How is an Eldritch Knight supposed to get Arcana?

[Sans.]

It's not a class skill and the only backgrounds with Arcana is Sage. About the only way I can think of is going Variant Human, which is kinda restricting.

[Puh Laden]

Switch out background skills.

[Clone]

It's not a class skill and the only backgrounds with Arcana is Sage. About the only way I can think of is going Variant Human, which is kinda restricting.

I don't know if your DM makes you take the Backgrounds as is, but from my understanding Backgrounds almost always are customizable, so long as you don't create something new. Using the custom background options in the PHB, you can just switch whichever skills and proficiencies you want so long as you have 2 skills and 2 langauges/ tool proficiencies, then finally just use a pre-existing background feature. That way you make the character YOU want, but you are still using the guidelines within the PHB.

Unless this is a variant rule treated with te same view as feats and multiclassing, you should be fine by doing that.

Ps you could also go Half-Elf for the two bonus skills, just putting that out there.

[Sigreid]

It's also RAW that if you get the same skill from multiple sources, say Athletics, you can replace one of the picks with any skill you like.

[Sans.]

I don't know if your DM makes you take the Backgrounds as is, but from my understanding Backgrounds almost always are customizable, so long as you don't create something new. Using the custom background options in the PHB, you can just switch whichever skills and proficiencies you want so long as you have 2 skills and 2 langauges/ tool proficiencies, then finally just use a pre-existing background feature. That way you make the character YOU want, but you are still using the guidelines within the PHB.

Huh. I didn't know that.

[pwykersotz]

Huh. I didn't know that.

It's on PHB 126 under Customizing a Background. It's also on the SRD (http://www.5esrd.com/backgrounds/) a few paragraphs down.

[Specter]

When in doubt, go Variant Human. Or, if you're anElf, grab a background that grants Perception (which you already have), and grab Arcana.

[JumboWheat01]

Fighters also get ASIs to spare, you could easily pick up the Skilled feat.

[D.U.P.A.]

If your background skills and skills chosen for the class 'collide', then you can choose a any other one. So if the background gives you History skill and as class you pick History skill, you can choose for example Arcana instead of 'second' History skill.