Rethinking Multiclassing XP Penalties

[Nellisir]

I never liked the XP penalty at all, and the Conan rules from Mongoose had an interesting idea -- rather than being penalized for not taking your favored class, you're rewarded. Characters get a bonus feat for every five levels they have of a favored class.

In the case of a character that somehow has multiple favored classes, I'd allow them to stack.

It's simple, it's a positive instead of a negative, and it won't reward the cleric 1/fighter 2/rogue 2/sorcerer 1.

Cheers
Nell.

It's OGC, also.

 

[wingsandsword]

Frankly, I don't like Multiclassing XP Penalties at all. Players shouldn't be encouraged to play to a racial stereotype, they should be encouraged to play to their character concept. Racial stereotypes aren't as bad as the strong limitations in 1e/2e, but their fingerprints are all over the Favored Class system. Favored classes are so arbitrary sometimes (Why Wizard for Elves instead of Ranger or Druid?, why Barbarian for Half-Orc instead of Rogue, why Paladin for Aasimar instead of Cleric if they have a racial tendency towards good, but not neccesarily Lawful Good?)

I ditched the entire Favored Class system in my game, no XP penalties. Too I gave Humans and Half-Elves the ability to make one class skill they have at 1st character level into a permanent class skill no matter how they multiclass, to balance out their prior advantage with multiclassing.

A well written class shouldn't be so front-loaded (like 3.0 Ranger) that every player of that general type (like melee characters) tries to take it. The DM has a perogative and a right to say "No" to anything abusive in his game, incluiding outrageous multiclass combos. Work with the player to come up with a build that represents his concept, and if his concept is "Munchkin Powergamer", the DM is free to show the player the door if that's not the kind of game he wants.

 

[darthkilmor]

Not so much on these boards, but the Optimization Board over at Wizards.com is rife with such things. Especially with multiple prestige classes.

I would say if its not a problem in your game then not to worry. you're not gonna get the boards to use different rules at least.

Aside from that, one thing you could do is count addition prestige classes as an addition class wrt multiclass penalties. so a dwarf fighter/dwarven defender would be ok, but add another prestige class and you get xp penalties.
Or just home-rule it as, if you havent finished leveling your first prestige class you cant take another one.