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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 4380061" data-attributes="member: 2209">I don't own the 4e PH but was looking over my brother's copy last night and trying to get a little feel for things by recreating my namesake character at 1st level. He has migrated through various versions of D&D and even other game systems. He is basically a variant gandalf archetype, i.e. a knowledgeable spellcasting wizard who likes to pull out a sword and hack up monsters in melee combat. He's not the shining star warrior but can fill the melee combat role competently enough. In LotR movie terms Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and that other human warrior all are better martial combatants and regularly outshine him in the fight scenes, but Gandalf can step into the role competently as a backup if they are not around and not get smooshed.I thought I'd try to make a 1st level wizard and mulitclass into either a striker or tank defender/leader. Strikers seem good at combat maneuvering and hitting well while tanks are tough and can dish out solid melee damage. These each give 1 trained skill and another class' at will power as an encounter power.Ranger and rogue give him 1/encounter a d6 bonus to attack damage against certain targets.Multiclassing into fighter he gets once per encounter a +1 to hit with one type of weapon. Warlord gives him that word thing to allow a surge to heal a d6, 1/encounter. He qualifies as the new class for prerequisites of feats and such but this does not seem to open up signigificant options (i.e. increasing the ranger 1/encounter hunter quarry damage from 1d6 to 1d8).The wizard multiclassing into a melee role does not gain even a weapon proficiency, he's still stuck with dagger and staff or spending more feats.The three multiclassing class power swaps are not available until 4th level and higher.He gains no additional hp or healing surges.He gains no armor proficiencies.He gains no defensive melee abilities.Multiclassing does not seem to really be an edge for taking on a melee combat roll over a non-multiclassed wizard who spends his feats on general combat feats like improved initiative and weapon proficiency.Neither option seems to really allow the multiclass wizard to competently take on the role of backup melee combatant. He's still a low AC, lower hp vulnerable target mechanics wise.Everyone has the same type of 3e BAB and everyone gains the same class bonus to AC, but wizards still get fewer hp and healing surges and no significant weapon or armor proficiencies. Other classes have various class combat abilities that it seems difficult for the multiclass wizard to pick up.It looks like going the other way around (fighter/warlord/ranger/rogue dipping into wizard) seems to work well. It also seems other wizard multiclass concepts can work (dipping into classes to synergize with the wizard role instead of taking on a backup second role).Is there something I'm not seeing?</blockquote>

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