Scaling +2/+2 Skills

[Nyaricus]

At the behest of Genshou, I am starting the thread where it was suggested to scale +2/+2 Skills as levels were gained to give more benefits. I know quite a few piped in, in particular I beleive The Jester added in quite a bit to this discussion, but I could be wrong (and it wouldn't eb the first time )

So, who remembers what was what?

 

[Kerrick]

I missed this one the first time around, but FWIW, here's my take on those feats: I made a new one called Jack of All Trades. You choose two related feats that are on your skill list, and you gain +2 in both of them. This is to eliminate the proliferation of feats that all do the same thing, and to add more flexibility - I have a wizard and want to get a +2 to Spellcraft, but I don't use UMD, for instance.

If you really wanted to scale them, I'd make another feat like Skillmaster (maybe epic?), where you gain another +2 or +4 to the same skills. I don't know that scaling them by level is a good idea, though, because you're effectively giving the character free skill points - if he gains a bonus in those skills, even every so many levels, that's points he doesn't have to dump into those skills.

 

[Fieari]

I'd be more comfortable with scalable skills if scalable DCs existed... but they don't, really... unless you count the epic skill DCs.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

The solution I approved of was +2/+2 initially, plus an initial +1 for every five ranks in the skills beyond the first five-- so you start at +2/+2, and reach +3/+3 at 10 ranks, +4/+4 at 15 ranks, and +5/+5 at 20 ranks.

Reckon this could either work for each skill independently, or it could grant the bonus for the skill with the lower ranks. I think I prefer the latter.

Skill Focus was also mentioned, with the idea that it should also be +2 initially, but it should increase by +1 every four ranks, including the first four. So, if you select Skill Focus in a class skill and keep it maxed, you get +3 at 1st level, and an additional +1 at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th (+7!) level.

This would probably require both naming the bonuses granted by those feats and limiting access to magic items which grant skill bonuses.

 

[ceratitis]

my version is +1/+1 and +1 every aditional 4 ranks, same with synergy replacing the +2 for 5 ranks and then zilch.
ahhh, so nice to be back on the boards i feel like an adict who just got his fix
Z

 

[Stalker0]

Skill Focus was also mentioned, with the idea that it should also be +2 initially, but it should increase by +1 every four ranks, including the first four. So, if you select Skill Focus in a class skill and keep it maxed, you get +3 at 1st level, and an additional +1 at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th (+7!) level.

Problem with this is, skill focus doesn't become better than the various (+2/+2) feats until high level.

You get equal amount of bonuses at 5th, it doesn't get better than the other feats until 9th, and if your using the same house rule for the other feat it won't get better till much later.

 

[jeffh]

Problem with this is, skill focus doesn't become better than the various (+2/+2) feats until high level.

You get equal amount of bonuses at 5th, it doesn't get better than the other feats until 9th, and if your using the same house rule for the other feat it won't get better till much later.

Uh, no. SF would get you +2 initially, +3 at 4 ranks (potentially at first level), +4 at 8 ranks, +5 at 12 ranks...

A +2/+2 feat would get you +2 initially, +3 at 10 ranks, +4 at 15... Assuming maxed-out skils at all times, there is no level where SF would not provide a larger bonus. Read the suggestion for these ones carefully; it's for every 5 ranks beyond the 5th, not every 5 ranks period.

 

[wolfpunk]

That was my thread originally.

The original idea was

Named Feats, such as Acrobatics, Agile, Alertness, etc, provide an additional +1 bonus to each skill at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level. If you take the feat at 6th level, you do not gain the +1 bonus for 5th level etc.

Skill Focus provides an additional +1 bonus to the skill at 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level. If you take the feat at 6th level, you do not gain the +1 bonus for 3rd level etc.

Which was then changed to be based on skill ranks the first bonus being at 8 ranks and every five ranks thereafter

The skill focus was at 6 ranks and every three ranks thereafter.

 

[Nyaricus]

That was my thread originally.

Sorry for threadtheft dude... but this was one of the best threads of the past 5 months that we unfortunatly lost, and Genshou and I decided it was a good idea to revive it.

Just an awesome idea

 

[wolfpunk]

Ohh don't worry, I am flattered that there was as much attention paid to it as there was. It is a bummer that I never did save a copy of the thread for myself, there were some great thoughts in there.