Racial Favored Skills (3.5) (PEACH)

[Elves-as-People]

In the interest of making the class system more flexible, reinforcing race flavor, and giving defensive fighters a pat on the back for being smart:

Favored Skills:
At first level, a character may select a number of skills equal to their int modifier to be permanently treated as class skills from a list determined by their race:

Human: Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (any), Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language

Half-Elf: Any. If listen, spot, or search is selected, the racial bonus to that same skill increases to +2, as this allows them to take greater advantage of their elven heritage.

Elf: Handle Animal, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot

Dwarf: Appraise, Climb, Concentration, Disable Device, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (History)

Halfling: Bluff, Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand

Gnome: Decipher Script, Hide, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (Nature), Listen

Half Orcs: Climb, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Survival, Swim

I am at a loss for what other skills to give half-orcs, but I want to be fair and give them something to work with too. I figured Half Elves could use the extra boost as everyone says they're underpowered (though I'm sure +1 to a skill or three won't fix that.)

Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly.

I welcome any comments or suggestions.

Updated

[Temotei]

You could possibly add Handle Animal to the half-orc list. Maybe. This is interesting. Not too overpowered or anything, but a small boost that allows you to customize without recreating. :smallsmile:

[Elves-as-People]

You could possibly add Handle Animal to the half-orc list. Maybe. This is interesting. Not too overpowered or anything, but a small boost that allows you to customize without recreating. :smallsmile:

Thanks. :smallsmile: That's what I was hoping to do.

Handle Animal added to Half-Orc list.

[deuxhero]

I like the idea, but doesn't this make Wizards into skill monkeys?

[Tempest Fennac]

That is a good point, deux. Having each character pick 2 skills regardless of their Int could work for this.

[deuxhero]

basing it on Int bonus could work in a restricted class game (all x, melee only, ect.).

[Jair Barik]

Some problems would arise with certain prestiges. Many are built so that their skill point requirements prevent a player getting in at certain levels/without multiclassing. Just saying.

[BooNL]

The main problem I see is giving humans "any". Your other races exclude important monkey skills like disable device and lockpicks. Any human could turn into a skill monkey this way.

I suggest finding some skills which heavily flavor humans. I can see diplomacy, bluff, knowledge and speak language on the list.

"Any" is just too much.

Nice concept by the way!

[Elves-as-People]

Some problems would arise with certain prestiges. Many are built so that their skill point requirements prevent a player getting in at certain levels/without multiclassing. Just saying.

I thought of that but I think restricting the human skill list makes that less of a problem. I'm not too worried about that as long as prestige classes aren't taken at earlier levels than they should be (which I don't think this does.)


The main problem I see is giving humans "any". Your other races exclude important monkey skills like disable device and lockpicks. Any human could turn into a skill monkey this way.

I suggest finding some skills which heavily flavor humans. I can see diplomacy, bluff, knowledge and speak language on the list.

"Any" is just too much.


I see what you mean. Should half elves be limited, too, or should they be given this to make up for lack of other abilities?



Nice concept by the way!

Thanks! :smallbiggrin:


Having each character pick 2 skills regardless of their Int could work for this.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[Zovc]

The main problem I see is giving humans "any". Your other races exclude important monkey skills like disable device and lockpicks. Any human could turn into a skill monkey this way.

I suggest finding some skills which heavily flavor humans. I can see diplomacy, bluff, knowledge and speak language on the list.

"Any" is just too much.

Nice concept by the way!

I didn't think of that, but you're right, "Any" is really dangerous. This does make Able Learner less valuable, unless you have factotum as an available class. As long as Able Learner can still give everyone Use Magic Device, though, it's still good.

Bluf, Diplomacy, Knowledge(?), Speak Language

Plus

Concentration, Gather Information, Profession?

[Elves-as-People]

I didn't think of that, but you're right, "Any" is really dangerous. This does make Able Learner less valuable, unless you have factotum as an available class. As long as Able Learner can still give everyone Use Magic Device, though, it's still good.

Bluf, Diplomacy, Knowledge(?), Speak Language

Plus

Concentration, Gather Information, Profession?

I already just added profession :smallbiggrin:
Hmm. Concentration and gather info could work. I'll add them too.

[Solaris]

Hm. Have you ever looked at the d20 Modern/Past/Future Backgrounds? That might be a good idea.

[Elves-as-People]

No, I haven't, and I don't have any of those books :smallfrown:

[Golden-Esque]

Craft and Profession should probably either be taken off or added to all of them. If I recall correctly, all classes have access to Craft and Profession as it is, and if that's the case, having Craft and Profession on the list is counter productive :).

[Solaris]

No, I haven't, and I don't have any of those books :smallfrown:

https://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/msrdoccupation.rtf
Fifth one down. Occupations. I'm looking for a hypertext version of it.

Found it.
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/modern/smack/occupations.html

Now obviously, some of those just plain won't work in the standard D&D setting. It's a starting point for something more thorough, if you're interested.

[Ouranos]

half orcs should have all the physical ones. Climb included. I do beleive all regular classes do have craft and profession, so pointless to list them. And as far as prestiege classes go, as long as these bonuses still apply to the skill RANK cap (because prestieges always require ranks, not total bonus) it won't make a difference there, not a big one anyway. Just means fighters can become kensai on their 6th level as paladins can without devoting ALL their skill points into the requisite skills. Stuff like that.

[Elves-as-People]

All very good suggestions. I might work on an alternative background based option to add to this.

I'll remove craft and profession from everything and give half-orcs climb now :smallsmile:

Does the Dwarf list seem too small now?

[Solaris]

Dwarves do seem to be a little short-shifted. Methinks Knowledge (history) (on account of standard dwarven society being pretty old and dwarves being pretty proud of that), Climb (spelunkers, neh?), and Disable Device (unless you don't want to do traditional monkey skills, but without trapfinding it's hard to see it as particularly useful).

[Elves-as-People]

Sounds good to me. Added.

Does anyone else have thoughts on the balance issue of int mod vs. fixed at 2?

[Ouranos]

I don't beleive in dump statting and every game me and my friends play we roll with DM supervision for our stats before we go do our creation. i happen to have very lucky dice (oddly enough legit dice, pulled them out of a RISK game) and my average roll is 14 using standard rules.

[Temotei]

Barbarians and fighters don't have profession as a class skill.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/barbarian.htm

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/fighter.htm

[Elves-as-People]

oooo. I'll add back in appropriate professions for each race then. Any suggestions on which should get which?

[Temotei]

Really, profession would work with almost any race. The only one I think would have a bit trouble is half-orc. I can't really picture them in a job, other than caravan guard or something. Or farmboy. :smalltongue:

[Elves-as-People]

Another thing I've considering is dumping Profession altogether for the system someone posted above, which I'll repost here (search for "service economy"):

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19527098/The_Dungeonomicon

At that point, I'd just let any character choose a logical profession that they have at first level.

[deuxhero]

I like basing it on backgrounds. Basing things on race like that have always bugged me.

[Elves-as-People]

I like to think of it as basing it on the culture implicit in each race, but a variant background that could give additional choices might work instead/in addition to this.

[Krazddndfreek]

I would personally be inclined to give half-orcs listen and maybe spot.