Newbie Question

[JCBoney]

Hello, I'm new to the 1st edition game and I'm going through the rules by creating some starter PCs as practice.

I have what is probably an extremely stupid basic question but I'm stumped and would appreciate any answer:

I'm rolling up a cleric. When I get to the skills, the Core books says on page 86 that you can never have more ranks in a skills than your total number of Hit Dice. Ok, at 1st level I assumed that means only one rank. But then, because the cleric is human, he gets another rank in any skill. So... can I put the rank for being human into the same skill as another skill thus giving me two ranks at 1st level, or must it be separate and in another skill that I haven't spent skill ranks on yet?

I appreciate any response and you can bet I'll have other questions! :D

[Dasrak]

JCBoney wrote:

When I get to the skills, the Core books says on page 86 that you can never have more ranks in a skills than your total number of Hit Dice. Ok, at 1st level I assumed that means only one rank.

This is correct. As a 1st level human cleric, you have 1 hit die and therefor can only have 1 rank in any given skill.

Hit dice can come from class levels or from being a monster. You're not a monster, therefor you only need to concern yourself with class levels. If you were something like a Dragon Cleric, then it would be more complicated, but no need to concern yourself with that ;-)

JCBoney wrote:

So... can I put the rank for being human into the same skill as another skill thus giving me two ranks at 1st level, or must it be separate and in another skill that I haven't spent skill ranks on yet?

It must be on a separate skill. The maximum number skill ranks you can place in a single skill is a hard limit, and nothing can push you above that limit.

JCBoney wrote:

I appreciate any response and you can bet I'll have other questions! :D

Ask away!

[JCBoney]

Thanks, Dasrak. That makes it much clearer.