D&D 3E/3.5 3e multiclassing on 4e math

[AeroDm]

I've been working on a homebrew for a while now with the basic design goal of recreating 3e's multiclassing with 4e math. I really believe that the 4e math is a brilliant step forward in game design but something rubbed me a little wrong. I eventually realized that in 4e you pick your character from a lot of really neat options. In 3e, you built your character from a lot of really neat options and I miss that building aspect.

This article summarizes the class design and structure.
This article gives a simplified example of of the above as the barbarian.

I'm looking for whatever feedback I can get and hoping for additional eyes to catch issues that I missed before I dedicate any more time to the project. Specifically, it'd be great to get feedback on if you think the general format can capture the spirit of 3e multiclassing and if you believe it will be able to present as many and as varied of options as 3e did. Thanks in advance!

 

[Greenfield]

D&D 3.* was all about choices. D&D 4.* isn't. Simple as that.

 

[xigbar]

D&D 3.* was all about choices. D&D 4.* isn't. Simple as that.

True, but the numbers for making what was available in 4e is a bit more efficient, in my opinion. If applied to 3e choices and other mechanics, I'm curious to see what could be produced.

 

[AeroDm]

D&D 3.* was all about choices. D&D 4.* isn't. Simple as that.

I don't disagree with the statement, but are you saying that 4e cannot have choices in the same way as 3e? Did you read the links and you're trying to gently imply I failed without directly saying it so as to spare my feelings? I'd rather have honest feedback than unassailed feelings, so please provide detail if you are so inclined.

 

[Greenfield]

No implications towards your work intended, that was simply an off the cuff summary of my feelings towards 3e v 4e as they are written.

Or to put it more directly, that was me being an uninformed jerk. Sorry.

 

[lordxaviar]

I've been working on a homebrew for a while now with the basic design goal of recreating 3e's multiclassing with 4e math. I really believe that the 4e math is a brilliant step forward in game design but something rubbed me a little wrong. I eventually realized that in 4e you pick your character from a lot of really neat options. In 3e, you built your character from a lot of really neat options and I miss that building aspect.

This article summarizes the class design and structure.
This article gives a simplified example of of the above as the barbarian.

I'm looking for whatever feedback I can get and hoping for additional eyes to catch issues that I missed before I dedicate any more time to the project. Specifically, it'd be great to get feedback on if you think the general format can capture the spirit of 3e multiclassing and if you believe it will be able to present as many and as varied of options as 3e did. Thanks in advance!

just a quick note... I haven't read enough of 4e to grip what your after, it took me a while to like 3.5 possibly because i didn't want to buy more stuff and relearn.. what turned me off on 4e was the monty haul aspect of 4e and the expansion into super hero races, or more monster into players as it were.
so with that as a base...I shall endeavorer to read thorugh your post before giving it a true reply...

did you post this in the 4e forum.. they might have more to say on it, being that they probably know both systems, where here in the ancient section we are not going there-LOL

X

 

[AeroDm]

just a quick note... I haven't read enough of 4e to grip what your after, it took me a while to like 3.5 possibly because i didn't want to buy more stuff and relearn.. what turned me off on 4e was the monty haul aspect of 4e and the expansion into super hero races, or more monster into players as it were.
so with that as a base...I shall endeavorer to read thorugh your post before giving it a true reply...

did you post this in the 4e forum.. they might have more to say on it, being that they probably know both systems, where here in the ancient section we are not going there-LOL

X

I've posted some pieces in the 4e forum but not this class architecture because it (a) really isn't compatible with 4e since the only thing they have in common is math and (b) is designed to appeal to the 3e crowd.

While it is not in the links provided, this homebrew doesn't require monte haul nor does it embrace super races (the importance of stats are minimized and in this post I argue why a system shouldn't introduce things like teleport as a racial ability).

 

[Vespucci]

I don't really care for "pick" or "build". The right approach is to develop a character in the course of play. Designing a pulp adventure game that allows for that, of course, is easier said than done.

 

[AeroDm]

I don't really care for "pick" or "build". The right approach is to develop a character in the course of play. Designing a pulp adventure game that allows for that, of course, is easier said than done.

I recognize that we are getting into semantics and since we are probably using different definitions we are probably talking past each other, but, what the hell...

I think both editions allow you to develop a character in so much as that as you proceed through play you get to continuously select from options that help define the character's abilities. The difference between "pick" and "build", though, is that in 4e every choice sort of narrows the domain of abilities you have left to pick from. The biggest of these is your class that locks you into a path. In 3e, because so much of the power was locked away in things like feats and PrCs that were restricted by prerequisites, as you increased in level the domain of powers you could select from actually expanded. Moreover, 3e characters derive power from more little fiddly bits (i.e. feats and class powers) that work together to make your attack. As such, it felt like you had more power to customize that end result.

The above doesn't exactly fit what I am trying to get at with the pick/build distinction, but it is in the right direction. Hope that helps and hope I my homebrew is headed in the right direction to help you develop a character

 

[AeroDm]

*double post*