Beholder Bob
First Post
Combining some skills that seem redundant is fine, but what skills do you think belong in DnD 3.5 but are not in it? Ideas? Suggestions?
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D&D 3E/3.5 What 3 skills would you add to DnD 3.5
- Thread starter Beholder Bob
- Start date
I would change Survival to include the benefits of track (or some rudimentary tracking, improveable with a feat). I would change Gather Information to Streetwise, granting ability to survive in urban regions (kind of an urban Survival), including the ability to gather information, and maybe tracking by gathering information. Not really new skills, but new functionality.
I've always wanted a Research Skill. It would be Int based and be basically like gather information but when applied to a non-intelligent source of information such as a library.
I've also always wanted Track to be a skill and not a feat.
No particular third skill stands out for me.
I've also always wanted Track to be a skill and not a feat.
No particular third skill stands out for me.
Black Pharaoh
First Post
I think there needs to be a skill for creating works of art and literature. Proffession, Craft, and Perform just don't seem to cover poetry and painting.
ender_wiggin
First Post
Personally, I would like to see some user-defined skills. That is, the player creates them, and the DM applies them as he sees fit.
One stipulation is that the skill cannot completely cover the domain of a current skill; it can only make a current skill more specialized, not more generalized. For example, a character could not choose the skill "stealth" that encomposes both move silently and hide.
The more specialized a skill is, the lower the DC is for a certain task that applies. For example, a character can choose the skill Knowledge (religion). He would have to make a DC 28 skill check to know some obscure fact about a particular god. However, if he chose the skill Knowledge (particular god), he would only have to make a DC 20 check.
One stipulation is that the skill cannot completely cover the domain of a current skill; it can only make a current skill more specialized, not more generalized. For example, a character could not choose the skill "stealth" that encomposes both move silently and hide.
The more specialized a skill is, the lower the DC is for a certain task that applies. For example, a character can choose the skill Knowledge (religion). He would have to make a DC 28 skill check to know some obscure fact about a particular god. However, if he chose the skill Knowledge (particular god), he would only have to make a DC 20 check.
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
I'd love to see a Manouver ability to replace and expand the stupid run rules (ie not just running faster but also things like dodging amongst a crowd. Manouvere would apply to the characters movement types (run for most PC races - swim or fly as appropriate) and would allow things like chases to be ajudicated using opposed rolls and also 'cool moves' like Legolas surfing the Oliphant (big DC).
(things like surfing, skiing and parachting could also be adjudicated using the Manouvere skill (-4 penalty for it not being a natural move type),
(things like surfing, skiing and parachting could also be adjudicated using the Manouvere skill (-4 penalty for it not being a natural move type),
Neat idea. Here are my three:
Grapple (Dex/Str)
This is a hard sell. Grapple checks already grow with the BAB, so making a skill out of this mechanic seems flawed at first. Imagine the monk, however. At 20th level, a monk's BAB is 5 behind his HD where his max ranks are 3 above it. That's an 8 point difference. Even considering Improved Grapple, the difference is only halved. Take this idea into account, however, and the monk becomes the top grappler-class (as I feel it should be and fails to do as written). At full ranks, a 20th level monk has a base Grapple of +23, coupled with a descent Strength or Dexterity (this skill uses the best, unlike the current grapple rules) and Improved Grapple, their check could easily break +30. Throw on some of those crunchy Complete Warrior feats like Clever Wrestler and the monk is back in business and tossing those half-orc barbarian grapplers on their faces.
Class Skill: Fighters, monks.
Branch-ideas: A feat called Chokehold that sticks the victim of your pin with the "suffocating" condition (DMG p. 304). A feat called Submission Move that gives your Grapple check a critical threat range of 19-20 for double damage on successful Grapple checks.
Perception (Wis)
This wraps Listen, Search, and Spot (as well as the Scent special ability) into one skill. The idea isn't to make it easier for rangers and rogues to diversify their skills, but to streamline the idea of people getting more cautious with experience. Fighters just don't have the skill points to sink into Spot and Listen as it stands--and they're the ones taking lead in the party most of the time, playing the all-too important role of meatshield. Racial modifiers to certain forms of perception still come into play here. Elves, for instance, gain a +2 to Perception rolls made to see or hear something. Gnomes get a +2 to smell something, same as orc-breeds. Creatures with the Scent ability gain a racial bonus to Perception rolls made to smell things equal to their hit dice. Smelling something under this mechanic would be little different than making a Spot check. If the smelling creature cannot otherwise detect their quarry then a successful Perception roll (DC 20) will give them a general idea and an opportunity to make attacks, albeit with a 50% miss chance.
