Not liking multiclass rules

[wujenta]

Think the tittle says all, and Im going to explain why and ask for suggestions for alternatives...

If i understand well, you "have to" take 4 feats before lvl 10 to be able to select an at will power from another class, so your feat selection is restricted a lot... only two free choices (3 if you are human) and you cant get a paragon path... I like the idea that you have to lose something for gaining something, but for leveling up its very restricting i think...

Also i think that gaining an at will power should be easier than one encounter or one daily, think its more representative frrom a class... think a fighter multiclassing into wizard... he should be able to cast magic missile earlier than fireball form example...

And for last, I dont like either that you are forced to take a paragon path ... why cant I be something different... i know, in future books will be more and more paragon paths for all characters, but i dont want to be forced to take one

Anyone thinks similar or its me ?

 

[Alarius]

You don't have to choose to take a paragon path when you multiclass. You don't give your main paragon path up either.

The 3 power swap feats are not needed. You can take 1, 2 or 3. The powers can be retrained later and you can effectively be a fighter/wizard 20 and have a wizard lvl 20 daily power.

The multiclass rules are far more restrictive than 3.xE and whether you like that or not is a personal choice. In 4E you can make some pretty interesting characters using the feat multiclassing - and for now with the relatively few feat options it's in these times that multiclassing is cheap. With later "splatbooks" multiclassing becomes more and more expensive as it reduces your choices dramatically.

 

[ravenight]

It is more restrictive than 3e in the sense that you can't take more than 2 classes, but there's also no XP penalty, no prestige classes to worry about, and you get the stuff from your new class at full power. So instead of being a fighter 10 / Wizard 10 and being really weak at what they both do (compared to single-class characters), you can be a 20th level fighter with half your abilities coming from the wizard class, and they are significantly powerful abilities.

You give up 4 feats and the paragon features in exchange for being able to combine the most synergistic stuff from 2 classes (and you usually gain a few extras like an encounter power and a skill training).

You also can dabble pretty effectively without spending lots of feats or losing your paragon path. In fact, one of the best things to do may be to take just the multiclass feat (which is usually easily worth the feat slot for what it gives) and a paragon path from another class. That gives you 3 powers from that class, 3 paragon features that may be very interesting in combination with your main class, and some feature of the other class like scorching burst 1/encounter or sneak attack 1/encounter, etc.

 

[Nifft]

You're not alone in thinking they could have done better.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

You're not alone in thinking they could have done better.

Indeed, they already had a fully viable model for doing so. On the other hand, I really do think that they used the more restrictive model deliberately-- as part of their efforts to simplify the game for new players.

 

[Jack99]

Indeed, they already had a fully viable model for doing so. On the other hand, I really do think that they used the more restrictive model deliberately-- as part of their efforts to simplify the game for new players.

Are you referring to the 3.x way, if so, that one sucked sweaty badger butt. If you are referring to another 4e model, maybe you could enlighten the rest of us, who have, afaik, heard nothing of such thing.

 

[Destil]

8 More paragon classes, one for each multiclass option, and maybe a small handful of added multiclass feats could have fixed most of this ptoblem...

 

[ravenight]

What is the problem, exactly? That you have to spend 4 feats? That you lose your paragon path? That you don't get enough of the class features from the second class? I don't understand what is wrong, since the system lets you become literally 1/2 class A and 1/2 class B with all your abilities functioning as they would for a full member of each class with the same character level as you.

 

[Bold or Stupid]

I'm not sure why anyone would really need another classes at will...
If you do play a half elf, sure it's only once a fight but how often were you going to use it anyway?
The main strength of Multiclassing is open up the other classes paragon paths. I'm building a cleric at the mo and have used her human bonus feat to get Arcane Initiate, neat she now has scorching blast as an encounter power - a useful minion killing power. She'll pick up a daily and a utility from wizard as she levels I think, then when she reaches level 11 I have a choice of 8 paragon paths (probably Radiant Servant or Spell Storm Mage).

 

[Zweischneid]

8 More paragon classes, one for each multiclass option, and maybe a small handful of added multiclass feats could have fixed most of this ptoblem...

Well, don't think that is needed, as the multi-class entry feat qualifies you for the paragon paths from another class. So you could be a fighter, take the wizard multi-class feat (which, btw. allows you to pick up magic missle) and then become a Wizard of the Spiral Tower for example..

4e multi-class is a bit clunky, but it does have the (IMO) huge, huge improvement of not invalidating straight single class play.

In the latter days of 3.5, if you just wanted to play a straight fighter or ranger, and didn't min-max, match half-a-dozend classes and prestige classes you'd likely be underperforming noticably in most tactical concious groups. Multi-classing a bit in practice became obligatory in 3.5, not optional.