3.5e skillpoint help.

[hunterjwizard]

I'm having a lot of trouble with learning exactly how the skill point system works. I tried reading the books but it just kinda went over my head. I tried online but I can't seem to find anything that will let me level my character/tell me how many skillpoints I should have or am allowed to have.

I am currently a level 8 sorcerer with 10 Intelligence(which I know means I don't get very many skill points). We also started our characters off at level 5. I understand that there are rules about how many skill points I can have where(I cannot just throw every single one of them into "bluff" for example).

Anyway, I'm really struggling with this this, any help would be appreciated.

[Enoach]

Each Class has a different amount of skill points for starting and earned at each level up.

Example for your Sorcerer

1st Level - you start with (2 + Int Modifier) * 4 skill points.

Since your Int is a 10 the Int Modifier is Zero so this will look like (2 + 0) * 4 = 8 skill points to start with. Now there are three other rules to keep in mind

1st if the formula comes out as Zero Skill points it automatically becomes a 1 - Everyone no matter what gets at least one skill point every level
2nd If you are Human you get +1 Skill points after you calculate your level total
3rd All Modifier calculations are only off your Base Ability Score + Level Up + Tomes (which are rare in 3.5e) so don't include gear in the modifier calculations

For Levels 2+ you will receive 2 + Int Modifier worth of skill points for each level

So here is a breakdown by level - Assuming your Int is not changed at Level 4 or 8 as a Sorcerer's casting attribute is Charisma.
1st 8 Skill Points (2 + 0) *4
2nd 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
3rd 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
4th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
5th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
6th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
7th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
8th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0

So by Level 8 you will have a total of 22 Skill Points to spend

For sorcerer you have the following Class Skills - which means for every 1 Skill Point you spend you raise the Rank 1 full point. All other skills will require 2 Skill Points to Raise it a Full Point. For Skill check purposes all 1/2 are dropped. So if you are making a Skill check for a skill that is 3 1/2 Ranks you will be doing it with the whole number in this case a 3.

Class skills for Sorcerer
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)


Your maximum rank in a class skill is your character level + 3 and your maximum rank in a cross-class skill is one-half of your character level + 3 (do not round up or down).

So at Level 8 your class skill maximum ranks would be 11, while your maximum cross-class ranks would be 5 1/2.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/skillsSummary.htm

[Violith]

I'm having a lot of trouble with learning exactly how the skill point system works. I tried reading the books but it just kinda went over my head. I tried online but I can't seem to find anything that will let me level my character/tell me how many skillpoints I should have or am allowed to have.

I am currently a level 8 sorcerer with 10 Intelligence(which I know means I don't get very many skill points). We also started our characters off at level 5. I understand that there are rules about how many skill points I can have where(I cannot just throw every single one of them into "bluff" for example).

Anyway, I'm really struggling with this this, any help would be appreciated.

if you got the players handbook, I dont see how you can be confused. its rather simply laid out in 3.5. page 61 of the ph handbook. for a sorc its (Sorcerer (2 + Int modifier) × 4 (for 1st level), and 2 + Int modifier/level after 1st) so at lvl 1 you'd have 8 ((2+0)x4), and for each level after that you'd gain 2 more (2+0, for 7 levels, so 14, +8 for 1st lvl (14+8 for all 8 levels). for a total of 22pts at lvl 8. ((Note this is only true if your intellegence was 10 since level 1, and hasnt gone up)), you didnt mention a race, which normally doesnt matter, but there are some such as humans which would give more (if you were are a human you'd get 11 more pts (4 at 1st, and 1/level after))

as for which skills, each class has its own 'class skill' section found within the page of their class, sorcs class skills are as follow:
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

any skill that isnt a class skill is a cross-class skill. Class skills cost 1 pt to raise it 1 rank. where cross-class cost 2 pt to raise it 1 rank. Each also has a cap depending on your level. Class skills cap is level+3 and cross-class is half of that ((so as a level 8 character, all of your class skills ranks cap at 11, and cross class ranks cap at 5.5 ((note, while is is possible to use 1pt to raise a cross class skill by .5, any decimals are not counted as being trained and thus are merely placeholders (0.5 of a class rank doesnt allow the use of its ability, and x.5 is merely considered x while in actual play))

[MichelleOtter]

Each Class has a different amount of skill points for starting and earned at each level up.

