[h1]Skills Reimagined[/h1]
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Interesting, I'm sure I read this back in 2009-ish when it was written, but I don't recall really.
HoML does some similar things. Backgrounds are 'minor boons', that means they are acquired through purely narrative means, and not related to character advancement (directly at least). You can't 'retrain' them, but you can get more. Each one offers a standard training bonus (+5) in situations specific to that background, but HoML also has a 'no checks without conflict' rule, so in essence what Wrecan calls 'Point of View' exists in the sense that if your character is simply moving between scenes and exploring/receiving exposition then no checks will happen. Any necessary information will be obtained, some characters may receive some information preferentially, or may receive additional facts, or be able to adduce additional things. This can work like the DW 'Discern Realities or Spout Lore' as well.
Also because in HoML you get new abilities purely in reference to what happened in the story, there's no need to 'balance' combat and non-combat particularly. So, something like 'lessons' in Wrecan's parlance are not really needed.
I consider the simplicity of one ability per skill to be fine. Instead I simply limited spreads in other ways, by reducing the game to 20 levels, largely getting rid of ability score increases, and limiting enhancement bonuses to +3 maximum, and then making all other bonuses into one category, so they rarely stack (and untyped don't exist!). This means there's only about a 20 point maximum variation, and most skills stay within a 15 point band.
Because skills and weapons all get the same training/proficiency rule, they all track one another (and thus defenses) perfectly. The only difference is, you may actually use a poor skill, you'd simply never use a poor weapon/attack!
I kept the 4e skill list, there seems little reason to really change it, the advantages are small at best.
I do have trained skill powers, and as a general rule you need training in a skill to master rituals, which are a rather bigger deal in HoML now.
I think it achieves a lot of what the intent is here. There are a few areas that aren't perfect (some abilities like CON still have few skills).