The Official OSR D&D Skill List

 

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I only want to transcribe here something from another blog, for it is too useful to be lost to the flow of the internets: "The skills you didn't know you had", where the author distills all the different "x in 6" rolls scattered through the OSE book into a "skill list". I am actually using this list as inspiration for MY OWN LIST (to be posted next time), but the source material is so interesting itself that I felt it deserved recognition.  

    Open doors: 2 in 6, modified by strength
    Listening at Doors: 1 in 6 chance of detecting subtle sounds beyond a door, increased for demihumans.
    Searching: If a character is searching in the right location, there is a base 1-in-6 chance of finding a secret door or room trap, increased for some demihumans.
    Avoiding Traps: Every time a character makes an action that could trigger a trap, there is a 2-in-6 chance of the trap being sprung. Lets rephrase this as a 4-in-6 chance to avoid a trap.
    Foraging for herbs, fruits, nuts, etc: can be performed alongside normal movement. The party has a 1-in-6 chance per day of finding enough food for 1d6 human-sized beings.
    Hunting: must be engaged in as the sole activity for a day—no travelling or resting is possible. When hunting, there is a 1-in-6 chance of encountering animals which may be suitable for eating (if they can be caught!). This is in addition to the normal chance of random encounters. A party with a ranger succeeds at foraging with a 2-in-6 chance and finds prey when hunting with a 5-in-6 chance.
    Boarding: If the occupants of one vehicle wish to forcefully board the other vehicle, there is a 2-in-6 chance of being able to successfully manoeuvre the vehicle into a boarding position. The two vehicles may then be clamped together with grappling hooks.
    Surprise Checks: That's a 2-in-6 stealth check right there.
    Tinder box: Used to light fires, including torches. Using a tinder box takes one round. There is a 2-in-6 chance of success per round.
    Dwarven Detect Construction Tricks: As expert miners, dwarves have a 2-in-6 chance of being able to detect new construction, sliding walls, or sloping passages when searching.
    Detect Room Traps: Due to their expertise with construction, dwarves have a 2-in-6 chance of detecting non-magical room traps when searching.
    Halfling's Hiding: In dungeons, a halfling can hide in shadows or behind other forms of cover. The chance of success is 2-in-6. Hiding requires the halfling to be motionless. This enables an additional layer of stealth on top of the base one. If they are still, and behind cover or in shadow, they have an extra chance to be unnoticed to the rest of the party.
    Lore: From 2nd level, a bard has a 2-in-6 chance of knowing lore pertaining to monsters, magic items, or heroes of folk-tale or legend. This ability may be used to identify the nature and powers of magic items.
    Path-Finding: At the start of each day of travel, the referee should roll to determine if the group loses direction. The probability depends on the terrain being traversed:

        Clear, grasslands: 1-in-6.
        Barren lands, hills, mountains, woods: 2-in-6.
        Desert, jungle, swamp: 3-in-6.

Lets restate this one as a navigate skill with a chance depending on the type of terrain. 5-in-6, 4-in-6, or 3-in-6 depending on the difficulty of the terrain. Listed later is the fact it's 4-in-6 to navigate while waterborne. Paths and rivers eliminate this chance. While waterborne however, it requires a specific navigator to help sail, so this is clearly not a skill that all adventurers have. A party with a druid has only a 1-in-6 chance of getting lost in woodlands, so druids score themselves a 5-in-6 in the skill we now have a name for, pathfinding.
    Duergar's Stealth: Underground, duergars have a 3-in-6 chance of moving silently.
    Svirfneblin's Blend into Stone: Svirfneblins have the uncanny ability to go unnoticed when in an environment of natural or carved stone so long as they remain silent and motionless. The chance of success is 4-in-6 in gloomy conditions or 2-in-6 in well-lit conditions.
    Stone Murmurs: Svirfneblins can understand the imper-ceptible grumblings of stone. If a svirf-neblin stands quietly for one turn with their ear pressed against a stone surface, they have a 2-in-6 chance of divining one of the following pieces of information (player’s choice):

        The presence of secret doors in the stone, within 10'.
        The presence of gems or precious met-als, up to 30' beyond the surface.
        The presence of living creatures, up to 30' beyond the surface.
        The presence of bodies of water or open spaces, up to 60' beyond the surface.

* * *

At the end, the author classifies them broadly:

Individual skills are rolled for every person attempting an activity.

    Force isused for forcing open doors through strength.
    Listen is used to hear monsters through doors (breaking their stealth).
    Search isused to find hidden passages and traps.
    Luck is used to not trigger traps by through chance by stepping over a pressure plate instead of on it.
    Enhanced Stealth is used when the party fails its stealth check, but you are a class that has better odds of hiding.
    Use a tinderbox is used to use a tinderbox.

Group skills are performed by the entire group, usually with a single person leading the activity who can provide their experience as a bonus to everyone.

    Forage is used to find food while travelling overland.
    Hunt is used to find food dedicating time to the task.
    Pathfind is used to navigate without a road or river.
    Board is used to position vehicles for boarding.
    Stealth is used to be unnoticed by foes.

