According to p.6 of the FAQ, Initiates don't acquire the Piety and Invocation advanced skills for free at character creation, yet Apprentice Wizards do acquire their parallel skills for free (Channeling and Spellcraft). Furthermore, a starting Initiate does gain a lovely assortment of basic skills that use Piety and Invocation -- two skills that he can't use unless he spends creation points.

Can someone explain to me the mechanical and fluff rationalization of this rule? I have not tested either of these careers in play, but it seems invariably harsh for the player of the Initiate. Assuming the Initiate does invest the points into getting the advanced skills, then he's strapped as far as other character creation options go. But an Apprentice Wizard has as many options as any other career, and gets his advanced skills for free. I don't get it.

In regard to setting balance, you can say that priests, etc, come with a great deal of respect and goodwill from nearly all the citizens of the Empire. This can give them bonuses in countless interactions throughout the game. In my games priests are generally major characters because they are usually the only ones that can be relied upon to get the time of day from burghers, plebs, and nobles alike. In contrast, wizards are often shunned or distrusted. They do have a certain amount of authority, but this is generally begrudged by everyone else, and the people they interact with will often be secretly obstructive or fearful or even outright hostile to them.

In regard to system, it seems to me that the fundamental wizardly skills come from a natural talent that the character possesses. In contrast the advantages bestowed upon priests need to be earned from years of devotion and sacrifice. So that could be a reason why one career eats up past resources (creation points) while the other doesn't. Fwiw, I'm happy with the differentiation between the two types and believe it makes sense on several levels.