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Playing my first campaign of 4e, I discovered Skill Powers in the Player's Handbook 3. Per the PHB 3:

Whenever you reach a level that grants you a utility power from your class, you can choose a skill power in place of a class power.

Except, of course, in the Wizard section of the PHB 1, it says:

Each time you gain a level that lets you select a daily spell or a utility spell, choose two different daily spells or utility spells of that level to add to your book.

Common sense tells me that should I want a Skill Power for my Wizard (specifically, Strategist's Epiphany to take advantage of my INT bonus and Skill Focus for an initiative roll), I sacrifice both of my Utility Power selections to get the one Skill Power. However, I want to see whether this is some rules loophole that can let Wizards play silly buggers with their powers list.

So, when I reach a level that gives me access to a two new Utility Powers, do I have the option of taking two Skill Powers, or may I only have one? If it's the former, am I permitted to take one Skill Power and one Utility Power? Or am I only allowed a single Skill Power, giving me the option of either two Utility Powers or one Utility Power and one Skill Power?

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You can take 2 wizard utility powers, or 1 non-wizard utility power.

Spellbook states:

Daily and Utility Powers: Your spellbook also holds your wizard daily attack powers and wizard utility powers (not including your cantrips). You begin with two daily attack powers in your spellbook, one of which you can use on any given day. Each time you gain a level that lets you select a wizard daily attack power or a wizard utility power, choose two different powers of that type at that level and add them to your book.

While wizard utility powers are a subset of all utility powers, they are not the entire set of utility powers (for example, multiclassing) available to a wizard.

Taking, for example, the iconic Feather Fall (which is horrible, but very recongizable),

It has, as its level "Wizard Utility 2". Thus, you may put it into your spellbook.

Taking Mighty Sprint (Athletics Utility 6) means that your utility 6 "slot" is forever locked into something not casterly, and therefore not in your spellbook.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks! Doubling up on that didn't sound right, but I wanted to be sure. :) \$\endgroup\$
    – Brian S
    Aug 4, 2013 at 2:18
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    \$\begingroup\$ Might be worth noting that these are corrections from the Class Compendium (I think). The original PHB1 doesn't specify it must be a Wizard power, and the PHB1 errata doesn't make that change either - Brian S is quoting the PHB1 truly. Before the update, the PHB1 Wizard could multiclass into any other class and use Spellbook to learn two of that class's daily and utility powers at a time. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 4, 2013 at 2:28

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