Multiclassing: Power Swaps for At-Wills, Action Points and Paragon Multiclassing

[comrade raoul]

I know these are a dime a dozen right now, but I'd be really grateful for feedback on a multiclassing fix I'm really happy with. It involves two basic ideas.

1. All three Heroic-tier power swap feats, required as a prerequisite, are enough to balance out swapping an at-will from a second class with a feat--rather than with paragon multiclassing.
2. Spending an action point is enough to get a major class feature for a whole encounter.

Taken together, you get an approach to multiclassing that doesn't require a big sui generis subsystem (now, paragon multiclassing is structurally identical to other paragon paths) and offers multiclass characters the following two corresponding advantages:

1. To get access to another class's at-will powers, all you need to do is spend feats. (Albeit a lot of feats.)
2. If you give up a paragon path in favor of paragon multiclassing, you'll end up with access to at least most, and usually all, of your second class's class features--even if their big, role-defining feature costs you an action point to get. (So you basically only get it at most every other encounter.)

With this in mind: first, the one new feat:

Master Power [Multiclass At-Will]
Prerequisites: Any class-specific multiclass feat, Novice Power, Acolyte Power, Adept Power, 11th level
Benefit: You can swap one at-will attack power you know for an at-will attack power from your second class.

Second, here's my approach to paragon multiclassing. Note that, except for the powers, this system entirely replaces the PH system.

Paragon Multiclassing
If you have the class-specific multiclass feat for a class, along with the Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats, you can choose to gain features and powers from that class rather than take a paragon path. If you choose this option, you move towards becoming a true member of both classes: you split your powers more or less evenly between both classes, you acquire most of your second class's features, and you can even fully step into your second class's role in a pinch.

• In place of the paragon path encounter power gained at 11th level, you can select any encounter power of 7th level or lower from your second class.
• In place of the paragon path utility power gained at 12th level, you can select any utility power of 10th level or lower from your second class.
• In place of the paragon path daily power gained at 20th level, you can select any daily power of 19th level or lower from your second class.
• In place of features from your paragon path, you gain access to features from your second class. The features you gain access to depend on your second class, as follows.

Cleric
Cleric's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the healing word power until the end of the encounter. (Like any cleric, you can use the power twice during the encounter, or three times if you are at least 16th level.)
Channel Divinity (11th level): You gain the cleric's Channel Divinity class feature, including access to the divine fortune and turn undead encounter powers.
Healder's Lore (16th level): You gain the cleric's Healer's Lore class feature.

Fighter
Fighter's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the fighter's Combat Challenge class feature until the end of the encounter.
Combat Superiority (11th level): You gain the fighter's Combat Superiority class feature.
Fighter Weapon Talent (16th level): You gain the fighter's Fighter Weapon Talent class feature.

Paladin
Paladin's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the paladin's divine challenge power until the end of the encounter.
Channel Divinity (11th level): You gain the paladin's Channel Divinity class feature, including access to the divine mettle and divine strength encounter powers.
Lay on Hands (16th level): You gain the paladin's Lay on Hands class feature, including the lay on hands at-will power.

Ranger
Ranger's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the ranger's Hunter's Quarry class feature until the end of the encounter.
Fighting Style (11th level): You gain the ranger's Fighting Style class feature.
Prime Shot (16th level): You gain the ranger's Prime Shot class feature.

Rogue
Rogue's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the rogue's Sneak Attack class feature until the end of the encounter.
First Strike (11th level): You gain the rogue's First Strike class feature.
Rogue Tactics (16th level): You gain the rogue's Rogue Tactics class feature.

Warlock
Warlock's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the warlock's Warlock's Curse class feature until the end of the encounter.
Pact Boon (11th level): You gain the pact boon from the pact you chose with the Pact Initiate feat, along with the benefit that pact provides to your Warlock's Curse.
Shadow Walk (16th level): You gain the warlock's Shadow Walk class feature.

Warlord
Warlord's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain the use of the inspiring word power until the end of the encounter. Like any warlord, you can use the power twice during the encounter, or three times if you are at least 16th level.
Combat Leader (11th level): You gain the warlord's Combat Leader class feature.
Commanding Presence (16th level): You gain the warlord's Commanding Presence class feature.

