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ROGUE

Level    Attack Bonus   Sneak Attack  Class Features
1          +1                    1d6                Rogue Scheme, Skill Tricks (2), Sneak Attack
2          +1                    1d6                Scheme Benefit, Skill Trick (1)
3          +1                   ...

A Skill Point (or Rank) module.
At 1st level, pick a background and take those 4 skills at rank 1, or pick 4 skills to be at rank 1 and an appropriate background trait. Now in addition to that, if you have a positive Int modifier you gain that in extra ranks in other skills you can pick, (i.e. Int 14 is a +2 would grant 2 more skill ranks), but no penalty for a low Intelligence. Making minimum Skills at first 4. Now at every other level you gain 2 extra skill ranks to increase what you currently have or to gain new skills, (which start at rank 1). Still keep the maximum amount of ranks at +7 for bounded accuracy.  That 7th rank costs two skill ranks to reach. This is to indicate a dedication to being the best of the best of the best with that skill. 

If there is an overlap...

In my spare time I created a Prestige class for general magic users of both divine and Arcane.  


The Craftmaster (The name is still work in progress)


Skill:  Spellcraft, Craft Alchemy, Craft Armor, Craft Weapons, Lore, Concentration


Requirements

Feats:  Skill Focus Spellcraft, Skill Focus Concentration


Must be able to cast 4th level divine or arcane spells


I must get the notes so this will be updated.            


           

I’ve written a fair bit about skills in 4e, and how I personally think the math behind skills is a little shakier than, well, anything else in the edition. You can find some of my earlier blogs here and here. One I’d specifically like to point out is this on reinventing skills in 4e.

It might seem a little late to be thinking about house rules for 4th Edition, but I don’t believe so. Not everyone will be making the switch from 4e to 5e, and even those that do might decide to play the occasional short adventure or micro-campaign in 4e. No matter of the final quality of 5e, there will be some adventures and stories that might be better served by 4e. And if the system can be made a little more playable that’s only a bonus.

The Problem

Here’s a quick summary

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Ok so this sounds like a really stupid question but what is the difference b/w skill use and skill challenges? (i've only just started but can't get my head around it)

It is my assumtion that
skill use
is when someone wants to work out/ do something specific (i.e. i sneak past the guard, hide against the walls, climb etc...)

whereas

skill challenge involves using multiple skills to achieve an end goal (i.e. escape the fortified goblin tower - easy i know, but its just an example) (3 successes before 4 failures). The party has to use their skills to help them escape:
 Perception - they keep a keen eye open to avoid any bumbling goblin guard patrols
 Acrobatics - they jump off the balcony "shinobi style" off the tower onto the ground floor
 Diplomacy - ...

You've got questions—we've got answers! Here's how it works—each week, our Community Manager will be scouring all available sources to find whatever D&D Next questions you're asking.

There are certain business and legal questions we can't answer (for business and legal reasons). And if you have a specific rules question, we'd rather point you to Customer Service, where representatives are ready and waiting to help guide you through the rules of the game. That said, our goal is provide you with as much information we can—in this and other venues.

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Does the skill training gained at 2nd level in the playtest refer to gaining a +1 to an existing skill or to acquiring a new skill entirely? Is the +7 maximum for skill bonuses meant to

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[sblock=Important Disclaimer]I have been paying attention to information about the growth and development of D&D Next. I read the first play test packet and ran two play test sessions. The second play test packet included fantastic stuff; I’m eager to run play test sessions. However, I have not yet run play test sessions of the second play test packet nor participated as a player in such sessions.

While I have read the packet with interest, I have not completed a lengthy perusal of careful detailed review. I am currently without a group to play, since I am soon moving to another area of the state. In time, I hope to gather a group for continued play test sessions.

Please do not discredit my post for lack of play test session experience to act as a tempering for my opinions.

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As a result of recent discussions in the D&D Next group regarding the association between skills and attributes, it became apparent that some skills have a variety of tasks associated with it that do not fit into a single attribute. While the use of these skills as examples was to show how they should be uncoupled from attributes, I think that they instead highlighted the fact that these possibly shouldn't be considered skills at all.

Skills that are "Thematic", not "Task-Oriented"
In the whole, the traditional skill can be considered task oriented, where the use of the skill revolves around a specific task or set of tasks that all require similar actions in order to succeed.

So for instance:

• Tumbling - Rolling out of the way of attacks
• Opening Locks - Using tools to open a lock without

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The release of the first public playtest packet and blogs such as Wizard with a License to Kill and Backgrounds and Themes: A Closer Look generated forum discussions, feedback, and questions about backgrounds and themes. Many of these questions asked about our current approach to how backgrounds deliver skills and themes deliver feats.

First, I’m gratified that some people noticed the pregenerated character sheet note beneath the Background and Theme columns, and decided to try it out. Apparently they played a game with a more “old school feel” with great success. Already our goal of providing modular play is proving amenable.

Most of you, however, did use the backgrounds and themes provided. So to help answer some of the questions about them, I’d like to

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