Do you have a problem with the distribution of DND skill pionts?

[Ferret]

1. Why is a dwarf, a person raised in the mountain/underground, unfamiliar with dungeoneering?

Because the dwarf wasn't brought up in a dungeon, not the trap strewn monster ridden, evil-wizard-and-tower style dungeons.

2. Why are our characters unfamiliar with the area they are raised in such as knowledge (local)?

Because 1) the skill represents knowing tyhe best place for armour say or the quickest route to the back alleys, simpley living there won't give much of the local secrets away, 2) the character isn't simpley living there when they learn their skills, they're learning to parry or which animal leaves those foot prints. Some are inexcusable though, rogues in a city, or a ranger brought up in a forest.

3. Why do wizards/clerics who seem to be the educated or learned class get so few skill pionts to spend on knowledge.

Cloisted, etc. It's answered above.

 

[jodyjohnson]

We tried extra skill points for all classes but it just makes the classes even better at their normal class skills.

We settled on removing the 2:1 cost of cross-class spells and have happily been playing that way for nearly 4 years now. The (level+3)/2 cap remains.

Our reasons are pretty basic:

1. Prime: our characters are on spreadsheets and frequently start above 1st. Having skills cost either 2:1 or 1:1 isn't real formula friendly and not simple to check from the DM side since costs vary from level to level when multiclassing.

2. Encourages cross-class diversification without increasing power in the class skills.

 

[billd91]

I want to stay in the framework of the d20 system. We had considered forming four groups of skills and giving everyone the same number of pionts per level, but altering their distribution amongst these categories:

1. Physical skills- jump, climb, swim, etc.

2. Knowledge based/Interaction-Appraise, knowledge, gather information, etc.

3. Perception- Spot, listen, search, etc.

4. Class based skills- Nature would go to ranger and druid. Rogues- well you know the list. Wizard- spellcraft, concentration, etc.

I'm just throwing out ideas and wondering what people think or have done for their game?

Take a peek at Rolemaster, if you can find one, or it's outgrowth, Middle Earth Role Playing. In those games, characters get a certain amount of points in broader categories that they can spend either in that category or across categories for an additional cost. I suspect it's one of the games that influenced 3E's development of class and cross-class skills in the first place.
But I think an easier suggestion would just be to house rule it. I'm all in favor of having lower limits on cross-class skills so I'd keep the number of possible ranks the same (half of a class skill), but reduce the cost of buying the skill to 1 per rank instead of two. Yes, that frees up skill points to put into class skills as well, but I don't see that as a major problem.

 

[Imagicka]

Greetings...

I did toy with the idea of upping the base skill points per level. x2 becomes x4, x4 -> x6, x6 -> x8, and x8 -> x10. Of course, this still makes the Rogues and Bards and now Rangers high on the skills and Fighters and Wizards still on the short end of the stick. Albeit, they have a little more stick now. Not to mention, I always felt that Rangers should have more skill points, so I don't really worry too much about them.

Then, I just gave the bonus up to x6, and left the x8's alone. Well, that didn't seem rather fair to me, and I started thinking about WHY I wanted to give bonus skill points in the first place.

Now, some people argue, "Well, the reason why Wizards and Fighters get so few skill points is because they are concentrating on their innate skills, magic and fighting, respectively. Also, this is why the sorcerer who doesn't have to study to learn magic gets more skill points." -- Well, if this is the case, why didn't they make the whole D&D character building system based on points?

Yes..yes..so it wouldn't become a point-based system like other RPGs out there. That the base classes are still there. That the low skill points mean that characters have to concentrate on certain skills so that the party of characters are forced to rely on each other in different circumstances. But what do I have to say to this? Bollocks! (Why can I say bollocks? Because to most people it isn't a swear-word. )

You know what? Give me a point-based character generating system for d20. So, that I can determine how much effort my character wants to put into spellcasting, into fighting, into skills. Then tell me what the mechanics/numbers are for the regular basic classes. I think it would have been a lot easier and a lot more balanced to create Prestige Classes if they had to all conform to a base mechanic.

Later, when 3.5 came out, I went back to the old way of doing skill points. But also, this time, I gave classes like fighter a little bit of a help. When they give you ideas on how to build your own class in the DMG, they say give them 10 class skills. So, that's what I did for the fighter. Fighters now get Observe (A combination of Listen and Spot into one skill) - After all, what guard isn't put on...well...guard duty? Also, they get Search and Use Rope. If you want to keep both Listen and Spot in your game, well...just drop Use Rope.

But I also give skill points as rewards. If the characters use a particular skill often in the game, or I feel that they used a skill to the benefit of the party in a way that has helped them overcome some problem inventively. I will give them a bonus skill rank in that skill when they go up a level. I also give skill points to languages, if the characters are exposed or emmersed in the language/culture. Two elves in the party who talk occationally in elven means your exposed to it. I'll give the character who actively says 'I pay attention to what they are saying whenever they speak elvish' a skill point in that language every month. Emmersion in another country/culture where people speak the language all the time. Well, this sort of exposure, I give the players two skill points per in-game month. Of course, they doesn't exclude players from also putting skill points into languages. But, hey, how often does that happen?

As for Knowledge (local), we usually start players off with 4 ranks in that skill. Also, if I use Central Casting Fantasy, I will give characters skills from that too. Or if the player comes to me with a background/history for their character, I will reward them by giving them bonus skills and skill points that relate to their background.

I've also toyed with the idea of giving a certain number of bonus skill points that have to be put into Craft, Profession and Knowledge. But never worked out the details or implemented it in a game.

Now, I like the idea of dropping the cost for cross-classed skills. I think that's something I'll try next time.

 

[DarkMaster]

And what's wrong with that? Wizards don't have nearly the amount of class skills that a rogue does. And damn if a wizard shouldn't be smarter and know more than a rogue!

Why leave the 6 and 8 point class alone, to nerf even more the ranger, bard and rogue?