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zugschef
2010-07-13, 08:13 PM
VARIANT: Skill Groups



I. Introduction
II. Basic Mechanic
III. Floating Skillpoints
IV. Cross-class Skills and Multiclassing
V. Skill Synergy
VI. Skill Groups
VII. Speak Language
VIII. Skill Tricks
IV. New Feat: Extra Skill Group [General]


I. Introduction


This variant was designed by dobu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=41080) and me.

For us, the skill system in d20 is restricting and unbalanced. With this variant we attempt to improve flexibility and, of course, give skill-starved classes, such as the fighter, the skills they really need to succeed. It has always bothered us that a high intelligence score decides whether a character can spend skillpoints on skills like jump or tumble. Another goal was to get rid of cross-class skills and make the variant easy to implement.

The basic idea originates from the weapon group variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/weaponGroupFeats.htm) in the srd (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm). Analog to this variant, skill groups allow players to customize their characters. As an example, from now on you are not restricted to the bookly wizard. You can play a real war wizard by selecting the magic and warfare skill groups. The groups are easily and quickly implemented, too. You do not need to change classes, you could even implement this variant in an ongoing campaign with minimal effort.

This variant also succeeds in reducing the royal status of intelligence among the mental abilities and lowers the difference of the importance between the basic stats. It lets you play an extraordinarily dumb but extremely charming and creative bard, since you can dump intelligence and solely focus on your charisma score.

Further, normally characters, who cannot afford to have a high intelligence score and are not human, are really crippled when their classes only provide 2 skillpoints. The 2 floating skillpoints and the 2 or more skill groups which every character gets in this variant, take care of this flaw and provide at least 4 skillpoints and tedious cross-class skills will no longer cause any trouble.

Since there are no more cross-class skills, another aspect of this variant is that the able learner feat becomes pointless. This has the positive side-effect that a lot of builds will open up for races different than human.

We are well aware of the fact that every class gets more skillpoints as before, but we are convinced that this variant still does not enable classes to do it all. A rogue still won't have the skillpoints to be the scout, the trickster AND the partyface. The only problem which may arise, is that players may have too many skills in a campaign where they start with extremely high ability scores. But since you have a limited access to skill groups, it should work just fine with the 28/32/36 point-buy method.

Thus, the possibility that a score may be particularly high and hence may provide a lot of skillpoints, is balanced by the limited skill group access and the fact that every group has a short list of skills and therefor, excessive skillpoints are simply lost and naturally capped respectively. We think that picking up additional skills in a skill group you have access to at a high level is not problematic, it is only natural.

Skill groups do not all have the same amount of skills listed, and skill groups even have different key abilities. Also, some skills appear on more than one skill list. This represents the fact that some skill groups are more appropriate for some classes, and that some skills are more potent than others and are of course more important to particular classes. Some skill groups have a lot of appealing skills which makes it difficult to skill them all. Trickery, for instance, is a group most rogues will want to have. Normally a rogue won't have more than 14 points in either key ability (WIS/CHA) and will only be able to put points into two skills of this group. But she can get some of the missing skills via the stealth group and the floating skillpoints. A typical bard without the stealth group, however, gets one skill group less than the rogue, but has enough charisma to get all he needs out of trickery.

We are confident that this variant as a whole should work well.

And yes, every class can have umd. ;-)

[tl;dr]
We designed a flexible replacement for the current skill system, which allows more customization and requires no changes to existing classes. Oh, and it helps the beatsticks, too.


II. Basic Mechanic


With this variant, you choose freely from nine different skill groups (see below) once at the first level of a class (may it be a base or a prestige class), and do not receive skillpoints as normal. Classes with 2 skillpoints per level choose 2 groups, classes with 4 choose 3, classes with 6 get 4 und classes with 8 skillpoints get access to 5 skill groups.

Every group has between one or three key abilities. Your corresponding ability with the highest modifier indicates how many skillpoints you get to spend for this group (multiply skillpoints by 4 on first level as normal). Tordek the fighter, for instance, has a strength score of 18 (modifier of +4), a score of 16 in constitution (+3) and 12 dexterity (+1) and takes the acrobatics&athletics skill group. Thus, he may spend 4 skillpoints per level (16 on first level) on skills from this group. You get at least 1 skillpoint to spend on a chosen group, even when your modifier is +0 or lower: Tordek takes warfare as his second skill group and has a modifier of 0 in wisdom and intelligence. He gets one skillpoint (4 at first level) to spend in this skillgroup anyway.

