What do you think of these house rules?
This system is an attempt to make it practical for characters to reach beyond 20th level without getting absurdly powerful. This is done by essentially elevating archetypes to work almost like separate classes in their own right. In other words, all the archetypes of a given class are treated as "sub-classes" bound up together under the umbrella of that class, sharing much in common with one another but carrying their own class levels (but without munchkinistic super-high BABs, skill bonuses, or save bonuses).
First, to justify all this kludgery: the main intent is for a would-be "epic-level" character to surpass the conventional 20-level limit on any given class without having to resort to conventional multiclassing, and without expand on the existing class by adding actual new levels (and new class features to fill them up with).
Part of this system is that it makes archetypes mandatory (but without excluding the standard version of any class). When a Paladin with the Hospitaler archetype or a Bard with the Detective archetype levels up, he does so as a Paladin (hospitaler) or as a Bard (detective), not simply as a Paladin or a Bard.
Accordingly, the "standard version" of a given class is treated as just another archetype (referred to as the Standard archetype of that class). Thus, every character with a class is also considered to have an archetype. For example, when a Fighter with the "Standard" archetype (that is, having all the standard abilities of a Fighter) advances in level, he does so as a Fighter (standard), and this is equivalent in scope to gaining levels as a Fighter (archer) or Fighter (brawler).
Now there are two kinds of leveling combinations, the normal kind (multiclassing) and multityping. Multiclassing is the usual combination of two or more classes, say Fighter (mobile fighter) / Rogue (acrobat). Multityping consists of combining of two or more archetypes of the same class, such as Fighter (archer) / Fighter (crossbowman).
Multiclassing follows all the standard multiclassing rules--all basic features stack (that is: hit dice/hit points, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skill ranks, character feats, and so on) according to every class (not archetype) the character has levels in. Both classes must have an archetype (even if it is only the Standard one for that class). The chief restriction on multiclassing is that a character can only learn 10 total levels of secondary classes ('secondary' defined as any non-favored class one has levels in). The aforementioned Fighter (mobile fighter) / Rogue (acrobat), assuming Fighter is his favored class, can advance in Fighter indefinitely, but can gain only 10 total levels in Rogue (acrobat), or a combination of 10 total levels in Rogue and Wizard, Rogue and Wizard and Cleric, etc. I would also be wary of any proposed game effect that would bypass this 10 level limit for secondary classes. There is a feat that allows humans to gain a second favored (primary) class, and that is far as it should go, I think.
Multityping does not stack basic features within the same class; only the highest-level archetype's features count. (Each archetype's levels still count toward total character level and XP needed to level.) However, a multityped character gains the substituted abilities for both archetypes, even if they would both substitute for the same standard class ability. The normal multiclassing, level-stacking rules lead to huge power imbalances near and beyond 20th level, and the non-stacking restriction is meant to address this. Multityping keeps BAB, saves, etc., more or less under control, while still allowing characters to learn new tricks.
For example, a Fighter (archer) 15 / Fighter (crossbowman) 10 has the BAB, base save bonuses, skill points, hit points, character feat slots, class skills set, and so on of a standard 15th-level Fighter, has all Archer-specific abilities up to 15th level (Hawkeye, Trick Shot, Expert Archer, Safe Shot, Evasive Archer), gains all Crossbowman-specific abilities up to 10th level (Deadshot, Crossbow Expert, Improved Deadshot, Quick Sniper), and of course gains any standard Fighter abilities that both archetypes have in common up to 15th level (in this case Fighter Bonus Feats). There is no limit to the number of total levels a character can gain in different archetypes of his favored class (usually the first class he gains a level in). Taking levels in multiple archetypes of a secondary class still contribute toward the 10-level limit for secondary classes unless the character is allowed two favored classes (such as by a feat or other ability).
Multityping also applies when a character takes levels in a class's Standard archetype in combination with any other archetype of that class, for example Ranger (standard) combined with Ranger (spirit ranger). In these cases, the named archetype's alternative abilities also do not supersede those of the Standard archetype; the multityped character gains both in parallel (as allowed by individual level). For example, a multityped Ranger (standard 4 / spirit ranger 4) can have both an animal companion (or hunting companion bond) and a spirit bond.
