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The Three-Skill System
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<blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 5787854" data-attributes="member: 67"><p>Sure. Stick with me; this will be kind of long. Let's say Joe the Fighter started out as a farmer. He has a little blurb on his character sheet where he's got his background written in (a few lines or a paragraph). He also has an area for his skills and one says <strong>Background Skill</strong> and has a number representing training (say, +2) next to it. No need to go into more detail on the sheet.</p><p></p><p>There's another skill on there called <strong>Class Skill</strong> and has a number = 1/2 level. Let's say Joe is second level; the number would be +1 . At level 10, the number would be +5. At level 20, it would be +10. Since Joe's class is already on the character sheet, there's no need to add further detail to this skill, either.</p><p></p><p>There's one more skill on there. Let's say that Joe has specialized in mounted combat. This is a skill that the DM would probably consider part of the Fighter's Class Skill, but Joe wants to be really good at it. His character sheet has <strong>Specialist Skill</strong> on it and has written "Mounted Combat" in beside it. At level 2, he'll have +2 beside it. At level 10, it would be +10. At level 20, it would be +20.</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Now, Joe and company are traveling through the countryside and come across a field of vegetables. The group has heard that a mysterious drought has struck the area, but the vegetables seem to be in good health.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The whole party thinks this is strange, but, since Joe was a farmer before he was a fighter, he asks if he can use his Background Skill to figure out what kind of magic fertilizer has been dumped on them. This is a mundane use of the skill, and the DM decides there's no reason to require a roll; he dispenses the relevant information.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Later, when it has been discovered (in the course of adventuring) that the crops are actually feeding on the trapped souls of hapless wanderers kept in stasis beneath the soil, Joe wonders if he could transplant the crops without destroying the souls they are rooted to. This is a task that his background could help with, but it is certainly not mundane, so the DM requires a roll, and figures Intelligence will be the relevant ability modifier, since he will be figuring this out for the first time. The DM sets a moderate DC, figuring that the idea is pretty good and seeing no reason why it should be too difficult to accomplish) and lets Joe go for it.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Unfortunately, the Necromantic Gardenkeeper chooses this time to strike and combat breaks out. Joe's companions are ready for battle, but Joe is elbow-deep in arcane fertilizer. As the skeletal farm-animals advance, Joe grabs a hoe and makes a mad dash across the field toward a nearby stable, trying to dodge blows on the way. The DM figures that a Fighter ought to be able to do this kind of thing, assigns Dexterity as the relevant modifier, and lets Joe's check oppose his enemies' attack rolls.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Once at the stable, Joe finds a not-undead horse and chooses to calm and climb on without a saddle. The DM figures that general mounted combat techniques that a fighter would know won't cut it for this brash move, but Joe is especially good at this. He sets a high DC and is not at all surprised when Joe makes it. Now, Joe the Fighter brandishes the hoe and charges back into combat and <em>it is on!</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rune, post: 5787854, member: 67"] Sure. Stick with me; this will be kind of long. Let's say Joe the Fighter started out as a farmer. He has a little blurb on his character sheet where he's got his background written in (a few lines or a paragraph). He also has an area for his skills and one says [b]Background Skill[/b] and has a number representing training (say, +2) next to it. No need to go into more detail on the sheet. There's another skill on there called [b]Class Skill[/b] and has a number = 1/2 level. Let's say Joe is second level; the number would be +1 . At level 10, the number would be +5. At level 20, it would be +10. Since Joe's class is already on the character sheet, there's no need to add further detail to this skill, either. There's one more skill on there. Let's say that Joe has specialized in mounted combat. This is a skill that the DM would probably consider part of the Fighter's Class Skill, but Joe wants to be really good at it. His character sheet has [b]Specialist Skill[/b] on it and has written "Mounted Combat" in beside it. At level 2, he'll have +2 beside it. At level 10, it would be +10. At level 20, it would be +20. [indent]Now, Joe and company are traveling through the countryside and come across a field of vegetables. The group has heard that a mysterious drought has struck the area, but the vegetables seem to be in good health. The whole party thinks this is strange, but, since Joe was a farmer before he was a fighter, he asks if he can use his Background Skill to figure out what kind of magic fertilizer has been dumped on them. This is a mundane use of the skill, and the DM decides there's no reason to require a roll; he dispenses the relevant information. Later, when it has been discovered (in the course of adventuring) that the crops are actually feeding on the trapped souls of hapless wanderers kept in stasis beneath the soil, Joe wonders if he could transplant the crops without destroying the souls they are rooted to. This is a task that his background could help with, but it is certainly not mundane, so the DM requires a roll, and figures Intelligence will be the relevant ability modifier, since he will be figuring this out for the first time. The DM sets a moderate DC, figuring that the idea is pretty good and seeing no reason why it should be too difficult to accomplish) and lets Joe go for it. Unfortunately, the Necromantic Gardenkeeper chooses this time to strike and combat breaks out. Joe's companions are ready for battle, but Joe is elbow-deep in arcane fertilizer. As the skeletal farm-animals advance, Joe grabs a hoe and makes a mad dash across the field toward a nearby stable, trying to dodge blows on the way. The DM figures that a Fighter ought to be able to do this kind of thing, assigns Dexterity as the relevant modifier, and lets Joe's check oppose his enemies' attack rolls. Once at the stable, Joe finds a not-undead horse and chooses to calm and climb on without a saddle. The DM figures that general mounted combat techniques that a fighter would know won't cut it for this brash move, but Joe is especially good at this. He sets a high DC and is not at all surprised when Joe makes it. Now, Joe the Fighter brandishes the hoe and charges back into combat and [i]it is on![/i][/indent] [/QUOTE]
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