"Tracking: It's More Than Just 'Duh, Dey Went Dattaway!'" Beat the Track DC by so much, and gain additional information about the Trackee. Equal the DC, for instance, and you can determine the type of creature from its tracks, if it is common in the area with which you're familiar.
(This makes tracking more interesting, and allows those with high levels of skill to gain more benefits from it).
Racial Background Skills: (4+INT Bonus) Racial Background Skill Points/15 years of the PC's starting age, chosen from a list dependent upon the PC's race (mainly Crafts, Knowledge skills, Performance styles, and Professions). No more than three ranks in any one skill.
(This makes ALL characters (PCs and NPCs alike) more knowledgable and competent. It is also more plausible, as a 100-year-old Elf will no longer be less knowledgable & competent than a Human Rogue 1/5 his age (What was he doing, all those years?)!)
Cloaks of Elvenkind give no bonus to Hide, but the Camoflage ability, and a skill-use spell similar to the True-Strike combat spell (Roll 1D20, 1-10 = 19, 11-20 = 20), usable at will. This is more like the 1e version. Doesn't work when travelling more than half-speed.
Boots of Elvenkind have the same abilities, applied to Move Silently, instead of Hide.
(This just makes these items more 1e-ish, and Tolkienesque.)
Characters may take "powers", instead of magic items, generally at the same prices (although weapons cost twice as much). Since these items cannot be taken away, they also can never be changed, except for upgrades.
(This allows characters to have magic "items" that can't be removed, and can help to solve the "Golf-Bag full of weapons" problem, if every weapon they wield is magical.)
Deadfalls, Limb-traps, Nets, Pits, and Snares, may be set by Barbarians, Clerics of Travel, Druids, Rangers, and Rogues, with either the Survival or Craft (Trap-making) skill, and without reference to the ridiculous Trap-making rules in the DMG! (The time is MUCH less, and no cost!) This allows the making of any one of the many, many traps in any survival manual that you care to examine.
(Pretty self-explanatory, methinks, and perfectly in line with the Druidic/Rangeric Detect Snares and Pits spell.)
Class levels without a NEW ability allow the adoption of a new Feat for which the PC is otherwise eligible, instead. Generally, an improvement upon an existing ability isn't considered "New". Thus, Druids and Monks get few, while Ranger & Rogues get more, at higher levels. These Feats are from any that the PC has the prerequisites for, not any sub-list.
(This makes leveling up in any class more attractive, and helps prevent dipping into a class for a single level.)
Fighters have access to Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering, Local) as class skills, as do Rogues. Wizards get Decipher Script and Sleight of Hand (Prestidigitation). Sorcerers just get the latter. Fighters also get Profession (Bodyguard, especially). At higher levels, they gain access to Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty). Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers get Balance, so they can walk across ice without slipping and falling, and quit falling off ledges and out of trees! Rangers get languages of Favored Enemies and races/cultures they have encountered, as a Class Skill (1 skill point per language). Other languages are at the usual rate. Rangers are also allowed to use Knowledge checks untrained, and add their Favoured Enemy bonuses, in order to know things about their FEs (For instance, a Ranger with FE
ragons, with no Knowledge (Arcana), would ordinarily be unable to know its strengths and weaknesses, even though it is his favoured enemy, unless he had purchased ranks cross-class... and even then, he'd be no good at it!)
(This is all for "Plausability", or to fix problems, especially with the PC's role in the party... When the Captain yells "To the Merlons, men! Defend the emnrassures!", the Fighters should know where to run. Rogues, who try to break in and search, should also have this skill, as it is used to detect unsafe areas! Wizards spend lots of time with books, and should have Decipher Script. Wizards and Socerers should be able to do Sleight-of-Hand magic. Fighters get Profession, especially Bodyguard, and later knowledge of Nobles & Royals, as that's who they serve. The "Outdoorsy Classes" all get Balance for the reasons listed. Rangers get languages because A) only Bards currently do, and B) because the bonuses to Listen make little sense if you can't understand what you're hearing. The FE bonuses and untrained Knowledge checks should be obvious!)
