Specialization primary skill costs

Have a new general feature to suggest, or think one should be tweaked? Share your ideas here.
Acarin
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Re: Specialization primary skill costs

Post by Acarin »

Those bundles are just examples and I'm not saying that I think every one should implemented. As a combat character, I have no idea what most of these skills actually do because my chance of actually investing in them is 0. That being said, if I'm living in an environment that is very frontier, I'm going to have a basic knowledge of how to survive regardless of what I choose to focus on just from existing. Saying that someone knows no basic skills in this setting because they did not invest in learning them is a bit strange to me.

Another option/though, as a suggestion, would be some skills decreasing the cost (by a small amount) of learning other skills. For example, mining probably gives you some knowledge of metals (composition, purity). There may be synergy there with metallurgy that allows you to learn metallurgy more easily at lower levels (since you already have a background). Perception may help with tracking or the reverse...or maybe stealth. Just throwing out another option to reduce cost for related skills.
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nobody
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Re: Specialization primary skill costs

Post by nobody »

Acarin wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:51 pm That being said, if I'm living in an environment that is very frontier, I'm going to have a basic knowledge of how to survive regardless of what I choose to focus on just from existing. Saying that someone knows no basic skills in this setting because they did not invest in learning them is a bit strange to me.
It is a bit strange that someone living in those circumstances wouldn't choose to invest in them - it's akin to having the learning opportunities and refusing to learn. But some very basics are provided - anyone can build a campfire without the construction skill and anyone can cook skewered fish or meat without the cooking skill. Spearfishing is a viable method of obtaining food in the wild if you have melee combat skill even if you don't have fishing. You can also forage for food with no bushcraft skill.
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Xandrea
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Re: Specialization primary skill costs

Post by Xandrea »

Far as I seem to understand things here, it really looks like your highest skill is more of a 'defining trait'. Having a maxed out skill is 'the' thing your character can do that most can't. Be it by skill spread or even by their specialization restricting their maximum.

This build is subject to change if I get a reroll because I've found I could do this a little better but, I'm going off my skillplan as-is

Bushcraft 300
Climbing 400
Perception 200
Stealth 200
Swimming 400
Tracking 400

Armor Use 200
Dodge 300
Ranged Combat 400

Arcana 100
Druidry 300

Cooking 100
Leatherworking 500
Skinning 400
Weaving 100
Woodcutting 100
Woodworking 100

Here we have a Ranger.
She places an importance on being able to reach most places (Swimming, Climbing, and Acrobatics for falls.)

She doesn't like being in the city much, She likes it in the wilderness, (Bushcraft, Tracking, Ranged, Woodworking skills, even cooking for her own meals.)

Combat isn't too focused, She has enough to feel comfortable in a fight if She has to. Ranged combat, lower dodge and armor-use. Just enough to be 'comfortable'. Her side-job is leatherworking and with the focus on skinning She knows her way around a carving knife and can even make her own tools should the land be suitable enough to provide. She's learned as much as She can about Druidry because She wants to better understand the world She explores and some of the 'mysteries' of the natural. Her tracking is high so She can sniff out just about anything that's wandered through a given area and may catch a hint of more dangerous creatures that haven't been seen in person yet.

Her dodge is just above average and relies on what acrobatics She knows to try and supplement gaps in her defense. She's learned a thing or two about how to best fit her armour so it's not as bulky and in the way when scaling cliffs. While She isn't the most perceptive person She isn't blind either. Enough to catch rabbits by the ears but, not for anyone whom takes their hiding game a little more seriously than She does.


Now maybe certain things are too focused. In all likelihood I could reduce tracking and skinning by 100 and put those points elsewhere. Maybe get a shield. Boost up my arcana a little and get more out of it. Maybe even kick up my armor or dodge skill.

In short, I'm just barely off from having a little extra spread for things I really want to be able to 'do' but, not be the best at. Like I really would like to have higher leatherworking but, I don't like the idea of reducing my exploration skills.I have just enough sneak to get around but, not safely in areas I don't know might be far riskier than first perceived.