If a particular skill is listed in two different groups, choose in which group you want to spend skillpoints on this skill. Theoretically, you could spend skillpoints twice and increase the skill in two different groups, the maximum rank in a skill is still character level +3, however.

This new mechanic does not have any effects on how you resolve skill checks. The skills themselves still have their original key abilities.

Intelligence-penalty variant (subject to debate):
With this variant, you choose freely from nine different skill groups (see below) once at the first level of a class (may it be a base or a prestige class), and do not receive skillpoints as normal. Classes with 2 skillpoints per level choose 2 groups, classes with 4 choose 3, classes with 6 get 4 und classes with 8 skillpoints get access to 5 skill groups.

Every group has between one or three key abilities. Your corresponding ability with the highest modifier indicates how many skillpoints you get to spend for this group (multiply skillpoints by 4 on first level as normal), with a minimum of 1 skillpoint per group selected. You get your intelligence modifier as a penalty if it is negative, however:
skillpoints per group (minimum 1) = key ability modifier + intelligence modifier (maximum 0).

Tordek the fighter, for instance, has a strength score of 18 (modifier of +4), a score of 16 in constitution (+3), a score of 8 in intelligence (-1) and 12 dexterity (+1) and takes the acrobatics&athletics skill group. Thus, he may spend 3 skillpoints per level (12 on first level) on skills from this group. You get at least 1 skillpoint to spend on a chosen group, even when your modifier is +0 or lower: Tordek takes warfare as his second skill group and has a modifier of +0 in wisdom. He gets one skillpoint (4 at first level) to spend in this skillgroup anyway.

If a particular skill is listed in two different groups, choose in which group you want to spend skillpoints on this skill. Theoretically, you could spend skillpoints twice and increase the skill in two different groups, the maximum rank in a skill is still character level +3, however.

This new mechanic does not have any effects on how you resolve skill checks. The skills themselves still have their original key abilities.


III. Floating Skillpoints


Every character gains 2 floating skillpoints per level (8 on first level) in addition, which you may spend on any skill you like. This amout is regardless of how much intelligence a character has. Humans get one extra floating skillpoint per level (4 extra on first level).

Redgar is a human fighter and allthough he has taken the warfare and acrobatics&athletics skill groups he may spend 3 skillpoints on any skill, even if it's from a skill group he has not selected such as survival or bluff. Nevertheless, he could also spend these three skillpoints on any skill in acrobatics&athletics or warfare.


IV. Cross-class Skills and Multiclassing


With this variant there is no such thing as a cross-class skill. To increase skills which are not listed on any of your current class' skill groups, you have to spend floating skill points.

If you multiclass you get to choose as many skill groups as appropriate for the new class when you take its first level. You do not gain skillpoints in groups which you have not selected with your current class. You can, however, spend floating skillpoints on skills from these groups as explained above.


V. Skill Synergy


Boni for skill synergy are gained as normal.


VI. Skill Groups

{table=head]Group|Key Abilities|Skills

Acrobatics&Athletics|STR/DEX/CON|Balance, climb, concentration, escape artist, jump, ride, swim, tumble, use rope.

Culture|INT/WIS/CHA|Appraise, craft, decipher script, heal, knowledge (nobility, history, local, religion), perform, profession.

Magic|INT/WIS/CHA|Concentration, knowledge (arcana, religion, nature, planes), spellcraft, umd.

Perception|WIS|Listen, search, sense motive, spot.

Social Interaction|CHA|Bluff, diplomacy, gather information, intimidate, sense motive.

Stealth|DEX|Disguise, hide, move silently, sleight of hands.

Trickery|INT/CHA|Disable device, disguise, forgery, open lock, sleight of hands, umd.

Warfare|INT/WIS|Concentration, gather information, heal, intimidate, knowledge (architecture, dungeoneering, geography), spot.

Wilderness|WIS/CHA|Handle animal, heal, knowledge (geography, nature), survival, use rope.
[/table]


VII. Speak Language


In order to learn a language you must spend floating skillpoints. By spending 2 floating skillpoints you learn a language's fundamentals (spoken and written, unless you are illiterate). To master it, you need to spend another 2 floating skillpoints. Classes that normally have speak language as a class skill only need to spend half as much skillpoints to learn a language: 1 skillpoint for the fundamentals and 2 floating skillpoints to master it.

