Game design question - removing skill rank caps.

[RangerWickett]

So, my suggestions in a nutshell:

1/ Scale the cost of each rank to equal 1+rank/4 (so, rank 1-4 = 1 point each, 5-8 = 2 points each, etc.)

2/ Give a cumulative Synergy bonus of +1 at 5, 9, 13, 17, etc. ranks, since those ranks where the price jumps show dedication.

3/ Lower skill DCs to a bell curve.

4/ Give more total skill points to PCs. One idea I had was to NOT give 4x skill points at 1st level, but simply give 2x skill points EVERY level instead. No more special bonus if you take Rogue as your 1st class level instead of Wizard -- feels more organic IMHO.

-- N

My question is, in such a system, what benefit is gained over d20 to balance out the additional number-tracking and general complication of increasing rank costs?

How much harder should DC 25 be than DC 20? Some people say that you should roll 2d10 or 3d6 instead of 1d20, but I like the simplicity of d20 as is. I'm sure there are other ways to encourage spreading out your skills than having to track logarithmic increases in skill rank costs.

 

[Nifft]

My question is, in such a system, what benefit is gained over d20 to balance out the additional number-tracking and general complication of increasing rank costs?

How much harder should DC 25 be than DC 20? Some people say that you should roll 2d10 or 3d6 instead of 1d20, but I like the simplicity of d20 as is. I'm sure there are other ways to encourage spreading out your skills than having to track logarithmic increases in skill rank costs.

Benefit: high-level skill checks are less likely to be binary (either trivial or impossible).

Benefit: lower DCs overall allow tasks to scale more gracefully.

Benefit: specialization costs a lot, but you can do things other people can't do.

Benefit: feats that were good for a focused 1st level dude are really good for a focused 20th level dude... under the current system, they're wasted.


Increased skill rank cost is not so complicated. You can handle Point Buy, right? Same diff.

-- N

 

[RangerWickett]

Point buy is one-time thing done at character creation, affecting only 6 numbers, which you don't have to keep track of later. This system would require characters to track losts of costs at leveling up. Not difficult, but tedious.

I'm just trying to think of other options.

Mostly, though, if your system encourages diversity, encourages characters to have lots of low skills, then you end up with characters who aren't distinct. People won't have niches, since generalizing is better than having a schtick. It might degrade the party dynamic.

 

[Sravoff]

What aout giving more skill points as PC's gin levels?

1st level fighter gets 2_int
5th level fighter gets 3+int
10th level fighter gets 4+int


And also pyramid the skill costs so they can get "normal" ranks in their skills as any other character of their level but they could get alot of skills for cheap...........

or just freduce the cost of really low level skills so they get those skills for almost nothing.