Fiddly bits - Hit Points and Skills

These are some bits of C&C I am fiddling with. I guess you could surmise that I don't like C&C from all the changes I'm making, but the fundamental part, the SIEGE engine, I am keeping as is.

Anyway...

Hit Points

I don't like hit points being based on class. I prefer it to be based on species. Probably because I grew up playing Palladium. Regardless, I've taken it a step further and am basing HP on size level.

• Tiny size = d4 HP
• Small = d6 HP
• Medium = d8 HP
• Large = d10 HP
• Huge = d12 HP

This actually isn't really a huge change; creatures in the C&C Monsters and Treasure book have HD based on size. I'm simply extending that to player characters.


Skills

I think it is stupid for Rogues to have an exclusive bunch of skills, many of which are necessary for anyone in the party to survive for any amount of time. Rules as written though, no other class gets those skills. So, the fighter can't climb, the wizard automatically falls into every pit trap, and the cleric is suddenly deaf when they want to listen at a door.

So all classes get Rogue/Thief skills. The caveat is that all skills, regardless of associated attribute, have a base of 18. Attribute modifiers apply, but level bonuses do not. In other words, your 5th level Fighter's +1 Dex mod will apply to their climb skill, but they will not get a +5 from being 5th level.

For a Rogue, Prime attributes and level bonus does apply, so they keep their advantage with skills over other classes.

Decipher Script is ridiculous, so I'm replacing it entirely with Language. When you encounter a new language, roll against this skill to determine if you know it. You must roll separately for speech and literacy.

The list of skills is as follows:

• Climb (Dexterity)
• Language (Intelligence)
• Hide (Dexterity)
• Listen (Wisdom)
• Move Silently (Dexterity)
• Open Lock (Dexterity)
• Pick Pocket (Dexterity)
• Traps (Intelligence)

Secondary skills

I'm not sure if I want to use secondary skills. I like the idea, and originally I was all about using them, buuuuuuut... I dunno. I was going to use them with a table for character backgrounds (I spent a stupid amount of time working on said table), but with Humans, Yon, Fungoids, Hobgoblins, and whatever else, a single background table seems pretty stupid. And I don't want to make a separate table for every species. That would take forever! Maybe someday. I mean, really, I wouldn't have to make extensive tables for each one.

So for now, no secondary skills.