Editing Skill Monkey

[[File:skillmonkey.jpg|400px|thumb|right|It's normally not so literal]]

:''Skill Monkey get up get coffee <br>
:''Skill Monkey go to job <br>
:''Skill Monkey go to boring dungeon<br>
:''With boring Paladin Rob <br>
:''Rob say Skill Monkey very diligent <br>
:''But his combat stinks <br>
:''His only place is lore or traps <br>
:''What do Skill Monkey think? <br>
:''Skill Monkey think maybe Paladin want to <br>
:''Disarm traps with his head <br>
:''Skill Monkey not say it out loud <br>
:''Skill Monkey not crazy, just proud...''

Character classes are a funny thing - ideally, every class should contribute something useful to the party as a whole. For some of these, there's an obvious combat-related use. But in most [[RPG]]s, combat isn't the be-all, end-all of everything - there are times you're doing something that doesn't involve sticking sharp bits into squishy people. Thus, most RPGs have what are called "skills" or "non-weapon proficiences" or whatever else you prefer - ways of judging how good a given character is at something non-combat related.

The '''Skill Monkey''' is a common designation for classes whose primary focus is their proficiency at using skills. They are often ill-equipped for combat, or at least direct combat, but they contribute to the party by tackling those pesky little problems that rely on people actually knowing stuff other than [[Murderhobo|hacking 'n' slashing or blowing shit up]]. Sub-specializations of Skill Monkey include the ''Face'', who specializes in [[Charisma]] type skills and so is usually the guy/gal doing all the talking for the party, the ''Sage'', who specializes in [[Intelligence]] and/or [[Wisdom]] related skills, and the ''Fingers'' (sometimes "Fingers McStealey"), who is usually called on to do the traditional thief things (dealing with traps and locks, picking pockets and other sleight of hand).

Two of the most iconic Skill Monkey classes for [[Dungeons & Dragons]] are the [[Rogue]] and the [[Bard]], who both receive large amounts of skill-points and have easy access to a diverse array of skills. [[Wizard]]s also double as Skill Monkeys, to an extent; during the days of [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], many [[kits]] emphasized this trait, particularly in the "Sage" direction. 

[[Category:Gamer Slang]]