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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tafkamhokie" data-source="post: 4257696" data-attributes="member: 62064">re. the lack of "backstory" skills and whatnot.The mechanic of creating a critter in 3e was unified...all monsters, characters, npc's, mooks, BBEG's, EVERYONE was created using the same set of rules.  So you had to have a Craft (leatherworking) and Profession (merchant) skill for the commoners and experts to take.  This gave the PC's options for sinking a skill point or two into a "flavor" skill if they wanted to.The 4e PHB is about creating heroes.  Monsters and npc's follow a different mechanic.  So the stuff that was necessary for npc's but was just flavor for a hero is left out of the 4e PHB.The flip side is if you have some flavor to add to your PC, then you just add it.  No need to allocate skill points anymore, you just do it.  You want him to be the son of a blacksmith, or a librarian, or an assassin, or a lawyer...then that is what he is and you work with your DM to fold that into the story and maybe you get to make a local knowledge (or whatever) check with a circumstance bonus based on your background.  Also notice all reference to physical attractiveness has been removed from Charisma.  How good looking you are is irrelevant to the game mechanic, so you just decide whether you are a beauty queen or someone who is so ugly their momma wouldn't hold them and that is what you are.  Charisma is your force of personality, not your attractiveness.  No more "every priest, paladin, and sorcerer looks like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie" just because Cha is one of their key stats.You no longer need to spend your precious "hero" resources on flavor anymore.  Your effectiveness as a hero is what the PHB is for.  Your character flavor is what your imagination is for.</blockquote>

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