What skills that EVERY character should have a few ranks in ?

[questing gm]

What skills in your opinion that EVERY character should have a few ranks in regardless whether they are class or cross-class skills? The skills that you as a player or DM know that it is worth investing that few skill points (or two)...

 

[Legildur]

Spot. If you have the skill points. My Int 7 lizardfolk Dragon Shaman with (2 + Int modifier) skill points per level is a little short on them

 

[Jhamin]

Depending on the environment of your game Balance and Climb are always good to have.

It's neat that the rogue can make it across the rickety bridge, but alot of the time you need the whole party to scale a wall or get across a chasm.

 

[Felix]

Spellcraft. It's always nice to be able to roll to see if you know what that guy over there is casting regardless of what you are.

 

[Rystil Arden]

If you have a positive Wisdom score, take a rank or two in Autohypnosis. Even if you use it for nothing other than to stabilise, +3 or higher to Autohypnosis raises your chance to stabilise and save your life.

 

[Fieari]

My players will tell you Spot and Listen are the key skills, although I do make sure that all skills are utilized over the course of the campaign (esspecially knowledge skills). But spot and listen come up all the time. Ambushes, little details that only flash by vision for a moment (like the keyhole in Lonely Mountain from the Hobbit), the sound of footsteps or other distant important things, overhearing conversations, chasing pixies... the list goes on and on. Not a game goes by where multiple spot/listen checks aren't made.

Climb and balance are nice, but can be replaced by spells such as fly. Spellcraft is important for someone in the party to have (probably the arcanist), but once one person has passed the check, it's a free action to communicate this to everyone else, so I wouldn't call it a must have for everyone.

But Spot and Listen can't really be replaced by magic very well (I mean, Alarm can help in some areas, but not for everyday needs) and since the moments they're needed in can be so crucial, you don't want to have to rely on just one person for it, who might fumble the roll. More dice with good mods means better chance. And besides, sometimes, when it comes to ambushes, those with the spots or listens don't get surprised, while the others do...

 

[EyeontheMountain]

Most of the trained only skills

Tumble. If you fall 10 feet or less, a 15 on this baby means no damage. Even for longer falls, it takes off damage. Plus if you need to run, you don't lose anything by rolling

Knowledge skills: No ranks in knowledge skills means you are profoundly ignorant. I always try to get at least a rank in all of them (unless I am really strapped for points) just to get a real roll. I call it knowledge: All (meaning one rank in all not specified)

To me these arethe main two to get a rank in. Other skills are nice, but it is only a +1 bonus. For these it is a bigger deal than that.

 

[Andreas]

You can´t go without at least 2 ranks in ride and survival.

 

[FalcWP]

Jump. If you're untrained, you have to beat DCs by 5 or more to avoid falling prone. But that one rank means that you just have to make the DC (and gives you an extra 5% chance of doing so). It might not come up all the time, it might be replaced by spells fairly soon, but one rank is a small price to pay to not be prone after a jump check.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Spot, Listen and Sense Motive. The first two for all the reasons already listened and the third because no one likes to be lied to, or denied their dexterity to defense.

If you have a few extra skill points (I don't know how) then a rank into Slieght of Hand and Tumble is nice. The Tumble lets you use it and the SoH lets you hide a dagger on your person to cut your way out of those pesky ropes after you've been captured.