Variant Skill System 5e

[RhaezDaevan]

Skill System Variant

For those who want more variance and fine-tuning to their skills I give this potential option.
First, calculate the # of skills you’d normally be proficient in at 1^st level. For example a variant human fighter would have (1 from race + 2 from background + 2 from class, for 5 skills). This number, hence known as skills total, is used to calculate skill points.

You get skill points equal to 2 times your skills total at first level. Skill ranks may be spent on any skill available to your race, background or class. Your max ranks in any skill are equal to your proficiency bonus (so max ranks in all chosen skills would result in the same skill bonus you’d have just following the PHB). Every time your proficiency bonus increases, you get a number of skill points equal to your skills total and assign them like at first level, but your total ranks in a skill can never exceed your proficiency bonus.

I personally enjoy skills as is for the simplicity, but the above should be a good start for those who want more complexity. So what do people think? Workable as an option? I don't see anything broken and it could even be used at the same table as the normal skill proficiency system.

 

[FJammet]

Good idea ! Especially interesting in that it allows to learn new skills.

 

[Jimbro]

I really like this idea. Great way to do ranks.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

That pretty much covers how I view it. Though I wouldn't limit which skills you can put points in. If a rogue wants a couple points in Arcana, who am I to complain?

You can do the same with saves, tools, etc. You could conceivably do it with weapons, but I think we'd need weapon groups.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

That pretty much covers how I view it. Though I wouldn't limit which skills you can put points in. If a rogue wants a couple points in Arcana, who am I to complain?

You can do the same with saves, tools, etc. You could conceivably do it with weapons, but I think we'd need weapon groups.

Considering it never goes above proficiency bonus, doing the same with weapons would be useful only to those who don't get all martial weapons and only if you allowed them to spend points in martial weapons. I don't see the benefit myself.

Save and tools could work though. Tools would be raised with skill points (so tool proficiency would add to skills total). Saves should have their own points pool to avoid shenanigans.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Considering it never goes above proficiency bonus, doing the same with weapons would be useful only to those who don't get all martial weapons and only if you allowed them to spend points in martial weapons. I don't see the benefit myself.

Save and tools could work though. Tools would be raised with skill points (so tool proficiency would add to skills total). Saves should have their own points pool to avoid shenanigans.

Of course you could spend points on martial weapon groups, making it useful for the majority of classes. Plus, weapon groups essentially become skills, allowing groups to use a single pool of skill points across weapons, skills, saves, tools, etc. It's how most non-d20 games work, and I've been in groups that really desire such mechanics.

 

[Ilbranteloth]

I really like the way the new system works and don't see a whole lot of reason to make a formal change. As a DM I allow quite a bit of leeway in which skills a player wants to be proficient in based on the background (and we have much more complex backgrounds than the system presented). An extra skill or two doesn't bother me either if it fits with the story.

Randy