D&D 3E/3.5 Scry skill gone in 3.5e

[Liminal Syzygy]

Has there been any discussion of Scry in 3.5e?

I've heard it is no longer a skill...

 

[shilsen]

Do you recall where you heard this? I was just looking at some templates and NPCs in Savage Species, and while the skill list has been updated (Wilderness Lore is Survival, etc.), a number of them have Scry listed. So that may mean that it isn't getting dropped.

 

[Piratecat]

That might be for backwards compatability. Let's face it, it's easy for a 3e DM using 3.5 creatures to adjust "survival" to "wilderness lore" on the fly, since it's been reclassified. It's a lot more difficult to arbitrarily assign skill ranks in a skill that no longer even exists.

 

[Merlion]

Why would they do away with Scry?

 

[drnuncheon]

Too limited? It's got two uses: the scrying spell, and spotting when someone is scrying on you.

The second could easily be rolled into Spot, and the first is pretty weak on its own. (Really, the whole skill's pretty weak - not like awesome skills such as USE ROPE!)

J

 

[Piratecat]

Hey now - don't be dissing USE ROPE!

While we were playtesting 3e, we went through a period when R&D renamed half the freakin' skills as "Intuit X." There was intuit danger (which later became the class feature uncanny dodge), intuit motive, intuit direction, all sorts of things. It's still a private joke when someone in my group asks "Can I roll my intuit jump?"

I always thought scry was sort of a weird skill. I mean, not only are the DCs for it way too low, it's a skill that only applies to (basically) one spell. Worse, it's confusing, as we had a player in one game who thought that he could use the skill alone to scry on someone.

 

[Demon Knight]

I agree, Scry is not one of my first choices as a skill. As a low level wizard, I have to ask myself "Do I want to 'waste' skill points in a skill that I can't use until XX level, which this character may never reach anyway?" If I were playing a high-level wizard, I may go ahead and splash a few points into Scry if I was taking the corresponding spell(s). It may just be me, but I don't like playing the crystal ball character type (that's what NPCs are for, hehe)

If they scrap Scry, then so be it. You won't see me complaining. I would rather spend those points on a more useful skill, one that I can use at low and high levels, and consistently.

 

[drnuncheon]

Hey now - don't be dissing USE ROPE!

I humbly submit my characters stat block as evidence - I believe it will show the court exactly where I stand on the matter!

Kraydn ibn Tayyar ibn Iraj, Male Human Rogue10 Fighter4: CR 14; Size:M Type Humanoid; HD (10d6)+(4d10)+28; hp 94; Init +6; Spd Walk 60'; AC 28 (flatfooted 0, touch 0), *Alqualindë +21/+16/+11 (1d6+7 12-20/x2 - Rapier +3, Keen, Flying, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 13, feather fall 2x/day, grants Sunder, threat range doubled) or Shortbow +1 (+2 Mighty/Composite/Flaming Burst) +18/+13/+8 70'/P (1d6+3 20/x3 - True Strike (spell trigger)) or Throwing Knife +17/+12/+7 20'/P (1d4+2 20/x2); SA: Evasion, Improved Evasion, Sneak Attack +5d6, Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC), Uncanny Dodge (can't be flanked); Vision: Normal; AL: TN; Sv: Fort +12, Ref +17, Will +8; Str 14, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 13

Skills and Feats: Balance +20, Bluff +14, Climb +19, Decipher Script +4, Escape Artist +12, Gather Information +8, Hide +10, Intimidate +6, Jump +56, Listen +7, Move Silently +8, Open Lock +7, Perform +3, Profession (Sailor) +15, Ride +7, Search +6, Sense Motive +2, Spot +7, Swim +3, Tumble +21, Use Magic Device +14, Use Rope +17; Armor Proficiency (All), Dodge, EWP: Hand Crossbow, Expertise, Improved Critical (Rapier), Martial Weapon Proficiency, Mobility, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse (Rapier), Weapon Focus (Rapier), Weapon Specialization (Rapier), Whirlwind Attack

J
...or should that be "Intuit Rope"?

 

[Cloudgatherer]

I'd bet a large sum of money Scry is gone. Most likely replaced by Will saves.

Why do I say this? Well, I was looking over the Mystic Theurge (sorry to bring it up) and I noticed something peculiar: no Scry skill. Thinking "this can't be right" I posted on Andy Collin's messageboard about it and his reply sounds like the skill has been removed entirely.

 

[mmu1]

I'd bet a large sum of money Scry is gone. Most likely replaced by Will saves.

Why do I say this? Well, I was looking over the Mystic Theurge (sorry to bring it up) and I noticed something peculiar: no Scry skill. Thinking "this can't be right" I posted on Andy Collin's messageboard about it and his reply sounds like the skill has been removed entirely.

If I were replacing it, I'd make noticing scrying a Spot check and scrying with the spell or some device a Spellcraft check (with adjusted DCs).