Skills - what is your preference

[Hassassin]

I answered Lemoncurry.

My only "requirement" is that skills exist, and you can both improve in a skill and gain more skills as you level up.

From the mechanics in previous editions and derivatives, I like PF Beginner the best. That doesn't mean they can't come up with something even better of course.

Edit: PF Beginner has a short list, class skills and skill ranks, but allows becoming good at cross class skills and encourages versatility due to the initial +3 for class skills. You can play it simple by choosing skills to max or more complex by individually allocating points each level.

 

[Yora]

I think I like Star Wars Saga best. It's a much simplefied version of the 3.5e system:

Instead of skill points, you have trained skills. You select your trained skills from your class skills at 1st level.
For Trained Skills, your Skill Modifier is Ability Modifier + Character level.
For all other skills, yout Skill Modifier is Ability Modifier + 1/2 Character level.

With feats, of which a 20th level character with no prestige classes gets 17 or 18, you can select Skill Training to get an additional Trained skill, or Skill Focus, which improves the Skill Modifier by +5.

The end result is really not that different from what you would usually end up with in 3.5e, but it's so much faster and easier, especially for NPCs.

 

[mach1.9pants]

And I summon thee [MENTION=4475]Sammael[/MENTION] for I feel your desire for more crunchy skills has not been forsaken by the gods of 5E...

"What does this mean going forward? It means we're still working on it. Skills are clearly important to many players as a customization element. The questions remaining in my mind are, "How can we create a system that provides the customization players get out of skills, while still making it easier for DMs—and players who don't want to use a skills system—to adjudicate actions at the table.""

From the Rule of Three: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Rule-of-Three: 01/31/12)

Things may change and I almost guarantee a complex skills module if nothing else.

 

[Sammael]

And I summon thee [MENTION=4475]Sammael[/MENTION] for I feel your desire for more crunchy skills has not been forsaken by the gods of 5E...

"What does this mean going forward? It means we're still working on it. Skills are clearly important to many players as a customization element. The questions remaining in my mind are, "How can we create a system that provides the customization players get out of skills, while still making it easier for DMs—and players who don't want to use a skills system—to adjudicate actions at the table.""

From the Rule of Three: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Rule-of-Three: 01/31/12)

Things may change and I almost guarantee a complex skills module if nothing else.

Normally, I am bothered by summonings... but not this time, my friend, not this time...

This is Good News, indeed, to know that they are looking into a more complex skill system. It won't be an easy task, considering the foundation is pretty antithetical to it, but I'm sure the collective brain trust of WotC + playtesters will manage somehow.

I would like to humbly offer my services to Monte & Co in case they feel the need to bounce their current ideas off me. I've been thinking about skills and skill systems A LOT and I'm actually going to playtest a semi-new system I've cooked up in the following weeks.

 

[BobTheNob]

Personally, I knida like the idea of just having stat rolls (not to TOO 2e about it, but roll 1d20, and roll <= your stat = success). Its BOG SIMPLE, so entry level players arent put out, and allow for more "interpretive" play

It also allows for OPTIONAL levels of complication to be put over the top e.g.
1. "Class poficiencies" = "rogues get +2 dex when attempting stealth"
2. "Training" = "Stealth Training : Gain +2 to dex when attempting Stealth"
3. "Situational" = Light conditions ajust the roll up and down
4. "Level Differential" = If this test is well below you class level, have a +2, it its above, have a -2

Its a bit more abstract, but it works at multiple levels of complexity, and so can suite many styles whilst still being a single "core mechanic"

 

[TarionzCousin]

So far, the poll results are showing that most participants seem to be fine with the current implementation (as presented).

However, it bears mentioning that there is still a significant minority that desires a more complex skill system.

Yes and I reckon we will see a 3e style skill system as an addon module, no problems.

Or a pared down list, like in 4E. I think this is an absolute must-have add-on module for 5E. I might not use it, but too many people want it for them to not include it.

For myself, I hope that the combination of Themes and whatever they call "Basic Skills" is enough. When I was running my multi-year 2E campaign and Non-Weapon Proficiencies arrived, it was a great addition to the game.

--At least, that's how I remember it. Now I will wait for someone to tell me that NWP's came out before 2E, or as part of it from the start, or never existed at all....

 

[Hussar]

TarionC - NWP's were part of 2e at the start of 2e. They're in the PHB.

Purely for my own preferences, the D&D Next version would do the trick for me. I don't play D&D as The Sims - Dark Ages, so, the shopping list of specific skills that 3e had is not for me. 4e isn't a bad way to go, but, honestly, overcomplicated. The Stat+mod method gets to the same result as 4e tried, with a lot fewer steps.

Plus, when you free up the idea of skills from skill points, but rather things like stunts, THERE'S where your specialization will come. Because, I'm pretty sure, that one of the stunts for something like Knowledgelatypus Mating Practices, will include a nice juicy bonus to that specific skill or specific area of knowledge.

 

[Mokona]

In essence, there will be 6 skills in the game: the Strength skill, the Dexterity skill, the Constitution skill, the Intelligence skill, the Wisdom skill, and the Charisma skill.

Furthermore, if your character is not intelligent, he will never be able to become an expert in any one of those areas. No matter how many monsters he ends up slaying, skinning, and tracking, he'll always be inferior in monster knowledge to the high-Int wizard who spends his whole life in a tower.

The six D20 Modern Roleplaying Game classes loosely based on ability scores were boring as hell and lacked flavor. Defaulting skills to ability checks is only slightly less bland.

However, it appears they're going to lessen the impact of ability scores by lowering the overall steepness of modifiers. This might mean that circumstance modifiers, "background" modifiers, or modifiers from your theme/feat choices could largely outweigh differences in ability scores.

I voted for a 4e-style skill system but I have another idea:

A large list of relatively niche skill choices and skill groups (think professions like Sailor or Woodsman) that function in a binary fashion. Either you have that skill or you don't (no levels). If you are proficient you get access to some capability that others don't have and a small modifier. This way skill choices matter but characters aren't (effectively) prevented from acting outside of the confines of their skill "points".

 

[Grazzt]

Furthermore, if your character is not intelligent, he will never be able to become an expert in any one of those areas. No matter how many monsters he ends up slaying, skinning, and tracking, he'll always be inferior in monster knowledge to the high-Int wizard who spends his whole life in a tower.

Who's to say the DM can't go "Ya know, your fighter's killed a crapton of monsters. He get's a +xx bonus on monster knowledge checks."

DM can boost the bonus or say it only applies to certain areas of monster knowledge. If your fighter has killed and skinned a ton of orcs, bonus applies. Bonus doesn't apply when he's dealing with a remorhaz though, cause he knows nothing about them. (Unless he's done his research, in which case, maybe the bonus does apply after all.) And, perhaps said bonus isn't just +2. Maybe your guy knows a ton about orcs now, so he adds his class level to the check instead of +2.

Probably lots of other ways to make sure a not-so-smart fighter can soak up knowledge about a specific area he's dealt with a lot.

 

[Mengu]

I like skills. I don't really care if they are 3.x style or 4.0 style, but I like to have a list, and I like the option to train them or not, and I like that my training could have an impact on mechanical aspects of the character in and outside combat. Voted 4.0, but 3.x is also just fine. I feel skills help me understand and imagine what my character is good at, and what his shortcomings are.