A question of specialties

[Reaper813]

So my question is this - if you raise a skill above 3 dots during character creation using the 5 bonus skill points, do you get a specialty?

This was raised when I was helping a new player create a character and I said they missed a specialty as they had 3 dots in one, but no specialty. They responded that since they spent some of the bonus 5 points to raise the skill to 3 points, they don't get a specialty. I'd read the rules on page 97 'For every Skill that ends up with three or more dots, choose a Specialty. Specialties are only free during character creation.' to mean that during character creation if at any point you raise a skill to 3 or above, you get a specialty. They had read it as you get the free specialties during step 3, but not from adding the bonus points in step 7.

This got me obsessed with finding an answer. I couldn't see any specific thing saying you do or don't and am wondering what the actual rule is.

[Mateus Luz]

If you follow the steps, one after the other, without looking back, that is what you get. In Scion the extra Skill dots are given in the last step, so that is what you get from RAW.

[Florin]

I'd just go ahead and let them have the specialties for any skill with enough dots after finishing touches.

[CassieCataria]

I'd read "free during character creation" as applying to any point in the process, so reaching 3 dots through bonus points would give you the free specialty.

[PXGentleman]

really? The impression I got is that the free specialty is only from step 3, and you don't get them via Finishing Touches.
Specialties are important! There's a reason they cost XP after character creation.

[Florin]

It says every skill that ends up 3 or higher. That implies to me at the end, you check to see which skills are st 3 or higher.