Several classes in One D&D have received new options to give them improved utility in skill-based situations. However, there has been some debate over these features, such as whether they're balanced or sensible (the Fighter getting a d10 boost that doesn't consume their resource if the check fails, or Barbarian getting to use Strength for things like Stealth checks), classes that don't receive new skill options (namely the Monk), and whether these additions and others leave the Rogue lacking.
Since caster classes have magic that can make up for lack of skill utility, and caster classes receiving new skill-based features as well, I think it's worth taking a look at and focusing on martial classes and what they've received.
Barbarian: Barbarians get at Level 3 the ability to perform Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks using Strength while in Rage. Given that Strength is likely what most Barbarians will focus on, this means they'll easily have a +5 to these checks and Advantage while in Rage. This does require using a limited resource, but with Rage's extended duration, this is less of an issue.
The idea of your muscles letting you see things better is...odd, but I think I have a solution to better round out this ability: instead of using Strength, use Constitution. It gives more benefit to increasing the Barbarian's secondary stat, rather than overloading their primary stat, and removes the automatic advantage that accompanies Strength checks in Rage.
Fighter: Fighters gain Tactical Mind, which lets them use one of their Second Winds to give a d10 boost to a failed ability check, without expending the resource if they still fail.
An ability that gives +6 or higher to an ability check half of the time and doesn't expend a resource if it doesn't succeed is extremely powerful, more so than even Expertise or Bardic Inspiration at low levels. It's definitely something that needs to be tuned down. I've always wanted Second Wind to factor in the Fighter's CON modifier with a lesser die to make for more consistent heals; if Second Wind was lowered to 1d6 + CON + Fighter level, having Tactical Mind match that at 1d6 would be fair (and better balance out the lack of cost if it doesn't succeed).
Monk: Monk got cost-free Disengage and Dash, and three hits with FoB at Level 10. Obviously they don't need any skill-based options. /s
In all seriousness, this is another regard in which Monks are getting left behind in comparison to all of the new features that other classes get. And I would bet that if they did get an option tied to Discipline Points, this would lead to complaints about being "Discipline-dependent"...even though they're more so now more than ever, to keep up with other martials' free control features.
So what to do? A good idea for a solution would be something that ties in their Wisdom, giving greater benefit to increasing Wisdom over Dexterity. Perhaps an option to add their Wisdom modifier to a check, PB times per day, with additional uses via Discipline Points?
Paladin: Much like the Monk, the Paladin hasn't seen new skill options. Granted, they're a versatile power-house in-combat, but I feel they should at least get something.
They have a good thematic outline for giving different skill options as well: their Oaths. Give each Oath at Level 3 a combat-oriented Channel Divinity, and a skill/social-oriented Channel Divinity.
Ranger: Rangers get a combination of their vanilla and Tasha's options, getting their Favored Terrains alongside Expertise, with both features improved: they can change their Favored Terrains, and get an additional Expertise at Level 9.
I think that puts the Ranger in a pretty good spot in terms of skill utility and uniqueness.
Rogues: Understandably, some people are concerned that Rogues are losing out on their niche as experts of skills. While they retain four Expertises and Reliable Talent, they don't gain burst options that give them an edge at difficult ability checks early on. Rogues are the best at skills as long as Barbarians and Fighters don't run out of their resources (which they regain on short rest anyway).
I have an idea for Rogues, and it ties into my biggest objection with their new feature of Cunning Strikes. Give them a 3rd-level feature called Cunning Mind, which gives them a number of Cunning Dice equal to their Sneak Attack pool. They can use these Cunning Dice to give a boost to an ability check, or expend them to use Cunning Strikes, giving a limitation to that feature rather than unlimited uses and a minor damage reduction. Then they regain their Cunning Dice on a short rest.
All of these are individual ideas, trying to cater to each class. But I think something worth considering as well, if all classes will have these options to enhance their ability checks and skills...is opening up Expertise. Obviously not to the same degree as Rogues, but I don't think it'd throw off the balance of the game if, say, at Level 6 each class could gain Expertise in one of their class skills. The skill-focused classes - Bards, Rogues, and Rangers - would remain able to freely choose their Expertises, but other classes choosing a class skill keeps their area of Expertise thematically-appropriate.
What do other folks think, or have expressed in previous surveys?
I do like the attempts made to try to improve the usefulness of skills across classes. One of the things which can make character design feel restrictive in 5e is the feeling that you should concentrate your choice of skills on your better stats. This leads to you largely choosing the same set of skills (or from a narrow pool) if you build characters from the same class. That I think is more prominent for casters: usually they’ll boost their spellcasting ability, DEX and CON, so their other mental abilities will be lacklustre. Hence, Wizards and Artificers will have the knowledge skills and Sorcerers and Warlocks the social skills. Thus, new rules like the Thaumaturge and Magician options for Clerics and Bards (adding their WIS modifier to Religion and Nature checks, respectively) at least help avoid having the Wizard knowing more about their professional area of knowledge than they do. (Letting Paladins add their CHA to Religion checks would be a nice minor benefit.) I do miss the Scholar holy order from the first UA version of the Cleric: they were able to choose a couple of knowledge skills to benefit from WIS. Perhaps they will add that as a feature to Knowledge domain when they get round to updating it.
I’m fine with the Barbarian using STR for Stealth or Perception: it’s depicted as them channeling primal energy. Strength seems as good an abstract representation of that primal energy as Constitution would be.
