So kaiisaxo has a thread where he's trying to create a skill progression that is more balanced in his homebrew game. A sentiment I can understand, though his homebrew is too big to be factored in here so I'm setting up a thread specifically for the GENERIC d20 method of progression.

GOAL: Universalize a progression rate to be used for all stats.

LINK: https://sites.google.com/site/...ants/streamline-play

Now, in the d20 game there are several types of bonuses:

• Attack bonuses
• Defense bonuses
• Saving throw bonuses
• Skill check bonuses
• Level check bonuses (including caster level check bonuses)
• Damage bonuses (including caster level bonuses for spell effects other than SR)
• Hit point bonuses

BAB
1 x level
3/4 x level
1/2 x level

AC/Defense
10 + ability modifier (100% item and special ability dependent instead of level dependent)

Saving throw bonuses & DCs
1/3 x level (poor save)
1/2 x level +2 (good save)
10 + 1/2 x level (DC)
10 + spell level (DC)

Skill check bonuses
0 without ranks
3 + ranks (class) [pathfinder]
0 + ranks (cross class) [pathfinder]
0 + ranks (class) [3.5]
0 + ranks @ double cost (cross class) [3.5]

Level check
=level in specific class (regardless of similarities)
=total character level

Damage Bonuses
Varies too much to list but most start within 2 steps of 1d8 + ability modifier.

Damage Bonuses
Varies too much to list but most start within 2 steps of 1d8 + ability modifier.

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My personal favorite is the =level progression. Its simple, straightforward and isn't difficult to understand. So, here's brainstormed idea #1:

BAB & CASTER LEVEL
Everyone adds their class level as a bonus to their attack rolls, caster checks and effective caster level for the purposes of making attacks or casting spells that are specifically related to their class. They add only half their level to all other such rolls.

Fighter: Adds fighter level to all attack rolls with weapon attacks but only half level to all caster checks and effective caster level (since they have no spells).

Monk: Adds monk level to all attacks made with unarmed strikes and monk weapons but only half level to attacks made with all other weapons.

Wizard: Adds wizard level to attacks rolls made with clubs, daggers, heavy crossbows, light crossbows, quarterstaffs and wizard spells as well as to caster checks and effective caster level with wizard spells (but only 1/2 level to any other weapons or non-wizard spells).

SAVING THROWS & DCs
A good save adds your class level to those saving throws. A poor save adds 1/2. Same for DCs.

So a wizard adds their wizard level to all Will saves and only half their wizard level to Reflex and Fortitude saves. They also add their wizard level to the DC of all wizard spells (instead of spell level) and special attacks from wizard class features. They add only half their wizard level to non-wizard attacks.

SKILL CHECKS
Rather than hassle with complicated skill ranks, simply have a character choose a number of class skills equal to the amount that they would normally start with and they gain a class bonus to those skills equal to their class level. All other class skills add only half their level. Cross-class skills get no bonus.

So a barbarian gets 4 + Int mod skill points. Barbarian #1 has +0 Int so he selected Climb, Handle Animal, Intimidate and Swim, adding his barbarian level to all these skill checks. He adds only half his barbarian level to all other barbarian skills and NO class bonus to cross-class skills. He can select a new class skill or turn a cross-class skill into a class skill by expending a feat to do so. The 3 tiers of skills will be: Specialty (Level), Class (1/2 level), Cross-Class (0). Int boosts at later levels DO allow the selection of more skills (up to a maximum equal to the number of class skills that you have). Craft, Knowledge, Perform and Profession are each multiple types of skills and can be selected multiple times for a new subskill each time.

LEVEL CHECKS
Your effective level with any class is equal to your actual level in that class + 1/2 the accumulative levels you have in any other class (including racial HD). This way, multiclassers take a hit to their abilities but aren't completely screwed over.

MULTICLASSING
Multiclassers can track these adjustments easily by adding up the levels (or half the levels) of their various classes to determine their class/level bonus to any roll.

DRAWBACKS
The drawbacks of this idea is that skill ranks are slightly less customizable but they are much easier to manage (everything is, including multiclassing).

