D&D 5E Why don't more classes grant bonus skills?

[FarBeyondC]

Just to note, while the normal Training downtime activity lets you only learn a language or a tool, the special Training downtime activity (from Marks of Prestige in the DMG) allows for learning skills or even acquiring feats. So with enough time (and availability of people able to train you) any character could in theory learn all the skills (or at least, all the one they'd care about).

 

[DND_Reborn]

Just to note, while the normal Training downtime activity lets you only learn a language or a tool, the special Training downtime activity (from Marks of Prestige in the DMG) allows for learning skills or even acquiring feats. So with enough time (and availability of people able to train you) any character could in theory learn all the skills (or at least, all the one they'd care about).

Very true! But IME most games don't have extensive downtime for such things.

Also, I would imagine in game the rogue (or whoever) would be giving lessons to the wizard on how to stealth even during the light activity of a long rest, for example. So, that is why I just think giving PCs skills, etc. with each tier (or so) works well.

 

[FarBeyondC]

Very true! But IME most games don't have extensive downtime for such things.

Also, I would imagine in game the rogue (or whoever) would be giving lessons to the wizard on how to stealth even during the light activity of a long rest, for example. So, that is why I just think giving PCs skills, etc. with each tier (or so) works well.

Most games may not give their characters days for downtime activities, but I would bet most games at least leave an average of an hour or two each day that could be devoted to such things.

Which is why I would make downtime more flexible, tracking progression by the hour instead of by the day (and removing the general requirement that 8 hours in a day needs to be spent on an activity for it to count as a day).

 

[DND_Reborn]

I would bet most games at least leave an average of an hour or two each day that could be devoted to such things.

Exactly, that is what I meant by the rogue showing the wizard stuff on stealth as part of a long rest.

 

[auburn2]

No, it doesn't. Those choices still have more skills than everyone else.

I think it does, it makes it less unique and less special and devalues it. There are only 18 skills in the game and if everyone gets 6 or more feats you are going to have a lot of overlap in the party.

Why should the fighter be able to pick up nature or the sorcerer get to pick up stealth for free? If they want those things instead just muclticlass to ranger or rogue respectively or take the skilled feat. Why should they get the extra skills without doing that and while still optimizing their character for something else?

 

[DND_Reborn]

I think it does, it makes it less unique and less special and devalues it. There are only 18 skills in the game and I think you are going to have everyone in the party become proficient in skills like stealth and perception while still having proficienc.

Bottom line - why should the fighter be able to pick up nature or the wizard get to pick up stealth .... if they want those things instead just muclticlass to ranger or rogue respectively. Allowing them to get it without multiclassing or taking a feat does devalue those other classes.

IME nearly most PCs are already proficient in Perception and/or Stealth if possible.

And while other classes can pick up skills in such a manner, the ranger or rogue (using your examples) can also pick up things they normally wouldn't have access to.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think it does, it makes it less unique and less special and devalues it. There are only 18 skills in the game and if everyone gets 6 or more feats you are going to have a lot of overlap in the party.

Why should the fighter be able to pick up nature or the sorcerer get to pick up stealth for free? If they want those things instead just muclticlass to ranger or rogue respectively or take the skilled feat. Why should they get the extra skills without doing that and while still optimizing their character for something else?

I’m struggling to understand where you’re coming from here. If every character gets an additional skill at level one the degree of difference between a wizard and a road in terms of skills literally has not changed. The only thing that has changed is that the wizard doeBy feel strange to people who the wizard currently feels strange to, due to a lack of skills.

Nothing about that has any effect whatsoever on the uniqueness of the rogue, Bard, or ranger.

 

[jayoungr]

Because bonus skills typically come from backgrounds, not classes.

 

[billd91]

Just a random thought/observation while doing some design work lately.

Why doesn't the Wizard get proficiency in Arcana for free?
Why doesn't the Druid or Ranger get Nature or Survival?
Why doesn't the Beast Master doesn't get Animal Handling?

Nature domain gets a choice of a skill, including Nature and Survival.
Knowledge domain gets two Int skills!
Also weird that Trickery domain doesn't get Stealth.

The ranger is the biggest offender since a lot of its features are tied to Survival. Would a ranger player ever not take Survival? Same with a wizard and Arcana?

Why? Because when creating your character, you might have picked a background that already has that skill. You won’t need to have it auto-selected for you as part of your class.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I've pondered a house rule that gives character the option to select a new skill proficiency, tool proficiency, or language every 3 levels (starting at 3rd level). This is similar to how 2e granted new nonweapon proficiencies.

I haven't playtested it, though.

Perhaps if you get the skill from multiple sources, you can choose expertise instead of a different skill.