D&D 4E Skills - Breaking the 4E Math?

[arscott]

my understanding is that skill checks aren't getting any sort of bonus from items. They are getting bonuses from race and feats, though.

But, of course, the same is true of attacks and defenses. Plus proficiency bonuses for weapons, and class bonuses for defense. Plus defenses take the better of two ability scores. etc. etc.

 

[Stalker0]

However, I don't think it will be as bad in 4e. A lot depends on whether or not the Skill Focus feat is still around, and if so, what kind of bonus it gives (in SWSE, Skill Focus is +5).

Its a good question. 4e may have simply left in the skill training feat and completely dropped the skill focus one to keep the math feasible.

 

[LostSoul]

I believe the problem is that you are thinking the game allows skill vs def, which I don't think is the intention. I believe it should be skill vs skill.

So its Bluff vs Insight. If you want to eliminate the defensive die role for the monster/NPC simply use passive insight, and it scales similarly to the DEF scores.

This sounds right.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

my understanding is that skill checks aren't getting any sort of bonus from items. They are getting bonuses from race and feats, though.

The Gloves of Ogre Power seem to indicate otherwise, don't they?

 

[AllisterH]

SWSE has a similar problem, especially since one skill check in particular (Use the Force) is often used as an attack roll. And indeed, UtF is ridiculous at low levels, where you can easily get a +10 to hit roll - before stats adjustments for high Cha - while everyone else is dinking around with +0 or +1 (also before stat adjustments).

However, I don't think it will be as bad in 4e. A lot depends on whether or not the Skill Focus feat is still around, and if so, what kind of bonus it gives (in SWSE, Skill Focus is +5). Remember that weapon proficiency gives you an average of +2 to your attack roll, which isn't as good as the +5 from skill training, but is close. It will also probably be easier to pump up your attack bonus than your skill bonuses - magic weapons, etc. So I think attack rolls and skill checks will be in the same ballpark, although Skill Focus (if it still exists) can throw things out of whack at low levels.

It waan't Skill Focus alone. It was Skill Focus (+5) and the prerequisiste, the Trained feat (+5) that made UtF such a pain the butt at low levels.

As long as the 4E equivalent is under +10, we should be fine.

 

[Spatula]

It waan't Skill Focus alone. It was Skill Focus (+5) and the prerequisiste, the Trained feat (+5) that made UtF such a pain the butt at low levels.

As long as the 4E equivalent is under +10, we should be fine.

We already know that being trained in a skill is +5, just like in SWSE.