hands on a Cloak of or Boots of Elvenkind.

 

[Vlos]

There is a prestige class in the Complete Adventurer "The Exempler" which basically is a character that is speciallizing in Skills. They get lots of skill points and get bonuses to specific skills that they pick. Every 4 levels they get to specialize in a new skill gaining special abilities. You may want to take a look at it.

For a skill crazy character it is by far the best class.