(Multi. VS Straight Classing) How do you take your Levels?

[Katerek]

This isnt a poll, I just wanted to start a discussion.

I run a group with eight players, they are all hovering around 20th level now.

None of them have taken straight classes all the way through. In fact they are all multiclassed to beat the dickens.

I kid you not, everyone in the group has AT LEAST two core classes and a prestige class. The norm is more like Three Core and Two Prestige.

Has anyone else run into this? I have found that it has made to extend the life of the campaign considerably, becase now there are many things in the ELH that will not be attainable for a Long Long Time.

Personally, I think Multiclassing is the way to go, and obviously my group does too, but I would like to here some others' experience along these lines.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

Well, they'll have access to the epic feats at least. But I agree that multiclassing isn't the way to go if a group wants to achieve raw power. The group I play in has learned the hard way that multiclassing is almost a kind of a trap and they've since avoided it.

 

[Balgus]

I love MC- if i play a fighter type that takes a couple clr classes to boost my fighting baility.- but i usually have a good In game reason to do so... or at least my DM says so.

We have to clear all MC with him before we take it. He does not like people just willy-nilly MC and PrC and CC and DVD and CDs. He likes to know the reason and work your char into the storyline.

Plus, Prcs are almost impossible to come by. He is very strict on the prereqs. Like most PrCs have a "must be asked to join by a current member" and if he does not ask you in game- you still don't even know about it- so don't ask. I think it's fair.

Furthermore- I loathe the 2-4 PrC per char thing. I mean- it is hard enough to join a Prc in the first place (which i believe to be an elite organization that looks down upon th epoeple not within their group). but then to say that a char can take a ninja class for 2 levels and then change to blackguard for three more, and than take bear warrior for two more(ignoring the prereqs for just a sec) is just absurd. Not only is that just metagaming- and munckining your char out- it is horribel in game too.

EX- A ninja is a ninja for life. If you ever decide toleave it- you bettre make damn well sure that you are like 80th level- or else the organization will send someone to come and kill you to keep their clan secret.

MC is ok- i guess, but I really don't like it when people do that all the time also. Do you guys play with the MC rule anymore? you know- the favored class and MC experience hit?

 

[EricNoah]

We've been playing the same campaign for 2 years (since 3e came out) and we have just a smidge of multiclassing -- mostly because I required it for some characters (1 level of cleric so they could all be members of the same church). We now also have one person with a prestige class -- our group's first PrC of the campaign. Typically the situation is one or two levels of one class and a lot of levels in the "main" class.

 

[jasper]

My players about 8 when we all sit down.
2 out of the 8 have multiclassed.
1 was special due to god call.
About half think multiclassing hurt their characters.
The other half think it okay and maybe on their next characters.
So it still depends on the individual player.

 

[smetzger]

We've been playing the same campaign for 2 years (since 3e came out) and we have just a smidge of multiclassing -- mostly because I required it for some characters (1 level of cleric so they could all be members of the same church). We now also have one person with a prestige class -- our group's first PrC of the campaign. Typically the situation is one or two levels of one class and a lot of levels in the "main" class.

Eric, I also forced my players to take 1 level of Cleric, Paladin, or Druid so they could all be in the same church. I ended up with straight Clerics, Paladins, and Druids. This has happened with two different sets of players.

I was trying to come up with a way to encourage players to take other classes while still being agents of the church. I had the following ideas:
Make Knowledge (religion) a class skill for everyone and require 2 ranks. Any other ideas?

 

[arwink]

I tend to multiclass a lot, but I'm rarely in the players role long enough to attain raw power, so versatility and the chance to try new abilities is usually more important to me.

Among my players, things are usually split. Some a multiclassed, some are heading for PrC and some prefer to do a straight single-classed power grab.

In a previous campaign that went to the upper levels (18th or so), the party included one single-classed cleric, a mutliclassed wizard/rogue and a Barbarian/fighter/cleric of Tempus. There didn't appear to be a significant power difference between the three. The cleric had the most powerful spells and was a heavily armored combatent, but what the wizard lacked in firepower he made up for with manuverability, sneak attacks and evasion. PrC didn't appear among the primary PC's, but did show up among the Cohorts.

 

[drnuncheon]

Of the past few characters I've played, two out of the three were multiclassed.

The first is a Ftr/Rog, heavy on the rogue - a swashbuckling sailor type. Multiclassing helped him far more than it hurt.

The second was a Ftr1/Pal5 - created at that level, and multiclassed for background reasons. Again, it helped him greatly, both in terms of background and fighting ability, while not really being too big of a hit in terms of class features lost.

The third was a conjurer. No multiclassing there - I think long & hard before I multiclass a primary spellcaster.

Of my players - in the home game, both are multiclassed (one Ftr2/Wiz6/Spellsword2, the other Ftr/Rog.) I think both are pretty happy with their characters in terms of power and abilities - especially where they are now, where the wizard can't easily regain his spells... Neither of their current cohorts are multiclassed, though (one bard, one holy warrior).

In the online game, we have a straight cleric, a straight barbarian, and a Ranger/Rogue. Since the R/R expressed a desire to add yet a third class, I can't think that he feels like he's hurting by it.

J

 

[Particle_Man]

vani

Well, I am playing a rogue that is a FANATICAL
servant of Pelor. He has no skill at Knowledge
(religion) and he is CG, but he will do whatever
the clerics of Pelor want (basically, he got converted after having both Mummy Rot and a permanent ability drain from Wraiths on him. That was a NASTY underground battle). I thought about making him a Holy Liberator but didn't feel the need in the end. So perhaps you could just put in the background of the PCs that they serve
the church, without needing to be clergy of it.

Back on topic, I usually straight class unless
I have a prestige class in mind at character
creation. Then I might multi-class if it gets me
to the prestige class more quickly.

I have nothing against multi-classing, but I guess
I am too set in my ways (from 1st ed.) to think
outside the box. It just doesn't occur to me when I am thinking of characters I want to play.

 

[bwgwl]

in the last 3e game i DMed, everyone in the party was multi-classed (3 fighter/rogues, a ranger/sorcerer, and a paladin/cleric).

in the last 3e game i played in, all but two characters were multi-classed (cleric/fighter, wizard/sorcerer (!), rogue/sorcerer, druid/fighter, paladin, wizard).

i like multi-classing characters. it gives them more breadth, and can help the character better fit their role. my last character, for instance was a dwarf cleric/fighter. he saw himself as a crusader, a warrior of his god, so it was natural to pick up a few levels of fighter along the way.

one thing for DMs with heavily-multiclassed parties to watch out for is that multiclassing spellcasters are considerably weaker than "straight" spellcasters. keep this in mind when designing encounters. for example, in the group i DMed, the only arcane spellcaster was a multiclassed ranger/sorcerer. the campaign ended at 8th level, and she was a sorcerer 5/ranger 3 -- still casting only 2nd level spells!