This skill is otherwise unchanged.


VIII. Skill Tricks


In order to learn a skill trick you have to spend your floating skillpoints.


IV. New Feat


Extra Skill Group [General]

Normal: You gain a number of skill groups according to your class' skillpoints.
Benefit: Choose one skill group. This group is permanently added to your list of skill groups of all your classes.

zugschef
2010-07-13, 08:21 PM
reserve post

Morph Bark
2010-07-14, 02:14 AM
You do realise such a thing has already kinda happened in Pathfinder and 4E, making the skill system much more easy?

dobu
2010-07-14, 03:17 AM
Yes, we know, that pathfinder tweaked the skill list a little, but did nothing against the INT dependency. They also did nothing about the pain of being a fighter with just 2 skill points with a crappy skill list. They just consolidated some skills and introduced yet another bonus, you need to track. They did a good job with eliminating cross-class skills though.

4E simplified the system, but doesn't offer the flexibility of this system. To port the 4E system to 3.5, much more work would be involved to integrate it properly (think about entering prestige classes).

[edit]typo...
[edit2]

Errata: Add perform to the culture skill group.

somehow it got lost, zugschef will edit it in later on.

zugschef
2010-07-14, 09:12 AM
You do realise such a thing has already kinda happened in Pathfinder and 4E, making the skill system much more easy?
the 4E skill system is completely non-adaptable to 3.5, thus i will ignore that part.

as dobu said, pathfinder's skill system did nothing to change the troubling base mechanic. and our goal was not to make an easy and dumb-proof skill system, but to make it easy to implement, while changing the problems mentioned in the introduction (int-focus, inflexible/restricting,...).

dobu
2010-07-15, 10:00 AM
anyone got some feedback? :-)

zugschef
2010-07-18, 05:50 PM
something we've not considered: knowledge devotion.

with this variant, this high-powered feat is now basically accessible for everyone without any effort. this means a power boost for all attack rolling builds.

Bacon Barbarian
2010-07-18, 06:31 PM
Seems simpler and I like it, but Im afraid Im not really qualified to say if its broken or not...

zugschef
2010-07-18, 06:42 PM
Seems simpler and I like it, but Im afraid Im not really qualified to say if its broken or not...
well, in our perspective the variant doesn't let you do anything you couldn't do before. it possibly makes it easier to pull off, though.

btw: thanks. =)

Jallorn
2010-07-18, 06:49 PM
I like it a lot, but I think that you should still get a bonus to something, maybe floating skill points, based on your Int so that you don't have another dump stat along with Cha for fighters.

This system also removes Wizard and Factotum (and other Int focused classes) SAD to some degree.

zugschef
2010-07-18, 07:29 PM
I like it a lot, but I think that you should still get a bonus to something, maybe floating skill points, based on your Int so that you don't have another dump stat along with Cha for fighters.

thanks.

if there was another bonus to your amount of skillpoints it would simply be too much. the variant already provides more skillpoints in most cases. fighters could dump int and still have more skillpoints than before (4 at the least), but it wouldn't change if int gave any more floating skillpoints. they simply would have another reason to not dump it.


This system also removes Wizard and Factotum (and other Int focused classes) SAD to some degree.
wizards not so much. the typical wizards takes the magic and culture groups and has more skills to choose from than before (if you ignore knowledge).

the factotum though, is somewhat of a problem i admit, but it still functions. i'm not even sure if it does actually nerf them, but i'm no expert on factota. their access to all skills disappears, but they can still pick 4 groups of skills and at least two of the ones every factotum will want to have (magic and trickery) are int-based, as is culture which is a solid selection for any factotum. in the end a factotum will have more skills with this variant as before.

BLiZme.2
2010-07-18, 11:38 PM
Maybe you should add a knowledge group (all knowledge maybe decipher script and speak language) and no one group has speak language as a skill. Also mechanically what dose poor ability in a language mean? Also I think the speak language bit is to expensive (though comparable to d20 modern).

Ashtagon
2010-07-19, 01:33 AM
Iron Heroes already did this.

Aside from increasing the effective total number of skill points (because each group represents 4-10 old skills), you have also changed the ratio of difference between low and high-skill classes (from 2-4-6-8 to 2-3-4-5).

