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8 4

8.4 ideas:

Roll simplification

Instead of attack rolls, ability checks, saves, spellcasting checks, and skill checks, with or without proficiency, there will simply be 6 rolls: one for each ability score.

We'll stick with starting scores of 3, 2, 1, 1, 0 and 0. After level 1, these do not increase (unless you take monster levels). Instead, you gain two +1 proficiency bonuses to two different abilities. These bonuses are added to the ability score when making rolls.

This replaces Ability Score Increases and Proficiency Bonuses. So, a hypothetical level 3 rogue might have started with Str 0, Dex 3, Con 1, Int 2, Wis 1, Cha 0, and then taken three Dex training feats, 2 Int, and 1 Con, resulting in Str 0, Dex 6, Con 2, Int 4, Wis 1, Cha 0. All Dex rolls are 1d20 + 6, all Con rolls are 1d20 + 2, etc.

Instead of skill proficiency, there are Skill Feats which grant specific abilities that would normally require special training, such as:

  • Tumble: At-will, move; you move up to half your max speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. At rank 2, you can also move through spaces occupied by enemies." ?????????:
  • Iron Fist: Your unarmed strikes inflict heavy lethal bludgeoning damage. Taken again, you add one martial weapon trait to your unarmed strikes.
  • Cunning Action: You can Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a swift action.
  • Fleet of Foot: Your movement speed increases by 10 feet. Stackable once per rank.
  • Quick Aim: You can Aim as a swift action instead of standard (recharge 33%). At rank 2, you can take it again to remove the cooldown.

Tools still require proficiency (via feat), such as thieves' tools and musical instruments.

Progression

So we have a ton of feats now. Like a lot. At this point in development, we have:

  • 1 talent/level from class
  • some number of skill feats
  • probably 1 ancestry/background feat per 4 levels

If we can smooth that down to at most 1 feat per level, that would be great. Perhaps each rank is:

  • level 1: class talent
  • level 2: skill feat
  • level 3: class talent
  • level 4: ancestry feat

Not enough skill feats. We could just make it a free-for-all. All feats are about as powerful as each other.