Stacking Caster levels - feedback request

[FireLance]

an odd thing is that a Paladin or Ranger multiclassed with a full-caster, can occasionally have a higher caster level of Paladin/Rangers spells than a straight Paladin or Ranger

No more odd than a Monk multiclassed with Fighter can hit better with flurry of blows than a straight Monk.

There are no sensible balance problems IMHO with all the methods suggested here, but there is one possible flavor problem: a character picking up her first level in a new spellcasting class immediately starts with a caster level. For instance, a 14th level Cleric who takes a single level of Sorcerer, immediately casts Magic Missiles with caster level 15. IMHO this is mostly a flavor issue, and as such just think if you like it or not...

No more strange than a 14th-level Ranger (Int 14) who has just picked up a level of Rogue can now find traps with a Search DC of 40, when he couldn't even find traps with a Search DC of 21 before.

 

[Li Shenron]

No more odd than a Monk multiclassed with Fighter can hit better with flurry of blows than a straight Monk.


No more strange than a 14th-level Ranger (Int 14) who has just picked up a level of Rogue can now find traps with a Search DC of 40, when he couldn't even find traps with a Search DC of 21 before.

Which, in fact, both sucks flavor-wise IMHO

 

[S'mon]

There are no sensible balance problems IMHO with all the methods suggested here, but there is one possible flavor problem: a character picking up her first level in a new spellcasting class immediately starts with a caster level. For instance, a 14th level Cleric who takes a single level of Sorcerer, immediately casts Magic Missiles with caster level 15. IMHO this is mostly a flavor issue, and as such just think if you like it or not...

I don't have a problem with Clr-14/Sor-1 casting magic missiles at CL 15. I don't mind a Clr-11/Rgr-4 casting Ranger spells at CL 15 either, so I think I'll use this rule - for multiclassed spellcasters (with a full Spellcaster class) Caster Level is lower of 1) x2 highest Spellcaster class level, or 2) Character level. So Clr-10/Rgr-10 casts all spells at 20th.
For a half-progression class it's lower of their 1/2-spellcaster-class level or 1/2 character level. So Rgr-10/Ftr-10 casts Ranger spells at 10th by this, but I don't normally use spellcasting Rangers Paladins etc anyway.

 

[S'mon]

Proposed rule:

Multiclass caster levels - a multiclassed character has a single Spellcaster Level for all spells they cast.

This is equal to the _lower_ of:

1. x2 (Their highest level in a full-progression spellcaster class)

or

2. Their character level.

Half-progression spellcaster classes count as half for both purposes.

Examples:
Ftr-5/Wiz-5 - Caster Level 10 (Wiz5x2)
Ftr-6/Wiz-4 - Caster Level 8 (Wiz4x2)
Clr-6/Wiz-4 - Caster Level 10 (character level)

Rgr-5/Ftr-5 - Caster Level 5
Rgr-6/Ftr-4 - Caster Level 5