I'm sure there are others that I just can't think of, right now...
(This makes tracking more interesting, and allows those with high levels of skill to gain more benefits from it).
Racial Background Skills: (4+INT Bonus) Racial Background Skill Points/15 years of the PC's starting age, chosen from a list dependent upon the PC's race (mainly Crafts, Knowledge skills, Performance styles, and Professions). No more than three ranks in any one skill.
(This makes ALL characters (PCs and NPCs alike) more knowledgable and competent. It is also more plausible, as a 100-year-old Elf will no longer be less knowledgable & competent than a Human Rogue 1/5 his age (What was he doing, all those years?)!)
Cloaks of Elvenkind give no bonus to Hide, but the Camoflage ability, and a skill-use spell similar to the True-Strike combat spell (Roll 1D20, 1-10 = 19, 11-20 = 20), usable at will. This is more like the 1e version. Doesn't work when travelling more than half-speed.
Boots of Elvenkind have the same abilities, applied to Move Silently, instead of Hide.
(This just makes these items more 1e-ish, and Tolkienesque.)
Characters may take "powers", instead of magic items, generally at the same prices (although weapons cost twice as much). Since these items cannot be taken away, they also can never be changed, except for upgrades.
(This allows characters to have magic "items" that can't be removed, and can help to solve the "Golf-Bag full of weapons" problem, if every weapon they wield is magical.)
Deadfalls, Limb-traps, Nets, Pits, and Snares, may be set by Barbarians, Clerics of Travel, Druids, Rangers, and Rogues, with either the Survival or Craft (Trap-making) skill, and without reference to the ridiculous Trap-making rules in the DMG! (The time is MUCH less, and no cost!) This allows the making of any one of the many, many traps in any survival manual that you care to examine.
(Pretty self-explanatory, methinks, and perfectly in line with the Druidic/Rangeric Detect Snares and Pits spell.)
Class levels without a NEW ability allow the adoption of a new Feat for which the PC is otherwise eligible, instead. Generally, an improvement upon an existing ability isn't considered "New". Thus, Druids and Monks get few, while Ranger & Rogues get more, at higher levels. These Feats are from any that the PC has the prerequisites for, not any sub-list.
(This makes leveling up in any class more attractive, and helps prevent dipping into a class for a single level.)
Fighters have access to Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering, Local) as class skills, as do Rogues. Wizards get Decipher Script and Sleight of Hand (Prestidigitation). Sorcerers just get the latter. Fighters also get Profession (Bodyguard, especially). At higher levels, they gain access to Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty). Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers get Balance, so they can walk across ice without slipping and falling, and quit falling off ledges and out of trees! Rangers get languages of Favored Enemies and races/cultures they have encountered, as a Class Skill (1 skill point per language). Other languages are at the usual rate. Rangers are also allowed to use Knowledge checks untrained, and add their Favoured Enemy bonuses, in order to know things about their FEs (For instance, a Ranger with FE
ragons, with no Knowledge (Arcana), would ordinarily be unable to know its strengths and weaknesses, even though it is his favoured enemy, unless he had purchased ranks cross-class... and even then, he'd be no good at it!)(This is all for "Plausability", or to fix problems, especially with the PC's role in the party... When the Captain yells "To the Merlons, men! Defend the emnrassures!", the Fighters should know where to run. Rogues, who try to break in and search, should also have this skill, as it is used to detect unsafe areas! Wizards spend lots of time with books, and should have Decipher Script. Wizards and Socerers should be able to do Sleight-of-Hand magic. Fighters get Profession, especially Bodyguard, and later knowledge of Nobles & Royals, as that's who they serve. The "Outdoorsy Classes" all get Balance for the reasons listed. Rangers get languages because A) only Bards currently do, and B) because the bonuses to Listen make little sense if you can't understand what you're hearing. The FE bonuses and untrained Knowledge checks should be obvious!)
I'm sure there are others that I just can't think of, right now...
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