20 levels, 20 classes: Use or Abuse

[Buttercup]

It's a totally nutty idea. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do it. But I think that, unless you were playing for a DM who never killed PCs you would likely not live long enough to become 20th level. You would just be too weak to survive.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

If a player wanted to play a character that changed character classes every time he levelled - fine. As noted, he wouldn't be a very useful character anyway.

But if someone wanted to start with a 20th level character with 20 classes, I'd say no straight away. That's just daft.

And on a tangent, I still think that once you start a PrC you should have to finish it before you can take any other class. That'd solve all these silly multi-PrC problems that people report.

 

[Krug]

This just shows the problems with saving throws. They should have gone with a +1 every two/three levels system instead.

 

[Impeesa]

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98966

Reminds me of that... if you can rationalize playing it, go ahead.

--Impeesa--

 

[Cedric]

The one that I thought was interesting...was when a friend took 1 level each of like different classes. Then took the rest of his levels in Cleric.

He was a non-human, non-standard race (like Half-Rakshasa I think). He was a cleric (the race he took multiple levels of) and his deity espoused the obtaining and categoring of knowledge. His job as a priest of this deity was to travel the world and learn. So he took levels in many different classes to learn about them. Then concentrated on Cleric.

All in all, it was cool...

Cedric

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

Doamir was a the son of a couple of potato farmers for the first fifteen years, giving him a level in Commoner. His home town was under constant scrutiny, so he took a level in the Warrior class. He wasn't the noblest of characters, (Chaotic Nuetral, to be exact) and was a bit of a bully. He had a level in the Thug NPC class that's featured in one of those books. Although he was quite intelligent was quite interested in botany, and the culinary art of the potato, and became an Expert. To make a long story short, he made thousands of gold pieces inventing a popular potato dish, as well as making several potato-related scientific revelations. He became a local nobleman, so of course, he took a level in a=Aristocracy. But, he was a magical hobbyist, so he also received a level in Adept. Of course, he refined his magical skills, and discovered that he had highly magical blood, so he fine-tuned his bloodmagic, but he also enjoyed magic tomes. He took a level in both Sorcerer and Wizard. Being very patriotic, he eventually did his part to help his home town fight off the Orcs. He took a level in Fighter and served under the city militia. But of course, he still associated with the same old riff-raff, so he also picked up some Rogue skills. He eventually became bankrupt, and learned how to play the banjo. He became the town minstrel and took a level in Bard. But then a new lord fell into power via the death of his brother, the former lord. Doamir despised this new lord, and in order to escape his tyranny, he ran away from the city and lived in the woods for five months, thereby becoming a Barbarian. He was adopted into a tribe of Lizardmen, and he became the tribe's Shaman. While in the woods, he became a major Pagan, and took a point in booth Druid and Witch. He also became the tribal hunter, and took a level in Ranger. Eventually, the said lord strip-mined his home woodland, and slaughtered his Lizardfolk friends. Heartstrucken, he spent months on the street, until he was taken in by a Lawful Good monastery that's patron god was Heironeous. He reformed, and became a Lawful Good Monk, becoming an ex-Barbarian ex-Druid ex-Bard. He became a cleric of Heironeous, and eventually went to arms for his church, becoming a Paladin. He adventured to the lands of the East, where he adopted the principles of Bushido, becoming a Samurai.

Doamir the 1st level Commoner/1st level Warrior/1st level Thug/1st level Expert/1st level Aristocrat/1st level Adept/1st level Sorcerer/1st level Wizard/1st level Fighter/1st level Rogue/1st level ex-Bard/1st level ex-Barberian/1st level Shaman/1st level Witch/1st level ex-Druid/1st level Ranger/1st level Monk/1st level Cleric/1st level Paladin/1st level Samurai. CR 20.

Next Doamir plans to train himself mentally in order to achieve levels in Psion and Psychic Warrior and become a Jedi.

 

[Wombat]

All I can think of with this 20/20 character is ...

