Alternate Cross Class skill system

[Plane Sailing]

To tell the truth, none of my players buy cross-class skills at all... I would at these prices - my wizard would buy spot, my sorcerer would *definitely* buy bluff

Part of me wonders what it would be like if everyone could just buy *any* skill at cost, with a level+3 cap. Let the characters choose what fits their concept without any predetermined sets or blocks. Some might argue that it means that everyone would have spot and listen maxed out (and I have to say that is a pretty sensible technique for *anyone* who is going dungeoneering) and tumble would probably see rather too much use... nevertheless, it might be interesting to run it as an experiment in my next campaign and see how it works out.

Cheers

 

[LostSoul]

I prefer the option that I use:

Cross class skills cost the same as normal (i.e. double), but the max ranks cap is the same as class skills - i.e. character level+3.


This means that a smart fighter or wizard *could* choose to blow 2pts per level and be great at spotting, or hiding, or bluffing. Normally the "half maximum" cap means that its often not even worth trying.

If you take one level of Ranger or Rogue (or whatever, depending on what skills you want to raise), that "half maximum" cap disappears. That smart Fighter doesn't lose much if he takes a Ranger level.

Personally, I think that most people's character concepts are multiclassed characters, even if they don't realize it.

 

[bret]

Personally, I think that most people's character concepts are multiclassed characters, even if they don't realize it.

That would be fine if only Multiclassing didn't hurt the spell casters so much. Getting two or three levels behind in spellcasting can really cut into your power.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

That's relative to scale though...

Is a Wiz20 more potent magically than a Wiz16/Ftr4? Yes.

Is a Wiz 40 more potent magically than a Wiz36/Ftr4? Not particularly.

 

[bret]

If you look at it at any time up to level seventeen, multiclassing hurts the spellcasters a disporportionate amount. Loosing 3-4 levels means not having access to the top level spells.

In my experience, most campaigns end before reaching level seventeen. In campaigns where this is true, it is reasonable to look for alternatives to multiclassing that allow a players to gain some capabilities outside their normal skill set.

I like the Cosmopolitain feat in FR. I think the Educated feat is a bit over the top, giving all Knowledge skills as class skills, but do think that some modification of cross class and class skills is in order.

I would be curious to know what would happen in a campaign where all skills were either class skills or exclusive skills. I think it would be an interesting exercise. My own suggestion is much more conservative than that.

 

[LostSoul]

I would be curious to know what would happen in a campaign where all skills were either class skills or exclusive skills. I think it would be an interesting exercise. My own suggestion is much more conservative than that.

Nobody would take the Ranger?

 

[der_kluge]

My idea would be to take all those skills like jump, climb, swim, etc, and lump them into a special category called "thngs you learned as a child". Everyone would get 8+int bonus skill points to spend on "things you learned as a child" and they are considered class skills.

Yes, this would be above and beyond any other skills the character gets, so it would give everyone a few more skills. Is it powerful? I doubt it. I mean, how often does climb, jump, and swim come up in a game, anyway? Compared to something like Spot?