20 levels, 20 classes: Use or Abuse

[brun]

I once had an NPC that had a level in about everything that he could, considering alignment restrictions.

Something like: fighter 1/ rogue 1/ sorcerer 1/ paladin 1/ cleric (Labelas Enoreth) 1/ ranger 1/ monk 1/ druid 1/ wizard 5/ Loremaster 2.

He was a really lousy character. And REAL old.
Tremendous saves, but nothing else.
The concept was an elf deveoted to the god of knowledge/longevity, who made it his life quest to trully know as much as he could. And to trully know something, you have to experience it first hand, you cannot simply be a bookworm and trully know anything.

The players had fun dealing with him, they saw him as something of a chosen/prophet/(weird-old-man).

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I would let you do it as long as I didn't have to deal with the paperwork.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I wouldn't have a problem with it. If the player sincerely wants to do this, why would I want to keep him from his fun?

 

[WizarDru]

[shrug]

It's legal, I might allow it....and the player would be useless. A 20th level character who can't hit an AC of 45 on his best hit with an certainty, can't cast a fireball, can't cast Heal, can't wildshape to anything useful, can't rage for very long or very often, can't Inspire Greatness, can't turn a ghast without luck, can't open a DC30 lock, can't hide in the shadows very well, and can't do a million things at all well.

Why he'd want a character who wasn't able to do ANYTHING well, or even meaningfully, is beyond me. And if he could qualify for 8+ prestige classes, I think that says something about the prestige classes themselves, as much as the player opting for them.

 

[Voadam]

How many +1 BAB compatible base warrior classes can you find?

Sounds like a fun challenge. If you only find 16 you still have max attacks when you hit epic levels.

 

[Crothian]

How many +1 BAB compatible base warrior classes can you find?

Hundreds without exageration. Prestige classes are one of the most common things to add to a book plus we have books like Quint Fighter that is filled with them. It might take a few days of researching the right ones, but I'm sure many have very similiar prerequisties as well.

 

[Voadam]

Hundreds without exageration. Prestige classes are one of the most common things to add to a book plus we have books like Quint Fighter that is filled with them. It might take a few days of researching the right ones, but I'm sure many have very similiar prerequisties as well.

well let's start off with base classes since they are easier to qualify for. And no alignment switching so we don't have to make up even goofier history:

PH 3
Barbarian (nonlawful) or Paladin (Lawful Good)
Ranger
Fighter

DMG 1
Warrior

d20 Modern 1
Strong Hero

Diablo Diablerie 3
Paladin
Amazon (must be female)
Barbarian

Wheel of Time 3
Armsman
Woodsman
Alagi'diswai

Everquest 5
Warrior
Monk
Ranger
Shadowknight (evil) or paladin (good)
BeastLord

Beyond Monks 1
Martial Artist

Malhavok website 1
Monte Cook Ranger

Hong's D&D website 1
Hong's Martial artist

Nyambe1 1
Gamba

That makes 20!

AU 4
Warmain
Unfettered
Totem warrior
Champion

Warcraft?

Midnight?

Star Wars?

Mercenaries?

Oriental adventures?

Others?

This composite warrior will be pretty viable except for his low (but not zero) will and reflex saves.

 

[Al]

I'd say abuse. I've been DMing a Fighter/Rogue/Ranger/Holy Liberator/Order of the Bow Initiate/Templar, and, frankly, it was silly. The character was way past the power level of any other PC, immune to most things and could kill pretty much anything solo.

For me, a class is not just a flat set of statistics. A class represents something- a niche, a profession. Whilst it is reasonable that an archetype might incorporate two different classes, such as a fighter/wizard or fighter/rogue, having twenty is quite farcical. When prestige classes are melted into the blend, it makes it even more absurd. Even those PrCs which are not specifically tied to an organisation (Red Wizards) should have a special feel and some roleplaying requisities. In retrospect, I should have realised that it was a con when this character went to the temple of Correlon for the *first* time immediately before taking a level in templar. Apparently, he was religious as a child (ie before the campaign). Apparently.

If you just regard character development as a flat set of building blocks to engineer a set of stats, then this is a perfectly legitimate, albeit unorthodox, method of character creation. To those of us whom regard a character as much more than that, it's a violation of that very notion.

 

[Bauglir]

Does it count as abuse of the system if you end up with a lousy character? I can't think of any possible advantage to having 20 classes, apart from being able to call yourself "Leeloo Dallas Multiclass."

I just spat coffee all over my keyboard..

Mind if I add that one to my siggy?

 

[Teflon Billy]

His saves would likely be really good, bt I can't imagine another situation where 20 levels of 20 seperate classes would be that great.