Gestalt instead of multiclass?

[Phaedrus]

What do you think of allowing gestalt characters from UA if they were paid for with XP?

Example: 1st level Fighter gets 1000XP. Instead of becoming a 2nd level Fighter, he instead becomes a gestalt Ftr1/Rog1. Similar to 1e multi-classing. Instead of capping at a 20th level char (non-epic), you get twice the mileage as a 20/20 character.

Such a thing wouldn't be worth paying full XP for (I don't think), so what % would make sense? And by "make sense" I mean what would it take to balance this against "normal" characters? (again, I'm assuming Ftr2 > Ftr1/Rog1 gestalt)

 

[Nifft]

The last time this was discussed, LA was the favored mechanic.

The average LA for Gestalt (over all levels) seemed to be +2, while there were a few similar scaled versions (start at LA +1 from 1st-6th or so, then LA +2 until 12th, LA +3 up to 18th, then LA +4).

Someone responsible for the scaled version(s), please chime in if I've gotten that wrong!

Cheers, -- N

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

I've considered doing this and my idea has always been to increase the xp needed to advance by 50%. I'd also allow them to start at 1st level, though. So, a group with a Fighter 1, a Fighter 1/Rogue 1, and a Fighter 1/Rogue 1/Wizard 1 would need 1000, 1500, and 2000 xp to reach 2nd level respectively. The gestalts have more options at 1st level, but the single class folks advance faster.

 

[Pyrex]

The question is, how much faster, and what if how do you model Ftr5//Rog2 as a gestalt multiclass?

Last time I pondered the problem this is what I came up with.

Lesser-level gestalt multiclassing is handled with split XP tracks with "virtual" LA added in per each additional class.

Example:

Ftr 3 has 3000xp and wants to become Ftr3//Rog1.

The second class added has +1 LA, and so requires 1000xp to gestalt Rog1 into his first Ftr level.

Once the character has 4000xp (3000xp for Ftr 3 + 1000xp for //Rog1) his class progression becomes

Ftr1 // Rog1
Ftr2
Ftr3

Next he wants to add a gestalt Sorcerer level. Third class is at LA+2, so adding a level of Sor costs 3000xp. Once the character reaches 7000xp it looks like:

Ftr1 // Rog1 // Sor1
Ftr2
Ftr3

At 10,000xp he adds a 4th Ftr level,

Ftr1 // Rog1 // Sor1
Ftr2
Ftr3
Ftr4

At 12,000 xp (6000 for Ftr4 + 3000 for Rog2 + 3000 for Sor1) he adds a 2nd Rog level:

Ftr1 // Rog1 // Sor1
Ftr2 // Rog2
Ftr3
Ftr4

And so on.

Depending on how much you want to encourage/discourage multiclassing you could remove the incremental LA from each additional class and leave it at a flat +1 for each class beyond the first.

If more than about half your levels are going to be Gestalt though you should go with the progressive overall LA posted above.