Spatzimaus
First Post
I'll agree with Sir Whiskers: any combination involving an XP penalty will be avoided, period. It may not make a lot of sense, but it'll happen, for the simple reason that no one wants to fall behind the rest of the group.
Multiclassing as a whole is something that should be encouraged. I've played two Psion characters, both of which were made better by mixing in a level or two of another class. Back in AD&D I played a Bard (Blade kit, eventually); when 3E came out, I remade him as a Rogue/Sorcerer because it allowed for a closer match to his old skill and spell lists. The 3E multiclassing system allows people to mix and match the core classes into combinations that more closely match what the player wants, without forcing the DM to include new Prestige Classes. This is A Good Thing (tm). I wasn't powergaming to get more class abilities; I was mixing the core classes in a way which closely matched the character concept I had.
The problem, though, is that rampant multiclassing is a powergamer's dream. Using only the 3E core materials, I made up a munchkin opponent for my players: Tattoo, a weretiger Halfling Fighter/Ranger/Barbarian/Bard/Assassin/Blackguard/Shadowdancer. No more than 2 levels in any one class. He was amazing. Class abilities like you wouldn't believe, incredible saving throws, etc.
So, in my mind, the solution isn't to add XP penalties to discourage multiclassing, because the multiclassing itself isn't the actual problem. The real issue is the front-loading. If I'm a melee type, taking one or two levels of every melee class I can is almost always superior to remaining in one class. 3.5E helps this a bit (see also: Ranger), but it's still a problem. Oh, sure, once I get to Epic levels it hurts me, but even there I'm better off mixing core classes and then taking a good 10-level PrC.
Instead of adding XP penalties, try removing some of the benefits of front-loaded classes. For example, Good saves use the equation (2 + level/2). What if those extra 2 points only applied to the class you took at 1st level, in the same way that the x4 skill points and full HP only applied to first level? Or weapon proficiencies. What if, instead of getting all Martial weapons at first level, you instead received a few each level? And so on.
Multiclassing as a whole is something that should be encouraged. I've played two Psion characters, both of which were made better by mixing in a level or two of another class. Back in AD&D I played a Bard (Blade kit, eventually); when 3E came out, I remade him as a Rogue/Sorcerer because it allowed for a closer match to his old skill and spell lists. The 3E multiclassing system allows people to mix and match the core classes into combinations that more closely match what the player wants, without forcing the DM to include new Prestige Classes. This is A Good Thing (tm). I wasn't powergaming to get more class abilities; I was mixing the core classes in a way which closely matched the character concept I had.
The problem, though, is that rampant multiclassing is a powergamer's dream. Using only the 3E core materials, I made up a munchkin opponent for my players: Tattoo, a weretiger Halfling Fighter/Ranger/Barbarian/Bard/Assassin/Blackguard/Shadowdancer. No more than 2 levels in any one class. He was amazing. Class abilities like you wouldn't believe, incredible saving throws, etc.
So, in my mind, the solution isn't to add XP penalties to discourage multiclassing, because the multiclassing itself isn't the actual problem. The real issue is the front-loading. If I'm a melee type, taking one or two levels of every melee class I can is almost always superior to remaining in one class. 3.5E helps this a bit (see also: Ranger), but it's still a problem. Oh, sure, once I get to Epic levels it hurts me, but even there I'm better off mixing core classes and then taking a good 10-level PrC.
Instead of adding XP penalties, try removing some of the benefits of front-loaded classes. For example, Good saves use the equation (2 + level/2). What if those extra 2 points only applied to the class you took at 1st level, in the same way that the x4 skill points and full HP only applied to first level? Or weapon proficiencies. What if, instead of getting all Martial weapons at first level, you instead received a few each level? And so on.
