Majoru Oakheart
Adventurer
I agree that it is mostly solved. But that's not my only problem with multiclassing. My bigger problem with multiclassing is the ability to pick and choose levels in order to power game. I dislike the ability to use multiclassing to pick and choose the best parts of each class at the levels that make them most effective(and sometimes easier than taking feats to do the same thing).
But then again, I LIKE archetypes with small variation. I'd prefer characters who are Jedi and nothing but Jedi. Where the difference between 2 of them is that one is better at hacking computer terminals and the other one is better at speaking more languages. This is the kind of thing that can be done with feats or with a different sort of multiclassing that just let you dabble a bit. More like 4e.
The feat is unbalanced no matter when you let someone take it because it is an opposed roll. This doesn't work if you can add large bonuses to your roll. A feat that added 1 instead of 5 might be balanced, but any more and it heavily favors the person attacking.
Ideally, you wouldn't base force powers on a skill check at all. I dislike random powers, in general. It sucks to be a Jedi Master and say, "I pick up that ship over there" and roll too low to do it this time. I'd prefer that Jedi Powers be static abilities that simply increase in power as you gain levels. Rolls should only be used when you are determining how much damage something does, whether something hits and whether something effects a creature. Certainly not to determine whether my Force Power does 1d6 or 2d6 damage this round.
It's just that very few of the powers are really useful. Take for example, the entire Spacer Talent tree for Scoundrels. They do things like "+1 to hit when on a space ship". It's only a minor benefit and it only applies in some situations. When you compare it to Deflect, it looks EXTREMELY weak. Especially if that's supposed to be the cool thing your class gets to do. Your talents should really be the core of your entire class. It should be "what you do". It is for Jedi. They get Talents like Deflect, Block, and so on. The improved versions make them better at the sort of things they do.
But are we really saying that what defines a Scoundrel is their ability to hit with weapons while on a ship? There are lots of other examples, but my book isn't around for me to look it up right now.
Yes. It's because it's a pain to keep track of things that I don't feel matter. It's also because of the number of things the condition track affects. If an enemy is marked in 4e, I right an M beside its name. If they are immobilized then I write "imm". It's not too big of a deal. Plus, it mostly affects their tactics rather than the math. If the creature is immobilized then it won't move. If it is marked, it'll try to hit the target it is marked to.
Compare this to having 8 thugs with blaster pistols hiding behind X-Wings in a hanger. It becomes their turn. Thug number 1 is the one in the lower left corner of the map. What's its plus to hit? Ok, they all have +7. Roll 8d20s, figure out who each of them is attacking. Then go through the list, "Does 18 hit you Jedi? How about 21? 22?", etc. Then you realize that 4 of them are down the condition chart. Which ones? Since you didn't roll the dice one at time, you now need to reroll all of them. And most of the time they are down only 1 step. Which you realize after you rerolled them and realized that the -1 didn't affect any of the rolls at all. I hate modifiers. I like tactical changes. Yes, there are modifiers in 4e. I still hate them. Luckily, very few classes have the ability to give a -2 to hit or something like that in 4e, so I don't have to keep track of it every battle.
They are compared to Scouts, Scoundrels and Nobles. I think there is a good reason why every member of my SW group is a Jedi or Solider(some are also other classes, but they all have a level of Jedi or Soldier) except for the one Noble. And the Noble has to hide most of the combat due to their ability to die really easily and their inability to hit the broad side of a barn. They instead just use their demoralizing ability over and over again. Nothing but "Does 28 beat its will defense? Yes? He goes down 2 steps on the condition chart. Go."
I'm not sure what to say about this one. I'm glad you have an opinion about this. Still, I'll take carefully crafted and controlled numbers of 4e that are much more elegant than a solution that involves giving one class the ability to deflect everything shot at them and an arbitrary +5 bonus to all their powers for a single feat while giving another class +1 to hit only while aboard a ship. The balancing factor between the classes? Scoundrels get less hitpoints and BAB....Which makes perfect sense.
