This is a revised list of skills for use with Dungeons & Dragons 3.5E, based on one of the philosophies said to be behind the new 4th Edition design; a simpler, more abstracted skill list. This particular revision was made by Fox, and also folds some relevant skills from d20Modern into the list.
The D&D core rules include 49 skills, not counting variants of Profession and Perform; this system condenses those, as well as five skills from other sourcebooks and 27 of 31 d20Modern skills, into a final list of 22. Some players may find these changes displeasing; the intent here is not to create a greater sense of realism, as many players desire from the skills system, but rather to increase the cinematic feel and "heriosm" of the game by making skills broader and more abstract. It also hopes to permit for stronger investments in more "flavoursome" skills, such as craft and profession, which are broadly considered "weak" by comparison to other skills.
New Skill List
Skill | Supercedes |
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Acrobatics (dex) | Balance Escape Artist Tumble Ride1 |
Arcana (int) | Knowledge (Arcana) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) Knowledge (Psionics) Psicraft Spellcraft Use Magic Device Use Psionic Device |
Artistry (int) | Craft (Visual Arts) Craft (Writing) Knowledge (Art) Forgery |
Athletics (str) | Climb Jump Swim |
Business (wis) | Appraise Knowledge (Business) Profession (any) |
Chemistry (int) | Craft (Alchemy) Craft (Chemical) Craft (Trapmaking)2 |
Craft (int) | Craft (Armorsmithing) Craft (Bowmaking) Craft (Weaponsmithing) Repair3 |
Culture (int) | Knowledge (Civics) Knowledge (History) Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) Knowledge (Religion) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) |
Discipline (con) | Autohypnosis Concentration |
Engineering (int) | Craft (Mechanical) Craft (Structural) Craft (Trapmaking)4 Demolitions Disable Device Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) Repair5 |
Folklore (wis) | Knowledge (Current Events) Knowledge (Local) Knowledge (Popular Culture) Knowledge (Streetwise) Navigate6 |
Investigation (int) | Gather Information Investigate Research Search |
Legerdemain (dex) | Open Lock Sleight Of Hand Use Rope |
Linguistics (int) | Decipher Script Read/Write Language Speak Language |
Medicine (int) | Heal Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences)7 Treat Injury |
Negotiation (cha) | Diplomacy Intimidate Handle Animal |
Perception (wis) | Knowledge (Behavioural Sciences) Listen Sense Motive Spot |
Perform (cha) | Perform (all) |
Stealth (dex) | Hide Move Silently |
Subterfuge (cha) | Bluff Disguise Gamble |
Survival (wis) | Knowledge (Dungeoneering) Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences)8 Knowledge (Geography) Knowledge (Nature) Navigate9 Ride10 Survival |
Tactics (int) | Knowledge (Tactics) Martial Lore |
This system doesn't require that the number of skills points given to any class be increased or decreased, though GMs who feel the need to restrict skill use may want to lower the skill point baselines, since there are fewer skills under this system. Generally, it is intended that players have more freedom in spending their skill points, and feel that they can pick up cross-class or sub-optimal skills without feeling like they are wasting resources.
Class Skills
Broadly, the intent here is that a condensed skill will be a class skill for a class if any of the old skills which it "absorbs" were on that class's class skill list. For example, a wizard (who normally has the Spellcraft skill but not the Psicraft skill) would get the Arcana skill.
It's suggested that this should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, however. For example, it might not be appropriate for a barbarian, who would normally have the Initimidate skill on her class list, to have the Negotiation skill under the new system. In this case, it's suggested to give such classes a class ability which gives a bonus to skill check, but only under the appropriate circumstances (e.g., the Barbarian gets bonus equal to her class level to Negotiation checks made to intimidate the subject). This may seem like getting a skill for free, but since each skill on the "condensed" list covers at least two seperate uses under the original rules, that's not quite the case.
If a feat or prestige class requires a certain number of ranks in that skill, allow this class ability to substitute for half of those ranks - a requirement of eight ranks could instead be four ranks plus the class ability.
Suggested Class Skill Lists
Core Classes
- Barbarian: Athletics (Str), Craft (Int), Perception (Wis) and Survival (Wis). A barbarian receives a bonus equal to her class level when making a Negotiation check to intimidate a target.
- Bard: Acrobatics (Dex), Arcana (Int), Artistry (Int), Business (Wis), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Culture (Int), Discipline (Con), Folklore (Wis), Investigation (Int), Legerdemain (Dex), Linguistics (Int), Negotiation (Cha), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Subterfuge (Cha).
- Cleric: Arcana (Int), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Culture (Int), Discipline (Con), Medicine (Int) and Negotiation (Cha).
- Druid: Arcana (Int), Athletics (Str), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Medicine (Int), Perception (Wis) and Survival (Wis). A druid gets a bonus equal to his class level when making Negotiate checks against an animal or magical beast.
- Fighter: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Craft (Int), Engineering (Int), Survival (Wis) and Tactics (Int). A fighter receives a bonus equal to her class level when making a Negotiation check to intimidate a target.
