Hi everybody.
I come with a suggestion (sor/wiz 3) :D
I'm glad about the skill consolidation, but I think there's still an important issue...
Everybody knows that a conflict in Pathfinder is solved trough combat. But it isn't always the case... At least it isn't always the case in the adventures I run as DM.
I often see players that would like to use their social abilities (such as diplomacy or bluff) against other players. The rules explicitely say that they can't, because players must be free to do what they want.
I disagree at all. Please make ALL skill checks work against pcs. It would be GREAT if the party's rogue could legally persuade the paladin that he actually isn't guilty of the city bank robbing.
In these cases, I always see bad metagaming tendences among my players, because many people aren't capable of distinguish between "what player knows" and "what character knows", and it sometimes happens that strong characters are able to push weak character's players'will.
In other words, I'd appreciate a mechanic of conflict resolution which combat isn't involved in and whose result everybody has to respect. In other words, for example, if the paladin manages to persuade the evil party's wizard with a CD 30 diplomacy check that he'd better not to kill his defeated enemies, the wizard should obey, at least for that scene. More in general, I'd appreciate social rules on wich DMs CAN'T applicate their fiat.
Personally, I try to respect existing social rules, but I've just seen too many bards (rogues, paladins, etc.) succeeding in DC 50 diplomacy checks thanks to their precious skill points, who later have been attacked by the enemy because "the DM judged so because diplomacy in subject to MY PERSONAL ABSOLUTE FIAT".
It would be a modern way to solve many practical problems! :)
I'm flat out FOR a diplomacy mechanic that uses a "bargain system" where you make opposed rolls and get penalties depending on how much you expect from the other guy. This includes stuff like "betray your family and everything you ever stood for to go on a suicide mission for my profit (-100 on your roll)"
Fixed DCs that reprogram NPCs regardless of their stats and attitude should not work.
I also think that the book should make it crystal clear that it's the GM's call whether that stuff works on PCs, and that it's best to discuss this before the campaign.
Yes, I totally agree :)