Do you fold multiple skills into one?

[Michael_R_Proteau]

After looking at True 20 I was inpsired to combine a few of the skills together on that model.

Listen + Spot=Notice
Tumble+ Balance=Acrobatics
Hide + Move Silently=Sneak
Use rope is eliminated-it becomes a part of certain profession skills such as sailor or teamster that would use ropes frequently, part of climb for using roiopes to climb, or part of escape artist otherwise for knots and bindings.

I tried a few more such as Trickery=Bluff & SLeight of Hand etc. but I found that it works best when you only combine skills that have the same key ability, Mixing skills like BLuff & Sleight of hand raised the question as to what the key ablity score should be. That said, I did fold Open Locks into Disable Device.

I also made Notice a class skill for all classes.

-M

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I don't actually fold any skills together, but I do allow similar ones to affect each other. Mainly for psionics.

Use Magic Device can use psionic devices at a -2 penalty
Use Psionic device vice versa

Spellcraft can analyze psionics at a -2 penalty
Psicraft is vice-versa for arcane and divine magic.

I use a kind of notice skills if the main thing to notice is a smell, taste or touch effect. Basically I average the player's spot and listen scores including all bonuses from feats and such.

That is about it.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

No, I play them exactly as they are in the PHB.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Ravellion]

Although I am tempted to do so, I haven't found the "folding" compelling enough for me to expand my house rule document even further.

I am of the opinion that it would be nice if 4e streamlined the skills in such a way however.

Rav

 

[Doghead Thirteen]

I'm using a unique system myself and my brother have been gradually developing since 1995. How we work this is basically, if it makes sense that you can do this, you can do it. For example, driving a semi using Drive: Car instead of Drive: Truck. You're not gonna do such a good job (so we rate your effective skill a couple of points lower) but you're still gonna get the job done.

EDIT: Thinking about it, some of the D20 skills are so over-specialised that the first thing I'd do is streamline it. Having started playing with red-book 1st edition D&D, a cavalier attitude to the rulebook is kind of built in to our playing style.

 

[LordMelquiades]

I use the Iron Heroes system, where skills are grouped and you get access to these skill groups based on class. This sort-of folds related skills together--eg the Athletics group includes Climb, Jump, and Swim--but enables me to keep all the statted NPCs in my modules etc more-or-less as-is. It gives PCs more skill points over all by a whole lot, but I like that.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I don't actually fold any skills together, but I do allow similar ones to affect each other. Mainly for psionics.

Use Magic Device can use psionic devices at a -2 penalty
Use Psionic device vice versa

Spellcraft can analyze psionics at a -2 penalty
Psicraft is vice-versa for arcane and divine magic.

I've done a very similar thing, though more so, I guess. Arcane and divine are further separated as well, so there is a penalty when trying to detect/influence the other from the perspective of either.

I use a kind of notice skills if the main thing to notice is a smell, taste or touch effect. Basically I average the player's spot and listen scores including all bonuses from feats and such.

Again, similar. . . but more so. Starting with the rules for the Scent skill found in Denizens of Avadnu, I turned that (and by extension, taste) into a fully-fledged skill akin to Spot and Listen.

Regarding the OP directly, no I haven't 'folded' any skills. In fact, I've added a few (in addition to Scent).

 

[thalmin]

No folding of skills here, but in our campaigns (one I am running and one I am playing in) the characters are given 10 extra points +INT bonus to put into background skills. This covers what they did before becoming adventurers.

 

[Ry]

Here's my house rule:

The GM will frequently call for the following kind of skill checks for skills that don't actually exist in d20. Here's what to do in each case:

Acrobatics: Roll best of Tumble & Balance.
Athletics: Roll best of Jump, Climb & Swim.
Animals Roll best of Handle Animal & Survival.
Command: Roll Intimidate.
Convince: Roll best of Diplomacy, Bluff, or Gather Information.
Devices: Roll best of use rope, disable device, open lock
Intuition: Roll best of Sense Motive and Search.
Perception: Roll best of Spot and Listen
Sneak: Roll best of Hide and Move Silently

 

[the Jester]

Nope. Actually, I am dismayed that there is no skill to notice when you smell something under the core rules.