The ratio issue can be addressed just as easily by increasing the number of skill points available (especially for low-skill non-Int-dependent classes). This has the added advantage of not introducing a completely new rules mechanic.

Intelligence-dependency for skills (which you removed) is something I regard as a feature, not a flaw. Without it, Intelligence becomes a dump stat for every core class except wizard. It's part of the design of the original system that high-Intelligence classes (yo wizard!) have a low skill bonus built into them.

Your multiple-option ability score system also opens up some weirdness. Charisma helps you open locks? Really? You just smile at them and they fall open?

You also don't address multi-classing at all. How did you plan on that working in your system?

dobu
2010-07-19, 02:49 AM
thx for the feedback so far! :)

about INT being a dump stat: well yes and no. it's still useful, but just as useful as every other mental stat. it's not special any more. and even as a fighter you will not completely dump INT, because of all these feats with an INT prerequisite.

some groups may need a slight adjustment of the ability scores. maybe INT would be more appropriate für trickery? maybe... :) [edit]it's WAY too early for posting. ignore that....

multiclassing was adressed, you just get as many new skill groups as appropriate in your new class. nothing special about it.

about a knowledge group: hm. actually not a bad idea! maybe we'll include it, I will discuss it with zugchef.

zugschef
2010-07-19, 03:44 AM
first off, thanks for your interest and comments.


Maybe you should add a knowledge group (all knowledge maybe decipher script and speak language) and no one group has speak language as a skill. Also mechanically what dose poor ability in a language mean? Also I think the speak language bit is to expensive (though comparable to d20 modern).
we thought of that (before you brought it up, dobu must have forgotten :D), but a knowledge group would be much too strong as a group, and we don't like the feel of it. we used the core classes as a guideline to put the knowledge skills into different groups. by selecting their most iconic skill groups the classes end up with much the same skills as before. if they don't have a skill in one of their groups, they can spend floating skillpoints.

speak language is supposed to not be in a group. you spend floating skill points. the difference between basic and perfect mastery of a language is up to the dm in the end, but it has bothered us, that you only have to spend a skillpoint to speak a language without accent. and it is definitely not too expensive. you have more skillpoints anyway.


Iron Heroes already did this.

i'm sorry, i don't know what "iron heroes" is...


Aside from increasing the effective total number of skill points (because each group represents 4-10 old skills), you have also changed the ratio of difference between low and high-skill classes (from 2-4-6-8 to 2-3-4-5).

The ratio issue can be addressed just as easily by increasing the number of skill points available (especially for low-skill non-Int-dependent classes). This has the added advantage of not introducing a completely new rules mechanic.
it was the intent of this variant to change the mechanic and to give low skill-point classes more skills. normally, the fighter and the sorc, for example, cannot even spend the points on the skills they require to function. but it's not only a question of skill_points_, it's also a question of class-skills (fighter... spot?). we have intentionally changed that. the difference between one skillgroup more or less is potentially much more substantial than the difference between two skillpoints more or less. using standard point buy methods or even the elite array, you generally end up with 2-3 skillpoints per group on average.

if you do not like to introduce a new rules mechanic, don't use this variant. it's really as simple as that.


Intelligence-dependency for skills (which you removed) is something I regard as a feature, not a flaw. Without it, Intelligence becomes a dump stat for every core class except wizard. It's part of the design of the original system that high-Intelligence classes (yo wizard!) have a low skill bonus built into them.
no it doesn't. in this variant intelligence still has more meaning than charisma in the original rules. and the argument that high-intelligence classes have intentionally low skill-points is not valid. "low-intelligence, high-charisma classes such as the sorcerer intentionally have low skill-points," is an argument along the same line of thinking. it is wrong. picking one case which supports one's position out of a bunch and ignoring all others is not what i call making an argument.

btw, it was a design goal to make skillpoints dependent on several abilities. as the introduction says, we think it's stupid that your intelligence modifier helps you with climbing, jumping, etc., which takes me to the next point...


