Intelligence Increase and Skills at later levels

[Levi]

If at 10th level or so a character increases it's intelligence must that be spent on a new skill at the trained level, or can it be applied to increasing an already trained skill to a higher proficiency rank? I lean towards the latter, but can't find anything that explicitly allows for it.

[Ubertron_X]

CRB wrote:

If an ability boost increases your character’s Intelligence modifier, they become trained in an additional skill and language.

Page 31 under "leveling up". Can't be used to increase an already existing skill.

[Levi]

Yeah, but that doesn't explicitly disallow it either, and going from UT to trained feels like a larger jump than Expert to Mastery. It feels like it was an oversight one way or another.

None of my players have tried this yet, but they should hit level 10 after next session, and I see the wizard looking to give it a spin. Skill raises are so few and far between for non-rogues anyways.

[Jared Walter 356]

Levi wrote:

Yeah, but that doesn't explicitly disallow it either, and going from UT to trained feels like a larger jump than Expert to Mastery. It feels like it was an oversight one way or another.

None of my players have tried this yet, but they should hit level 10 after next session, and I see the wizard looking to give it a spin. Skill raises are so few and far between for non-rogues anyways.

This language from the CRB :"they become trained" means they move from untrained to trained. It has no other meaning, so yes it specifically disallows expert to mastery by specifically only allowing untrained to trained.

If it meant to allow the other it would say "increase their proficiency" rank in a skill.

And being trained in a skill you might never use is not nearly as useful as increasing a proficiency rank in a skill core to your class.

[Levi]

Yet if it only said "increase their proficiency" than that could be argued as disallowing the acquiring of a new skill.

That increasing a core skill is more relevant than acquiring training in a skill you may never use, thus balancing the mechanic, has merit though.

My gut still tells me that I should allow it (if it does come up) but I want to remain consistent. Just because it wouldn't be an issue now, doesn't mean it won't be one later.

Thank you for your input.

[Malk_Content]

Put it this way, if you allow it to move up proficiency ranks you get a character who invested in intelligence later in life having more expertise than someone who started that way.

E.g character A has 12 int getting them +1 trained skill at level 1. The limiting factor on their expert skills are the advancements from level ups.

Character B has 10 int, getting just their class skills at level 1.

At level 5 B ups intelligence while A does not. They both have 12 int. Under your interpretation B now has more Expert skills than A despite their characters being otherwise indistinguishable. In literally everyone else's reading they have the same skill profile.

[Malk_Content]

More pressingly if character A and B arent naturally levelled characters but, say two characters being built for a level 5 campaign. They could end up with the exact same feats, equipment and ability scores but B is better than A because they took the 12 int at 5 and not 1.

[Jared Walter 356]

Levi wrote:

Yet if it only said "increase their proficiency" than that could be argued as disallowing the acquiring of a new skill.

Umm no. Untrained to Trained is increasing their skill proficiency as well. pg 68: "A character may use this skill increase to either become trained in one skill, or to become an expert in one skill in which they are already trained" at 7th level you can use this skill increase to become master if already expert and at 15th they use this to become legendary.