Star Wars Saga: House rule question? (Multiclassing option)

[Alejandro]

I have been considering allowing this house rule in my Saga game, after some players asked about the idea:

When a PC multiclasses into a new base class, they normally get to take one of that class's starting feats, assuming they meet any prereq that feat has. Houserule: The PC could, instead, gain skill training in one class skill from that new class.

Has anyone done this, and encountered any problems?

[Seatbelt]

It sounds pretty reasonable to me. Picking one of the starting feats is often a really hard choice. It's always hard for me to decide between scoundrel or soldier for a multiclass between the two. The bonus skill training would make it ever so slightly easier.

[Binks]

I did it in my last Saga game. Had no issues with it and the players liked the extra options. I heartily recommend it as a houserule.

[IdleMuse]

It's a pretty common house rule, from what I've read. I always use it in my games, and it's worked out fine. It's a great way of encouraging multiclassing (which the system already promotes) to players, because it seems like the character is actually becoming more noble or scoundrelific or whatever in a bigger way than just gaining a proficiency or a boring starting feat.

I mean, looking at what starting feats the five classes have...

Jedi - If you're multiclassing into this, you either want to pick up Force Sensitivity, or already have it, in which case you're probably looking to pick up lightsaber prof.

Noble - iirc, Linguist is the only unusual starting feat; and many character don't qualify for it, or find it boring or out-of-character. Ideal use of house rule to pick up Skill Training in a nobley skill like Persuasion.

Scoundrel - Point Blank Shot is hardly a wasted feat if you do have to pick that up as your bonus, but many characters will either already have it, or not care about ranged as much as they care about becoming more skilled in one of the range of nearly-unique-to-scoundrel skills like Acrobatics or Deception.

Scout - Scouts get Shake It Off, I believe, which is useful if your GM likes throwing stuff at you that punishes your condition track, but again, some characters don't qualify for it, and Survival _is_ unique to the Scout (without Backgrounds)

Soldier - Most people multiclassing into Soldier need to pick up an armor proficiency or a rifle proficiency, but the Skill Training house rule is useful to pick up the soldier near-exclusives like Treat Injury.

So yeah, for three of the five classes, this house rule is very handy, and it just adds more flexibility to the class and skill system which is otherwise a bit restrictive (especially if you aren't using the Backgrounds system from the Rebel era book). I hate to be the GM who has to say "You're a smuggler, a scoundrel, there's no way you can have learnt to ride!"

In my games, I use the Backgrounds system instead of/as well as Destinies, this house rule, and also I let people pick any skill with Skill Training if they're buying it with a regular feat slot (ie, not a multiclassing bonus feat or an even-level bonus feat), with the caveat that you can't buy Skill Focus as well if it isn't a class skill.