Skill modifiers: how good are you?

[painandgreed]

Ok, I don't have time to actually do this now, but I think that a neat thing to do would be to pick up the DMG's population-by-level tables, make a few reasonable assumptions, and figure out how many people actually have a +5, +10, +30 modifier in any given skill. Obviously, the DMG's tables weren't wrote to this end, but the result may give us a good idea of exactly how special a +35 is.

I did this over in the Fantasy World Economics thread last week. For my example kingdom of a little over 200,000 people, we have the following spread of commoners:

"Anyway, the way it works out for our kingdom is as follows: 1 20th level, 1 19th level, 1 18th level, 1 13th level, 16 10th level, 44 9th level, 150 8th level, 331 7th level, 120 5th level, 962 4th level, 240 3rd level, 2404 2nd level, and over 170,000 1st level commoners. The 2nd level is so high because I’ve decided to round up 3’s just like they show 5’s being rounded up. Half of 5 is 3. Half of 3 is 2. This way there isn’t a gap for 2nd levels all the time and evens out the curve a little."

If you figure that any commoner that puts his work first in his life will pick up Skill Focus, max ranks, assistants, and masterwork tools. This gives a final modifier of level+10. This gives thousands of +11 craftsmen out there even if you assume that most can't afford masterwork tools or assistants. So +10 is probably "best in the village". Given that some are going to have Int modifiers, then you're looking at another +1 to +4. If 3 in 200 commoners have an 18 inteligence, you'd still have almost a thousand 1st level craftsmen with a modifier of +15, although scattered between many professions and crafts. This would be something like "best in region".There are still around 50 out there with modifiers of around +20. If you consider that 50 is enough to have most crafts and professions covered and that these people will have higher than average stats, then you could consider over +20 as being "best in kingdom". There will be a few with skill modifers of +30 or more but this will only be in 3 or so total different crafts, probably puttng them at "best in world".

 

[Doomhawk]

The Giant's diplomacy rules are great, although it is kinda OT.

Since most people in the world are 1st level, and therefore have at most 4 ranks in a skill, it can be assumed that 4 ranks indicates at least a moderate level of proficiency. d20 Modern even states that 0 ranks can, in fact, still indicate competency (for instance, not having any ranks in Drive doesn't mean you don't know how to drive); having ranks in a skill simply indicates "heroic ability" in that skill. I know a fair bit about history (after all, I've taken classes in it), but I'm far from an expert on the subject, so I wouldn't have any ranks in it (since anything requiring a Knowledge check would, by definition, be a subject that isn't terribly common knowledge - and therefore outside the limits of my historical learning). Having any ranks in a skill indicates a good level of skill, having more than 4 ranks indicates exceptional ability, having bonuses in the 20's or higher indicates levels of skill that are amazing to normal people. A +20 on Jump means that the character can jump 30 feet on a running long jump *every time* by taking 10 (the world record for long jump is about that, isn't it?). A +20 on Balance indicates being able to move across a 2-inch-wide, severely slippery surface at normal walking speed *all the time* by taking 10 (think of trying to walk at normal speed on the narrow side of a 2-by-4 with butter on your feet). +20 on Climb means, by taking 10, you can climb a natural rock wall during a rainstorm, without any equipment, and have no chance of falling. Any of these things can easily be achieved before 10th level if the character really wants to (and invests in an item that gives a bonus).

Even in 3.0, synergy bonuses always stacked. House-ruling otherwise is fine, but the RAW indicates that they stack. In 3.5, they're unnamed bonuses, so they DEFINITELY stack, and the 3.5 FAQ also specifically addresses the three synergy bonuses to Diplomacy brought up here (from Bluff, Sense Motive, and Knowledge [Nobility and Royalty]) and states that they all stack. Again, house-ruling that synergy bonuses do not always apply is fine as a house rule, but the actual letter of the rules states otherwise. The text is, "If you have 5 or more ranks in Handle Animal, you get a +2 synergy bonus on Ride checks." There is nothing indefinite or situational in that statement, it always applies within the RAW.

 

[Zoatebix]

I hereby declare Doomhawk and Painandgreed Officially Cool as Far as I'm Concerned.

If I weren't sick right now, I'd probably have something more constructive to say. Yay for good analysis by both of them!