D&D 5E Does your concern about adding more classes to 5e D&D stem from multiclassing?

[jmartkdr2]

I just don't see any reason that having a martial character whose martial abilities are powered by spell slots creates any issue in that context, because what the character is doing is still very mechanically distinct from casting spells. What is important is that what the character is doing, ie their actual actions in game and mechanically, are meaningfully distinct from abilities with a very different thematic flavour.

If you're calling them spell slots, it's really hard to separate them form magic. Because spells are magical and names matter (that's why there's an entire thread on what to call a swordmage.)

If you created a new mechanic for fueling special abilities called Stamina, and made it part of the spellcasting, maneuver, and ki systems, you could probably get people to it. Not everyone, but enough people to be going on with.

 

[Minigiant]

If you're calling them spell slots, it's really hard to separate them form magic. Because spells are magical and names matter (that's why there's an entire thread on what to call a swordmage.)

If you created a new mechanic for fueling special abilities called Stamina, and made it part of the spellcasting, maneuver, and ki systems, you could probably get people to it. Not everyone, but enough people to be going on with.

Yup. D&D didn't attempt to run off a stamina system until recent times and it dang near caused riots.

 

[Quartz]

I’ve skipped to the end but something I have used to prevent multiclassing cheese is “The bonus is limited to the lower of X and your levels in the Y class.” So the Barbarian doesn’t get full Unarmoured Defence at level 1, for instance. This severely crimps a 1 or 2 level dip for many classes.

 

[Minigiant]

I’ve skipped to the end but something I have used to prevent multiclassing cheese is “The bonus is limited to the lower of X and your levels in the Y class.” So the Barbarian doesn’t get full Unarmoured Defence at level 1, for instance. This severely crimps a 1 or 2 level dip for many classes.

Yeah, but that's not even a good idea.

That's what confuses me. For the part of the game people play (levels 1-10), multiclassing is bad in 11 out of 13 classes. If anything, multi classing needs a buff.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Personally i'd be in favour of removing multiclassing as it is entirely in favour of some form of feat adjacent but bigger ability packs [i don't know if this is the same concept as 'packs' i've heard discussed in relation to previous editions] maybe you get one every five levels, some contain thematically expanded spell lists, some contain proficiencies and features like a second background, some contain limited access to each of the 13[?] classes core abilities and repeatedly taking the same pack for the same class would give access to higher level abilities and improve the base quality of those features you got from them like increasing your bardic inspiration die up a size or more spells and metamagic for the sorcerer pack, maybe there'd also be ones that you could only pick that were exclusive to each respective class with advanced abilities that leaned into your class's core concept even harder.

It'd be alot tidier and more efficient way of branching out your character's capabilties in my opinion.