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<blockquote data-quote="Brian Gibbons" data-source="post: 3351797" data-attributes="member: 7369">I think the skill system is underutilized, so I like the idea of skill-folding.&nbsp; There are a large number of skills that hardly anyone takes (other than as a prestige class prereq or as a sacrifice to fluff up a character concept).Giving more skill points might help, but more likely it would just let people gain more of the always-useful skills like Spot, even if you have to cross-class.The problem with most skill-folding systems is that they fold together skills that work together.&nbsp; Sure, that might make the most sense, but it also means that, for example, you're either good at all lock-picking skills or not; you're either perceptive with all senses or not; you can either handle all NPC interactions or not.I prefer a system where one PC is good at bluffing, but another at being diplomatic; one is good at climbing, the other at swimming.My ideal skill-folding system (which I've never used, just theorized about), would fold together somewhat-connected skills, primarily those relying on different attributes, e.g.:Spot+HideListen+Move SilentlyDisguise+ForgeryBalance+ClimbTumble+JumpGather Information+Decipher ScriptKnowledge(geography)+SurvivalKnowledge(nature)+Handle AnimalAppraise+Sense MotiveSpellcraft+Use Magical DeviceI suppose another way of looking at this is that we need to get rid of about half of the skills--skills that hardly ever get used should just get folded into a more useful skill, or have several marginal utility skills folded together.(Personally, I expect that we'll see lot fewer skills in 4e, with a good number of 3e skills becoming skill tricks associated with another skill or just outright folded in, the way Intuit Direction disappeared.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Brian Gibbons, post: 3351797, member: 7369"] I think the skill system is underutilized, so I like the idea of skill-folding. There are a large number of skills that hardly anyone takes (other than as a prestige class prereq or as a sacrifice to fluff up a character concept). Giving more skill points might help, but more likely it would just let people gain more of the always-useful skills like Spot, even if you have to cross-class. The problem with most skill-folding systems is that they fold together skills that work together. Sure, that might make the most sense, but it also means that, for example, you're either good at all lock-picking skills or not; you're either perceptive with all senses or not; you can either handle all NPC interactions or not. I prefer a system where one PC is good at bluffing, but another at being diplomatic; one is good at climbing, the other at swimming. My ideal skill-folding system (which I've never used, just theorized about), would fold together somewhat-connected skills, primarily those relying on different attributes, e.g.: Spot+Hide Listen+Move Silently Disguise+Forgery Balance+Climb Tumble+Jump Gather Information+Decipher Script Knowledge(geography)+Survival Knowledge(nature)+Handle Animal Appraise+Sense Motive Spellcraft+Use Magical Device I suppose another way of looking at this is that we need to get rid of about half of the skills--skills that hardly ever get used should just get folded into a more useful skill, or have several marginal utility skills folded together. (Personally, I expect that we'll see lot fewer skills in 4e, with a good number of 3e skills becoming skill tricks associated with another skill or just outright folded in, the way Intuit Direction disappeared.) [/QUOTE]

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