Hey guys I'm running my first game as a DM and I was wondering if there was a mechanic made so that players can learn new skills after level 1? Basically my current idea is to have it so after a few levels (e.g. 5) the players can decide to learn a new skill or proficiency at the expense of either money or by performing a difficult quest or act. The catch from a roleplay perspective is that the PC loses a number of points to another skill equal to the points gained to the chosen skill to be determined by the DM. The idea is that the DM analyses what skill the player has used the least and chooses that one as the expense skill. The point of this whole endeavour is to provide a way for characters to grow by learning something new since people in real life see things they want to learn and go to the effort of learning them, by losing the points to the skill they use the least they are essentially forgetting how to utilise that skill since they don't use it enough to still be capable of it.
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"She cut off her adulterous husbands head while he slept... then she decapitated him."
To learn new skills during the game, you can choose a feat that grants you proficiency in three skills of your choice (I dont remember the exact name of the feat, but it is in the PH)
Or, DM allowing, you can spend some downtime activity to learn a proficiency in one skill.
Or you can check these new feats from Unerthed Arcana:
Thanks I am aware of the skilled feat and downtime activities as an avenue. I understand it's a very rp heavy mechanic so I was hoping someone else could think of a better penalty for an extra skill.
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"She cut off her adulterous husbands head while he slept... then she decapitated him."
You don't really gain points with skills. You either have proficiency or you don't. Doesn't really make sense that you would lose proficiency in a skill. I'm not sure why there should be a penalty at all.
I feel allowing someone to gain a skill proficiency without multiclassing or using an ASI can be a little dangerous. Some skills are very useful and play a role in both the bard and rogue classes. They are suppose to be the best. This is why I really like the skills for feats (http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA-SkillFeats.pdf). It has the cost of an ASI but you also feel like you are getting a little more than just a proficiency.
However, because I never play a rogue and always have other ideas for my ASI I was rolling this idea around my head the other day. I settled on making a downtime activity similar to University or an extended apprenticeship. As a note, with this method, I think you’d have to exclude skills like perception and insight.
I have some examples of how I see it working below. I feel that adding this feature needs to come with a pretty hefty cost in both time and money (possible solution to miserly PCs?). Another idea would be to have a min ability score to gain proficiency in a particular skill, reflecting the PC has the aptitude to learn as unlike starting proficiency this cannot be an inherent skill.
Example Nature/Survival: Character spends 2-6 years traveling the most extreme environments and wilderness, living off the land with a reclusive hunter (druid/ranger). The cost 3gp-6gp per day for supplies and to convince someone to put up with someone so woefully unprepared.
Example History/Arcana: Character spends 4 years attending a prodigious school attended by aristocrats and nobility from across the land. The cost could be 5gp-11gp per day (a wealthy/aristocratic lifestyle + 1gp per day for the tutor) Perhaps admittance requires a letter of recommendation from an alumni or other powerful individual requiring a quest. The DM could also use ideas from the Unearthed Arcana Downtime Activies (http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA_Downtime.pdf) especially connections (lifelong friend/ fraternity brother) and foils (a jealous classmate or someone who hates the PC for no good reason).
Example Athletics/Acrobatics: Character spends 3-4 years with a traveling circus troupe. Cost 3gp-6gp per day. Think about using one or more complications from the carousing or crime UA Downtime Activities as normal outcome from such a long time with the group.
Edit: I recently learned that the Dungeon Master's Guide does talk about characters receiving proficiency in a skill as a way to reward players in lieu of financial awards. For more information you can refer to Chapter 7: Treasure pg 231 under Training in the DMG.
I find the skill proficiency aspect of 5e rules sadly lacking. The skills are so broad and this doesn't help create customized characters with unique skills. I do not like the feats option - it's just so pre-packaged. I am breaking down the general skills (Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Survival, Deception etc) into groups of more specific skills by adapting non-weapon proficiencies from the 2e rules, and creating my own, to do so. For example, in my system, the 5e Nature skill is now the general category for the skills of Animal Lore, Plant Lore, Weather Sense, Direction Sense/Navigation. My system will allow for characters to learn new specific skills, including languages, or improve on existing ones as they progress in level.
Anyone interested to know more, I'd be happy to share.
Also is there a place for sharing home-brew rules like this?
