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or at least shares some insight for where they are coming from. For instance:
1. Why is Jump in Acrobatics?
2. Why isn't there an Athletic Skill, i.e., Climb, Jump, [Run], Swim?
3. Why are Bluff and Disguise separate, as opposed to Deception?
4. Why is Gather Information combined with Diplomacy when Gather Information could work the same under Intimidate. (For that matter, Gather Information may just need to be forgotten, or otherwise, why not combine the two for Persuasion?)
5. Both Escape Artist and Fly seem more appropriate under Acrobatics. (Acrobatics = Agility.)
6. I can live with the Knowledge skills, but there may be some others of merit: social sciences, earth & life sciences, physical sciences, tactics, and technology. Many of these may serve as fluff, but I can also see them having merit in action and item creation.
7. Why is Search enmeshed with Spot and Listen. It serves a different roll that is more akin to Investigate (or Research).
8. Why isn't Sleight of Hand rolled into Stealth? or Bluff? (Stealth seems more fitting.)
9. What is the difference between Knowledge (nature) and Survival that keeps them separate. In reading the description of Survival, it still depends heavily on knowledge. Why isn't Survival rolled into Knowledge (nature)?
10. Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device. These all seem to overlap. Still, I am curious why Concentration is rolled into Spellcraft. Concentration seems better to remain as a stand along that addresses matters of Endurance, too. Moreover, Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft really seem able to function as one skill. I'd go so far to throw in Use Magic Device, too. IMO, if you understand how a wand works, i.e., Knowledge (arcana), you should have an easier time making it work than someone who simply tries to charm it into working. (Okay, for that matter, I never really understood how Charisma works here. It seems a poor fit to me.)
I expect many to disagree with me, or the notion of condensing skills altogether. Nevertheless, the main purpose of this post is to get some answers from Paizo. Still, feel free to shed light on my ignorance . . . or your disagreement.
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I also don't think the skill list is 'perfect' yet. I don't want more combinations. If you go that way, it almost seems like you might as well make the skill 'dex skills' and 'strength skills' and 'intelligence skills' and you'd just get a bonus on anything that has that ability as the key ability.
I wouldn't like that.
I'm very concerned that the flavor of skills is being lost. In general, I think Pathfider has combined too many skills. There are a lot of changes that I like for ease of play and streamlining. There are some that I do object to regarding backwards compatability. For skills I think there are a lot of good changes and a few that aren't so good. Too many combinations is one that I'm not fond of.
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And I understand that I am but one man with my own wish list . . . as are many others. If it came down to it and Paizo said, "That's that with regard to skills," I could always make my own House Rules.
Nevertheless, if there was one thing, and only one thing that I would really want to see Paizo tighten up, clean up, and refine, it would be skills.
If anything, I'd like to see where Paizo is going with skills . . . if they are going any further. And if they aren't going any further, I'd like to know that, too.
Honestly, the fact that Fly has been left in and left alone was the prompt for this post. I don't recall reading any posts that rejoice at the inclusion of flight.
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And I understand that I am but one man with my own wish list . . . as are many others. If it came down to it and Paizo said, "That's that with regard to skills," I could always make my own House Rules.
I am pretty much full agreement with most of your assessments.
Regardless of what hairs are being split, ultimately the skills do need more attention.
Robert
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Here's another idea: Merge DISABLE DEVICE and SLEIGHT OF HANDS together into a new skill: DEFT HANDS (Dex).
Aside from the fact that this takes care of the hand-based finesse skills, it also addresses another facet of feats that I'd like to get rid of. Namely, the feat that provides +2/+2 to two skills. It'd be much simpler to dump all the +2/+2's and simply turn to Skill Focus feats. With condensed skills, this should pose no problem. E.g., Acrobatics? Athletics? Deft Hands? These feats can be gone with a little finessing of the skills.