[unchained] background skills + consolidated skills

[Michael Gentry]

The consolidated skill rules reduce the number of skills in the skill list, and also reduces the number of skill ranks you get per level.

If you are also using the background skills rules, would you also reduce the number of background skill ranks (from 2 ranks/level to 1 rank/level)?

It's worth noting that if you use consolidated skills, the number of skills that are considered "background" drops from 13 to 5 (Handle Animal, Linquistics, Perform, Sleight of Hand, and all of the Knowledges except engineering get folded into one of the consolidated skills). So the list gets much shorter. So it kind of seems to me that reducing the number of background skill ranks/level from 2 to 1 seems appropriate.

Does this make sense? Anyone think of any arguments against?

[Tadrakyn]

I'm in a game using consolidated skills and background skills, and we are lessening the background skills per level as well. As you stated, the majority of background skills are consolidated, so it makes no sense to not half these as well. Also, we made a house rule regarding which consolidated skills we will consider background skills. I believe Nature was the only one, but I'll post again when I get that confirmed, I don't have Unchained with me.

[Viriato]

Yeah, going to belatedly drop in on this to say I agree: background skill ranks should also be halved, if one uses consolidated skills with background skills.

[aeglos]

I stumbled about this aswell

extra question:
the knowledge skills that don't identify monsters are pooled into other skillls inthe consolidation but would be better of as background skills when you use both systems together, it would make much more sense