I like skills. I like crafting. I like tweaking rules. I like feedback. I wanna cookie.
Skill System Modifications
Every character receives 2 extra Experiential Skill Points per level. These are like normal Skill Points, except they may only be spent on Craft, Perform, and Profession skills. They may also be used on Knowledge skills but the Knowledge skill must already be a class skill. Any Craft, Perform, or Profession skill with initial (added at 1st level) ESPs becomes a character skill (treated as a class skill no matter what class you take). This means that after 1st level, any Craft, Perform, Profession, and Knowledge skill without ESPs and not on your class skill list is considered a cross class skill as usual. You may use ESPs in these cross class skills (Craft, Perform, Profession, and Knowledge only) but they cost as normal; one half rank per skill point. You may never exceed the limit on maximum skill ranks. At first level, each character receives 4 * 2 = 8 ESPs.
If a skill purchased with ESPs at 1st level is a skill not normally a class skill for the character it must be appropriate for the class (i.e. check with the DM). No barbarians with Craft(calligraphy) or warriors with Profession(bookkeeper).
Experiential Skill Points represent skills learned from life. For instance when a doctor graduates from medical school does she only have healing skills? No. She almost certainly did her share of minimum wage jobs to get by like waitressing, delivering pizzas, sales clerk, janitor, etc. ESPs represent those skills for the player character if taken as a Craft skill or a Profession.
It also boggles the mind that the Perform skill is not available to everyone. I know skills are supposed to represent training and yet what do a lot of people do during down time in their lives. They sing, make music, listen to music, or patronize some form of performance art.
I submit that in medieval times, while there may have been either more or less downtime than we enjoy today, the things you could do for entertainment for its own sake were extremely limited. I believe people sang a lot more. I think they may even have danced a lot more. Played instruments of some kind, if available, a lot more. Experiential Skill Points in the Perform skill represent this.
Craft(Alchemy)
Craft(alchemy) does NOT require a character to be spellcaster to use unless the item being crafted requires a spell or other magic to create.
That’s just silly.
Complex Craft Checks
Craft checks use the complex skill check from Unearthed Arcana, pg. 81 & 82.
It just makes more sense and seems like you are actually crafting something.
Item Creation Feats
Characters gain Item Creation feats 2 for 1. When you are allowed to pick a feat and you pick an item creation feat you may pick another item creation feat as a bonus feat.
You don’t have to meet the prerequisites to take the feats but you can only use them when you meet the prerequisites.
Anything to get users to enjoy crafting! I instituted this house rule specifically because I want to use the Craft Point system from UA. see below
Crafting
Use Craft Point rules from Unearthed Arcana. Psionic Item Creation feats gain the same amount of craft points as the item creation feats listed in Table: Item Creation Feats (Unearthed Arcana, pg. 97) as long as the manifester level equates with the caster level prerequisites.
Use the Magic Items: Transferring XP Costs to make crafting useful for the whole party without killing the Item Creation feat owners XP.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060526a
I like crafting. I haven't playtested this yet so let me know what you think.
Skill System Modifications
Every character receives 2 extra Experiential Skill Points per level. These are like normal Skill Points, except they may only be spent on Craft, Perform, and Profession skills. They may also be used on Knowledge skills but the Knowledge skill must already be a class skill. Any Craft, Perform, or Profession skill with initial (added at 1st level) ESPs becomes a character skill (treated as a class skill no matter what class you take). This means that after 1st level, any Craft, Perform, Profession, and Knowledge skill without ESPs and not on your class skill list is considered a cross class skill as usual. You may use ESPs in these cross class skills (Craft, Perform, Profession, and Knowledge only) but they cost as normal; one half rank per skill point. You may never exceed the limit on maximum skill ranks. At first level, each character receives 4 * 2 = 8 ESPs.
If a skill purchased with ESPs at 1st level is a skill not normally a class skill for the character it must be appropriate for the class (i.e. check with the DM). No barbarians with Craft(calligraphy) or warriors with Profession(bookkeeper).
Experiential Skill Points represent skills learned from life. For instance when a doctor graduates from medical school does she only have healing skills? No. She almost certainly did her share of minimum wage jobs to get by like waitressing, delivering pizzas, sales clerk, janitor, etc. ESPs represent those skills for the player character if taken as a Craft skill or a Profession.
It also boggles the mind that the Perform skill is not available to everyone. I know skills are supposed to represent training and yet what do a lot of people do during down time in their lives. They sing, make music, listen to music, or patronize some form of performance art.
I submit that in medieval times, while there may have been either more or less downtime than we enjoy today, the things you could do for entertainment for its own sake were extremely limited. I believe people sang a lot more. I think they may even have danced a lot more. Played instruments of some kind, if available, a lot more. Experiential Skill Points in the Perform skill represent this.
Craft(Alchemy)
Craft(alchemy) does NOT require a character to be spellcaster to use unless the item being crafted requires a spell or other magic to create.
That’s just silly.
Complex Craft Checks
Craft checks use the complex skill check from Unearthed Arcana, pg. 81 & 82.
It just makes more sense and seems like you are actually crafting something.
Item Creation Feats
Characters gain Item Creation feats 2 for 1. When you are allowed to pick a feat and you pick an item creation feat you may pick another item creation feat as a bonus feat.
You don’t have to meet the prerequisites to take the feats but you can only use them when you meet the prerequisites.
Anything to get users to enjoy crafting! I instituted this house rule specifically because I want to use the Craft Point system from UA. see below
Crafting
Use Craft Point rules from Unearthed Arcana. Psionic Item Creation feats gain the same amount of craft points as the item creation feats listed in Table: Item Creation Feats (Unearthed Arcana, pg. 97) as long as the manifester level equates with the caster level prerequisites.
Use the Magic Items: Transferring XP Costs to make crafting useful for the whole party without killing the Item Creation feat owners XP.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060526a
I like crafting. I haven't playtested this yet so let me know what you think.
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