What skills are good for all PCs to have?

[Dimwhit]

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?

Only for Rogues. But we haven't started a 3.5 campaign yet, so not many get access to it.

But emulate alignment is a DC 30. At a cross-class skill for most, it would take a long time to have a decent shot of being successful.

But don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of that skill. It's very, very useful. But it requires a lot of skill points, IMO, to be very effective on a consistent basis.

 

[MerricB]

When you talk about a skill that the entire party needs:

Spot. (Listen is close, but Spot is more common) Reason: it lets characters avoid being surprised. Just having one PC with it is good for spotting things, but in surprise situations, everyone needs it.

Cheers!

 

[Driddle]

I'm surprised at the answers. Most of the skills listed can be covered if one or two people in the group are strong with it. Certainly things like bluff or sense motive are not needed for the entire group. I think it's not a bad idea for folks to have Spot or Listen, but it's not a class skill for a lot of people and therefore prohibitively expensive. Knowledge skills? Definitely not something everyone in the group needs. ...

Ride, and (for most ignored) Swim are also two more - not something anyone can help you with easily. Magic can replace riding, but not as easily for swimming.

I have to agree with Z on this one. The original question was about skills everyone should have, and a lot of the answers so far have involved areas that are easily given over to the roguish skills specialist.

I'd suggest instead the skills that help an entire party get around obstacles and from place to place: ride (and handle animal), swim, climb. Nothing more frustrating to be stuck in a pit with a bunch of people who can't pull themselves up a rope to get out, or to fear a simple cross-country ride because you know they'll keep falling off their horses.

 

[Kaji]

Speak Language.

I disagree. Comprehend Languages, and at 3rd level, Tongues, make it pretty much obsolete. I'd say there is no real substitute for Spot and Listen. Lots of other skills can be duplicated by spells, but it's tough to do the same with Spot and Listen

 

[MerricB]

I have to agree with Z on this one. The original question was about skills everyone should have, and a lot of the answers so far have involved areas that are easily given over to the roguish skills specialist.

There may be an example here of differences in how people use the rules.

In most encounters, I require the every PC to make a DC 20 Spot check or they are surprised for the first (partial) round of the combat.

Obviously, Spot is extremely important in my campaign - I don't think I'm alone in how I run it, either.

Cheers!

 

[Saeviomagy]

I disagree. Comprehend Languages, and at 3rd level, Tongues, make it pretty much obsolete. I'd say there is no real substitute for Spot and Listen. Lots of other skills can be duplicated by spells, but it's tough to do the same with Spot and Listen

The alarm spell maybe?

 

[MerricB]

The alarm spell maybe?

Alarm wards an immobile area; Spot (or Listen) is normally required of all characters when an unexpected encounter starts to determine surprise.

Cheers!

 

[Painfully]

Escape artist is good for anyone who doesn't want to be grappled. It's a cross-class skill for wizards/sorcerers, but it can make a big difference at a time when a spellcaster is at his weakest.

 

[Gnimish88]

Escape artist is good for anyone who doesn't want to be grappled. It's a cross-class skill for wizards/sorcerers, but it can make a big difference at a time when a spellcaster is at his weakest.

Tell me about it. All this chatter is giving me an idea for a new thread. Stay tuned...

 

[Felon]

Escape artist is good for anyone who doesn't want to be grappled. It's a cross-class skill for wizards/sorcerers, but it can make a big difference at a time when a spellcaster is at his weakest.

Problem is, it takes a good chunk of ranks for many medium-sized creatures to have enough ranks that they're not just better off using their natural grapple checks.