Stupid question on favored classes

[ghostwasp]

My question is if a character is a human 4th level fighter/4th level ranger , which is his favored class or are both of them favored? The PHB and SRD state that his highest level class is favored, but they are tied (and it doesn't say to pick one in case of a tie). Mainly I want to know if the character takes another basic class would he take multiclass XP penalties or not?
I can't seem to find a rule that supports this view or states that it is wrong. Just wondering if I'm missing something or if I should house rule it...

 

[Dandu]

What race is he?

 

[ghostwasp]

human

 

[Dandu]

Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.

Multiclassing rules

If you have two classes of the same level, just pick one to not count? I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, I never play with people who enforce the multiclassing rules as laid out in the PHB.

 

[Rampant]

Simply put, it doesn't matter.

With both classes at the same level it's within the one step rule, so there's no penalty even if neither is a favored class.

If the character were to pick up a level of rogue next you calculate the exp penalty as if it were a 4th level non-rogue picking up a level of rogue without taking favored classes into account. The human ability means one of those two first classes is favored while the other is not, and the rules aren't any different whether it's the fighter or the ranger levels.

 

[ghostwasp]

Well if there isn't any rule that deals with this situation specifically I guess I'll have to think about going with Rampant's idea.

 

[nijineko]

assuming i understand correctly and in answer to your actual question, if you have two classes each at level four, and are about to take one level of a third base class, and are human; the result is as follows:

class one = favored. (as a human, either level four class can be the favored.)
class two = normal.
class three = xp penalty.

the reason is that you have two classes that are not within one level of each other. you remove any favored and prestige from consideration, then look at what you have left. in your example, that leaves a fourth, and a first. since you have two classes more than one level apart from each other, you gain a 10% (iirc) xp penalty.

by way of example, if you were to gain a fourth base class at level one, technically the xp penalty would increase to 20% because you have three base classes that are more than one level apart from each other.

 

[Shin Okada]

PHB says,

When determining whether a multiclass human suffers an XP penalty, his highest-level class does not count.

Some may say it is ONE highest class because that is not plural.

Another may say highest-level class could be 2 or more because the text does not say "one of the highest-level class" or something similar.

I vote for the latter, because of 2 reasons. The first reason is that there are characters with multiple favored classes (Example: Elf-Dragonborn has both Wizard and Paladin as one's favored classes). The second reason is that when a rule could be read in two or more ways, and both interpretations does not cause rule-havoc, I will prefer to read it in the way which favors PCs.

 

[Ashtagon]

In my games, I ruled that:

* Races that can have multiple favoured classes pick one class at character creation.
* Certain feats and other features allow favoured classes to be substituted, or even additional favoured classes to be added.
* Any and all favoured classes are removed from consideration when deciding whether any xp penalty is suffered.

So a Dwarf fighter 7 rogue 4 cleric 2 whose favoured class is fighter considers only his cleric and rogue levels when determining if there is any penalty. Since the difference in levels is 2, he suffers the penalty. If he took his next level in cleric (becoming a fighter 7 / rogue 4 / cleric 3), he would no longer suffer a penalty; fighter levels are ignored as being the favoured class, and the other two levels are within one level of each other.

Of course, these days I subscribe to the PF style favoured class, which gives a small bonus if you pick a level in your favoured class.

 

[nijineko]

there is a feat somewhere that grants an extra favored class. races of destiny maybe?

i once played a grey elf who had some wild elf blood due to his grandfather's actions, the dm allowed me to switch his favored class from wizard to sorcerer just for the asking. the large backstory i supplied may have influenced that a bit.