Skills that suck.

[tensen]

Funny thing is the character in my current compain.. a Ranger/Rogue is someone who is a skilled forger. Most rogue skills are utilized for that task. So decipher scipt and forgery are used heavily. I'm the one that translates the carvings on the stone. Spends days trying to translate books we've uncovered, and generally look for clues. That and hordes the documents that the nobility give us as letters of reference, so that I can use them to forge other documents for us as need be.

Skills used regularlly. Forgery. Decipher Script. Profession (Scribe). And Perform (drawing), or Craft (calligraphy) as need be.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Escape Artist: Yeah, I think that if you have something like a +30 Escape Artist check, then a big, dumb monster who has a really great grapple check should have trouble grabbing you to begin with (imagine yourself trying to pick up an ant--now give that ant 25 ranks in Escape Artist).

Use Rope: Yep, most characters in my campaign don't use it. Then again, we don't do a lot of mountain climbing or the like. Hmm, now that you mention it, this could be a good way to off some characters . . . .

Disable Device: Absolutely critical in a dungeon crawl if the dungeon has traps. Not so useful for wilderness campaigns.

Decipher Script: I actually think this is better for a d20 Modern campaign. I think it would be great if it could be used more with Use Magic Device for spells. The Incantation rules in d20 Modern are pretty cool and I've thought about merging those rules with this skill and some modification of the expert class to make a new class for D&D.

Forgery: Doesn't get used.

Dave

 

[MerakSpielman]

Keep in mind that you can Take 10 with use rope, unless you're trying to do it in combat for I can't even imagine what reason.

Hell, you can even Take 20.

 

[CRGreathouse]

21st level and just +33??

23 ranks
+3 Skill Focus
+10 Epic Skill Focus

That's +36 and without factoring in masterwork (+2) or magical (+?) tools, intelligence (+2 to +4 by that level)

Well, maybe if he didn't take Epic Skill focus as his first epic feat - still.

He doesn't have Epic Skill Focus; that will be his second epic feat. 24 ranks, +1 Int, +4 tools, +3 Skill Focus, +2 other feat makes +34, which are my best guesses as to his stats. (I can't remember his Int, but he hasn't been able to increase it.)

 

[Raven Crowking]

I run my world largely "as is" and let the PCs bring what they will to it. If you take a skill, it's your job to figure out what you're going to do with it, not mine. That said, unusual skills help to differentiate characters. If forgery was a commonly used skill, then no document would be accepted anywhere (currently a problem with Canadian $100 & $50 bills...heck, even $20s, $10s, and $5s are being closely examined when you buy milk....).

What kind of character do you want to play? What kinds of things do you want that character to do? Then choose your skills accordingly. Then make sure you get the chance to do the things you're interested in. This is as much the player's responsibility as the DM's. (But, yes, the DM should let you know what the world's like so that you can choose wisely.)

One of my favorite characters was a skilled musician, a connoisseur of fine wine, and a psychopath. This cultured individual was not a bard or an aristocrat. He just had character. And, although he enjoyed killing, he never tried to kill another PC. He wasn't being played as a "spoil the other players' fun" character. The other PCs did kill him, however, when they figured out what an evil individual he really was.

Anyway, the point is: so what if some skills suck? Sometimes it's just fun to be really, really good at something that isn't all that common.

Raven Crowking

 

[billd91]

Forgery is one of those skills that will be either really useful or really useless depending on the campaign. In a political campaign or where there's a need for identity papers or letters of marque or whatever, forgery is pretty useful. In a smash and grab campaign, it's not so useful.

As for getting PCs to take appraise more, start low-balling them on some of their exchanges of item-loot into cash. Then drop hints that they aren't getting their fair worth with some tavern conversation or rumors. They might start investing in the skill then.

 

[Gez]

Last time a character of mine was bound, rather than trying Escape Artist checks, she politely asked the rats in the jail to gnaw the rope off. Gotta love gnome's capacity to speak with animals, even if it's limited to burrowing mammals.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Of course, some of these skills might be more useful for NPCs as well....?

 

[MerakSpielman]

Forgery is one of those skills that will be either really useful or really useless depending on the campaign. In a political campaign or where there's a need for identity papers or letters of marque or whatever, forgery is pretty useful. In a smash and grab campaign, it's not so useful.

As for getting PCs to take appraise more, start low-balling them on some of their exchanges of item-loot into cash. Then drop hints that they aren't getting their fair worth with some tavern conversation or rumors. They might start investing in the skill then.

I see Forgery and Appraise as skills that need to exist, but not necessarily for PCs. Like Profession: Sailer or Craft: Leatherworking. They're something for NPCs to put ranks in, and then the PCs can pay them to do forgeries or appraise items.

even if it's limited to burrowing mammals.

My Gnome wizard tried to use this ability to communicate with halflings...

 

[Sammael]

I've had my characters take (and use) Profession (Sailor). One of my PCs has Craft (leatherworking) and has used it on a couple of occasions.