Szatany
First Post
I like the basics of how skills work in Dnext so far, but I have some issues with it.
- not enough skills - this is probably a matter of taste, but I'd like to have more options when it comes to skills
- skills are equal - probably because of simplicity, currently all skills are supposed to be equal to each other. That means that minor skills like use rope are cut from the game. If something minor isn't cut, it becomes a bad option to choose because it's weaker than alternatives.
VERSION 2 (version 1 had three tiers of skills)
What I propose is this: Skills are grouped into 2 tiers of "power". This does not have to be made clear during character creation to the players, so it doesn't make the game more complex at low levels. The value of a skill only comes into play when designing backgrounds, and when a character gains a new skill when leveling up.
Backgrounds dont need to have exactly 4 skills each. Instead, there should be a number of points from which skills are bought. Lets try 8. Good skills cost 2, minor skills cost 1.
(skills from latest packet, new skills)
-Good skills-
Balance
Bluff
Climb
Intimidate
Listen
Persuade
Ride
Search
Sense Motive
Sneak
Spot
Tumble
Command
Linguistics
Manipulate Device
Survive in Wild
-Minor skills-
First Aid
Break Object
Conceal Object
Drive
Gather Rumors
Handle Animal
Jump
Perform
Recall Lore (academic, common, magical, military, religious, ...)
Swim
Consume Alcohol
Craft (carpentry, stonemasonry, blacksmithing, farming ...)
Distract
Find Direction
Mimic Sounds
Pick Pockets
Squeeze Through
Stay Awake
Track
Use Rope
With those rules backgrounds can be more flexible and interesting. Following are backgrounds that all use 8 point buy from above list:
Artisan (2 good, 4 minor)
Craft (any two), Recall Lore (common), Gather Rumors, Persuade, Manipulate Device
Bounty Hunter (3 good, 2 minor)
Gather Rumors, Search, Sneak, Spot, Track
Charlatan (2 good, 4 minor)
Perform, Bluff, Conceal Object, Command, Distract, Recall Lore (common)
Commoner (1 good, 6 minor)
Drive, Handle Animal, Gather Rumors, Use Rope, Consume Alcohol, Spot, Craft (any one)
Guide (3 good, 2 minor)
Climb, Spot, Track, Find Direction, Survive in Wild
Guild Thief (3 good, 2 minor)
Balance, Pick Pockets, Search, Sneak, Jump
Jester (3 good, 2 minor)
Balance, Perform, Persuade, Tumble, Mimic Sounds
Knight (3 good, 2 minor)
Command, Recall Lore (military), Ride, Intimidate, Perform
Minstrel (3 good, 2 minor)
Listen, Perform, Persuade, Recall Lore (common), Linguistics
Noble (4 good)
Intimidate, Sense Motive, Listen, Persuade
Temple Priest (2 good, 4 minor)
Persuade, Sense Motive, Recall Lore (religious), Gather Rumors, First Aid, Perform
Sage (2 good, 4 minor)
Recall Lore (any three), Search, Linguistics, Gather Rumors
Soldier (2 good, 4 minor)
Recall Lore (military), Intimidate, Ride, Consume Alcohol, Stay Awake, Use Rope
Spy (3 good, 2 minor)
Bluff, Search, Sneak, Gather Rumors, Distract
Thug (2 good, 4 minor)
Break Object, Gather Rumors, Intimidate, Spot, Stay Awake, Use Rope
Bonus backgrounds:
City Guard (3 good, 2 minor)
Spot, Search, Command, Recall Lore (law), Stay Awake
Doctor (1 good, 6 minor)
Recall Lore (medical), First Aid, Search, Stay Awake, Craft (medicine), Handle Animal, Consume Alcohol
Rustler (2 good, 4 minor)
Handle Animal, Drive, Ride, Use Rope, Track, Sneak
Sailor (2 good, 4 minor)
Use Rope, Consume Alcohol, Swim, Find Direction, Spot, Balance
Tomb Raider (3 good, 2 minor)
Squuze Through, Manipulate Device, Search, Climb, Use Rope
- not enough skills - this is probably a matter of taste, but I'd like to have more options when it comes to skills
- skills are equal - probably because of simplicity, currently all skills are supposed to be equal to each other. That means that minor skills like use rope are cut from the game. If something minor isn't cut, it becomes a bad option to choose because it's weaker than alternatives.
