& Sneak Attack: Skills and Proficiencies

[mach1.9pants]

It will probably be handled the same way you handle the fighter being the weapon master. Instead of giving out bigger and bigger bonuses, you give out more options on what to do with the existing bonus. So, maybe stuff like reroll a skill check 1/encounter, ignore failed check 1/encounter, substitute skill X for skill Y, add +10 to your skill check if X, opponent takes -10 if Y, and so on. It's about breadth and flexibility not raw numbers.

Yep the tumble level 2 utility power is that.
EDIT: in fact that is a really good point, and would cover why the rogue (previously given as the skill god outside combat) doesn't seem great from the preview. His skill powers just aren't listed, apart from one.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

So, let me get this straight. No bonus skills for high INT, and none of the rogues class skills are based off INT?

I can see why a conversion manual would be useless. At least one 3E rogue that my players created had Int as thier highest stat, and all of them had it in thier top 3 or so.

So, with no bonus skills for high int, does that mean that every non-spellcaster class can use Int as a dump stat?

Rapier seems to have disappeared as a result of the simplification to the critical system. More importantly though, they seem to have done absolutely no reform of weapon proficiency system - which was an area I had problems with.

Oh well, just another thing I'll have to do myself.

Yes, intelligence, as a stat rather than a quality of character, no longer seems to be a priority for theives.

But it does seem to be a high priority for Warlords in addition to Wizards.

Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma seem to me to be more than enough stats for a class to emphasize.

And in terms of the 'Intelligent Rake' literary archetype, it seems to me that the number and type of skills that Wisdom and Charisma emphasize really emphasizes that INT the stat is just one small part of Intelligence the character trait.

I've always felt more comfortable reading INT the stat as memory anyways.

And honestly, I'm happy to have more dumpstats. If that is what we're seeing here.

 

[Incenjucar]

They're probably aiming at three stats mattering per class. Three is a very popular number for variety without too much complexity.

 

[Celebrim]

And honestly, I'm happy to have more dumpstats. If that is what we're seeing here.

This is one of those statements that convinces me that there is no way that they can make all of us happy. I'd be perfectly happy if no class had a dumpstat.

 

[Silvergriffon]

Regarding Leather armor only: It could be that while weapons have moved from categories to individual proficiencies, armor may have retained categories but changed from being based on level of protection in the game system (light/medium/heavy) to being based on actual qualities of the armor. In other words, Leather armor may include leather, studded leather, and hide armors. It always seemed a little odd to me that leather armor and a chain shirt shared a proficiency. Of course, this is just a guess.

 

[hong]

verisimilitude Voss

Verisimilitude Voss would make a fine medieval superhero name.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

This is one of those statements that convinces me that there is no way that they can make all of us happy. I'd be perfectly happy if no class had a dumpstat.

I'm happy if no class has a dumpstat and no character gets penalized by that.

And I'm happy with their being multiple dumpstats per class so that the decision of what you are or are not good at outside of your job isn't, in fact, made by your job.

Otherwise I'm happy with their being no automatic dump stat.

Or even just a selection of privileged abilities per class to help write out the character of the class.

Lots of things make me happy.

I might be unhappy if there were a system that left all stats equal for all classes. Or made certain stats really good general choices so that putting a high stat in a good specific choice then penalized you for not taking the general choice.

 

[pukunui]

Yep the tumble level 2 utility power is that.
EDIT: in fact that is a really good point, and would cover why the rogue (previously given as the skill god outside combat) doesn't seem great from the preview. His skill powers just aren't listed, apart from one.

I thought I'd just point out that they have said a) "There is going to be a social encounter system" (which would presumably involve social skills, feats, and possibly even non-combat powers) but b) "We're not going to preview it at all".

So my guess is that the rogue preview is incomplete. That is to say, they've undoubtedly left all of the "social encounter" stuff out of it because they're not going to preview that. All we're going to get in the previews is the combat stuff ...

I suppose we might get some of the social encounter stuff after D&D XP, though, since people have been told they get to keep their character sheets and don't have to sign NDAs, etc etc. That being said, the demos could very well be purely combat-based ... hmm.

*Goes back to waiting and seeing while remaining optimistic and excited*


EDIT: Another question that's worth asking is "What happened to Trapfinding?" R&C said it was going to be a feat anyone could take but that rogues got it for free. The preview doesn't mention it. Does that mean it's been folded up as a "special use" of a skill (Thievery perhaps?). Or is it now a rogue utility power that other classes would have to multiclass to get? Curiouser and curiouser ... Hopefully this will be something that the D&D XP demos will clear up!

 

[FireLance]

R&C did say that Rogues with high Intelligence get a "flat bonus" to all trained skill checks, but that does not appear to be in the preview.

 

[Ultimatecalibur]

It could be that the Int bonus to skills and Trapfinding as a feat mentioned in R&C were dropped after that book was published. Or the Intelligent Rogue build could have been pushed back to Martial Power.