Editing Norrathians: Skills (section)

==Skill Alterations==

When d20 upgraded to version 3.5, a number of the ways in which skills work were altered and streamlined.  Because we are using 3.5 rules in this version of EQrpg, the skills also must be altered.  However, EQrpg uses an already-altered list of skills, so we won’t be able to use either resource as the hard-and-fast reference on all skills.

The following changes should be made to the EQrpg list of skills to bring them closer in line with d20 3.5:

''Animal Empathy ''– no longer a skill; instead, beastlords, druids, and rangers all gain the Wild Empathy class ability that d20 druids have.  Beastlords have a +5 bonus to Wild Empathy checks.  All references to “Animal Empathy” now refer to “Wild Empathy.”

''Hide ''– this skill has been folded into the Sneak skill.

''Listen ''– this skill has been folded into the new Perception skill (see below).

''Perception ''– this is a new skill to the setting.  It combines the use of both Listen and Spot into one skill.  A Perception check can be auditory, visual, or both, depending on the circumstance.  Rules for both Listen and Spot from the d20 SRD apply to all Perception checks.

''Pick Pocket ''– this skill has been folded into Sleight of Hand, which works according to the d20 SRD rules.

''Read Lips ''– this skill has been folded into Spot in the d20 SRD.  However, Spot has been folded into Perception.  Use the Perception skill when attempting to read lips, as per the Spot skill notation on the action.

''Sense Heading ''– it’s arguable that the Sense Heading skill in EQo was one of the most annoying skills to develop as a character, especially considering that they eventually negated it’s usefulness by making it immediately possible for any character to know which direction he was facing using an on-screen compass.  However, it did have a nice correlation to the D&D skill Intuit Direction.  In the upgrade to 3.5, this skill was folded into the Survival skill, so in this EQrpg setting, Sense Heading is as well.

''Sleight of Hand ''– this skill has been added to the setting.  It uses the d20 SRD rules for the skill.  It is a class skill for rogues.

''Spot ''- this skill has been folded into the new Perception skill (see below).

''Survival ''– this skill has been added to the setting.  It uses the d20 SRD rules for the skill.  It is a class skill for bards, beastlords, druids, rangers, and shamans.

''Undead Empathy ''– no longer a skill;  instead, necromancers and shadow knights gain the Undead Empathy class ability.  This is similar to the d20 druid ability Wild Empathy, except that it works only on undead, and allows the character to use the Taunt skill on all undead creatures.

''Wilderness Lore ''– this skill has been folded into Survival, which works according to the d20 SRD rules.