In all the builds I've seen on this board, none seem to feature Skill Unlocks. Even on an unRogue (who gets them free) they don't get mentioned.
Is this because they're in Unchained and so GM-approval only (except for unRogue), or are they just forgotten, or are they junk?
IMHO, they seem OK by 10th level and quite nice by 15th, but nowhere near OP. In fact they seem to be the thing to make skills and skill-based characters (rogue & ranger: I'm looking at you in particular) relevant at high level. But only if given for free.
The big problem with skill unlocks is the number of ranks you need to make them useful. As you said the ones at 10th are ok but for the most part it is not until you get 15 ranks (which means 15 level) that they really become decent. Diplomacy, precision and sense motive are also decent.
The Phantom Thief archetype from ultimate intrigue really makes them shine. Refined Education gives you a bonus to the skill of half your rogue level, and adds that bonus to the number of ranks in the skill to calculate when you gain the bonus. These skills also gain the skill unlocks instead of choosing them. So you can get the 15th level unlock as early as 10th level and the 20th comes online at 14th level. You get your first refined education at 1st level and another on every odd level. You trade away sneak attack, trap finding, and trap sense and it replaces skill unlocks.
The one issue with anyone besides the unchained rogue is that you can only have a single signature skill. That is really the way it should be.
They are either situational, making them outside the realm of speculative character builds, or they don't build off of other abilities that you would typically use them with.
They're fairly minor benefits for the most part, I can't think of any that are substantial enough to be required by a build. There are several I like, but they aren't competing with feats.
The heal unlock with the healer’s hands feat is pretty nice. It’s the main use I’ve seen for the feat in builds.
The disable device unlock is pretty nice if you don’t want to take a dip for trapfinding.
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Is this because they're in Unchained and so GM-approval only (except for unRogue), or are they just forgotten, or are they junk?
Almost all of them are junk...
for the most part it is not until you get 15 ranks (which means 15 level) that they really become decent.
...and part of the reason is that almost every campaign will end before you get to the 15-rank and 20-rank options.
The other part is that they have alternatives that are better and/or cheaper. Instead of unlocking perception or sense motive, take skill focus. Instead of unlocking intimidate, take the Thug archetype (which is FAR more likely to actually work). Instead of unlocking heal, put some ranks in UMD and bring a wand of Infernal Healing.
So nah, not worth a feat; but as the OP says: worth considering if you get them for free.
They're nice if you get them for free.
A very few might be worth it once you get to enough skill ranks, but that requires getting to a high enough level.
Most APs and campaign end between 10th and 15th level. And none of the Unlocks really get interesting before 15th level.
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Intimidate is a straight upgrade to the skill.
Of course these are all a straight upgrade. The question is whether that "straight upgrade" is worth spending a feat on.
And in the case of intimidate, it costs a standard action. So the question isn't "does this skill unlock do something", but the question is "is this worth using my only standard action". Doing this every turn is not good tactics.
If you want out-of-combat feats on your character, great! But there are much better options.
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The 5 rank heal unlock is pretty good even without healer’s hands. Healing ability damage every hour of downtime is worth a feat.
5 rank intimidate unlock is great if you are already making an intimidate build.
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The heal unlock with the healer’s hands feat is pretty nice. It’s the main use I’ve seen for the feat in builds.
It looks great, but from bitter experience it looses out to “I’ll just spam this wand of CLW because they only cost 750gp”. Maybe that’s a PFS mindset thing…
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The Skill Unlocks are - by and large - most useful in a low/no magic campaign. If you take magic (and the abilities of magic-users) out of the equation then the skill unlocks look much better in comparison to what else is possible. Getting a climb speed or a swim speed is nice, but by the time you get the unlock there is usually easily available magic that does it better and without costing a feat. But very few people are going to choose the Pathfinder ruleset to simulate a no-magic campaign.
Many of them are also useful in a heavily social campaign. Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, even Linguistics and Appraise in investigative campaigns. They all unlock abilities that are either unique or stack with feats and abilities. But they aren't very helpful in combat situations.
