Which class ISN'T front loaded?

[Plane Sailing]

It is interesting that many people here comment that the ranger class is "too front loaded". In other words, you get too much benefit for taking just one level of it compared to other classes. I wonder whether this really holds up though.

Consider the following:

1 level of Paladin. Get +Cha bonus to all saves, detect evil at will

1 level of Monk. get +2 all saves, evasion, unarmed combat, stunning blow, add Wis bonus to AC if unarmoured.

1 level of Sorcerer. get to cast a couple of spells of your choice several times a day. Some might choose shield and truestrike, others might go for spider climb and minor illusion... something which greatly enhances a future classes abilities. Also gets to use wands & staves etc.

1 level of Cleric. Gives healing spells, 2 nifty domain abilities, two good saves.

1 level of Barbarian. Gives fast movement, Rage 1/day

1 level of Bard. Gives bardic knowledge, a few minor spells and access to lots of perform() related abilities (albeit once per day).

1 level of Ranger. Track feat, TWF and Amb with no Dex requirements but unusable in heavy armour or with double weapons. Favoured enemy.

1 level of Rogue. Loads of skill points, sneak attack, can search for traps.

1 level of Wizard. use all wands, scribe scroll feat, 2-3 useful first level spells and you can keep on expanding your spell book and writing scrolls.

1 level of Druid. Animal companion, healing magic, nature sense.

1 level of Fighter. Extra bonus feat.

Phew, - most of these give a pretty good benefit for just taking one level of them (fighter least of all)

My next point though... which ones give a benefit for taking a second level?

Barbarian - Uncanny dodge
Bard - 1st level spell
Cleric - extra 1st spell, turn undead improves
Druid - extra 1st level spell, woodland stride
Fighter - extra feat
Monk - deflect arrows, another +1 all saves
Paladin - aura of courage, smite evil
Ranger - ...
Rogue - evasion
Sorcerer - ... extra cantrip
Wizard - extra 1st level spell

Hmm. The Ranger and the Sorcerer stand out as being the classes which don't really have anything that "pulls" them towards the next level, that says "ooo, I'd really like -that- ability".

I submit that the real issue here isn't that the Ranger is front loaded, it is that the Ranger (and sorcerer) are the only classes which don't inspire someone to take a second level of them if multiclassing. A multiclassing character is less likely to take a 2nd level of Ranger or Sorcerer because there is less "added extras" with those classes compared to the others.

Still, its only my opinion. Why not vote in the poll and see which classes you think have the highest "front loading" potential at 1st level?

 

[Crothian]

Rangeres get the equivalent of 3 feats.

After a few levels those spells from being Druid, Cleric, Wizard, or sorcerer really stop meaning anything, especially against things with SR.

Paladins lose there cool abilities oif you become non LG.

Monk's abilities are okay, that 1d6 unarmed strike and the saves are good. But it's at higher levels they get the good stuff.

Clerics and their domains can be quite good if you take the right one, but mutli classing out of a spell caster class is really bad.

Fighters bonus feat is nice, but not great.

Druid anuimal campanion will get slaughtered at a higher level as will familiars.

Barbarian is really good, as is the Ranger. The Bard isn't bad, but those abilities really aren't that powerful.

Of course this is only one level of these classes. YMMV, and why do people just multi for the abilities? What ever happeneed about character concept? It's a sad day in gaming when people start looking for the powerful characters and not the interesting concepts.

 

[reapersaurus]

Since the begiinning of 3E, I've had a character concept that matches taking a level in every class:
a trainer.
Kind of like the SuperVillian TaskMaster from Marvel Comics - someone who learns from others by watching and studying, and getting a broad range of skills with which to train others (at say a mercenary school)

 

[Magus_Jerel]

The Paladin class is very front loaded. Once you get the mount - there isn't a signficant benefit to the class.

The rogue is "munchkinizable" with respect to the number of skill points if this is the VERY first class level.

The Ranger has - effectively 3 feats in one. However, IMHO - ambidexterity and TWF should be one feat in the first place. Know of anyone who has taken ambidexterity and NOT taken TWF?

The monk class is a bit "front loaded" - but not entirely so.

 

[Crothian]

Know of anyone who has taken ambidexterity and NOT taken TWF?

Actually, yes I do. He was playing a great swordssman and would swittch hands in the middle of combat when his dice were rolling bad. He had a set for his right hand and a set for his left hand. He would also goat people into duals by saying "Come on, see I'm using my left hand." There were many, many Inigo Montoya references.

 

[Archer]

I can't believe people actually picked the druid as a front-loaded class. Nature sense is the only thing they get that other classes don't get more of.

1 level of druid gets you a 1 HD animal companion, that's it. A familiar is 10x the ally that an animal companion is. Familiars can telepathically communicate with you and have half your hp and all your saves. 1 HD animal companions last about 6 seconds in any sort of combat situation. How useful is your 1 hd companion when you are 20th level?

1 level of cleric gets you 2 domains and 1 more 1st level spell. The domains have value long after your spells have become useless. Time and Fate are 2 of my fav domains. You get the no-flatfooted ability of a barbarian and improved initiative feat and true strike as your domain spell.

Wizards, sorcerors and clerics get more abilities beyond what a druid gets like turning, bonus feat, or more spells per level.

 

[Tarin Greenflame]

How the hell is the fighter currently considered the 2nd most front loaded class on the poll?

 

[Crothian]

How the hell is the fighter currently considered the 2nd most front loaded class on the poll?

People are dumb?

Personally, I think it's obvious this poll should be put out to pasture as all it's showed is people either have a very skewed version of what front loaded means, or people just voted randomly.

 

[Archer]

Are you saying it should be 1st or that it should be lower?

Fighter is front loaded. You get a feat of choice for the first level. It is the most universally helpful for any non-spell casting class.

Rangers may get 3 feats but if you don't want any of them then it isn't front loaded for you. Barbarians, monks and rangers have armor restrictions. Non BAB advancing classes cost you a full BAB in the first level.

Bard and Druid are not at all front loaded. All their abilities scale with level. I'm surprised they got any votes at all.

 

[Crothian]

Bard Music scales with perform ranks, so you only need one level there. A figher bonus feat is nice, if you are combat oriented. I don't see people picking up just one level of fighter like I do with Rangers and Barbarians. Actually, I've seen people pick up 4 levels of Fighter, but never just one.