I've refactored the skill system and any feedback would be appreciated. The only caveat is that the real meaty removals (Appraise, Fly, and Use Magic Device in particular) might be something I find I don't need at my table, but that others might want to keep. From the top, the changed and removed skills:
- Acrobatics: Jump is removed, now part of a new Athletics (Str) skill.
- Appraise: Removed.
Second, it leads to an awkward gameplay loop of bookkeeping. The GM needs to keep in mind what an object is actually worth, and what they told a player who failed their Appraise check. Then we get to the bartering or haggling part, which is handwaved to be "50% market value" anyways unless the barter or haggle is plot-relevant so that the non-Appraisers at the table don't get bored.
I find myself struggling to care whether a 50 gp jade statuette appears to be worth anywhere from 40 to 60 gp, or worse, 0 to infinite. The plan is to just tell the PCs what things are worth. If something's worth is in contention in a plot-relevant way, substitute Appraise with an appropriate Craft or Knowledge check.
- Climb: Removed, now part of a new Athletics (Str) skill.
- Craft: Now "--" instead of "Int." Includes Profession. Trained only.
The DCs should probably be way lower so that NPCs are still proficient at their jobs. The goal is to make a skill that is clearly a "background skill" that is useful as a downtime or character-specific check ("I'm a weaponsmith, so I inspect the orc enemy's weapons to see where it was crafted").
- Disguise: Removed.
The plan is to keep Disguise as part of putting on a costume for acting without deceiving as Perform (act), and as part of actively trying to deceive someone as Bluff. Maybe keep the Disguise table of modifiers for different race, age, gender, etc. as a Bluff modifier.
- Escape Artist: Removed, now part of Acrobatics.
- Fly: Removed.
- Knowledges: Engineering, geography, history, and nobility weren't as important as the rest. Identifying monsters has been redistributed into eight.
- Arcana: Dragons and magical beasts.
- Dungeoneering: Aberrations and oozes.
- Engineering: Constructs.
- History: Named NPCs. (Obviously varies from campaign to campaign. Otherwise just grab bag for campaign lore?)
- Local and nobility: Humanoids, monstrous humanoids.
- Nature and geography: Animals, fey, plants, vermin.
- Planes: Outsiders.
- Religion: Undead.
- Linguistics: Crafting a forgery is removed, now part of a Craft (scribe) skill.
- Perception: Finding concealed doors or traps or investigating a room has been moved to a new Search (Int) skill.
- Profession: Removed.
- Spellcraft: Changed from "Int" to "varies." For spellcasters, it's their spellcasting ability score (Int for wizards, Wis for clerics, Cha for bards, etc.); for non-spellcasters or in general, it's Int. Removed the ability to craft magic items; relegated to the appropriate Craft check instead.
- Use Magic Device: Removed.
On the other hand, don't let people emulate ability scores, alignments, class features, or races. I'd say if a player must for a MacGyver theme it might as well be a feat, but not a skill.
At the very least consider making it a "trained only" skill.
Without further ado, I present to you the perfect(ly arbitrary) list of twenty skills:
- Acrobatics (Dex)
- Athletics (Str)
- Bluff (Cha)
- Craft (--)
- Diplomacy (Cha)
- Disable Device (Dex)
- Handle Animal (Cha)
- Heal (Wis)
- Intimidate (Cha)
- Knowledge (Int)
- Linguistics (Int)
- Perception (Wis)
- Perform (Cha)
- Ride (Dex)
- Search (Int)
- Sense Motive (Wis)
- Sleight of Hand (Dex)
- Spellcraft (varies)
- Stealth (Dex)
- Survival (Wis)
Piling fly into acrobatics when you need a check lets the non-spellcasters not suck utterly when they somehow get to fly.
UMD by the rules actually is trained only. If the fancy uses were a feat (using spellcraft or knowledge (arcana)?) rather than a skill I wouldn't complain.
Make sure you let people know where to find the new skill uses and this looks good.
I will offer up what I have been working on. I have been using the knowledge skills below for nearly decade now. As GM I like to use skills for the PC's and NPC's so they get a lot of mileage. I think that is the important part is if you have a list of skills you need to makes sure the characters can benefit from their investment/use.
Skills
Appraise (INT/WIS)
Athletics (STR) - (combine Climb,Jump Swim)
Acrobatics (DEX) - (roll, flip, dive, dodge, comblex phsyical maneuvers) (combine with FLY)
Concentration (WIS) - used for casting spells, KI abilities, anything requiring concentration.
