What skills are good for all PCs to have?

[Arnwyn]

But I'm surprised at what hasn't been mentioned: Move Silently. The party can't sneak up on anything unless everyone is quiet. It is truly a case where the options are limited by the least stealthy person. So my first pick would have to be Move Silently, and Hide probably right behind it as number two.

Actually, Zad, I agree with you. I'm kind of embarrassed I forgot about Move Silently and Hide...

I still think Spot and Listen are the most important for everyone though, regardless of whether it's a class skill or not (and, IMNSHO, should have been class skills for everyone).

 

[Cor Azer]

But I'm surprised at what hasn't been mentioned: Move Silently. The party can't sneak up on anything unless everyone is quiet. It is truly a case where the options are limited by the least stealthy person. So my first pick would have to be Move Silently, and Hide probably right behind it as number two.

Well, I guess that only really applies in a campaign where stealth is frequently desired. In many of my campaigns, only the scouts every really want to use stealth, and that's just to sneak ahead, see what's there, and report to the main group.

I'd have to throw my support in for Spot and Listen, at least for partially wilderness based campaigns. If you're on nightly guard duty, being snuck up on is rough. While it is cross-class for a lot of people, you really only need a couple of ranks in it to be useful.

Oh, and Profession(Cook)... but then, my characters just tend to hate trail rations.

 

[Ylis]

Search, Spot, and Listen have always seemed to me to be essential. I mean, I've never really agreed with them being only available to certain classes - everyone can do these three things. The skills themselves are invaluable in games....

 

[Trainz]

Once an invisible critter starts attacking you in melee, a Listen DC 20 will allow you to pin-point his location and you can start hacking at it.

Listen is very important.

Plus, listening through doors in dungeons allows you to (once you figure there's something moving inside) buff yourself before opening it (the feat divine shield, haste) and negates the oposition's surprise (while granting you a chance to surprise them).

Have a wizzy ready an empowered fireball just before the rogue opens the door.

*BOOM*

 

[morbiczer]

"Have a wizzy ready an empowered fireball just before the rogue opens the door."

No readying as long no initiative has been rolled. You might get a surprise round though.

 

[Voadam]

All characters can get jumped so spot and listen work well for all characters.

All characters need to interact at some point so diplomacy and sense motive are helpful for any character but not as "needed".

Depending on the campaign, balance and swim are good ones too.

Stealth is not useful to all characters. When half your party is in platemail it is not that important.

For a party good skills include at least one person who can:

Listen
Spot
Search
Disable device
Diplomacy
Sense motive
appropriate knowledge (varies)

 

[Zerth]

Doesn't hurt to have some ranks in Tumble whoever you are.

 

[Felix]

"What every person needs is a built-in 100%-shock-proof bullcrap detector."
-- paraphrasing Hemmingway

Sense Motive
Sense Motive
Sense Motive

The truly evil BBEG's are the ones that direct the heroes of Good to do his bidding without their knowledge. The henchmen he hires to do said task of decieving the PCs don't have as many ranks in Bluff as he does. Figuring out that the guy hiring you isn't all he seems to be is a big step in thwarting the BBEG's master plan.

Spidey-sense: a racial bonus to Sense Motive?
Epic usage: Read people's surface thoughts!
Anti-feint tool.

This skill is second only to Bluff, which is the best skill EVAR, but not everybody can use it effectively. Sense Motive everyone can use a few ranks of.

 

[Dimwhit]

All characters should have at least 1 rank in use magical device...

So out of curiousity, what do 1 rank in UMD give a character? (Other than a good chance of having an item backfire on them.)

I agree with the bluff, sense motive, diplomacy end of things. Those skill are often underused, but highly effective.

 

[Woas]

It lets characters emulate alignments. Which is kinda common in the game I play in. And I said at least 1 rank.. I'd assume you'd take more.

UMD doesn't come up in your games that often I guess then?