Multiclassing penalties

[Steverooo]

I went backwards...

When I GM, if you multi-class, you multi-class for life... If you start as a Fighter, pick up Wizard, and then go Rogue, you are a Fighter/Wizard/Rogue. If your levels aren't advanced in each class, then maintaining skills in the no-longer-used class will slow your advancement in the rest.

This isn't a bug; it's a feature! This isn't a restriction; you can be whatever you want... including a cherry-picker. If you just cherry-pick the classes, however, you will suffer the penalties.

I don't think players really want a Fighter/Rogue/Bard/Wizard. I think what they really want are certain of the abilities that those classes bestow. Since I also don't use Prestige Classes, I am more lenient in allowing PCs to acquire special abilities through other means...

Thus, I see fewer multiclassed PCs (except in the rare cases where someone really wants ALL the abilities of BOTH classes), but I do see Fighters and Rangers who can detect traps above DC:20, or who have different class skills, or other such abilities; so it all evens out.

I guess I don't see the "Character Classes" as building blocks, but as life choices. YMMV.

 

[Mercule]

Paladin is a PrC (see James Wyatt's site). Monks may freely multiclass. Favored class is used as stands in the PHB.

No one has ever requested an exemption (I'm known to bend rules a fair amount for roleplay reasons), and no one has ever incurred the XP penalty, so I can't say if it'll stand indefinitely.

 

[the Jester]

I use the system per the PH, and so far all the 3e games I've played have used the standard multiclassing rules.

I did play a dwarf who took the 20% penalty for 4 levels (started as ranger to 6th level, then went rogue; stopped rogue at 6th and have take a few fighter levels since, aiming- eventually- for legendary dreadnaught). It wasn't too bad, but that was also before the FR xp system took hold in our group; with that in place as well it would've sucked since I was one of the higher-level pcs.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I did play a dwarf who took the 20% penalty for 4 levels (started as ranger to 6th level, then went rogue; stopped rogue at 6th and have take a few fighter levels since, aiming- eventually- for legendary dreadnaught). It wasn't too bad, but that was also before the FR xp system took hold in our group; with that in place as well it would've sucked since I was one of the higher-level pcs.

Of course, assuming everyone starts at first level together, and nobody loses any levels through death or level drain, then the FR XP system would actually benefit someone incurring an XP penalty, since he would tend to often be one level behind.

-Hyp.

 

[Jeph]

Multiclassing penalties are so easy to get around that I've never actually played in a game where they've come up. But if they did, I think I'd probably ditch the penalties, or halve them, or somesuch.

 

[Liolel]

I use the players handbook rules. But then again I don't think I've seen anyone multiclass in any game that lasted any length of time. So I've never really needed to consider whether the rules are fair. But even if I did need to consider I'll think that I'd keep the rules the same.

 

[Li Shenron]

Mine's not up there...

I require a plaussible in-game reason for multiclassing (generally based on the previous adventure, although seeking out specific training is always an option), but allow multi-classing freely. Gaining a Class Level in your race's Favored Class gets +1 Skill Point.

So, more restrictive by role-playing requirements, but more rewarding for Favored Class rather than punishing for non-Favored.

If you haven't voted yet, I think you can vote "I dropped penalties completely".
That's informative enough for my poll Also, some DM require EVERY player to write a character background to explain why he belongs to a class even when they are NOT multiclass!