Craft (INT/WIS)
Diplomacy (CHA)
Espionage (INT) - (combine decipher script, forgery, cipher script)
Handle Animal (CHA)
Heal (WIS)
Intimidate (WIS/CHA)
Knowledge (INT)
Perception (WIS)
Perform (CHA)
Profession (WIS)
Ride (DEX/WIS)
Sense Motive (WIS)
Speak Language (INT)
Spellcraft (INT)
Spycraft (CHA) (combine Bluff, Disguise, Gather Information (3.5) - not a diplomacy skill)
Stealth (DEX)
Thievery (DEX) - (combine Escape Artist, Disable Device, Slight of Hand)
Uncover (WIS/INT)
Use Magic Device (CHA)
Write Language (INT)
Knowledge Areas: (synergy bonus)
Anatomy (Heal)(Survival-hunting)
Arcana (Appraise)
Dungeoneering (Survival - multi)
Engineering (Survival - traps/snares)
Geography (Survival - lost)
History (Appraise) (Espionage)
Local (Spycraft)(Appraise)
Military
Nature (Heal)
Occult
Planes
Religion
Monster Lore
That is 23 skills with many of the previous PF1E skills combined in workable groups. I have also added back in Concentration. I find it needs to be a skill and it should be used by more than just spell casters. Special abilities that require concentration should also be under concentration.
I find Appraise important especially in investigation/intrigue style encounters. It is a skill that allows them to look over and area and make an estimate of not only things of value but also of importance...(to a specific individual, a group, and such). It can play a very important roll when used with Diplomacy, Espionage, Perception, Spycraft, and Thievery.
Athletics just makes sense combining climb, jump, and swim.
Acrobatics I include fly as it just seems to make sense to me that if you can flip, tumble, roll, that fly would fall into this skill set. Plus my addition to this skills set is perform complex physical maneuvers...
Concentration - having played D&D from its start in the late 70's I have always thought that the use of Concentration for spell caster made perfect sense in 3.0 and 3.5. PF1E doing away with it didn't and I believe it can be more impactful when also used for other special abilities like KI... Which from a fantasy perspective Monks tend to use meditation and concentration to focus their KI abilities.
Espionage - so this is really breaking decipher script and forgery away from linguistics which I did away with and adding cipher script. I just think this makes sense and it has more skill flavor into the rogue and other similar classes. Plus it enhances investigation/intrigue encounters.
Perception and Uncover - So for me Perception is your natural sixth sense and awareness... Uncover is essentially search/spot and is used to uncover concealed and hidden objects/persons. Both use your sense but in different ways and for different reasons.
Perception - get a sense of the room. get a sense of the person. sniff out an ambush. detect a lie or a deception. notice something unusual or different about a person or place. I never saw a reason to have perception and sense motive...They should have been combined
Uncover - see an hiding predator. find that person that is getting ready to ambush you. find a concealed alcove. find a secret door.
Spycraft - combined bluff, disguise, and gather information. I find that gather information should not be in diplomacy. It works well in a group with bluff and disguise.
Thievery - So this again is combining skills that just make sense to me. Like Spycraft it seems like skill tax to have PC's dropping multiple skill points into different skills that should be combined into one or two. This opens up a lot of doors for roguish and intrigue style PC' and gives them a bit more flexibility to diversify their skill sets. Helps fighters as well as they can get more bang out of their skill points.
Speak and Write Language.
Essentially every PC's speaks their base language but if they want to read/write they have to spend skill points in that area. Also by splitting them up like this it allows to you play in a world where people are not educated so reading and writing can be at a premium.
This skills with Ability/Ability like Ride (DEX/WIS) have a choice they can decide to use RIDE (DEX) or RIDE (WIS). Riding always bugged me I grew up on my grand parents horse ranch when I was a kid...It is more about the sense of the animal and knowing how to handle them when you ride them. Very little to do with dexterity...
The additional knowledges are from using them a great deal in my games and I actually like the diversification.
Nerth:
Dropping Fly completely is giving fliers a free skill point; I'd second avr on incorporating it into Acrobatics. Besides, it does make sense as a skill. Consider: you've just been given a jetpack. You've seen one on TV, so you know it works. Now jump off a roof. Confident?
Re UMD: I'm struggling to reconcile your two choices of dropping it and making it Trained Only, which seem to go in opposite directions. Unless you have massive Cha, you'll need skill points to make it work in any useful way anyway.
The odd knowledges like Nobility make more sense if you allow Background Skills; otherwise they never get taken.
All of it looks great, honestly. Really digging Appraise getting cut.
If you combine Climb, Jump and Swim into Athletics and also get rid of Fly, Ride starts to look funny.
I like using Athletics for all Str- and Con-related physical activities (jumping long distances, swimming in rough waters) and Acrobatics for all Dex-related physical activities.
So trying to fly in a hurricane would be Athletics. Trying to avoid falling after a collision is Acrobatics, etc.
Use Magic Device is an interesting one. What about potions? Those cost twice what a scroll does specific because anyone can use them. So just no ever buys potions? Not that I'm specifically opposed to that. I've been giving some serious thought to out of combat healing in general.