Vortex
Mongoose
There is one thing I find very confusing about cross-class skills for multi-classed characters. I've looked everywhere, even in D&D books and I can't find the answer. So I'm posting my dilemma here.
First, I want to clarify a few of the things I do understand.
The cost of a rank in a skill is based on weather it is a class skill in the class in which the current level advancement is taken.
For example: Even if I'm a 6rd level diplomat, if I gain a lurker level, diplomacy is considered a cross class skill and therefore costs 2 points per rank. If I later buy, a 7th diplomat level, diplomacy will then cost 1 point per rank since it is a diplomat class skill.
Okay, that's clear.
Where it gets a little more foggy is where the maximum rank is concerned. I know the character level (not the class level) is used for the calculation but what makes it unclear is: When do you consider it a class skill and when do you consider it cross-class?
The way I see it, there are two possibilities.
1- The simple one
The maximum rating is calculated with the class skill equation if the skill is a class skill in any of the character's class. So, if you were a 1st level agent and changed to diplomat and then gained 8 diplomat levels, you maximum in Pilot (class skill for agent but not for diplomat) is 12 ranks (9 character levels + 3) even though you're taking levels in a class for which it isn't a class skill.
The only problem I see with this method is that someone with even one level in 2 or 3 well chosen classes has a very high maximum in pretty much all skills even if he takes all his subsequent levels in the same class. Perhaps the high cost of buying ranks in cross-class skills would prevent abuse of this by power-gamers but I'm just not sure…
2- The complex one
The maximum rating is calculated with the equation corresponding to the class in which the current level is taken but calculated with the character level. In the previous example, the maximum for Pilot would be only 6 ranks ( (9 character level + 3) / 2 ) because it is not a diplomat class skill. However, if the next level is taken in Agent, the maximum would then be 13 (10 character levels + 3) since it is an Agent class skill.
The strange thing with method 2 is that you can get a maximum that is actually lower than your current rank. That's not actually a problem but it can be strange. For example: You take 8 agent levels and max-out your Pilot skill to 11 ranks. Then you take one diplomat level. Your maximum in Pilot is 6 ( (9 character levels +3) / 2) so you can't buy any rank in pilot for now because even a 9th level diplomat couldn't have the number of ranks you have as an 8th level agent.
I hope all this is clear.
I would like to know if you know of an official rule on this or how you ruled this thing in your campaigns.
First, I want to clarify a few of the things I do understand.
The cost of a rank in a skill is based on weather it is a class skill in the class in which the current level advancement is taken.
For example: Even if I'm a 6rd level diplomat, if I gain a lurker level, diplomacy is considered a cross class skill and therefore costs 2 points per rank. If I later buy, a 7th diplomat level, diplomacy will then cost 1 point per rank since it is a diplomat class skill.
Okay, that's clear.
Where it gets a little more foggy is where the maximum rank is concerned. I know the character level (not the class level) is used for the calculation but what makes it unclear is: When do you consider it a class skill and when do you consider it cross-class?
The way I see it, there are two possibilities.
1- The simple one
The maximum rating is calculated with the class skill equation if the skill is a class skill in any of the character's class. So, if you were a 1st level agent and changed to diplomat and then gained 8 diplomat levels, you maximum in Pilot (class skill for agent but not for diplomat) is 12 ranks (9 character levels + 3) even though you're taking levels in a class for which it isn't a class skill.
The only problem I see with this method is that someone with even one level in 2 or 3 well chosen classes has a very high maximum in pretty much all skills even if he takes all his subsequent levels in the same class. Perhaps the high cost of buying ranks in cross-class skills would prevent abuse of this by power-gamers but I'm just not sure…
2- The complex one
The maximum rating is calculated with the equation corresponding to the class in which the current level is taken but calculated with the character level. In the previous example, the maximum for Pilot would be only 6 ranks ( (9 character level + 3) / 2 ) because it is not a diplomat class skill. However, if the next level is taken in Agent, the maximum would then be 13 (10 character levels + 3) since it is an Agent class skill.
The strange thing with method 2 is that you can get a maximum that is actually lower than your current rank. That's not actually a problem but it can be strange. For example: You take 8 agent levels and max-out your Pilot skill to 11 ranks. Then you take one diplomat level. Your maximum in Pilot is 6 ( (9 character levels +3) / 2) so you can't buy any rank in pilot for now because even a 9th level diplomat couldn't have the number of ranks you have as an 8th level agent.
I hope all this is clear.
I would like to know if you know of an official rule on this or how you ruled this thing in your campaigns.