DM awarded bonus skill points

[comrade raoul]

Great idea!

You could also build something like this rule explicitly into your game world to explain why Old Man McGee, though a first-level commoner with the attacks and saves you'd expect, is the best damn basketweaver in nine counties.

 

[sydbar]

Once my monk/cleric went to an arena, and kept calling a minotaur beef, so he challanged me to a match, which I acepted, it was close, but i lost. After i was healed i went to the bar to find the minotaur, and after i got his attention, i thanked him for the great fight, and bought him a drink, and spent the whole night teaching each other about our combat styles. The dm gave me one rank of knowledge (minotaur combat) for that roleplaying session.

 

[irdeggman]

Our DM awarded everyone 1 rank in climb following our experiences falling down a cliff repeatedly before we learned the ins and outs of taking 10.

This was a one time award balanced to everyone (no one was favored everyone got the same thing) and it was the only time he did it over around 8 levels - so it was special and not something to be expected.

An occasional bonus award of ranks makes sense but it shouldn't be something that happens all the time.

Heck almost all the skills can be used untrained so anyone can attempt almost everything.

 

[maggot]

Another idea is to give each class an extra two skill points, but these are assigned by the DM based on background (for start) or actual game play.

I like the discount ranks idea, but it really messes with computer-based character sheets.

 

[Lopke_Quasath]

In my campaign every skill is available as a class skill. However, if it is a strange choice (such as fighter with ranks in spellcraft) I need a background short story written up. That is at character creation. During regular play, any skill they used can have ranks invested in it (for example, if a fighter used an untrained knowledge check during play, he can invest ranks in that knowledge skill). A skill that can only be used when trained remains so (such as spellcraft or handle animal), but if a character wants to invest ranks in that skill after character creation, its RP-ing time!

Also, I give 3 skill points per level for any class that regularly has 2.
All other classes remain the same.

Although certain recent threads on skill points per class might change my mind on that (to the benefit of the other classes).

Cheers