I had an idea for how to do multiclassing differently than I've seen it before. I think it can get over the issue of underpowered multiclass spellcasters, although it is more a matter of a way to balance creating a new class that matches the player's concept than multiclassing. This new class can be from the beginning or I could see ways that a character could evolve and gain new abilities. (For example, a character joins a monastery for a few months and then has some monk abilities but has forgotten something else.)
I’d love to know if people have seen similar concepts before either online or published (I don’t have the Advanced Player’s Guide or Game Mastery books, for example), or if there are major holes in the idea or if people like it, but can suggest a few tweaks. I also remember something like this in the 2nd edition D&D player’s handbook.
The basic idea is to split the classes apart based on groupings of their special abilities, then give each group of abilities a price in “character points” or whatever you want to call it. Also, give point values for having a d6 of hit points vs. d8, etc; as well as a cost to have 4 skill points/level vs. 6 skill points and so on. For spellcasting, spellcasting as a wizard would have one rather large cost. But to allow more limited spellcasting to be added to another class in exchange for a lesser ability, one could use another classes’ spellcasting or perhaps limit the number of schools of magic in the new class.
The magic in the system is getting the point values to make sense so that the relative value of a Barbarian’s “rage” abilities is appropriate compared to the Fighter’s bonus feats and so on. I remember seeing someone did a spreadsheet along these lines for the 3.5 abilities, but individualized for each individual ability. I think that could fall apart for my purposes, but I think keeping most of the abilities grouped together solves most of that.
Using this method, my hope is that one could give a Fighter trap-related abilities (in case the party won’t have a thief or the player has a good concept around that) by dropping his a fighter ability (or combination of abilities, weapon proficiencies, choice of hit die, etc.)
Also note that if I do go forward with this idea, one would have to sanity check the results. For example, if a new class was stacked with many abilities at 1st level, they should be spread out somehow. Or if you wanted a class that had a particular set of abilities but it would cost just a bit too much, then perhaps some individual abilities could be dropped or moved up to a higher level.
I’d love to know if people have seen similar concepts before either online or published (I don’t have the Advanced Player’s Guide or Game Mastery books, for example), or if there are major holes in the idea or if people like it, but can suggest a few tweaks. I also remember something like this in the 2nd edition D&D player’s handbook.
The basic idea is to split the classes apart based on groupings of their special abilities, then give each group of abilities a price in “character points” or whatever you want to call it. Also, give point values for having a d6 of hit points vs. d8, etc; as well as a cost to have 4 skill points/level vs. 6 skill points and so on. For spellcasting, spellcasting as a wizard would have one rather large cost. But to allow more limited spellcasting to be added to another class in exchange for a lesser ability, one could use another classes’ spellcasting or perhaps limit the number of schools of magic in the new class.
The magic in the system is getting the point values to make sense so that the relative value of a Barbarian’s “rage” abilities is appropriate compared to the Fighter’s bonus feats and so on. I remember seeing someone did a spreadsheet along these lines for the 3.5 abilities, but individualized for each individual ability. I think that could fall apart for my purposes, but I think keeping most of the abilities grouped together solves most of that.
Using this method, my hope is that one could give a Fighter trap-related abilities (in case the party won’t have a thief or the player has a good concept around that) by dropping his a fighter ability (or combination of abilities, weapon proficiencies, choice of hit die, etc.)
Also note that if I do go forward with this idea, one would have to sanity check the results. For example, if a new class was stacked with many abilities at 1st level, they should be spread out somehow. Or if you wanted a class that had a particular set of abilities but it would cost just a bit too much, then perhaps some individual abilities could be dropped or moved up to a higher level.
is pretty much a deconstructed 3e, now I think about it. So yeah, really, don't mind me.
