Looking to revamp the skill system!

[A'koss]

Madman75, Nifft... I see that we all think alike here. I've been using "compressed" skills for, oh... about a year or so now.

Spot + Listen = Awareness (though I guess I could roll Search in there too)
Move Silently + Hide in Shadows = Stealth
Balance + Tumble = Acrobatics (I've kept Jump out so far but it might be worth a try to roll it in and see how that works. Jump is pretty useless on it's own... I think Swim should remain on it's own though.)
I've never even considered merging Bluff and Intimidate together but I'm not completely sold on the synergy though. Diplomacy I've dropped altogether and now use Profession - Diplomat and RP any interaction. Using the core rules at higher levels, people used to use Diplomacy as bloody weapon.

Anyhow, stuff to think about...

A'koss.

 

[Nifft]

Jump + Swim + Climb = Athletics (again, stealing from White Wolf)

-- N

 

[A'koss]

Bluff + Disguise = Deception?

A'koss.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

Try FUDGE for a simple skill system. It would be quite easy to convert the D&D system to that ruleset.

http://www.fudgerpg.com

 

[Treebore]

I agree that merging more of the skills would probably simplify things. I am not sure I would alter the skill points as they are currently awarded, but I think that is because I think the classes/characters often have far fewer skills than I think they should, especially clerics and wizards. I know I have a lot of skills, and a lot of them are at a decent level. My number of skills possessed far outstrips a Rogue, the only question I have is what would my rank be in comparison to a character?

So since I don't "level up" why should I restrict a character in a game with such a mechanic? Why couldn't they have a lot of skills at good/max ranks? Plus even more than the current system allows.

So the only changes I have done is given clerics/paladins/mages 4 skill points/level instead of 2. It still irritates the heck out of me that a 12th level fighter can have only 2 skills at max ranks, or several at much lower, assuming no INT or racial bonus.

One system I have been considering is that ALL class skills go up one rank per level and start at max ranks possible. Intelligence bonuses can allow characters to learn skills outside their class or additional craft or profession skills in addition to the ONE craft and/or profession skill they got for their class. Then that brings up concerns about balance, but I usually find it sin't unbalancing if "everyone" can do it. But I do find that it unbalances in the sense that it makes it harder for a DM to make balanced encounters in terms of accounting for all of the skills and their effects on the encounters.

Guess it wouldn't hurt to experiment.

 

[Afrodyte]

Rather than try to copy and paste the exact same information, I'd rather point you in the direction of a similar post I made before in another thread. You can find it here.

In addition to the things I already have in that post, I'd probably have an absolute skill maximum of 24 or 25 since DC 40 tends to be the highest particular tasks can go. Also, I'd combine Balance and Tumble into Acrobatics.

In order to allow PCs to diversify their skills without being penalized for it, I'd get rid of the class/cross-class distinction altogether and keep the skill points given pretty much the same. I'm also thinking about giving skills more functions so that you wouldn't need more mechanics to do certain things (like Sneak Attack, Trapfinding, Camouflage, or Hide in Plain Sight, to name a few).

 

[Treebore]

Limiting it to DC 40 would be ignoring Epic level rules.

 

[Afrodyte]

Limiting it to DC 40 would be ignoring Epic level rules.

OK. And...?

 

[Treebore]

A comprehensive system would have to account for DM's who are capable of running Epic Level games, they are part of the core rules after all. Just because you don't do Epic doesn't mean everyone else doesn't. Epic has skill DC's over a 100.

 

[Afrodyte]

A comprehensive system would have to account for DM's who are capable of running Epic Level games, they are part of the core rules after all. Just because you don't do Epic doesn't mean everyone else doesn't. Epic has skill DC's over a 100.

I might be wrong, but I don't think the Epic Level Handbook is core at all. From what I have seen, the core books are PHB, DMG, and MM.