But that's what Im trying to point out. At level 1, it is supposes to be a small difference. Even at level 4 it is meant to be small. As you get to higher levels the gap increases. A level 8 Rogue will have considerable advantage over a level 8 fighter at Lock Pick, Stealth, etc. However, at level 4 it is not as big an advantage.
If you increase the prof bonuses at level 1, you will severely skew the bonuses at later levels.
This is EA. We are capped at level 4. Wait until later levels. You will see a far greater difference between classes as you get to higher levels.
Think of it like high school. Level 1 is like being a freshman. Everyone has roughly the same basic elementary knowledge. Some might be better at some things than others, but they are still babies in even those areas, unless they're prodigies.
Level 4 is like maybe Junior. You have, by this point, started to really veer towards one path or another, but you still need a lot of refinement.
Then Level 5 is like you are on your last year of high school. Now you are really choosing your major and charging towards your career. After that, you are like in college until maybe level 8. Now you are a true pro, and you are significantly better at your craft than everyone else.
Others may not necessarily agree on my level choices, but the point is that in the beginning you aren't supposed to have this huge difference between characters in skills and abilities. It is a progressive change that occurs as you level up.
This is why some players hate starting at level 1. They like to create characters at level 5 it least, so they have more differences and aren't such weaklings. The problem with starting at level 5 or whatever is that it takes longer to level up, and people will get frustrated that their characters aren't ever growing.
But remember, D&D is meant to simulate life. Your characters are supposed to grow quickly at first to learn the basic. Then, as they continue on their chosen paths, they start to refine their abilities, which takes a lot longer to so.