One of the things that makes 5th edition D&D work so well for me is the lack of complexity of the rules, allowing roleplaying to come more to the fore, rather than rule-checking and rolling dice. I like that there are broad categories and that every player character has at least a passing familiarity with every skill category (even without proficiency, you can still roll against a skill with just your stat bonus).
If you and your players are enjoying making the proficiencies system more complex though, you should totally do that - it's your game and your campaign and you should do whatever is most fun for you and your group. :)
I allow players to pick up new skills and languages over the course of the campaign but only if it is something that they have been actively involved in. I find that the current rule set really lends itself well to this as character can uses skills even if they are a not proficient.
I feel it encourages the players to try more things beyond what they have on their character sheet and rewards role play.
I see specific skills, the ability to customize characters to a greater degree, as a tool that encourages role-playing rather than something that detracts from it. I understand wanting to avoid being bogged down by rules, but I think the way 5e has levelled the field has in it's own way made things very unfair. Why should my rogue with a sailor background, a salty rake who grew up and trained in and around the sea, have exactly the same chance of success on a swimming check as any other character, perhaps one from the city, who just happens to have the same strength and a proficiency in Athletics? Doesn't make sense to me. Sure the DM can make a judgement call, but if there's a system in place, then it is so much easier.
In my system, players have to think about what they want their characters to learn. They will need to decide if they want to practice an existing skill or learn a new one - e.g. while you are adventuring, the rogue in your party is practicing the art of voice mimicry (instead of simply being proficient in Deception) - I think this is a great role-playing springboard!
I am an old 2e player so I am biased, but the non-weapon proficiencies were one of my, and my players', favourite things. My players want characters with more specific skills, skills they can mix and match to create unique personalities and back-stories. I think that 2e went a little overboard with the NWPs, so I've just adapted it and used the framework of 5e to simplify things.
Anyway, to each DM their own, and I generally like most of what 5e has done with rules, so I don't mean to be too critical.
Why should my rogue with a sailor background, a salty rake who grew up and trained in and around the sea, have exactly the same chance of success on a swimming check as any other character, perhaps one from the city, who just happens to have the same strength and a proficiency in Athletics? Doesn't make sense to me. Sure the DM can make a judgement call, but if there's a system in place, then it is so much easier.
I would give them advantage on swimming checks as a background feature, but that's where I like to customize.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
I would give them advantage on swimming checks as a background feature, but that's where I like to customize.
Yep, that's a good way to do it. But maybe someone wants a character with a different background, say folk hero, but also wants them to be good at swimming as part of their back-story. Or what about a sailor who never learned to swim (something which was quite common, as I understand)? I think that's a great roleplaying device! Being able to mix and match more specific skills is the way to go (for me at least), even though it is a tad more complex.
I would give them advantage on swimming checks as a background feature, but that's where I like to customize.
Yep, that's a good way to do it. But maybe someone wants a character with a different background, say folk hero, but also wants them to be good at swimming as part of their back-story. Or what about a sailor who never learned to swim (something which was quite common, as I understand)? I think that's a great roleplaying device! Being able to mix and match more specific skills is the way to go (for me at least), even though it is a tad more complex.
What I do is let them tell me their backstory and then assign them skills, features, etc. based thereon.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
What I do is let them tell me their backstory and then assign them skills, features, etc. based thereon.
Okay, sure. Again not a bad way to do it. But the way I see it, having specific skill options to choose from is a tool for players to build that backstory.
What I do is let them tell me their backstory and then assign them skills, features, etc. based thereon.
Okay, sure. Again not a bad way to do it. But the way I see it, having specific skill options to choose from is a tool for players to build that backstory.
Okay, that makes sense.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
The character gains inspiration daily at dawn for 1d4 + 6 days.
The character gains proficiency in a skill.
The character gains a feat.
so as a reward a powerful lord or lady or rich and powerful character of some sort can instead of granting gold, offer the services of their personal Trainers to teach you acrobatics or how to be perceptive.
I have a homebrew set up for my games that I haven't quite used yet, but if you'd like to hear it: basically every time they try to roll for a skill without being proficient in that skill. If they get a natural 20 I let them roll a d20 again and if its above 10 like as with death saves they succeed in training that skill and focusing it into muscle memory/long term memory. It starts as a +2 for the first time (I think I'm going to add a stipulation with this effect wearing off within 2 weeks in game) and then if they do it again they get a +3 to that skill and on the third time they become proficient with that skill permanently. It defeats the purpose of downtime, but if you're running a game that doesn't have downtime or isn't built in that way downtime really never happens or if so, very rarely. So this is a good way to do it I think. Only thing I have it not apply to is some WIS checks like insight, because you can't really practice learning how to tell if someone is being truthful or not because its based on your experience/perception.
