favored class as a bonus not penalty-ideas?

[Charles Dunwoody]

In a new campaign I'm working on I want the favored class to be a bonus not a penalty. I want characters to multiclass but to keep some order I want to reward them for keeping several levels in a favored class.

If a character has more levels in his favored class than any other class then he gets a bonus. I'm trying to decide on the bonus. I've thought of a +1 to one save and a +2 to initiative as sort of half-feat ideas and even considered a bonus to XP (which I don't want to go with). I've tried to come up with a small bonus to hit points or healing but haven't worked anything out yet.

I really like this idea because it encourages a player to have over half his character levels in one class while allowing for a lot of multiclassing. Anyone have any ideas on what kind of bonus I could offer? Not so great that a player feels that he has to concentrate on the class, but a small bonus to encourage it.

 

[Knight Otu]

I've had similar ideas. For the most part, I would say stick to +2 bonuses to skills, but other bonuses are certainly possible. Another thing might be that two classes offer a bonus (three if one class is quite limited, such as specialist wizards).

As a starting point:

Elf Favored Class:

1. Wizard (Spellcraft). An elf who has more levels in wizard than any other class receives a +2 (racial?) bonus to Spellcraft checks.
2. Bard (Bardic Knowledge). An elf who has more levels in bard than any other class receives a +2 (racial?) bonus to Bardic Knowledge checks.

One thing strikes out as important: This variant might hurt humans and half-elves, so they should probably get something to compensate (a bonus feat at 3rd level, provided it is a +2/+2 skill feat?).
Also, it might be interesting if the bonus does not manifest immediately at 1st level. Maybe third level again?

Keep in mind that my ideas are very rough and fully untested. It is just an idea that buzzed through my mind for some time without me ever writing up a thing.

 

[Chacal]

I would go as far as giving a feat-like ability.
It would depend on the class:

a skill focus for rogue and bards,
a +1 competence bonus to attack with one weapon for fighters and the like,
a +1 caster level (or bonus spell slots) for spell levels whose level are half of the max they can cast for casters,

You could also make alternatives bonus for some races, like:
dwarfs choose between the fighter bonus and a bonus in hp or a +1 Co ...
half orcs an choose between the barbarian bonus and a +2 to damage that only works when raging




Chacal

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Some other Possibilites:

For every level they have in thier Favored Class (or highest class for humans and others with any favored class), they get a +1% bonus to experience points. This kind of matches the flavor of the normal XP penalty for multiclassing. However, if reluctant to give out more XP, here's another possibility.

Derived from the Humans +1 Skill Point per level; why not just give a player who takes a level in his favored class (or highest level class for those with Any favored class) a bonus skill point for that level. This seems like a small thing, and perhaps not as useful to say a fighter as opposed to a rogue, but extra skill points really make a difference over the long run. This also has the function of easily being implemented into the game, or even into an exsisting game.

Vraille Darkfang

 

[the Jester]

Vraille, that's a cool idea. I like it- I'm tempted to try it, if I ever decide to fiddle with the multiclassing rules.

 

[CombatWombat51]

Races tend towards certain classes. A character who doesn’t follow this tendency spends more time learning his profession than other characters, so he’s not as well versed in his cultural traditions.
A character chooses his favored class at first level, based on the list in his race’s description. When a character takes a level in that class, he gets +2 skill points for that level (x4 at first level). These points must be spent on Craft, Knowledge, Perform or Profession.

Instead of one Favored Class per race, there's 2 (except for humans, who get any). Standard elves would have like ranger or wizard, or something like that. Dwarves would have fighter or cleric. You get the point