Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 1839789" data-attributes="member: 1465">Seems to be that previous editions were having more specific rules while 3ed attempted a generalization. 1ed told you specifically which combinations were allowed, 3ed tells only about a couple of combinations which are forbidden (Paladins, Monks). Probably 1ed had its own good reason for being specific: to control that a multiclass character was good enough but not too much?3ed sounds good to me for a different matter which is more freedom for the players. But at the same time, the same 3ed has chosen a terribly awful rule about multiclassing penalties & favored classes. Terribly awful because while it's a generic rule, it's a restriction that works out of control for the designers. I mean, it doesn't restrict from either too good or too bad combinations, it is just an arbitrary restriction with no reason. The reason how could such a choice have been made within the "option, not restriction" paradigm of 3ed is out of my comprehension  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> Yes, there's no point in pretending a system where every possible character combination is "the best". It's kind of hard topic to talk about, because on one hand it's a pity if too many combinations are poor, so one could well look forward to improve those poor combinations; at other end of the range you have to keep ensuring no combination is a winner over single-classing or it's possible that everyone would aim for that - we had awful experiences with OD&D elves  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/paranoid.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":uhoh:" title="Paranoid    :uhoh:" data-shortname=":uhoh:" /> At the moment, multiclassing is a perfect choice for combat characters which can optimise their features by taking levels in 3-4 classes (since everything for combat stacks) while spellcasters get more disadvantages.I haven't found any good idea to prevent the first or help the second, but I am afraid that at some point you always have to choose between freedom and control.What bothers me about 3ed restriction, as i mentioned, is the fact they're arbitrary. I have a hard time to believe that a multiclass paladin would be better than a multiclassed fighter, barbarian or ranger (he's actually worse than all these). The reason for that restriction must have nothing to do with the game system.But honestly many new core classes always seem to me characters which are already since the start a multiclassed concept:Hexblade, Warmage, Warlock = fighter/wizardSpellthief = rogue/wizardSwashbuckler = fighter/rogueand some core classes are as wellRanger = fighter/druidPaladin = fighter/clericBard = rogue/sorcererThere's not even a real need for all this stuff. It's nice ok, but don't tell me that they are necessary "to fill a character concept" because truth is that they a character concept can almost always be covered by combining the good'ol 4 core classes.Which is another thing that hasn't convinced me completely...  :\ A fix? Now if it is a fix maybe it really deserved to be the exception and specify exactly that should be allowed with one or two particular classes combinations.It bothers me if the players actually think they cannot leave without a specific class ability. There is hardly an original ability or feature which cannot be covered by something already existing. The only thing which cannot be easily covered is a specific progression of features at the exact level you wanted; and a player who absolutely want that one, is hardly looking forward a "character concept"...Let's hope so, but it doesn't seem an easy task. Can we take the fact that you mention 4ed as the fact you have already given up hopes for this edition?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

Verification