Multiple Favored Classes

[Dark Psion]

I was looking at creating some new PCs using some of the new classes when I considered that none of "core races" could have these classes as a Favored Class despite the fact that they might fit the race.

I started to wonder just how many core classes there are now including the new ones?

40!!!
The Core 11 + 4 DM's, Eberron Artificer, 4 Psionic, Ninja, Scout, Spellthief, Hexblade, Samurai, Swashbuckler, Favored Soul, Shugenja, Spirit Shaman, Warlock, War Mage, Wu Jen, Healer, Marshal, Courtier, Sohei, Inkyo, Totemist, Incarnate, Soulborn (Plus the Erudite and Psychic Thief in Complete Psychic I'll bet)

And that doesn't include Kalamar, Fantasy Flight's "Path of" books, or Malhavok's Arcana Unearthed. All of those would double the number of classes.

When there were only the 11 classes in the Player's Handbook, one favored class worked. But with 40+ core classes, maybe we need to expand the number of Favored classes to 4 or 5.

Multiple Favored classes can also be used to change a races's focus or feel. If gnomes have never been explored in your world and you are about to introduce Psionics, why not give them the Favored classes of Psion, Psychic Warrior, Soul Knife and Wilder?

If you were to expand the Favored classes for races, say to 4 or 5 Favored classes starting with the one they already have, what classes would you add?

 

[Crothian]

Personally, since I'm a lazy DM I'd let the players choose a favorite class for the race they want to play and make the players describe why it is that way.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I started to wonder just how many core classes there are now including the new ones?

40!!!

And that's not including the ones that are presented in Dragon Magazine. Unearthed Arcana has a feat in it that allows a character to obtain another favored class.

Unearthed Arcana
Additional Favored Class [General]
You are more adept at combining different talents than most members of your race.
Benefit: Choose a charcter class, such as ranger. The chosen class is treated as a favored class for the purpose of determining whether your character takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Normal: Without this feat, if any class other than your race's favored class is two or more levels lower than your highest level class, you take a -20% penalty to XP earned for each classthat is not within one level of your highest level class.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you take it, it applies to a new class.

 

[Shade]

I'd just ditch favored classes altogether. They are antiquated and unecessarily limiting, IMHO.

In fact, I have ditched 'em and it hasn't hurt my game one bit.