There aren't many classes that this skillset would effect either. In all honesty I don't even need to be a Ranger for this skillset. The only skills I have that the class offers is the Druidry, and Leatherworking. Even then Druidry is the most optional thing I could cut out.

Because I know messing with skill numbers is touchy, to me the best compromise that comes to mind is being able to pick ONE skill and reducing the skillpoint cost of that ONE skill. I'd call this idea, "Your Talent." A Talent could be any one skill. A skill that you choose, over it being whatever class you happen to be. I might be alone in this but, I'd be willing to have a 'talent' be optional at the cost of reducing XP gain or even to make other skills in it's own category a little grindier to practice. Since you're spreading yourself thinner you have to take longer to soak up any experience you get after a certain level and it would make getting Reflection Therapy more important.

Then I'd be able to get that leatherworking 600 and have a little extra to spare but, not too much. It effectively might give you another 1000 to work with. Maxing out one skill can cost half of your total possible skill options. This would give some people a little more to work with. Be it padding their combat skills more or taking up a profession they otherwise couldn't. I like that the 'max' is some overkill idea that makes you special but, I feel like most people want to at least max 'one' thing they have going for them or alternatively for me, have some extra skillpoints to better round out an idea that supports their one nearly/maxed skill. Because I'd love to be able to fish up to 300, focus some more with cooking, maybe get just one more 100 in Skinning. Most importantly for me would be being able to increase exploration skills and I don't even have locksmithing because I'd have to sacrifice other skills I feel are too integral to the character I'm trying to make.
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Gorth
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Re: Specialization primary skill costs

Post by Gorth »

OK, I wanted to try my hand at this, but first I'm going to outlie my Duelist maya, where she is now and where she's planned to be.

Maya is a combat heavy, Hunting and Leathercrafting Acrobatics Dodge Duelist, and is currently level 28.

I'm not at my home computer right now, so most of this is off memory, so i'm sorry if it's not exact, but it should get my point across.

===

Riding 100
Tracking 100
Perception 100
Dodge 150
armor use 150
Skinning 200
Melee 200
Acrobatics 225
Leatherworking 400

===

I'm pretty sure this isn't exact, but this is optimal build for this level, for Maya, at least. She could stand for hhigher melee, but i've spent the past 6 or so levels grinding out Leatherworking, which takes all of my points, so I decided to stop at 200 melee for that.

I need to figure out the equation for calculating what skills cost in total, and once I do that i'll lay out her level 100 goals.
But at least in low levels, I've not felt very trapped, even using several skills.
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Gorth
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Location: Michigan

Re: Specialization primary skill costs

Post by Gorth »

Right, so I've sense gotten home and assigned goals, and here's what it looks like. Note that I've actually still got about 175 points left over.

+-------------------------------------------------+
| Skill Goal |
+=================================================+
| --GENERAL-- --- --- --- |
| Climbing 200 |
| Perception 300 |
| Riding 200 |
| Stealth 400 |
| Swimming 100 |
| Tracking 300 |
| |
| --COMBAT-- --- --- --- |
| Armor Use 150 |
| Dodge 300 |
| Melee Combat 500 |
| |
| --SCHOLAR-- --- --- --- |
| |
| --PROFESSION-- --- --- --- |
| Animal Husbandry 100 |
| Cooking 25 |
| Farming 100 |
| Leatherworking 400 |
| Skinning 200 |
| Tailoring 400 |
| |
| --PERFORMING-- --- --- --- |
| Acrobatics 600 |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------+

I've got pretty respectable combat skills, which, as a Duelist, my abilities automatically rocket me far past what a non warrior of these skills would be able to do. I also have two crafting skills maxed, and I have a decent compliment of other things, cooking, farming and the like. It's not perfect, Ideally I'd also like to shove metalworking in and make farming better, and cooking as well, but hey, I'll take what i can get. I don't have as many skills necessary as a Nightblade, but I'm still electing to spend lots of points on Stealth and the like anyway, because I like the image. I'll probably end up dropping the stealth later on for more farming and exploration skills, but I just wanted to show that it's most definitely possible.
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