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Several classes in One D&D have received new options to give them improved utility in skill-based situations. However, there has been some debate over these features, such as whether they're balanced or sensible (the Fighter getting a d10 boost that doesn't consume their resource if the check fails, or Barbarian getting to use Strength for things like Stealth checks), classes that don't receive new skill options (namely the Monk), and whether these additions and others leave the Rogue lacking.
Since caster classes have magic that can make up for lack of skill utility, and caster classes receiving new skill-based features as well, I think it's worth taking a look at and focusing on martial classes and what they've received.
Barbarian: Barbarians get at Level 3 the ability to perform Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks using Strength while in Rage. Given that Strength is likely what most Barbarians will focus on, this means they'll easily have a +5 to these checks and Advantage while in Rage. This does require using a limited resource, but with Rage's extended duration, this is less of an issue.
The idea of your muscles letting you see things better is...odd, but I think I have a solution to better round out this ability: instead of using Strength, use Constitution. It gives more benefit to increasing the Barbarian's secondary stat, rather than overloading their primary stat, and removes the automatic advantage that accompanies Strength checks in Rage.
Fighter: Fighters gain Tactical Mind, which lets them use one of their Second Winds to give a d10 boost to a failed ability check, without expending the resource if they still fail.
An ability that gives +6 or higher to an ability check half of the time and doesn't expend a resource if it doesn't succeed is extremely powerful, more so than even Expertise or Bardic Inspiration at low levels. It's definitely something that needs to be tuned down. I've always wanted Second Wind to factor in the Fighter's CON modifier with a lesser die to make for more consistent heals; if Second Wind was lowered to 1d6 + CON + Fighter level, having Tactical Mind match that at 1d6 would be fair (and better balance out the lack of cost if it doesn't succeed).
Monk: Monk got cost-free Disengage and Dash, and three hits with FoB at Level 10. Obviously they don't need any skill-based options. /s
In all seriousness, this is another regard in which Monks are getting left behind in comparison to all of the new features that other classes get. And I would bet that if they did get an option tied to Discipline Points, this would lead to complaints about being "Discipline-dependent"...even though they're more so now more than ever, to keep up with other martials' free control features.
So what to do? A good idea for a solution would be something that ties in their Wisdom, giving greater benefit to increasing Wisdom over Dexterity. Perhaps an option to add their Wisdom modifier to a check, PB times per day, with additional uses via Discipline Points?
Paladin: Much like the Monk, the Paladin hasn't seen new skill options. Granted, they're a versatile power-house in-combat, but I feel they should at least get something.
They have a good thematic outline for giving different skill options as well: their Oaths. Give each Oath at Level 3 a combat-oriented Channel Divinity, and a skill/social-oriented Channel Divinity.
Ranger: Rangers get a combination of their vanilla and Tasha's options, getting their Favored Terrains alongside Expertise, with both features improved: they can change their Favored Terrains, and get an additional Expertise at Level 9.
I think that puts the Ranger in a pretty good spot in terms of skill utility and uniqueness.
Rogues: Understandably, some people are concerned that Rogues are losing out on their niche as experts of skills. While they retain four Expertises and Reliable Talent, they don't gain burst options that give them an edge at difficult ability checks early on. Rogues are the best at skills as long as Barbarians and Fighters don't run out of their resources (which they regain on short rest anyway).
I have an idea for Rogues, and it ties into my biggest objection with their new feature of Cunning Strikes. Give them a 3rd-level feature called Cunning Mind, which gives them a number of Cunning Dice equal to their Sneak Attack pool. They can use these Cunning Dice to give a boost to an ability check, or expend them to use Cunning Strikes, giving a limitation to that feature rather than unlimited uses and a minor damage reduction. Then they regain their Cunning Dice on a short rest.
All of these are individual ideas, trying to cater to each class. But I think something worth considering as well, if all classes will have these options to enhance their ability checks and skills...is opening up Expertise. Obviously not to the same degree as Rogues, but I don't think it'd throw off the balance of the game if, say, at Level 6 each class could gain Expertise in one of their class skills. The skill-focused classes - Bards, Rogues, and Rangers - would remain able to freely choose their Expertises, but other classes choosing a class skill keeps their area of Expertise thematically-appropriate.
What do other folks think, or have expressed in previous surveys?
I do like the attempts made to try to improve the usefulness of skills across classes. One of the things which can make character design feel restrictive in 5e is the feeling that you should concentrate your choice of skills on your better stats. This leads to you largely choosing the same set of skills (or from a narrow pool) if you build characters from the same class. That I think is more prominent for casters: usually they’ll boost their spellcasting ability, DEX and CON, so their other mental abilities will be lacklustre. Hence, Wizards and Artificers will have the knowledge skills and Sorcerers and Warlocks the social skills. Thus, new rules like the Thaumaturge and Magician options for Clerics and Bards (adding their WIS modifier to Religion and Nature checks, respectively) at least help avoid having the Wizard knowing more about their professional area of knowledge than they do. (Letting Paladins add their CHA to Religion checks would be a nice minor benefit.) I do miss the Scholar holy order from the first UA version of the Cleric: they were able to choose a couple of knowledge skills to benefit from WIS. Perhaps they will add that as a feature to Knowledge domain when they get round to updating it.
I’m fine with the Barbarian using STR for Stealth or Perception: it’s depicted as them channeling primal energy. Strength seems as good an abstract representation of that primal energy as Constitution would be.