Is Multiclassing Balanced?

airwalkrr

Adventurer

• Jul 8, 2006

• #1

Multiclassing has gone through many variants from the days of 1e to the present. It used to be an extremely restrictive, yet powerful option. Nowadays it remains powerful, but not so restrictive. However gone are the days when warrior-mages can stand toe-to-toe with the best fighters and mages at the same time. The spellcasters is a less common multiclass option in 3e than the warrior, who often splashes several melee classes together to improve his saving throws and skill points and to increase his assortment of class abilities. So what do you think, En World? Is multiclassing a balanced mechanic, or is it still in need of fixing?

 

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Ravellion

serves Gnome Master

• Jul 8, 2006

• #2

It needs to be fixed. How? I have no idea. Some individual patches seem to work rather well, like the Duskblade. But not every concept demands a new base class.

Perhaps a rule could be invented that would allow you to take two classes and put them in a blender? You want a fighter rogue? That's a d8 hd, medium armour proficiency, 5 skill points per level, 4bab per 5 levels, sneak attack level 1 , bonus feat level 3, etc. class.

 

Drowbane

First Post

• Jul 8, 2006

• #3

Voted "Balanced for all". The new multiclassing rules are one of 3e's better innovations (along with BA and 3 saves).

 

Sammael

Adventurer

• Jul 8, 2006

• #4

It's balanced for all. A multiclassed spellcaster shouldn't be as powerful as a single-classed one, because he makes up for loss of spell power with flexibility.

 

Drowbane

First Post

• Jul 8, 2006

• #5

Sammael said:

It's balanced for all. A multiclassed spellcaster shouldn't be as powerful as a single-classed one, because he makes up for loss of spell power with flexibility.

Click to expand...

QFT

 

Geron Raveneye

Explorer

• Jul 8, 2006

• #6

Doesn't that depend very much on what you want to express with the multiclassing system? "Balance" in multiclassing is not so much the question as what multiclassing tells about the character. In my opinion, the 3E system simply falls on its face with the assumption that all levels are equal in value except in XP value.

 

Henrix

Explorer

• Jul 8, 2006

• #7

All in all multiclassing is fairly "balanced". Not all combinations are optimal, of course, and I think spellcasters really need some of the newer feats to be viable (Practiced Spellcaster...).

 

T

Tinker Gnome

Adventurer

• Jul 8, 2006

• #8

I believe it is balanced for all types of classes.

 

Hussar

Legend

• Jul 8, 2006

• #9

Spellcasters get pretty heavily hosed in multiclassing. Unless you are only dipping a level or two that is. Otherwise, because most of the spells scale by level, you get too badly burned with the loss of caster level.

In other words, a 5/5 fighter/mage is a heck of a lot weaker than a 10 mage. Sure, he's got some nice bennies from the fighter levels, but, as a spell caster, in EL 10 encounters, he's not terribly effective.

Personally, I like the replacement levels rule and would love to see that done as an alternative to multiclassing. Kinda the blender option mentioned above. From what I've seen, it's the best of both worlds - unique, customizable class options without becoming the weakest link.

 

WizarDru

Adventurer

• Jul 8, 2006

• #10

Sammael said:

It's balanced for all. A multiclassed spellcaster shouldn't be as powerful as a single-classed one, because he makes up for loss of spell power with flexibility.

Click to expand...

In practice, that sounds good, but IME, the loss of spellcasting class levels is much harsher than on non-spellcasting classes. Sub-optimal choices are fine, but most spellcasters make a multiclassing choice that haunts them for the rest of the characters life. Imagine being a sorceror, where you're already getting spell levels later than the rest of the casters...now imagine you multiclass. Getting access to necessary spells for a party's survival two levels later than normal tends to put a serious kink in your effectiveness. (Facing a bodak without Death ward, because you don't get it until 9th instead of 7th, for example)

I think the most recent feats (like Practiced Spellcaster) fix that problem, by making it an expensive choice, but not an ineffective one.