I also have a system for training animals and stuff to prevent one nat 20 gaining a pet from the party.
That can work as long as you have a group that won't try to abuse it. I could make History checks all day to try to remember different subjects until I crit, and then do it some more until I earned proficiency. Then do it again with Athletics trying to climb up a 5 foot wall or something.
That being said, adding a few proficiencies hardly breaks the game. But going overboard with it can lead to everyone feeling the same because they are all good at the same things.
Hello my name is Lauretta and I want to learn nature as I am an amethyst gem Dragonborn. Who is a level 6 hexblade warlock and lever 6 Druid. But as I am still learning I don’t know how to Hearn a new skill I use dnd beyond and roll20.
my email is [REDACTED]
Notes: Please don't post your personal information (including your email address) publicly.
Hey guys I'm running my first game as a DM and I was wondering if there was a mechanic made so that players can learn new skills after level 1? Basically my current idea is to have it so after a few levels (e.g. 5) the players can decide to learn a new skill or proficiency at the expense of either money or by performing a difficult quest or act. The catch from a roleplay perspective is that the PC loses a number of points to another skill equal to the points gained to the chosen skill to be determined by the DM. The idea is that the DM analyses what skill the player has used the least and chooses that one as the expense skill. The point of this whole endeavour is to provide a way for characters to grow by learning something new since people in real life see things they want to learn and go to the effort of learning them, by losing the points to the skill they use the least they are essentially forgetting how to utilise that skill since they don't use it enough to still be capable of it.
"She cut off her adulterous husbands head while he slept... then she decapitated him."
To learn new skills during the game, you can choose a feat that grants you proficiency in three skills of your choice (I dont remember the exact name of the feat, but it is in the PH)
Or, DM allowing, you can spend some downtime activity to learn a proficiency in one skill.
Or you can check these new feats from Unerthed Arcana:
http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/RJSJC2017_04UASkillFeats_24v10.pdf
http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA-SkillFeats.pdf
Thanks I am aware of the skilled feat and downtime activities as an avenue. I understand it's a very rp heavy mechanic so I was hoping someone else could think of a better penalty for an extra skill.
"She cut off her adulterous husbands head while he slept... then she decapitated him."
You don't really gain points with skills. You either have proficiency or you don't. Doesn't really make sense that you would lose proficiency in a skill. I'm not sure why there should be a penalty at all.
I feel allowing someone to gain a skill proficiency without multiclassing or using an ASI can be a little dangerous. Some skills are very useful and play a role in both the bard and rogue classes. They are suppose to be the best. This is why I really like the skills for feats (http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA-SkillFeats.pdf). It has the cost of an ASI but you also feel like you are getting a little more than just a proficiency.
However, because I never play a rogue and always have other ideas for my ASI I was rolling this idea around my head the other day. I settled on making a downtime activity similar to University or an extended apprenticeship. As a note, with this method, I think you’d have to exclude skills like perception and insight.
I have some examples of how I see it working below. I feel that adding this feature needs to come with a pretty hefty cost in both time and money (possible solution to miserly PCs?). Another idea would be to have a min ability score to gain proficiency in a particular skill, reflecting the PC has the aptitude to learn as unlike starting proficiency this cannot be an inherent skill.
Example Nature/Survival: Character spends 2-6 years traveling the most extreme environments and wilderness, living off the land with a reclusive hunter (druid/ranger). The cost 3gp-6gp per day for supplies and to convince someone to put up with someone so woefully unprepared.
Example History/Arcana: Character spends 4 years attending a prodigious school attended by aristocrats and nobility from across the land. The cost could be 5gp-11gp per day (a wealthy/aristocratic lifestyle + 1gp per day for the tutor) Perhaps admittance requires a letter of recommendation from an alumni or other powerful individual requiring a quest. The DM could also use ideas from the Unearthed Arcana Downtime Activies (http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA_Downtime.pdf) especially connections (lifelong friend/ fraternity brother) and foils (a jealous classmate or someone who hates the PC for no good reason).
Example Athletics/Acrobatics: Character spends 3-4 years with a traveling circus troupe. Cost 3gp-6gp per day. Think about using one or more complications from the carousing or crime UA Downtime Activities as normal outcome from such a long time with the group.
