Linking feats/ability improvements to Character level, any good reasons not to?

[CapnZapp]

So I have any number of house rules for my campaign, and one I'm considering is just linking feats/ability scores to class level like is done with the proficiency bonus. The main reason is multiclassing is a nice way to do things when you want to achieve a desired effect on a character that isn't well represented in just the core classes. Plus dips and a little bit of min/maxing I think is a fun aspect of any game where mechanics can be selected as players proceed. Also, I really like Feats, they ad some very interesting customization options. When I made an INT rogue with Observation and Keen Mind to make a guy like Sherlock Holmes, he was not only effective in combat but made for some really neat out of combat sessions that simply would not have happened otherwise.

But I see players always ending up taking that othewise useless 4th level here, or 8th level there, sinking several levels more than they need to into a class to achieve whatever effect they wanted just to not get chapped by losing a feat or ability adjustment. Seems needlessly rigid to me. So, was there some rational other than "we said so" behind it I'm missing? And for what it's worth, any classes that get bonus feats at certain levels still would get them, just not until they reach that level with that class.

Because there would no longer be any reason to stay single classed?

I predict every non-spellcaster would pick up two levels of Fighter, for instance.

 

[guachi]

How many levels of fighter do I have to take to get an ASI at level 6?

 

[Dausuul]

At low- to mid-levels (up to around 6), or with players who aren't heavily into optimization, this should be fine.

At higher levels, however, optimizers will have a field day. You still need 5 levels in a single class in order to get the 5th-level power spike (Extra Attack for martials, 3rd-level spells for casters). But after that, there's nothing to stop you from dipping all over the place. A lot of classes have front-loaded abilities, like barbarian rage, fighter Action Surge, etc. ASIs are the carrot to keep you in the class after those first 1-2 levels.

 

[Gwarok]

But on the broader scale - how is this different from say " i will stay with sorc until 5th so i can get fireball" or "i will stay with bard until 5th so i can get short rest inspire dice recovery"? Every class has key element built in at 5th, 11th etc as class features - just like every class has the 4th, 8th, 12th, etc feat/asi.

Are those "class level major items" also "needlessly rigid" to you?"

Obviously, it would not be a route i would take.

Well you sorta answered your own question there. If I'm taking Sorc 5 to get fireball, that's why I'm doing it. If I want fireball, I can't do that by taking Druid 5. However, every class gets ASI at 4th, doesn't matter which one you pick. I see no need to force someone to take a level in a specific class to get something that every class gets in the normal course of advancement. Like proficiency bonus at certain levels, it's a universal trait, so I don't see why they'd attach it at the hip to character levels of a specific class.

 

[BluejayJunior]

Well you sorta answered your own question there. If I'm taking Sorc 5 to get fireball, that's why I'm doing it. If I want fireball, I can't do that by taking Druid 5. However, every class gets ASI at 4th, doesn't matter which one you pick. I see no need to force someone to take a level in a specific class to get something that every class gets in the normal course of advancement. Like proficiency bonus at certain levels, it's a universal trait, so I don't see why they'd attach it at the hip to character levels of a specific class.

The fact the Fighters get more means that it's not quite universal. True, most classes progress the same, but attaching it to the classes means that it can change for certain classes. It is attached to class levels specifically to stop the 1-2 level dips that you are looking for. Or at least make you give up an option for them.
I could argue that a Fighter 3/Paladin 2 should get extra attack because both of those classes get it at level 5. Both of those classes get it at 5th, doesn't matter which one to pick. Why should I force someone to take extra levels in those classes to get something they both get in the normal course of advancement.
I'm aware it's not quite the same, but I'm trying to illustrate my point. Every character could take 2 levels of Fighter to get Action Surge without giving up anything too important.

 

[77IM]

Like proficiency bonus at certain levels, it's a universal trait, so I don't see why they'd attach it at the hip to character levels of a specific class.

It's not like proficiency bonus at certain levels; it's not a universal trait. Already we see some classes (fighter, rogue) getting more ASIs than others. Proficiency bonus is pure mathematics and so it just happens to be the same for every class, like the number of hit dice is the same for every class (although the size of the hit dice vary, just like the uses of proficiency vary per class).

More importantly, class progression itself is balanced in part on the fact that it slows down ASIs. For example, if you have 3 levels of fighter, maybe you want to splash a levels of cleric, but you have to give up your ASI. If you didn't have to give up the ASI, then the first level of cleric would be weaker. It's pretty unbalanced for the person taking level 4 of fighter get just an ASI, while the person going fighter 3/cleric 1 gets an ASI PLUS all the spellcasting and domain powers of a cleric! Sure, the fighter gets 1 more hit point, but whoop-de-doo.

Now obviously some classes are more front-loaded than others, and maybe balance to this level of precision is not possible, and maybe everyone at your table is excited to multiclass a lot. So maybe you should try character-level-based-ASIs anyway and it will work for your group. But the balance concept behind linking ASIs to class levels is pretty solid, and a lot of people agree with that reasoning.

 

[ccs]

More importantly, class progression itself is balanced in part on the fact that it slows down ASIs. For example, if you have 3 levels of fighter, maybe you want to splash a levels of cleric, but you have to give up your ASI. If you didn't have to give up the ASI, then the first level of cleric would be weaker. It's pretty unbalanced for the person taking level 4 of fighter get just an ASI, while the person going fighter 3/cleric 1 gets an ASI PLUS all the spellcasting and domain powers of a cleric! Sure, the fighter gets 1 more hit point, but whoop-de-doo.

No you don't. It's still there waiting on you to take that 4th lv of fighter. All you've done is make a choice: "Do I take my ASI/feat next, or do I take a lv in some other class? Hmm...."

 

[abirdcall]

So, was there some rational other than "we said so" behind it I'm missing?

Well you sorta answered your own question there. If I'm taking Sorc 5 to get fireball, that's why I'm doing it. If I want fireball, I can't do that by taking Druid 5. However, every class gets ASI at 4th, doesn't matter which one you pick. I see no need to force someone to take a level in a specific class to get something that every class gets in the normal course of advancement. Like proficiency bonus at certain levels, it's a universal trait, so I don't see why they'd attach it at the hip to character levels of a specific class.

Was this a rhetorical question?

Do you feel as though your question wasn't answered?

Do you just not like the answers you have been given? Do you think you would have liked any answers because you are already set on implementing your house rule?

 

[ccs]

Because there would no longer be any reason to stay single classed?

How about "Because MCing doesn't fit the character I'm envisioning."?

I predict every non-spellcaster would pick up two levels of Fighter, for instance.

So monks & rogues.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

As others have said, this was intentionally designed to limit the power of multiclassed characters. If you feel they are too weak (most people don't seem to feel that way), then you can use this house rule to make them stronger.