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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arial Black" data-source="post: 7985585" data-attributes="member: 6799649">I don't disagree with any of this. As I said, the player designs their character within the parameters set by the DM.I have heard this opinion before so I can't claim that there's something wrong with you for thinking like this, but I must confess I don't see classes that way at all!For me, the game mechanics cannot be known by the creatures in the game! They cannot possibly know what 'character class' they are, because 'character class' is a game mechanic!"Of course my PC knows he's a Fighter!"No. He knows he's a fighter. He cannot know he's a Fighter. Paladins, Rangers, Barbarians are all fighters, even though they aren't Fighters. My outlander Fighter is considered a barbarian culturally, even though he has no Barbarian class levels. If someone called my Rogue (Thief) a 'thief' in game, he would demand to know what he's alleged to have stolen!With all that in mind, all that class levels give you are abilities in the game world that they DO know about, even if they don't know about the D&D mechanics that make them work in the game. For example, we know at the table that my PC has the Defensive Duellist feat and that I can use my reaction to increase my AC by my Proficiency Bonus against the triggering attack, but my PC doesn't. All my PC knows is that he's better than most at parrying attacks!And if all that is known in game about your class levels is the abilities they give your PC in game, then learning a new trick is learning a new trick; the creatures in the game world don't have a concept of 'multi-class' any more than they have of 'class' in the first place.From the perspective of a 20th level PC, every single one has a collection of twenty levels-worth of abilities, no matter how many classes contributed to those twenty levels! A Paladin gets enough XPs to level up to 2nd. In game, the person doesn't know about 'class', 'level' or 'XPs'; he just knows he learned some new abilities.He learns a fighting style. He could learn Duelling style, or Protection style, or Great Weapon Fighting. Narratively, he just learns it. He really wants the Protection style AND GWF, but can only choose one. Let's say he chooses GWF. He doesn't need to go to some foreign country to find a master, pay money and convince him to take a new apprentice then take a year to learn it, he's assumed to have been developing his abilities over time and has now got good enough to use it.After some more experience he levels up to 3rd. He can learn the other style now: Protection. How? Take a level of Fighter.In game, the person is not 'taking a level of fighter' though. In game, he's learning a new fighting style and how to quickly get their breath back in combat. Why should this fighting style make him jump through campaign hoops to get it? He could've got it last level (a couple of weeks ago) without the hoops.Think of every multi-class 20th level combination to be a unique single class of 20 levels-worth of abilities. Just like a single class PC's new abilities are assumed to be the result of previous practice coming to fruition, so do all their abilities, whether or not they are from multi-classing at the table. Why? Because there is no such thing as 'multi-classing' in the game world, because there are no D&D classes from the perspective of creatures in the game, because they cannot know game mechanics like 'character class'.1st level paladin getting 2nd level of paladin: "I just learned how to cast spells. Divine magic! I've been practising for ages in my spare time and I've got the hang of it now." : )1st level fighter getting 1st level of cleric: "I just learned how to cast spells. Divine magic! I've been practising for ages in my spare time and I've got the hang of it now." : )Paladin: "Impossible! You can't just learn to cast spells in your spare time! You have to have six months off and pay a master to take you as an apprentice!"</blockquote>

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