Confused by class/cross-class skill caps and multiclassing

[CmdrSam]

Okay, so I understand the concept of a skill cap: the maximum # of ranks in a class skill is level + 3. The maximum # of ranks in a cross-class skill is (level + 3)/2.

What about if a skill is class in one of my classes but cross-class in another?

Say I'm a Rog1 with 4 ranks in Hide and 2 in Spellcraft (cross-class). Now I pick up a level of Wizard.

How many skill points can I put into hide?
Which of these ways of looking at it is true:
a) I'm a 2nd level character and a wizard; max #of ranks = 2.5, so 0 skill points allowed.
b) The maximum # of ranks is 3 for having it be a class skill at all, 1 for 1 Rogue level, and 1/2 for 1 Wizard level. 1 skill point allowed. (total 4.5 ranks)
c) If it's a class skill for one of your classes, it's a class skill forever. 1 skill point allowed (total 5 ranks)

How about Spellcraft?
a) I'm a 2nd level character and a wizard; max # of ranks = 5, so 3 skill points allowed.
b) The max # of ranks is 3 for having it be a class skill, 1/2 for 1 Rogue level, and 1 for 1 wizard level. Up to 4.5 ranks allowed...but I can't add 1/2 a skill point?!? 2 skill points allowed?!?
c) The max # of ranks is (3+1)/2=2 for the first rogue level and 1 for the wizard level -- 1 skill point allowed.
d) If it's a class skill, it's a class skill -- 3 skill points allowed.

Can anybody help me out with this?

--Sam L-L

 

[Vinyafod]

It's c) for hide and a) for Spellcraft.. in other words...

Once a class skill = always a class skill for basis of max ranks calculation. So max ranks for hide AND spellcraft (and all other skills one of the two classes has on its list) for your Rog 1/Wiz 1 is 5.

BUT:
Even though max ranks is based on your total character level (2 in your case) you raise your skills class-specific. So when taking a level of wizard you may only raise wizard class-skills on a 1 point for 1 rank basis. Rogue skills or any other non-wizard skills must be bought on a 2 for 1 basis. Same applies when you gain another level of rogue.... only rogueskills on a 1 for 1 basis, all other as if they were cross-class.

NOTE:
Exception to this are exclusive skills like use magic device. The max ranks of your characer for use magic device would be 4. Max ranks for exclusive skill are based ONLY on the class that actually has that skill and only if you take a level of that class you may raise the skill.

 

[Spectrum Rider]

If at least one of your classes has the skill as a class skill, then your max ranks is character level + 3; otherwise half that.

Even so, when you go up a level in a class that does not have the skill as a class skill, you still have to spend 2 skill points for each rank.

So, for example: a 5th-level wizard has a max ranks in Handle Animal of (5 +3)/2 = 4. If he adds one level of ranger, the max ranks is now calculated as though Handle Animal were a class skill, so they are now 6 + 3 = 9. When he increases his level as a ranger, he can buy one rank of Handle Animal for 1 skill point. But if he increases his level as a wizard, it costs him 2 skill points to add one rank to Handle Animal.

The exception to all this is exclusive skills. Only those classes for which the excusive skill is a class skill contribute to the max ranks. So, for example, an 8th-level ranger/5th-level wizard has a max ranks for Animal Empathy of 8 + 3 = 11. The wizard levels just don't count here. And, whenever he increases his level as a wizard, he can't buy Animal Empathy ranks at all. (When he increases his level as a ranger, it still costs 1 skill point for 1 rank of Animal Empthy.)

Thi is all in the PH, but I'm not looking at my copy right now so I can't give you a page number.

The Spectrum Rider

 

[mzsylver]

NOTE:
Exception to this are exclusive skills like use magic device. The max ranks of your characer for use magic device would be 4. Max ranks for exclusive skill are based ONLY on the class that actually has that skill and only if you take a level of that class you may raise the skill.

does anyone have an exact page number/quote for this?

i know it's a fact, however, my friend had no idea of this rule & when i tried to explain it to him he kept asking for one.

ive searched and searched but alas i am blind...

 

[Zerth]

does anyone have an exact page number/quote for this?

PHB, page 56.

 

[Vinyafod]

PHB, page 56, left column top

If a skill is unavailable to a class (that is, if it's an exclusive skill that a multiclass character's other class doesn't have access to), then levels in that class don't increase the multiclass character' maximum ranks. For instance, the 7th-level rogue/ 4th-level wizard would have a maximum rank of 10 in Use Magic Device, an exclusive class skill for rogues. The extra four levels in the wizard class do not increase the character's maximum rank with Use Magic Device. Likewise, the same character could have a maximum of 7 ranks in Scry, an exclusive skill for wizards.

 

[CmdrSam]

Sounds good. Thanks for the help, guys!

--Sam L-L

 

[mzsylver]

PHB, page 56, left column top

you rock my world.