multi-classing from day 1

[James Heard]

Yup, start at a higher level or gestalt. Problem solved, and really - it's not hardly a great big deal to start at a higher level these days until you start considering really high level characters (and that's mostly because tweaking is time consuming).

 

[Lela]

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

Bye
Thanee

That's what I recommend. It still makes the PCs weak enough to get a good starting feel but still makes them feel stronger than most other people in your villiage/town/tribe. Plus it prevents the random death.

 

[Musrum]

Well 3.5 was advertised as backwardly compatible with the 3.0 rules.

As there is nothing in 3.5 which replaces/updates the 3.0 apprentice rules, and since you are using existing core classes (which did not change in any significant way with the upgrade) you are well within RAW to create a Rogue/Wizard 0.5/0.5

 

[Bad Paper]

Good heavens, it's not hard. The 3.0 apprentice rules even said something to the effect that at second level there should be no difference between picking up, say, rogue 1 then wizard 1 and picking up rogue0/wizard0 then rogue1/wizard1.

So build your character at second level (saving throws, BAB, skill points, hit points, all that), then decide with your DM what you get at first level and what you get at second level.

This is one of those things that I offered in my campaign and everyone ignored (along with stuff like teamwork benefits, rituals, etc). It's apparently a niche rule for a reason, but I think it's cool.