4E: Skill Points

Instead of 4th Edition's skill training system, which has characters advancing automatically with level, Alara'Keelan has characters gain skill points with each level which they may assign as they choose. Skill points are used as a bonus to skill checks in place of the trained skill bonus and level bonus. Skill points may be assigned relatively freely - any character may improve any skill, as appropriate to their nature. This basic system is a radical change from the standard 4th Edition model. In particular, many effects related to trained skills must be adjusted to work with the new system.
 * Trained Skills and Level Bonus: No character gains trained skills, and the level bonus to skills is eliminated.
 * Starting Skill Points: At 1st level, each character is given a number of skill points to divide among their skills. The precise number is determined primarily by class: skill points at first level equal: ([number of trained skills] + 1) * 5.
 * e.g., a fighter (who starts with 3 trained skills) would start with 20 skill points, (3+1)*5. A rogue (who starts with 6 trained skills) would begin with 35 skill points, (6+1)*5.
 * Gaining Skill Points: At each subsequent level, characters gain additional skill points equal to the number of trained skills they gain at first level plus 1.
 * e.g., a fighter would gain 4 skill points each level, while a rogue would gain 7.
 * Maximum Rank: Skills cannot be made too strong at any point in advancement. At 1st level, the "max rank", or maximum number of points that may be assigned to each skill, is 5 points. This max rank increases by 1 point at every even level.
 * A 1st-level character, no matter how many skill points he receives, can only place 5 points into any one skill. At 2nd level, he may place points in his skills and bring any of them up to 6 points. At 3rd level, the cap is still 6, but skill points are still received and may be distributed among skills below 6 points. At 4th level, max ranks increases to 7, and skill points may be used to bring any skill up to 7 points.
 * Bards: Bards gain an additional 5 skill points at 1st level, and 1 additional skill point at each level thereafter. (Effectively placing bards at 6 starting trained skills instead of 5.)
 * Racial Trained Skills: Some races, such as humans and eladrin, gain a free trained skill at 1st level. This is replaced thus: "You gain an additional 5 skill points at 1st level, and 1 additional skill point at each subsequent level."
 * Skill Training: The Skill Training feat now provides 5 additional skill points when it is gained, and 1 additional skill point at each level thereafter.
 * Multiclassing: Multiclass feats which grant skill training provide a one-time bonus of 5 skill points.
 * Retraining Skills: Skills may still be retrained under this system while leveling. As your retraining option each level, you may move up to 5 skill points between skills as you choose.
 * Skill Requirements: For any paths, feats, abilities, or items which require skill training, you count as "trained" if you have at least (max rank - 4) ranks in the appropriate skill. If you cease to have the appropriate ranks (for example, by leveling and not increasing your ranks in that skill), the normal penalties for ceasing to qualify for an ability apply.

Revised Class Features
Class features that relate to trained skills are ruled on a case-by-case basis. Currently ruled features are:
 * Grey Guard: The Gray Guard Vigilance feature now reads: "You are always treated as having max ranks in Perception and Streetwise. If you already had ranks in these skills, you may assign them elsewhere. In addition, enemies marked by you cannot benefit from concealment or total concealment against your attacks."
 * Thuranni Shadow Killer: The Thuranni Silence feature now reads: "Any ally within 3 squares of you gains bonus ranks in Stealth equal to one-half your ranks in Stealth (rounded up). These bonus ranks provide each ally a maximum total number of ranks in Stealth equal to your ranks in Stealth, or ranks equal to (5 + 1/2 your level - 2), whichever is lower." Thus, an 11th level Thuranni Shadow Killer with maximum Stealth (10 ranks) would provide allies within 3 squares 5 bonus ranks in Stealth, but only if that did not bring an ally over 8 ranks. An ally with 4 ranks in Stealth would be brought to 8 ranks.