D&D 5E Getting Bonus Skills from a High Int Score

[Falling Icicle]

I think that characters in 5e should get a number of bonus skills equal to their Intelligence bonus. This would be a one-time bonus, not every level, and I wouldn't have characters lose skills for having an Int below 10. Here's a a few of my thoughts on the matter:

* I don't think characters in 5e get enough skills. They've just said that backgrounds will now grant 4 skills instead of 3, but IMO that's still not enough to make well rounded characters. They also said they might make skills even narrower than they are now.

* Intelligence right now is a very under used ability. I have yet to see a single instance of an Int saving throw, for example. Unless you're playing a wizard, there's little reason to have a high Intelligence score. Gaining bonus skills will make Int desired for all classes, the way all ability scores should be. People should respect the genius fighter, not mock him for "wasting" his points or good score on Int.

* If you worry that wizards will have more skills than rogues, don't. With Rogues getting two backgrounds (for 8 skills), the Rogue would have to have a 10 Int and the Wizard a 20 in order for the wizard to have more skills (and even then it would be only one more). Besides, I don't really see this as a problem. Even back in AD&D wizards got more non-weapon proficiencies than any other class, even rogues!

* To those who worry that this will make Int too valuable compared to the other abilities, I don't think it will. Having 1-5 narrow areas that grant you a +3 bonus is not as valuable as having a good score in another ability and being good at everything that ability covers. This just helps put Int on the same playing field with the other abilities.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

I would like to see Intelligence play a role for all characters, much as the other ability scores can be very defining.

First of all, I hope that illusions will be disbelieved through Intelligence saving throws - much like the old immunity to illusions from 1-2E.

As for skills, the news that they'll give out more is excellent, however I still think I would rather have a free spend on a list of skills, with a maximum, at least as an option. For the quick option, I would make skills only +2, but give out 5-6 of them. As part of the free-spend system, your intelligence bonus would add to the points you have to spend at character creation. For the quick system, I think an extra skill for each point of Intelligence bonus is too much if they are +3, perhaps ok if they are +2. You could consider giving each character a free knowledge skill at a level equal to their intelligence bonus - even the smart Fighter knows something then.

So yes, good idea, but impossible to implement right until they fix the skill system.

 

[nightwalker450]

Not a big fan of Intelligence adding to skill points. Mainly because not all skills are intelligence based. There is no reason that the wizard is better at sneaking, climbing, swimming, long distance running, looking for hidden enemies, telling lies, detecting lies, negotiating treaties, and threatening enemies, just because he read a few more books than the rest of the party.

The way to actually do this, is to make a larger percentage of skills based on intelligence (though they are going back to checks based on ability modifiers, then adding skills if necessary) that way a high Intelligence just has more skills that they do well without being trained. Right now, I believe it's more weighted towards the higher dexterity people have more skills.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I would like to see Intelligence play a role for all characters, much as the other ability scores can be very defining.

First of all, I hope that illusions will be disbelieved through Intelligence saving throws - much like the old immunity to illusions from 1-2E.

I agree.

Not a big fan of Intelligence adding to skill points. Mainly because not all skills are intelligence based. There is no reason that the wizard is better at sneaking, climbing, swimming, long distance running, looking for hidden enemies, telling lies, detecting lies, negotiating treaties, and threatening enemies, just because he read a few more books than the rest of the party.

It's the very nature of what skills are. Skills represent training and learning, as opposed to ability scores, which represent raw talent. Being more intelligent helps you learn faster, and it's alot more than just book learning.

For example, a Charismatic person might be naturally charming, confident, etc. but that doesn't automatically make him a better debater or diplomat than someone who has extensive knowledge and knows the right things to say (and not say). One is natural talent, the other is knowledge.

The way to actually do this, is to make a larger percentage of skills based on intelligence (though they are going back to checks based on ability modifiers, then adding skills if necessary) that way a high Intelligence just has more skills that they do well without being trained. Right now, I believe it's more weighted towards the higher dexterity people have more skills.

No matter how many skills they add that use Int, it still isn't valuable enough for people who don't take any of those skills. Every other ability score is useful for more than just the skills linked to it, whether it's Charisma helping you persuade people, Con increasing your hit points or Dexterity helping you avoid a fireball. Int needs more than just Lore skills to make it worthwhile.

 

[Ferghis]

I'd be fine with gaining additional Lore skills based on a character's Int bonus. But I agree with my mini pony that a high Int has little guarantee of a character being something other than knowledgeable.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I would like to see Intelligence play a role for all characters, much as the other ability scores can be very defining.

To me that's really the issue. It's important that every ability score matters for every character, such that you have something meaningful to gain with a high score and something meaningful to lose with a low score. Skill points seems a good way to do this for Int at least.

Not a big fan of Intelligence adding to skill points. Mainly because not all skills are intelligence based. There is no reason that the wizard is better at sneaking, climbing, swimming, long distance running, looking for hidden enemies, telling lies, detecting lies, negotiating treaties, and threatening enemies, just because he read a few more books than the rest of the party.

When I was first taking psychology and we were defining the concept of Intelligence, I remember the teacher talking about how many ways it can manifest. "Would you say that Allen Iverson isn't intelligent?" he asked, describing how much intelligence it takes to be an elite athlete, the training, the strategy, knowing one's self (clearly I'm dating myself with this reference).

I think your association of intelligence with reading books is a gross oversimplification. Intelligence is the ability to think, learn, and remember, which is much broader than that. And, frankly, people think I'm intelligent because I don't read.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I don't agree. I don't believe for the most part that how smart you are widens the number of things you are interested in and focused on... but in actuality drives you further in the few things you are.

Most of our really intelligent people seem to focus in on one or two really specific things they have become the best in their field in. The "Renaissance Man" concept (the guy who is really, really good at a large number of disparate things) is usually smart, yes... but seems actually more rare than the focused individual. It's a very specific type of intelligent person that has a wide assortment of skills they are great at. And in D&D... that archetype gets fulfilled by the Rogue and/or the PC with the Jack of All Trades.

The need to make all our Wizards have more skills seems unnecessary (because let's face it... that's the only class that would benefit the most from this rule.)

 

[Minigiant]

I like INT to add to number of skills. Fast learners will know more subjects.

But I would have 2 different options. Lore skills only or Any skill. Group/DM choice.

 

[slobo777]

I'd like to see Int be a solid choice for second stat for any class where it is not a prime stat.

That means having some benefit to go along with it, that would be useful to a wide range of characters. But not over-powering when granted to characters who have Int as a primary stat.

Not so sure about bonus skills, because that might skew and/or stack with existing skill specialists (Rogue and Jack of All Trades), but it's the right sort of thing to be thinking of . . .

 

[the Jester]

No thanks. My preference is to keep to a small number of skills. I love the way backgrounds work with skills; adding bonus skills for high Int would just make an elegant setup messy.