Multiclassing Mechanisms
From ENWiki
This page is a work in progress. The goal is documenting many house rules about 3.x multiclassing.
It is currently focused on multiclass spellcasting.
Contents |
Sources
Sample Characters
Sample cases of multiclass characters
| Initial Classes | comments |
|---|---|
| Wiz 1/Ftr 19 | |
| Wiz 19/Ftr 1 | |
| Wiz1/Clr19 | |
| Bbn10/Clr10 | |
| Wiz10/Clr10 | |
| Wiz 8/Drd 6/Brd 6 | |
| Rgr 2/Clr 6 |
List of House Rules
Rules changing how Caster Level works
Caster Level Progression
Base Caster Level (BCL), which works just like BAB. Wizards, sorcerers, clerics, druids, and bards get full BCL (+1 per level); rangers and paladins get average BCL (+3/4 per level); and fighters, barbarians, rogues, and monks get poor BCL (+1/2 per level). To get caster level just add these as you'd add BAB. (Which means using fractional values if you use fractional BAB, but otherwise just totalling the value.) This is the PC's caster level for all spellcasting classes.
Rules changing how spellprogression works
1
- All other classes add half their level to the spellcasting classes
- same as above but only 1/3 level
- like the previous ones but granting only spell slots and not spell knowledge
- like any of the previous ones but putting a cap at class level *2 or class level *3
2
free use of metamagics
Step 1: Compute BCL (Full spellcast+ 3/4 +1/2levels of non spellcasting classes) 5-10 seconds ?
Step 2: for each spellcasting class X of the PC/NPC, look up
- HS the highest level spell it can cast at its current level (1 second)
- THS the "theoretical" highest level spell it could cast if its level was the BCL (2 seconds except for ranger and paladins, I never remember this)
- MB : The magical bonus that should be given in order to reach the average between HS and TCS. (3 seconds)
Step 3: consider that all spells for a class are metamagicked of Magical Bonus Level (give Heightened for free if necessary). This step can be as simple or as complex as you want if the NPC has several metamagic feats.
For instance, a wiz 5 Clr 3 Ftr 6 with extended spell Step 1: BCL of 11 Step 2: Wiz (3-6) MBL 1, Clr (2-6) MBL 2 Step 3: Apply extented spell to every spell where it can be applied, add Heightened on top if needed.
Aternate rules for multi-class progression
Merging classes and using ECL
The building blocks:
- Classes in a multiclass no longer have their own levels. A character isn't a fighter 4/wizard 4. He's a multiclassed fighter/wizard 4.
- Multiclassing must be decided as early as possible. If a PC gains a level without adding a new class to a multiclass, that decision can't be changed. (EDIT: Giving this some thought, I'm not sure it's absolutely necessary. As long as the player pays the ECL before gaining the additional class, it may work fine. For instance, say a fighter 6 wants to multiclass into a fighter/wizard at the next available chance. The ECL for a fighter/wizard 6 is 8, so the player has to stay at fighter 6 until he gains enough XP for 8th level, at which point he becomes a fighter/wizard 6.)
- A multiclassed character is fully functional in all classes. For every class, you gain all features. For those features in common (e.g., BAB), the PC gains the most favorable from among all classes.
- Multiclassing itself has an ECL cost. This ECL is +1 per five character levels (counting the ECL itself), plus 1 per additional class.
An example ... a fighter/wizard:
At 1st level, the player starts as either a fighter or wizard. Doesn't matter which, mechanically. At 2nd level, the player decides to multiclass. The PC is now a fighter/wizard 1(ECL +1). The PC has all of the abilities of a fighter 1 and a wizard 1. The player forgoes further multiclassing. At 5th character level, the PC is a fighter/wizard 3 (ECL +2). The same thing happens at 10th level (fighter/wizard 7 (ECL +3)), 15th level (fighter/wizard 11 (ECL +4), and 20th level (fighter/wizard 15 (ECL +5).)
At every level, the PC has full BAB, good Will and Fort saves, fighter HD, all his fighter feats and proficiencies, full spellcasting, wizard bonus proficiencies and familiar abilities, and so on.
Feats to boost multiclass characters
1
Spellcasting Advancement [Special] Prerequisite Multiclassed spellcaster, minimum ECL 4.
Benefit You are treated as one level higher in one of your spellcasting classes (your choice each time this feat is chosen) for the purpose of spells (or spell slots) per day. If this feat is applied to the sorcerer or bard class, it also counts for spells known. If this feat is applied to the wizard class, you may select two new spells for your spellbook, as if you had gained a level in the wizard class.
This feat does not provide any other benefit, such as to caster level or the benefits gained by a familiar based on its master's level.
This feat may be taken multiple times. However, you may only take this feat once for every full four total character levels you possess. (For this purpose, use ECL.) Your spellcasting level in any given spellcasting class cannot be increased beyond your total character level minus 1. For example, a cleric 1 / wizard 7 cannot have this feat applied to his wizard class.
