D&D 5E Reimagining 5e's skill system using AD&D inspiration

[Ovinomancer]

Yeah, I appreciate that's the rules-as-written.

But with my style and my players, the vast majority of the time I call for skill checks by name. "Make a Stealth check" or "Make a Dex (Thieves' Tools) check." While the RAW is totally legitimate, it's just not our style, I think that back and forth of "make a Strength check" ..."can I apply my masonry tools proficiency?" ..."yeah, sure, that makes sense"...just feels unnatural and like an uninteresting time-sink to us. Those couple minutes we save by not engaging with that particular back and forth over the course of a session is time we'd rather invest in other parts of the game.

It's just a play style thing.

Okay. You were asking about changes, thought pointing out a change in approach works pretty well, also.

 

[Quickleaf]

@overgeeked That's a really wise observation! If my only goal were flavor, I could trust my players enough to determine the flavor of their PCs and use a similar system.

But because I have two other issues – wanting more guidance/clarity to adjudicating skills & allowing for skills that map to non-standard resolutions – I'm wondering if for my case it makes more sense to go the "simplified" route or the "expanded skill list" route.

@Ovinomancer I remember trying to do that approach of calling for ability checks, I think it was after a dialogue where iserith was advocating using that method. It felt unnatural to me, but the bigger issue was getting my players to shift gears and start pitching proficiencies did not happen at all. Most of the time, they would not even think of it, except in cases where it was obvious to all of us. I did try though.

 

[Krachek]

aDnD style would be more
Fighter skills,
Wizard skills,
Rogue skills,
and so on.
Each character is proficient in skills related to his class.

 

[R_J_K75]

I have noticed the same problems as others have and I usually just rule on the fly with the closest skill or fall back on an ability check. I too think the skill system could use an overhaul, but I think the fewer the skill categories the better. One thing I did last time my players made characters was allow them to choose any skills they wanted within the number allowed for their class and background. Not really addressing the OP problem but just throwing it out there.

 

[Horwath]

And here I am trying to get rid of some skills to reduce the number...

 

[le Redoutable]

I do think, in a system based on 6 stats, that there is room for !6 ( i.e. 720 ) Skills or Powers ( SoP )
so, because nobody wants to write down so much SoP ( albeit there is stockage in spells ) you will take shortcuts...

 

[DEFCON 1]

I change up my skills lists for each individual campaign all the time, removing some, merging some, creating new ones. I think it's a very important and useful part of the world-building process. Now I also am a huge proponent of the "Alternative Ability Score" variant... because that allows me to remove a bunch of skills and give more oomph to ones that have less application (but gain more types of use when they can be used with a different score). Some of the changes I have introduced here and there in various campaigns have included:

Removal of Acrobatics and instead use DEX (Athletics)
Removal of Sleight of Hand and instead use DEX (Deception)
Removal of Performance and instead use DEX (Persuasion) or a musical instrument tool prof.
Merging of Medicine and Survival

And various skill subjects I have added in various campaigns include:

Dungeoneering (knowledge and action underground)
Commerce (anything related to money, trade, haggling, appraisal)
Mechanics (anything related to engineering, construction, locks, traps)
Warfare (anything related to military structure and war)
Nautics (anything related to water and naval action)
High Society (anything related to nobility, castles, action with the upper class)
Folklore (anything related to low society, commoners, myths, street knowledge)

And with the use of alternative ability scores, it allows me to use one skill multiple different ways. Remembering information about an island's location might be INT (Nautics), while steering a boat might be DEX (Nautics), being able to free a boat that has run aground could be STR (Nautics), and negotiating with a pirate captain might use CHA (Nautics). So that one skill can be used many different ways.

 

[le Redoutable]

And various skill subjects I have added in various campaigns include:

Dungeoneering (knowledge and action underground)
Commerce (anything related to money, trade, haggling, appraisal)
Mechanics (anything related to engineering, construction, locks, traps)
Warfare (anything related to military structure and war)

hey! very good Skill / Proficiency

edit : but be aware that Appraisal can be used with Climb Walls



edit : so, is there a link between Augury and Appraisal ?

 

[DEFCON 1]

hey! very good Skill / Proficiency

I don't have a single campaign where I don't include this skill anymore. It is just too useful not to have.

 

[Quickleaf]

Tentatively put together an expanded skill list. The original

I change up my skills lists for each individual campaign all the time, removing some, merging some, creating new ones. I think it's a very important and useful part of the world-building process. Now I also am a huge proponent of the "Alternative Ability Score" variant... because that allows me to remove a bunch of skills and give more oomph to ones that have less application (but gain more types of use when they can be used with a different score). Some of the changes I have introduced here and there in various campaigns have included:

Removal of Acrobatics and instead use DEX (Athletics)
Removal of Sleight of Hand and instead use DEX (Deception)
Removal of Performance and instead use DEX (Persuasion) or a musical instrument tool prof.
Merging of Medicine and Survival

And various skill subjects I have added in various campaigns include:

Dungeoneering (knowledge and action underground)
Commerce (anything related to money, trade, haggling, appraisal)
Mechanics (anything related to engineering, construction, locks, traps)
Warfare (anything related to military structure and war)
Nautics (anything related to water and naval action)
High Society (anything related to nobility, castles, action with the upper class)
Folklore (anything related to low society, commoners, myths, street knowledge)

And with the use of alternative ability scores, it allows me to use one skill multiple different ways. Remembering information about an island's location might be INT (Nautics), while steering a boat might be DEX (Nautics), being able to free a boat that has run aground could be STR (Nautics), and negotiating with a pirate captain might use CHA (Nautics). So that one skill can be used many different ways.

I like tailoring the skill list to suit your campaign. I'm not sure how you judge that with some of your examples. Like including Nautics in a game with seafaring or Warfare in Red Hand of Doom, yeah that make sense. But how does your campaign influence, say, removing Acrobatics or Sleight of Hand?

I'm also curious, in addition to the changes you describe, do you change any of the mechanisms for resolving those skills from the default assumptions in 5e (which is mostly roll a d20 and adjudicate ad hoc)?