Multiclassing Adjustment

[DulothS]

A few adjustments that would make Multiclassing more balanced and usefull;

Favored Class: XP penalties no longer exist. If a race has a favored class, it now has the ability to take the level in its favored class when it reaches 90% of the XP needed for next level; his XP total "Jumps" artificially to the next requirement if he chooses his favored class. This means that humans will automatically level slightly faster under ordinary circumstances, as will Half Elves, compared to members of other races who don't have that favored class. Optionally, unusually weak races(goblins?) could have a lower "Jump %" and a reduction in CR as they gain levels.

Fractional Bonuses: If a bonus provides a modifier per set number of levels, then it now provides a fraction bonus. For example, a Wizard gets half a BAB point every level, and a third of a Reflex save point every level. When multiclassing, the fractions add together, allowing a character to keep pace if his classes all have the same modifiers.

First-Level Bonuses: Each class gets certain bonuses they only receive if they enter the class at first level; normally this is only starting gold and skill points, but with this change, it includes the following: +2 to good saves, Fighter bonus feat, Call Familiar(Becomes feat), Scribe Scroll. Any class with "Frontloaded" abilities will have only -some- of its abilities at 1st level, and others will require feats to access for someone who multiclasses. For some classes, the PC might get a choice of which to take; a Barbarian speed or Rage ability, for example; and then have to get a feat to get the other, or have to wait for 2nd/3rd level.

Spellcasters: Any time a Spellcaster takes levels in a non-spellcasting class, with every 2 non-spellcaster levels he gains a +1 bonus to caster level in the spellcasting class. If he takes levels in two different spellcasting classes, then only the second of the two he takes will be able to add bonuses to the other. A spellcaster's caster level can never excede his class level for spells in general. If the chosen class is Bard, then each 2 caster levels added add on a third, and if the chosen class is Paladin or Ranger then he can continue his progression normally at caster level = class level. (I.E: A Fighter 10/Sorcerer 10 would effectively cast spells as a level 15 Sorcerer, and a Fighter 10/Bard 10 would effectively cast spells as a level 17 Bard. A Wizard 10/Cleric 10 would either be 15 wizard caster level or 15 cleric caster level.)


Result:
Multiclassing won't grant you any unusual power compared to your allies, but it also won't cripple you if you make a "Poor" multiclassing choice for in-character purposes. Your Druid/Ranger won't shoot himself in the foot by losing all those spellcaster levels, nor will he have unusually good saves.

 

[GreatLemur]

I think I prefer the idea of ditching favored classes completely. I seriously don't dig the whole "reinforce traditional fantasy archetypes" bit. (Of course, I'd want to give humans and half-elves a little something in return, probably just a few more skill points.)

Fractional bonuses are great, and should be a part of everyone's game. There is no reason in the world that a Cleric 1 / Druid 1 / Rogue 1 should have a BAB of +0, while his pure Wizard friend is already at +1.

I like your ideas on caster levels, too, although I'm not sure I understand the rationale behind the rule variation for Bards, or exactly what you meant about Paladins and Rangers.

On the topic of first (character) level bonuses, I've got a lot of thoughts, not all of them directly related to your post. First of all, I do like your goal of eliminating the frontloading phenomenon, but your solution sounds pretty kludgy. I don't really want to see class levels behaving differently depending on whether they were your first character level or not. I've always been kind of bugged by the fact that if you want to be a Rogue/Wizard, you definitely want to take a Rogue level first, since you'll miss out on a pile of skill points--and probably a few hit points--if you start off as a Wizard. Your first level of Rogue ought to be the same no matter when in your career you take it.

I haven't quite got a solution for this, but I've been thinking about giving out some "level 0" hit points and skill points based on race or culture or background (this would also determine starting wealth), and letting the first class level give out HP and skill points just like any other level of that class. Also, I'd want to do the same thing with those 1st level "+2" saving throws: You get +2 to a save (or two saves?) based on your character's background, and then fractional bonuses every class level. (Thing is, I'm not sure what fractions to use. Good save progression is +1/2 per level, and bad is +1/3. Adding thirds to halves is a pain, and I'd like to be able to use decimals without worrying about infinite 3s. I might just change the progressions to something more manageable. I could introduce a "moderate" progression while I'm at it.)

 

[DulothS]

Its not so much that level 1 is different from all others, as that your character gets bonuses at 1st level that, if applied at every level, would be unbalanced.

Perhaps if you extended it down and made levels 0, -1, and -2, things could work better. But that'd be silly.

 

[GreatLemur]

What I'm thinking about would be a set of standard bonuses that a character starts out with before taking class levels. You could call it a level 0, I guess. 4 hit points, 3x(4+INT) skill points, and a +2 bonus to one save (or maybe two?). Maybe the skill points and save bonus could be distributed freely; maybe they'd be limited by some kind of background choice. Not sure. I think making this into a background mechanic would only be worthwhile if I was going to give out a little more--like a feat or something--along with it.

Anyway, classes would then give out half max HP each level (that is, 3 HP for d6 classes, 5 HP for d10, etc.), the usual amount of skill points every time (instead of quadruple on the first level), and consistant fractional bonuses to saves (instead of extra +2s at first level). I like the fact that the low-HD classes would start out with a tiny bit more hitpoints, this was, and I can live with the fact that the high-HD classes will start out with a little less. It does kinda bug me that Rogues will start out with noticeably fewer skill points, though, so I might bring that up to 3x(6+INT) or even 3x(8+INT). Skills are a great way to flesh out a character concept, and a pile of extra points in the beginning isn't very likely to be game-breaking.

 

[Spatzimaus]

What we did in our homebrew:

> No more maxxed hit die at level 1
> No more x4 skill points at level 1

Between these two, CRs are effectively shifted by ~1. That is, a level 3 character under this system is roughly equivalent to a level 2 character under the old system; he'll have about the same HP (three dice verses one normal and one maxxed), fewer skill points (3x instead of 5x), more class abilities, and higher BABs and saves. It more or less balances.

Children are level 1, teenagers are level 2, adults are level 3+, so all adventurers start at level 3.

> Your first core class is considered your "Primary" class, and its class skills will remain class skills for you, even when you're taking levels in other classes. Also, Primary class abilities whose effectiveness depend on "class level" use your character level instead (which in some cases is a substantial buff). I don't mean that you get more spells per day or bonus feats or anything; just that if you're casting a spell with a duration of "1 round / level", or using Turning, or making a Bardic Knowledge check, you use class level.
As we use the d20Modern Basic classes, this also means the Bonus Feats and Talents of your Primary class can be selected when you're taking a different class. Also, many of our Prestige Classes give different benefits depending on your Primary class.

However, your Primary class MUST remain your highest non-Prestige class. No exceptions.

You could do something similar in 3E: as long as the character has at least one level in his race's Favored Class, its class skills are available to him even at other levels, and its class abilities are similarly buffed. Humans and Half-Elves treat the class they chose at level 1 as their Favored Class, while the other races would be hard-coded.