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A idea of a more focused skills list and the way Pathfinder does it has grown on me. I do have a few thoughts on which ones should go together and which ones should stay separate, plus a few new uses for old skills. Enjoy.
Appraise (Int) – as in Pathfinder
Athletics (Str) – Climb + Jump
Both are Str skills. Climb would function as in 3.5 and Jump as in Pathfinder, only separated from Acrobatics. Also, I’ve occasionally used a homebrew skill called “Run” where characters could add their ranks to their base speed while running. I’d love to see something where characters’ Str increases their speed a little.
Balance (Dex) – Balance + Tumble, no Jump
The Balance and Tumble aspects would function as described in Pathfinder (Jump would join Climb in a new skill called “Athletics”). Balance could also incorporate Fly if characters have that ability; like Balance and Tumble, it is a Dex skill that deals with maneuverability. Finally, one could call this skill Acrobatics, but I figured that the aspect most characters will use most often is Balance so I kept that name.
Craft (Int) – ?
This skill needs an overhaul, but will stay on the list in one form or another. One change though. It seems to me that most characters are going to need to repair a lot more things than they will need to create, so the name might not change, but in my mind the skill should probably become more of Craft/Repair than just Craft.
Deception (Cha) – Bluff + Disguise + Forgery (?) + Sense Motive (kind of) + Gather Information
These are all skills that have to do with lying. Bluff and Disguise are both Cha skills. Forgery isn’t (it’s Int), but I don’t see it as a function of Linguistics (as described in Pathfinder) either. Sticking it here is a bad fit too, but it’s a weird, rarely used skill anyway. The only other thing I can think of is making it Profession (forger), which might actually be a better choice. With Sense Motive, I’ve called the skill “Detect Ruse” in my games for a while and focused on the lie detecting, seeing through disguises aspects of Sense Motive; I think that would fit here, and it being a Cha skill wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Deception rules would work as in Pathfinder for lying, feinting, sending secret messages, etc., and Disguise and Forgery would function as in 3.5. I’d like to see something about hiding or camouflaging large objects mentioned here too. One other thing, because a person could reasonably use deception to wander around town and ask questions, pretending to be someone they’re not or just generally being sly, I would add the Gather Information skill to Deception without taking it away from Diplomacy.
Diplomacy (Cha) – Diplomacy + Gather Information (both as in Pathfinder)
However, while Gather Information is a good fit with Diplomacy, being diplomatic isn’t the only way to gather information. I would also add Gather Information to Deception and Intimidate.
Discipline (Wis) – Concentration + new stuff
This would almost be like Will save, the skill. It could represent training or just personal focus. See, I think there is a place for Concentration outside of Spellcraft; a skillful mage could still balk under pressure. Plus, rogues or anyone else trying to perform a skill in combat or under pressure should still have to see if their concentration holds. I’d love a trance-like mechanic where a fighter could get “in the zone” and pick up some benefits, like a +1 to hit or unlock some ability. Finally, Discipline would be a great skill for NPCs to help determine when they break ranks and run or accept brides or do something else against their orders.
Escape Artist (Dex) – as in 3.5
I tried to think of a better (more general) name but all I could come up with was “Wriggle,” not very dignified. Contortionism? Flexibility?
Handle Animal (Cha) – as in 3.5
Definitely not the same as Ride to me (but easy enough to houserule for anyone who wants it that way).
Heal (Wis) – as in 3.5, but …
I’d love it if characters could actually use Heal to, you know, heal (maybe 1 HP per rank or 1d4 HPs per proficiency level).
Intimidate (Str) – Intimidate + Gather Information
First, I’d change it to a Str skill; we already have several ways to influence people’s behavior based on Cha, how about something else. Besides, it is a nice fit for ugly, uncharismatic brutes. I would also add a feat called “Clever Interrogator” that gives a +2 bonus and allows characters to use Int instead of Str. Second, because a person could reasonably use intimidation to wander around town and ask questions, threatening folks or just generally being a bully, I would add the Gather Information skill to Intimidate without taking it away from Diplomacy. Otherwise, as in 3.5.
Knowledge (Int) – as in 3.5 + Decipher Script
I’d like to see more Knowledge skills done out with the specificity of Knowledge (arcana). I also like the knowledge versus technical skills relationship with Spellcraft. I would assume clerics have something similar between Knowledge (religion) and Spellcraft. Here’s my other big change to Knowledge. Instead of Decipher Script as a separate skill or part of a new skill called Linguistics, I’d just make one called “Knowledge (linguistics)” that helps characters identify unknown languages, know who speaks them, and maybe try to decipher them. It’s too important an ability to drop completely but the Linguistics skill just doesn’t sit well with me. Finally, I think it would be cool if every class had a Knowledge skill that would be appropriate for them. Wizards, clerics, druids, rangers already have them. What about Knowledge (tactics) or something for fighters (I’m thinking of the scene in Gladiator where Russel Crowe forms all the gladiators into a phalanx they go on to win.
[note: The other half of Linguistics – learning languages – has always been a problem for me. It’s just too easy to learn languages in 3.5. Ask anyone who’s done it (or hasn’t been able to); it’s really hard. A lot harder than adding 5% to your ability to swim. Unless people wanted actual ranks in a language or DCs for different languages, I would suggest pulling languages out of skills entirely. Characters already have opportunities to learn languages with their Int bonus and if they increase their Int as they advance in levels, they can add more. If people really want to learn a language by a route other than Int, make each language a feat. Feats are a lot closer to the level of commitment required to learn a language than 1 skill point.]
