Multiclassing Fix?

[Yunru]

What with redundant levels and delaying of features and whatnot, multiclassing feels a little off.

Not to the level it's broken, but enough that I want to play around with it a bit.
At first I tried working out a hybrid system a la 4e, but it was too much work (did get a nice Barbarian/Ranger cross-class out of it though).

So now I'm thinking simpler.
What if instead of experience being a static number you had to spend it to gain a level in a class, and then the experience points to level up can be applied to each class seperately.

So the first level in a single class costs 300 (?) XP, no matter how many other levels you have in other classes.

What problems can you forsee coming from this?

 

[Tony Vargas]

What do you get from being level 1 in multiple class? You're not picturing a 1/1/1/1/1/1/1 PC having 7 HD, are you?

 

[BookBarbarian]

I like multiclassing as it is. It should come with a trade off.

Redundant features and delayed progression are the cost of getting that really good combo you want, or getting to realize that concept that you can't quite do otherwise.

 

[Yunru]

What do you get from being level 1 in multiple class? You're not picturing a 1/1/1/1/1/1/1 PC having 7 HD, are you?

Level 1? Not a lot.
But the bummer of being a 5/5 isn't as much of a pain when it only costs you 13,000 Exp as apposed to 85,000.

At a conceptual level, it means weaker abilities have weaker costs.
It also side-steps levels being a bell curve. That Barbarian who took a level of Rogue to be better at grappling doesn't have to spend forever without his level X ability because the game wqnts you to spend more time on a set level range. Instead that's moved to a class-by-class basis.

 

[jaelis]

It would make multiclassing much much stronger.

 

[Yunru]

Done some more thinking while staring the chart, and it's too cheap to apply the numbers just as-is.

Having a level in a secondary class cost 2x (Level+1) seems to work, at least for dual classing.

Maybe Rank × (Level + 1), where it's ranked from highest level to lowest?

 

[snickersnax]

So 10/10 would cost 64,000xp+64,000xp = 128,000xp instead of the current system which costs 355,000xp (LVL 20)?

Edit: sorry posted this before you clarified the numbers.

I feel that multiclassing is already "off" in the opposite direction than I think you do. With front loaded class features, multiclassing often makes a class better at core class features or combat than a standard class does. This is especially true of Rangers, Eldritch Knights, and Arcane Tricksters. I guess my feeling is if a multiclassing option is better than a standard class, why isn't the multiclass option the standard way to build the class? I'd rather have multiclassing be a role playing life path decision than a character optimization choice.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Yeah, I'm really not following.

So, if your 1/1/1/1/1/1 are you still, in essence, 1st level? You have 1 HD, your prof bonus is +2, etc?
If you're 3/3 are you essentially 3rd level?

 

[Yunru]

So 10/10 would cost 64,000xp+64,000xp = 128,000xp instead of the current system which costs 355,000xp (LVL 20)?

Edit: sorry posted this before you clarified the numbers.

I feel that multiclassing is already "off" in the opposite direction than I think you do. With front loaded class features, multiclassing often makes a class better at core class features or combat than a standard class does. This is especially true of Rangers, Eldritch Knights, and Arcane Tricksters. I guess my feeling is if a multiclassing option is better than a standard class, why isn't the multiclass option the standard way to build the class? I'd rather have multiclassing be a role playing life path decision than a character optimization choice.

Rejigged the numbers a bit.
Under the old system, a 10/10 would of cost 149,000 xp. With the rank modifier that becomes 213,000 xp, putting it around a level 16.5 character (which is about what it'd perform at most of the time).

 

[Ovarwa]

Hi,

The first version made multiclassing too good: Eg, get to 4th level in many classes, and get all the ASIs!

The second version is far worse, because not only does it ruin multiclassing, it also adds math.

Really, I think you're better than this! /2

Anyway,

Ken