Example for your Sorcerer

1st Level - you start with (2 + Int Modifier) * 4 skill points.

Since your Int is a 10 the Int Modifier is Zero so this will look like (2 + 0) * 4 = 8 skill points to start with. Now there are three other rules to keep in mind

1st if the formula comes out as Zero Skill points it automatically becomes a 1 - Everyone no matter what gets at least one skill point every level
2nd If you are Human you get +1 Skill points after you calculate your level total
3rd All Modifier calculations are only off your Base Ability Score + Level Up + Tomes (which are rare in 3.5e) so don't include gear in the modifier calculations

For Levels 2+ you will receive 2 + Int Modifier worth of skill points for each level

So here is a breakdown by level - Assuming your Int is not changed at Level 4 or 8 as a Sorcerer's casting attribute is Charisma.
1st 8 Skill Points (2 + 0) *4
2nd 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
3rd 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
4th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
5th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
6th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
7th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0
8th 2 Skill Points 2 + 0

So by Level 8 you will have a total of 22 Skill Points to spend

For sorcerer you have the following Class Skills - which means for every 1 Skill Point you spend you raise the Rank 1 full point. All other skills will require 2 Skill Points to Raise it a Full Point. For Skill check purposes all 1/2 are dropped. So if you are making a Skill check for a skill that is 3 1/2 Ranks you will be doing it with the whole number in this case a 3.

Class skills for Sorcerer
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)


Your maximum rank in a class skill is your character level + 3 and your maximum rank in a cross-class skill is one-half of your character level + 3 (do not round up or down).

So at Level 8 your class skill maximum ranks would be 11, while your maximum cross-class ranks would be 5 1/2.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/skillsSummary.htm

Wow, thank you very much for such an answer, this is exactly what I was looking for!

[C-Dog]

First, welcome to the game! It's not complicated, but it is complex - that is, no one part is hard, but there are many, many parts. But have faith - you'll make sense of it as you start to absorb one part after another, it will all make sense.

I'm having a lot of trouble with learning exactly how the skill point system works. I tried reading the books but it just kinda went over my head....
...
I am currently a level 8 sorcerer with 10 Intelligence(which I know means I don't get very many skill points).

Right.

So, as mentioned above, every Class has a fixed number of Skill points that they get each level: Fighters get 2/ (among the lowest), Rogues get 8/ (the highest), etc. etc.

To this, you add (or subtract!) your Intelligence modifier (the "+#" part, not the actual value!).

And if you're Human, you add +1 more - Humans be like that.

Lastly, at Level 1 (only), you take 4x this value, just to get you started.

Skills also have a max value, depending if they are "class skills" (as listed under your Class), or "cross-class skills" - a skill not listed under your class. Max value for Class skills is 3+Level - so at Level 1, you can take 4 ranks max, at Level 2, 5 ranks max, etc. Max value for cross-class is half that, and spending 1 point in a cross-class skill* only gets you 1/2 a rank.

(* For multi-class characters, this is determined by the class they are currently taking. So a Fighter/Rogue can spend 1 pt per 1 rank on Open Lock when they are leveling up Rogue, but must spend 1 pt per 1/2 rank when leveling up Fighter.)

(Example: A fighter has Jump as a class skill. At level 1, they spend 4 SP and get a 4 in Jump, the max. They also want to take "maximum" Balance (to fight on uneven surfaces!), but that's a cross-class skill, so they spend 4 SP on 2 ranks of Balance, the max for a cross-class skill.

Next level, they spend another 1 pt on 1 rank of Jump (for 5 total), and could spend 1 pt on Balance, for 2 1/2 ranks total - but if the player is smart, they'll spend that 1 SP on something they can use now (1/2 rank does nothing), and spend 2 SP next Level on +1 Balance (2 half-ranks at once), giving them a total of 3 ranks in Balance, the max for a cross-class skill for Level 3.)

So...

Sorcies get a base 2 SP/level. Intelligence 10 has a +0 modifier, so that math is easy - {(2+0)x4} = 8.

(If your character is Human, you add +1 for (2+1) = a base 3 Skill Points/Level, and 12 at Level 1.)

