Question about cross-class skills

[dethkruzer]

I wasn't able to find anything about this in the phb or dmg, but anyway, the question: Can you take cross-class ranks in a trained only skill if you have earlier taken a level in a class that has this skill AND used skill points then to take ranks.

To clarify: If I were to take a level in Psion(Egoist) and took atleast one rank in autohypnosis, could I later take autohypnosis as a crossclass skill?

[Yora]

Good question.
you might want to ask this in the Rules Q&A (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184173) thread, the people there are usually very good at such questions.

[Daftendirekt]

You can always put ranks in any skill upon level-up. However, if the skill is cross-class for the class you've just gained a level in, it costs 2 skill points to advance it one rank. It doesn't matter if it was a class skill for a previous class/level. For example, a rogue could always put ranks in Knowledge (arcana) even though it's not a class skill, but he would have to spend 2 skill points to put that rank in. It doesn't matter that he had 5 levels of wizard before this, this level, arcana is cross-class.

[hivedragon]

crossclass skills are always available, you need not have ranks in that skill from a previous class to take ranks in it. trouble is the ranks cost double.

[bloodtide]

Yes.

By the book, if your a 1st level Psion(Egoist)/4th level fighter, and you go up at level and take a level of fighter(to 5th), then if you'd want to put any ranks in autohypnosis it would be a cross class skill(as it is one for a fighter).

Some DM's let you mix and match skills. But most will make you use the character class level the skill came from(you can't have a 1st level Psion(Egoist)/10th level fighter with an autohypnosis rank of +13).

[dethkruzer]

ok, thanks everyone.

[Kylarra]

Yes.

By the book, if your a 1st level Psion(Egoist)/4th level fighter, and you go up at level and take a level of fighter(to 5th), then if you'd want to put any ranks in autohypnosis it would be a cross class skill(as it is one for a fighter).

Some DM's let you mix and match skills. But most will make you use the character class level the skill came from(you can't have a 1st level Psion(Egoist)/10th level fighter with an autohypnosis rank of +13).
That's only half correct. Cross-class matters for the purposes of purchasing, but not max cap in this case. They could purchase the 9 additional ranks through their fighter levels, but it would cost them 18 points to do so.


Regardless of whether a skill is purchased as a class skill or a cross-class skill, if it is a class skill for any of your classes, your maximum rank equals your total character level + 3.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/skillsSummary.htm