4e Skill Powers Conversion BETA

[Bjarkmundur]

I am a firm believer in doin something often, and refine the process over time, rather than doing something once and trying to get it perfect. Because of my Neurodivergencies, it's often much more efficient to create something really bad first, and then make it again, but better. In that spirit, here is my incredible bad Skill Power conversion from 4e to 5e.

This project is intended to be a proof-of-concept for giving Martials more oomph when compared to high level spellcasters, and to give the idea some structure and traction withing the community.

I am going to use the Fighter for this demonstration, but each class will have their own rules on when they gain Skill Powers, what level Skill Powers are available to them and how many Skill Powers they can know in total.


Skill Powers
With training, dedication and natural aptitude, you excel in utilizing your skillset to your advantage.

Starting at 2nd level, you gain one Skill Power of your choice, corresponding to a skill in which you are proficient. If a Skill Power is available to you, but you are not proficient in its corresponding skill, you are not considered eligable for learning that Skill Power.

The Skill Powers known column of your Fighter class table shows when you learn more Skill Powers of your choice. Each of these Skill Powers must be of a level equal to your class level or lower,. For instance, when you reach 4th level in this class, you learn one new Skill Power of 4th level or lower.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Skill Powers you know and replace it with another Skill Power, which must also be of a level equal to your class level or lower.


Skill Powers List

2nd Level Skill Powers

Spoiler

Show

Acrobatics - Agile Recovery
You can stand up from Prone without expending movement as a Bonus Action.

Arcana - Arcane Senses
You make an Intelligence (Arcana) ability check to determine the number of Elemental, Fey, and ........ .that are within a number of feet of you equal to your check result times five. You don't learn the creatures' location, but you do learn the number of creatures of each type. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Arcana - Arcane Mutterings
As a Reaction, when you would make a Charisma ability check, you can make an Intelligence (Arcana) ability check instead. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Athletics - Bounding Leap
As a Bonus action, When you make a Long or High Jump before the end of your turn, you are considered having moved 10 feet before jumping. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest.

Athletics - Scrambling Climb
As a Bonus action, you have advantage on ability checks made to climb, and climbing does not cost extra feet of movement. This effects until the end of your turn. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Deception - Battle Feint
As a Bonus action, make a contested Charisma (Deception) versus the target's Wisdom (Insight) ability check. On success, one friendly creature within 5 feet of you gains advantage on its next attack rolls against the target. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest.

Deception - False Bravado
As a Reaction, when a creature would make an attack against you with advantage, it instead makes the attack normally.

Persuasion - Soothing Words
Each ally within 5 feet of you that expends Hit Dice to regain hit points as a part of a Short rest gains additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest

Constitution - Endure Pain
As a Reaction to taking damage, you gain resistance to all damage types until the end of your next turn. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest

Constitution - Invigorating Presence
When you take the Dodge action, you can expend a use of this ability to grant each friendly creature within 5 feet of you Temporary hit points equal to 10 + your constitution modifier. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest.

Medicine - Healer's Gift
As an action you can allow one creature with 0 hit points that is within 5 feet to expend a hit die to regain hit points. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

History - Legend Lore
Whenever you would make an Intelligence (Arcana, Investigation, Nature or Religion) ability check, make an Intelligence (History) ability check instead. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

History - Perfect Recall
Whenever you would make an Intelligence ability check without adding your proficiency bonus, make an Intelligence (History) check instead.

History - Strategist's Epiphany
When you roll initiative, you and each friendly creature within 25 feet of you can use the result of your Intelligence (History) ability check for their initiative roll. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest.

Insight - Anticipate Maneuver
As a Bonus action, make a contested Wisdom (Insight) ability check versus the Charisma (Deception) ability check of one creature within 5 feet of you. On success, your attacks against the creature have advantage until the end of your next turn. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Intimidation - Ominous Threat
When an enemy hits you with a melee attack, you have advantage on opportunity attacks against the target until the end of your next turn. In addition, the target has disadvantage on all attacks that don't include you until you make an attack that doesn't include it. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest.

Nature - Deep Shadows
As a part of the Hide action, you can make a Wisdom (Nature) ability check instead of a Dexterity (Stealth) check. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Nature - Otherwordly Lore
As a Bonus action, make a Wisdom (Nature) to determine the resistances and vulnerability of one aberrant creature within 5 feet of you. The DC is equal to 12+ the target creature's CR. On success, you or one ally that can see and hear you gains advantage on his next attack roll against the creature before the end of your next turn. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Animal Handling - Mounted Coordination
As a Bonus action while mounted, you gain advantage on the next attack you make before the start of your next turn. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Survival - Nature Sense
When you would roll for initiative in a jungle or a forest, you can make a Wisdom (Survival) ability check as your initiative roll. In addition, you and your allies are considered having taken the Dodge action until the end of the first round of combat. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest

Perception - Far Sight
As a Bonus action, your ranged weapon attack rolls take no penalty from long range, and they ignore 1/2 cover, 3/4 cover and light concealment, but not full over or heavy concealment. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Religion - Faith Healing
As an Action, you touch one creature and allow it to expend a hit die to regain hit points. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest

Stealth - Obscured Avoidance
Inapplicable to 5e, since it relies on the Marked condition.

Streetwise (RIP) - City Rat
Inapplicable because of the death of Streetwise.

Streetwise (-cries in dnd-) - Nose for Trouble
Inapplicable because WotC hates fun.

Sleight of Hand - Fast Hands
You have two interactions on your turn, instead of one. This applies to all interactions as per the interaction rules, such as drawing a weapon, picking up an item, stowing or retrieving an item.

Sleight of Hand - Lock Tap
You can attempt to pick a lock as a Bonus action instead of an Action. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

Sleight of Hand - Quick Palm
You can attempt to pick a pocket as a Bonus action instead of an Action. You regain the use of this ability at the end of a short or long rest

That's all folks!

DISCLAIMER
1. This is going to take a while.
2. These are not balanced. Some of these could bear to be changed from Bonus action to "as a part of..."
3. A lot of these mechanics do not have an appropriate precedence within 5e. I'm converting them relatively word-for-word from an edition that played more like a tabletop video game conversion than a role-playing game.
4. I can imagine none of these making it to the "finally product", since each of these abilities is likely to change drastically moving forwards.

[Yakk]

As a suggestion to reduce scope, restrict this to only Fighter class skills for the Fighter?

That would significantly reduce the surface area of the work, and make the abilities focus more heavily on Fighter-archetype abilities.

Extending that (allowing Fighters to pick up non-Fighter skill powers) becomes a relatively easy retrofit. But it would drop the amount of content you need to write up, and others need to read over, by a factor of 3 or more.