Starting Skills

[Low-G Vagabond]

I have never played with the d20 rule system before and have a question about starting skills. I recently bought the new T20 PHB and the AD&D PHB for d20 reference. Between the two I am confused about starting skills. Im trying to make a Scout and was wondering: if Im 18 years old and I pick Scout as my class, do I receive the starting feats immediately, or only after I have spent my first term and am effectively the age of 22? This question also applies to the skills ( do I have them at age 18 or age 22)?

Another question:

If my intelligence is 12 and I am a human, do I have 10 skill points to start out with ( 4 for 1st lvl + 2 for int. + 4 for human), or do I multiply this by 4 as per the D&D PHB, for a total of 40?

And one more:

Under multiclass restrictions the T20 HB states for Scout's: "Only a character actively working in the Scout prior history may multiclass into the scouts class."

This sentence confuses me, does this imply the character must choose scout at age 18 as his first class, or he can never be a scout? ( it sounds like its saying you have to be a scout before you can be a scout)

Anyway, thanks for any assistance. And im sorry if these questions are lame....if been out of RPGing for many a year and feel a bit confused.

tmondragon

 

[DrSkull]

Skill Points: yes you do multiply the skill points by 4 for whatever class is your very first character level.

Mulitclassing: there is a difference between Service classes and Core classes.

Scout, Navy, Army and Marines are all service classes, you must be IN the SERVICE before you can take a level in the CLASS

ALl the other classes are Core Classes. For these classes, things work in the opposite manner, you must have a level in the CLASS BEFORE you can take a level in the Service

Go to the T20 Questions and Answers section of this board and read through the thread titled "Detailed Prior History Example" which should make things clearer.

 

[Low-G Vagabond]

Originally posted by DrSkull:
Skill Points: yes you do multiply the skill points by 4 for whatever class is your very first character level.

Mulitclassing: there is a difference between Service classes and Core classes.

Scout, Navy, Army and Marines are all service classes, you must be IN the SERVICE before you can take a level in the CLASS

ALl the other classes are Core Classes. For these classes, things work in the opposite manner, you must have a level in the CLASS BEFORE you can take a level in the Service

Go to the T20 Questions and Answers section of this board and read through the thread titled "Detailed Prior History Example" which should make things clearer.

__________________________________________________

Thank you for the info. I see, you need to start with a core class and then change to a service class after that. Anyway I'll check out that thread...and thanks again.

 

[Reginald]

Actually, you can start off in one of the service classes as your 1st character level. You just have to serve your first term in that service during Prior History.

 

[notagoodusername]

Just to clarify:

I have never played with the d20 rule system before and have a question about starting skills. I recently bought the new T20 PHB and the AD&D PHB for d20 reference. Between the two I am confused about starting skills. Im trying to make a Scout and was wondering: if Im 18 years old and I pick Scout as my class, do I receive the starting feats immediately, or only after I have spent my first term and am effectively the age of 22? This question also applies to the skills ( do I have them at age 18 or age 22)?

You create a normal level 1 character first, getting all normal level 1 Feats and Skills at 18 years old (or 14 for Barbarians). *Then* you start prior history if you want.

Another question:

If my intelligence is 12 and I am a human, do I have 10 skill points to start out with ( 4 for 1st lvl + 2 for int. + 4 for human), or do I multiply this by 4 as per the D&D PHB, for a total of 40?

You get 4 + 2 for INT = 6
Multiplied by 4 for first level = 24
Plus 4 for human at first level = 28
The Service Classes get x4 at Lvl 1 - it was a misprint that left it out.

At subsequent levels you get
4 + 2 for Int + 1 for Human = 7

If you multiclass into a second or third (or whatever) class you only get normal x1 skill points not x4. x4 is for the first ever level for that character.

And one more:

Under multiclass restrictions the T20 HB states for Scout's: "Only a character actively working in the Scout prior history may multiclass into the scouts class."

