There are a few things I assume at character creation that a character can do that perhaps not the average man can do in a low-tech setting, but in my mind are basic to the survival of a standard dungeon delving character. You can call them skills if you want, but by any other name I think a character needs these things, and what continuing character in a campaign has time to learn such things in the course of games? Background skills I come up with on the spot based on whatever the player wants for his character (son of famers, then got some farm skills Son of a mason, can do a little stone work, dads a sailor, then tie some knots well, etc).But I think since the earliest forms of D&D some unspoken skills are assumed into characters (in most cases).
I recently posted about this to a forum, and guess what? Yet another thing to divide players on. Some think characters should have to take time to learn these basics, and a good deal of folk think in medieval Europe terms and say almost nobody should historically be able to do these things (c’mon folks, this is not the real world we are talking about. It’s D&D).
Again, a lot of my assumptions maybe come out of having played (since childhood) editions where you had to come up with your own options and ideas for mundane things outside the class abilities. And I liked it in that things didn't need to get too bogged down with skills and more and more things that players have options and choices with outside of the most basic stuff that made the PC's D&D characters. Too much of that and you flash forward to talents and feats etc etc etc and may as well break out my Champions rules to use for fantasy gaming.
Here are some things I pretty much automatically assume about characters at the start of a campaign (I have no idea if any of these are assumed in the PHB or DMG anywhere). Do you have these or some of your own?
*All characters can read and write their own language.
*All characters have some experience in at least light horse riding (they can saddle a horse, ride it up to a medium trot with no difficulty, and attend to its basic feeding and grooming needs properly after a days ride).
*All characters can drive a horse/mule cart/wagon (max of two animal-driven)
*All characters know the basics of starting a fire (with flint and steel) and setting up a safely contained campfire.
*All characters can swim
*Fighter types know how to properly clean, oil, and sharpen their weapons. Those proficient in bow can restring a bow (but could not necessarily create a bow and arrows from scratch).
*That clerics and monks (in most common cases) will belong to an organization in the area (temple, monastery) that acts more or less like a guild they can go to for aid or safety.
*All characters can do very basic math equivalent to 1st year Jr. High skills (money grubbing adventurers that they are), and MU’s can do higher math (some algebra-type functions or beyond)
