multi-classing from day 1

[Lee's Fortune]

Why? You can't get past level 1?

To avoid the necessity of finding a mentor. And yes.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

To avoid the necessity of finding a mentor.

I think this is going to be your sticking point with people here at ENWorld. The rules forum is populated by many people who think you can do anything available in WotC sources. So, the idea of a DM saying "No multiclassing unless you RP a mentorship" may be foreign to some. Likely, I would estimate that it is an aspect of the game that most DMs handwave away into the realm of 'assumed down-time stuff.'

 

[Lela]

I think this is going to be your sticking point with people here at ENWorld. The rules forum is populated by many people who think you can do anything available in WotC sources. So, the idea of a DM saying "No multiclassing unless you RP a mentorship" may be foreign to some. Likely, I would estimate that it is an aspect of the game that most DMs handwave away into the realm of 'assumed down-time stuff.'

Personally I usually just let it slide. Though for a lot of things it wouldn't matter. A BBN just has to know how to get angry while a Sorc comes naturally. I'd put Rogue there. It's something you always almost knew how to do. At 2nd you've just had time to focus on it.

Wizard is about the only thing that needs training. And even then I'd say you have the training, you just haven't figured it out. Or you lost your spellbooks. Or you tossed it.

That said, I have a DM who goes nuts with the mentor/research thing.

 

[Machiavelli]

For, say, my cleric who wanted to multiclass into Druid, my DM just said that when I couldn't make it to a session I was out wandering in the woods, and at one point while we were in the wilderness, I tracked down and visited a local druid, to get his advice and offer my services if the need arose. 2 levels later, after a couple of "walk-around" trips that assumedly involved meeting with the druid, I took my first level.

The process of actually finding and maintaining my character's "mentor" took all of 10 minutes total in real gaming time.

But yes, it was completely role-play. There aren't any rules that I know of for this sort of thing.

 

[hong]

To avoid the necessity of finding a mentor.

Work the mentor into your rogue's backstory, before taking your 1st level of wizard. Problem solved.

 

[Ranger REG]

I think this is going to be your sticking point with people here at ENWorld. The rules forum is populated by many people who think you can do anything available in WotC sources. So, the idea of a DM saying "No multiclassing unless you RP a mentorship" may be foreign to some. Likely, I would estimate that it is an aspect of the game that most DMs handwave away into the realm of 'assumed down-time stuff.'

Yeah, my initial reaction to "need a mentor" was a "WTF" look.

To echo Hong's post, make it part of your backstory. Perhaps your mentor is also multiclassed. Or perhaps you have two mentors and you just finished [basic] training for one of them.

But if your DM is seriously into apprentice level, ask him/her what's the samurai's apprentice level, or the duskblade's, or the swashbuckler's, or the hexblade's. Make him/her sweat.

 

[Lee's Fortune]

Good stuff everyone. I probably haven't conveyed enough information to get what it was I was trying to say, lol. So far, I like the idea of starting wizard first, because that class would seem to be the hardest to multi in to once you've already chosen rogue. Learning how magic works, etc., seems like somewhat of a big deal while, as another poster above mentioned, sharpening rogue type attributes might come more naturally.

Again, I'm using the premise that a first level rogue who just leveled CANNOT just pick up wizardy on the fly w/o a mentor. (This could still be handled in down time, but with this premise, you'd still need to FIND a mentor, meaning one would have to be available.)

I thought that maybe apprenticeship in both rogue and wizard at first level would take care of this, training in both fields as part of his back story pre-1st level.

So I'm gathering from the rules and all of you that either the 3.0 rules might help, a house ruling might work, or just stick with one class now and multi later.

 

[VonRichthofen]

Still can't see why your mentor can't be a wizard/rogue to solve all these dreary problems.

 

[rgard]

Hey Rich,

Thanks a ton for this! I can dredge through the work, though, but thanks for the offer of helping.

Hi Lee's Fortune, my pleasure. The split class at first level was fun to play. Gave me an excuse to think up a really cool character background. Have fun. The only thing I would watch for when you do this is to make sure you don't syphon off Rogue skill points for the Wizard.

Enjoy,
Rich

 

[Thanee]

And if not, how do you handle a multi-class character at first level?

Start campaigns at 2nd level. It also adds some survivability against random death at 1st level.

Bye
Thanee