Simple skill based d20

[LostSoul]

Well, here's something I'm thinking about:

Each character starts out with (4 + Int bonus) x 4 skill points. They can use these to buy ranks at a one-for-one basis.

Base Attack Bonus is a skill, and your BAB = skill ranks -3.

Each time you finish a session, the GM awards you character points. You use these character points to buy feats & skills. Your first Feat costs 4 points, the next ones cost the value of the old one plus 1/2 (rounded down, as normal). So it would go like this: 4, 6, 9, 13, 19, 27, etc. Skill points cost the rank level. So to bump a skill to 5 ranks from 4 it would cost you 4 points.

You could use a different method for hit points, or make a new category of Feats that lets you gain a new hit die (whatever you want to set that as). Separate these hit dice from the other Feats, so that your first hit die is 4, second 6, then 9, 13, etc. regardless of how many feats you have.

Other methods for hit points would be to introduce a defense skill and keep hit points = to Con and use armour as DR.

 

[Shalewind]

You might want to check out:

http://www.custoscogitatum.com/ManaDrive/index.cfm

They do almost this exact same thing. They have it all worked out too. Pay particular intrest to the Disciplines and Proficienes sections. It's a very cool system.

Hope this helps.

 

[MarauderX]

Holy crap! Wizards would be the most powerful in the game, as they would have the best BAB as well as the most skills and could outclass any other character even from beginning at 1st level. Is it just me or would the only drawback be the inability to utilize armor?

 

[Gez]

Isn't the purpose of skill-based system to remove classes ? Even if class-based system may have skill (à la D&D3), and skill-based system may have classes (à la Morrowind CRPG), you can't really have both in equity. Game systems have only one right leg.

So, in Morrowind, classes offer nothing by themselves -- they are just a selection of primary and secondary skills, but everything that can be achieved by a knight may also be achieved by a wizard, and vice-versa.

D&D d20 is class-based because, despite the importance of feats and skills, class features are still proeminantly important (spellcasting, bonus feats, HD, BAB and saves, and other special abilities).

The simplest way to translate D&D to a totally skill-based system would be to create new skills that correspond to former levels. For example, spells per day would be based on a spellcasting skill, with 5 ranks being the equivalent of a level 5 wizard. For example.

Of course, with the maxing-out of skills being equal at level+3, finetuning is required. Rather than considering the first 3 ranks are useless, I would encourage spreading of points. For example, one skill may be used for wielding (casting) spell, and another for understanding (preparing or knowing) them. Combined with spellcraft for identification, concentration, and knowledge: arcana, that makes a bunch of skill a wizard would need. Plus alchemy. Any wizard worth his salt knows alchemy.

Also, the bonus points from Int could only be spent is a subset of skills -- knowledge, craft and profession, for example. So as to not make Int the end-all-be-all stat in the game. D&D allow stupid fighters to fight and wear armor.

 

[LostSoul]

Holy crap! Wizards would be the most powerful in the game, as they would have the best BAB as well as the most skills and could outclass any other character even from beginning at 1st level. Is it just me or would the only drawback be the inability to utilize armor?

I think you're missing the point. Something like Spellcasting would be a Feat. Maybe gaining a Caster Level would be a Feat. Anyone could take it. So there aren't any Classes, just people who do things.

And that's if you're using the D&D magic system, which has its own flavour. You could come up with something else more suited to your own campaign system. Something like a Skills & Feats magic system where each spell is a Skill in itself.

 

[LostSoul]

http://www.custoscogitatum.com/ManaDrive/index.cfm

They do almost this exact same thing. They have it all worked out too. Pay particular intrest to the Disciplines and Proficienes sections. It's a very cool system.

That's interesting. I notice that it's level based as well.

Anyway, I think I'm going to play around with things until I'm ready to test it with a new campaign setting I'm working on. I just wanted to test the waters.

 

[thullgrim]

one way to solve some of the problems mentioned above is to do what Rolemaster does. Anyone of any class can learn virtually any skill, however, your class determines how much you pay for a given skill. For instance, anyone can learn to swing a sword, and even do it effectively, but for fighters its easier than anyone else, likewaise magic. Wizrds learn magic easily while rogues find it more difficult and fighters really struggle. though all can learn to do it. In this manner, fighters are better fighters, and wizrdsa are better casters but anyone can be effective at either.