(05-11-2015, 02:04 PM)Bishop Edward Wrote: Thayan, I honestly don't see any reason not to make perform cross-class for all classes unless its hard coded. In PnP, any class can cross-class perform, after all; it's still a significant investment in a skill non-bards would never use except to achieve shadowdancer or for RP (and RP skills are good thing, non?)
I assume Bishop was referring to table 4-2 on page 63 of the Player's Handbook 3.5e.
Comparing that table to how the skills are setup in NWN is different in pretty significant ways. I do see that Perform is indeed a cross-class skill for all classes, and can be used Untrained - but in NWN only Bards can put ranks in it. However on the flip side; skills such as Disable Device (Trap) and Open Lock cannot be used Untrained - but in NWN they are available as cross class skills for all classes. There really appears to be no consistency with how Bioware setup skills (unless there were skill changes between 3.0 and 3.5 rules) other than, what I assume, must have been their considerations about game balance. The most I can determine is that generally (but not always) if a skill can not be used Untrained, it is not available as a cross-class skill in NWN.
Now, *if* I were to start messing with class skills form how they are implemented in NWN, I want to do it right. In other words, I'd want to use that table in the Player's Handbook and come up with consistency as to how ALL these skills are setup (not just Perform or some other skill that people may want in a build for a PrC they'd like). BUT, if I do mess with class skills, then people familiar with even core character builds in NWN will need to either learn or understand the official 3.5 setup for these classes.
I have in NO WAY decided yet if I'll be going through the tedious process of redoing all class skills in Thay. But *if* it were to happen, I am envisioning that any skill listed as Untrained would not be available to a class unless that class has it as a class skill. Otherwise, skills listed as cross-class skills that can be used untrained would be available to *all* classes. So, for just a few examples -
1. Rogues would be the only classes that could put ranks in Open Lock and Disable Device (Trap).
2. All classes could put ranks in Perform
3. Lore would go from being a class skill to not being available for Barbarians since Lore (Knowledge) skill as it cannot be used untrained. This would also impact Fighters, Monks, and Sorcerers who would no longer get Lore either since the Knowledge skills in that table are only cross class skills for them
4. NWN-specific skills (Disciple, Taunt, etc) would remain untouched from how they are setup now
I've been looking at all this the last couple days, comparing the setup of the skills there with what was given in NWN, and I've come to a crossroads. I'm not going to put it to a vote, but for those of you who wish to voice your opinion I'd like to know if you'd prefer to just leave all class skills as they are in NWN right now, or would you prefer they be revised using my plan, or a variation of it, to more closely follow D&D 3.5 rules?
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