d20 Skills: WTF!?

[Laertes]

On the other hand, if one is just using d20 as a base for a game that isn't about Murderhoboing, and just taking it's core resolution mechanic and conditions and a handful of pieces, saying "I don't give a shit about attack rolls, I'm the party face/mechanic/spellcaster specialized in save or suck" isn't necessarily a gamebreaker. The party heavy tanking Attack in favour of ride is... well, a dumbass. But there are plenty of games where that's an option (Hell, it's even an option in After Sundown).

So what is your game about?

[Prak]

I'm still working on my Urban Fantasy thing. I'm taking the core resolution mechanic, conditions and possibly some of the stat structure (concepts like skills and feats, but not necessarily classes) from d20, but otherwise doing my own thing.

However, if I do too much of my own thing, about 90% of the point of using the core resolution mechanic of D&D goes out the window.

So I'm still working on the basic system.

[hogarth]

Well, Attack already ranges from half level to equal to level. I suppose making defense a skill will mean that martial guys are neglecting other skills so they can last longer in combat. But then martial guys don't typically have much to care about in skills anyway, and the martial guys with the lowest skills per level are getting a boost here, at least comparatively.

Why don't you just use the Mutants & Masterminds system where you buy all of your bonuses (attack, defense, skills, etc.) a la carte? It's still d20-ish enough for your purposes, I imagine.