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Hi,
I am looking at the new Skill mechanics. I like that there are a lot of skills to make the PCs different.
I like the ease with which skills now can be scaled for NPCs.
But I have a gripe:
Due to the flat bonus on trained skills PCs with the same skill only differ due to better Stats or Magic items or Feats.
I like the idea of the scholar who really specialises in knowledge(History) or the rogue with the almost magic fingers due to his specialisation in the Theft skill. The Drawback, of course, is that these Specialists excell in one area, but are not as good or even untrained in other areas.
How to implement it in the mechanics?
Well, here I take inspiration from the Warhammer FRP. If you take a skill more than once, you receive a +10% bonus for your skill check.
In D&D Terms that would be: Spend 2 skill points on one skill, or later spend another skill point on a skill you already have grants you a bonus.
How high should this bonus be?
I am against a flat bonus as this would make most players specialise early in the game as the bonus is more important than later where you have magic items and level to boost your skill.
So I think this bonus should scale.
My suggestion:
- If you specialise once ie. spend 2 skill points on one skill, you gain 1.5 x Character level as bonus instead of 1 x Character level as normal (eg. in 4th level you would have Theft of 6+3+other bonuses instead of 4+3+other bonuses).
- If you specialise twice ie. spend 3 skill points on one skill, you gain 1.5 x Character level as bonus instead of 1 x Character level as normal. You also can re-roll your skill check 3/day
- If you specialise thrice ie. spend 4 skill points on one skill, you gain 2 x Character level as bonus instead of 1 x Character level as normal.
another effect of using this skill specialisation will make the unlove Skill Focus Feat obsolete.
Thoughts?
Although I like the skill changes (i.e; Balance, Jump, and Tumble = Acrobatics) I would vastly prefering a more flexible, customizable skill point progression such as currently exists in 3.5. This is a pain for making NPCs but a boon for PCs.