D&D 5E New idea for multiclassing.

[David Richerson]

Had an idea I wanted to run by the community. In the DMG it states using pre-exisiting classes to as a base to making new ones and I noticed that all; if not most of the classes have the same number of Archtype levels. Example being each archetype gains new abilities 4 times in the course of the class and most of them don't actually require much of the main class to actually use.
So my idea was to take 1 or 2 levels of a class (say Barbarian) then go completely another class (example fighter) but instead of taking a fighter archetype like Champion, instead take a barbarian Archtype like Zealot.

Curious if this would get resounding hate or if anyone else has thought of this.

 

[David Richerson]

WILL EDIT THIS WITH A FULL LAYOUT EXAMPLE.

Level 1》Barbarian Rage, Unarmored Defence
Level 2》Barbarian Reckless Attack, Danger Sence
Level 3》Fighter Fighting Style, Second Wind
Level 4》Fighter Action Surge
Level 5》Fighter {Barbarian Archetype} Divine Fury
Level 6》Fighter Ability Score Improvment
Level 7》Fighter Extra Attack
Level 8》Fighter Ability Score Improvement
Level 9》Fighter {Barbarian Archetype} Warrior of the gods
Level 10》Fighter ASI
Level 11》Fighter Indomitable
Level 12》Fighter {Barbarian Archetype} Fanatical Focus
Level 13》Fighter Extra attack (2)
Level 14》Fighter ASI
Level 15》Fighter Indomitable (2)
Level 16》Fighter Asi
Level 17》Fighter {Barbarian Archetype} Zealous presense
Level 18》Fighter Asi
Level 19》Fighter Action Surge (2) Indomitable (3)
Level 20》Fighter Archetype Rage beyond Death.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

if not most of the classes have the same number of Archtype levels.

Yeah but they're not remotely balanced with each other, they're balanced within classes, and many of them make absolutely no sense outside of that class because they rely on class features you don't possess (some of which require a lot of levels in that class).

This will definitely not work at all well, I would suggest. There will be a few that will make sense, but mostly will have at least 1-2 entirely reliant on specific class features.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I think it's fine in principle, but their are a few abilities that are kept from particular classes for balance purposes. Rogues not getting an extra attack is clearly a core design choice; the extra damage of one more attack after the one with sneak attack wouldn't be that great but it is another free bite at the high risk, high reward sneak attack apple. Normally they have to go melee and spend their bonus action for this privilege. If they chose to subclass Sword Bard, Valor Bard, Bladesinger Wizard, or Battlesmith Artificer then the extra attack would be a subclass feature.

Even throwing balance concerns out the window, subclass features often cue off of class features. For example a lot of Barbarian features only work while raging, on the presumption that you are getting progressively more rages.

But, we aren't talking about revising the game, we're talking house rules. On a case by case basis this could probably be great.

 

[David Richerson]

Yeah but they're not remotely balanced with each other, they're balanced within classes, and many of them make absolutely no sense outside of that class because they rely on class features you don't possess (some of which require a lot of levels in that class).

This will definitely not work at all well, I would suggest. There will be a few that will make sense, but mostly will have at least 1-2 entirely reliant on specific class features.

Understandable. Though I haven't found really any that are hyper reliant on the End game levels of the class, just the first couple levels.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Understandable. Though I haven't found really any that are hyper reliant on the End game levels of the class, just the first couple levels.

Yes it's mostly the 1-3 levels, for sure. I'm pretty sure there are some which rely on higher-level stuff though.

 

[DammitVictor]

It's not as quick and dirty as your method, but I think there's a lot of potential in standardizing the subclasses across classes, giving each class multiple subclass selection points, and then giving each base class a "subclass" version.

Want to multiclass? Pick your primary class, take your secondary class as your first subclass. Next time you get a subclass pick, you can choose a subclass from your primary class or your secondary class.

You'd need to work out how powerful these subclasses would be, and how to work out which abilities are based on character level versus "subclass" level, and how they scale, but it could be a vast improvement.

 

[aco175]

Almost feels like you are trying to do what 3e did with multiclassing. I liked it, but it made for picking only a couple levels of a class to get the cool stuff.

I could see changing some of the classes to make more options for a new class that is basically a multi-classed PC. There are also a lot of paths that make the multi-classes option not worth it as much. One of the clases I was looking at was more of a thief/wizard. There is the trickster path, but this is basically just a 'face' path with only charm and illusion spells. I'm sure there is more options where it does not fit your idea as much.

 

[Kobold Stew]

It's a good idea, and it would have been a really cool design possibility. A cool version was implemented, quite cleverly I thought, in Shadow of the Demon Lord, a 2015 rpg.

As with D&D you have a background ("profession") and race ("ancestry"), a class ("novice path": magician, priest, rogue, warrior) and subclasses ("expert path": there are 16 of these, including paladin, druid, oracle, berserker). The thing is, they are all balanced against each other, and characters can mix-and-match: you can be a rogue berserker or a priest berserker.

Your novice path/Class gets specific bonuses at levels 1, 2, 5, and 8.
Your expert path gives specific bonuses at levels 3, 6, and 9.
Your ancestry gives bonuses (like a racial feat) at level 4.
At level 7, you can choose a second expert path or a Master path, which also gives a bonus at level 10 (characters with two expert paths must choose which benefits they get at level 9). Master paths are like prestige classes, and there's dozens to choose from (Beast Master, Death Dealer, Exorcist, Gladiator, Pyromancer, etc.).

I've not played the system much, but it reads wonderfully, and it allows a wide range of cool character ideas to be developed.

 

[the Jester]

I very much feel that if you want high level barbarian powers, including those from its subclasses, you need to take a bunch of barbarian levels. So this isn't something I find appealing.