D&D 4E How does Favored Class Work in 4e?

[JoeGKushner]

I haven't been following all the news as much as I probably should be so if this has been covered before, my bad.

How do favored classes work in 4e? I never liked the way they worked in 3e and actually thought that Conan did a better job of making a favored class actually mean something in real game mechanics.

 

[ZappoHisbane]

From everything I've personally seen, I'm guessing they're out the window. Races may gravitate more towards one class or another because of synergies with their racial abilities (elves make good rangers, eladrin make good wizards), but I doubt there will be anything "hard-coded". I've been wrong before though. Often, even.

 

[FreeXenon]

That is my impression as well. They are looking to give bonuses classes (2 or 3) that fit a specific racial-class archetype, and not placing limitations on your choices.

 

[Knight Otu]

I'm pretty sure that it has been confirmed that favored classes are out. Racial abilities and powers may favor certain classes, and there are racial class powers, which may or may not exist only for certain race/class combinations.

 

[drothgery]

Since the elf preview didn't list a favored class, I'm thinking they're gone.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

How do favored classes work in 4e?

Michele Carter said here that favored classes and the multiclassing penalty aren't in 4e. So they don't work in 4e because they're not there.

On the other hand, that response was in a thread discussing a Gleemax post by Rich Baker where he said half-elves "multiclass well." What this means hasn't been explained.

 

[BartD]

Did anyone actually use favored clases anyway?
IMC there has always been a good reason to multiclass - so why penalize?
IMO it was one of the most stupid restrictions (along with monk and paladin multiclassing) - good riddance!
In 2e, did anyone ever observe the level limits ("Yes you get xp but you don't gain a level mr dwarf fighter. The gods think you are too powerful!")
Stupid restrictions must go!
... so far the only potential "stupid restriction"s I have caught a whiff of are fixed "skill ranks" (which the DM in me won't miss) and multiclassing which may or may not be done well. Anything else?

 

[TwinBahamut]

I am sure that if a race's favored class is mentioned in any way in 4E, it will be a character creation hint designed to help new players find decent builds, rather than as a rule with penalties.

 

[The Little Raven]

Did anyone actually use favored clases anyway?

I only did one thing with favored class: give a character whose race/class matched as favored an extra action point per level.

 

[The Human Target]

Did anyone actually use favored clases anyway?
IMC there has always been a good reason to multiclass - so why penalize?
IMO it was one of the most stupid restrictions (along with monk and paladin multiclassing) - good riddance!
In 2e, did anyone ever observe the level limits ("Yes you get xp but you don't gain a level mr dwarf fighter. The gods think you are too powerful!")
Stupid restrictions must go!
... so far the only potential "stupid restriction"s I have caught a whiff of are fixed "skill ranks" (which the DM in me won't miss) and multiclassing which may or may not be done well. Anything else?

I kinda used them.

If after the beginning of one of my games a character wanted to take a level in a brand new class, they would have to track down someone to teach the them the basics and spend a little time or money on it.

But they could take levels in their favored class without needing to do any legwork. So an Elf knows enough about the basics of magic to become a wizard with little or no effort. And a dwarf can become a fighter because all dwarves have minimal training in arms and armor and can pick up the class easily.