Skills - Getting rid of Key Abilities

[timfire]

I can't say I made this up, I got this idea from a post over at RPGnet. But the idea is to get rid of key abilities for skills, and make it so the ability bonus changes according to what activity you're doing.

Let me give an example: Say you got Heal. If you want to diagnose an illness, you use your Int bonus, but if you want to stitch a wound you have to use your Dex bonus. Or if you have Intimidate and you're BIG dumb barbarian Half-Orc, you can use your str bonus to persuade that thief to talk.

Players can argue their case to their GM, but the GM would have veto power over which bonus you can use.

What do you think? I realize this gives munchnkins a chance to (try to) abuse the system, but as long as your players are cool I don't think there would be a problem.

 

[Crothian]

Sure, it's not bad at all. Many other systems use this type of thing so it's by far nothing new.

 

[DreamChaser]

its more time consuming and any player will naturally always play to their strengths so everyone will be a bit better at everything but it goes across the board so no big thing.

DC

 

[Crothian]

Well, the players realyl should be chosen it. IT should be the DM depending on the situation.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I can't say I made this up, I got this idea from a post over at RPGnet.

Who presumable got it from the DMG!

I can't give you the page number because I don't have the DMG handy, but there is a clear variant rule that the DM can decide that a different attribute is more appropriate to apply to skill ranks in certain circumstances.

It recommends that this choice is left in the hands of the DM rather than the players.

Good old DMG eh? surprising what one can find in there

Cheers

 

[Stormborn]

Who presumable got it from the DMG!

I can't give you the page number because I don't have the DMG handy, but there is a clear variant rule that the DM can decide that a different attribute is more appropriate to apply to skill ranks in certain circumstances.

It recommends that this choice is left in the hands of the DM rather than the players.

Good old DMG eh? surprising what one can find in there

Cheers

p.33 in the DMG 3.5.

If you have specific ideas about their application timfire I suggest you make a broader standard of what can be used how than the examples given in the DMG. If you are going to use this in a long running campaign better to put the work in ahead of time than have to back track on precendent.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

I think the best way to do it is to keep the initial key abilities as the paradigm, and be lenient towards substituting the key ability for another one depending on the situation. For example if a character is a sword swallower, obviously you'd allow them to use their Dexterity bonus instead of their Charisma.

Same with skill synergy. It's easiest and most fun to negotiate it on the spot than to alter the rules. Eg. "Well you see...uh...well, I have more than five ranks in Craft (Sewing), so I should get a +2 bonus to the skill check because I'm sewing up people's stitches"