Your multiple-option ability score system also opens up some weirdness. Charisma helps you open locks? Really? You just smile at them and they fall open?
the d20 system depends on approximations. the skillgroups feature the key abilities of their skills (in most cases) and these key abilities determine your skillpoints in this group. the skills themselves still have their standard key abilities when it comes to skill checks. i will clarify that.

added "This new mechanic does not have any effects on how you resolve skill checks. The skills themselves still have their original key abilities." to the basic mechanic clause.

what i don't understand is the fact that you have no problem with approximating/simplifying the determination of skillpoints per level to one stat (namely intelligence), but with determining skillpoints from other abilities which in some cases do not exactly correspond all too well with the skills, as it is the case with intelligence (jump, climb, tumble).

the skill groups have themes however. being a charismatic guy helps you being tricky, and probably has lead you down the path of opening locks and so on, too. this represents the opportunity of learning: you have spent a lot of time with being tricky, i.e. opening locks, disabling traps, blabla... now it makes at least a little sense, why one can have skillpoints in trickery, for instance, based on charisma.


You also don't address multi-classing at all. How did you plan on that working in your system?
aehm... point iv explicitly deals with multi-classing and i think multi-classing is very easily solved with this system. easier than before actually. you no longer need to track class skills, cc-skills and and cc-skills which you have as a class skill with some of your classes. you simply track your skillgroups.

Ashtagon
2010-07-19, 04:18 AM
i'm sorry, i don't know what "iron heroes" is...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Heroes


it was the intent of this variant to change the mechanic and to give low skill-point classes more skills. normally, the fighter and the sorc, for example, cannot even spend the points on the skills they require to function. but it's not only a question of skill_points_, it's also a question of class-skills (fighter... spot?). we have intentionally changed that. the difference between one skillgroup more or less is potentially much more substantial than the difference between two skillpoints more or less. using standard point buy methods or even the elite array, you generally end up with 2 skillpoints per group on average.

A lot of classes require fixing on this skill list and skill point choices. My preferred fix is broadly speaking:

* Cross-class skills cost 1 skill point, not 2 (max ranks is still 1/2 that of a class skill).
* Class skill list for most classes need some revision.
* Class skill point bonus for some classes needs increasing. Fighter and sorcerer are the most obvious classes for this, but there may be others.

None of that introduces any new rules :smallwink:


if you do not like to introduce a new rules mechanic, don't use this variant. it's really as simple as that.

No worries. I was just highlighting issues you maybe hadn't noticed.



no it doesn't. in this variant intelligence still has more meaning than charisma in the original rules. and the argument that high-intelligence classes have intentionally low skill-points is not valid. "low-intelligence, high-charisma classes such as the sorcerer intentionally have low skill-points," is an argument along the same line of thinking. it is wrong. picking one case which supports one's position out of a bunch and ignoring all others is not what i call making an argument.

Charisma: modifies certain skills. Bonuses for Cha-based casters. Turn undead checks.

Intelligence: modifies certain skills. Bonuses for Int-based casters. Bonus skill points.

Your change officially makes both of these dump stats if you are not a caster, as opposed to only one of them being a dump stat under SRD rules.


btw, it was a design goal to make skillpoints dependent on several abilities. as the introduction says, we think it's stupid that your intelligence modifier helps you with climbing, jumping, etc., which takes me to the next point...

That's cool. I think it's clever that it helps with learning skills. It means you were such a fast learner you could pick up those skills X times faster than the idiot half-goblin in the remedial class.


the d20 system depends on approximations. the skillgroups feature the key abilities of their skills (in most cases) and these key abilities determine your skillpoints in this group. the skills themselves still have their standard key abilities when it comes to skill checks. i will clarify that.

Cool. Good to know I was giving c+c on a system that was written unclearly.


what i don't understand is the fact that you have no problem with approximating/simplifying the determination of skillpoints per level to one stat (namely intelligence), but with determining skillpoints from other abilities which in some cases do not exactly correspond all too well with the skills, as it is the case with intelligence (jump, climb, tumble).

Because Intelligence reflects your ability to learn.


aehm... point iv explicitly deals with multi-classing and i think multi-classing is very easily solved with this system. easier than before actually. you no longer need to track class skills, cc-skills and and cc-skills which you have as a class skill with some of your classes. you simply track your skillgroups.

I read that paragraph, but it didn't really seem all that clear to me.

zugschef
2010-07-19, 05:01 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Heroesah thanks, i haven't seen this yet.


A lot of classes require fixing on this skill list and skill point choices. My preferred fix is broadly speaking:

* Cross-class skills cost 1 skill point, not 2 (max ranks is still 1/2 that of a class skill).
* Class skill list for most classes need some revision.
* Class skill point bonus for some classes needs increasing. Fighter and sorcerer are the most obvious classes for this, but there may be others.

