I actually like having a robust skill system. I don’t like players using skills to bludgeon past making choices. As a compromise, my new golden rule is: The player always explains their in-game actions, then the Referee tells them what skill they use. Saying “I use [skill]” means you automatically fail your next roll.
Still using LotFP HP, XP, and Spells. Using 5e’s equipment, skill, and armor system.
Your proficiency bonus equals 2. Increase it by 1 every 4 levels, or just use the 5e Player’s Handbook. Everyone is assumed to be proficient in armor; only Fighters, Barbarians, and Paladins are proficient with weapons.
Fighters
- add their proficiency bonus to attack rolls, rather than level
- add their proficiency bonus to Strength and Dexterity saving throws
- Fighters can make a number of attacks on their turn equal to half their proficiency bonus, rounded down.
Barbarians
- Add their proficiency bonus to attack rolls
- add their proficiency bonus to Strength and Constitution saving throws
- Barbarians take half damage, deal double damage, and have advantage on Strength checks when they rage. They can rage once per short rest.
- XP as Fighter
Paladins
- Add their proficiency bonus to attack rolls
- Add their proficiency bonus to Constitution and Wisdom saving throws
- Once per short rest, paladins can cast spells a cleric spell with a level less than or equal to half their level, rounded up
- Spell Save DC = 8+proficiency bonus+Wis modifier
- XP as Fighter
Specialists
- Have a number of mastered skills/tools equal to half their proficiency bonus, rounded down. Specialists have advantage by default on mastered skills.
- Start with 2 extra skills and 2 extra tools/languages
- When they attack a surprised or inattentive enemy, they add their proficiency bonus to the attack roll and roll an extra number of damage dice equal to their proficiency bonus.
- add their proficiency bonus to Strength and Dexterity saving throws
Magic-user/Magician
- Spell Save DC = 8+proficiency bonus+Int modifier
- know a number of cantrips equal to their proficiency bonus. You can choose cantrips from any class list, but it can’t cause damage or shed light. You can still choose Produce Flame, but it deals d6 damage and doesn’t deal increasing damage.
- add their proficiency bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws
Summoners
- Add their proficiency bonus to Ritual Checks instead of their level
- can Turn Spirits once per short rest
- add their proficiency bonus to Wisdom and Charisma saving throws
Warlocks
- Favor Save DC = 8+proficiency bonus+Cha modifier
- Know a number of additional languages equal to half their proficiency bonus, rounded down.
- add their proficiency bonus to Intelligence and Charisma saving throws
Background
Pick four skills and a total of two tool and language proficiencies. Pick a background ability from the 5e basic pdf or handbook, whichever is available. If you have an idea that’s not in the book, let me know and we can work it out. Then give your background a name that explains how you have these skills (Scholar, Beggar, Assassin, whatever)
Skills
- Persuasion and Deception are now Charm
- Athletics and Acrobatics are now just Athletics.
- Survival and Nature are now one skill. The only reason you’d have both is to distinguish a hunter from a botanist, and I don’t fucking care about that.
- Insight and Investigation are gone.
- Performance is gone
Animal Handling
Arcana
Athletics
Charm
History
Intimidation
Medicine
Perception
Nature
Religion
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Tools
In addition to the default:
Barber’s tools
Dowsing Rod
Medic’s kit
Voice (I know it’s not a tool, but I don’t like Performance as a skill, and an Albion without opera singers in no Albion at all)
Languages
Picking a language from this list means you can read it and speak it. Everyone already speaks English, so pick it again if you want to be literate.
Ara Gorash, language of abomination
Britonnic, the old tongue of Albion
Elegaic, language of the greater dead
English
Enochian, language of angels
Fol, language of the fairies
Lament, language of the lesser dead and the damned
Mew, the language of cats
