D&D 5E Rolling for starting skill bonus

[DEFCON 1]

If you want other types of skill variance, don't link ability score to skill. Use the Variant rule that says you make Ability Checks and if the skill you have could be applied to it (whatever check it was) then you add your proficiency bonus.

As you said, Athletics could be with STR, DEX or CON. So when the player says what they are doing, you decide whether that would be a STR, DEX, or CON check. And then you or the player makes the call as to whether being a skilled athlete would make the check easier and if so, add the proficiency bonus.

If you are climbing a cliff face? STR check. Add proficiency bonus if proficient in Athletics.
If you are running cross-country for several miles? CON check. Add proficiency bonus if proficient in Athletics.
If you are swinging on a rope across a chasm? DEX check. Add proficiency bonus if proficient in Athletics.

And this can apply to all sorts of things.

Finding your through a huge cathedral? WIS + Religion
Recalling who the god is represented in the stained glass window? INT + Religion
Commiserating with local priest in hopes of getting a bit of gossip? CHA + Religion

If you go about things this way, you not only get all kinds of different types of "total scores"... but you also find several skill end up being unnecessary (I don't use Acrobatics in my games, I use DEX + Athletics.)

 

[DND_Reborn]

If you want other types of skill variance, don't link ability score to skill. Use the Variant rule that says you make Ability Checks and if the skill you have could be applied to it (whatever check it was) then you add your proficiency bonus.

Yeah, we use this all the time. We still find enough uses for Acrobatics, but I could see getting rid of it and maybe a couple others...

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I'd like that if you rolled 18 times and then assigned the -/+3 to each skill assigning the value you wanted. But at that point, you could do point-buy. (which is the method I prefer)

 

[auburn2]

Suppose you rolled a d6 in order to determine starting skill bonus instead of using ASI bonus. Thoughts or concerns?

Range from -2 to +3 Average bonus +0.5

Proficiency would stay the same?

I think that could work. I would make it -1 to +3 as that is more representative of a typical starting character. Then you would add proficiencie on top of this for skills you are proficient in.

It would work in terms of balance although it might be a little difficult to explain why your Cleric has a -1 in religion or your 20 dexterity Rogue has a -1 in acrobatics (or -2 if you keep it your way).

You would also have to scale as a character advances. For example when my Bard takes his 4th level ASI in Charisma all his Charisma skills also go up by 1. So you would need to give a few points when he takes an ASI. Mathematically it would be 3 skill points when you take a 2 points in ASI (18 skills divided by 6 abilities means on average 3 skills increase by one point when you take an full 2-point ASI). If you take a feat that gives 1-point ASI (like eleven archery for example) you get 1 skill point. Numerically this would keep you balanced with RAW if you take a full ASI and put you slightly behind if you take a feat with a 1-point ASI.

 

[ccs]

I can see this working.
But I wouldn't exclude the ASI mod.
After the character was created there'd be a further step to generate the -2 - +3 skill adjustments.