Dexterity, Reflex, and Sleight of Hand

[Kmart Kommando]

Sleight of Hand in 3.5 covers juggling, and in 2nd edition juggling let you catch things. I don't think any catch things rules have been made except for the one feat Snatch Arrows.

Ever since little league, when I got beaned with a fastball, I've been able to dodge everything, never really was very good at catching things though.

 

[DreamChaser]

I think the better question is why aren't there "Lift" or "Break" skills. These are all things (as any athlete, not that I fall into said categrory, would know) can be improved by practice. That is why the strongest person in the world cannot necessarily out lift or tractor pull a world-class lifter.

I think the answer to this comes down to the rogue (and to a lesser extent bard), which tends to link some aspects of acrobatics (balance, tumble, escape artist, slight of hand) and other feats of agility that the designers felt should be improvable. Since there is no class based solely upon raw feats of nonattack-oriented strength, these actions were not deemed worthy of needing improvement.

DC

 

[BRP2]

Thank you for the replies. I was half-curious, half-thinking of removing Sleight of Hand skill.

 

[Darklone]

In one example a PC in my group readied a Mage hand spell and used it to catch and throw back a bottle of alchemist fire... I wasn't too sure how to adress this but it was cool, so I used the coolness +10 rule and allowed it

 

[Fifth Element]

The SRD has very few situations in which a Dexterity check is explicitly called for. The ones used most often are probably avoiding bull rush or overrun attempts. These could be handled by a Reflex save, I suppose.

Another is being chased, or chasing someone over a relatively short distance (rather than using base speed per round, which results in very unexciting chases). Over longer distances, a Constitution check is called for. I don't think this one could be replaced by either a Reflex save or Sleight of Hand.

Of course, an initiative check is simply a Dexterity check as well, but it has its own rules.

 

[Fifth Element]

I think the better question is why aren't there "Lift" or "Break" skills. These are all things (as any athlete, not that I fall into said categrory, would know) can be improved by practice. That is why the strongest person in the world cannot necessarily out lift or tractor pull a world-class lifter.

Funny you should ask that. Hoping you don't mind a little self-promotion here, we will be releasing a new product within the next two weeks called A Skill for Everything, which provides mechanics for replacing all ability checks (as well as saves and attack rolls, if so desired) with new skill checks. It will be available in PDF format from OneBookShelf and its affiliates. We'll be posting a press release when the product is ready.

Fifth Element Games

 

[DreamChaser]

Thank you for the replies. I was half-curious, half-thinking of removing Sleight of Hand skill.

Removing SoH would prevent anyone in your game from creating a character who was a trained pick pocket or street magician. They would have the same chance as anyone with the same dexterity of attempting to palm something.

Doesn't seem to me like a fair trade.

DC

 

[Felix]

Thank you for the replies. I was half-curious, half-thinking of removing Sleight of Hand skill.

Don't like pickpockets, do you? Or concealed weapons, I suppose.

Any skill without ranks that you can do untrained is a Dex check; neither Sleight of Hand nor Reflex saves can model Balance, Hide, Move Silently, Ride, Tumble or Use Rope checks. That's why they're different; they're all different wossnames. You know, skills.