[Variant] Proficiency as skills

[Gralamin]

In this Variant, You may pay skill points for Weapon and Armor Proficiencies.

Feat Changes
Shield, Armor [any], and Weapon Proficiency feats are removed.
Weapon Focus feat chain requires you to be proficient with the weapon, through this skill.
PrC's that require proficiency require you to be proficient with the weapon or armor through these skills.

Core Class Changes
All Classes retain their starting armor Proficiencies, and may choose a number of weapons to start Proficient with, equal to 2*Int Modifier, With a minimum of 4.

The Fighter Receives an extra 2 skill points per level, and gains Weapon Proficiency, and Armor Proficiency as class skills.
The Barbarian and the fighter also starts off with 4*Int Modifier Weapons, With a minimum of 8.

Non Core Class Changes
Psychic Warriors, Warblades, Swordsages, Crusaders, and Samurai gain Weapon and Armor Proficiency as class skills. This may also be allowed for any non-spellcaster class, or any other class at the DM's discretion.
Many of the above classes also inherit the 4*Int Modifier Weapon proficiencies during creation.

Armor Proficiency (None; Trained Only)
By putting Ranks into this skill, you learn to use more advance armor, or another shield. You may be proficient with a number of additional different Shields or levels of armor (light, medium, heavy), equal to the the number of ranks you have in this skill. You must choose what you are becoming proficient with upon acquiring the ranks.
You must progress from light armor up to heavy armor, and from any shield to tower shields.

Synergy: If you have more then 5 ranks in this skill, you gain a +2 bonus to Craft(armor smithing) checks.

Weapon Proficiency (None; Trained Only)
By putting ranks into this skill, you learn to use an additional weapon. You may use a number of different weapons equal to your ranks in this skill. These weapons must be chosen when you buy ranks in this skill.

Improvised Weapon Proficiency: can only be used if you are proficient with at least 10 weapons. Upon finding a weapon you are not familiar with, you may make an intelligence check (DC 15). If you succeed, you are proficient with the weapon for the rest of the day. If you fail, you may not retry for 24 hours.

Synergy: If you have more then 5 ranks in this skill, you gain a +2 bonus to Craft(Weapon smithing) checks.
[hr]

Comments, Questions, Suggestions?

edit: Updated with suggestions from neek.
Edit2: Updated with even more suggestions from neek.

[Neek]

I know no one has yet to post to this, besides the conversation with Del in #giantitp lastnight, but I felt like this post does need a bump without just saying bump.

Just a few things, though, that I thought of from then to now. I know you stated that each class starts off with their basic allotment of weapon proficiencies. This means a Fighter already has all martial and all simple weapons, both melee and ranged, without much effort. That's a lot of skill points. I would probably cut the target number down of initial proficiencies known, but that might make it too baroque.

I'm glad you included the synergy bonus, that makes investing all the more sweeter.

There should be a special feature of these classes, perhaps feat-based where you can make a proficiency roll to improvise a proficiency. No retries, and a successful roll would only last so long without a penalty.

[Khoran]

Gralamin, I like this varient and actually, rethinking it, might end up using it. However, I have a question. How does this system treat Exotic Weapons? Are they one skill point, just like Martial Weapons, or would they cost more.

Also, I want to make sure I have this clear, for Armor skill it would go like this:

Going from unproficient to Heavy Armor would cost 3 skill points, going from unproficient with shields to tower shields would be 4 skill points?

[Gralamin]

Gralamin, I like this varient and actually, rethinking it, might end up using it. However, I have a question. How does this system treat Exotic Weapons? Are they one skill point, just like Martial Weapons, or would they cost more.

Also, I want to make sure I have this clear, for Armor skill it would go like this:

Going from unproficient to Heavy Armor would cost 3 skill points, going from unproficient with shields to tower shields would be 4 skill points?

I've changed it around since my initial posting on IRC.
All weapons cost one rank to access. (Though I may make exotic a bit more...)
Armor works like this:
{table]Proficieny|Total Ranks needed*
Non-Proficient|0
Light|1
Medium|2
Heavy|3[/table]
*Ranks cost 2 skill points if its a cross-class skill, 1 if it is a class-skill. These ranks include the previous armor (so you do not need 2 additional ranks to get from Light to Medium)

Shield looks like this:
{table]Shield|Total Ranks needed*
Any one Non-Tower Shield|1
Tower Shield|2[/table]
*As above
[hr]

I know no one has yet to post to this, besides the conversation with Del in #giantitp lastnight, but I felt like this post does need a bump without just saying bump.

Just a few things, though, that I thought of from then to now. I know you stated that each class starts off with their basic allotment of weapon proficiencies. This means a Fighter already has all martial and all simple weapons, both melee and ranged, without much effort. That's a lot of skill points. I would probably cut the target number down of initial proficiencies known, but that might make it too baroque.

I'm glad you included the synergy bonus, that makes investing all the more sweeter.

There should be a special feature of these classes, perhaps feat-based where you can make a proficiency roll to improvise a proficiency. No retries, and a successful roll would only last so long without a penalty.

Good Ideas. I can definitely see the Fighter having fewer proficiencies to start off with, but having a much greater amount to the end.
As for the improvised Proficiency: that sounds awesome, I'll add that in.

[Matthew]

This is very similar to how it used to work in Skills and Powers, using trhe Character Point mechanic. Consider using Weapon Groups over individual proficiencies, as that would cut down the sheer volume of Skill Points a Character with Simple and Martial Weapon Proficiency can accrue (or would otherwise need).

I would also advise considering treating Skills as Proficiencies. [i.e. having a Class Skill = being Proficienent].

Alternative Weapon Groups:

Unarmed
Throw
Dagger (Daggers)
Spear (Spears)
Shield (Buckler, Light, Heavy and Tower)
Sword (Swords, Scimitars and Falcata)
Axe (Axes and Picks)
Mace (Hammers, Maces, Flails, Clubs)
Bow (Cross Bows and Bows)

halbers and other Pole Arms usually require two proficiencies (Axe and Spear, or Sword and Spear, depending on the Pole Arm). Exotic Weapons each count as a group.

...or just use Unearthed Arcana Groups.

[Gralamin]

This is very similar to how it used to work in Skills and Powers, using trhe Character Point mechanic. Consider using Weapon Groups over individual proficiencies, as that would cut down the sheer volume of Skill Points a Character with Simple and Martial Weapon Proficiency can accrue (or would otherwise need).

I would also advise considering treating Skills as Proficiencies. [i.e. having a Class Skill = being Proficienent].

Alternative Weapon Groups:

Unarmed
Throw
Dagger (Daggers)
Spear (Spears)
Shield (Buckler, Light, Heavy and Tower)
Sword (Swords, Scimitars and Falcata)
Axe (Axes and Picks)
Mace (Hammers, Maces, Flails, Clubs)
Bow (Cross Bows and Bows)

halbers and other Pole Arms usually require two proficiencies (Axe and Spear, or Sword and Spear, depending on the Pole Arm). Exotic Weapons each count as a group.

...or just use Unearthed Arcana Groups.

Good suggestions. I may change it so each class gets a certain amount of weapon groups to start, and then can buy ranks for certain weapon.
I'll Give it some thought.