Multiclassing, gestalt, and you - a population sample

[gamecat]

I'm not sure what forum to put this in, software, rules, or general. Please move this thread if need be.

I'm writing a piece of software here, to automatically generate 3e Gestalt characters (completely random - click a button, get a full-functioning, formatted HTML character sheet).

So, In a sample of 100 gestalt characters, how many (in your estimation) have more than two classes, meaning they've multiclassed out of one or both of their two starting classes?

I'm stuck here.

 

[Corsair]

Nearly all. I mean how many classes are worth taking 1-20 anyways? Druid? What else? Maybe if you're using Tome of Battle you have a Druid 20 // Swordsage 20 running around.

I'd guess the vast majority of characters multiclass on at at LEAST one side, if not both.

 

[Arivendel]

Actually its really kinda impossible not to have at least ONE side multiclassing between level 1-20, and it becomes somewhat mandatory for BOTH sides once you enter Epic

 

[freyar]

To be honest, I'd find it much more useful if I could specify the classes and class levels before having the program generate the character.

Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer to your question.

 

[Voadam]

I've played in a couple gestalt games and never seen anyone with more than the two classes. One of the games though had a rule that if you went to a prc you no longer gestalt.

I've done barbarian/rogue, paladin/sorcerer, and ranger/wizard.

I've had plenty of characters who always stuck with the same classes and others who multiclassed a lot.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If you allow free multiclassing, there's really no reason not to, and with the other side to cover your ass on loss of BAB (common problem in medium BAB multiclassing), or retain full spellcasting, etc... it's even more tempting than a standard game, IMHO.

I'm running gestalt right now. Originally I was going to say strictly the two classes and nothing else, but the players wanted the ability to customize a little bit and focus on something, so I allowed a single prestige class (which goes on a single side of the gestalt, as you'd expect). Of the four players, two are heavily basing their characters around their prestige class choice (warchanter and a shadowcaster). The other two have no particular plans to even take one right now, though their original characters were going to be an assassin and a blackguard. They both weren't happy with the characters and made new ones early in the campaign, of which they seem to be happy just sticking with the base classes.

 

[Drowbane]

I'd say 98% would multiclass, unless not allowed by DM. Most classes aren't worth taking a full 20 levels in (Druid being a notable exception).

 

[Runestar]

How would you handle powerful monster races? Would the ECL count for just one side, or both? For example, would a astral deva20/warblade20 be comparable in power to a normal gestalt build with 20 class lvs on each side?

I had wanted to try one once, but could not agree with my DM on how to implement this. He felt that keeping the ECL to one side would make it too powerful, since monster races tend to have advantageous stat bonuses which apply equally to both sides. Yet we both agreed that it would be too underpowering to have the ECL apply to both sides. Not to mention the interaction of choosing between class lvs and LA (no brainer, you will automatically take class lvs since LA does not grant HD).

Or does gestalt just fall apart here? Is it meant to only be used on LA+0 races and normal class lvs?

 

[Halivar]

Part of the meta-game of 3.x for me was determining the optimum class arrangement for gestalt. I'd take two levels of this on this track, three levels of this on another track, presto-change-o qualify for this other prestige class three levels early, take a complimentary prestige class on the other track, etc.

Was it legal by the rules? To be honest, I don't think we ever read the gestalt rules, but we were acutely aware that you couldn't do combi-classes like Mystic Theurge with them.

EDIT: Most broken house-rule ever: in our Friday night games, it was ruled that LA counted only on one gestalt track. Every character I made after that was a vampire, a lycanthrope, dragon, or some other obscenely over-powered monster with full character levels in the other track. Definitely not what was intended, but damn, it was fun!

 

[Arivendel]

Actually thats how we handle monster levels and you are right it presents an insane power creep, the only other option that i know of (without making it suck completely) is to divide the monster levels evenly between the progressions, that stunts both sides but not as much. As for LA it applies to both sides you cant get around that, which is actually quite easy to overcome since most games we play with gestalt we also allow LA Buyoff