Multiclassing: "Any combo, any level, always works."

[mmu1]

Color me sceptical.

If one of the goals of having classes to begin with is still to provide players with unique and different character paths, the this statement is meaningless at best.

Unless all classes simply have a mish-mash of roughly interchangeable abilities, there is no way a random combination of any classes at any levels will be as effective as a specialist. Some combinations just don't end up woking very well - that's just life - and there's always a price to pay for being a generalist, regardless of the system you're using - the question is of degree.

In addition, since it's impossible for them to even come close to playtesting this claim, I don't believe for a minute that they have been able to design the classes in such a way that their abilities mesh very well with those of every other class at every level.

Of course, simply saying they're streamlining multi-classing to make it less disadvantageous wouldn't make for nearly as a good a PR line.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

For my part, I'd probably be less skeptical of the whole project if I heard more honesty and less PR-line BS out of wizards.

There is no way that any combo works at any level, just like there's no way that several of their other claims are true. Some common combos may work better than they did before and they may have made it easier to make spellcasting multiclassing work, but they can't change the basic fact that giving players flexibility to make their characters better also enables players to make their characters worse and that some players will lack the experience, wisdom, or far-sightedness to see which combos actually weaken their characters.

 

[D'karr]

For my part, I'd probably be less skeptical of the whole project if I heard more honesty and less PR-line BS out of wizards.

There is no way that any combo works at any level, just like there's no way that several of their other claims are true. Some common combos may work better than they did before and they may have made it easier to make spellcasting multiclassing work, but they can't change the basic fact that giving players flexibility to make their characters better also enables players to make their characters worse and that some players will lack the experience, wisdom, or far-sightedness to see which combos actually weaken their characters.

Except that maybe the "Character Retooling" options will be easier to use so you can learn from your mistake and rework your character as he grows.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

I think this quote (while accurate as a quote) needs to be taken in context.

This is from a Lightning round style of questioning in the latest podcast so they purposely didn't elaborate on the answer in order to try and get more questions in.

Will there be a case of Class A + Class B does ability Z better than Class C + Class D does Ability Z? I'm sure there will be.

I take this to mean that a Bard/Paladin will work or a Barbarian/Paladin will be feasable or a Monk/Bard will be workable out of the box.

Will all class combinations work as well in the game as all other class combinations? I doubt it. But will a Bard/Paladin work at level two? I take their answer to be a 'yes'. Will it work well? That's a different question and one I don't think the quote is meant to answer.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

Are they saying that a multi-class will work as good as a specialist at what the specialist does? No, at least not from what I've read.

I think that they are saying that all combinations are equally feasible and should be playable. All combinations will be effective, to the extent that any multi-class can be effective, that is.

Of course, I'm not sure if their goals will play out...

 

[Vigilance]

When I read that statement what I read is:"you can multi-class any time you want, as often as you want".

You know, like it is now.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

When I read that statement what I read is:"you can multi-class any time you want, as often as you want".

You know, like it is now.

Alignment restrictions on classes block some combinations as it stands now.

 

[el-remmen]

I have never found any class combos to be "unplayable" in 3E.

Some may not be to some player's taste, but that is a different matter entirely.

 

[D'karr]

Alignment restrictions on classes block some combinations as it stands now.

And some of those alignment restrictions seem to be going away. Paladin was mentioned specifically.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

And some of those alignment restrictions seem to be going away. Paladin was mentioned specifically.

I meant in 3.X, sorry. Wasn't clear on that. I think that removal (or at least reduction) of Alignment is what the quote is really referring to.