Dyvim's page

Break out of the 3.5 mindset, just because it isn't a class skill doesn't mean a fighter can't have it, he just doesn't get the +3 bonus, big deal.

Personally I'm all for the devaluing of class skills. Given time and effort any class should pick up any kind of skill, and the cross class penalties that 3.5 imposed were draconic. Still it was important to offer an incentive for people to stick to the stereotype (just like with favored classes,) but not gimp the people who strayed from the norm. The +3 bonus to class skills achieves that, but does not discourage too much from grabbing skills outside your class stereotype.

This also changes the whole Armor Class mechanic. Under 3.5 and under Alpha 2 base attack bonuses advance at a much faster rate than Armor Class bonuses. Under 3.5, the only incentive to have a high Armor Class at high levels is to avoid being power attacked for one bazillion points of damage. Under Alpha 2, AC becomes somewhat meaningless at high levels, as the attack bonuses are so high that you will be hit regardless.

The new system is very elegant, it allows for characters that can do multiple things and are skilled in what they want to be, not just their class stereotype. But it manages to avoid the problem Alpha 1 had of being able to take your first level as a rogue and then 19 levels of wizard, and being just as good as a 20th level rogue at all rogue skills plus having a huge repertoire of spells.

There is no Deception skill. There is Bluff and there is Sleight of Hand. Both could serve as a Feint. Most likely, I would go with Bluff.

Sidebar: Should Sleight of Hand be rolled into something? Bluff? Stealth?

Slight of Hand works great by itself, and melding it with Stealth would make it too loaded of a skill. Especially considering that Hide and Move Silently got melded to make Stealth. They should bring back Deception, Sense Motive is a weak skill by itself and I think it should be rolled in with Bluff. It takes a good liar to know one, and it makes sense that someone who can spot liars can also lie well, even if he/she chooses not to.

But to answer your original question, the feint mechanic works under the Bluff skill, although I would allow a character to use Sleigh of Hand for it in my game if it involved using a hidden or palmed weapon.

The spell charts for wizards and sorcerers are identical to the ones in the PHB. Clerics loose their domain bonus spell, but gain several spell like abilities every few levels.