Hybrid Classes

[Cadfan]

1. Its going to take me a while to assimilate this.

2. Some people are going to be inevitably unhappy because they want SPECIFIC combinations of class abilities, and this doesn't give you all possible combinations.

3. I admire that WotC had the balls to say, up front, that hybrid characters aren't automatically good in every combination. That your combination may just plain not work well. That you may have to come up with some other way of creating your character concept, or that you may have to give up. This was going to be true of any system they possibly could have invented, due to the combinatorial issues and the underlying ability score architecture. I salute them for having the guts to put up a warning sign that admits this, rather than to try to pretend that everything is fine even when it can't be. A good "use at your own risk" is worth so much in terms of people's expectations and demands.

 

[SlimeGuru42]

Check page 3-4 for the feat Hybrid Talent. It lets you gain a class feature from one of your classes that you don't already have hybridized. It does -not- mention being able to take it multiple times.

It will let you play a beastmaster ranger hybrid though.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I can guess what the hybrid versions of the PHB2 classes would be:
Avenger: Oath of Emnity only works with Avenger powers.
Barbarian: Ragestrike - Barbarian dailies only, possibly get rampage.
Bard: Majestic Word once, skill versatility
Druid: Wildshape, likely the same as the full feature.
Invoker: You might get the covenant ability but not the associated channel divinity power.
Shaman: You get a companion spirit, but it might be a standard action to call. And maybe Healing Spirit 1/enc.
Sorcerer: Spell source bonus damage, sorcerer powers only.
Warden: Nature's Wrath to only one adjacent enemy.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Check page 3-4 for the feat Hybrid Talent. It lets you gain a class feature from one of your classes that you don't already have hybridized. It does -not- mention being able to take it multiple times.

It will let you play a beastmaster ranger hybrid though.

It's assumed that all feats can only be taken once, unless otherwise specified. I noticed that a lot of the defensive abilities aren't hybrid abilities.

And I'm sure that anyone who actually takes the Swordmage hybrid will probably want to get Swordmage Warding with that feat right away, because they're stuck with the worst armour proficiencies of both classes.

 

[Rechan]

Barbarian: Ragestrike - Barbarian dailies only, possibly get rampage.

The problem with Rage-Strike:

You have to be Raging, and use another rage for the strike.

Since Hybrid classes have to go "One power of this class, one power of that", you come to something like this:

Barb Daily 1: BloodHunt Range
Other Class Daily 5: Whatever.
Barb Daily 9: Black Dragon Rage.

So Ragestrike wouldn't be usable until level 9.

 

[ppaladin123]

Well...there is the feat, "hybrid talent," so it looks like you can pick up one extra class feature. That only works once though.

The swordmage's aegis and the paladin's divine challenge are seriously nerfed in hybrid-form.

You could probably build a interesting wizard/cleric (pick up implement mastery as your hybrid talent). Maybe you could make a fun warlord/paladin too.

This looks rather weak overall though. You'll have to spend at least one feat on hybrid talent in most cases. You'll also likely have to spend several feats on the armor/shield proficiencies you've lost. It ends up being rather feat-intensive just like multi-classing.

I'm going to go try to build a hybrid cleric/warlord and see what I can come up with.

 

[chaotix42]

Check page 3-4 for the feat Hybrid Talent. It lets you gain a class feature from one of your classes that you don't already have hybridized. It does -not- mention being able to take it multiple times.

It will let you play a beastmaster ranger hybrid though.

Yeah, that feat will go a loooooong way toward making hybrid characters more robust. This way your hybrid fighter can be nice and sticky (lol).

 

[Rechan]

Heh. Another drawback is that, since you don't get the particular class features like Artful Dodger/Rageblood Vigor, etc, then you don't get the enhancements to those powers you choose with those qualities.

So, for all intents and purposes, you're treated like you multi-classed to get that power.

Also, this might really impact classes that get boosts to AC as part of their class features, to balance them out: The Avenger, Druid, Barbarian, and Swordmage.

Check page 3-4 for the feat Hybrid Talent. It lets you gain a class feature from one of your classes that you don't already have hybridized. It does -not- mention being able to take it multiple times.

Thanks, I totally missed that.

The swordmage's aegis and the paladin's divine challenge are seriously nerfed in hybrid-form.

Aye.

 

[Stalker0]

Up front I think its pretty interesting, and almost a true blending of the classes.

WOTC seems to be concerned that it will be too weak, but I bet there are plenty of powerful combinations to be made.

I think it definitely fills some of the hole people feel when they lost 3e multiclassing. Its not quite the same, but close in its customization.

I wonder if when all is said and done, WOTC will not go with the modular approach and will instead provide tailor made hybrid class combinations. Modular design is 3e, the old "build how you want it, but don't come crying to us when its broken or too weak". 4e is more about the "we will craft great classes for you, but you need to take what your given and wait for the splats to see more options."

But have their advantages, so it will be interesting to see where it leads.

 

[Cadfan]

Wait... with the Hybrid Talent feat, I can combine the fey pact boon with a melee class? Like the Barbarian? A teleporting melee combatant?