Class Skills? How Many?

[paddirn]

Perhaps this has already been asked ( I can't find a search function here on ENworld Forums), but I need to ask this:

I'm a little confused with how the PHB gives the class skills. In places it will show something like:

"Trained Skills: Arcana. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Arcana (int), Diplomacy (cha), etc..."

Why does it show Arcana in that list again? Does that mean that your character gets 3 total skills, automatically gets Arcana, and then chooses 2 more skills; or does he get 3 trained skills in addition to Arcana? Why show Arcana again in that list of class skills? Can you choose it again? WTF? I'm sure there's a thread about this somewhere.

 

[Lurker37]

My theory is that it's there in case there's ever a power or feat that refers to the class skill list. It also makes more sense for classes that pick one of two mandatory trained skills, like Rangers.

 

[WOLead]

So a person who MCs into Wizard can choose Arcana as his trained skill from the MC feat.

 

[Whimsical]

When you multiclass, you get to pick a class skill of that class to be trained in. So, the class lists needs to be complete when listing the skills that are class skills.

 

[questing gm]

So does it answer the question that Wizards get the skill for free at 1st level and 3 others or 2 others?

 

[fba827]

To answer your question, you get Arcana and three others from the list (yes, you already have arcana so you can ignore it from the list).

As for why they list arcana there, I think it is so that they can refer to the Wizard's skill list and not have someone say "But arcana isn't listed" (since someone undoubtably would say that if it _wasn't_ there with the others). It, however, makes perfect sense for the Ranger skill list where they choose one of two as the automatic and the other should still be there as a 'choice' trained skill.

 

[MarkB]

So does it answer the question that Wizards get the skill for free at 1st level and 3 others or 2 others?

The book says Arcana plus three more from the list. So yes, you get four trained skills, one of which must be Arcana.

 

[Gloombunny]

When you multiclass, you get to pick a class skill of that class to be trained in. So, the class lists needs to be complete when listing the skills that are class skills.

Actually, for wizard, cleric, and rogue multiclassing you get training in a specific skill (Arcana, Religion, and Thievery, respectively). Coincidentally, these are also the three classes that assign specific skills and then let you pick from a class list containing those skills.

I'm with Lurker37 and fba827 as to why the assigned skills also appear in the list, though.