Skill max rank for multiclass PCs

[Li Shenron]

Please correct our opinion if it's wrong:

if a PC has levels in two or more classes, and a skill is a class skill for one of those classes, but is cross-class for the others, is the max rank equal to total level + 3?

Example: Wizard 10th / Rogue 1st

Skill Hide is cross-class for the Wizard and a class skill for the Rogue. Before taking the Rogue level, the Wizard 10th had 6.5 max rank in Hide, after taking the Rogue level, does tha max increase immediately to 14?

The only thing we're sure about is that when the PC takes a Rogue level he buys a Hide rank for 1 skill point, and when he takes a Wizard level he buys each rank for 2 skill points (or half a rank for 1 skill point).

 

[Crothian]

If it is a class skill for any of your classes, it's max ranks are as if it's a class skill. So, your Wiz10/rog1 has max ranks of 14 in hide. Haver, the classes still spend skill points as the skill is for their class. So, a rogue who has this as a class skill spends one skill point for one rank, while a wizard spends 2 skill points of 1 rank.

Exception: Exclusive skills. Exclusive skills only have the classes that have them count for max ranks. So Use Magic device would only have max ranks of 4 in your example. And only the rogue can buy ranks in that.

 

[Voadam]

Crothian is correct, however, upon adding the rogue level he can dump all the rogue skill points into hide at a 1 point for 1 rank ratio up until it gets to his new max rank at which point he must spend the remaining skill points on other things. so a high int high level character switching into rogue can develop a rogue skill to great competency from nothing in 1 level.