D&D 5E Feasibility of the "Hybrid" class for a multiclassing alternative?

[Kobold Avenger]

There's many flaws with the current mutliclassing system as it could result in both some strong combos and some weak combos depending on the choices. So I'm thinking of a system that handles dual multiclassing only, with there being sort of a base class called the Hybrid.

I's base abilities would be things like proficiency bonus and ability score increase at level 4,8,12,16 and 19, and at 1st level a Hybrid character picks which 2 classes they want. In some cases I suspect we could on the base table have things like "Ability from Class 1" and "Ability from Class 2", but since the 12 different classes (2 more if you count the upcoming classes in playtesting) all have different things that advance at different rates I don't know how feasible that is. There may have to be separate tables for Hybrid Fighter and Hybrid Wizard and so on.

Even if we could have advancement through the classes on the general hybrid table, some hybrid classes might need their own versions of the abilities from those other classes. And what's the end of the power curve for hybrids? I think it could range from 50% to 66% of other classes.

Any more ideas on such a thing?

 

[Xaelvaen]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?592818-Dual-classing-solution-to-multiclassing

Here is one person's take with some good followup from the community.

Myself, I made a base model after 3.5's gestalt system, switched ASI to character level so the classes didn't matter for that department, and made them stagger their Hit Dice gain if the sizes are different amongst the chosen two classes. Fighter/Rogue? No problem, that'd be 10d10 and 10d8 at 20th level.

To compensate, when designing encounters, for each 'gestalt' character, I increase the party's size by with the average level to determine encounters. If there are 4 gestalt characters, I use 8 characters at APL for encounter design. Easy and fast, but I only use this for more 'epic' campaigns where characters are meant to feel 'God-Touched' or what have you.

 

[aco175]

I would like to see something where you still gain some benefit from your primary class and be able to have some of a secondary class. Maybe take the place of the archtype at 3rd level, or maybe what I'm thinking will make them less cool or needed. I would like to have a diminished secondary class, but one where you gain roughly half the powers while gaining some of your primary class abilities at the same time.

This could be what the 3rd level archtype was designed to be. I would like to make my character fit what I see him to be and sometimes the 3-4 choices I'm given from the PHB not quite what I'm looking for. Maybe I want my fighter to pick up some cleric without going paladin and there is no type to pick at 3rd level.

Maybe instead of taking a type, I add cleric as a multiclass or 'type'. I get some spellcasting and power but still remain a fighter.

I do not think i'm explaining it quite right.

 

[Quartz]

I think I'd prefer to see it done through the Feat system. Trade your feat / ASI for class features. I think it works elegantly for spellcasters.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

A system based on the Gestalt system is not desired, having such characters that are outright more powerful than single class is not what I'm going for at all. For the use of feats to simulate multiclassing, there's currently nothing that further advances spellcasting. For replacing archetype features with class features from other classes, there's currently the issue of archetypes/subclasses like Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster which might outdo the option for some combos.

A bunch of my idea for a Hybrid class was based on the ideas of what they're coming up with Pillars of Eternity 2, who discovered that 3e multiclassing wasn't going to work with their 3.5e/Pathfinder inspired system. So they decided to go with something more like 2e multiclassing.