Simple fix for multi-classed spellcasters?

[Mike Sullivan]

Hi everybody,
initialy I thought it's a great idea to raise the caster level of multiclassed characters a little (going the 1/2 off-levels route).
But how do I rectify the 8th level fighter gaining one level as cleric casting Cure light wounds like 5th level cleric? Is he so good a cleric with his high experience? I can see it rising with experience (say every 2 off-levels the character gains after his first spell caster level.
What do you thin?

I think that your idea makes sense, but is probably more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm not a big fan of having a wizard multiclassing with everyone and getting higher caster level, but I do think it makes sense for a wizard multiclassing as a sorc or bard to get some additional benefit. The idea that a fighter 8/wiz 1 would get 5th caster level makes no sense to me, however, a wizard 8/bard 2 that can cast as a 9th level wizard and a 6th level bard does make sense to me. Both are arcane users, and going up in each class increases your overall knowledge of arcane magic which should be reflected.

In the same token a cleric paladin would gain insight into divine magic from both classes, and so should get some benefit there.

So I like the idea of using the 1/2 rule with similar magic classes.

 

[Mike Sullivan]

Here's the thing: I agree that a Fighter 8/Wizard 1 is a kind of weird case for the general rule of "you get 1/2 caster level from off-class levels."

But who is going to merrily level up to being a Fighter 8, and then say, "Y'know what? I'm going to go ahead and get a level of Wizard. Just one. Then I'm going to go back and putter along as a Fighter."

Okay, some people might do that -- but they'll likely be casting True Strike and little else (and caster level is irrelevent for True Strike).

If anyone ever gets to Fighter 8/Wizard 1, it's likely with the intention of switching over to getting Wizard levels with some regularity, for roleplaying reasons. So, soon enough, he'll be a Fighter 8/Wizard 4, or something, and the strange disrepency will be less and less relevent.

Frankly, it doesn't matter what caster level you're at, getting one level of Wizard probably isn't a very productive choice. I wouldn't worry too much about the very rare cases where it seems to make some sense.

 

[Chacal]

Hi everybody,
initialy I thought it's a great idea to raise the caster level of multiclassed characters a little (going the 1/2 off-levels route).
But how do I rectify the 8th level fighter gaining one level as cleric casting Cure light wounds like 5th level cleric? Is he so good a cleric with his high experience? I can see it rising with experience (say every 2 off-levels the character gains after his first spell caster level.
What do you thin?

Greetings
Firzair

I humbly suggest to look at my above house rule : (in short : the bonus caster level obtained from other classes cannot exceed the base caster level).
In your exemple, a Ftr8/Clr1 would have Casterlevel Clr2.
If he level again in cleric, its caster level would be 4.
I agree it looks a bit wierd when leveling in the spellcasting class after the non spellcasting one, but I don't think it can be unbalancing (Just to be sur :I'm talking about caster level, not spellcasting progression, the Clr in the exemple would only cast 1st level spells).

Chacal

 

[Khorod]

For mechanical reasons there's not much call for a fighter 8 to multiclass to wizard. But you know what, in all the fiction, its extremely rare for such a skilled warrior to decide to go into magic suddenly. Those that do are usually putting down the sword semi-permanently for some reason.

So making it not much worthwhile to multiclass to wizard makes perfect sense.

I like the Arcane/Divine stacking. Maybe it should even be all caster levels stack. Simple, straightforward.