Favoured Class

[Byronic]

I've noticed that in DnD 4.0 races still have Favoured Classes, does anybody actually know why? In former editions this assisted them with multiclassing, however in 4.0 this mechanics doesn't seem to work the same.

Does anybody know if it gives any mechanical benefits in 4.0? I thought at first it would give you an extra at-will but if so it hasn't showed up in any of the previews.

 

[TerraDave]

I think it is just advice on what the race works best with. E.G., with bonuses to dex and wis elves make good rangers, rogues, and clerics.

I don't think there is more to it then that.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Seems like it has gone the way of alignment and be mostly a roleplay/suggestion aspect, rather than a mechanical rule...

 

[jtrowell]

I've noticed that in DnD 4.0 races still have Favoured Classes, does anybody actually know why? In former editions this assisted them with multiclassing, however in 4.0 this mechanics doesn't seem to work the same.

Does anybody know if it gives any mechanical benefits in 4.0? I thought at first it would give you an extra at-will but if so it hasn't showed up in any of the previews.

From what is currently known, there is no longer any favoured class rule, just flavor.

A dwarf will still favor the fighter (or cleric) class thanks to his CON (and WIS for clerics) bonuses, but he will not be penalized anymore for chosing another class.

 

[GreatLemur]

That's a relief. Favored classes (and multiclassing XP penalties) were among the dumbest mechanics in 3e. Mechanical encouragements to play to archetypes instead of your own character concept are, in general, a fundamentally bad idea.

 

[Vael]

Well, 4e's multiclassing rules make favoured classes pointless anyway.

 

[davethegame]

I've noticed that in DnD 4.0 races still have Favoured Classes, does anybody actually know why? In former editions this assisted them with multiclassing, however in 4.0 this mechanics doesn't seem to work the same.

Does anybody know if it gives any mechanical benefits in 4.0? I thought at first it would give you an extra at-will but if so it hasn't showed up in any of the previews.

I thought someone had said that your favored class gives extra HP per level, but I don't have a source, so could be wrong.

 

[Plane Sailing]

That's a relief. Favored classes (and multiclassing XP penalties) were among the dumbest mechanics in 3e. Mechanical encouragements to play to archetypes instead of your own character concept are, in general, a fundamentally bad idea.

Personally I feel that mechanical encouragements to play to archetypes is fine (after all, that is what ability bonuses and some of the other race features do).

3e had mechanical disadvantages for not playing to archetypes (and the favoured class mechanism worked in an unintuitive fashion, since it was the class that the race found easiest to splash in alongside other classes rather than the class that they would prefer to be). I personally don't like the mechanical disadvantage route which 3e had.

cheers

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

3e had mechanical disadvantages for not playing to archetypes (and the favoured class mechanism worked in an unintuitive fashion, since it was the class that the race found easiest to splash in alongside other classes rather than the class that they would prefer to be). I personally don't like the mechanical disadvantage route which 3e had.

Me either. If 4e's favored classes are anything but suggestions, I'll be ignoring the. As someone said, favored classes don't make as much sense in 4e as they did in 3e (though even then it was pretty precarious logic if you ask me).

 

[Blackeagle]

I think it is just advice on what the race works best with. E.G., with bonuses to dex and wis elves make good rangers, rogues, and clerics.

I don't think there is more to it then that.

IIRC the folks from WotC have also said that some races will have some racial feats that have synergies with certain classes.