what if I can't pick any new proficiencies

[stewstew5]

So i'm not going to find an exact scenario in which htis can happen, but what if I multiclass into a new class, and am already proficient in all of that class's possible skills?

[JNAProductions]

So i'm not going to find an exact scenario in which htis can happen, but what if I multiclass into a new class, and am already proficient in all of that class's possible skills?

RAW, I believe you get nothing.

How I would rule is you can pick any skill and gain proficiency in it. (A less charitable DM may rule that the skill you get must be available to one of your existing classes.)

[MaxWilson]

So i'm not going to find an exact scenario in which htis can happen, but what if I multiclass into a new class, and am already proficient in all of that class's possible skills?

Doesn't matter, because multiclassing does not give you any new skills except in rare cases (rogue, bard, and I think that's it).

[JNAProductions]

Doesn't matter, because multiclassing does not give you any new skills except in rare cases (rogue, bard, and I think that's it).

Ranger too.

[Gignere]

Doesn't matter, because multiclassing does not give you any new skills except in rare cases (rogue, bard, and I think that's it).

Knowledge cleric gives two skill proficiency.

[Waterdeep Merch]

I believe the PHB says that if you have all of the relevant skills and thus have no legal options, you can pick anything else instead. But I don't have it in front of me to verify if that's true or just a houserule I use.

[Anymage]

A wizard with the right background could easily start with all the relevant knowledge skills, and wind up boned if they later wanted to dip knowledge cleric for the expertises.

RAW, the presence of later released features that give alternative skill options if the main one is already taken can be taken as a strong indication that base features without such wording give nothing. Ditto for taking a half feat when you've already maxed the related ability. RAI, though, I think it's perfectly fair to let someone pick a related skill if the one they're granted has already been taken. By the same thinking, someone taking knowledge cleric could apply expertises separately from the skills gained, and a half feat could boost another stat if the one it's linked to is maxed.

Edit:
I believe the PHB says that if you have all of the relevant skills and thus have no legal options, you can pick anything else instead. But I don't have it in front of me to verify if that's true or just a houserule I use.

The PHB says that under the backgrounds heading, but it's debatable whether that line refers to all double-picked skills or just ones from a background.

[Waterdeep Merch]

Back. What I was thinking of is PHB page 125, on skills related to backgrounds. While it's clearly in the section related to backgrounds and proficiencies, the precise wording of the final paragraph appears to be a general rule-


If a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead.

But I can see a reasonable argument that this only applies to backgrounds given where this quote is, despite the wording calling out 'two different sources' and not 'in some other way', which is a more common turn of phrase throughout the book when dealing with specifics related to former concepts.

EDIT: As Anymage says. It's dubious enough that your DM could easily rule against it.