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Wiz
2008-09-12, 04:34 PM
I have some 3.5 questions about skills. One person has told me that once you have a class that makes a skill an in-class skill, it is forever more an in-class skill regardless of what other classes you switch to. However, I noticed one of the advantages of a human paragon is that they can call one of their skills a class skill for any class they take subsequently. That would seem to indicate that if you switch to a class where a skill is no longer a class skill, you should be paying double. Then again, if you have Craft: Poisons, and switch to Loremaster... since only Craft: Alchemy is considered in class, does that mean your skill suddenly drops to half because it's no longer in class? Also, what happens if something is not an in-class skill, like Disable Device, and you are paying 2 points per rank, but then you become a Geometer and now it is an in class skill, does it suddenly jump in ranks... because the PHB says skill ranks are based entirely on points spent. I realize this has probably already been hashed out before, but if anyone wants to give me some definitive pointers, I'd appreciate it.

tyckspoon
2008-09-12, 04:40 PM
Your maximum skill ranks are determined by whether or not the skill has ever been a class skill. Your Loremaster may continue to maintain Craft: Alchemy at Level+3 ranks. However, the cost you pay for a skill is determined by the skill list of the class your are leveling in: Your Loremaster still has to pay 2 skill points/rank to maintain Craft: Alchemy, he may simply pay that increased price to hit a higher cap. Your effective ranks never change because of multiclassing (think of it as skill points being converted into permanent skill ranks: your cost per rank is dependent on class skills, but the ranks themselves once acquired no longer have a relation to skill points.)

This allows for tricks like the Able Learner (cross-class skills are purchased at 1 point/rank) Factotum (all skills are class skills) who can buy any skill as if it were an in-class skill, no matter what other classes he moves to in the future.

playswithfire
2008-09-12, 04:41 PM
My understanding of the situation is this:

Let's take a sample skill Tumble

Once you take a level that has a class with Tumble as a class skill, the maximum ranks you can have in it is 3+character level as opposed to half that value

But, when taking a level that does not have Tumble is a class skill, you have to pay 2 skill points to increase it by 1; can still get it up to the max described above.

The ranks you have at any given time are determined by the ranks you bought

EDIT:Ninja'd