Edit: I recently learned that the Dungeon Master's Guide does talk about characters receiving proficiency in a skill as a way to reward players in lieu of financial awards. For more information you can refer to Chapter 7: Treasure pg 231 under Training in the DMG.
I find the skill proficiency aspect of 5e rules sadly lacking. The skills are so broad and this doesn't help create customized characters with unique skills. I do not like the feats option - it's just so pre-packaged. I am breaking down the general skills (Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Survival, Deception etc) into groups of more specific skills by adapting non-weapon proficiencies from the 2e rules, and creating my own, to do so. For example, in my system, the 5e Nature skill is now the general category for the skills of Animal Lore, Plant Lore, Weather Sense, Direction Sense/Navigation. My system will allow for characters to learn new specific skills, including languages, or improve on existing ones as they progress in level.
Anyone interested to know more, I'd be happy to share.
Also is there a place for sharing home-brew rules like this?
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If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
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I allow players to pick up new skills and languages over the course of the campaign but only if it is something that they have been actively involved in. I find that the current rule set really lends itself well to this as character can uses skills even if they are a not proficient.
I feel it encourages the players to try more things beyond what they have on their character sheet and rewards role play.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
I see specific skills, the ability to customize characters to a greater degree, as a tool that encourages role-playing rather than something that detracts from it. I understand wanting to avoid being bogged down by rules, but I think the way 5e has levelled the field has in it's own way made things very unfair. Why should my rogue with a sailor background, a salty rake who grew up and trained in and around the sea, have exactly the same chance of success on a swimming check as any other character, perhaps one from the city, who just happens to have the same strength and a proficiency in Athletics? Doesn't make sense to me. Sure the DM can make a judgement call, but if there's a system in place, then it is so much easier.
In my system, players have to think about what they want their characters to learn. They will need to decide if they want to practice an existing skill or learn a new one - e.g. while you are adventuring, the rogue in your party is practicing the art of voice mimicry (instead of simply being proficient in Deception) - I think this is a great role-playing springboard!
I am an old 2e player so I am biased, but the non-weapon proficiencies were one of my, and my players', favourite things. My players want characters with more specific skills, skills they can mix and match to create unique personalities and back-stories. I think that 2e went a little overboard with the NWPs, so I've just adapted it and used the framework of 5e to simplify things.
Anyway, to each DM their own, and I generally like most of what 5e has done with rules, so I don't mean to be too critical.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
I've added my rule system to the homebrew forum here.
Marks of Prestige in the DMG
training
three options are available
so as a reward a powerful lord or lady or rich and powerful character of some sort can instead of granting gold, offer the services of their personal Trainers to teach you acrobatics or how to be perceptive.
I have a homebrew set up for my games that I haven't quite used yet, but if you'd like to hear it:
basically every time they try to roll for a skill without being proficient in that skill. If they get a natural 20 I let them roll a d20 again and if its above 10 like as with death saves they succeed in training that skill and focusing it into muscle memory/long term memory. It starts as a +2 for the first time (I think I'm going to add a stipulation with this effect wearing off within 2 weeks in game) and then if they do it again they get a +3 to that skill and on the third time they become proficient with that skill permanently. It defeats the purpose of downtime, but if you're running a game that doesn't have downtime or isn't built in that way downtime really never happens or if so, very rarely. So this is a good way to do it I think. Only thing I have it not apply to is some WIS checks like insight, because you can't really practice learning how to tell if someone is being truthful or not because its based on your experience/perception.
I also have a system for training animals and stuff to prevent one nat 20 gaining a pet from the party.
That can work as long as you have a group that won't try to abuse it. I could make History checks all day to try to remember different subjects until I crit, and then do it some more until I earned proficiency. Then do it again with Athletics trying to climb up a 5 foot wall or something.
That being said, adding a few proficiencies hardly breaks the game. But going overboard with it can lead to everyone feeling the same because they are all good at the same things.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Adding proficiencies is already built into many classes and backgrounds.
I might consider allowing paying for training or some such but have yet to have a player which desired to do so.
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Hello my name is Lauretta and I want to learn nature as I am an amethyst gem Dragonborn. Who is a level 6 hexblade warlock and lever 6 Druid. But as I am still learning I don’t know how to Hearn a new skill I use dnd beyond and roll20.
my email is [REDACTED]