Spells gained and spells known do not stack within the same class, but only overlap. A multityped Oracle (stargazer 12 / planar 8) has the spells of a 12th-level oracle, not a 20th-level one.
Under the standard rules, a 20th-level Monk (martial artist) who wants to keep leveling up has to gain levels in *something* that would let him remain true to his character concept (no ki, unarmed combat expert). Core classes such as Fighter or Rogue, or perhaps a Monk-ish prestige class (if he qualifies) would let him add to what he already has while remaining sort of martial artist-y (though with varying amounts of non-Monkish baggage). But if he could simply adopt more Monk abilities that supplemented what he already had, he could stay within his class and remain true to his character concept. Here is where multityping comes in.
Mechanically, the Monk (martial artist) character starts over as a Monk 1 but leveling up as a different archetype, perhaps becoming a Monk (martial artist) 20 / Monk (master of many styles) 1. This Monk character could progress indefinitely through many Monk archetypes, retaining all the basic abilities of a 20th-level Monk but gaining access to all the different alternative class features offered by the various archetypes. But in order to advance his BAB beyond the normal Monk limit of +15, however, he would still need to multiclass into a non-Monk class such as Fighter (and then only up to 10 levels for a secondary class).
To keep even Multityping under control, it has to have its own "soft" limit of 20 levels' worth of basic ability improvements. This means that the Fighter (archer) / Fighter (crossbowman) will stop gaining improvements to his BAB once he has 20 total levels of Fighter archetypes, even though he can learn all the Fighter archetypes in the world if he is able and willing to. Fighter still maxes out at +20 BAB, +12/+6/+6 base save bonuses, 11 fighter bonus feats, and 20d10 base hit points, and that's all there is to it. Only by multiclassing into a secondary class can these limits be surpassed, and multiclassing requires that a character learn whole new ways of thinking versus the minor adaptations required for multityping (hence the 10-level limit).
This system is an attempt to make it practical for characters to reach beyond 20th level without getting absurdly powerful. This is done by essentially elevating archetypes to work almost like separate classes in their own right. In other words, all the archetypes of a given class are treated as "sub-classes" bound up together under the umbrella of that class, sharing much in common with one another but carrying their own class levels (but without munchkinistic super-high BABs, skill bonuses, or save bonuses).
First, to justify all this kludgery: the main intent is for a would-be "epic-level" character to surpass the conventional 20-level limit on any given class without having to resort to conventional multiclassing, and without expand on the existing class by adding actual new levels (and new class features to fill them up with).
Part of this system is that it makes archetypes mandatory (but without excluding the standard version of any class). When a Paladin with the Hospitaler archetype or a Bard with the Detective archetype levels up, he does so as a Paladin (hospitaler) or as a Bard (detective), not simply as a Paladin or a Bard.
Accordingly, the "standard version" of a given class is treated as just another archetype (referred to as the Standard archetype of that class). Thus, every character with a class is also considered to have an archetype. For example, when a Fighter with the "Standard" archetype (that is, having all the standard abilities of a Fighter) advances in level, he does so as a Fighter (standard), and this is equivalent in scope to gaining levels as a Fighter (archer) or Fighter (brawler).
Now there are two kinds of leveling combinations, the normal kind (multiclassing) and multityping. Multiclassing is the usual combination of two or more classes, say Fighter (mobile fighter) / Rogue (acrobat). Multityping consists of combining of two or more archetypes of the same class, such as Fighter (archer) / Fighter (crossbowman).
Multiclassing follows all the standard multiclassing rules--all basic features stack (that is: hit dice/hit points, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skill ranks, character feats, and so on) according to every class (not archetype) the character has levels in. Both classes must have an archetype (even if it is only the Standard one for that class). The chief restriction on multiclassing is that a character can only learn 10 total levels of secondary classes ('secondary' defined as any non-favored class one has levels in). The aforementioned Fighter (mobile fighter) / Rogue (acrobat), assuming Fighter is his favored class, can advance in Fighter indefinitely, but can gain only 10 total levels in Rogue (acrobat), or a combination of 10 total levels in Rogue and Wizard, Rogue and Wizard and Cleric, etc. I would also be wary of any proposed game effect that would bypass this 10 level limit for secondary classes. There is a feat that allows humans to gain a second favored (primary) class, and that is far as it should go, I think.
