Wulf Ratbane

Multiclass Spellcasters

This alternate system attempts to rebalance all the basic classes to allow spellcasters to multiclass more freely. In 3rd edition, multiclass spellcasters kept two (or more!) distinct caster progressions: caster level, spells known, and spell slots per day. In practice—and particularly in the case of the Mystic Theurge prestige class—this generally meant giving up your highest level spells in exchange for twice as many lower level spell slots. And the Mystic Theurge was the best case scenario.

All classes have a Base Magic Bonus. There are four progressions:
• +1/3 levels (barbarian, fighter, rogue),
• +1/2 levels (monk, paladin, ranger),
• +2/3 levels (bard),
• +1/level (cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard)

The Base Magic Bonus (BMB) from each class adds together, just as the Base Attack Bonus combines for melee characters.

The character’s total Base Magic Bonus determines his caster level, his spell slots per day, and the number of spells he may ready each day. A character will generally have one more spell readied per day than he has spell slots, which allows some versatility in spellcasting.

At 1st level in any spellcasting class, the character gains access to all spells on a given spell list, adding them to his list of spells known. After a suitable rest period, the spellcaster chooses the spells he will ready from his list of spells known.

When he casts a spell, he may only cast a spell that he has readied; however, he may cast any spell he has readied, using his available spell slots, in any combination.

A spellcaster may always opt to use a higher-level spell slot to power a lower level spell. He also has much greater flexibility with regards to metamagic. A spellcaster need not ready the metamagic version of any spell; rather, if he has the spell readied, and he has access to a metamagic feat, and he has a sufficiently high spell slot available, he may apply the effects of metamagic as he casts.

Characters who multiclass into another spellcasting class gain access to all of the spells on the spell list of the new class. However, although this adds considerable versatility, their spells readied and spell slots per day are still calculated solely on their Base Magic Bonus.

In addition, each spell list carries with it certain restrictions. A multiclass character may have access to spells from many different lists, but he must meet all criteria and abide by all restrictions when casting a spell from that list.

Bard spells are arcane spells, and require a minimum Charisma equal to 10 + spell level to ready or cast. In addition, all bard spells have a somatic component (playing an instrument) and a verbal component (singing, chanting, etc.) Bards are able to ignore the arcane spell failure chance on their spells when wearing no armor or light armor. Heavier armors interfere with their playing and thus carry a chance of arcane spell failure.

Cleric spells are divine spells, and require a mimimum Wisdom equal to 10 + spell level to ready or cast. Clerics and paladins both gain access to all cleric spells at 1st level. In addition, clerics (but not paladins) may gain access to additional spells through their chosen domains.

Druid spells are divine spells, and require a minimum Wisdom equal to 10 + spell level to ready or cast. In addition, no character can cast druidic spells while wearing metal armor of any kind. Such attempts automatically fail.

Wizard spells are arcane spells, and require a minimum Intelligence equal to 10 + spell level to ready or cast. Wizard spells with somantic components require intricate hand gestures, and armor of any kind interferes with casting. Any character wearing armor suffers from a chance of arcane spell failure.

Sorcerers cast wizard spells, and their spells are the same in all respects, including arcane spell failure. However, sorcerers cast arcane spells through innate power (often derived from a fey, draconic, or even infernal bloodline), as opposed to study and research. A sorcerer can meet the ability score criteria of wizard spells using his Charisma rather than his Intelligence. A sorcerer must have a minimum Charisma of 10 + spell level to cast his spells.

Multiclass spellcasters use only their highest applicable ability score to determine bonus spell slots per day and the DC of their spells, regardless of which spell list they use to ready and cast spells.
(Note: Wide table, use scroll bar.)
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* A spellcaster’s base Ready Spells Per Day is always one more than the number of base spell slots listed.
** A character must be a spellcaster in order to cast spells.

As blog entries are limited to 10k characters, you can find further details of this system here.

This is tangential to "The Math" and "The Big Six" but I was dreaming about it this morning, so I thought I'd throw it out there and see what sticks.

Any magic item that provides an "enhancement bonus" scales with the level of the user: +1 per 4 levels.

This would fix the Big Six math for weapons, armor, shields, and stat boosters, leaving deflection and resistance bonuses/boosters untouched.

This gives a proportionally better "boost" to the melee classes, IMO.

As long as we're on the subject, I could lose the "mental" stat boosters (INT, WIS, CHA) entirely and be much happier. I seem to recall they didn't exist in the 3.0 PHB, and always thought that was a design decision they should not have rescinded.

Combat Reactions
Combat reactions allow you to take certain actions when it is not your turn.

You gain your first Reaction at BAB +1. For each additional 5 BAB (6th, 11th, and 16th) you may make an additional Reaction each turn.

Aid Attack
You may assist another character’s attack on his turn. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a Reaction. On your ally’s turn, you make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.

Aid Defense
You may assist another character’s defense. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a Reaction. On the opponent’s turn, you make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains a +2 bonus to his AC against that opponent’s next attack, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.

NOTE: This takes Aid Another out of the characters own actions and creates a Reaction out of them-- which I think means you'll see PCs use them a lot more often. PCs can take their own action on their own turn, and they can still chip in and not feel like their turn is wasted.

Dodge
You may attempt to dodge a single melee or ranged attack. As a Reaction on your opponent’s turn,roll 1d20 before your opponent makes his attack. Your AC against that attack is calculated using the result of the d20 roll, plus ½ your BAB, plus all applicable AC bonuses, instead of 10+all applicable bonuses.

