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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Buttercup" data-source="post: 3095210" data-attributes="member: 990">Sorry I didn't come back to this thread sooner--Real Life interrupted.Anyway, I think you are missing the point.  While it's true that only one party member *needs* to have the Comprehend Languages spell to render this skill redundant, not all players think first of optimization on the character or party level while creating or levelling their character.  Some players actually like to consider the role playing aspects of their character first and foremost.  A player like that might sink many points into Decipher Script because it fits his/her character concept.  That player might then reasonably expect the DM to sprinkle the campaign with opportunities for their character to use the skill.  I play with people like that.  I run games for people like that.  And I am a person like that.In Ghostwind's recently ended campaign, there was a PC who was a scholar.  He had absolutely no physical combat ability, but he was extremely useful to the party because of his ranks in various "useless" skills.  Ghostwind, as any good DM should, gave Brian opportunities to use his character in the way he wanted to.I have a player who consistently creates characters that focus on knowledge, appraise, decipher and other similar skills.  That's what he considers a fun character.  He's an excellent roleplayer.  Why would I not accomodate him?  And in fact, I've found that having to prepare for a game with a PC that is focused on the so called "useless" skills really pushes me as a DM to create an interesting story.  When Mike's character takes a book off a shelf, and finds that it is written in an obscure dialect of ancient Valossan, he keeps the book and takes it back to the inn to study.  He wants to know what the book says.  In response then, I have to create some ancient Valossan mythology or history or prophecy.  I wouldn't trade this player for one who prefers low intelligence bruiser characters.  I consider his fondness for "useless" skills to be a huge bonus that helps me create a richer campaign world.  And that creates more fun for everyone at the table.</blockquote>

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