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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arlough" data-source="post: 5709565" data-attributes="member: 79335">I have been reviewing skills as preparation to switching my group to The Angry DM’s Key Ability Scores Can Suck It. I’ll quickly sum it up for those of you who have not yet read the article. The premise is simple, a player describes how he or she is doing something, and the DM determines what skill/ability score combo is most appropriate.  Example: In the current system, Thievery training + Dexterity modifier  = Pick Pockets + Open Locks + Disable Device + etc. But with the other system, if you are trying to pick someone’s pocket, then the traditional Thievery/Dexterity combo is optimal (Thievery training + Dexterity modifier = Pick Pockets), but if you are trying to open a puzzle-box, then Thievery/Intelligence would be more appropriate (Thievery training + Intelligence modifier = open overly complex puzzle box thing.)I digress.  My point was, while reviewing skills and thinking about what each skill means or represents, I realized that another one of my problems can be solved as a skill.I don’t like the Grab mechanic, as it becomes nearly useless as you move away from 1st level.  Same with Bull Rush.  With MP2, they helped it a little with the new fighter build, but not enough.  They just made it suck a little less, so that it would at least be useful in very rare situations (assuming you followed a specific build) as opposed to never. (as I wax hyperbolic)But what if Grab and Bull Rush were Athletics check vs. Fort instead of an unassisted STR vs Fort?  It would make it marginally more powerful as it would scale more in total than defensive bonuses, and it could scale faster than those bonuses, but it also is a standard action attack that deals no damage.  Also, breaking free of a grab is not a monumental task, especially with “aid another” bonuses. Ironically, it was Grab that they lauded as "the big problem we solved" in the 4e pre-release media. Check at <a href="http://youtu.be/sbbqMoEwDqc" target="_blank">2:26</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/slLNNbcgiSs" target="_blank">0:15</a>And along those same lines, what could we do with endurance to make it less useless (Seriously, has anyone had a use for endurance?  Any situation that requires it is such that the whole damn party needs it or they fail as a party.) I was thinking that you could use endurance to reduce forced movement or elemental damage as an immediate action.Thoughts</blockquote>

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