D&D General Multiclassing Shouldn't be Treated as the Default

[Micah Sweet]

While I kind of hate multiclassing, and it goes against the whole idea of a class-based system...

In 5e, martial classes easily have no choices to make after lv3 if they don't multiclass, so it's kind of necessary for them, just to feel like there is a decision point every level.

That's true, and a big reason why I prefer Level Up (which has a decision point every level for every class).

 

[MGibster]

D&D has been in the business of adolescent power fantasies since 1974.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Feats are still a choice, so that's a lie.

And just as "optional" as multiclassing.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

This. Why bother with classes when they're just ways to shop for different abilities? A la carte abilities would be much easier. And flexible.

When I read this, I was reminded of - and my mind can't remember where it was in 1e, either OA or Greyhawk Adventures? - but they had rules for playing a zero-level, and they got XP and could buy abilities like lockpicking or cantrips.

It's similar to the rules the game Gangbusters used: you got your xp for your role, no matter if it was fed, criminal, or... newspaper man?! And you could use your xp pool to buy new abilities, like lockpicking or combat driving, etc.

 

[Micah Sweet]

only multiclass that I like would be even split, but that is really awful in 5e, maybe if levels for Extra attack stack, martials could got away with it as in 3.5e with base attack bonus,

we played with version of multiclass where you are even split between 2 classes but on levels 5,8,11,14,17 and 20 you get 2 class levels instead of one, you still get only one increase of HPs(alternating between lower and higher HP gain), HDs and proficiency bonus.

I.E: fighter wizard at 20th level would have features of 13th level fighter and 13th level wizard, but still be 20th level total with +6 proficiency bonus and HPs of 10th level fighter and 10th level wizard.
with one extra limit, cannot have 2 full spellcasters multiclass.

In Level Up there are "synergy feats", which are short feat chains that require three levels of two different classes to enter and represent different ways to blend the two. It's actually really neat, and a cool way to expand content.

 

[Micah Sweet]

D&D has been in the business of adolescent power fantasies since 1974.

But the degree, sir! The degree!

 

[Horwath]

In Level Up there are "synergy feats", which are short feat chains that require three levels of two different classes to enter and represent different ways to blend the two. It's actually really neat, and a cool way to expand content.

and with 13 classes you need 78 of those feats to cover all combos and if it's a 3 feat chain, the it's 234 feats just to cover multiclassing.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In the current campaign I am participating in, I had it where my 6th-level Bugbear Ranger (Gloom Stalker) decided to multiclass into Rogue by learning the tools of the trade from his party's leader who happened to be a Rogue (Phantom) /Fighter (Champion). During the party's downtimes, my character learned how to speak Thieves' Cant and to be a better ambush predator. He's aiming to be a Ranger (Gloom Stalker)/Rogue (Scout).

That's another important point: multiclassing is a great way to represent character development in game (in fact, I believe that was always the intent). People change jobs in real life all the time. Why shouldn't your PCs be able to do the same?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I always thought that the other classes should have a subclass tree to do away with what we have now as subclasses and multiclassing. If the fighter wants to pick up some wizard- that is his subclass. He is still a fighter, but now also a poor wizard compared to the actual wizard. If a wizard wants to pick up some fighter he can, but it is not as powerful as if it was his primary. And if a fighter wanted to pick fighter as the subclass he can as well.

Where's the setting logic in a person's first job always being the one they're best at though? Bad enough we "must" have some of that already for "game balance", why lean into it more?

 

[Alzrius]

D&D has been in the business of adolescent power fantasies since 1974.

You make that sound like a bad thing.