D&D 5E To MC or not MC? That is the question!

[Xetheral]

Oh I definitely think there's usefulness to multiclassing. It's for those sudden character changes. Like where you are a paladin that makes a deal with the devil.

That said multiclassing does a terrible job of hybrid style characters - which is what most people want to use it for.

I understand where that perspective comes from, but I personally don't agree with it. Yes, 2e-style has the virtue that one is accumulating xp towards multiple classes simultaneously, so even though you still level up each class sequentially it feels like making progress towards both, whereas in 3e/5e style you have to alternate. I get that, but the 2e approach comes at the cost at locking in the ratio in advancement at an even split, whereas in 3e/5e style the player can choose any ratio they want for their hybrid.

Also, the "Specialist" and "Character-Defining Mechanic" examples I gave above often require dips to work, which just isn't possible in 2e-style.

To me, those extra features of 3e/5e style multiclassing are worth the price of slightly increased difficulty fluffing OOC-sequential advancement as IC-simultaneous.

 

[LordEntrails]

Does that also go for people who optimize their characters to not be overly powerful? Inquiring minds want to know.

So are you saying their is an optimum mediocre? How would I know if someone were do such? Maybe if they make the absolute median character? Or would we want to calculate the mean or some other statistical average? I don't know how I would even know...

 

[Henry]

I don't know about everyone else, but our players will gnash their teeth, dig in their heels, and fight to the death over the ability--nay, the right-- to use the Multiclassing Rules. And then they will never use them.

Seriously, in all three of my gaming groups--with 5 to 7 players in each--we have only one multiclassed character. And it's mine.

Are we the only ones?

I think the option SHOULD be there, so that the players can choose not to use it, if you get my meaning. Take it away, and people will fight for it.

 

[CleverNickName]

I think the option SHOULD be there, so that the players can choose not to use it, if you get my meaning. Take it away, and people will fight for it.

I think this explains the heart and soul of every "house rules" thread I've seen this week.

 

[FrogReaver]

So are you saying their is an optimum mediocre? How would I know if someone were do such? Maybe if they make the absolute median character? Or would we want to calculate the mean or some other statistical average? I don't know how I would even know...

Typically they would make the absolute best character that would pass your "I hate optimizers - smell test" or whatever you do. People are smart. They pick up on what sets you off and what you are good with. So I guess you have no way of knowing for sure if they optimized that way...

 

[GlassJaw]

I love any mechanic that allows for character customization. I voted "It is pretty rare for a PC to multiclass" because the 5E multiclass rules significantly weaken most characters.

Note I said "most". Since multiclassing has such a cost, it has resulted in players seeing the most optimal "builds" instead of actually using multiclassing to bring their character concept to life. So you end up with paladins splashing warlock and junk like that.

The great thing about 5E's bounded accucary is that it has made options so modular. I'd like to see multiclassing go the route of 4E and use paths and subclasses to emulate multiclassing.

So if you want to play a fighter/rogue, you can choose fighter as your class and rogue as your subclass or vice versa.

 

[Stoutstien]

Sometimes multiclassing is the only way you can create the character that you want to play. My glamour bard/ order domain cleric/ Mastermind rogue wouldn't be considered a min-max character by most people's standards but it does what I wanted it to do both conceptually and narratively.

 

[FrogReaver]

Sometimes multiclassing is the only way you can create the character that you want to play. My glamour bard/ order domain cleric/ Mastermind rogue wouldn't be considered a min-max character by most people's standards but it does what I wanted it to do both conceptually and narratively.

I don't see anything about the character you mentioned that couldn't be better handled by a class specifically designed to capture the character and playstyle you wanted.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I don't see anything about the character you mentioned that couldn't be better handled by a class specifically designed to capture the character and playstyle you wanted.

Which class would that be?

 

[The Green Hermit]

I haven't outlawed it, but so far nobody has mentioned wanting to multi-class. We are all still relatively new to this, so people are still figuring out the rules. It wouldn't surprise me if it pops up at some point, though, since our goal is to play through level 20.