Background Skills - Good Idea?

[Olaf the Stout]

In my latest campaign I brought in the concept of background skills. I gave each player a bonus 10 skill points with which to allocate skills that fit in with their backgrounds. I encouraged these to be spent on things such as Craft:xxx, Profession:xxx and Knowledge:xxx and Perform:xxx skills. If the players gave a good background reason for it I let them use one of their 10 skill points take a rank in some of the more frequently used skills such as Survival, Search, Gather Information, etc.,

I did this because I wanted players to have a few skills that represented what they did before they became an adventurer. At the same time there aren't really that many skill points to go around, especially for classes like Fighter. The end result is that most players put all of their ranks in skills that will be relatively useful to the challenges that they expect to face. Almost no players will put a rank or 2 in Craft:Basketweaving or Profession:Labourer since it will probably never be useful in the game.

By giving them extra skill points to spend on their background, but keeping a tight reign on what skills they spend them on, you can flesh out the characters better without affecting game balance.

Comments? Does anyone else do this or have a similar system?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

That's partly how Grim Tales handles 'core' skills. You get 3+ based on chosen background, 3 'career' skills (one knowledge, one craft, one profession), and 3 chosen skills.

Of course, nothing requires you to put points into anything. It helps it the players are the kind that will go along with such things.

 

[Dog Moon]

IMC, I'm giving an additional 2 skills points [x4 at first level] to put into two different perform, profession, kn, or craft skill. One of these must be chosen from the list that I have created determining which skills are common to which areas that the PCs grew up in and an additional skill of which they can choose [which should be background-based].

So yes, I think it's a good idea.

 

[Endur]

I have occassionally required such skills, but I have not given bonus skill points to cover them.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

This is an excellent idea. As has been said, players rarely put points into background skills because they just don't get enough skill points normally to make it worth while. I've seen similar methods used once or twice, and the players appreciated it. And generally worker harder on their character's backgrounds as a result. A win-win situation in my book.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

This is an excellent idea. As has been said, players rarely put points into background skills because they just don't get enough skill points normally to make it worth while. I've seen similar methods used once or twice, and the players appreciated it. And generally worker harder on their character's backgrounds as a result. A win-win situation in my book.

I found that my players liked it and it helped them to think about what their character did before he decided to take up the adventuring life. I think that anything that gets them more interested in their character backgrounds (and their characters in general) is a good result for everyone.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Nightfall]

Just curious Olaf, are you basing this in any way on the Black Company Campaign setting by Green Ronin or True d20?

 

[Spatula]

d20 Modern has something like that (minus the bonus skill points) that I've stolen for my D&D games... basically, you can get 1 extra class skill that's related to your background. It gives an extra touch of personalization to the character without penalizing the player (cross-class skill point expenditures on a "flavor" skill).

 

[arscott]

I just wrote a post on the d20/OGL message board about giving extra skill points. My thesis was basically this:

The more skill points you give out, the less important skills will become in your game.

When players actually have to spend their precious skill points on crafting, profession, etc., then the ability to craft or perform or whatever is important. If they get it for free, it becomes meaningless.

If you want players to put skill points in profession, craft, or perform, then start calling for profession, craft, or perform checks. Invite them to the duke's ball, and then see how well they'll do on their dance checks. Let them influence the city's guildmasters with profession checks. Steal their equipment and put them in a jail cell or an uninhabited island and see how well they can make their own tools.

If it's just a matter of "I used to be a basketweaver", then let them have been a basketweaver without taking ranks--craft and perform can be used untrained.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Sure, I'm fleshing out how I'm going to deal with background skills myself.
I think it's a good thing to have background skills for PCs, as it can help them be more well-rounded individuals... and more like real people.

It does make it easier to create certain character type if you add in background skills... the cleric hymnist... the fighter who loves to tell stories... the wizard who carves small wooden toys in his spare time. Yes, you can do this ordinarily, but there are serious disincentives to do so in games without such a provision.

In my next game I'll be using bonus skills points for background skills, restricted by race and region, to reflect the common skills in that area. If you want a skill not common to your region/race, you have to use your regular skill points.