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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Technik4" data-source="post: 1008590" data-attributes="member: 7211">I dig the changes. As mista said, I think the class needs to be opened up a little, as it stands it is quite difficult for rangers and bards to get in, despite the fact that in 3.5 they get quite a few skill points (6/level).Diplomacy makes for a better fit, as you said. Most great mentors or teachers were not usually in the best place politically, so they definitely needed to be diplomatic.I liked the Craft and Profession requirements merely because they simulated someone skilled in a trade or a guild. This gives more credence to them being teachers, as they were probably taught something, in addition to teaching themselves things. I still think profession (teaching) is sort of clunky. If you want an all-around skill master, even one that is good at taking on students, you can't expect them to have been taking profession (teaching) since level 1 (and they would pretty much need to have been, to qualify with the other things). I would say keep the knowledge (any) and diplomacy at 8 ranks, but reduce the profession (teaching) to 4 ranks. I'm glad you liked the language focus, another good way would be to make it 2 knowledge skills instead of 1.While the sneak attack does make it more "roguey", it works at a counter to letting others in easily. If you are dead set on making a class ability a requirement evasion works much better from a mechanics point of view. It allows less mutliclassing to reach the desired result, plus high level 3.5 rangers and of course monks also get evasion. It still forces the bard to multiclass, but I think thats a wash (the prc isnt intended for spellcasters much anyway).At this point Im starting to feel like it should only be a 5 level class. There are a few reasons for this, but namely that it seems less a "career" and more of a side-trek for anyone, even a rogue. Below is my take on your idea.A Skill Master is a cunning craft adversary. She is skilled in many different things, and can often train people quickly to overcome obstacles in a pinch. Skill Masters are surprisingly adept at combat, and they often have many tales of war and battle under their belts. A Skill Master is a potent adversary, and one may never know what to expect. Rogues, Rangers, and Bards most often become skill masters, although some less driven wizards have also taken the path.Hit Die: d6.RequirementsFeats: Leadership, Skill Focus (Profession (Teaching), Diplomacy, or Knowledge (Any))Skills: Profession (Teaching) 4 ranks, Diplomacy 8 ranks, Knowledge (any) 8 ranks Abilities: EvasionOther: Must speak 5 languages, Must be introduced to class by another Skill Master.Level AT FORT REF WILL1st +1 +0 +2 +2 Master Focus, Mentor2nd +2 +0 +3 +3 Tutor, Uncanny Dodge 3rd +3 +1 +3 +3 Master Focus, Renown Teacher4th +4 +1 +4 +4 5th +5 +1 +4 +4 Skill Mastery[Changed BAB to Good. Dropped Sneak Attack completely. Kept Master focus, but dropped transcendant skill. Changed Calm Nerves to Skill Mastery.]Class Features:Skill Points at Each Level : 8 + Int. Modifier Class Skills Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge:Any (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill), and Use Rope (Dex).Weapon and Armor Proficiency : A skill master does not gain proficiency in either weapons or armor.[My first change. There is no need to give a non-rogue (which is now possible) any extra proficiencies. Most prcs are written this way these days.]Maintained Abilities: A Skill Master's level is added to a bard's to determine Bardic Knowledge. A Skill Master's level is also added to a wizard's to determine Familiar abilities.Master Focus: Skill Masters can take Master Focus in a skill in which they have four or more ranks. The skills gain a +2 masterful bonus and will thereafter be considered a class skill for the character regardless of what future classes are taken by the Skill Master. A Skill Master who tutors a skill which they have Master Focus in grants an additional 2 ranks to the recepient.[No change really, made it so that as long as they have 4 ranks they can Master it and a small bonus to tutoring a Master Focused skill.]Mentor : The cohort of a Skill Master gains an extra skill point per level.Tutor: Once per day per class level, the character can train someone in how to perform a particular feat or skill. To teach a skill, the Skill Master makes a Profession (Teaching) check DC 20, and the recipient gains a temporary number of ranks in that skill equal to the Skill Master's level. The total effective ranks held by the recipient can not exceed the number of ranks held by the teacher. To teach a feat, the Skill Master makes a Profession (Teaching) check DC 25, and the recepient gains any feat the skill master possesses. The recepient must make an Intelligence check DC 10 or else they cannot be taught that day. For each point they roll above ten the tutoring lasts an additional hour (minimum 1 hour). If a character has been tutored at least 3 times for the same skill or feat, a the recepient gets a +2 competence bonus to the Intelligence check.[Some changes here. Since the formula seemed tricky and could possibly be exploited by dumping points into Profession (Teaching) I refined the bonus to that of the Skill Master herself. I also added the intelligence check so the smarter the person you teach, the longer it sticks. I think it makes sense. I didn't put the part about having the requisite for the skill, after-all the recepient will only have access to the feat for a few hours.]Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level and above, she retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. Any Skill Master levels count as rogue levels when calculating total Uncanny Dodge bonuses.[Kept this, it is one of the ties to the roguey aspect.]Renown Teacher : The Skill Master’s reputation for teaching and nurturing becomes more widely known. The skill master always has a bonus to her Leadership score equal to her level of Skill Master.[Renamed Leadership bonus to Renown teacher. I also tied this to the Skill Master's level, although it is a little feeble since you don't get it until 3rd level.]Skill Mastery: A Skill Master may choose a number of skills equal to her Int bonus. All of her Master Focused skills in addition to the picked skills can be used by the Skill Master "Taking 10", even under stressfull conditions.[I think this works better than calm nerves, especially since it is an existing mechanic. Tying it back to the Master Foci brings the class together nicely.]Overall Im pleased with this 5-level version. I don't regret losing sneak attack, though the high BAB feels out of place. I think compared to rogue levels this version is very cool without losing much power, except direct combat power.Technik</blockquote>

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