human variant

[Quickleaf]

Here is my modification to the human race...

Bonus Feat:
This is a modification of the human's bonus feat at 1st level.
The human gains a bonus feat at 1st level which must be either one of the feats providing +2 to two skills (e.g. Alertness or Diplomat), or a regional feat from their homeland (as per FR region rules).

Bonus Skills:
This replaces the human's 4 skill points at 1st +1 skill point/level as suggested in the PHB.
A human chooses one of four options:
(1) Fast learner: +2 skill points at each level (including first).
(2) Diversified talent: Three bonus class skills for all your classes.
(3) Specialization: Gain Skill focus in one skill. The skill becomes a class skill for all your classes. You gain one free rank in that skill at each level after 1st.
(4) Quick to Adapt: At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th character levels, the skill points you gain are considered "floating." You do not need to determine what skill these "floating" skill points are before the game - you simply don't spend them when you get a level. You may instantly spend these "floating" points on any skill you have previously attempted. (e.g. if during a game you attempt to move silently and are caught, later, when you try to sneak past the prison guards you may apply any floating skill points to move silently)

Multi-classing:
When multi-classing, regardless of which class you advance when you gain a new level, you treat the class skills of all your classes as class skills when buying new skills.

...The idea was to provide players with human character with more options without overpowering the human. In all other respects the human is unchanged.

 

[Sejs]

(4) Specialization: Gain Skill focus in one skill and maximum rank in that skill increases by +2 (i.e. 6 ranks at 1st-level instead of 4 ranks);

Red flag: this will impact certain PrC entry requirements.

 

[Corlon]

Red flag: this will impact certain PrC entry requirements.

I agree, I think this is a pretty cool idea, and seems pretty balanced right now. For Sejs red flag, I'd just say put the little disclaimer "these extra ranks may not be used to gain access to anything at a lower level than normal.

 

[Ferret]

Apart from the red flag and the lack of Trained skills in 3.5 I give it 3 thumbs up.

 

[Nifft]

Instead of "trained-only", feel free to break skills into "good" and "not" -- "good" skills would be Tumble, Bluff, Spot, Listen, Sense Motive, and other stuff that anyone might want. "Not" skills would be Profession, Craft, Perform, and other stuff that people don't usually gain combat benefits from. Then, allow any one "good" skill or any two "not" skills to become class skills.

Would you allow Skill Focus in place of Alertness (et al.) as a 1st level bonus feat?

Otherwise, seems balanced, so long as you fix the "extra ranks" problem that others have pointed out.

-- N

 

[Laman Stahros]

Apart from the red flag and the lack of Trained skills in 3.5 I give it 3 thumbs up.

Knowledge skills are 'trained' only in 3.5. You must be thinking of 'exclusive' skills from 3.0.

 

[Arkhandus]

Specialization should give Skill Focus in one skill, make it a permanent class skill, and give 1 free rank in that skill each level. Should put it on-par with Fast Learner, somewhat weaker but better focused.

Diversified Talent should give an additional class skill at every 3rd character level, probably, to make it more on-par with Fast Learner and Specialization. Too weak as-is.

Ditch Unique Skill, Specialization will replace its function.

Quick to Adapt should apply again after every four or maybe five levels gained, to a different skill each time.

Of course, you might just weaken Fast Learner and make a tiny improvement to the others.

 

[Quickleaf]

Thanks for the input. I edited the variant human with your changes.

Here are some more ideas for "Skill Options":

(5) Prestige Grooming: Choose one prestige class which you have been trained for since childhood. You may reduce one of the following requirements:
* Skill reqs. -- As long as a skill required by the PrC is a class skill for you, treat your ranks in the skill as 2 higher for purposes of qualifiyng for the PrC. Up to three skills may be selected in this manner.
* Ability score reqs. -- Treat all ability scores as 1 point higher for purposes of qualifying for the PrC.
* Class reqs. -- Treat your levels in any classes you have as 1 higher for purposes of qualifying for the PrC.
* Spellcasting reqs. -- Treat your maximum spell-casting level as one higher for purposes of qualifying for the PrC.
* BAB/HD reqs. -- Treat your BAB as +1 higher and your HD as one die higher for purposes of qualifying for the PrC.

(6) Local: Take an extra regional feat at 1st level. As long as you spend at least 50% of your time in your home region, you gain a bonus regional feat at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.

 

[Nifft]

Quick to Adapt is now confusing. Would the following be true to your intent?

Quick to Adapt: Once per day, you may add a +4 Luck bonus to one of your skill checks. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1 (so +5 at 5th level, +6 at 10th level, and so on). You must declare the use of this ability before rolling. You may use it when "taking 10" and even when "taking 20".

-- N

 

[Quickleaf]

Hmm, I like your write-up Nifft. What I'm looking for is a human character who rapidly learns how to do something during an adventure, adapting to the needs of the situation, learning from his mistakes. Hence the ability to apply skill points mid-adventure.

I like the simplicity of your idea... I wonder if it gives the human TOO much flexibility. With your ability, a human loses the skill bonus once attempted - so they could not repeat the attempt with the bonus in the same day.

Here's how I see your "lucky human" idea working. Take a human adapting to horseback riding. Say they have 0 ranks and no Dex modifier. The human flees a group of pursuers using the +4 luck bonus to spur his mount onward. He loses them, but later when finding himself confronted by brigands, and attempting to run from them he is easily outdistanced. His luck has run out.

Here's how I see the "adaptive human" working now: The same human (with 4 "floating" skill points) flees a group of pursuers. He has never ridden a horse before, and is outdistanced and taken captive. While imprisoned awaiting trial he escapes and hides out in the constable's stables during the day. At night he steals a horse, fleeing again, but this time applying his 4 "floating" skill points. He outdistances his pursuers. Later he encounters some brigands and manages to spur his mount over a ravine, leaving the brigands in his dust. He has applied his skills learned upon horseback in just a short time.

I'm not sure which is the better solution.