D&D (2024) Change multiclassing prerequisites?

[Horwath]

That’s incredibly unbalanced with other feats and with CR ratings and with any character who doesn’t take these feats. Basically, that’s extremely unbalanced and would require a total rewrite of the game. It’s not a serious idea for 1e.

Is it really?

Not taking any feat for 12 levels so you can have 5th level class features at 7 level later than anyone?
5 levels or sorcerer/warlock/bard sounds very good on 12th level paladin, but you do miss all the good feats that would make you better in combat.

 

[Shardstone]

Multiclassing is an abomination and it holds this game back immensely.

That idea about the feats giving you three levels of class skills is great. But really, this is what subclasses are for. If you want to play a a druid-barbarian, there should be a subclass called the Path of the Wild or something and it lets you do shaman ragecasting. Then pick up ye olde Wildshape feat and call it a day.

Instead, every class has to be somehow perfectly balanced at levels 1-3 against each other because one class might pick up another class's special gimmick and suddenly become broken God. Mid. Super mid. The most mid thing in 5E IMO.

 

[Dausuul]

For my money, 4E was on the right track for multiclassing, the implementation just needed polish. Feats for those who want to dabble in another class. Hybrid classes for those who want to truly meld two classes. I played a hybrid wizard/warlord and had a great time.

Obviously, this is easier with a standardized system of powers across all classes, but it's not impossible for 5E.

 

[Horwath]

Another problem with multiclassing is:
1. 1-2 level dips for some cheese effect
2. Even split multiclass is in 99% worse than single class character of that level.
5/5 split vs 10th level single class is no comparison. And personally only multiclass should be even split between 2 classes.

How to make that work?

One possibility is extra levels:

With this variant, MC character gets "extra" class levels at total character level of: 5,8,11,14,17 and 20.

5th level MC character with this variant will have features of 3/3 split, but HPs on only 5th level character.

 

[tetrasodium]

Another problem with multiclassing is:
1. 1-2 level dips for some cheese effect
2. Even split multiclass is in 99% worse than single class character of that level.
5/5 split vs 10th level single class is no comparison. And personally only multiclass should be even split between 2 classes.

How to make that work?

One possibility is extra levels:

View attachment 290906

With this variant, MC character gets "extra" class levels at total character level of: 5,8,11,14,17 and 20.

5th level MC character with this variant will have features of 3/3 split, but HPs on only 5th level character.

It took me a bit to work out what you were presenting and describing but eventually digging into cl1 /cl2 progression against ch level made things click. Having something like or inspired by this in the book that a gm could point to would be good.

It looks like a vast improvement over current 5e MC and I think that using the words "extra class levels over something like "split/forked/staggered progression tracks" or something obscures the message. Is there a reason that you settled on 5,8,11,14,17 and 20 over some other set of breakpoints?

 

[Horwath]

It took me a bit to work out what you were presenting and describing but eventually digging into cl1 /cl2 progression against ch level made things click. Having something like or inspired by this in the book that a gm could point to would be good.

It looks like a vast improvement over current 5e MC and I think that using the words "extra class levels over something like "split/forked/staggered progression tracks" or something obscures the message. Is there a reason that you settled on 5,8,11,14,17 and 20 over some other set of breakpoints?

5th, 11th, 17th and 20th level felt natural for 5E power boost with new tier of play and 20th level capstone.
8th and 14th level then fall in perfectly to gain 2+2 class levels every 3 character levels.

 

[Stalker0]

One feat based approach is using it to unlock multi classing in the first place:

Multiclassing
Level 1 feat

Choose 1 class. When gaining a level you may take the level in your main class or in this one. You gain all benefits of either choice.


So the idea here is that you allow powerful 1st level dips with the feat being the cost to unlock that.

 

[Vaalingrade]

An empty feat without any flavor designed to gate people away from something they shouldn't have to take a feat for? That's what ASIs are for.

 

[tetrasodium]

An empty feat without any flavor designed to gate people away from something they shouldn't have to take a feat for? That's what ASIs are for.

ASIs do nothing of the sort... 5e removed the mechanical hooks needed for interesting feats gated with flavor. Here's an example of something a fighter could do well before level 10

Spoiler

Power Attack (str13)→ Improved Sunder (str 13, power attack)→ Combat Expertise(str13)→ Improved Trip(int13, combat expertise)→ Improved Bull Rush(str13, power attack)→ Combat Brute(power attack, improved sunder, BaB+6)→ Shocktrooper(power attack, improved bull rush, BaB +6)*

Not just before 10th... a fighter could grab all those by like level 6 or 7

All of those had flavor meaning and visceral power in options granted

 

[Corinnguard]

ASIs do nothing of the sort... 5e removed the mechanical hooks needed for interesting feats gated with flavor. Here's an example of something a fighter could do well before level 10

Spoiler

Power Attack (str13)→ Improved Sunder (str 13, power attack)→ Combat Expertise(str13)→ Improved Trip(int13, combat expertise)→ Improved Bull Rush(str13, power attack)→ Combat Brute(power attack, improved sunder, BaB+6)→ Shocktrooper(power attack, improved bull rush, BaB +6)*

Not just before 10th... a fighter could grab all those by like level 6 or 7

All of those had flavor meaning and visceral power in options granted

This is one of the things I liked about Fighters in 3.5 and PF1. A feat at every level.