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D20 Modern Skill Groups
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last edited
by PBworks 17 years, 3 months ago
Design parameters:
- Cross-class skills are dumb. Classes are methods of approach, not roles in society, thus anyone can use any skill and use it well. Additionally, the class / cross-class system is a double penalty, since skill points are an extremely limited resource; investing your resource in a skill is an exclusive choice, and the cross-class skill system punishes players for all but a few choices.
- There are too many skills and not enough skill points. Skill groups allow skill points to go further and allow characters to have the skills necessary for their concepts and their adventures.
- Being capable is cool. I want modern games to be cool with cool characters. Granting a balanced system to allow for increased capability and character concept achievement is cool.
Designer Notes:
Skill points per level and maximum skill ranks are unchanged, as are any other mechanics not otherwise mentioned.
Advanced class requirements are unchanged.
Consequences of Skill Groups: Most Game Masters are, and should, be concerned about adding new mechanics and altering existing mechanics, especially mechanics as important as the skill system. This is provided to help GMs decide if skill groups are appropriate to their campaigns.
Using skill groups, characters are generally more powerful (particularly if the players come up with cool ideas for their skills and you approve them) but it is not an increase that will unbalance the game nor make it less fun; quite the opposite, it will allowed the team to split up successfully during investigation phases, as they have the skills to do the legwork, or to defend themselves against canny and deceptive opposition. Even though the martial artist can now act as a face, the negotiator is still head and shoulders better at it. Both players are happy, the Martial Artist with his ability to interact successfully and the Negotiator with her ability to socially dominate when she desires.
Finally, it makes all advanced classes accessible to all characters by level 6, and most are accessible by level 3 or 4. It is no longer the case that a level 4 Fast hero can be a Soldier or Martial Artist but that a Strong hero must wait till level 9 before becoming a Gunslinger or Bodyguard. This makes options available earlier to some characters but not earlier than they were available to any characters.
Skill Groups:
Skill groups are a way of representing the interrelated nature of certain skills. One skill point in the group is the same as putting a skill point into every skill in the group. Note that for skills with expanded areas (Drive and Pilot) you must still spend extra skill points to gain access to those areas.
Each class grants access to certain skill groups, as do all starting occupations. Class groups may only be accessed when you take levels in that class. Skill groups from starting occupation represent a permanent basis of training, and thus are available at every level.
Base Groups:
Academic | Craft (Writing), Knowledge (any three), Research | Agility | Balance, Escape Artist, Tumble | Athletic | Climb, Jump Swim | Builder | Craft (Electronic), Craft (Structural), Knowledge (Current Events), Knowledge (Streetwise), Repair | Business | Computer Use, Craft (Writing), Knowledge (Business), Knowledge (Civics), Knowledge (Current Events) | Bypass | Disguise, Disable Device, Investigate | Clown | Disguise, Handle Animal, Knowledge (Popular Culture), Perform (Stand-up) | Computer | Computer Use, Craft (Electronic), Knowledge (Technology), Research | Crafter | Craft (Chemical), Craft (Electronic), Craft (Mechanical), Craft (Pharmaceutical), Craft (Structural), Craft (Visual Art), Craft (Writing) | Creator | Craft (Visual Art), Craft (Writing), Forgery, Knowledge (Art), Knowledge (Popular Culture) | Destruction | Craft (Chemical), Craft (Structural), Demolitions, Disable Device | Detective | Concentration, Investigate, Knowledge (Streetwise), Survival | Driver | Concentration, Drive, Intimidate | Educated | Knowledge (Arcane Lore), Knowledge (Art), Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences), Knowledge (Business), Knowledge (Civics), Knowledge (Current Events), Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Physical Sciences), Knowledge (Popular Culture), Knowledge (Tactics), Knowledge (Technology), Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) | Endurance | Concentration, Gamble, Survival | Handler | Handle Animal, Knowledge (Popular Culture), Knowledge (Streetwise), Survival | Investigator | Forgery, Investigate, Knowledge (Civics), Search | Linguist | Decipher Script, Knowledge (any one), Read/Write Language, Speak Language | Medicine | Craft (Pharmaceutical), Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences), Spot, Treat Injury | Perception | Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot | Psionic | Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge (Arcane Lore), Psicraft | Racer | Drive, Escape Artist, Tumble | Rider | Knowledge (Popular Culture), Knowledge (Streetwise), Ride, Tumble | Searcher | Computer Use, Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences), Knowledge (Streetwise), Research, Search | Secretary | Computer Use, Concentration, Listen | Slinger | Intimidate, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand | Social | Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate | Stealth | Hide, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand | Technician | Craft (Electronic), Craft (Mechanical), Knowledge (Physical Sciences), Knowledge (Technology), Repair | Theatric | Bluff, Knowledge (Current Events or Popular Culture), Perform (any three) | Transportation | Drive, Navigate, Pilot | Wilderness Lore | Handle Animal, Navigate, Ride, Survival |
Class Groups:
Note that class groups are only available when you take levels in that class.
