Our group has just finished up a two year campaign of Dark Heresy and we have decided to give Pathfinder a try, because 4.0 made us all cry.
The new "skillz" arrangement took me a moment to wrap my head around (I'm slow and completely used to 3.5 skill point rules), but I just thought of this question and I won't have my books back for a few days, so I figured this forum (which has been extremely helpful in the past [+3 to diplomacy!]) could help me cheese this out:
When a character spends a skill point to take an initial rank in a class skill at 1st level that character gains a +3 skill bonus, right?
Does this only happen at 1st level, or does each intitial adding of a rank into a class skill gain a +3 bonus? F'rinstance: A Rogue who decides to put off adding a skill point to get a rank in Bluff until 3rd level, since this is the first rank they take in a class skill do they get a +3 bonus then, or would that had to have taken place at character creation?
Does this question even make sense?
Should I just stick to knitting? I'm pretty good at scarves...
Made a hat once.
It wasn't pretty.
Should've taken more ranks in knitting, I guess.
The first time you put a rank in a skill that is a class skill you add the +3 bonus. As far as I know, you get the +3 bonus if you multiclass and gain a given skill as a class skill and have ranks in it already.
Makes sense?
Edited for typos and whatever...
The +3 "bonus" happens whenever your character trains in the skill (eg - gets to rank 1) -- and happens because it's a "class" skill -- this is why we get fewer skill points at level 1, but at the same time, it doesn't completely cripple someone trying to deal with a non-class (cross-class) skill.
Basically, your total skill roll modifier (in PF) will be:
skill ranks + key attribute modifier + class skill bonus + misc (racial, etc, modifiers)
So, for instance, your rogue would go from:
[+1] = 0 skill ranks + 1 cha mod to
[+5] = 1 skill ranks + 1 cha mod + 3 class skill bonus.
And, as was snuck into the ninja-ed post, above, if you multi-class, you gain the +3 for the new class skills even if you're already trained in them -- so a Fighter with a rank in diplomacy would gain the +3 if he took a level in Cavalier, for instance.
When you invest the first rank into a class skill, regardless of level, you gain the extra +3 bonus.
It's not just with initial skills. Any time a PC has a class skill with at least one skill rank in it, that +3 bonus applies. That even applies if a class had originally been a cross class skill, had a rank in it (normally, no +3 bonus) but the PC multiclasses into a class that has that skill as a class skill (+3 bonus now gets applied).
You get your +3 class bonus the first time train your skill. It does not ever increase, but it never goes away. The upside to this is it means once a class skill, always a class skill. (and ninjaed)
Craft (Knitting) is an excellent skill to have, even at low ranks.
Holy cats and little fishes, you guys are fast!
That's what I had hoped the answer would be, but I wasn't sure.
@Bill Dunn: Wow! I hadn't even considered that! Thanks so much, you guys! You're the best!
Edit: @DeathQuaker: Too bad it's not one of my class skills, though. When I take Seamstress next level, though, the crafting world will shake in terror!
Thanks again for all the helpful replies! I'm really looking forward to this game!
If you have any ranks in any class skill granted by any class you have levels in, ...
or granted by a trait or feat that makes a skill a class skill for you ...
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If you have any ranks in any class skill granted by any class you have levels in, ...or granted by a trait or feat that makes a skill a class skill for you ...
Slightly off topic, but are there any feats that make skills into class skills? I know tons of traits do that, but I can't think of any feats.
Cosmopolitan - gain two languages and gain two Int, Cha, or Wis based skills as class skills.
There's also a number of archetypes which may swap some class skills for others.
