Skill points are a measure of a character's ability to gain and improve skills. At each level, a character gains skill points and spends them to buy skill ranks. Each skill point buys 1 rank in a class skill or ½ rank in a cross-class skill.
Acquiring skill points[]
A character gets a base allotment of 2, 4, 6, or 8 skill points for each new level depending on which class is chosen. Intelligence provides a bonus (or penalty) equal to the ability modifier.
- Humans receive 4 extra skill points at first level, plus 1 additional skill point at each following level. (For a total of +33 Skill points compared to other Races.)
Base skill points per level[]
Spending skill points[]
For class skills (such as listen for a rogue or spellcraft for a cleric), a character gets 1 rank (equal to a +1 bonus on checks with that skill) for each skill point. For cross-class skills, a character gets 1 rank per 2 skill points invested ("half ranks" are not available in NWN2), unless they have the Able Learner feat.
- Characters may only save a maximum of 5 skill point between levels
- The maximum rank in a class skill is character level + 3.
- The maximum rank in a cross-class skill is ½ of that number (rounded down).
Pre-release notes[]
- Obsidian has stated that they are keeping the NWN1 implementation of skill points. However certain alterations have been made to prevent abuse of point-saving so as to keep closer to PnP. [1]
NWN comparison[]
- Cross-class skills in NWN had a max skill rank equal to (character level + 3) ÷ 2, with the final figure rounded down (e.g. the max cross-class rank of a character with 4 character levels would be 3).
- In NWN characters could "store" an unlimited number of skill points gained each level to spend at a later point, but only when levelling. In NWN2, character advancement may only be completed with 5 or fewer skill points remaining.