Li Shenron said:
Ok, AL you made me curious... What was the REAL benefit of this HR?
<snip>
edit: and incidentally, how many characters actually take advantage in the HR and take cross-class skills?
FWIW, I use the same HR IMC (probably got it from the same thread
I-AL did
). While most players do use it for a couple points into Listen, Search & Spot, pretty much everyone has dropped a point here or there to flesh their concept about better. I actually really like that everyone has a chance to Listen, Search or Spot something as then when the Rogue rolls low the party isn't necessarily hosed; a good roll from another player will often help them out.
The Fighter recently spent some time with the party Wizard and dropped a point into Spellcraft just so he had a chance to identify a spell being cast by an opponent. That same Fighter (a Dwarf) is dropping points into Tumble because of the bonus to Fighting Defensively and Total Defense it offers him as the party's tank. He's only 5th level so he can't have more than 4 ranks in the skill because it's still cross-class for him (I think he has 3 right now). Sure, he could take Combat Expertise, but his feats so far have been tied up with the Power Attack and TWF chains.
I've combined Hide & Move Silently into Sneak (a la AU) and a few of the players have put enough points there to counteract any Armor Check Penalty.
Most have at least a single point into Heal to represent Battlefield First Aid training, which I also use as a Free Action DC 10 check in the middle of battle to give them an idea of how an ally or opponent is faring health-wise (fine/wounded/injured/hurt quartiles, you aren't allowed to talk about hit points at my table, just generalities).
I guess it depends on what you want to accomplish. I like to see Skills put to good use. I also like keeping some distinction between the classes. By allowing every rank (class or cross-class) to be purchased at the same 1 SP cost I accomplish the first goal. By keeping the same rank maximum I accomplish the second.
Now, with that all said, I'd like to go a little further in this direction, but I'm not sure how to do it.
I have already House Ruled Fighters to get 4 SPs per level because I don't think they're so much better at combat than every other class that they need to be limited so much outside of combat. I haven't changed all the other classes accordingly since I think that makes the Fighter more playable, not more powerful. YMMV.
I have also been thinking about increasing all the 2 SP/lvl classes to get at least 4 SP/lvl just for a more skill diverse game, but I think that would step on the toes too much of the other classes, so I probably will end up adding +2 SP/lvl to every class like thullgrim is proposing. I may end up requiring that at least 1 SP/lvl (and 4 at 1st level) be spent on Craft, Knowledge or Profession skills just to represent background and real-life continuing education in essentially non-combat situations.
I'm also combining some other skills like Monte did with Sneak. We're talking about combining Listen & Spot into an Awareness skill in another thread here somewhere (and giving bonuses for those with other senses like Blindsight, Tremorsense, etc.). I've already absorbed Open Lock into Disable Device (though you can choose to modify with your Int or Dex Mod when picking a lock) and have a modified Perform skill so Bards are more likely to do something beyond use their voice (which is the only Perform type that allows them to use their Bardic Abilities like Inspire Courage in battle and still keep their hands free to fight alongside their allies).
Probably more than anyone really wanted already, so I'll stop now!
Thanks.
DrSpunj