- Monk: Arcana (Int), Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Culture (Int), Discipline (Con), Negotiation (Cha), Perception (Wis) and Stealth (Dex).
- Paladin: Athletics (Str), Craft (Int), Culture (Int), Discipline (Con), Medicine (Int), Negotiation (Cha), Perception (Wis) and Tactics (Int). A paladin gets a bonus equal to her class level when making Survival or Acrobatics checks relating to riding.
- Ranger: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Engineering (Int), Investigate (Int), Legerdemain (Dex), Medicine (Wis), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex) and Survival (Wis). A ranger gets a bonus equal to his class level when making Negotiate checks against an animal or magical beast.
- Rogue: Acrobatics (Dex), Artistry (Int), Athletics (Str), Business (Int), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Culture (Int), Engineering (Int), Folklore (Wis), Investigate (Int), Legerdemain (Dex), Linguistics (Int), Negotiation (Cha), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Stealth (Dex) and Subterfuge (Cha).
- Sorceror: Arcana (Int), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Folklore (Wis), Legerdemain (Dex), Negotiation (Cha) and Subterfuge (Cha).
- Wizard: Arcana (Int), Business (Int), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Culture (Int), Discipline (Con), Engineering (Int) and Linguistics (Int).
Psionic Classes
- Psion: Arcana (Int), Artistry (Int), Culture (Int) and Discipline (Con). In addition, a psion gains access to additional class skills based on his discipline:
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- Seer (Clairsentience): Folklore (Wis), Investigation (Int) and Perception (Wis).
- Shaper (Metacreativity): Craft (Int), Legerdemain (Dex), Subterfuge (Cha).
- Kineticist (Psychokinesis): Chemistry (Int), Engineering (Int) and Perform (Cha).
- Egoist (Psychometabolism): Athletics (Str), Medicine (Int) and Survival (Wis).
- Nomad (Psychoportation): Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str) and Stealth (Dex).
- Telepath (Telepathy): Negotiation (Cha), Investigate (Int), and Subterfuge (Cha).
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- Psychic Warrior: Athletics (Str), Arcana (Int), Artistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Perception (Wis), Survival (Wis) and Tactics (Int).
- Wilder: Arcana (Int), Artistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Folklore (Wis), Medicine (Int), Negotiation (Cha), Perception (Wis) and Subterfuge (Cha).
Cobrin'Seil Classes
- Adherent: Athletics (Str), Craft (Int), Culture (Int), Discipline (Con), Medicine (Int), Negotiation (Cha), Perception (Wis) and Tactics (Int). In addition, some adherents gain access to additional class skills based on her domains:
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- Animal: Survival (Wis).
- Knowledge: Arcana (Int), Chemistry (Int), Engineering (Int), Medicine (Int).
- Plant: Survival (Wis).
- Travel: Survival (Wis).
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- Feral Animist: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Chemistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Investigation (Int), Legerdemain (Dex), Medicine (Int), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex) and Survival (Wis). A feral animist gets a bonus equal to her class level when making Negotiate checks against an animal or magical beast.
- Primal: Arcana (Int), Artistry (Int), Craft (Int), Discipline (Con), Medicine (Int), Negotiation (Cha), Perform (Cha), Subterfuge (Cha) and Survival (Wis).
Reference for Existing Skills
D&D CORE | |
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Skill | Folded Into |
Appraise | Business |
Balance | Acrobatics |
Bluff | Subterfuge |
Climb | Athletics |
Concentration | Discipline |
Craft | |
- Alchemy | Chemistry |
- Armorsmithing | Craft |
- Bowmaking | Craft |
- Weaponsmithing | Craft |
- Trapmaking | Chemistry or Engineering |
Decipher Script | Linguistics |
Diplomacy | Negotiation |
Disable Device | Engineering |
Disguise | Subterfuge |
Escape Artist | Acrobatics |
Forgery | Artistry |
Gather Information | Investigate |
Handle Animal | Negotiate |
Heal | Medicine |
Hide | Stealth |
Intimidate | Negotiation |
Jump | Athletics |
Knowledge | |
- Arcana | Arcane Lore |
- Architecture and engineering | Engineering |
- Dungeoneering | Survival |
- Geography | Survival |
- History | Culture |
- Local | Social Lore |
- Nature | Survival |
- Nobility and Royalty | Culture |
- Religion | Culture |
- The Planes | Arcane Lore |
Listen | Perception |
Move Silently | Stealth |
Open Lock | Legerdemain |
Perform (any) | Perform |
Profession | Business |
Ride | Survival or Acrobatics |
Search | Investigate |
Sense Motive | Perception |
Sleight Of Hand | Legerdemain |
Speak Language | Linguistics |
Spellcraft | Arcane Lore |
Spot | Perception |
Survival | Survival |
Swim | Athletics |
Tumble | Acrobatics |
Use Magic Device | Arcane Lore |
Use Rope | Legerdemain |
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