None of that introduces any new rules :smallwink:
no but it is MUCH more work nevertheless: you need to revise EVERY class. and not only their skilllist, their skillpoints per level, too.


Charisma: modifies certain skills. Bonuses for Cha-based casters. Turn undead checks.

Intelligence: modifies certain skills. Bonuses for Int-based casters. Bonus skill points.

Your change officially makes both of these dump stats if you are not a caster, as opposed to only one of them being a dump stat under SRD rules.
i think that's good. paladin and co need this. mechanically, why shall the wizard alone be blessed with a whole lot of dump stats?

and to reflect on charisma's importance to turn undead... intelligence is needed for canny defense, or insightful strike. what does that prove? nothing.


That's cool. I think it's clever that it helps with learning skills. It means you were such a fast learner you could pick up those skills X times faster than the idiot half-goblin in the remedial class.
it still has an effect on several skills. but now other abilities have the effect that you are gifted so to say. no matter how intelligent you are, you won't be the world's fastest swimmer. only because it is hindering to be stupid it does not automatically mean that it helps you much to be brilliant with a certain skill. training helps with mastering a skill, too. and again, it hinders you to be dumb but you don't need to be highly intelligent to profit from training.

as an example: a lot of dyslexic people are intelligent. they have trouble learning in a traditional way, nonetheless.

this is a matter of approximation. d20 is not a simulation.

what would make sense to me is a penalty on all skillpoints gained in skillgroups when you have a negative int modifier, in order to reflect a limited learning ability. i will discuss this with my collegue


Cool. Good to know I was giving c+c on a system that was written unclearly.not at all... you just interpreted it this way. in order to avoid interpretation, i clarified it.


I read that paragraph, but it didn't really seem all that clear to me.
you haven't been very clear on that... what does not seem clear to you?

Ashtagon
2010-07-19, 05:20 AM
i think that's good. paladin and co need this. mechanically, why shall the wizard alone be blessed with a whole lot of dump stats?

I'd rather create fewer dump stats than more dump stats. By making it an optimal choice to dump Intelligence (except if you really want Combat Expertise), you can expect to see lots more characters all looking the same.

Giving a bonus on several skills doesn't really make a stat not a dump stat, since every stat does that anyway.

zugschef
2010-07-19, 05:33 AM
I'd rather create fewer dump stats than more dump stats.
with this system int and cha are no longer dump stats as charisma is in the original rules. you can profit from these abilities even if you do not have a class mechanic explicitly telling you that you need this ability.



By making it an optimal choice to dump Intelligence (except if you really want Combat Expertise), you can expect to see lots more characters all looking the same.
au contraire: intelligence being the main source for skillpoints (and less skillpoints for that matter) leads to a flood of 10-14 int mostly human builds.

Ashtagon
2010-07-19, 05:39 AM
with this system int and cha are no longer dump stats as charisma is in the original rules. you can profit from these abilities even if you do not have a class mechanic explicitly telling you that you need this ability.

au contraire: intelligence being the main source for skillpoints (and less skillpoints for that matter) leads to a flood of 10-14 int mostly human builds.

Unless I am greatly mistaken, you are taking something from Int (bonus skill points), and by means of the skill group mechanic, effectively giving that back to everyone (and then some). In effect, having a high Int matters less under your system than it does under RAW. How does that not encourage dumping Int?

zugschef
2010-07-19, 05:55 AM
Unless I am greatly mistaken, you are taking something from Int (bonus skill points), and by means of the skill group mechanic, effectively giving that back to everyone (and then some). In effect, having a high Int matters less under your system than it does under RAW. How does that not encourage dumping Int?
if you want to play an intelligent character you can. if you don't, you don't have to. you can get by with other abilities.

that's the change. it makes you more versatile in building characters.

***

we have now introduced a penalty to skillpoints per skillgroup based on intelligence. if you have a negative modifier in intelligence, it will have an effect on your skillpoints in every single group. -- this is still debated though... it could very well disappear again.

=> i have spoilered the intelligence-penalty variant and restored the old rules text. this is still subject to debate... our problem with it is, that you get penalized much harder for a -1 mod in this system. in most cases this means 2 skillpoints less in every group (compared to the original skills, it's still more, but we want our new rules to be balanced within themselves). it would lead to all chars puttin a 10 into intelligence.