* * *

In order for it to be a comprehensive list, we should add the Thief Skills to it; and, why not? convert them approximately to X in 6 format for cohesion. 

   Find/Remove Traps: starting at 1 in 6, increases by 1 every 3 thief levels
   Hide in Shadows: as above
   Move Silently: as above
   Pick Locks: as above
   Pick Pockets: as above
   Climb Sheer Surfaces: 5 in 6 chance
   Read Languages: 5 in 6 chance, available at level 4
   Scroll use: 1 in 6 chance, available at level 10

From Asterix & Cleopatra. Searching for an image to illustrate the post, I realized that this is the mental image I have for D&D thieves

Reimagining Charisma

Tuvstarr on the field, by John Bauer

 

In my current iteration of rules, I am using only four attributes. 3d6 in order, but you have a (2 in 6) chance to increment one of them by one every level up.

Strength is roughly mixed with constitution. The score is equal to your inventory slots until you are encumbered, and each modifier adds +1 HD (which at some amount add to your attack prowess). Probably the most useful attribute score at level 1 if we get practical.

Dexterity modifiers give you either a weapon proficiency (each has its own trick) or a sneak proficency (re-roll a thief-related roll once per rest)

Wisdom score is required by certain magic items to be used, instead of a class-based cap. Positive modifiers add one spell slot each

Intelligence is strictly non-magical. You have a list of backgrounds that are mostly dressing, but when you have an intelligence bonus you get an extra die when performing related tasks (lockpicking, bushcraft, navigation, etc. That kind of marginal stuff). Not only that, but once per bonus and per expedition you can retroactivelly produce an item on your inventory that is related to your background or is on the basic items list of the closest rulebook at hand. This is often the main bonus of it.

I like this approach a lot. I like that the impact of the scores is small enough to make bonuses a nice gift, but not mandatory in order to have a competent PC; and that they help everyone to paint the concept of the character in our heads: thats what I missed out the most when I have played "attributeless" versions of the game. To the point that I have come to think that the main mission of the 3d6 in order roll was originally such: to generate a random avatar with distinct features.

Thats why I miss charisma being in the game. I don't need it at all by its traditional gaming uses: reaction rolls work IMHO much better unmodified, or modified by the character's approach. To put it roughly: violence might give you +1 versus submissive monsters and -1 versus dominant ones, the reverse may be true for kindness. Scheming-type monsters may get -1 if you show yourself in need of something, etc. And as for number of retainers, I have never had use for that. No PC ever I've played with has ever had more than one, so I couldn't care less about it. 

If I put charisma back to add a new layer of character depth to the pcs, it has to have some mechanical effect that at least represents symbolically what charisma is. And I actually have some idea; not defined enough but I am on my way:

Charisma is an abstract combination of (in unknown quantities) purity of heart, heroism, determination, uprightness, kindness, virtue and being chosen by fate. In a way, this makes a charismatic character more "lawful" for all alignment related effects, so it will probably replace alignment if you use it (I wasn't, actually). It is what a true knight has, that makes him different from a common men at arms; or what turns a peasant girl into a saint, as opposed to her local priest.

Your charisma score will be quite obvious for good or bad to both princesses and witches and other magical beings in the world. Doing unlawful things may decrease it. Devils and other malefic imps will surely tempt you or offer temporary power so you end up "Saving Throw versus decreasing your score by 1d6"; while completing a dangerous quest for an unjustly dethroned lady, or swearing to protect her with your life will surely increase it by 1. Monsters and men alike might give a fuck about your wisdom or your intelligence, but sure they will many times treat you differently depending on your charisma.

OK BUT WHAT DO THE MODIFIERS DO? well, some or all of those:

*You get one "revive token" per charisma modifier, and they never refill. Once you fail a death save, you can spend one to roll again. Good results will bring you back no matter which kind of doom you faced, with +1 extra charisma point as a souvenir.

* If charisma can permanently add to a type of save, it would surely be versus fear, or whatever type encompasses it in the rulebook. Extensible to demoralization and maybe mind control to an extent.

* Modify if you can or can't use a certain "alignment charged" item. Lawful items will have a minimum requirement to be wielded, while chaotic ones will result in charisma loss.

* In the same way, Lawful beings may have a minimum requirement of charisma to grant you a quest (trades for XP) or other boons. Chaotic beings will be eager to help you, but they will decrease your charisma and/or other evil tradeoffs. 

* Charisma as an HP bar for "corruption" type damage. A character that falls under the dominance of a vampire may get 1d6 charisma damage: then become his thrall (and thus, an NPC) if charisma falls to zero. Working in behalf of a dark lord by decision will also bring your charisma down eventually.

* Modify the scope and power of "cleric type" spells, particularly protective or healing ones.

* Modify the reaction rolls versus Lawful-type monsters and NPCs, as well as morale rolls of everybody under your command.

* to be expanded. Not really sure on where I want to go with this but I like the color of it.

Answered prayers, by Seb McKinnon