Other than that, the skill unlocks (at the 5 or 10 rank levels) may have one or two builds that get utility, but they are highly specific.
Craft - If your party uses a lot of alchemical items and you are in a time-sensitive campaign. (And don't have an alchemist.)
Heal - Good in combination with Healer's Hands.
Intimidate - Can be quite good for a build that is already focused on Intimidate (though not if your goal is melee combat).
Knowledge - If your campaign is focused on one type of enemy then the 10-rank bonus is decent. Knowledge: Planes would probably be a handy unlock in Wrath of the Righteous.
Stealth - Great for a sniper, especially if they also take the Expert Sniper feat.
It looks great, but from bitter experience it looses out to “I’ll just spam this wand of CLW because they only cost 750gp”. Maybe that’s a PFS mindset thing…The heal unlock with the healer’s hands feat is pretty nice. It’s the main use I’ve seen for the feat in builds.
The heal unlock adds healing ability damage to that at rank 5.
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The diplomacy skill unlock is a difficult one for me as a GM, because I had a player use it expecting it to allow him to fast talk his way out of combats.
I had to explain, that some enemies are simply intent on killing you and no amount of talking with change that.
But the basic problem isn't with the skill unlock itself, but rather the whole of the diplomacy rules. The skill unlock reducing the time simply makes it an option players might consider in combat.
But it doesn't mean enemies are willing or open to listening.
Also mix maxing of the rolls makes it really awkward when players think their crazy high roll entitles them run rough shod over the NPCs and overwrite their thoughts and desires.
After that I had to formally write up some rules to work on diplomacy because the skill is in a tough spot. It's either the most powerful skill ever, or the worst skill ever depending on the GM and the enemies. And it's really hard to strike a satisfying balance, especially if you have a player intent on breaking the system over their knee.
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Yeah, PF1 Diplomacy is either:
a) encounter-ending diplomancy if the player can browbeat the GM into a very literal interpretation of rules or
b) occasional way to make an NPC react better to you in a social encounter if the player can't browbeat the GM or the GM is of the "I don't care about your skills and rolls, you can't roleplay it you can't have it and guess what Joey, your roleplayin' ain't convincing me" school.
If I GM, diplomacy can do stuff like, before combat:
--Have enemies surrendering rather then fighting to the death.
--Have some enemies not coordinate efficiently because they are not on the same page.
--Have some enemies try to go for non lethal or less lethal approaches, particularly if they perceive the party as doing the same.
--Have some enemies flee earlier.
--Have prisoners be more cooperative.
--In some situations, have some conscirpted or forced mooks go over to the players side.
Combat happening should not be a true/false thing relating to diplo, imho.
If you have the skill unlock you are more likely to managed to get the more "high powered" options.
A problem with your list, which I don't disagree with the idea of these options, are that by default diplomacy can only be done on a single character at a time.
And you (as the player) don't necessarily know which characters are open to these potential ideas. And the GM, especially if running an AP, probably hasn't considered it either.
And a lot of AP enemies as written as fighting to the death, even when it doesn't make sense.
a) encounter-ending diplomancy if the player can browbeat the GM into a very literal interpretation of rules
I think you mean liberal interpretation of the rules: "Diplomacy is generally ineffective in combat and against creatures that intend to harm you or your allies in the immediate future." CRB pg. 94
--Have some enemies try to go for non lethal or less lethal approaches, particularly if they perceive the party as doing the same.
I don't think you need diplomacy for that...
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Diplomacy may not be of much use in combat but can be used to prevent combat from beginning. There will be situations where it does not work, but there will be situations where it does. If the party is known to the opponents and they are specifically looking to kill them it probably will not work. If the party is unknown or in disguise using diplomacy to avoid combat might work. The skill unlock makes that easier by reducing the time it takes.
The Skill unlock reduces the amount of time it takes to make a diplomacy roll to 1 round. To me that mean a full round spent talking not a characters turn. If it was a characters turn it would have been reduced to a standard action or maybe a free action. It was not so that means the opponents still get their turn.