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Message: <blockquote data-quote="skippy_the_witch" data-source="post: 2980963" data-attributes="member: 18980">My homebrew is very different from standard D&D (being a psuedo post-apocalyptic technomagic campaign) where a characters background defines not only what races he is able to take, but also what classes are likewise available.  After figuring out what 2 of the 4 backgraounds will give a character (usually added class skills and a few specific minor feats), I used the background section of the Advanced GM's Guide to stat out the point cost (which worked out to be 20 and 21 respectively).  The third background came to 19 points (still within margines), while the fourth only 12.  Thus I gave my players from the Wild (the 12 point background) another 8 points to spend where they will (NOTE: these "points" ARE not skill points, just the way to even out backgrounds from the book...e.g. it costs 6 pts for a feat with prereq, but 4 points for a feat without prereq, etc...).Outside of these backgrounds, which pretty much define most of a characters initial options for race, class, and even equipment, I also decided to give out bonus skill points, which MUST be spent on classes that I agree that fit with the character.  I have one smart alec, a psionic gnoll, who accidentally put point in "Craft:  Psionic" (a skill that really didn't exist), instead of Psicraft.  Since I was slightly tickled by this, I have allowed him to spend his bonus points on this initially, and it has become his favorite "role-playing" skill, for I allow him to change the shape (but not the funtion or effects) of his mind blade and his powers (he is a Blade Manifester).  Thus, his blade can end up being all kinds of pretty colors, look intimidating as hell (he once rolled a natural 20 on his "craft psionics" check when designing a new look for his blade, so I allowed that it was a shadowy form, made up of screaming/distorted faces wailing in silent horror), etc.  If he ever decides to gain the ability to create astral constructs, his craft psionics skill will be used in place of craft scupture checks.Anyway, sorry about the tangent.  I give each player a number of bonus points at first level equal to their Cha bonus + Int bonus + Wis bonus.  The idea is that you get points from being able to convince someone to teach you something (Cha bonus), how easily you learn new things (Int bonus), and how disciplined you are at learning new things (Wis bonus).  This gives a bit of an advantage to the more "mental" characters than to the straight "jocks" or physical characters.  Again, the skills these points are put to must be approved by me, the GM, and be appropriate to the character.  And, yes, I have another player whose character is a whisper gnome ninja who is the "House Assassin" for a different player's nobleman PC (background, NOT class), so I allowed him to spend his background points on hide and move silently and the like, as his character does not even have a real name as such (house assassins being considered legally to be "autonomous" weapons of the noble house they belong to, not real persons).skippy (who cannot seem to stay on message tonight...more tangents than geometry)GM of the Cursed Earth Campaign</blockquote>

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