Skill Points

[Shalimar]

I am wondering why skill points are such a rare commodity in DnD? Is there a particular reason that there are classes limited to 2 skill points a level? I have noticed in other D20 system games that they were more plentiful and that seemed much more natural to me, so I wanted to know everyone else's feelings on the matter. Should they be more plentiful, less?

 

[WayneLigon]

Balance, for the most part. The classes with low skill points have significantly better class abilities than some others. Fighters have more feats, wizards and clerics have the most unrestricted and best spell lists. And when you think about it, there aren't all that many skills your classic warrior, wizard or priest needs beyond the few given to them.

Now, myself, I would like a general upping of skill points across the board because I like characters using lots of skills, and I'd probably drop the idea of class skills save in very special circumstances. I like the fighter that is also the eagle-eyed scout and who knows the local royalty and knows seven languages because he's been to ten different lands while he was in the army. Or the wizard who is also a good herbalist and woods-wise healer.

 

[Aus_Snow]

In my house rules, I give 2 extra skill points to all beings at every level. I find it's a simple, elegant solution to what may be similar (perceived) problems to those you've found, Shalimar.

 

[Crothian]

I am wondering why skill points are such a rare commodity in DnD? Is there a particular reason that there are classes limited to 2 skill points a level? I have noticed in other D20 system games that they were more plentiful and that seemed much more natural to me, so I wanted to know everyone else's feelings on the matter. Should they be more plentiful, less?

Certain classes are not skilled oriente4d, that why they get so few. If a player wants his character to have more skills he has options like taking a human, multi classing, having a high intelligence, selecting certain feats, etc. So, it is not like a character with a low skill point class is stuck with low skill points.

 

[arscott]

It's just one of those artificially enforced party niche things that D&D is full of. I don't think that there's any huge reason you can't just give everybody two extra skill points per level if it bothers you.

 

[drothgery]

I am wondering why skill points are such a rare commodity in DnD? Is there a particular reason that there are classes limited to 2 skill points a level? I have noticed in other D20 system games that they were more plentiful and that seemed much more natural to me, so I wanted to know everyone else's feelings on the matter. Should they be more plentiful, less?

I think the non-D&D d20 games mostly learned from D&D that certain things weren't good ideas -- 2 skill point/level classes (especially when they're not Int-dependant) and d4 hit dice aren't very common outside of D&D in d20 games, and with good reason. 2/level is really too few (any character I'm playing in a 2 skill point/level class will have a positive Int modifier, and probably be human).

 

[Nighthawk]

In my house rules, I give 2 extra skill points to all beings at every level. I find it's a simple, elegant solution to what may be similar (perceived) problems to those you've found, Shalimar.

This is essentially what I do. IMC, the house rule is that no class has lower than 4 skill points per level. It seems to work out fine in my group and the players like it (the increase in points awarded to non-combat skills is something that could not be done otherwise, in the group's opinion). Which is cool enough for me.

 

[Stalker0]

I like the fighter that is also the eagle-eyed scout and who knows the local royalty and knows seven languages because he's been to ten different lands while he was in the army. Or the wizard who is also a good herbalist and woods-wise healer.

Some of this can be settled through multiclassing. A pure fighter is in many ways a grunt. Sure, the man can fight. But that's all he knows, he leaves battles and the like and he has no skills to fall back on.

Now a fighter/ranger for example has a great mix of fighting and skills. This is your eagle-eyed scout whose still a great fighter.

 

[Centaur]

I also give an across the board 2 point/lvl increase. Also, I have reduced the crippling effects of class/cross-class skills. Now, the only thing that a class or cross-class skill designation governs is your maximum ranks at any given level. other than that, there is no cost difference from one skill to the next.

 

[fiddlerjones]

I will soon be co-DMing a campaign and we are trying out the variant generic classes. I really like the idea of each class choosing a certain number of class skills at the start, so that you can have the forest-savvy mage or the eagle-eyed fighter.