At Level 1 (only), that's multiplied x4, for 8 (or, if Human, 12) to start. Woohoo! \o/

Every level after that, you get that base number each Level. Gear doesn't modify that, but if your "+1 to a stat every 4 levels" (or any other permanent change to your Base Intelligence Modifier) changes your Int Modifier, that changes all future Skill Points - you don't go back in time and learn more.

And we remember, max ranks is 3+Level (and that /2 for cross-class skills*).

(* Multi-class characters have some additional rules about max ranks for cross-class skills; essentially, if the skill is a class-skill for any of their classes, it has no cap, but the cost is still 1 SP for 1/2 rank for cross-class skills for that level, etc.)

We also started our characters off at level 5...

So, for Level 5, you get 8 (at Level 1) +2 +2 +2 +2, or 16 Skill Points (or 24 if Human) with a max rank of 8 (or max of 4 for cross-class skills).

if you got the players handbook, I dont see how you can be confused.

Wow, do you really forget the first time you read the PHB?

[AshtonEsson]

First, welcome to the game! It's not complicated, but it is complex - that is, no one part is hard, but there are many, many parts. But have faith - you'll make sense of it as you start to absorb one part after another, it will all make sense.


Right.

So, as mentioned above, every Class has a fixed number of Skill points that they get each level: Fighters get 2/ (among the lowest), Rogues get 8/ (the highest), etc. etc.

To this, you add (or subtract!) your Intelligence modifier (the "+#" part, not the actual value!).

And if you're Human, you add +1 more - Humans be like that.

Lastly, at Level 1 (only), you take 4x this value, just to get you started.

Skills also have a max value, depending if they are "class skills" (as listed under your Class), or "cross-class skills" - a skill not listed under your class. Max value for Class skills is 3+Level - so at Level 1, you can take 4 ranks max, at Level 2, 5 ranks max, etc. Max value for cross-class is half that, and spending 1 point in a cross-class skill* only gets you 1/2 a rank.

(* For multi-class characters, this is determined by the class they are currently taking. So a Fighter/Rogue can spend 1 pt per 1 rank on Open Lock when they are leveling up Rogue, but must spend 1 pt per 1/2 rank when leveling up Fighter.)

(Example: A fighter has Jump as a class skill. At level 1, they spend 4 SP and get a 4 in Jump, the max. They also want to take "maximum" Balance (to fight on uneven surfaces!), but that's a cross-class skill, so they spend 4 SP on 2 ranks of Balance, the max for a cross-class skill.

Next level, they spend another 1 pt on 1 rank of Jump (for 5 total), and could spend 1 pt on Balance, for 2 1/2 ranks total - but if the player is smart, they'll spend that 1 SP on something they can use now (1/2 rank does nothing), and spend 2 SP next Level on +1 Balance (2 half-ranks at once), giving them a total of 3 ranks in Balance, the max for a cross-class skill for Level 3.)

So...

Sorcies get a base 2 SP/level. Intelligence 10 has a +0 modifier, so that math is easy - {(2+0)x4} = 8.

(If your character is Human, you add +1 for (2+1) = a base 3 Skill Points/Level, and 12 at Level 1.)

At Level 1 (only), that's multiplied x4, for 8 (or, if Human, 12) to start. Woohoo! \o/

Every level after that, you get that base number each Level. Gear doesn't modify that, but if your "+1 to a stat every 4 levels" (or any other permanent change to your Base Intelligence Modifier) changes your Int Modifier, that changes all future Skill Points - you don't go back in time and learn more.

And we remember, max ranks is 3+Level (and that /2 for cross-class skills*).

(* Multi-class characters have some additional rules about max ranks for cross-class skills; essentially, if the skill is a class-skill for any of their classes, it has no cap, but the cost is still 1 SP for 1/2 rank for cross-class skills for that level, etc.)



So, for Level 5, you get 8 (at Level 1) +2 +2 +2 +2, or 16 Skill Points (or 24 if Human) with a max rank of 8 (or max of 4 for cross-class skills).



Wow, do you really forget the first time you read the PHB?

sensible addition

[MichelleOtter]

C-Dog, to the point! thanks! great advice thread