Willie the Duck
Hero
To start with, you are absolutely correct. There were small niche abilities* that could come into play.There were a couple niche actual adventuring abilities in the PHB NWPs.
Picking up a new language in game after figuring out starting ones could be nice.
Tumbling allowed no damage from a 10 foot fall and half from others up to 60' on a check, improving unarmed attack rolls by 2.
Healing was sub par compared to magical healing but was a distinct improvement over default healing and could be a supplement to magical healing.
Mountaineering allowed +10% to climbing chances per time taken.
Blindfighting reduced darkness/invisibility penalties.
First and foremost, I was referring to/thinking of the skills where you specifically, well, skilled (were giving a nwp score, likely a modification of an attribute, and rolled that to effect the world in some way). Something like Blind-fighting seems like an orthogonal use of the same resource (nwp slots). To my mind, those are really not so much a slow descent towards spot checks, and closer to a slow descent towards the feat system.
Secondly, and in this case specifically to the skills as skills, not skills as feats ones, the point I am trying to raise/question I am seeking answers is: did they take over, or where they just there? Did characters go with fewer rations into the wilderness because they had survival-type nwps? Did having a character with healing and herbalism allow a party to take fewer days to heal up after harrowing dungeon crawls (and did it make an overall difference, like them facing fewer wandering monster checks while doing so)? Did characters buy smithy's and forge their own equipment (taking weeks or months off to do so)? I'm honest in the question, as I don't know how it went for others, for my groups, it was mostly about what NWPs at creation best defined your character thematically**
*Don't forget the juggling NWP's ability to catch small thrown weapons... if your character able to get rogue category nwps would rather attempt an AC0 attack check than gamble on the opponent missing
**and yes, as it slowly became such that you could trade them in for fighting styles or negating some combat penalty or a +0%/1-in-6 existing check style, it lurched into that instead.
Good points. I had not thought about these, and Observation even allows a proficiency check using its score. Complete Thief was a rare gem* -- it was a wonderful supplement for a lower-key, urban adventure game that I think the rest of the game just didn't focus on. Or maybe it was just like Cyberpunk Deckers in that we didn't play that way because then what would the fighters and clerics do.Also Complete Thief's Handbook provided an observation NWP that seemed to be a spot type mechanic in 2e. Also an alertness one to reduce surprise but at the cost of an extra check everytime surprise came up for the chance to modify the surprise check.
Alertness
1 slot, Wisdom, + 1 modifier.
Required: Burglar.
Recommended: All.
A character with this proficiency is able to instinctively notice and recognize signs of a disturbance in the immediate vicinity, reducing by 1 in 6 the character's chance of being surprised whenever he makes a successful proficiency check.
Observation
1 slot, Intelligence, 0 modifier.
Required: Beggar, Cutpurse, Investigator, Spy, Swindler, Troubleshooter.
Recommended: Assassin, Bounty Hunter, Burgler, Fence, Smuggler.
Characters with this proficiency have cultivated exceptionally acute powers of observation. The DM may ask for a proficiency check (or secretly roll it himself) anytime there is something subtly askew; he may also allow characters with observation to increase their chance of finding secret or concealed doors by 1 in 6. The proficiency covers all the senses.
Example: Julina is questioning a man who claims to be a craftsman who has worked on the palace; she is searching for the most discreet entrance. The DM secretly rolls an observation proficiency check; it is successful. "You notice," he tells her, "that his hands are in beautiful condition, entirely lacking callouses." From this observation, Julina may deduce that the man is actually just posing as a craftsman; he may be a con man taking advantage of a few free drinks or coins, or he could even be a spy for her enemies.
*although it also had a bunch of things like equipment like hand-warming lamps that negated penalties the DM never though to impose until the book suggested said equipment would negate it (making it another 'you just hamstrung my abilities to justify your new subsystem' effect).