Wizard
Wizard's Action (11th level): You can spend an action point to regain one wizard encounter power you have already used, instead of taking an extra action.
Ritual Casting (11th level): You gain the Ritual Caster feat as a bonus feat.
Spellbook (11th level): You gain the wizard's Spellbook class feature. Your book contains three 1st-level rituals, two 5th-level rituals, and two 11th-level rituals of your choice that you have already mastered.
Arcane Implement Mastery (16th level): You gain the wizard's Arcane Implement Mastery class feature.

[Zelc]

This is very similar to my boost to paragon multiclassing (see sig), except you trade at-wills for another class ability while I have it as the level 11 paragon ability. Also, you have to watch out about it giving too much. Keep in mind an action point ability should be about as powerful as a reroll, and the level 16 abilities usually aren't that great. You should also be careful not to give out all of a class's class features.

Heck, I'm worried the bonuses in my version are too strong. The Strikers' extra damage is easiest to compare; I'm not sure there's any action point ability that is as good as adding +2d6 or +3d6 (or +3d6 or +5d6) once per turn against one target.

I like this general idea of adding an action point ability and a level 16 ability (I'm biased though :P), but I think you need to tone down some of the benefits.

[comrade raoul]

Yeah, I'm worried about the strength of the bonuses, too.

Probably the best point of comparison is Extra Damage Action. You get the extra action, plus +5 to +15 damage for two hits--or more if you have powers that are good for multiple hits. Are the striker features better than that? I'm not sure.

One other thing to consider is that a lot of level 16 powers really are good: think of the kensei or stormwarden, say. It seems to me that most of the other class features are probably weaker than a lot of paragon path features, although, again, I could be wrong.

[comrade raoul]

To put it in perspective, compare Hunter's Quarry to Extra Damage Action at, say, 16th level.

Let's say the Extra Damage Action (EDA) character uses his extra action to use an at-will power, hits with it, and also hits with his other standard action attack. I take this to be a pretty moderate interpretation of the benefit you might get from EDA--both regular attacks hit, sure, you don't use up any other resources by using an extra encounter or daily power (though the fact that you could, if you needed to, is naturally a point in EDA's favor), and you're not benefitting from other unusual damage bonuses. How much damage should a 16th level character expected to do with a successful at-will power? 5 points from his base damage die, +6 from his ability modifier, +4 from his weapon, and +3 from other sources, like feats gets us to 20, a nice round number. So he uses his action point to get +36 (20 + 8 + 8) damage in one round, and it's not hard to imagine situations where EDA can net you considerably more. (This also doesn't take into account any of the other effects of the extra action.)

Hunter's Quarry, on the other hand, gives him an average of +7 points per hit (without the feat that increases the damage dice), no more than once per round. So, basically, you're looking at about 5 hits, over the course of an encounter, for Hunter's Quarry to match EDA in terms of damage output. You may get less control over when that damage happens, and you have to spend minor actions, but--if you spend the action point to get Hunter's Quarry at the beginning of the round, you're likely to pull ahead. Of course, you may not want to spend that action point at the beginning of the round: you might, at least at first, want to see how the fight goes for a bit. Maybe you'll need to spend your action point on an extra action after all--if you commit to Hunter's Quarry anyway, you lose that flexibility. Of course, if you wait, you're less likely to get all those hits in you need to break even.

In light of that--and in the absence of playtesting--I'm optimistic. Sneak Attack does even more damage, of course--particularly when you factor in Brutal Scoundrel--but the weapon limitation is a pain for most characters, and the combat advantage requirement makes it even less reliable.

[comrade raoul]

Let's give this a bump, over the weekend, just to see what happens.

[Zelc]

That analysis of Hunter's Quarry/Warlock's Curse is great, and I guess they're not overpowered . I'm also curious as to how good it is to have an extra 2-3 (or even 1-3, for my purposes ) equivalents of Healing Word per encounter, for a Cleric/Warlord or Warlord/Cleric. It's a lot of extra HP healed, and I'm guessing other powers that allow people to use Healing Surges will get worse.