Simplified Skills

[comrade raoul]

Can't you say more simply (for single class characters)...

Yes, absolutely. That's the basic idea.

For multiclass characters, I think your system simply doesn't work, because each class has it's own class skills.

That's where the complexity comes in. You get two extra ranks for having a skill as a class skill for any of your classes, then you get more ranks as you advance in the class. If all your levels are in one class, it works out to look exactly like the simplified system. If you have a few levels in one class, you have a few ranks in untrained skills that are class skills for one class but not another (but less than half your max ranks), and a lot of ranks in trained skills that are class skills for one class but not another (more than half your max ranks). So multiclassing makes skills more complicated, but then, it makes figuring out saves and attack bonuses more complicated, too.

The basic thing I want to do is tie skills to class levels more closely in order to accomplish two things: you don't have to fret about where to assign skill points, and every class is at least moderately capable in all of its class skills (the things you might "expect" a character of that class to be able to do).