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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 2986310" data-attributes="member: 3051">Well, we've got a couple parallel discussion threads right now on the same topic, and in the other one we've been discussing region-based systems with ~3 pre-selected class skills.  In my setup, typically these skills are Craft/Knowledge/Profession, although some get more locale-appropriate ones (Climb, Swim, etc.).  In other people's systems the lists include more useful skills (Spot, Listen, Hide, Move Silently), but YMMV.But basically, as long as the "background" skills don't overlap much with your essential class skills, the balance hasn't really changed any; your character will still be just as powerful at his class roles as before, and be faced with the same hard choices, but he'll also have a few ranks in some nonessential stuff, which'll make him more interesting in the long run.And it really DOES make a difference.  I had a 3E Shaper (Psion specializing in INT) who ended up putting about 30-40 ranks into Craft skills.  Some were practical ones (Weaponcrafting, Armorcrafting), but some weren't (12 ranks in Sculpting).  It really made him more fun; the group would camp for the night, he'd find a nearby rock, cast fabricate (or, if low on power points, pull out his chisel) and turn it into a sculpture of one of the group, or one of the recent enemies, or some animal...Now, I did this before we added any sort of "background skill" system, so all those skill points were taken away from my more useful skills (Psicraft, Knowledge (psionics), etc.), but I enjoyed it anyway.  So, personally I think everyone should have the chance to pad out their "flavor" skills without weakening the character.</blockquote>

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