Skills and Languages

A detailed analysis of the skills system cannot be considered a priority because, on the whole, the third edition game is very sound in this regard. Eventually it is my intention to draw up a master list of all skills but for the time being I will keep things simple. However, there are one or two things I would like to clarify.

More Skill Points!

Stop press! All character classes or racial character classes receive +1 skill point per level or hit dice, over and above what ever it says in the printed rules. This extra point is applied after any negative modifiers from a low Intelligence are factored in to a character's skill points. Therefore all characters will have a minimum of 2 skill points per level, regardless of their intelligence score. Human characters will have a minimum of 3 skill points per level including their racial bonus.

I am not being generous just for the sake of it. In my rationalisation of the skill system (read on for more), I have created several extra skills. I have also increased the number of a skill points a character would have to spend in order to become proficient in multiple languages. These extra skill points help to balance things. For the most part I have avoided changing the number of base skill points gained at each level, although some changes are inevitable. Go to the character class section for details on which characters have had their base skill points changed.

Class and Cross Class Skills

Every character class in the game has a skill list. If a skill appears on that list it is considered a class skill and it costs one skill point for every rank in that skill. If the skill you want is not on that list, it is a cross-class skill and costs two skill points for every rank in that skill. The maximum rank you can have in a skill is your character level + 3 for a class skill, or half that for a cross class skill.

This sounds a little complicated for multiclass characters, but actually it is still straight forward. When gaining a level, your class skills are the ones that are on the list of the character class you have just added. Therefore when the fifth level fighter gets his sixth class level and decides to choose wizard his class skills are those skills from the wizard list. Any skills not on that list - even if they are on the fighter list and were therefore class skills for him last level - are crossclass skills.

So how does multiclassing affect Maximum Ranks? It doesn't. The rules for this are quite well hidden, but the last paragraph of the "Aquiring Skill Ranks" section (PHB p62) clearly states: "Regardless of whether a skill is purchased as a class skill or a cross-class skill, if it is a class skill for any of your classes, you maximum rank equals your total character level +3".

For example, I am a Bernadette the Slinky, currently a fighter 5/rogue 5 and adding a level of fighter. I want to improve my Open Locks skill: is it a class skill, and what is my maximum rank? As I am adding a fighter level, Open Locks is cross-class skill costing two skill points per additional rank. The maximum rank is always my character level +3. It does not matter that it is a cross-class skill this level, the important thing is that it was a class skill for one of Bernadette's levels. As Bernadette is going to be an eleventh level character, therefore her maximum rank is 14.

Improving Your Skill Selection

Certain feats such as Cosmopolitan and Education give you access to skills that are not currently on your skill list. Once I have completed my master list of feats (and it is 80% done) I will produce a definitive list of all feats that give you access to more skills. Also, I am happy to be quite flexible in class skills. If, at character generation or when you gain an additional class, there is a particular skill you want on you class list then you can have it as long as you persuade me that it's a good idea and you are willing to replace one of the exisiting class skills with it.

Improving Your Skill Points

I rule that when you increase your Intelligence stat I backdate any additional skill points you would have gained for a higher Intelligence modifier. In addition to this there is a stunningly useful feat on p48 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook called Open Minded that gives you an additional 5 skill points to spend on any skill (although you must still abide by the rules for class and cross-class skills and maximum ranks). You can transcend your maximum ranks by selecting the Skill Focus feat or one of the many other feats that give a +2 bonus to two skills. Feats such as this and Skill Focus stack with each other.

New Skills

There are few new skills in the D&D game. Where we live in a world gone mad in regard to feats, the skills list is surprisingly simple. At this stage there isn't very much I want to add to it. But (you knew there was a but coming) there are skills I would like to better define and others that come from sources other than the PHB and deserve a mention on this site. Please follow the link below for more information.

• Skill Descriptions

Languages

The rules for languages have changed quite markedly. Follow the link below for more information on the topic.

• Languages.