Good baseline for Skill Ranks / Tier?

Discounting additional ranks from Paths (variable) or Talents (rare), it depends upon the focus.

Melee Combat focus:
+3 Melee, Battle, Mettle, Athletics/Acrobatics
+2 Ranged, Deceit, Heal
+1 useful ‘character’ skills
Reverse Melee and Ranged for missile combat.

Casters and Experts could go anywhere, depending on their focus.

Depends on what else your character has going on.

Mettle for anyone who can afford it in their build, unless you are the type to just throw Fate at your Horror Checks

Scout: Perception, Stealth
Combat Only: Mettle, Battle, Arcobatics, Athletics
Socialite: Persuasion, Empathy, Deceit, Etiquette
Mage Only: Knowledge (Arcanum)
Divine Nerothian: Knowledge (Religion FTW)

Good suggestions. What I was originally asking wasn’t so much “Which skills should someone focus in” but “How many ranks should someone have in skills they want to be considered “Good” at?”

With a limited number of Ranks / Tier in Advancements, the question of how many ranks is ‘enough’ was the main point of interest.

John

Good suggestions. What I was originally asking wasn’t so much “Which skills should someone focus in” but “How many ranks should someone have in skills they want to be considered “Good” at?”

I find that question easy at character creation it should be 3 to be good. “Not bad for a rookie.”

However the question becomes a lot harder at higher tiers do to the bell curve. It does not skill very well with idea of just multiping 3*(Teir) when you consider paths and talents. I could easily build a martial character that could take +4 per tier in it’s primary fighting ability so I have sixteen instead of 12 at Tier 3.

What do people feel is a good baseline to keep your skills at during each Tier to be considered ‘good’? Weapon and Arcanum skills want to be maxed out I know, but what about other skills? I’d love folks’ input and thoughts.

How good is good? Personally I think you’re good at something when you routinely beat a TN 20 and make a TN 25 about half the time. That works out to about 10 ranks. Other might have other thoughts. Or define good in relation to tier rather than in absolute terms.

My thoughts …

COMBAT GRADE: At the top of the list are skill that need to be maxed out to succeed most of the time. These inevitably are directly opposed by a defense or score that belongs to someone else.
ranks: 3 (+/-1) increased by 3 per tier

examples: Arcanum, Melee, Ranged, Larceny, Stealth … and Perception if you are a sentry.
Anything else is you “showing off” a skill you can claim to be “one of the best there is” at it.

INVESTED: These are the rest of the core skills that define what your character does. At later tiers you’ll be able to knock out high TNs consistently.
ranks: 2 (+/- 1) increased by 2 per tier.

examples: any really. Perception used to find clues is at this level. I find the most useful skills in mods to have at this level are Athletics, Heal, Mettle, Persuasion, Tracking and Wilderness Lore

DABBLING: These are skills you pick up but are only improving when you advance all skills in your advancement option:
ranks: 1 (or 2) increased by 1 per tier.

examples: anything. the odds and ends you pick up as a result of the choices you can’t fully develop due to cost of opportunity, or prerequisites you took to get to something else, or just a ranks or two here to show some interest on the part of your character… ie. “in my back story I was a sailor so I’ll pick up a rank in seamanship.”

In general with ZERO ranks you should beat a TN of 15 50% of the time. = Untrained and Officially Nobody Special
In general with FIVE ranks you should beat a TN of 20 50% of the time and routinely make TN 15 = Leaving Behind Journeyman Status
In general with TEN ranks you should beat a TN of 25 50% of the time and routinely make TN 20 = Legitimately GOOD
In general with 15 ranks you should beat a TN of 30 50% of the time and routinely make TN 25 = GREAT!
With paths, your 20 ranks beats a TN of 35 50% of the time and a TN 30 check is no big thing. = WHOA!

Your Tier . . Combat Grade . . Invested . . Dabbler
1 . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . 2
2 . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . 3
3 . . . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . 4
4 . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . .5
5 . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . .6

I agree that 3+(level x 3) for primary skills seems about right by the end of each tier.