For various reasons, like personal preference and GMing small groups, I'd rather have characters whith a reasonable number of skill points. So, looking at the puny 2 skill points/level of the Soldier, I think it's not enough : I'm inclined to give them 4 points/level. Although, I'd like to hear to your opinion. Do you think this would be unbalancing ? Why ?
Soldier skill points : Opinions wanted
- Thread starter Hyena
- Start date
BhilJhoanz
Mongoose
The extra feats more than make up for it. I've been running a soldier for a few levels and loving the great range of flexability.
When I next put together a Barb/Pirate I was sorely missing the feats.
A soldier is going to be lacking when it comes to skill checks but in battle he will be king. I mean -- he gets 9 feats by level 6 with a favored class!
Don't tell me that that doesn't make up for 18 skill points! If a fighter wants more skills he can start with a higher intelligence or take the skill feats!
One of the benefits of being a pirate or barbarian or nomad is the increased skills, don't piss on their benefits just 'cause a whiney player wants more skills for his killing machine!
When I next put together a Barb/Pirate I was sorely missing the feats.
A soldier is going to be lacking when it comes to skill checks but in battle he will be king. I mean -- he gets 9 feats by level 6 with a favored class!
Don't tell me that that doesn't make up for 18 skill points! If a fighter wants more skills he can start with a higher intelligence or take the skill feats!
One of the benefits of being a pirate or barbarian or nomad is the increased skills, don't piss on their benefits just 'cause a whiney player wants more skills for his killing machine!
Now, THAT's an opinion : :wink: !
Let me reassure you : my players have'nt started whining. And if they do, i'll smack them with that big fat rulebook. It's just that my games are not THAT combat-heavy and I'm worried by the possibility of a player being stuck doing nothing because his character suck at everything except fighting. Now, since it seems you had a great experience with your soldier, I'll write it off as me having GMed COC for tool long.
Let me reassure you : my players have'nt started whining. And if they do, i'll smack them with that big fat rulebook. It's just that my games are not THAT combat-heavy and I'm worried by the possibility of a player being stuck doing nothing because his character suck at everything except fighting. Now, since it seems you had a great experience with your soldier, I'll write it off as me having GMed COC for tool long.
sanseveria
Mongoose
My question is, how much damage would this do? Is it finessable, what's the crit multiplier and does it have an AP value??
SS
Hyena said:
In Normal D&D I am inclined to agree with you, but I havn't noticed a problem with Conan for some reason. My solution for Standard D&D games is to raise all classes skill points by 2 per level, that keeps things balanced and doesnt rally impact the game.
My advice if you give a bonus give it to all of the classes.
My opinion is you should do one or more of the following:
- Tell your players to take a level of Thief or some other high-skill point class if they want more skill points. There is no multi-class penalty.
- Tell them to take another class if skills are that important to them. What about...barbarian? It is the Conan RPG, after all, not the "Fancy-schmancy Aquilonian Soldier RPG". :twisted:
- Tell them to put more a higher stat in intelligence. Then they can get more class and cross-class skills, plus more languages.
No need to modify the soldier at all.
- Tell your players to take a level of Thief or some other high-skill point class if they want more skill points. There is no multi-class penalty.
- Tell them to take another class if skills are that important to them. What about...barbarian? It is the Conan RPG, after all, not the "Fancy-schmancy Aquilonian Soldier RPG". :twisted:
- Tell them to put more a higher stat in intelligence. Then they can get more class and cross-class skills, plus more languages.
No need to modify the soldier at all.
Signs and Portents has in my opinion a great way to handle this problem. It gives the characters 2 points in a large seclection of skills at first level then lets them advance each of those at 1/2 a rank per level. Note, that this is done before your total skill points are used.
I use this method because I do not have a diverse group (everyone plays some kind of warrior type). This allows them to do some thing that they normally can not do and is not overbalancing. Check it out, I think its In Sign and Portents #7.
I use this method because I do not have a diverse group (everyone plays some kind of warrior type). This allows them to do some thing that they normally can not do and is not overbalancing. Check it out, I think its In Sign and Portents #7.
Cul said:
Dang, I might actually have to check out that magazine...
What you mention sounds similar to what Iron_Chef referred to from S&P #6, the Cultural Templates, which he converted to fit Conan the RPG and posted on these boards... I think... although Iron_Chef shows up all over the place.
Allowing cultural templates on top of the racial ones in the RAW, will definitely give you a few more skills to begin with, but I'm not sure how much it will help you in the long run.
I'm definitely on board with the others that have pointed out that the Soldier doesn't need any help! He can waste feats on improving skills if he wants to, or otherwise just multiclass. And if you're running a low combat game, why would someone want to play a pure soldier? :?
TTFN,
Yokiboy
slaughterj
Mongoose
Hyena said:
I'm not inclined to do that. They get a lot of combat feats automatically, and can use their other ones to buy skill bonuses if they'd like (e.g., Skill Focus, Talented, or whatever they're called).
Tell the player to suck it up and build a Soldier with a 12 Int. From the example characters I've built to test the system it seems that that one tiny fix will solve 90% of a soldiers complaints about not having enough skill points to actually be an effective guard/scout/rider/whatever. Think about the great warriors from fiction (particularly the heroic ones), now how many of them were as dumb as a post eh?
And like others have said he should also consider spending feats on skill boosts as well. Particularly if Soldier happens to be his favored class.
And like others have said he should also consider spending feats on skill boosts as well. Particularly if Soldier happens to be his favored class.
sanseveria said:
My question is, how much damage would this do? Is it finessable, what's the crit multiplier and does it have an AP value??
SS
Sans, two part answer:
Rulebook wielded by Player, does 1d6 Subdual damage, not finsseable, x2 crit mult. and AP of 0. Note player takes a -4 penalty for improvised weapon.
Rulebook wielded by DM, does 10d20 lethal, finessable, 15-20/x4 crit mult, and an AP of 12. DM gets Imporved Crit, weapon focus and weapon spec w/ rulebook, can also once per night slam it down enacting a Defensive Blast of 100d6 to all within 10' radius.
sanseveria said:My question is, how much damage would this do? Is it finessable, what's the crit multiplier and does it have an AP value??
SS
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Damage : 1d10
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Armour Piercing : 2
Hardness : 5
Hit points :2
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