My main exception revolves around my tendency to play at least one wizard for every edition. Usually, I build this wizard around the concept of being smart and extremely knowledgeable of arcane subjects. My fear is that an Arcane Trickster build will outperform this concept without any possibility of being competitive. Consequently, I parsed the numbers using a range of numbers to represent a range of scenarios.
The set of numbers represent a two characters, one with the rogue abilities and the other with the wizard abilities. In each set, the wizard's numbers represent the best possible combination at level 10 under the current playtest rules. The rogue's numbers vary from set to set. Each set represents a rogue with a different set of aplitude in the same skill. The first set shows a rogue with no skill. The second set displays number with some skill and aplitude, and each successive set adds more skill with the last set possessing equal skill numbers. The SM field displays the average bonus that 3d10 expertise die will grant a rogue during a single round.
Here's the breakdown:
| No Skill or Aplitude | ||||
| Skill Bonus | Attribute | SM | Total | |
| Rogue | 0 | 0 | 7.975 | 12.175 |
| Wizard | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22.5 |
| Some Skill | ||||
| Skill Bonus | Attribute | SM | Total | |
| Rogue | 3 | 1 | 7.975 | 22.475 |
| Wizard | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22.5 |
| Moderate Skill | ||||
| Skill Bonus | Attribute | SM | Total | |
| Rogue | 3 | 3 | 7.975 | 24.475 |
| Wizard | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22.5 |
| High Skill | ||||
| Skill Bonus | Attribute | SM | Total | |
| Rogue | 5 | 4 | 7.975 | 27.475 |
| Wizard | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22.5 |
| Maximum Skill | ||||
| Skill Bonus | Attribute | SM | Total | |
| Rogue | 7 | 5 | 7.975 | 30.475 |
| Wizard | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22.5 |
With no skill, the rogue can't match a fully skilled wizard at tenth level; pretty good from my standpoint. However, rogue trained in a skill and possessing a +1 attribute bonus matches the wizard with a maximum (+7) skill level with a maximum attribute bonus. This doesn't seem as fair to me. Adding more skill points and/or attribute bonuses just make this problem worse. The rogue regularly performs better than the wizard. A fully optimized rogue can, on average, meet a DC 30 check. That is eight points higher than a character with maximum skills. That's huge disparity.
As a result, I don't like skill mastery. Having to take a level (when multiclassing comes out) in rogue just be competive in a skill set normally associated with a different class is just... WRONG! On top of that, the rogue gets eight skills versus six for the Monk, five for the cleric and wizard and four for the fighter just creates even more imbalance in the game. A wizard, or any other non-rogue class, can't compete with a rogue with a minimum amount of skill.
My recommendation is to limit skill mastery to the skills granted by the rogue's scheme. If WotC doesn't, I can see this creating problems in adhoc groups, like those of a Living Campaign. I can even see it causing problems with new groups; established groups would probably just houserule the imbalance once it comes to light.
