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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 5714094" data-attributes="member: 2011">Although I agree that siloing has issues and isn't a real good answer, I think this answer is worse because of what it will lead to. Having combined attack/utility powers might be fine for spell casters of various types, but in the Martial power source, it'll mean skill powers. I think the ability to add +5 to xxx skill with a power is a terrible game mechanic.Unlike combat where a power can add to damage or add an effect, there are few things that can be done to a skill other than "adding a bonus" or "instead of a major fail on missing by 5 or less, a major fail occurs on missing by 10 or less". I consider both of these to be totally artificial. I just dislike the entire concept of:DM: "The DC is 22"Player: "No problem. I have that skill maxed out with ability score, level, background, and item  (and possibly even Skill Focus). I throw my +5 utility power on it and a 22 is automatic."It's bad enough that WotC came out with the concept of background bonuses to skills. The point is, once the skill system is balanced, it's a mistake to come up with a bunch of different ways that a player can boost it even more.Take Perception. I have yet to see a group that doesn't have at least one Perception monkey (or near Perception monkey) in it. This means that Passive Perception is a joke because any DC high enough for the Perception monkey to not notice is so high that the untrained other PCs really don't even have a chance.I'd totally prefer a system of +3 for a trained skill instead of +5 and a system where ability scores don't increase by that much. That way:Perception Monkey: +8Trained Perception: +4 to +6Untrained Perception: +0 to +3But in 4E, the Perception Monkey is walking around with +15 or some such nonsense even before taking into account utilty powers. If the game system added a boatload of attack/utility powers, the Perception Monkey is even more of a joke.IMO, the skill system is the most unbalanced part of 4E and needs a major overhaul, and adding more utility powers, especially if they add bonuses to skills, will make it worse.</blockquote>

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