Saeviomagy
Adventurer
Note that none of your examples result in someone playing against their character concept in order to maximize their bonus. There's no "I specifically was bad at disguise until level 3 so I could learn it from being an assassin" going on here. Noone is going start as a wizard so that they get the most bonus proficiencies for switching to fighter at a later level.Actually, as has been discussed, what's spelled out in the rules is the exact reverse of this.
I think we're all fine that at level 1, that everyone gets what they get and proficiencies are spread as efficiently as they can be.
After that, however, is not the case. Let's take an example with proficiencies:
When a trickster cleric multiclasses into fighter, no one argues that because the cleric already has proficiency in light and medium armour, they get to take the armour proficiencies gained from becoming a fighter (also light and medium) and can "trade them in" and get heavy armour proficiency. No -- the armour proficiencies overlap, and the cleric multi classing into fighter gets less than the wizard multiclassing into fighter.
Another example: a rogue multiclasses into warlock, and so gets proficiency in all simple weapons. Though the character already is proficient in simple weapons, there is no sense that the warlock can now choose to be proficient in martial weapons instead.
That seems straightforward.
Also note that none of your examples have explicit rules text saying that you do completely the opposite thing to what you are suggesting.
As a DM, I'd probably let him switch his wizard cantrip. It just seems like the nice thing to do, that will have limited negative effects and a minor beneficial one in that now I don't encourage people to completely avoid their area of speciality for fear of doubling up.Another example, this time with a spell (to show that the principle is not restricted to proficiencies): A wizard with the light cantrip multiclasses into cleric, and becomes a light cleric. That person does not gain a free cantrip: though the class gives proficiency in the light cantrip, it does not default to another choice.
Because the rules explicitly call out that they do. The consistent reading is... gasp... to read the rules and use them. The narrow reading doesn't really do anything but create penalties for people creating characters that make sense.Given examples like these (that could be multiplied), the burden, I suggest, is to explain why tool and skill proficiencies work differently than armour proficiencies, weapon proficiencies, and other class abilities including spells. The situation won't happen very often, and I agree that most tables will probably let it roll. But the consistent answer is (I suggest) the narrow reading in the OP.
Yes, because otherwise he is best served by choosing something else for his orphan background tool proficiency, which mildly corrupts his character concept until he's level 6. And incidentally, he's just fine picking a different skill for his orphan background tool proficiency - that's the default rule in backgrounds - switch them around as much as you want, and if something you want flat out does not exist THEN you have to ask the DM.Here are some examples to think with:
1. An orphan fighter 5 (who is proficient in thieves' tools) multiclasses into rogue. Does he get to reassign the tool proficiency to navigator's tools (or some other tool proficiency), and if so, why?
Yes, because otherwise it's more common to find charlatans turned assassins that used to be bad at disguise than ones which were good at it, which is bizarre and stupid.2. A charlatan rogue hosts level 3 and becomes an assassin. Does she get to choose a free tool proficiency since she already has proficiency with the disguise kit?
In that case take a look at how your analogy fails, then change your mind.My sense is no in both cases, and that's based on analogy with the way other proficiencies work after first level.