Best/favourite skill?

[Saph]

A sequel to the "Worst Skill In D&D" poll. This time, it's for the best one. Which of these skills are you happiest to see in the "Class Skills" section of a class or prestige class that you want to take? Obviously some classes have skills that they just have to buy (like Concentration/Spellcraft for casters), but after picking those, which skills do you most like your character to have?

Originally I'd divided the skills into ten groups. Unfortunately, the poll system on this board only allows a maximum of five options, so I've had to combine the groups together. Sorry . . .

• Athletics & Acrobatics - Balance, Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim, Tumble

• Awareness & Stealth - Listen, Spot, Hide, Move Silently

• Deception & Thiefy Stuff - Bluff, Disguise, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Open Lock, Search, Sleight of Hand

• Social Stuff & Nature Stuff - Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Perform, Sense Motive, Survival

• Book Learning & Magic - Concentration, Decipher Script, Knowledges (all), Speak Language, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

- Saph

[JellyPooga]

Out of those catagories: Athletics & Acrobatics.

Within that: Tumble

[Ozzy_G]

Bluff, bluff, all the way. I never play Wizards, only Sorcerers. Clerics always have the Trickery domain. Even when I'm playing a warrior-type, I take Able Learner. I just love it, it's the most fun skill to use.

[Goff]

Out of those catagories: Athletics & Acrobatics.

Within that: Tumble

Ditto to that. But I'm currently playing a rogue who's just splashed headlong into thief-acrobat. That said, I love the versatility of tumble - move through combat, take less falling damage, entertain a crowd. Just beautiful.

[ExHunterEmerald]

Nothing's quite as fun as getting all jedi. Acrobatics it is, easy.

[Edo]

I say Acrobatics, because those are the skills that give you parkour, and parkour is made of win. Especially once you're clearly in the superhuman range.

Closely following that would be Social, because that's how you intrigue. And even though I'm not very good at it, I love intrigue.

[Tengu]

Diamond Mind allows you to become a super-concentrated samurai who uses concentration for almost any roll. So book learning and magic, though I am not sure does it really fit in this category.

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

You forgot the best skill of them all:

Intimidate!!!!

I'm with Ozzy G ; I always get the Able Learner feat if I play a human and max ranks into Intimidate. There was nothing funnier than watching my 4'5" 95 lb level 8 Half-Fey sorceress with butterfly wings and perpetual happiness demoralizing a group of half orcs that were going to pummel a poor shopkeeper. Fluff over crunch, all the way!

[Lord Tataraus]

Wow, tough choice, it was either stealth or acrobatics. I decided on stealth since I love two skills in that (hide and move silently) while only one in acrobatics (tumble).

[Morty]

Book Learning & Magic all the way. I like being the guy who knows more than the others even though I'm playing wizard, not bard.

[OzymandiasVolt]

Book learning and magic allows you to do everything else. :D

[Ikkitosen]

Thing is, there are power skills like Tumble and (especially) UMD that will skew the poll. I chose Awareness & Stealth for high average skill quality :)

[Lemur]

Awareness and Stealth, and Book Learning are top categories for me. Knowledge is power, and that means skills which give you information, like spot and knowledge(x), and also control information, like hide, which prevents others from knowing your location. Some social and deception/thiefy skills overlap here, like search. Bluff and sense motive also qualify, but I tend not to rely on these so much, as I like to go on my own personal intuition (read: I act totally random)

Of course, those are for my personal preferences. If we're looking for a single high-powered skill in normal D&D, it's probably Use Magic Device, because it opens up a lot of possibilities for you.

[Tach13]

Altough I think Search is in the wrong category (should be in Awareness part of Awareness and Stealth), I still picked Awareness and stealth. Always better in a fight to see the target first, and never hurts to find dangers before setting them off. My Rogues always max Search, Spot, Listen, Hide, and Move Silent, and from there take to the acrobatic, especially tumble.
If I had to pick a single skill, it would be search, though. Can help you find secret doors traps, hidden treasures, any number of things.

[Darkxarth]

Well, I accidentally marked off Social & Nature, but I actually wanted Deception & Thiefy Stuff.

My personal favorite skill is Bluff. Of course, I personally can make a string of BS several miles long, so that probably has something to do with it. That, and since the Bard is my favorite class, it helps not to have to get into combat if you can just weasel your way out of it.

[Kultrum]

Deception & Thiefy Stuff
slight of hand, any sill that lets me hide a half a million daggers in a cloak is the greatest thing in the world

[Inyssius Tor]

• Psionics & Mind-Related Things - Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge (Psionics), Psicraft, Use Psionic Device

I've never actually played any sort of psionic campaign, but come on! Autohypnosis is ridiculously good, Knowledge (Psionics) has "ancient mysteries" and "cryptic phrases" within its portfolio, and Concentration is as useful as it's ever been.

As for things I've actually, you know, ever used: Book Learning & Magic. I never go anywhere without my Knowledge.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Playing a wizard and working towards being a loremaster, the Book Learning skills are vital to my group's and my own survival.

[MaxMahem]

Jump!!
Best skill ever. I mean, sure at low levels it's wothless, but once you start to get some serious ranks in it Jumping can be all kinds of mad-fun.

Or maybe I've just played to much Diablo II and think that all real warriors should leap at their enemies.

[goat]

Sneaky sneaky sneaky, stabby stabby stabby.

Or sometimes sappy sappy sappy, if you might want to talk to them later.

I do feel that the sap is underused. There's nothing like a little interrogation to get your role-play going.

[Fualkner Asiniti]

Magic all the way. Closely followed by Stealth, Social, and acrobatic in a three way tie.

Skills rock

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I'd go for "Psionics & Mind-Related Things".

Autohypnosis is the coolest skill period

[Agatsuma]

Book learning. Knowledges are always handy, and Speak Language can be fun. "You know Auran? Well hell. *sigh* Here's what the note says..."

[OzymandiasVolt]

*uses magic and booklearning to gain stealth, athletics, acrobatics, deception...*

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Deception, all the way. Why fight the ultimate evil when you can bluff them into giving you free candy?

[TheOOB]

Well, concentraition is the most useful skill ever, any spellcaster needs it to be effective.

That said I love the skill Use Magic Device, nothing is quite as fun as using items you shouldn't.

[Galathir]

I voted for deception since I think Bluff can be a very powerful tool if used correctly. My level 14 Beguiler who has like a +35 to Bluff (+65 with glibness) can convince just about anybody of anything. Sleigh of Hand is also invaluable.

[PnP Fan]

Listen and Stealth: I've always been a fan of "forward intelligence", plus sometimes I enjoy playing the "party radar".
Following that, Social Stuff, because I'm good at it.

[Kultrum]

Book learning. Knowledges are always handy, and Speak Language can be fun. "You know Auran? Well hell. *sigh* Here's what the note says..."

Make a bard w/ 18 int learn every language at lvl 1

[CoolMatthew]

I picked Book Learning for Knowledge (Lore/Bardic Knowledge are especially fun!) but Diplomacy is a close second. <paraphrase> 1,000 friends is almost enough, and 1 enemy is 1 to many </paraphrase>