D&D 3E/3.5 SAGA skills for 3.5

[Obsidian Razor]

OK. So I realize there must be a billions threads about this now, but I'm incompetent enought to not find any...

So, I recently started a new D&D game (today!) and decided to try the SW Saga skill system, at level 1, it seems like a great improvement over the classic system, but, one of my player pointed out, that I may need to tinker with skills DC's later in the game (we are going the game using only prebuilded adventure modules) because while at lower levels, the Saga skill system gives the PC better skill levels, at higher levels is the opposite, since the max skill ranks in the classic system is 23, while whith the saga system is 15 (I'm not counting skill focus to make a direct comparision, besides, skill focus is one of those feats that nobody ever picks... at least in our games).

Has anybody already experimented with this?

Was the outcome satisfactory?

Did you have to tinker with DC's or other rules implicated in the matter?

Was it difficult?

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

Obsidian Razor. go download pathfinder alpha I think you will love the skill system set up. it may change but go take a look you wont regret it.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I second Hunter in Darkness check out Pathfinder Alpha.

The basic philosophy of Saga skill system is a fine mesh it just needed the formula tweaked to be compatible with existing 3.5e DCs. And it is! I think I'd have done the consolidation slightly differently and ended up with a few less skills, but really it's good.

 

[Obsidian Razor]

I'll do so, thanks!

I any case, I'd still like to hear about other people's experience with this or any other Saga to D&D skills adaptation.

 

[Obsidian Razor]

OK. I downloaded the alpha... but the skill section has been removed (I gess they took it out to revise it). Can anybody tell me how where the rules?

Thanks!

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

I've been running something along the lines of this for my Everstone game.

It hasn't been a problem in my game, but I also don't have a problem with having competent characters either.

This is the way it's been set up from my game:

d20 + Attribute Mod + Level. If a skill is Trained, add +5. If the skill is a Skill Focus, add +5. A Trained skill may have a Skill focus, which means a total modifier of +10.

So an 8th level Thief (from the Companion) that took Move Silently as a Trained skill, and a Skill Focus: Move Silently would roll:
d20 + (attribute mod) + 8 (for their level) + 10 (for being Trained and Focused)

The skill list isn't changing. The number of skills a character has is determined by however many skill points they'd get for a "normal" level. So a character that would normally have 5 skill points when they level will instead pick 5 skills that they're "Trained" in.

And just so it's clear the Trained Skills that a character has is picked when the character is created. It's not "every time you level you pick [x] number of skills to be trained." It's a one-time pick, unless you want your character to learn a new skill later on.

I'll note that my game is capped at level 8 (meaning there's nothing over level 8 in the world), as well as the fact that they're supposed to be _competent_. That's why I'm having people add their level to a skill check. If I was running a normal game (1-20 levels like most people do), or I wanted to try and maintain the same competency that D&D assumes then I'd only go with half the level instead of full level.

Which if I recall correctly is the way that Saga does it.

I don't see a need to change the skill DCs if you're going with the 1/2 character level bonus. Part of switching over to this style of skills is trying to make your life easier (at least it was for me) and trying to refigure skill DCs is just making it more complicated again.

As for it being "difficult"... no problem really. The main thing the group struggled with was expecting things to be more difficult than it was. Level up? You change your level bonus. Want another skill to be trained? If it's a skill that's normally a Class skill, you buy the feat Additional Training, and you've now go the skill at the same level as all your other skills.

So leveling up became a matter of: BAB changes, Hit Points, Saving throws, Class abilities, done.

I know some folks really like to use the skill system to try and distinguish characters, but I personally dislike it. So this solution was perfect for me. Players all seem fine with it, and we've been using it for about 6 months now.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

Fast run down man i'll see about making the skills into something ya can download.
1. Like saga ya get a number of skills at 1st level
*You gain a new skill every even level[2/4/6/8/and so on]
Class Skill Choices
Barbarian 4 + Int modifier
Bard 6 + Int modifier
Cleric 2 + Int modifier
Druid 4 + Int modifier
Fighter 2 + Int modifier
Monk 4 + Int modifier
Paladin 2 + Int modifier
Ranger 6 + Int modifier
Rogue 8 + Int modifier
Sorcerer 2 + Int modifier
Wizard 2 + Int modifier

skill mods
*Untrained 1d20 + Ability modifier +racial modifier
*Trained Class Skill 1d20 + Character level + 3+ ability modifier + racial modifier
*Trained Cross-Class skill 1d20 + 1/2 (character level+3) + ability modifier + racial modifier


Changed skills
Old Skill =New Skill
Balance =Acrobatics
Bluff =Deception
Concentration =Spellcraft
Decipher Script= Linguistics
Forgery= Linguistics
Gather =Information Diplomacy
Hide =Stealth
Jump= Acrobatics
Listen =Perception
Move =Silently Stealth
Open =Lock Theft
Search= Perception
Sense Motive= Deception
Sleight of Hand= Theft
Speak Languages= Linguistics
Spot= Perception
Use Rope —gone



fast and dirty method without a chart is if it was a class skill and it got changed it now is the new skill I'll see if i can get something up for ya later

 

[CleverNickName]

I second Hunter in Darkness check out Pathfinder Alpha.

Link?

 

[Klaus]

OK. So I realize there must be a billions threads about this now, but I'm incompetent enought to not find any...

So, I recently started a new D&D game (today!) and decided to try the SW Saga skill system, at level 1, it seems like a great improvement over the classic system, but, one of my player pointed out, that I may need to tinker with skills DC's later in the game (we are going the game using only prebuilded adventure modules) because while at lower levels, the Saga skill system gives the PC better skill levels, at higher levels is the opposite, since the max skill ranks in the classic system is 23, while whith the saga system is 15 (I'm not counting skill focus to make a direct comparision, besides, skill focus is one of those feats that nobody ever picks... at least in our games).

Has anybody already experimented with this?

Was the outcome satisfactory?

Did you have to tinker with DC's or other rules implicated in the matter?

Was it difficult?

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

That's the thing, if you use Saga skils, Skill Focus (and Skill Training) will start to appear more often on character sheets. A direct analogy to the skill-maxing character is the Skill Training + Skill Focus character.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

Link?

http://paizo.com/pathfinder/pathfinderRPG

link is at top of page