ok strap in for some big brain #3eish design re: the skill system

my draft was "1 skill rank = +1 on rolls, max ranks = level, cross class skills cost 2 pts a level" and "feats cost 2 points plus the number of feats you already have" but having made up a level 1 character as a test some problems emerge to me

skill points have become more valuable, both because i've reduced available totals of skill points per level (to 2/4/6 by class or int/3, whichever is higher) and because now feats compete for the same slots.

they're simply too valuable to spend for +1 on a single skill, especially when the benchmark for boring feats is "+2 on two different sorts of rolls," and especially at level 1, when that limit of one rank per skill can leave you with a +0 or negative modifier if it's in an ability with a penalty

and, looking towards advancement, there's no good time for players to invest in new feats because it will always come at the cost of keeping skills ranked maximum

so, to address these:
- same costs as above for skill ranks and feats, and same reduced point totals
- each rank is +2 on rolls (for class skills, on par with boring feats for the first feat and better, if more specific, after that. cross class is less economical than feats until after the fourth feat.)
- max skill rank is half character level, plus one (if you're just choosing skills to keep at maximum, the way most people do, those points are available to spend on feats every other level.)