This sentence confuses me, does this imply the character must choose scout at age 18 as his first class, or he can never be a scout? ( it sounds like its saying you have to be a scout before you can be a scout)

To take a level in a Service Class you have to be in that prior history, or take it as lvl 1. If you take it as lvl 1 you *must* take at least 1 prior history term as a Service Class. Otherwise, you can be a normal Core Class, then muster out, then start the prior history terms for a Service Class you qualify for, but can only take that class when doing terms for it. Make sense?

So, to take Scout levels you must either start as a Scout, or muster out of whatever terms you are taking, then start Scout terms.

Anyway, thanks for any assistance. And im sorry if these questions are lame....if been out of RPGing for many a year and feel a bit confused.

No such thing as a lame question mate. Something crystal clear to someone is clear-as-mud to another.

Hope this helped,

Shane

 

[Low-G Vagabond]

Yeah...that makes more sense. Thanks for the help, I was getting caught up on terminology and making it more difficult than it had to be! Thanks to all for the advice.

tmondragon

 

[Simon Jester]

My take on things:

Originally posted by tmondragon:
I have never played with the d20 rule system before and have a question about starting skills. I recently bought the new T20 PHB and the AD&D PHB for d20 reference. Between the two I am confused about starting skills. Im trying to make a Scout and was wondering: if Im 18 years old and I pick Scout as my class, do I receive the starting feats immediately, or only after I have spent my first term and am effectively the age of 22? This question also applies to the skills ( do I have them at age 18 or age 22)?

You receive the feats and skill points as soon as you enter the class, whether you actually complete the term of service or not, unless the class description states otherwise. Some GMs may decide to "pro-rate" the skill and feats based on length of time spent in that specific term, but that's up to each individual GM.

Another question:

If my intelligence is 12 and I am a human, do I have 10 skill points to start out with ( 4 for 1st lvl + 2 for int. + 4 for human), or do I multiply this by 4 as per the D&D PHB, for a total of 40?

Okay. For starting skill points, you would receive 24 skill points, computed thus: 4 points from class + 1 point from INT (stat mods only go up 1 pt/2 full pts increase in stat, so Int 12 or 13 provides +1 mod, Int 14 or 15 gives +2 mod, etc.) = 5 pts times 4 (since it's the first term) = 20 + 4 pts Human racial bonus = 24 points for first level skills. For every additional level (in this class) you would receive 6 points: 4pts (class) + 1 pt (Int mod) + 1 pt (Human racial bonus) = 6 pts.

And one more:

Under multiclass restrictions the T20 HB states for Scout's: "Only a character actively working in the Scout prior history may multiclass into the scouts class."

This sentence confuses me, does this imply the character must choose scout at age 18 as his first class, or he can never be a scout? ( it sounds like its saying you have to be a scout before you can be a scout)

What this should read is essentially the character needs to have successfully enlisted (or reenlisted) in the Scout Service Class before the character can choose to multiclass into the Scout Class. If the character hasn't or can't enlist in the service class by making the appropriate DC rolls or meeting the basic requirements (i.e., a character with SOC 3 trying to take the Noble class, etc.), he/she can't take the class.

Anyway, thanks for any assistance. And im sorry if these questions are lame....if been out of RPGing for many a year and feel a bit confused.

tmondragon

No problem, and welcome back. The only requirement is to have fun.

Simon Jester

 

[notagoodusername]

Gah! I can't belive I did that! +2 for 12 Int? Back to GM school for me...

Shane

 

[GypsyComet]

To strip some of the of the jargon out of the above answers, and correct a few misconceptions:

If you start as a 1st level Scout (or other Service class) then you must take your first non-University term in the Scout (or other service) Prior Service track.

Barbarians and Belters start at age 14. Everyone else starts at age 18. In all cases you have, at this point, all the benefits of that first level in whatever class you took, as they are the accumulated benefits of growing up.

The benefits of any class levels earned during prior service should also be complete and immediate, to the extent possible, since those benefits didn't all suddenly descend on the character at the end of the term or at muster out ("Thank you for serving with the Army for eight years, Corporal. Here are your discharge papers, and the package on the desk there is all your skills and feats.")