Important Skills? Pve and PvP.

[TheShadowdove]

Hey forum lurkers,

I'm new to the server. There are tons of mechanical differences, and the item difference alone between servers makes builds very different.

Some servers have so many HIPSers that spot or listen is a must.

Others have such need to contest anti HIPSers that you NEED skill focus/epic s. Focus to hide from anyone.

Discipline is sometimes prioritized by PvP centric folks who experience a lot of knockdown spammers.

Some mages see skill proficiency concentration as important on servers with particularly high damage boosted weapons.

Other roleplay servers don't even bother with certain skills or feats such as discipline or tumble or spellcraft.

Disorganized blabbing and examples aside.

How important are skill focuses/epic skill focuses for mages, meleers, and sneakers in their respective skills?

Does a shadowdancer rogue type need skill focus and epic skill focus to do their job?

Does a mage need epic skill focus concentration to stay up?

Does everyone need discipline to not get knocked down by NPCs/players?

Should everyone be putting spare points into spellcraft for saves?

Is the search skill going to save your life from hyper powered traps multiple times per dungeon?

Do you need both skill focus and epic skill focus in your primary skills?

I look forward to seeing what you more experienced folks suggest.

Thanks in advance,

Dove

[liver and bones]

Generally only hit early epics with my characters, but these are the most important skills I've found in order. Mind you this is strictly my opinion, and I tend to play spellcasters.

PvP:
Discipline
Heal
Spellcraft
Concentration
UMD (if you aren't a spellcaster)
Taunt
Listen
Spot

PvE:
Heal
Discipline
Spellcraft
Concentration
UMD

I didn't include tumble, because I rarely have high enough chars who can afford to dip for a tumble class early on. I'm sure it's great at level 30 though to the point of must-have status.

I have yet seen a trap that will nuke you into oblivion that isn't strictly on a chest. Even then the deadliest one I've seen has hit for 130ish.

Knockdown spam is a key tactic here, so discipline is a must have if you can afford. Discipline is also the only skill focus I would take and that I've seen people suggest you take.

Plenty of HiPS users and monsters, but can't comment much else on it.

[TimeAdept]

Discipline (EVERYONE)
Tumble (EVERYONE)
Concentration (Any Caster)
Spellcraft (Everyone possible)
UMD (Everyone possible)
Hide/MS (If Stealth)
Spot (Still Pretty Good)
Taunt (Specifically PvP)

These are The Best Skills, from most to least important IMO. Everything after these gets to be sort of luxrury.

To answer your questions in order:

The only really important essentially mandatory epic skill focus is Discipline. Bards take ESF Perform, and some specific builds take ESF Hide, Bluff, or Spot.

A Shadowdancer could consider ESF Hide, but it's not necessary.

A mage does not need ESF Conc, no, and should take ESF discipline instead.

Yes, everyone needs discipline.

Yes, everyone should cross class spellcraft if possible - but not at the loss of tumble, discipline, umd.

Search will let you see the traps, and many of them are often placed environmentally to where aware people will see them without search. Some are avoidable, not all of them. Some do appreciable damage, some don't. You'll know after exactly one hit, which won't kill you, but will sting quite a bit.

You do not ever need pre epic skill focus. Epic Skill Focus, as above, is useful for specific things.

[Baron Saturday]

Concentration also has a PVP use for non-casters as the opposed roll to taunt, though it is pretty low priority.

[Freyason]

A Shadowdancer could consider ESF Hide, but it's not necessary.

Shadowdancer gets level/ranks in hide, ESF Hide is last thing they'd want. Maybe ESF MS

[Ork]

Taunt in PvE is pretty powerful allowing the PC to sit in Imp. Expertise and have the enemy's AC whittled down to nothing.

[Xerah]

Taunt in PvE is pretty powerful allowing the PC to sit in Imp. Expertise and have the enemy's AC whittled down to nothing.

It drops expertise now.