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In the Google Hangout video, Mike Mearls spoke of an idea where lasses simply getting to roll the skill dice for any check associated to an ability check. He stated a goal is to just have the DM call for an ability check and not skill check and to have some sort of skill in the basic and advanced forms of the game.

I was pondering on that idea since last week. Actually more that last week. What if Skills and Backgrounds were not the basic skill module and instead the basic module as simpler. It would be great for people who dislike the advanced skill system or disagree with the skill list.

Basic Skill System
At the first level, choose an ability score. Whenever you roll a check associated to that ability, you may roll your skill die and add the result to your check. 

"But Orzel, what do rogues get if you get rid of skills?"

That's simple. The rogue gets to choose an additional ability to add his or her skill die to.

"But Orzel, I want to be a master orator and acrobat."

That's simple. There could be an additional option to let the PC have 2 preferred abilities but her skill die is one step lower. Or you DM can just let every PC take 2 abilities.

So..
What if a fighter, rogue, cleric and wizard go adventuring. The fighter's preferred ability is Strength. The rogue takes Dexterity and Wisdom.  The Cleric take Charisma. And the wizard picks Intelligence. They finish the quest. The fighter sacrificed himself to save the rest heroically at the end. The wizard went home to be a family man.

So the fighter and wizard players roll up new dudes: a dashing ex-pirate who favors Charisma and Constitution and a wizard school dropout who favors Intelligence and Strength.

This would be great for me. I have a player who loves being a rogue but never remembers his skills. "Ty, add your skill bonus!" "Ty, add you Disguise bonus." "Ty, you're the worst.". Perhaps if Ty just has to remember to roll his skill dice when I say Dexterity, no one will punch him in the arm.

What do you think about that idea?

Jan 12, 2013 -- 2:51PM, wrecan wrote:

Before skill dice, I proposed something similar in my blog series Secondary.

I've read that.
It probably subconciously gave me the idea.

Jan 12, 2013 -- 2:41PM, Koga305 wrote:

Sounds pretty good to me. Simple, and expands on the "skill dice -> ability score" system to make it easily playable.

That's the plan.

Jan 12, 2013 -- 4:16PM, Youngy wrote:

It's neat, clever, and simple.

I like it.

The other one is, I can see that this could work with some characters using the Trained Skills system and some using the Trained Abilities system in the same game.  - As long as they were relatively equivalent - But Wrecan already mentioned something of the sort in his Skill Article.

Trained Abilites would be near Equivalent to Trained Skills depending on how many skills there are tied to each ability.

As it is Training in Dex is a bit better than Training in all the Dex heavy skills. But the skill user would able to able the skills to multiple abilities.

Almost even.