FEAT PREREQUISITES
To meet BAB prerequisites of feats, you merely need to see what BAB your class allows (full or half) for whatever weapons are related to the feat. If it has no related weapons, you can just use your class. For example, Whirlwind Attack requires a BAB of +4. It can only be used in conjunction with melee attacks. Therefore, as long as you have at least one melee weapon on your class proficiency list, you can take it as early as 4th level, but you can only use the feat with those melee weapons on your class list. For all other melee weapons, you must wait until 8th level to utilize it. For skill ranks the same principal applies for trained and untrained class skills. If the skill is cross-class, then you simply do not meet the prerequisites unless you acquire it as a class skill using a feat.

ACQUIRE CLASS SKILL [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Int 13 or 13 in the ability score related to the selected skill.
Benefit: Select one cross-class skill. It becomes a class skill for you. If you multi-class, you must select one of your classes for this to apply to and it applies only to the selected class.

The simplified level progression examples given below means that leveling up does not have complicated base bonuses, skill ranks and so forth to change. Instead, you merely need to keep track of your actual levels and every level up you merely gain HP, increase effective level by 1 and acquire class features. Every few levels you also gain a feat or ability boosts as appropriate. Easy, simple, balanced and quick.

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BARBARIAN
HD: d12

BAB
A barbarian adds their full level instead of half their level to attack rolls made with all simple and martial weapons and CMB checks. They also add their full level to CMD against attacks and maneuvers of this type.

SAVING THROWS
A barbarian adds their full level instead of half their level to Fortitude saving throws.

SPECIAL ATTACKS/SPELLS
Whenever the barbarian makes a special attack with one of their rage powers, the DC to resist it is equal to 10 + barbarian level + appropriate ability modifier (as noted in the rage power's description).

SKILLS
At 1st level a barbarian chooses a number of trained class skills equal to 4 + their Intelligence modifier from the following list: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

They are automatically treated as "trained" in all of these class skills. They add a bonus to all skill checks made with their selected specialty skills equal to their class level and a bonus equal to half their class level to all their other class skills. They add no bonuses to cross-class skills and are not treated as trained in them for the purposes of skill checks.

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WIZARD
HD: d6

BAB
A barbarian adds their full level instead of half their level to attack rolls made with all clubs, daggers, heavy crossbows, light crossbows, quarterstaffs and wizard spells that require an attack or touch attack. They also add their full level to CMD against attacks and maneuvers of this type.

SAVING THROWS
A wizard adds their full level instead of half their level to Will saving throws.

SPECIAL ATTACKS/SPELLS
Whenever the wizard makes a special attack with one of their school powers or spells, the DC to resist it is equal to 10 + wizard level + Intelligence modifier.

SKILLS
At 1st level a wizard chooses a number of trained class skills equal to 2 + their Intelligence modifier from the following list: Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

They are automatically treated as "trained" in all of these class skills. They add a bonus to all skill checks made with their selected specialty skills equal to their class level and a bonus equal to half their class level to all their other class skills. They add no bonuses to cross-class skills and are not treated as trained in them for the purposes of skill checks.

FEATS
To meet BAB prerequisites of feats, you merely need to see what BAB your class allows (full or half) for whatever weapons are related to the feat. If it has no related weapons, you can just use your class level. For example, Whirlwind Attack requires a BAB of +4. It can only be used in conjunction with melee attacks. Therefore, as long as you have at least one melee weapon on your class proficiency list, you can take it as early as 4th level, but you can only use the feat with those melee weapons on your class list. For all other melee weapons, you must wait until 8th level to utilize it. For skill ranks the same principal applies for specialized and unspecialized class skills. If the skill is cross-class, then you simply do not meet the prerequisites unless you acquire it as a class skill using a feat.

SKILL TRAINING [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Int 13 or 13 in the ability score related to the selected skills (see below).
Benefit: Select any two skills that are not already trained. The selected skills become class skills (if cross-class) or become trained (if already class skills). If you multi-class, you must select one of your classes for this to apply to and it applies only to the selected class.
Special: This feat can be selected multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is selected, it applies to two new skills.

SPELL TRAINING [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Ability to cast spells.
Benefit: Choose one class which you have spells in and another class which does not have these spells or improve upon them (like prestige classes sometimes do). You add your full class level from this selected class to your attack rolls and DCs with these spells instead of half your class level.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is selected a new spellcasting class or new secondary class (or both) must be selected.

WEAPON TRAINING [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Weapon Proficiency (selected weapon).
Benefit: Choose one class which you have levels in and one weapon which you are proficient with. You add your full class level from this class to your attack rolls with this weapon instead of half your class level.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is selected a new class or new weapon (or both) must be selected.