Extreme Skill check

[-Eä-]

That's the most tortured way of saying "yes, extreme skill bonuses let you suspend reality" that I've ever seen.

But they don't... I guess you misunderstand what I am saying. (-;

This is why I don't usually discuss such things. It's really hard to discuss physics without using models, drawings and formulae.

 

[Cyraneth]

This is why I don't usually discuss such things. It's really hard to discuss physics without using models, drawings and formulae.

Then don't discuss physics! It's fantasy. Only the "convenient" physics should be taken into consideration. Simple things, like gravity and that fire burns. If we were to discuss physics, we'd have to skip magic, then discuss magical creatures, and finally agree on something like it must be magic that is keeping the far too large dragons alive, and then we'd have a problem if a wizard cast an antimagic aura spell on the dragon...

Anyway, just don't think about it and let air be air, instead of 79% oxygen, 20% nitrogen, etc...

- Cyraneth

 

[-Eä-]

But what should we discuss if we are talking of suspending reality. Certainly it is in vain to have a discussion about whether skills should suspend reality or not if we don't include arguments based on physics. I agree that the law of physics can be different from setting to setting, but we need to use a frame of reference if we are to discuss such things.

My original point was that only the slightest change causes a reaction and may therefore be registered naturally (rather than supernaturally), and having high ranks in a skill should in my opinion take advantage of such registrations of microscopic changes.

 

[Crothian]

I thought the point of this was is this needed in the game. Not, how can I use science to back up or shot down this idea.

I think it adds to the abilities of higher level characters. It continually gives tyou something to work for. I'm not talking about just high spot DCs to look through stuff. I'm also talking about high Alchemy rules to magic Potions (aside from the Brew Potion Feat). Using Climb to go up a perfectly smooth wall of ice. Using Diplomacy to stop a raging Barbarian from killing you. Granted all these are just ideas of some of the things you can use Extreme skill checks for.

Any other ideas of what skills can be used for?

 

[Avatar of the North]

To all those that say extreme skill use shouldn't suspend reality it already has been show that the game disigners disagree with you. Something tells me if your able to use you balance skill to walk on clouds then reality is really being thrown out the window


For the Epic level handout at GenCon (and some of it confirmed by OA)

Sample Epic Skill Uses
Balance
Surface / DC
1-2 inches wide /20
Up to 1 inch wide /40
Hair-thin / 60
Liquid* / 90
Cloud / 100
* Includes any other surface that couldn't support your weight, such as a fragile branch

Tumble
You can fall from great heights without suffering damage, move greater distances with an adjustment, or "climb" vertical surfaces with a series of bounces.
DC / Task
30 / Treat a fall as if it were 20 feet shorter when determining damage
35 / Free stand
45 / Treat a fall as if it were 30 feet shorter when determining damage
50 / Climb vertical surface
60 / Treat a fall as if it were 40 feet shorter when determining damage
100 /Ignore falling damage

Free stand: You can stand up from prone as a free action (instead of a move-equivalent action).
Climb vertical surface: You can climb up to 20 feet (as part of normal movement) by jumping and bouncing off of walls, trees, or similar vertical surfaces. You must have at least two vertiacal surfaces to bounce off of, and the two must be withing 10 feet of each other.

Ignore Falling Damage: You can fall from any height and suffer no damage.
Special: A character with 25 or more ranks in Tumble gains a +5 dodge bonus when executing the fight defensively standard or full-round action, instead of a +2 bonus ( or the +3 bonus frome having 5 or more ranks). Increase this dodge bonus by +1 for every 10 additional ranks above 25 the character has (+6 at 35 ranks, +7 at 45 ranks, and so forth).

A character with 25 or more ranks in Tumble gainst a +10 dodge AC bonus when executing the total defense standard action, instead of a +4 bonus (or the +6 bonus from having 5 or more ranks). Increase this dodge bonus by +2 for every 10 additional ranks above 25 the character has (+12 at 35 ranks, +14 at 45 ranks, and so forth)

With these things in mind how about WE come up with some uses for epic/extreme skill usage. Thats what i came up with this thread for, not to argue IF it should be allowed cause we all know that some DMs won't use extreme skill use cause they don't like the idea of raw skill having pseudo-magical effects.

 

[hong]

With these things in mind how about WE come up with some uses for epic/extreme skill usage. Thats what i came up with this thread for, not to argue IF it should be allowed cause we all know that some DMs won't use extreme skill use cause they don't like the idea of raw skill having pseudo-magical effects.

For starters, I would say that super-high Diplomacy should be able to emulate certain mind-affecting spells, like Charm Person, Calm Emotions or Suggestion. For fairness' sake, this should probably count as a spell-like ability.

 

[Impeesa]

Epic Concentrate: Casting Still Silent Wish successfully with both your arms and legs caught in lawnmowers.

Epic Jump: Low orbit.

Epic Bluff: "Hi, my name's Lolth." (said by gnome)

Epic Jump + Epic Climb: Spiderman.

Epic Tracking: Tracking across planes.

Epic Gather Information: Figure out what the Drow High Priestess is planning through third-hand rumors in an isolated dwarven fortress.

Epic Disable Device: Jam up Mechanus.

Epic Heal: Modern surgery, reattaching lost limbs.

Epic Intuit Direction: You know which way is north... um... with your eyes closed.

--Impeesa--

 

[RiotGear]

Better use of Epic Intuit Direction:

You can find the shortest, safest path out of the deepest pits of the underdark without any form of guidance. Maybe you could use it to negate Wandering Monster checks.

 

[S'mon]

To all those that say extreme skill use shouldn't suspend reality it already has been show that the game disigners disagree with you

Fair enough - in this case I probably won't allow Extreme skill use in my game, or at very least they won't function in an antimagic shell. I prefer skills to be nonmagical (except Scry).
IMO it should always at least take a Feat or a special class power to turn a skill into a magical ability.

 

[Crothian]

Fair enough - in this case I probably won't allow Extreme skill use in my game, or at very least they won't function in an antimagic shell. I prefer skills to be nonmagical (except Scry).
IMO it should always at least take a Feat or a special class power to turn a skill into a magical ability.

Idealy, I'd have Skill Focus a prerequite to Extreme Skill checks, but people get so few feats, it's hard to justify that.