Skill checks using multiple skills?

[deuxhero]

Has a cRPG ever had skill checks that were based on the combined value of multiple skills (for example repair+guns having to be over a certain threshold)? I know plenty of games have attributes that modify a skill check (your intelligence+your knowledge skill), but that's not what I'm looking for, nor are games where multiple skills can be used for the same result (barter or speech). I think some of the D&D games may have included skill synergies (having a skill above a certain rank gave bonuses to other skills), but that's it.

What do people think of the idea? Any interesting way to implement them?

 

[DraQ]

The idea is good as it gives your system more bang per skill.

Implementation can be simple (ability to specify a whole list of applicable checks in place of individual one), fancy (ability to specifiy whole logical expression with individual checks, OR, AND and parens) or nonexistent - you actually don't need to rely on systemic implementation and most of the time you shouldn't - just doing two or more normal checks in sequence is effectively a single multi-skill check and allowing circumstances dictate what checks can be chained and how, according to the core systems logic and player's ingenuity beats multi-skill checks rigidly defined according to dev's fancy.

Systemic multi-skill check only really makes sense if it's really supposed to be a thing of its own, with both components inseparable.

 

[Snorkack]

Check out Renowned Explorers. It's not a cRPG but it makes interesting use of skills: You have certain skill groups like 'Athlete' or 'Survivalist', and each group provides eight sub-skills like 'Stamina', 'Tenacious' or 'Camping', 'Cooking', 'Hunting'...
Each Skillcheck is tailored towards certain skill groups and gives you a bonus for each subskill you have, plus maybe an extra bonus for specific subskills.
For example, you want to hunt down some Stag: You get a bonus of 10% for each subskill you have in the Athlete and the Survivalist category. Plus, you get an extra +20% success chance if you have the Survivalist sklill 'Hunting'.
I think it's pretty ingenious and would like to see such a system in a real RPG.

 

[Absinthe]

Age of Decadence does that.