What can you do with skill slots?

This is a place for G.M.s and GM wannabes to share ideas and their own methods of play. It is not a locked forum so be aware your players may be watching!

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
13eowulf
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 1150
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:15 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by 13eowulf »

So, a question: What can you do with skill selection slots?

I mean other than select a skill.

In Nightbane they can be used to get Sorcerous Proficiencies, or get rid of Sorcerous Limitations.

There is one OCC in Rifter.... 52 I think where you can choose a skill OR a minor psi power with each slot.

What else is there (preferably canon or rifter as opposed to house rules) that you can do with an open skill slot, especially for level-up skills?
Oderint Dum Metuant.
User avatar
zerombr
Adventurer
Posts: 563
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:46 pm
Comment: Rifter Contributer 79, 81,82,83,84
Location: "The Guides to the Megaverse(tm)" Podcast
Contact:

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by zerombr »

I've never seen it used anywhere else myself.
"The Guides to the Megaverse(tm)" Podcast at https://guidesmegaverse.podbean.com/
Author of "Setting the Stage" - Rifter 79, "Hitting the Streets" - Rifter 81, "Hitting the Gym" - Rifter 82
"Saving the World", and "On the Hunt" - Rifter 83
and lastly, my baby, my long term project... The Dark City of Cascade - Rifter 84.
User avatar
eliakon
Palladin
Posts: 9093
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:40 pm
Comment: Palladium Books Canon is set solely by Kevin Siembieda, either in person, or by his approval of published material.
Contact:

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by eliakon »

13eowulf wrote:So, a question: What can you do with skill selection slots?

I mean other than select a skill.

In Nightbane they can be used to get Sorcerous Proficiencies, or get rid of Sorcerous Limitations.

There is one OCC in Rifter.... 52 I think where you can choose a skill OR a minor psi power with each slot.

What else is there (preferably canon or rifter as opposed to house rules) that you can do with an open skill slot, especially for level-up skills?

Rifter #30 has the option to spend skills to gain all sorts of other things (psi powers, spells, Martial Art abilities, etc.)
The rules are not a bludgeon with which to hammer a character into a game. They are a guide to how a group of friends can get together to weave a collective story that entertains everyone involved. We forget that at our peril.

Edmund Burke wrote:The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
User avatar
Shorty Lickens
Hero
Posts: 1217
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:24 pm
Comment: Arrrrgggghhhh!
Location: Praxus

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by Shorty Lickens »

On the forums there was much discussion of doubling on a skill to increase its ability.
Like an extra 10 or 15 percent chance, or for weapons a bonus to hit.
http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/
Create and print dozens of different graph papers.
User avatar
13eowulf
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 1150
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:15 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by 13eowulf »

Shorty Lickens wrote:On the forums there was much discussion of doubling on a skill to increase its ability.
Like an extra 10 or 15 percent chance, or for weapons a bonus to hit.

I think that was codified into an optional rule in Mysteries of Magic.
Oderint Dum Metuant.
42dragon
Explorer
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:54 am

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by 42dragon »

Shorty Lickens wrote:On the forums there was much discussion of doubling on a skill to increase its ability.
Like an extra 10 or 15 percent chance, or for weapons a bonus to hit.


This is a rule that applies to "Domestic Skills", you can take them a second time for a +10% bonus and to be considered of professional quality.

I assume some GM's and house rules have adopted this to apply to all or most skill categories, not just Domestic.
User avatar
eliakon
Palladin
Posts: 9093
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:40 pm
Comment: Palladium Books Canon is set solely by Kevin Siembieda, either in person, or by his approval of published material.
Contact:

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by eliakon »

42dragon wrote:
Shorty Lickens wrote:On the forums there was much discussion of doubling on a skill to increase its ability.
Like an extra 10 or 15 percent chance, or for weapons a bonus to hit.


This is a rule that applies to "Domestic Skills", you can take them a second time for a +10% bonus and to be considered of professional quality.

I assume some GM's and house rules have adopted this to apply to all or most skill categories, not just Domestic.

Correct. And as Wulf stated, in Mysteries of Magic the rule was expanded (as well as in Rifter #30)
The MoM expansion is an optional rule that allows you to continue spending skill slots to continue improving a skill. Each additional slot improves the skill, with diminishing returns.
But if you throw enough skill slots at it you can get some truly impressive skill scores. Especially if you have either a skill that has no percentage cap, or the ability to exceed the 98% cap through other means.

Rifter #30 has an optional rule that expands the professional rules significantly providing new tiers, as well as expanding on what is professional and "world class" (new term for three slots). Based on if you use OOC/Secondary skills and the like.
It is, in my opinion, very good and was one of the first Rifter articles that I made a permeant part of my house rules.
The rules are not a bludgeon with which to hammer a character into a game. They are a guide to how a group of friends can get together to weave a collective story that entertains everyone involved. We forget that at our peril.

Edmund Burke wrote:The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
User avatar
zerombr
Adventurer
Posts: 563
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:46 pm
Comment: Rifter Contributer 79, 81,82,83,84
Location: "The Guides to the Megaverse(tm)" Podcast
Contact:

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by zerombr »

the Superstar article talks about using extra skill slots to increase a skill, 10% and more can add a little more, 7, 5. 3%
"The Guides to the Megaverse(tm)" Podcast at https://guidesmegaverse.podbean.com/
Author of "Setting the Stage" - Rifter 79, "Hitting the Streets" - Rifter 81, "Hitting the Gym" - Rifter 82
"Saving the World", and "On the Hunt" - Rifter 83
and lastly, my baby, my long term project... The Dark City of Cascade - Rifter 84.
User avatar
thorr-kan
Adventurer
Posts: 495
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:09 am

Re: What can you do with skill slots?

Unread post by thorr-kan »

There are a few skills scattered around different settings that unlock abilities:
Principles of Magic (Through the Glass Darkly) allows on to "utter incantations correctly." Congrats, you now know how to cast spells. What spells? None. It doesn't provide a mechanism for starting spells or learning new spells. Sounds like a job for sorcerous proficiencies.

Acolytes from the same book change exchange Secondary Skills for psionic powers at character creation. Later, OCC related skills can be traded for more powers.

The Divination skill, from the same book, is self-explanatory.

The Meditation skill (BTS2) mimics the psi power *and* speeds healing.

The mystic H2H skills from N&SS and MC include a whole bunch of bundled skills, bonuses, and powers.

There's not a lot skills can be used for besides skills. But there's a few things out there.
I have a blog; come see what I've created: https://thewhiteminotaur.wordpress.com/
-The 2024 Character Creation Challenge (#charactercreationchallenge):
https://thewhiteminotaur.wordpress.com/ ... challenge/
Post Reply

Return to “G.M.s Forum”