Should multiclass spellcasters be fixed?

[John Hough]

Ok, it looks like people agree with me that multiclass spellcasters are too weak: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54802

So the question now: should the system be fixed at some undetermined point in the future to make multiclassed spellcasters as useful as other characters?

 

[hong]

_Some_ multiclassed combos aren't actually that bad. Ftr/cleric, barb/cleric, rog/wiz, rog/sorc, for example. It's only when you have multiclassing with two primary spellcasting classes that you run into problems: wiz/cleric, wiz/sorc, cleric/druid, etc.

One simple fix might be to stack caster levels for all spellcasting classes, except that you don't gain the ability to cast higher-level spells. So a wiz10/clr10 is limited to 5th level wiz and cleric spells, but casts both as a 20th level caster.

Another fix might be to add all class levels to determine your caster level, again with the caveat that you don't gain higher-level spells. So a wiz10/ftr10 casts 5th level wiz spells, but as a 20th level caster. This one may be too powerful, though.

 

[diaglo]

i neuter and spay all my pets.

 

[hong]

i neuter and spay all my pets.

Yow. Are you some kind of MAD SCIENTIST or something?

 

[aliensex]

i neuter and spay all my pets.

Originally posted by hong
Yow. Are you some kind of MAD SCIENTIST or something?

I'm more concerned that he neuters AND spays his pets. I guess you can't be too careful

 

[Fenes 2]

I voted No. IMHO the old 2E wizard/clerics were about as overpowered as the 2E bladesinger or the 2E psionicist. I don't want a revival of anyone of those in 3.X E.

Besides, a cleric with the right domains can come very close to a multiclassed spellcaster already while remaining relatively balanced.

 

[Murrdox]

Don't hurt me now...

But I was thinking about this problem... and thinking why couldn't we bring back some type of duel-class system such as 2nd edition had?

You could pick your class as Druid/Cleric. You'd level up in both, but you'd need more experience to level up. Thus you might have a party of 4th level characters, but you'd only have enough experience to be a level 3 Druid/Cleric.

Obviously you would only get ONE hit-die, ONE set of skill points, ONE set of BAB and saving throw progressions... but you'd get both sets of class abilities and both sets of spellcasting.

Thoughts?

 

[Zogg]

Uh, I have no sympathy for people that whine because their multi-classed spellcasters are weaker than single-classed spellcasters.

I voted "no".

 

[Arnwyn]

Uh, I have no sympathy for people that whine because their multi-classed spellcasters are weaker than single-classed spellcasters.

I voted "no".

Agreed (well, not the "whine" part).

IMO, multi-classed spellcasters are fine the way they are. Their increase in versatility makes up for their lack of "boom-power" (unless one is playing in a combat-only game, in which they can add their own damn house-rules instead of inflicting it on the rest of us).

I disagree with WotC's current idea that multi-class spellcasters need to be improved.

Edit: I also entirely disagree with the original poster's implication that multiclass spellcasters are "weak", and therefore should be made more "useful". Sorry, not the same thing. They're useful already.

 

[GnomeWorks]

One simple fix might be to stack caster levels for all spellcasting classes, except that you don't gain the ability to cast higher-level spells. So a wiz10/clr10 is limited to 5th level wiz and cleric spells, but casts both as a 20th level caster.

I use this, though only in regards to the same type of magic... ie, a wiz10/sor10 casts as a 20th level caster, but a wiz10/clr10 casts arcane magic as 10th level, and divine magic as 10th level.