Turning favored class into a bonus, not a penalty

[Asmor]

I've never liked, or used, multiclass penalties, meaning that favored classes were totally irrelevant for me. I've long wanted a way to make them relevant again, and I've finally found something I like. If a character takes levels in their race's favored class, they gain the following benefits:

*Barbarian: The barbarian gains one additional use of rage each day.

*Bard: The bard gains additional uses of bardic music each day equal to his charisma modifier, but no more than one extra use per day per character level. For example, a level 2 bard with 18 charisma could use bardic music 4 times per day (twice per day for being level 2, plus twice per day for the favored class benefit). The same bard would be able to use bardic music 9 times per day at level 5 (five times for being level 5, plus 4 times for charisma modifier).

*Cleric: The cleric's wisdom modifier applies to turning checks (in addition to the charisma modifier).

*Druid: The druid adds her charisma modifier to her druid level when determining the abilities and availability of animal companions.

*Fighter: The fighter gains 2 extra HP per fighter level.

*Monk: The monk is treated as a monk of one size category larger for the purpose of determining unarmed damage.

*Paladin: The paladin gains one additional use of smite evil per day.

*Ranger: The ranger gains benefits of both the archery and two-weapon fighting combat styles, rather than having to choose one.

*Rogue: The rogue applies her dexterity modifier instead of her intelligence modifier for the purpose of determining how many skill points she gets at first level and each additional level. This only applies to levels taken as a rogue, however.

*Sorcerer: Sorcerers may apply metamagic feats to their spells without increasing the casting time. This allows the sorcerer to apply the Quicken Spell metamagic feat.

*Wizard: A specialist wizard has to choose one less prohibited school than normal. This means that a diviner doesn't need to choose any prohibited school.

 

[Notmousse]

Very unbalanced IMNSHO.

Some of these are tiny boosts, while some are gamebreaking (Ranger and Monk).

The Rogue suddenly has only *one* must have stat.
The Druid's suddenly suffering from MAD.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

In my campaigns charcters that stay single classed gain a 10% experience point increase. If they multiclass they lose this boinus.

 

[Asmor]

Very unbalanced IMNSHO.

Some of these are tiny boosts, while some are gamebreaking (Ranger and Monk).

The Rogue suddenly has only *one* must have stat.
The Druid's suddenly suffering from MAD.

Why do those seem so gamebreaking to you?

I think the ranger in particular is very benign. The effects of the combat styles don't stack, and you can only use one at a time. Since most rangers would just usually pick one and stick with it, this really shouldn't have much of an affect on gameplay except to give them more options. In fact, it might even lower their overall power if they decide to embrace the versatility, since they'd have to invest in three different weapons and would have to split their normal feats between the two.

Monk is, in my experience, a very underpowered class. They just don't seem to do much damage at all. Increasing them a size category only increases their damage output by a couple few points per attack. The damage difference:

Level	Medium	Large	Difference
1-3	3.5	4.5	1
4-7	4.5	7	2.5
8-11	5.5	9	3.5
12-15	7	10.5	3.5
16-19	9	13.5	4.5
20	11	18	7

The rogue's ALWAYS had one must have stat. Dexterity. Few rogues would put their highest score in intelligence instead of dexterity. It's not like intelligence suddenly becomes a dump stat, since it's still important just as a skill modifier. Search and Disable Device, two of the rogue's bread & butter skills, both get bonuses from intelligence, so tossing an 8 in there has some implications. The net effect of the ability is just that rogues will probably get an extra skill point or two per level.

What would you suggest as an alternative? Maybe giving them weapon finesse as a bonus feat for taking a rogue level?

The druid's ability is fairly weak, but I'm at a loss for what to give them. I don't want to do something with wildshape, because the shapeshift ability from PHB 2 replaces it and just kicks so much ass...

Actually, maybe I'll make shapeshift the standard and do something that effects that... hmm...

In any case, balance issues aside, what do you think of the concept?

 

[erf_beto]

I love the idea.

I´ve been meaning to acomplish something similar, giving a bonus for those who get a level in a favored class, but I thought about extra skill points or extra feat (every N-th level) but I actually love your concept of giving each class a different bonus. Very tasteful

But I do think your aproach is overpowered. :\

Also, from the way I understood your first post, it seems that for some classes, getting only one level in a favored class grants you all the benefit, while others have a level dependent progression. Personaly, I think the bonuses should be granted with each level (or maybe start small then end big, much like your bard´s idea) so players would have a(nother) reason to increase their favored class level.

 

[Li Shenron]

Some of these are tiny boosts, while some are gamebreaking (Ranger and Monk).

The Ranger was already broken by the 3.5 revision.

 

[Li Shenron]

I've never liked, or used, multiclass penalties, meaning that favored classes were totally irrelevant for me. I've long wanted a way to make them relevant again, and I've finally found something I like. If a character takes levels in their race's favored class, they gain the following benefits:

It's a nice idea, but it's hard to balance the different options against each other.

Another thing that make me skeptic is how these benefits scale with level for some classes but not for others. And also it might benefit someone dipping into the favored class for 1 level only.

And finally... how are you going to rule about the human's and halfelf's favored enemy?

All classes are favourite? Clearly not an option, it's potentially too good for heavily multiclassed PC.

First class is their favourite? Any one chosen class is their favourite? It's not as good as to replace the original benefit IMO.

 

[Asmor]

They pick one class.

In the campaign setting I'm making, every race has 2 or 3 different favored classes, and they need to pick one when they make the character. Humans are no different (half-elves aren't in the campaign), except that they can pick any class.

The different abilities may not explicitly scale with levels, but they all affect things which get better as you level up. A 1st level barbarian's rage isn't as good as a 20th's, and the same goes for smite, bardic music, turning, animal companions, etc. In any case, even if they do encourage dipping, I'm totally happy with that. That's like the textbook example of a favored class... when large numbers of the race have some experience with that class, even if it's not their primary focus.

 

[Sigurd]

So a point of contention is reworked into a benefit for the players.

It sounds like part of the power creep that is everywhere in the game as it ages.

The favoured class is already a benefit to the players - its an exception to something that is otherwise a penalty. This would turn it into a bonus on top of the removal of the penalty.

 

[erf_beto]

The favoured class is already a benefit to the players - its an exception to something that is otherwise a penalty. This would turn it into a bonus on top of the removal of the penalty.

For the most part, I dont see it as a benefit, but I do get your point. I like the idea of a bonus to favored classes mostly because that would make the game faster/easier, as players tend to remind you of their bonuses - as well of keeping track of them - whereas the DM has already a lot on his mind.
Also, that would explain why some races have an inclination towards a particular class - half-orcs are just natural barbarians because they have a knack at it, not because they couldnt multiclass into cleric... (I know racial ability modifiers kinda covers that, but I just don´t think it´s enough)
Either way, bonuses for favored classes should be low. Period.