Skills and rank maxes, where do *you* stop?

[daggaz]

Theres a ton of skills out there, some of them very useful sometimes, some of them somewhat useful alot of the time... But the big question is, what skills do you continue to max out till your characters' end, and which one's do you stop, when and why?

[Fax Celestis]

Depends on the character, really. I don't optimize my skills, instead choosing to drop ranks in them according to the character's personality.

[GolemsVoice]

As the parties rogue who had some trouble with traps, Search, Spot, Open Lock and Disable Device are the skills that are going to enjoy mostly all my attention. After that there are the allways useful Skills like Jump, CLimb, Listen and Use Rope, Skills which you will be missing sometimes. All the intelectual skills are for inelectual people.

[LotharBot]

There are some skills that you tend to make opposed checks with alot, or face high DC's with alot, so I keep those max or near-max on: Search, Spot, Listen, Open Lock, Disable Device (and probably some I'm forgetting). Spellcraft and Concentration sometimes fall in this category.

There are others skills that are useful but probably scale with opposing monster hitdice or even slower. Knowledge skills, for example -- some of these are worth maxing, while others are worth putting just a few ranks in, or one rank every 2 levels.

Finally, there are a few skills you just need to hit a fixed or mostly-fixed DC with. Tumble, for example -- unless you plan on tumbling past 8 enemies on a tilted icy floor, you don't need more than about a +20 to guarantee success. A DC 15 Heal check will stabilize someone if you don't have a spell to spare, and bringing it up to 20 or 25 is enough to pretty much automatically succeed when treating poison or diseases.

I have a "utility" character in my current game. He took a couple levels of rogue, and got up to a +9 modifier in disable device and open lock -- so any time he can help the rogue, he grants an automatic +2 modifier. He also has a ton of ranks in tumble, a high dex, and combat expertise, so he provides flanking during most fights.

[SpiderBrigade]

Well, from an optimization perspective, you only want to continue to max those skills where the DC will scale by level. So, Open Lock and Spot would be good, since you'll presumably face harder locks, and creatures with better Hide skills, as you progress in level. Ride, on the other hand, doesn't really get harder to use. You'll want to continue putting ranks in Tumble until you can reliably hit the hardest DCs, which will be pretty late, but again, after that you can stop. Unless you want to be a legendary Tumbler, which is cool.

Yeah, plus the various skills that have Epic uses, if you're going Epic. You'll want to continue putting ranks in the ones you want to use.

Edit: simued up.

[barawn]

Depends on the character, really. I don't optimize my skills, instead choosing to drop ranks in them according to the character's personality.

I agree. If there's something a certain character of mine has a passion for (and they usually all do) it'll get pegged regardless of whether or not it's useful. Maybe even feats as well.

[Khantalas]

I almost always maximize Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive. And one Perform skill. Even when I'm not a bard.

[pestilenceawaits]

In many skills I put points in them until I get the synergy bonuses and then most skills I max out anything that will be an opposed check or if I am playing a caster type I max spell/psi craft and knowledge arcana/psionics for creating epic spells. This all depends on the character and the skills available though also. my fighters usually have maxed intimidate and jump, with a dash of climb, ride, and swim.

[Orzel]

Hide and Move Silently or Spot and Lesten always maxed where playing a class that has them as class skill. I only go so far with Tumble unless the character's an acrobat. Survival get maxxed when I'm the track since EVERY group I've ever been in wastes time before I can start following people. Every other skill is based on the character.

[Duraska]

Max out profession. All other skills are bunk!

[Telonius]

Well, if you have skill points to spare, I'd add that you should put 5 ranks into any skills that give synergies to your key skills. Spellcraft and Decipher Script to give synergy to Use Magic Device, if you're a Rogue; Knowledge History to give synergy to your Bardic Knowledge if you're a Bard. Also, put 5 ranks into skills that give lots of synergies in general; Bluff (which gives bonuses to Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate and Sleight of Hand) and Tumble (for Balance and Jump) are examples of these.

[TO_Incognito]

I agree. If there's something a certain character of mine has a passion for (and they usually all do) it'll get pegged regardless of whether or not it's useful.

*Snicker*

Max Profession (blackjack dealer)?

[Chunklets]

I try to put ranks into skills that my character's been using over the course of the past level, just on the basis of realism, more than anything else. Right now the only skill I've got maxed is Ride (my character's a paladin).

And one Perform skill. Even when I'm not a bard.

I like taking a perform skill as well, for role-playing reasons. However, I haven't been keeping it maxed out this time.

[Saph]

For spellcasters: Concentration and Spellcraft, always. Concentration is one of the only skills that can make the difference between winning and losing a battle, and Spellcraft is used so often there's just no reason not to max it.

For remaining skills, I like to spread them around according to the character's personality - a few Knowledges, a Perform skill if you've got the spare ranks, and a Craft, just because being able to make things is fun. But there's no reason to max out any of them unless you really want to (and having a variety of skills is usually more interesting anyway).

- Saph

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Usually for simplicity's sake I pick the maximum number of skills I can max out ranks in per class and alter things from there depending on backstory or feat/prc/etc. prerequisites. Which is why I like having high Int characters.

And depending on class, I either don't care about what skills they have or pick a few that every class of the same type has. Like concentration, knowledge (depending on spellcaster class), hide, move silently and bluff. I love bluff.

[barawn]

*Snicker*

Max Profession (blackjack dealer)?

Ooh.

Maybe. I could see that. You could use it as a negotiating tactic - "beat me in blackjack, and we'll do it your way. You lose, we do it my way." Bit of Intimidate, Bluff, Sleight of Hand, and you've got yourself a nice con artist.

For spellcasters: Concentration and Spellcraft, always.

Last spellcaster I had didn't have any skill points left for Spellcraft. Jeez, that was frustrating.

[Thomas]

Knowledge (Arcana) or Knowledge (Religion). The two most powerful skills at epic levels.

Nyeh heh.