Note: This is unquestionably one of the more potent Reactions. Essentially, this Reaction allows you to roll for your base AC, instead of Taking 10 (rules as written). With the additional benefit of adding ½ your BAB to the roll, using the active Dodge is almost always better, on average, than trusting to your normal AC.

Parry
If you are engaged in melee, you may use your Reaction to parry your opponent’s melee attack. As a Reaction on your opponent’s turn, you gain DR against your opponent’s attack equal to ½ your BAB. If you are parrying with a buckler or shield, add the shield’s AC bonus to the amount of DR.

Opportunity Attack
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an opportunity attack from you. As a Reaction, you may make a single melee attack at your normal attack bonus.

NOTE: This moves the pre-existing attack of opportunity mechanic under the umbrella of Reactions.

Re: Combat Reflexes
A character with Combat Reflexes adds his DEX modifier to his BAB for the purposes of determining how many Reactions he may make per turn.

NOTE: Still useful for low-level, low-BAB characters still, but significantly weakens this feat overall. A 1st level rogue with a +3 DEX mod will start with 1 Reaction, and pick up his 2nd reaction at 4th level (BAB+3).

Well since it's come up again I might as well share my thoughts on this topic now.

Here's the text of what I posted a while back on the Pathfinder forums:

I firmly believe that the rules should support the way the game is actually played. In my experience, 3e plays like this:

• By second level, the PCs have purchased a wand of cure light wounds.
• Given 5 minutes, they can completely empty any wand and bring everyone back to full health.
• The PCs do everything possible to enter every fight at full hit points, if not necessarily at full ability.
• The cost of the cure wand (of applicable strength for the party level) simply becomes a tax on the PCs wealth.
• PCs will stop adventuring rather than continue in a sub-optimal state.
• The CR system is most accurate when the party is at their full capacity.
• Published adventures almost always go "off script" because the PCs retreat at unexpected times. My options as a DM are to allow it-- which means suddenly accounting for the passage of 1 day-- or to find some excuse to prevent them from retreating.

Here is my fix, which I believe is eminently backwards compatible:

10-minute Rest Period

• A “rest period” is 10 minutes of uninterrupted rest, to include no more than conversation and light activity.
  
• All character abilities that were previously granted “per day” are instead granted “per rest.” This includes rage, smite, etc. as well as spellcasting (see below).
  
• All players receive a number of “Reserve Points.” (In our campaign, we use Action Points, but I’ll replace this term here since Action Points come with their own set of baggage.) Set this number as desired: ½ character level, for example. You can also award additional Reserve Points for good play, reaching milestones, etc.
  
  Aside: Although I am still making my way through the current ENworld thread linked above, the latest posts indicate support for some kind of "adventure resource." I think this falls into that category.
  
  
• You can, instead, use a "Party Reserve Points" pool. All PCs spend from the same pool of Reserve Points, so it becomes a group decision how best to manage those resources.
  
• All abilities are refreshed once every 24 hours, at no cost of Reserve points. (In other words, always at least as often as the current system allows.)

After a successful rest period, at no cost of Reserve Points:

• All “per rest” abilities are refreshed.
• All characters heal an amount of hit points equal to 50% of their normal hit point total.
• All Simple spells are refreshed. (see below).
• Any ongoing spell effects on your person are dispelled when your rest is complete, regardless of any duration they may have remaining. (This does not apply to spells with instantaneous or permanent durations.)

After a successful rest period, at a cost of 1 Reserve Point:

• A character can recover an additional amount of hit points equal to 50% of their normal hit point total (which will restore any character to full hit points).
• All Complex spells are refreshed. (see below).
• You may refresh one Exotic spell per Reserve Point spent.

Spellcasting
All spells are designated as Simple, Complex, or Exotic:

• Simple spells include:
  All 0 level spells.
  Any single target spell with a duration of 1 min/level or less.
  
• Complex spells include:
  Any area of effect or multiple-target spell.
  Any spell with a duration of 10 minutes/level or longer.
  Any Conjuration (creation, calling, or teleport).
  
• Exotic spells include:
  The big three gamebreakers: Divination/Commune, Raise Dead, Teleport
  “Edge case” spells that create permanent goods (water, food, iron) at the DM’s discretion.

You’ll typically find PCs in one of two cases:

In the first case, the PCs are in a situation where there is no real rationale for pressuring them (such as exploring a largely abandoned tomb full of undead or golem guardians that are not inclined to pursue). If the PCs are able to retreat and rest overnight without being unduly harried, then I would just as soon get them back into the action after a short rest.

In fact I’ve found that most of my players, once they are forced to retreat and rest for a full day, will find all sorts of other things to do with their time besides getting back to the adventure I intended for them.

In the second (and more common) case, the PCs are engaged in some predicament that is “alive” and “responsive.” But in this case, too, I prefer the 10 minute rest period. It is much easier for me, as a DM, to look to the adventure and determine what the bad guys will do with 10 minutes to prepare—to cast spells, to hunt the PCs down, to organize defenses—than it is for me to lay out their plans given almost an entire day. Again, I’d rather the PCs were harried on a 10-minute clock than on a full day clock.

(As an aside, as a result of this change, I’ve started using Wandering Monsters again, and I’ve simply put the check on a 10 minute timer. The PCs are never sure of getting a 10 minute rest.)

And I'll extend on those prior comments with my response to the thread here:

Here's a look at some undead from the SRD.

The HD/CR column shows the effective turning HD, which includes any turn resistance, divided by the CR.

This ranks the table from easiest to turn, to most difficult to turn, at any given level where the creature is presented as a moderate encounter.

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* holds for Lich and Ghost as well (same HD/CR/turn resistance formula).