D&D 5E (2014) WOTC I Love Skills and Backgrounds

[ren1999]

Since there is only 1 trait listed for 1 background, why do we even need to call it anything? Just make it part of the description of the background. We already use the word 'trait' for monster traits.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I like all of your ideas but I would like to revise them a little and see what you think. We would see a description of each skill in the Player's Handbook like this.

Keep all the progressions for skills at +3 or -3 so they are easy to remember.

The skill titles would be like this. You earn +1 to a skill every other level-up.
You get an automatic +3 when you are trained, which makes you Proficient. Once you get +6, you earn the title Adept.

Novice +0
Proficient +3
Adept +6
Expert +9
Master +12

In the Dungeon Master's Guide, there will be each skill listed with an Easy DC10, Moderate DC13, Hard, Very Hard, and Formidable description.

Then there will be a 4th Edition Style listing of 3 possible described outcomes.
If you roll -3 or lower and fail, there are negative consequences.
If you roll the target or 1 or 2 more than the target, you succeed.
If you roll +3 or higher and succeed, there are benefits.

There are a few things to address here.

While it is conceptually sound to increase ranks by 3 to match the DC progression, even +6 is a very large bonus within bounded accuracy, let alone a +12.

Personally, I'd like to get away from the granular increases. With ranks that provide a +2 or +3, your choice of skill increase actually feels like a meaningful choice.

Your last idea, though, where there are degrees of success or failure is something I've enjoyed in other games and would make an good module in D&D. I wouldn't do it by default, because it adds complication, but I would probably play with it.


The skill mechanic that I still find the most compelling, though, is the one that provides a minimum d20 result on ability checks. For example:

Untrained +0
Proficient +2, minimum roll of 5
Expert +4, minimum roll of 6
Master +6, minimum roll of 7

Which equates to a minimum total of 7, 10, and 13 respectively, numbers that equate to the Trivial, Easy, and Moderate DCs.

 

[Sunseeker]

I'd much rather have them be more like degrees of success/failure.

I've played in games with house-rules like this. Personally I run most checks as best out of 3, but keep them pass fail. IE: roll 13 on DC15 climb, you slip 10 feet(no damage). Roll a 14 on a DC 16 climb to grab on to something, keep slipping, take damage. Roll a 16 on a DC 20 check(it's harder 'cause your grip is even worse!) and fall way back down, damage included.

However, I feel that any system beyond Pass/Fail is something that is definitely a modules type deal. Release a bunch of variant ideas in "DDN: The Big Book O'Skill Checks"! DDNs system should strive for initial simplicity to allow for greater customization by players.

 

[Li Shenron]

I like the general idea they are moving toward but I don't like the fact that abili checks are pass/fail checks.

I'd much rather have them be more like degrees of success/failure.

We already have a degree of failure, check "hazards" in the DM guidelines document.

I am quite sure that a module to add even more degrees of failure and also "ranks" would be easy to do. No reason for this to be mandatory for all groups however.

 

[Blackwarder]

But what about degrees of success?

Warder

 

[Li Shenron]

But what about degrees of success?

Warder

I think I've seen this implemented either in free-form (e.g. the rules tell you only that beating the DC by more than a certain amount should have the DM figure out some additional effects) or with decreasing costs (e.g. cutting the time required in half, get a discount on gp cost).

I think I would prefer the first one, but both of them can be in the game, as optional rules, why not?

 

[RangerWickett]

My point was, "Get rid of skill bonuses."

Don't say, "You're climbing the rough cliff? Roll d20+6 vs. DC 10."

Instead say, "It's easy. Do you have 1 rank? Okay, you succeed. Oh, you're untrained? Roll d20 + Strength mod vs. DC 10."

Or, "You want to convince him you're actually an inspector sent by the Overlord? Okay, that's very hard. You need 5 ranks. You've only got 3, so roll d20 + Charisma mod vs. DC 20."