Base Class | Class Groups | Strong | Athletic, Builder, Handler, Wilderness Lore | Fast | Agility, Racer, Rider, Stealth, Transportation | Tough | Athletic, Detective, Driver, Endurance, Wilderness Lore | Smart | Academic, Builder, Business, Computer, Crafter, Destruction, Educated, Investigator, Linguist, Searcher, Technician | Dedicated | Academic, Detective, Educated, Medicine, Perception, Searcher, Wilderness Lore | Charismatic | Academic, Creator, Clown, Social, Theatric |
Occupation Groups:
If the group(s) chosen for occupation is a class group at first level then you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks using those skills, as well as gaining the group as a permanent group. This only applies to skill groups, not overlapping skills within the groups.
Starting Occupation | Number Chosen | Available Groups | Academic | Two | Academic, Computer, Creator, Educated, Theatric | Adventurer | One | Destruction, Guide, Stealth, Transportation | Athlete | One | Agility, Athletic, Equestrian, Racer | Blue Collar | Two | Athletic, Builder, Driver, Equestrian, Technician | Celebrity | One | Confidence Man, Social, Theatric | Creative | Two | Business, Confidence Man, Crafter, Creator, Technician, Theatric | Criminal | One | Confidence man, Criminal, Stealth | Dilettante | One | Equestrian, Linguist, Sloth | Doctor | One | Business, Medicine, Psychology | Emergency Services | Two | Agility, Athletic, Medical Technician, Medicine, Transportation | Entrepreneur | One | Business, Computer, Social, Wheeling | Investigative | One | Criminal, Detective, Investigator, Perception, Searcher | Law Enforcement | One | Detective, Driver, Investigator, Rider, Social, Transportation | Military | One | Destruction, Guide, Stealth, Transportation | Religious | Two | Perception, Religion, Secretary, Social, Theatric | Rural | One | Guide, Motorist, Transportation, Wilderness Lore | Student | Three | Academic, Business, Computer, Educated, Technician, Theatric | Technician | Two | Builder, Business, Computer, Technician | White Collar | Two | Academic, Business, Computer, Social |
Groups:
Confidence man | Bluff, Disguise, Forgery, Gamble, Perform (Act) | Criminal | Disable Device, Forgery, Knowledge (Streetwise), Sleight of Hand | Equestrian | Handle Animal, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences or Popular Culture), Ride | Guide | Climb, Navigate, Survival, Swim | Medical Technician | Craft (Pharmaceutical), Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences), Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences), Knowledge (Technology), Treat Injury | Motorist | Balance, Drive, Repair | Psychology | Craft (Pharmaceutical), Diplomacy, Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences), Treat Injury | Religion | Diplomacy, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy), Perform (any one), Sense Motive | Sloth | Bluff, Gamble, Intimidate | Wheeling | Bluff, Diplomacy, Gamble |
Skill Changes:
Drive: Drive is one skill with several subgroups, each accessed by spending a skill point to expand the area of application. Without access to an expansion, the character takes a -4 to all drive checks in such a vehicle. Basic driving skills cover cars, motorcycles and small trucks. The expanded areas are Heavy Wheeled, Powerboat, Sailboat, Ship and Tracked. Heavy wheeled is for large wheeled vehicles, such as eighteen-wheeled trucks or military LAVs. Tracked vehicles are any vehicle on treads, such as bulldozers and tanks. Powerboat is for small motorboats, such as speedboats and jet skis, designed for one operator. Sailboat covers all wind-powered sailing vessels. Ships are large, multi-crewed water vessels.
Pilot: Like Drive, Pilot is one skill with several subgroups, each accessed by spending a skill point to expand the area of application. Without access to an expansion, the character takes a -4 to all pilot checks in such a vehicle. Basic flight skills cover small propeller and jet aircraft, including cesnas and lear jets. The expanded areas are Heavy Aircraft, Helicopters, Jet Fighters or Spacecraft. Heavy aircraft include such vehicles as large passenger planes, heavy military transport planes, most bomber aircraft and most aircraft with three or more engines. Helicopters covers all rotary wing aircraft, transport, combat or otherwise. Jet fighters is for military fighters and ground attack jets. Spacecraft are any extra-atmosphere craft such as the space shuttle or lunar lander (this can also cover interstellar craft for science fiction games, or one or more areas can be added to the pilot skill).
Knowledge: Try Again: Yes, after eight hours of rest. Sometimes a night’s rest shakes loose things that had been forgotten in the recesses of the mind.
Tumble: Tumble checks are now opposed checks. To tumble through an opponent’s threatened area make a tumble check opposed by his tumble or base attack check (defender’s choice). If you tumble through an opponent’s space then he adds +5 to his opposed check. To tumble past multiple opponents, make one tumble check and each opponent opposes in the order you tumble past them, player’s choice if there are any ties. Each opponent after the first gains a cumulative +2 on his opposed check.
Advanced Classes:
Note that class groups are only available when you take levels in that class.
Advanced Class | Class Groups | Martial Artist | Agility, Athletic, Stealth | Soldier | Athletic, Destruction, Driver, Perception | Gunslinger | Racer, Slinger | Infiltrator | Agility, Athletic, Bypass, Perception, Stealth | Bodyguard | Driver, Investigate, Perception | Daredevil | Agility, Athletic, Transportation | Field Scientist | Academic, Computer, Destruction, Linguist, Transportation | Techie | Computer, Destruction, Technician | Field Medic | Medicine, Secretary, Transportation | Investigator | Investigate, Perception, Searcher, Social | Negotiator | Perception, Searcher, Social | Personality | Creator, Theatric |
Modern Open Gaming License
D20 Modern Skill Groups
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