Favored Class House Rule I was pondering...

[Breakstone]

So in the shower I was pondering the whole "Favored Class" deal, and how I don't use multiclass restrictions. I was thinking of ways to make the favored class of each race still make a dent, but not restrict anything.

And this is what I came up with:

Favored class would now give extra skill points to the character for taking that class. Four skills points if he starts out with that class, and one skill point afterwords for every favored class level he takes.

Now this would slightly diminish the whole human "extra skills" attribute, so I was thinking of giving them extra automatic languages, or some extra treat like that.

What do you think?

 

[SylverFlame]

I'd keep your idea as is, the skill point bonus that is. However, Humans and Half-elves should be able to either: a) choose their own favoured class at creation (more choice than other races so keeps some of the "anything" feel); b) recieve the skill point bonus with a base class and a Prestige Class of their choice. The second is obviously more powerful than the first, but it adds a new layer to the whole "we can do anything" feel of humans and half-elves (to a lesser extent in the half-elves).

 

[Stalker0]

I love this idea. Its simple, you can easily explain it logically, and it helps some classes get more skill points (which many people thought they should get anyway). One of the better ideas I’ve heard of late.

 

[Kemrain]

..So Human Rogues can get 8 + 1 + 1 + 4 skillpoints now?

- Kemrain the Apprehensive.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Just keep humans the way they are. At 1st level they'd get 8 extra skill points instead of 4 and they'd get 2 extra skill points at every level instead of 1. That way there is still a benefit to playing humans.
An alternative I was thinking of was to allow each player to pick a class to be their preferred class when they create their character to reflect their upbringing. As an example, an elf who's father (or mother) was a cleric of Corellon Latherian should have a fairly easy time becoming a cleric also as they were raised around within the faith. A Half Orc who was abandoned on the steps of a monestary by his mother should be able to pick Monk as a preferred class due to his upbringing. Could you really explain why a Half Orc thus raised would have an easier time as a Barbarian? Children absorb what they are raised around. The Half Orc Monk's personality and way of thinking would have been shaped by the monks who raised him and so would be a far cry from the savage orc that fathered him.