Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana probably coming to D&D website (Reddit AMA)

[Warunsun]

Multi-classing is definitely something I am having house rules on for my first campaign. I will allow multi-classing that works more or less as in the Player's Handbook (I think I will have a few more limits on it) but I am tentatively calling it Dual-Classing. I have a system written up to allow a more traditional AD&D multi-classing where a player can choose to start a character with two or three classes and progress in all classes simultaneously by paying an experience penalty. I have special limiting rules drafted up for Ability Score Improvement, Saving Throw Proficiencies, and modified multi-class hit dice rules (based largely on C&C; basically you look at the two or three hit dice and seek out the middle ground (a fighter/wizard would get a d8 for hit dice per level for example). I am also considering porting the concept of Class and ½ characters from C&C. This is basically a two-classed character where one class is considered primary and the other secondary. The multi-class penalty would be less but you get class features from the secondary class at half-level and most other things are based solely on the primary class. So you wouldn't get Ability Score Improvement or Saving Throw Proficiencies from the secondary class.

So while I would be adding some limits to multiclassing I would also be offering some other classic-based options that are new and enhance multi-classing.

 

[Hussar]

Why not simply work the character as 3 in 1 (or 2 in 1 as the case may be)? So, you have a 1/1/1 character and the player chooses where to spend his xp. So, he gains 300 xp, say, and can either be a 1/1/1 character with 100/100/100 xp, or a 2/1/1 character with 300/0/0. Would make things pretty simple and, other than being very strong at 1st level, would balance out very quickly. Seems like a fairly simple system that should work.

 

[Scorpio616]

Well, perhaps Monster Manual 3 for 3E, which had a seriously different view of what CR meant than MM1.

A sad side effect of the PC option arms race. MM1 CRs assumes 15 point buy and PHB options. Later MMs full embraced that PC were powering up thanks to all the cherry picked splat options and as such needed more solid foes to be challenged.

 

[Jester David]

I don't think I need many new splatbooks or options, but one with options for all the classes would be nice. There's close to enough builds but a few more for a couple classes would been keen.
After that I'm much more likely to buy a monster book though, or campaign expansion on the planes or gods.
But I'm happy bloat is a concern.

As for an Unearthed Arcana series, that would be awesome. But we're at a "do it or get off the pot" stage. We're at the dead period between major releases, so now would be a good time to start that content, to tide us over to the DMG. Heck, last month would have been good too.
Just like the series of DMing advice articles they should would be a good idea in place of filing the DMG with that content. A good idea but they actually need to do it at some point.
The WotC site has been dead for a while. I went from checking it out three+ times a week when they had lots of articles to once a week and now once every two weeks.

 

[Warunsun]

Why not simply work the character as 3 in 1 (or 2 in 1 as the case may be)? So, you have a 1/1/1 character and the player chooses where to spend his xp. So, he gains 300 xp, say, and can either be a 1/1/1 character with 100/100/100 xp, or a 2/1/1 character with 300/0/0. Would make things pretty simple and, other than being very strong at 1st level, would balance out very quickly. Seems like a fairly simple system that should work.

That would actually be a bit more complicated than what I am suggesting for normal multi-classing plus you would be dealing with fractional hit dice. I don't want that. These characters under my house system would be either level 1 or level 2 or level X in both/all classes and have only one type of hit dice. The cumulative penalty of just allowing them to spend points like that would probably be higher than what I am thinking as well. I am thinking of a flat penalty of 40% for the more traditional two classed multi-class, and 60% for the rare triple classed multi-class. And thinking of using 20% for ½-Classed variant. Since they would only be getting Ability Score Improvement/Feats from one chart and I will be using the special stacking rules about class features like Extra Attack from the multi-class chapter in the PH I thought I might not impose a full 50% for two-classes. I am still thinking about it and planning. My campaign is going to start sometime in December.

We are playing Castles & Crusades right now and believe it or not I have four people with multi-classes and under C&C rules they have to pay the full experience chart for both classes and a penalty (usually a few thousand points) on top of it (using quasi-AD&D edition charts where gaining XP hurts) before advancing simultaneously. So what I am suggesting is easier than what they have dealt with. I am sorta hoping that most of then go single class but I want to have the option prepared if they are interested. Both of the long-term Dungeon Masters in our local group don't like the fifth edition rules as written in the PH for multi-classing. Everyone I know including myself abused them under third edition D&D. Plus without prestige classes in the mix for this edition I just don't want to mess with it.

 

[aramis erak]

Well, did you know that potatoes can fruit?



That was D&D4's approach. It involves the reprinting of a lot of information we've already bought. No sale. The only way this strategy would interest me is if it was an entirely new setting, and if that were the case it would need a hell of a hook.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see all of D&D's settings given printer time in D&D5. But I want all the material to be new -- an /addition/ to what has already been made available. Give me my Sigil boxed set with a real map that isn't lazily tiled, perhaps in support of urban campaign and combat rules. Give me an update on what's going on in the Moonshae Isles post-Sundering, perhaps in support of Feywild rules. Give me a cross-setting Spelljammer war in support of ship-to-ship combat rules!

The problem there is that, for the newbs, most of "what came before" is effectively unavailable.

 

[DMZ2112]

The problem there is that, for the newbs, most of "what came before" is effectively unavailable.

Do the newbs care? Why? It's all new to them. If we assume that they do care, for reasons I'm not prepared to suggest, dndclassics.com is coming along nicely.

But I think a hunger for "ancient lore," if you will, is the last form of interaction with the canon that a D&D player seeks. I'm not saying the history is unimportant, only that by the time you want it, you're no longer a newb, and you know where/how to look.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

My campaign is going to start sometime in December.

You may want to wait and see what the DMG is going to give us in terms of multiclassing variants. Mike Mearls mentioned gestalt characters (I'm hoping he means AD&D style simultaneous multiclassing) as being in the DMG, so unless it got cut for space we should have it available to us in December. If it was cut, it'll probably come out in the web articles sometimes early next year.

 

[aramis erak]

Do the newbs care? Why? It's all new to them. If we assume that they do care, for reasons I'm not prepared to suggest, dndclassics.com is coming along nicely.

But I think a hunger for "ancient lore," if you will, is the last form of interaction with the canon that a D&D player seeks. I'm not saying the history is unimportant, only that by the time you want it, you're no longer a newb, and you know where/how to look.

I'm not as in touch with the newbs for D&D, but I can say that, for Traveller, yes, many sure do. (I'm the lead admin for COTI - travellerrpg.com - the official Traveller board.) For Traveller, it's point them to the CD's. And the newbs at the store certainly do ask about the older lore, but they are not a representatively large sample, unlike the newbs on COTI.

Not all, but many. Also, given that the novels make plenty of repeats on the secondhand market, but the game books make far fewer, and some novel fans want the game setting books despite not playing...

 

[DMZ2112]

I'm not as in touch with the newbs for D&D, but I can say that, for Traveller, yes, many sure do.

All respect to Traveller -- it's a venerable workhorse of the science fiction RPG canon -- but I think we're comparing apples and oranges here. A D&D newb is probably new to RPGs in general, while a Traveller newb is almost certainly coming to Traveler from another RPG. I've run for a lot of brand new D&D players in my time, and in my experience their interest in the game progresses something like this:

1) Complete adventure
2) Customize character
3) Explore adventure environs
4) Advance character
5) Explore setting
6) Research setting
7) Research other settings

I'd bet that you're getting new Traveller players who are looking into Traveller because they've already reached Stage 7. Again, all respect to Traveler -- I just don't think it's a gateway game.