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

[Horwath]

i dislike multiclassing because it's a hideously clunky implementation and causes class design to need to be far too careful about potentially unexpected combinations, though i'm more than fine with subclasses all being at 3rd,

but if it was removed i would still desire for there to be a better system to combine archetypes, perhaps if subclasses were built to be more interchangeable and feats contained bigger design space to pick up individual pieces from other classes.

so i could build an Oath of Vengance Rogue and pick up Rage as a feat, or a Circle of the Land Sorcerer with a Pact of the Chain familiar.

biggest miss of 2024 that they backtracked on universal subclass progression for 3(or 1 or 2), 6, 10 and 14.

that could have opened up space to have some universal sub classes, I.E. beastmaster or champion or battlemaster.

 

[Corinnguard]

I like multiclassing in a narrative way because I like long campaigns where in-game events influence the choices players make about their character advancement, not a pre-determined build concept. I am not knocking that approach, it just has never been one common to my circles. I like to think of it as, "At this time of his life, Waldorf the Wizard decided he was going to practice martial skills should he ever be cursed to lose his magic again!" or something, because of some adventure we had, and I take a few levels of fighter.

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).

 

[Horwath]

He's aiming to be a Ranger (Gloom Stalker)/Rogue (Scout).

hehe,
Ranger that wants to be rogue multiclassed with rogue that wants to be ranger

 

[Corinnguard]

hehe,
Ranger that wants to be rogue multiclassed with rogue that wants to be ranger

Fighter, not Ranger. My fellow player picked Fighter in order to get the Champion subclass so that he could crit better with Sneak Attack.

 

[Horwath]

Fighter, not Ranger. My fellow player picked Fighter in order to get the Champion subclass so that he could crit better with Sneak Attack.

yeah, missread, hmm, that could work, works better with Elven accuracy 27% crit chance.

 

[Corinnguard]

yeah, missread, hmm, that could work, works better with Elven accuracy 27% crit chance.

He took up the Piercer feat. His character and my character are the party's snipers.

 

[Horwath]

He took up the Piercer feat. His character and my character are the party's snipers.

that is a good feat, but after EA, hehehe.

 

[CreamCloud0]

i dislike multiclassing because it's a hideously clunky implementation and causes class design to need to be far too careful about potentially unexpected combinations, though i'm more than fine with subclasses all being at 3rd,

but if it was removed i would still desire for there to be a better system to combine archetypes, perhaps if subclasses were built to be more interchangeable and feats contained bigger design space to pick up individual pieces from other classes.

so i could build an Oath of Vengance Rogue and pick up Rage as a feat, or a Circle of the Land Sorcerer with a Pact of the Chain familiar.

oh, in addition, multiple subclasses at later levels (is this prestige classes but built in?) at 3rd my fighter decides if he wants to be a battlemaster or an eldritch knight, at 12th he also decides if he wants to be a seer tactician or a bladesoul.

 

[aco175]

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.

 

[Horwath]

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.

Magic initiate, Telekinetic, Fey touched, Shadow touched, "be an Elf", is somewhat "wizardy" especially if fighter is EK.
you can get all that by 8th level.