Alternate Skill Acquisition Rule

[clearstream]

With Pathfinder, 4ed, and Trailblazer all embracing the +3 bonus on class skills with the simpler SP = Lvl rule and 1:1 between C and CC skill cost, the world is in a better place than formerly; and yet I am not fully satisfied. A rule I have been using with good levels of acceptance by players and pleasance in play, is this.

A rank costs 1 SP. You can put level+2 SP into a class skill, and half-level+1 into a cross-class skill.

What is working well about this is that it allows a bit more satisfaction in one's class skills and it scales. I wanted a character who focussed on a class skill by mid-levels to be unlikely to be out-matched by anyone who did not themselves have that skill as a class skill.

-vk

 

[Piratecat]

Off to the House Rules forum! Vrroom!

 

[ValhallaGH]

A rank costs 1 SP. You can put level+2 SP into a class skill, and half-level+1 into a cross-class skill.

What is working well about this is that it allows a bit more satisfaction in one's class skills and it scales. I wanted a character who focussed on a class skill by mid-levels to be unlikely to be out-matched by anyone who did not themselves have that skill as a class skill.

Well, one issue is that you're immediately missing out on one of the biggest benefits of the Trailblazer / Pathfinder method: if you train a class skill then it has at least four ranks in it (1 for trained, 3 for being a class skill). That means that even basic training in a class skill makes you good at it (+4 is a huge bonus in d20). Under the SRD (and your system), he has to invest four skill points into the skill. This generally means all his skill points for that level.
I prefer the TB / PF method for that, but I like versatile and competent characters.

Okay, lets look at a level 8 character.
Maximum class skill ranks: 11 (original), 10 (yours), 11 (Trailblazer / Pathfinder).
Maximum cross-class skill ranks: 5 (original), 6 (yours), 8 (trailblazer / pathfinder).
Skill points to get there: 11/10 (original), 10/6 (yours), 8 (trailblazer / pathfinder).

So, by early mid-levels characters using your system are less competent than their SRD counterparts in class skills but more competent in cross-class skills. However, they are less competent than their TB/PF counterparts.
However, under your system, the best sneak in the party could be the Cleric. 6 ranks in Stealth, Skill Focus (+3), Skill Affinity (+2 / +2), Shadow / Silent Moves armor (+5), and a +4 Dex for a total of +20 versus the Rogue: 11 ranks, +4 Dex for a +15. In d20, ranks are important but they're only a third of the equation; the rest is abilities, feats, and magic.

So, your method fails in it's goal of "class skill are teh best" on two fronts: if it isn't trained from first level then it is as weak as cross-class characters, and the cross-class characters areclose enough that they can focus on it and still equal or exceed the class skill characters.


Still, it if works well for you and yours then that's all the justification it needs. Have fun, and good luck.

 

[Sammael]

I'm even more "harsh" with the skill ranks in my system.

When you gain the ability to improve skills (at every odd level), you may add 1 rank to a number of skills which you have affinity for (currently equal to 7+Int; bear in mind that attacks and saves are folded into skills in my system). So, new players start with 1 rank, and can never have more than level/2 (rounded up) ranks. However, the base bonus (1/2 level) is added to all skill checks, and you gain a number of +1 inherent and +1 competence bonuses at the beginning of the game.

You cannot put ranks in skills that you don't have affinity for (ex cross-class skills), but you still get to add your base bonus to all checks.

There are also feats that allow you to "catch up" the ranks for skills you haven't paid much attention to.

I scaled all DCs down appropriately, with 7 being the base DC for easy stuff.