D&D 4E Post the complete 4e skills list

[Steely Dan]

I think Saga's idea to make Initiative a skill is really excellent.

And looking at the Spined Devils stats it looks like it will be a skill in 4th Ed too.

 

[Khaalis]

How do you square this with 'History' and 'Religion' being named separately and without the 'Knowledge' prefix in 'Roll v Role'? Do you think they'll merely be trained aspects of a general knowledge/lore skill (which would be kind of cool...)?

I think the skills were simply mentioned in their "short form" for the simplicity of the way in which is passed on. If you notice they have let very few things go stated as "as they are written in the book". They have also said the list will be compressed. By splitting Knowledge/Lore skills into a vast array of skill it simply bogs down and lengthens the skill list. Additionally, SAGA as a preview of some concepts to come, still retains a core "knowledge" skill with its subdivisions of areas of knowledge. I think this will remain true in 4X.

 

[Khaalis]

I hope these very useful skills are left alone:

Appraise
Decipher Script
Forgery
Pick Pockets
Sense Motive
Use Magic Device

We haven't heard a word about UMD. There is the Arcane skill, which has been stated to be Knowledge Arcana, Spellcraft and Read Magic rolled into one. I wouldn't be surprised if they either completely drop UMD and make it a class feature of the Rogue or add it into the Arcane skill.

Appraise also has not been mentioned but it is a highly specialized use skill and again something I see being rolled up as a class feature or into some other skill.

Pick Pockets (Sleight of Hand in 3.5) has already been stated to be wrapped in with Open Locks.

Sense Motive has either been renamed Insight or rolled into the Insight skill (one of those that was named) with some other related functionality that alters it to a more general use than simply "motives".

Decipher & Forgery I could see being wrapped into a single skill or absorbed into other skills. I do not think they warrant separate skills in a system that is trying to trim down the skill list.

JMHO.

 

[Wormwood]

My dream skill list:

Art
Athletics
Craft
Heal
Lore
Perception
Social
Stealth
Survival

edit: which is a little off-topic. Proceed

 

[Shieldhaven]

The main reason to put Climb, Jump, and Swim together as Athletics and Balance, Tumble, and Escape Artist together as Acrobatics is that it's then quite obvious to that Athletics is modified by Strength and Acrobatics is modified by Dexterity. Though they will have been grouped and renamed, at least those skill functions will still be governed by the same ability scores.

Haven

 

[Intrope]

We haven't heard a word about UMD. There is the Arcane skill, which has been stated to be Knowledge Arcana, Spellcraft and Read Magic rolled into one. I wouldn't be surprised if they either completely drop UMD and make it a class feature of the Rogue or add it into the Arcane skill.

Appraise also has not been mentioned but it is a highly specialized use skill and again something I see being rolled up as a class feature or into some other skill.

Pick Pockets (Sleight of Hand in 3.5) has already been stated to be wrapped in with Open Locks.

Sense Motive has either been renamed Insight or rolled into the Insight skill (one of those that was named) with some other related functionality that alters it to a more general use than simply "motives".

Decipher & Forgery I could see being wrapped into a single skill or absorbed into other skills. I do not think they warrant separate skills in a system that is trying to trim down the skill list.

JMHO.

Maybe they'll do both: Rogues can gain the ability to use items without meeting prerequisites, but there will be a skill check involved--and that skill will differ by power source (Arcane, Religion, etc.).

 

[DreamChaser]

The main reason to put Climb, Jump, and Swim together as Athletics and Balance, Tumble, and Escape Artist together as Acrobatics is that it's then quite obvious to that Athletics is modified by Strength and Acrobatics is modified by Dexterity. Though they will have been grouped and renamed, at least those skill functions will still be governed by the same ability scores.

Haven

Right...like Heal and Sense Motive. We can call it Empathy

I don't think using the same ability score is a valid reason for combining. The skills should have something in common other than using major muscle groups (or relying upon your "insight").

Athletics would annoy the heck out of me mainly because the desert-based dragonborn should be good at climb (rocky desert) but they should suck at swim (no real chance to use it; water is to valuable in the desert to be used as a swimming hole) [speaking stereotypically of course]; there would be no way to model this, except perhaps with a conditional racial modifier (dragonborns get a -4 bonus to Athletics checks made to swim) but this is hard to remember and makes the skill MORE complex rather than less.

DC

 

[fuindordm]

Athletics would annoy the heck out of me mainly because the desert-based dragonborn should be good at climb (rocky desert) but they should suck at swim (no real chance to use it; water is to valuable in the desert to be used as a swimming hole) [speaking stereotypically of course]; there would be no way to model this, except perhaps with a conditional racial modifier (dragonborns get a -4 bonus to Athletics checks made to swim) but this is hard to remember and makes the skill MORE complex rather than less.

This is true, but on the other hand it currently requires a vast investment of skill points for characters to be good at all three movements--which isn't really warranted, in my opinion. In terms of how much skill investment is appropriate for their game value, I would prefer one skill.

On the other hand, if all skills are getting +level/2 to the roll for untrained uses like SAGA, then I withdraw this complaint.

Pick Pockets (Sleight of Hand in 3.5) has already been stated to be wrapped in with Open Locks.

This grouping makes me a bit uncomfortable, but I guess I can live with it. Rename it Thievery and the grouping makes sense, but the additional uses of Sleight of Hand (stage magic, concealment) become somewhat inappropriate.

Ben

 

[fuindordm]

Right...like Heal and Sense Motive. We can call it Empathy

Dammit, Jim! I'm a doctor, not an empath!

 

[gtJormungand]

There is the Arcane skill, which has been stated to be Knowledge Arcana, Spellcraft and Read Magic rolled into one.

Pick Pockets (Sleight of Hand in 3.5) has already been stated to be wrapped in with Open Locks.

Sense Motive has either been renamed Insight or rolled into the Insight skill (one of those that was named) with some other related functionality that alters it to a more general use than simply "motives".

Do you have links for where these skill tidbits can be found?