Class Skill: All.
Branch-ideas: Skill Focus (Perception) becomes a considerable option for games where surprise is a big factor. Alertness becomes moot. Quick Reconnoiter (from Complete Adventurer) is still just as cool.
Run (Con)
You can basically put ranks to the Constitution check made to avoid having to stop running. As the rules state (PHB, p. 144), a character can run for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution score, but after that they must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check to keeo running. Each round spent running requires an additional Constitution check with a cumulative +1 to the DC.
Class Skill: Barbarians, fighters, rangers, monks.
Branch-ideas: A feat called Cross Country, allowing you to run over difficult terrain. A feat called Flight Reflex, allowing you to maintain your Dex bonus to AC while running. A feat called Marathon Run that reduces the amount of time you need to rest after finally failing a Con (or Run) check in half (5 rounds instead of 10) before running again.
Grapple (Dex/Str)
This is a hard sell. Grapple checks already grow with the BAB, so making a skill out of this mechanic seems flawed at first. Imagine the monk, however. At 20th level, a monk's BAB is 5 behind his HD where his max ranks are 3 above it. That's an 8 point difference. Even considering Improved Grapple, the difference is only halved. Take this idea into account, however, and the monk becomes the top grappler-class (as I feel it should be and fails to do as written). At full ranks, a 20th level monk has a base Grapple of +23, coupled with a descent Strength or Dexterity (this skill uses the best, unlike the current grapple rules) and Improved Grapple, their check could easily break +30. Throw on some of those crunchy Complete Warrior feats like Clever Wrestler and the monk is back in business and tossing those half-orc barbarian grapplers on their faces.
Class Skill: Fighters, monks.
Branch-ideas: A feat called Chokehold that sticks the victim of your pin with the "suffocating" condition (DMG p. 304). A feat called Submission Move that gives your Grapple check a critical threat range of 19-20 for double damage on successful Grapple checks.
Perception (Wis)
This wraps Listen, Search, and Spot (as well as the Scent special ability) into one skill. The idea isn't to make it easier for rangers and rogues to diversify their skills, but to streamline the idea of people getting more cautious with experience. Fighters just don't have the skill points to sink into Spot and Listen as it stands--and they're the ones taking lead in the party most of the time, playing the all-too important role of meatshield. Racial modifiers to certain forms of perception still come into play here. Elves, for instance, gain a +2 to Perception rolls made to see or hear something. Gnomes get a +2 to smell something, same as orc-breeds. Creatures with the Scent ability gain a racial bonus to Perception rolls made to smell things equal to their hit dice. Smelling something under this mechanic would be little different than making a Spot check. If the smelling creature cannot otherwise detect their quarry then a successful Perception roll (DC 20) will give them a general idea and an opportunity to make attacks, albeit with a 50% miss chance.
Class Skill: All.
Branch-ideas: Skill Focus (Perception) becomes a considerable option for games where surprise is a big factor. Alertness becomes moot. Quick Reconnoiter (from Complete Adventurer) is still just as cool.
Run (Con)
You can basically put ranks to the Constitution check made to avoid having to stop running. As the rules state (PHB, p. 144), a character can run for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution score, but after that they must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check to keeo running. Each round spent running requires an additional Constitution check with a cumulative +1 to the DC.
Class Skill: Barbarians, fighters, rangers, monks.
Branch-ideas: A feat called Cross Country, allowing you to run over difficult terrain. A feat called Flight Reflex, allowing you to maintain your Dex bonus to AC while running. A feat called Marathon Run that reduces the amount of time you need to rest after finally failing a Con (or Run) check in half (5 rounds instead of 10) before running again.
Li Shenron
Legend
I like the Grapple-as-skill idea a lot. It makes sense to me that grappling may be a separate technique enough from fighting to require ranks instead of BAB.
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