Does a Feat that Raises Skills = Skill Ranks?

[melkorspawn]

Now why didn't I think of that?

-Hyp.

Probably because I'm an idiot savant.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

If the player is looking for free skill points without disrupting their normal progression - then try the "Open Minded" Feat from Complete Adventurer or the XPH. It grants 5 free skillpoints, although the rules for cross-class skills still apply. Even if they have to be spent cross-class, this feat would grant 2 1/2 ranks to hide versus the stealthy feat which only grants a +2. Granted, you don't get the +2 to Move Silently .. but that isn't what will help the player get into the PrC anyway.

As far as the comment:

It just shows how stupid it is for PrCs and feats to rely on skill ranks

I disagree. From an RP perspective it is trying to assert a certain familiarity with the core skills of a class. You'll notice that not all PrCs have prerequisites that are based on skills. From a game mechanics perspective it allows a PrC to be attainable at one level by a member of one class or another level by a class who might have to use cross-class skills to get there.

For example, take the Streetfighter from Complete Adventurer - nothing special, just the first one I truned to that had skill prerequisites. The Streetfighter might seem like a great fighter PrC, except that the the class requires Bluff and Know (local) prerequisites. Sure, the fighter can get there by what ... level 7 (with a decent INT bonus, of course)? But a fighter rogue could get there by level 6. Not a big difference, but it does allow for the fact that the rogue is going to most likely be more familiar with being on the street than a straight up fighter might be.

To me, I like the skill prereqs.

 

[Krelios]

I wish they would just list "Minimum character level X" for Prestige Classes sometimes.

Except that then you could have things like a rogue that's maxed out diplomacy and never put a rank into hide qualifying for Shadow Dancer. The minimum skill ranks requirement ensures that a person getting into that class has trained for it.

I wouldn't be opposed to using "minimum total skill modifier" instead of "minimum number of ranks" but that's a different argument.

 

[Mistwell]

Except that then you could have things like a rogue that's maxed out diplomacy and never put a rank into hide qualifying for Shadow Dancer. The minimum skill ranks requirement ensures that a person getting into that class has trained for it.

I wouldn't be opposed to using "minimum total skill modifier" instead of "minimum number of ranks" but that's a different argument.

Well what I would like is "Skill Modifier X" plus a min Character Level. So Min Character Level 8 and Hide 10 (not ranks, total) should work in my opinion. There is nothing special about ranks aside from as a prerequisite. A rank in a non-trained-only skill is exactly like a bonus to that same skill in all ways except for qualifying for other things. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and leads to more one-dimensional characters.

 

[Storm Raven]

It just shows how stupid it is for PrCs and feats to rely on skill ranks, when really that's a meaningless measure if you're looking for "how good someone is at something".

But they are generally a pretty good measure of how well-trained someone is in something, which seems like a good measure for entrance into a particular class.

 

[Corsair]

Well what I would like is "Skill Modifier X" plus a min Character Level. So Min Character Level 8 and Hide 10 (not ranks, total) should work in my opinion. There is nothing special about ranks aside from as a prerequisite. A rank in a non-trained-only skill is exactly like a bonus to that same skill in all ways except for qualifying for other things. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and leads to more one-dimensional characters.

Except that the modifier is temporary.

What happens when your halfling gets polymorphed into a human? Uh oh, his hide modifer just dropped at LEAST 4 (size) but probably by even more than that (dex 10). So he suddenly forgets how to be a Shadowdancer?

No, skill ranks represent training. Sure other things help you be stealthier, but a 6 dex ogre rogue 7 (lets ignore monster HD for the moment) knows just as much about hiding as a 20 dex halfling rogue (10 ranks). The halfing is just better at it, but he doesn't have any more training than the ogre.