Condensed Skills Variant

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
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:
          • 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).
  • 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:
          • Animal: Survival (Wis).
          • Knowledge: Arcana (Int), Chemistry (Int), Engineering (Int), Medicine (Int).
          • Plant: Survival (Wis).
          • Travel: Survival (Wis).
  • 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
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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