...what has the character achieved?

To be 1st level in 20 different classes means the character is not only exceptionally weak compared to other characters, but also has no cohesion.

But if you are just going on the "Is this alright according to the rules" level, yes, it is fine.

I just can't think of a single instance when I would personally allow such a character in one of my campaigns...

 

[Caliber]

Doamir was a the son of a couple of potato farmers for the first fifteen years, giving him a level in Commoner. His home town was under constant scrutiny, so he took a level in the Warrior class. He wasn't the noblest of characters, (Chaotic Nuetral, to be exact) and was a bit of a bully. He had a level in the Thug NPC class that's featured in one of those books. Although he was quite intelligent was quite interested in botany, and the culinary art of the potato, and became an Expert. To make a long story short, he made thousands of gold pieces inventing a popular potato dish, as well as making several potato-related scientific revelations. He became a local nobleman, so of course, he took a level in a=Aristocracy. But, he was a magical hobbyist, so he also received a level in Adept. Of course, he refined his magical skills, and discovered that he had highly magical blood, so he fine-tuned his bloodmagic, but he also enjoyed magic tomes. He took a level in both Sorcerer and Wizard. Being very patriotic, he eventually did his part to help his home town fight off the Orcs. He took a level in Fighter and served under the city militia. But of course, he still associated with the same old riff-raff, so he also picked up some Rogue skills. He eventually became bankrupt, and learned how to play the banjo. He became the town minstrel and took a level in Bard. But then a new lord fell into power via the death of his brother, the former lord. Doamir despised this new lord, and in order to escape his tyranny, he ran away from the city and lived in the woods for five months, thereby becoming a Barbarian. He was adopted into a tribe of Lizardmen, and he became the tribe's Shaman. While in the woods, he became a major Pagan, and took a point in booth Druid and Witch. He also became the tribal hunter, and took a level in Ranger. Eventually, the said lord strip-mined his home woodland, and slaughtered his Lizardfolk friends. Heartstrucken, he spent months on the street, until he was taken in by a Lawful Good monastery that's patron god was Heironeous. He reformed, and became a Lawful Good Monk, becoming an ex-Barbarian ex-Druid ex-Bard. He became a cleric of Heironeous, and eventually went to arms for his church, becoming a Paladin. He adventured to the lands of the East, where he adopted the principles of Bushido, becoming a Samurai.

Doamir the 1st level Commoner/1st level Warrior/1st level Thug/1st level Expert/1st level Aristocrat/1st level Adept/1st level Sorcerer/1st level Wizard/1st level Fighter/1st level Rogue/1st level ex-Bard/1st level ex-Barberian/1st level Shaman/1st level Witch/1st level ex-Druid/1st level Ranger/1st level Monk/1st level Cleric/1st level Paladin/1st level Samurai. CR 20.

Next Doamir plans to train himself mentally in order to achieve levels in Psion and Psychic Warrior and become a Jedi.

Interesting. Not having the books for a ll of those classes, what are the stats we're looking at? I've heard of the 20 level / 20 class before, but never yet seen the beast.

 

[jmucchiello]

You can build a very weird fighter using all individual classes. The hard part is getting the +4 or +5 BAB to access most fighter prestige classes. Limiting to WotC stuff only and disallowing alignment shift, you need to get into the Master of Shroud PrC which has no BAB requirement and provides that fourth +1 BAB. From there you can go anywhere:

Human (for the feat and skills), Neutral
Rogue (select skills based on prc requirement)
Barbarian
Ranger
Fighter
Cleric
Wizard
Sorcerer (or Bard)
Master of Shrouds
Hospitaler (BAB +5)

From here many PrCs are available that increase BAB. Cleric spellcasting can be pushed into the 7-8 range is you don't mind giving up some BAB.

An amusing thought exercise but hard to justify in game.

 

[TroyXavier]

I've never tried 20 1's. But 10 2's can be fun(though I usually prefer 4 or 5 when I'm doing something different).