Ever noticed that, as characters advance, their skills do not increase by a large margin? For example, a starting character can have an 18 Intelligence, granting them an extra three skill slots when he or she is first created - allowing an initial seven slots total. This is quite phenomenal, but understandable given that an 18 Intelligence is the highest attainable by a mortal in the D&D game.

What I have found to be objectionable is the standard amount of extra skill slots gained by all characters, at only one extra slot every four levels, such that a character, no matter what his or her Intelligence might be, will receive one extra slot at fifth level, another at ninth level, and so on. Having one extra skill slot after four levels’ worth of adventuring seems quite paltry, given the time it takes, and the number of experiences a character is sure to encounter. For example, under the current system, a character can travel all over the Sea of Dread, meet interesting cultures, sail an awful lot, swim, and navigate the seas themselves, but can only choose one skill to gain or improve. Under my system, even if a character only gains two more slots, it can better reflect what the character has actually experienced basing on his capacities.

The system i propose is very simple: the Player Character starts with the four skill slots at 1^st level, plus one additional slot for each bonus point for his high Intelligence. When he starts advancing, he gains one more slot each four levels. However, if desired, a player can take up to their Stat Bonus in extra skills that fit under their Prime Requisite(s). People with negative (or no) bonuses for their Prime Requisite (a rare occurance anyway) are not penalized, but only get their base 1 skill. Thus Fighters would get bonuses for their Strength, Clerics for the Wisdom, and Magic Users (of course) for their Intelligence.

Well, this plan has a disadvantage for those people with a Prime Req in areas that don't have a lot of skills associated with them (Strength or Constitution for example). This is where the Second Option comes into aid. The DM could assign a certain relative rank to Stats and then allow players to use one slot for Prime Req. skills, two slots for Second Tier skills (based on the Prime Req.) and three slots for Third Tier skills. They still get ONE skill slot each four levels that they can choose without paying attention to which characteristic it belongs, and additional skill slots to be allocated using my rule.

Here is a quick set of possible rankings:

WIS - Prime Req

STR, INT, CHA - Tier 2

DEX, CON - Tier 3

STR - Prime Req

CON, DEX - Tier 2

INT, WIS, CHA - Tier 3

STR - Prime Req

CON, DEX, CHA - Tier 2

INT, WIS - Tier 3

INT - Prime Req

WIS, DEX - Tier 2

STR, CON, CHA - Tier 3

DEX - Prime Req

INT, WIS, CHA - Tier 2

STR, CON - Tier 3

STR - Prime Req

CON, WIS - Tier 2

DEX, INT, CHA - Tier 3

STR, INT - Prime Req

DEX, CON, CHA - Tier 2

WIS - Tier 3

STR, DEX - Prime Req

INT, CHA - Tier 2

WIS, CON - Tier 3

STR, DEX - Prime Req

WIS, CON, - Tier 2

INT, CHA - Tier 3

Another possible way of incrementing the skills every character possess relies on the use of the the Teaching (WIS) skill. When somebody wants to learn a "teachable" skill, even if he hasn't got a skill slot available, he looks for a teacher who has both the skill he's interested in and the Teaching skill and then starts his course (which lasts differently according to the skill -normally no less than 1 month). At the end of the course the teacher rolls under his Teaching score and then the pupil rolls under his Intelligence score with a penalty/bonus equal the difference between the roll made by the teacher and his Teaching score. If the roll of the pupil succeeds, he gains the skill with a -2 or -3 penalty, otherwise the pupil hasn't learnt anything! The penalty to the skill can then be removed if the character chooses the skill when he has a slot for it (advance in level). Obviously not all the skills can be taught: most of the teachable ones are Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma skills. The others must be acquired with the normal skill system.

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