Multityping does not stack basic features within the same class; only the highest-level archetype's features count. (Each archetype's levels still count toward total character level and XP needed to level.) However, a multityped character gains the substituted abilities for both archetypes, even if they would both substitute for the same standard class ability. The normal multiclassing, level-stacking rules lead to huge power imbalances near and beyond 20th level, and the non-stacking restriction is meant to address this. Multityping keeps BAB, saves, etc., more or less under control, while still allowing characters to learn new tricks.
For example, a Fighter (archer) 15 / Fighter (crossbowman) 10 has the BAB, base save bonuses, skill points, hit points, character feat slots, class skills set, and so on of a standard 15th-level Fighter, has all Archer-specific abilities up to 15th level (Hawkeye, Trick Shot, Expert Archer, Safe Shot, Evasive Archer), gains all Crossbowman-specific abilities up to 10th level (Deadshot, Crossbow Expert, Improved Deadshot, Quick Sniper), and of course gains any standard Fighter abilities that both archetypes have in common up to 15th level (in this case Fighter Bonus Feats). There is no limit to the number of total levels a character can gain in different archetypes of his favored class (usually the first class he gains a level in). Taking levels in multiple archetypes of a secondary class still contribute toward the 10-level limit for secondary classes unless the character is allowed two favored classes (such as by a feat or other ability).
Multityping also applies when a character takes levels in a class's Standard archetype in combination with any other archetype of that class, for example Ranger (standard) combined with Ranger (spirit ranger). In these cases, the named archetype's alternative abilities also do not supersede those of the Standard archetype; the multityped character gains both in parallel (as allowed by individual level). For example, a multityped Ranger (standard 4 / spirit ranger 4) can have both an animal companion (or hunting companion bond) and a spirit bond.
Spells gained and spells known do not stack within the same class, but only overlap. A multityped Oracle (stargazer 12 / planar 8) has the spells of a 12th-level oracle, not a 20th-level one.
Under the standard rules, a 20th-level Monk (martial artist) who wants to keep leveling up has to gain levels in *something* that would let him remain true to his character concept (no ki, unarmed combat expert). Core classes such as Fighter or Rogue, or perhaps a Monk-ish prestige class (if he qualifies) would let him add to what he already has while remaining sort of martial artist-y (though with varying amounts of non-Monkish baggage). But if he could simply adopt more Monk abilities that supplemented what he already had, he could stay within his class and remain true to his character concept. Here is where multityping comes in.
Mechanically, the Monk (martial artist) character starts over as a Monk 1 but leveling up as a different archetype, perhaps becoming a Monk (martial artist) 20 / Monk (master of many styles) 1. This Monk character could progress indefinitely through many Monk archetypes, retaining all the basic abilities of a 20th-level Monk but gaining access to all the different alternative class features offered by the various archetypes. But in order to advance his BAB beyond the normal Monk limit of +15, however, he would still need to multiclass into a non-Monk class such as Fighter (and then only up to 10 levels for a secondary class).
To keep even Multityping under control, it has to have its own "soft" limit of 20 levels' worth of basic ability improvements. This means that the Fighter (archer) / Fighter (crossbowman) will stop gaining improvements to his BAB once he has 20 total levels of Fighter archetypes, even though he can learn all the Fighter archetypes in the world if he is able and willing to. Fighter still maxes out at +20 BAB, +12/+6/+6 base save bonuses, 11 fighter bonus feats, and 20d10 base hit points, and that's all there is to it. Only by multiclassing into a secondary class can these limits be surpassed, and multiclassing requires that a character learn whole new ways of thinking versus the minor adaptations required for multityping (hence the 10-level limit).