Perception (Wis) – as in Pathfinder + a little Sense Motive
At first I was sad to see Spot and Listen go, but now I like the way Perception rolls all the senses together for the most part but still allows individual variation within the skill. Example: certain characters might get a +2 bonus to Perception when it involves listening. Actually, I can se this being a great way to handle lots of skills. Give them layers. You don’t need 45 skills because each skill can be made more complex by saying +2 when the skill is used this way and -2when it’s used this other way. Great way to add subtle variations to races, cultures, classes, feats, etc. My only change would be to add a little intuition to Perception. I’ve got most of Sense Motive up with Deception as a counter to lying, but that is an active, player initiated use of Sense Motive (“I try to tell if he’s telling the truth.”). I think there’s room in Perception for a little 6th sense, kind of a tingling Spider-sense that’s more DM initiated (“She tells you her story … roll a d20 … but you get the feeling she’s leaving something out.”).
Perform (Cha) – as in 3.5
Profession (Int) – ?
This is another one I think could use an overhaul to make it more useful. To a certain degree, you could just Profession everything and call it a day; Profession (fighter), Profession (cleric), Profession (wizard), etc. But what if every profession gets broken down into the knowledge part and the technical skills part, like how Pathfinder has Knowledge (arcane) and Spellcraft for wizards. For the adventuring classes, it’s worth it to separate them out. But for a farmer or a baker or an apothecary, it’s probably just not worth it. One skill, Profession (farmer), contains the knowledge and the skills to do whatever farmers do. Nothing else is really needed unless the farmer is good at some un-farmerly things as well. So maybe Profession stays really general – “everything a __ knows and can do” – and is a cross-class skill for everyone except Experts (Commoners could take profession ranks, but would be slowed way down, as they should be). Because it’s mostly non-adventurey stuff, PCs could take a few ranks for flavor, but it wouldn’t really help them much in a dungeon.
Ride (Dex) – as in 3.5
I mentioned in another thread that maybe each additional rank could represent an additional creature the character knows how to ride. They take a –5 penalty when trying to ride an unfamiliar kind of animal (kind of like the –5 penalty you take for trying to ride an unsuitable mount).
Search (Int) – as in 3.5
I strongly believe Search needs to stay separate from Perception. As I said above, Perception seems to me to be mostly passive, what characters notice. Perception is what they will use to oppose surprises. But Search is active, “I search the room for clues,” or “ I search the library for a book on demons.” It is also based on Int. A smart person can search well, even if she isn’t particularly perceptive, because she can figure out clues and patterns and recognize when things are out of place.
Sneak (Dex) – as in Pathfinder
Spellcraft (Int) – as in Pathfinder, no Concentration
As noted previously, I would prefer to keep Concentration separate.
Survival (Wis) – as in Pathfinder
I like how tracking was rolled into Survival. My only other thought is that it would be interesting to see different environments rolled into this. Surviving in the arctic is different than surviving in the desert. Maybe with each rank a character could add an environment to their list. They take a –5 penalty when trying to use their survival skills in an unknown environment (kind of like the –5 penalty you take for trying to ride an unsuitable mount).
Swim (Str) – as in 3.5[/b]
Thievery (Dex) – as Theft in Pathfinder, no Open Locks (?)
I just think Thievery sounds better. It could be a course title, like Spellcraft. As for pulling out Open Locks, I’m on the fence. I don’t want to see all the thief skills rolled into one. I see this one as more about having quick hands – picking pockets, palming small objects, hiding things on your person, distractions, etc. But as I’ve written this, I’ve also argued that every class needs their Knowledge skill and their applications skill, and this would be the application skill for thieves (but not all rogues), almost a “thief-craft.” I could also just be sentimental. Maybe some of the feat could give bonuses to certain aspects and not others (+2 to Thievery when picking pockets or palming small objects so that everyone with 6 ranks of Thievery isn’t exactly the same.
Use/Disable Magical Device (Cha) – as 3.5 + magical traps
I added the word “Disable” because it seems like in some adventures, PCs have to shut down the eldritch machine before it’s too late. Mostly they would use magic stuff, but sometimes they would want to sabotage it as well. If a rogue were trying to disable a magical trap, I might make them use this skill instead of the regular Disable Device. Even if the word “Disable” isn’t in the skill title, I think a bit about it in the skill description would be nice. Plus, “Use/Disable” goes nicely with the next one…
Use/Disable Mechanical Device (Int) – as Disable Device in 3.5 – magical traps
Depending on the campaign, characters may run into enough complex mechanical devices that a skill check would be useful. But mostly this is a way to expand Disable Device into something more than just foiling traps. It includes foiling traps, but also sabotaging clockworks and rigging non-magical machines to malfunction. As noted above in Use/Disable Magical Device, I would pull disabling magical traps out of here and add it there. One could stick Open Locks here if one wanted all the mechanical skills consolidated, but sentimentality says it should be on it’s own and there’s pretty good logic saying keep it with Thievery as well.
Here are a could more potential skills that might be fun …
* Drink (Con) – There are no Con skills! And come on, how much more “traditional fantasy” do you get than drinking large amounts of alcohol without getting drunk. Each rank means you’ve done just a little more permanent damage to your liver.
* Hold Breath (Con) – Would probably come in handy more than you’d think.
* Resist (specific poison) (Con) – Probably too hard to identify a single poison that would be worth it, but I’m thinking of Wesly/Dread Pirate Roberts who gradually built up an immunity to iocane by ingesting small amounts. The same thing could be used to build up an immunity to certain drugs.
* Gamble (Wis) – ‘Cause Profession (gambler) just never worked for me. Way too many people gamble for it to require Profession ranks. Another staple of fantasy and sci fi.
* Haggle (Cha) – Probably not worth a skill of it’s own, but like Gather Information, one could negotiate deals through Deception, Diplomacy or Intimidation. It might make a good sub-skill for all three.
* Flirt (Cha) – My wife’s suggestions. She swears it’s not exactly Diplomacy, but not Deception either.