VERSION 2 (version 1 had three tiers of skills)
What I propose is this: Skills are grouped into 2 tiers of "power". This does not have to be made clear during character creation to the players, so it doesn't make the game more complex at low levels. The value of a skill only comes into play when designing backgrounds, and when a character gains a new skill when leveling up.
Backgrounds dont need to have exactly 4 skills each. Instead, there should be a number of points from which skills are bought. Lets try 8. Good skills cost 2, minor skills cost 1.
(skills from latest packet, new skills)
-Good skills-
Balance
Bluff
Climb
Intimidate
Listen
Persuade
Ride
Search
Sense Motive
Sneak
Spot
Tumble
Command
Linguistics
Manipulate Device
Survive in Wild
-Minor skills-
First Aid
Break Object
Conceal Object
Drive
Gather Rumors
Handle Animal
Jump
Perform
Recall Lore (academic, common, magical, military, religious, ...)
Swim
Consume Alcohol
Craft (carpentry, stonemasonry, blacksmithing, farming ...)
Distract
Find Direction
Mimic Sounds
Pick Pockets
Squeeze Through
Stay Awake
Track
Use Rope
With those rules backgrounds can be more flexible and interesting. Following are backgrounds that all use 8 point buy from above list:
Artisan (2 good, 4 minor)
Craft (any two), Recall Lore (common), Gather Rumors, Persuade, Manipulate Device
Bounty Hunter (3 good, 2 minor)
Gather Rumors, Search, Sneak, Spot, Track
Charlatan (2 good, 4 minor)
Perform, Bluff, Conceal Object, Command, Distract, Recall Lore (common)
Commoner (1 good, 6 minor)
Drive, Handle Animal, Gather Rumors, Use Rope, Consume Alcohol, Spot, Craft (any one)
Guide (3 good, 2 minor)
Climb, Spot, Track, Find Direction, Survive in Wild
Guild Thief (3 good, 2 minor)
Balance, Pick Pockets, Search, Sneak, Jump
Jester (3 good, 2 minor)
Balance, Perform, Persuade, Tumble, Mimic Sounds
Knight (3 good, 2 minor)
Command, Recall Lore (military), Ride, Intimidate, Perform
Minstrel (3 good, 2 minor)
Listen, Perform, Persuade, Recall Lore (common), Linguistics
Noble (4 good)
Intimidate, Sense Motive, Listen, Persuade
Temple Priest (2 good, 4 minor)
Persuade, Sense Motive, Recall Lore (religious), Gather Rumors, First Aid, Perform
Sage (2 good, 4 minor)
Recall Lore (any three), Search, Linguistics, Gather Rumors
Soldier (2 good, 4 minor)
Recall Lore (military), Intimidate, Ride, Consume Alcohol, Stay Awake, Use Rope
Spy (3 good, 2 minor)
Bluff, Search, Sneak, Gather Rumors, Distract
Thug (2 good, 4 minor)
Break Object, Gather Rumors, Intimidate, Spot, Stay Awake, Use Rope
Bonus backgrounds:
City Guard (3 good, 2 minor)
Spot, Search, Command, Recall Lore (law), Stay Awake
Doctor (1 good, 6 minor)
Recall Lore (medical), First Aid, Search, Stay Awake, Craft (medicine), Handle Animal, Consume Alcohol
Rustler (2 good, 4 minor)
Handle Animal, Drive, Ride, Use Rope, Track, Sneak
Sailor (2 good, 4 minor)
Use Rope, Consume Alcohol, Swim, Find Direction, Spot, Balance
Tomb Raider (3 good, 2 minor)
Squuze Through, Manipulate Device, Search, Climb, Use Rope
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