Multiclassing help?

Temptem · Jan 28, 2016

Hey so have a character that's trying to multiclass druid, wizard, rogue. Not sure how this would work for the magic and weapons? Please help. This is in 3.5

Illithidbix · Jan 28, 2016

Key Points

A multiclass character gets all the class features of all his or her classes but must also suffer the consequences of the special restrictions of all his or her classes. (Exception: A character who acquires the barbarian class does not become illiterate.)

Spells
The character gains spells from all of his or her spellcasting classes and keeps a separate spell list for each class. If a spell’s effect is based on the class level of the caster, the player must keep track of which class’s spell list the character is casting the spell from.

So a Wizard 3/Druid 4/Rogue 3
would have all the spells known, prepared, in spell book and spell slots for a 3rd Level Wizard with the character's INT score.
AND all the spells prepared and the spell slots for a 4th level Druid with the character's WIS score.

Weapons
As for weapons... this is a bit odd due to the Druid's restrictions. But actually a close look at the rules shows that in 3.5E the Druid isn't forbidden from using certain weapons, it's the armour they wear that matters.

Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Rogues are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Wizards are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a wizard’s movements, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail.

Druids are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape.

Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. (A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description) Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

So a wizard/druid/rogue gets all the proficiency listed above.

So: All Simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword.
AND the scimitar, because it's the martial weapon that's in the druid's list.
No, we're not sure why, it's just been in there since 1E, maybe because it looks very slightly like a large sickle if you are squinting?

Armour
Armour is weird. They would be proficient with all light and medium armor and shields because of their druid levels.

But are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor and use wooden shields without suffering the penalties to their Druid spells listed above.

If they wear padded, leather or hide then they will suffer the Arcane Spell Failure Chance when they try and cast a wizard spell.

Arcane Spell Failure
Armor interferes with the gestures that a spellcaster must make to cast an arcane spell that has a somatic component. Arcane spellcasters face the possibility of arcane spell failure if they’re wearing armor. Bards can wear light armor without incurring any arcane spell failure chance for their bard spells.

Casting an Arcane Spell in Armor
A character who casts an arcane spell while wearing armor must usually make an arcane spell failure roll. The number in the Arcane Spell Failure Chance column on Table: Armor and Shields is the chance that the spell fails and is ruined. If the spell lacks a somatic component, however, it can be cast with no chance of arcane spell failure.

Shields
If a character is wearing armor and using a shield, add the two numbers together to get a single arcane spell failure chance.

They can sensibly wear padded armour which gives 5% chance of ruining their arcane spells or leather armour that gives 10% chance. Hide armour gives 20% penalty
Light wooden shields give +5% and heavy wooden shields give

They also of course suffer any armour check penalty for the armour they were, so wearing hide armour would be problematic with it's -3 armour check penalty. Light woodern shields gives an extra -1 penalty, heavy wooden shields give -2.

An armor check penalty number is the penalty that applies to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble checks by a character wearing a certain kind of armor. Double the normal armor check penalty is applied to Swim checks.

Hide armour would also reduce their speed.

So it's a balance of how much you want to risk arcane spell failure for wearing padded/leather/hide armour & shields, AND the armour check penalty of using hide armour or the shields really.