D&D 5E ASI's at Character Level instead of Class Level

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[cbwjm]

I don't really see an issue with this, it might even improve her game with more freeform multiclassing which I don't see as a bad thing. The only real issue has been pointed out, dead levels but I don't think I would sweat it too much.

 

[Satyrn]

Free is my second-favorite four letter f word.

Behind only fork, I bet.

But that might just be me. I'm a glutton.

 

[Blue]

I don't like it personally. Sicne this can only come up with multiclassing, assume "While multiclassing..." for all of these.

You have some dead levels where you get nothing, and some levels where you get a lot.

You can start taking other classes quicker because you don't need to stay in to get your ASI.

You are encouraged to dip 1-3 levels because a 4th level is always a dead level. (Even if you would get your ASI that level, you'd still get it taking a class that gave you features as well.)

It breaks part of the multiclassing balance where all ASI (and feats) are delayed a few level, making the character more powerful at almost any level then without this change. (The exception is if all of your classes but one take and stop at the dead levels you normally get ASI.)

 

[ad_hoc]

Classess are very front loaded. All this house rule does is add to that problem.

 

[Mistwell]

The penalty isn't for MCing, it's for the order in which you do it, and the 4-level breakpoint.

What's so all-fired special about taking 4 levels in each class you pursue before starting up another that all other MC progressions should be 'punished?' I don't think there /is/ anything, it's just an accident of design. They decided to put ASIs on individual class charts, maybe rather than giving explicitly 'bonus' ASIs to fighters & rogues, maybe to fill out 'dead levels,' IDK. But it resulted in a bug in the way MCing worked.

I think the issue is most people don't think of it as a bug. If for example you're a wizard multiclassing to fighter and want to get that bonded weapon from Fighter 3 or Maneuvers from level 3, normally you'd take level 4 fighter to get the ASI, or else miss out on an ASI over the course of your PC's career. In this system however, you get to have your cake and eat it too. You're saving a full level of fighter. And what's so "special" about that fourth level is exactly what's so "special" about ALL levels in 5e D&D. That's the ability you get at that level!

 

[Tony Vargas]

I think the issue is most people don't think of it as a bug. If for example you're a wizard multiclassing to fighter and want to get that bonded weapon from Fighter 3 or Maneuvers from level 3, normally you'd take level 4 fighter to get the ASI, or else miss out on an ASI over the course of your PC's career.

Yeah, I have to see that as kinda a bug. I mean, what if Proficiency worked that way? ASIs seem like part of progression and getting them late or not at all doesn't seem quite right somehow...

You are encouraged to dip 1-3 levels because a 4th level is always a dead level. (Even if you would get your ASI that level, you'd still get it taking a class that gave you features as well.)

OK, there is that: a 4th level where the ASI padded out the table by itself becomes 'dead.' (Or, is un-masked as having been dead all along. I suppose I should just be thankful that they didn't make "+1 Proficiency" a faux-class-feature in the same way...)

Dead levels aren't completely non-existent in 5e, but I certainly understand the revulsion for them.

But, yes, I see how that's a real problem with the proposed 'fix' - it makes it seem like a bigger, uglier, more intractable bug, to me, rather than a feature, though. ;(

 

[Kalshane]

I agree with the folks who say this is going to make multiclass characters more powerful (generally at the expense of single class characters.) It's fine if everyone is onboard with it and likes the idea of playing a game where everyone dips in various classes. The PCs will definitely be more powerful than in a standard game as most classes tend to have significant abilities granted between 1st and 3rd level and this does away with drawbacks for doing so.

 

[FrogReaver]

Can anyone think of an extradionarily character that can be made with the change. I can only think of slightly more powerful characters

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

The rule will encourage dipping. Fighter 1 / Rogue 1 / Bard 1 / Cleric 1 / …