The real problem in the math is going to stem from figuring out some sort of scaling metrics to deal with all the math problems.
First of all, the cost you paid for an off-class level increases retroactively as you level. Fighter 1 / Thief 1 doesn't seem like a big deal. You pull from the table for a single level at Level 2. By Fighter 9 / Thief 1 that Thief level is costing you Fighter 10. Are you still only getting what you got at second level for it? If it isn't scaling then multi-classing would be a sucker's bet.
But then how do you reconcile that with the number of levels put into multi-classing? What makes it any better to go Fighter 8 / Thief 2 vs. Fighter 9 / Thief 1 vs. Fighter 8 / Thief 1 / Magic-User 1. How does spell-casting scale so that Fighter 8 / Magic-User 2 is that much more powerful in casting ability than Fighter 8 / Magic-User 1 / Cleric 1?
The devil is in the details for this sort of thing, and there are a TON of details to work out.
- Marty Lund
First of all, the cost you paid for an off-class level increases retroactively as you level. Fighter 1 / Thief 1 doesn't seem like a big deal. You pull from the table for a single level at Level 2. By Fighter 9 / Thief 1 that Thief level is costing you Fighter 10. Are you still only getting what you got at second level for it? If it isn't scaling then multi-classing would be a sucker's bet.
But then how do you reconcile that with the number of levels put into multi-classing? What makes it any better to go Fighter 8 / Thief 2 vs. Fighter 9 / Thief 1 vs. Fighter 8 / Thief 1 / Magic-User 1. How does spell-casting scale so that Fighter 8 / Magic-User 2 is that much more powerful in casting ability than Fighter 8 / Magic-User 1 / Cleric 1?
The devil is in the details for this sort of thing, and there are a TON of details to work out.
- Marty Lund