Skill Groups

[GlassJaw]

Here's a question for this that use consolidate skills:

What do you do if you consolidate a skill but a class only has one of those skills on their class skills list? For example, if you combine Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate into Persuade, do you add it to the fighter's class skill list, even though he normally only has access to Intimidate?

 

[DreamChaser]

But this kind of screws the divine casters. Spellcraft isn't arcane-specific. My gut tells me to leave the magic skills a lone.

Some truth here. Of course, from references made, 4e will be combining them. Not sure how that will be working. *shrug*

What do you do if you consolidate a skill but a class only has one of those skills on their class skills list? For example, if you combine Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate into Persuade, do you add it to the fighter's class skill list, even though he normally only has access to Intimidate?

Now that I don't know. I've never actually combined skills. I think the list is fine as is. My suggestions were just that...suggestions.

I think that the short list does not lend itself to the current "class skill" mechanic because it removes the fine distinctions (like the difference between bluff and intimidate) that allows a fighter to have one but not the other. A wizard should be able to learn about geography without knowing survival. A swashbuckler should know how to balance and tumble without automatically know how to slip out of tight spaces. A person who grew up in a rocky desert should know how to jump and climb but not swim.

All of these indicate that as the skill system stands, combining skills can easily break the system. And you can't just combine ones like Spot / Listen and Hide / Move Silently because this inflates the efficacy of some of the most commonly used skills and makes other options (like rope use and decipher script), disproportionately ineffective / unattractive.

Combine at your own risk.

DC

 

[Slapzilla]

Combine at your own risk.

DC

I agree. Combinations may make sense for certain characters but not others. If economizing skill points is the goal then wouldn't DMs expanding skill lists with more points to spend achieve the same end while allowing for desert characters not knowing how to swim?