Li Shenron
Legend
Do you think there is room in 5e for 2e-style multiclassing, either as an alternative to the current default 3e-style multiclassing, or even as an option on an player's individual basis? (I am not asking whether they should put this idea in the core books, just asking if it is feasible)
The concept of 2e-style multiclassing is:
- you choose all your classes (let's focus on 2 for now) at character creation
- you belong to both classes since the start, i.e. you start as e.g. Fighter 1/Wizard 1
- you spread your XP evenly to both classes, and advance separately using the normal XP chart
- if class features overlap, you get the best of the two
Note that in 5e every class follows the same XP chart, so compared to 2e we don't even have to say Fighter N1/Wizard N2 because you would level up in both classes at the same time. Thus it's enough to say you are a Fighter/Wizard of level N.
I would suppose that by building on current rules, the easiest design would mean:
- proficiency bonus based on your level N
- weapon and armor proficiencies overlap
- hit points and hit dice overlap
- class features stack (there are a very few overlap to be decided e.g. Fighting Style, multiattacks) including spells
Other proficiencies should be discussed: when they overlap, it should be decided whether it is allowed to pick an alternative (this is already the rule for skills, but not for saving throws). But overall these are very simple rules.
Eventually the net result of multiclassing with these rules, is to have more features (including spellcasting) than a single-classed PC, in exchange for less HP and lower proficiency bonus.
(Another option, more complicated but can fix balance for spellcaster classes, is to treat spells with an approach similar to the current 3e-style multiclassing rules.)
It then all depends on the XP chart itself... I actually think the current chart is not the final version. Those XP values for levelling up is what would determine how much a multiclass PC's HP and proficiency bonus would lag behind compared to sincle-class PCs. So changing the XP chart (for everyone or only the multiclassed PCs) would be the dial to make this work.
But the main question lies IMHO in spellcasting. That "dial" may work for a Fighter/Wizard but not for a Wizard/Cleric or a Fighter/Paladin, depending on how spells are treated.
The concept of 2e-style multiclassing is:
- you choose all your classes (let's focus on 2 for now) at character creation
- you belong to both classes since the start, i.e. you start as e.g. Fighter 1/Wizard 1
- you spread your XP evenly to both classes, and advance separately using the normal XP chart
- if class features overlap, you get the best of the two
Note that in 5e every class follows the same XP chart, so compared to 2e we don't even have to say Fighter N1/Wizard N2 because you would level up in both classes at the same time. Thus it's enough to say you are a Fighter/Wizard of level N.
I would suppose that by building on current rules, the easiest design would mean:
- proficiency bonus based on your level N
- weapon and armor proficiencies overlap
- hit points and hit dice overlap
- class features stack (there are a very few overlap to be decided e.g. Fighting Style, multiattacks) including spells
Other proficiencies should be discussed: when they overlap, it should be decided whether it is allowed to pick an alternative (this is already the rule for skills, but not for saving throws). But overall these are very simple rules.
Eventually the net result of multiclassing with these rules, is to have more features (including spellcasting) than a single-classed PC, in exchange for less HP and lower proficiency bonus.
(Another option, more complicated but can fix balance for spellcaster classes, is to treat spells with an approach similar to the current 3e-style multiclassing rules.)
It then all depends on the XP chart itself... I actually think the current chart is not the final version. Those XP values for levelling up is what would determine how much a multiclass PC's HP and proficiency bonus would lag behind compared to sincle-class PCs. So changing the XP chart (for everyone or only the multiclassed PCs) would be the dial to make this work.
But the main question lies IMHO in spellcasting. That "dial" may work for a Fighter/Wizard but not for a Wizard/Cleric or a Fighter/Paladin, depending on how spells are treated.