Forums of the Megaverse®

How do you handle missing prerequisite skills from a characters OCC list?

eg a OCC has skill X as an OCC Skill but dose not list Skill Y that is required to take Skill X, do you just give it, or forcr the character to burn an Elective or secondary skill to acquire the missing skill, and what about bonuses if you give them the skill, do they just get the base skill or do they get the elective skill bonus (if any)?

The rule of thumb I'd use (and this is a GM decision):
IF the OCC provides Skill X, THEN the PC gets prerequisite Skill Y as normal value with OCC bonuses for that skill category.

Corollary: IF the PC chooses Skill X (for whatever category of skill), THEN Skill Y must also be chosen (for a category of skill).

I'd second thorr-kan's basic approach if (Megaversally) the OCC/RCC (and MOS or Skill Program as the case maybe) list of skills include skills that have pre-requisites they get those skills for free, but no bonuses (provided they cannot be met by "open" skill selections that may exist). I want to say this is RAW somewhere in the Megaverse, but don't recall where I might have seen it.

They still have to spend the skill slots if it is a Secondary or Related/Other Skill.

If they want the skill with the prerequisite, they have to choose the pre-requisite or they miss out. If they take the pre-requisite later the skill needing it levels up with the pre-requisite, and isn't suddenly the same level as the others.
I will then usually make a few encounters where the pre-requisite is necessary to get either bonus info, items or friends.

It varies with the OCC depending on how many total skills are granted. If they have a ton of Secondary Skills, I see no problem having them burn some for prerequisites.

So, in the rare case it happens (IIRC, there's only twice), then I give them the pre-req skill for free, but it stays locked at level 1, with no bonuses- not even the IQ bonus.

They're absolutely free to select the pre-req skill, and it would be treated as normal.

--
GS

happens three time in three pages in book 3, with the Seamanship skill for the Mariner, Pirate and Sailor, all three have Seamanship as OCC Skills but none have Sewing skill, it also happens quite a bit in Rifts with a bunch of Technology based skills and Literacy (also TMNT/ATB too IIRC).

DB 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 3:53 am happens three time in three pages in book 3, with the Seamanship skill for the Mariner, Pirate and Sailor, all three have Seamanship as OCC Skills but none have Sewing skill, it also happens quite a bit in Rifts with a bunch of Technology based skills and Literacy (also TMNT/ATB too IIRC).

Rifts? We ain't got no Rifts! We don't need no Rifts! I don't have to cite you any stinking Rifts!

Well, actually, I do.

While PFRPG has no specific rule for dealing with this scenario...

RUE pg 299 wrote:If an OCC or RCC starts off with a skill that normally has a pre-requisite skill(s), assume that the character has the pre-requisite skill as part of their training.