I've been reading through the Star Wars Saga Edition rulebooks, and I must say that as a whole, I love this game system. The few things I didn't like I tweaked a little, but by far, the harder one to tweak is the skill system.
As a whole though, I like the skill system, but I think some of the numbers might be a tad bit too much on the inflated end. To explain what I mean, I'm going to post the formula for calculating skills below:
1d20 + One Half Character Level/HD + Ability Modifier + Miscellaneous Modifiers
So, discounting Miscellaneous Modifiers for a second, we're going to take a Level 20 character with the Perception skill, and harboring a Wisdom Score of 16, resulting in a +3 Wisdom Modifier due to their Wisdom Score.
Now, assuming no Miscellaneous Modifiers, this level 20 character rolls the following skill check roll when it comes to Perception: 1d20 + 10 (half of 20 is 10) + 3, resulting in a +13 modifier (that is, 10 + 3 = 13. The 1d20 is the roll, not the modifier).
Next, we'll factor in Miscellaneous Modifiers:
Miscellaneous Modifiers can be anything from racial abilities to feats. Its in the Miscellaneous Modifiers range where the inflation tends to happen. For instance, at level 1, you can choose a certain number of skills you are Trained in. When you become Trained in a skill, you get a +5 bonus to the skill, and can use the Trained applications of the skill.
Another feat available at level 1 is the Skill Focus feat. When you get the Skill Focus feat, you gain another +5 bonus to that skill.
So lets return to our friendly level 20 person, who neither has the Skill Focus feat in Perception, nor the Training in Perception. This means that our friendly level 20 person has to roll the following formula for their Perception checks: 1d20 + 13 (like stated above).
Now we'll take this young level 1 whippersnapper who has been staring and hearing things all his life, making him Trained in Perception, and also giving him a Skill Focus in Perception too. We'll also assume that his Wisdom Score is also 16, resulting in a +3 Modifier. This means that he rolls the following when he makes Perception checks: 1d20 + 0 (Half his level, rounded down, is 0) + 3 + 10 (Due to Miscellaneous Modifiers). This also makes it 1d20 + 13.
Where I have my problem is in the fact that the level 1 might have too much of a modifier right off the bat if they take up training in their skills.
However, I do think that a +10 Modifier overall as the number that results from focusing on a skill or two is a good number (give or take a few) overall. So I suppose my question is, how do I best distribute that number around, such that there isn't so much inflation with the values in so little time?
My idea right now, is to make it so that when you become Trained in a skill, you can use the Trained applications of that skill (And make sure to houserule a bunch of Trained applications that each skill can have if they had no trained applications beforehand). Then with Skill Focus, you gain a +5 bonus with that skill. Then make another feat called Improved Skill Focus, which becomes available at level 10 or 11, that grants yet another +5 bonus in that skill.
I hope I made sense in the above, and if you have better ideas or need clarification, just say something.
Thanks!
As a whole though, I like the skill system, but I think some of the numbers might be a tad bit too much on the inflated end. To explain what I mean, I'm going to post the formula for calculating skills below:
1d20 + One Half Character Level/HD + Ability Modifier + Miscellaneous Modifiers
So, discounting Miscellaneous Modifiers for a second, we're going to take a Level 20 character with the Perception skill, and harboring a Wisdom Score of 16, resulting in a +3 Wisdom Modifier due to their Wisdom Score.
Now, assuming no Miscellaneous Modifiers, this level 20 character rolls the following skill check roll when it comes to Perception: 1d20 + 10 (half of 20 is 10) + 3, resulting in a +13 modifier (that is, 10 + 3 = 13. The 1d20 is the roll, not the modifier).
Next, we'll factor in Miscellaneous Modifiers:
Miscellaneous Modifiers can be anything from racial abilities to feats. Its in the Miscellaneous Modifiers range where the inflation tends to happen. For instance, at level 1, you can choose a certain number of skills you are Trained in. When you become Trained in a skill, you get a +5 bonus to the skill, and can use the Trained applications of the skill.
Another feat available at level 1 is the Skill Focus feat. When you get the Skill Focus feat, you gain another +5 bonus to that skill.
So lets return to our friendly level 20 person, who neither has the Skill Focus feat in Perception, nor the Training in Perception. This means that our friendly level 20 person has to roll the following formula for their Perception checks: 1d20 + 13 (like stated above).
Now we'll take this young level 1 whippersnapper who has been staring and hearing things all his life, making him Trained in Perception, and also giving him a Skill Focus in Perception too. We'll also assume that his Wisdom Score is also 16, resulting in a +3 Modifier. This means that he rolls the following when he makes Perception checks: 1d20 + 0 (Half his level, rounded down, is 0) + 3 + 10 (Due to Miscellaneous Modifiers). This also makes it 1d20 + 13.
Where I have my problem is in the fact that the level 1 might have too much of a modifier right off the bat if they take up training in their skills.
However, I do think that a +10 Modifier overall as the number that results from focusing on a skill or two is a good number (give or take a few) overall. So I suppose my question is, how do I best distribute that number around, such that there isn't so much inflation with the values in so little time?
My idea right now, is to make it so that when you become Trained in a skill, you can use the Trained applications of that skill (And make sure to houserule a bunch of Trained applications that each skill can have if they had no trained applications beforehand). Then with Skill Focus, you gain a +5 bonus with that skill. Then make another feat called Improved Skill Focus, which becomes available at level 10 or 11, that grants yet another +5 bonus in that skill.
I hope I made sense in the above, and if you have better ideas or need clarification, just say something.
Thanks!