Distributing Skills Points/Picking Feats

[pidcocjn]

Hello everyone!

I was thinking about this while waiting for the rest of my colleagues to arrive for a meeting, and my curiosity began to drool everywhere. Fortunately, I was able to pull together before the meeting started, but now I just have to know.

How do you choose feats/skills? Do you have a pre-determined build? Do you award your character skill points based on their experiences?

Here's what I do:

Once I have a character history, I choose skills and feats based off of that history. From then on, my skill and feat selections are done on a reactionary basis, to simulate how the environment and experiences actually shape the character.

It doesn't make for the most 'combat worthy' character out there. But that's why we network and make allies. And I find it incredibly rewarding roleplay-wise.

[Taintedglory]

Ive played D&D for far to long, AD&D and up, I've gotten to the point where I can't stop min/maxing my skills and feats for a proper build.

However I tend to get some RP skills, but never really RP feats. Feats arnt given enough for me to waste one.

[Standur]

Much like Taintedglory I tend to plan my feats. Skills I get a general mindset with where I think the PC is going from the beginning. I tend to invest heavily in the areas that are essential to the "character" then roll with what feels right from there.

[Snowmane]

I come up with a concept for a character. Then I consider how that character will develop, specifically what prestige class the character might go for and what skills they would develop. Then I head to http://nwn2db.com and plan the build. You have to do some hand tweaking to account for Sundrens custom feats and skills, but it gives you a good idea of your characters development.

Of course as I am leveling, I keep going back to that build and tweaking it to match how my character is developing IC.

[Waverider10]

I go about it like you're thinking but I try to have sometype of character goal. I think you can have a semi pre-determined build especially if you character has a specific goal or drive for who they want to be when they grow up. That can always change but you have to be mindful of the preqs. of the game system itself. "Why does a frenzy berserker need 8 jump and not 5?" kindof thing.

Min/Maxing and powerbuilding can always be offset by an evil DM.

[Kitsunestume]

Min/Maxing and powerbuilding can always be offset by an evil DM.

Correction: Min/maxing is asking to be messed with by an evil DM.

I usually build the charachter around what makes for an interesting story or RP-potential, rather than actual feasability. My first char of Sundren, Kitsunetsume, has been mostly only decided rough plans two or three levels out, with the vaige overarching idea of a rogue, rather than a set build to become uber with. It also makes sence to be to apply skillpoints recursively: if your char suddenly starts heading down a particular RP path, assigning skills according to their new direction rather than that uberbuild you were planning is more fun overall.

[Catastrophe]

We DM's do generally frown upon min/maxing, but if you rp things fine then we'll just quietly cry to ourselves about it.

[Kitsunestume]

It would be intersting to Mix/max by having almost no physical atributes and max up your mental ones. You self-penalize by having the resistance of a paper wall, inability to dodge a stationary tree, and barely able to walk with the weight your clothing! Much more sensible than the opposite, anyway.

[Here's a hint, don't go Wizard: 1 HP a level is probably a bad thing]

[Doubtful]

Personally I tend to build to a concept - Rough out an idea for a character till level 10 and work towards it. Hopefully in-game influences and events will shape the levels, not a concrete build type.

I try and take RP skills (mostly the Knowledge:X) ones in whatever fields suit my characters back ground, even just one or two points can be really helpful and allow your character to get involved in discussions on that subject past the 'Common Knowledge' of the Lore skill.

As Cat says, Min/Maxing is generally frowned upon, and can result in quiet words if people ignore their stats/skills.

[pidcocjn]

I think you can have a semi pre-determined build especially if you character has a specific goal or drive for who they want to be when they grow up. That can always change but you have to be mindful of the preqs. of the game system itself. "Why does a frenzy berserker need 8 jump and not 5?" kindof thing.

I agree with having a semi pre-determined build. For example, Selanus has a couple of PrC's that she may choose from, depending on the way things go. Fortunately, the pre-reqs for both of these were essentially completed by the time she was created in Sundren because we start at level 3.

It also makes sence to be to apply skillpoints recursively: if your char suddenly starts heading down a particular RP path, assigning skills according to their new direction rather than that uberbuild you were planning is more fun overall.

Precisely. Another example is Selanus, whom never had to pick a lock in her life until she ran into those locked doors in the Spittlefist caves with Karnak . It was quite embarassing, but now she's started practicing with simple locks. A fun result that I wasn't anticipating, is it's sacrificed her progression in other things that she hasn't ended up using yet.

[[DM] Grinning Death]

I pick the build that lets me smash all who oppose my path, and damn the consequences. I'll min/max the crap out of it.

Or, I just play a favored soul.

...On a more serious note, I notice an interesting trend in my PC's. If I don't have any specific goals as far as class goes but a strong sense of identity, my character tends to be a long lasting one that I continuously play. If I plan out the build to a T, I tend to let it lie because I already know what's in store for my PC.

I'd have to say I'm a fan of the constantly evolving PC.

[Thief Of Navarre]

I pick the build that lets me smash all who oppose my path, and damn the consequences. I'll min/max the crap out of it.

Or, I just play a favored soul.

...On a more serious note, I notice an interesting trend in my PC's. If I don't have any specific goals as far as class goes but a strong sense of identity, my character tends to be a long lasting one that I continuously play. If I plan out the build to a T, I tend to let it lie because I already know what's in store for my PC.

I'd have to say I'm a fan of the constantly evolving PC.

That's a very good point. playing a personality instead of a class seems to last an aweful lot longer because you can go anywhere within reason without compromising the character's vibe. I dig it!

[Cornuto]

I plan all my Characters around being able to PvP other DMs.

[pidcocjn]

I plan all my Characters around being able to PvP other DMs.

That too. Evil bastards.

[Standur]

I pick the build that lets me smash all who oppose my path, and damn the consequences. I'll min/max the crap out of it.

Or, I just play a favored soul.

Hey watch it! FS's have hearts too. Just because they tend to be kind of hard, crusty and well protected doesn't mean they don't have feelings.

Most of my PC's rarely wind up becoming what I think they will when I create them. If they events surrounding them don't affect the PC why bother.