Alternative Multiclass system [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternative Multiclass system [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
FatMonkey13
05-25-06, 11:25 PM This system was created for a number of reasons
1) To integrate a variant of Gestalt with non-Gestalt game play
2) To allow character with high levels in 1 area to advance more quickly in the low levels of anther class.
3) To increase the playability of monster as a PC

(Based on Unearthed Arcana's Gestalt Characters, Szatany's New multiclass rules (for low-level games) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=467140) and my own thoughts):

Experience: When you gain experience you must designate what class(es) you wish to use it for (this is to make it so people don’t instantly gain a number of levels in one or more classes and represents that a PC/NPC is working towards a goal). You may split this experience up in any way that you wish (such as 1 experience point to fighter and 561 to chicken master). When you use or loose experience for items, spells… you may choose to take this experience from experience set aside for any class or combination of classes.

The cost for gaining a level in your 1st class is normal but every additional class (excluding monster classes and favored classes) cost an amount of experience equal to gaining 1 level higher then the 1st level in previous class (so a human needs to spend 1x xp for his 1st class's 1st level, 1x xp for his 2nd class's 1st level, 2x xp for his 3rd class's 1st level, 3x xp for his 4th class's 1st level and so on)

Fractional Benefits: Base Attack Bonus and Saves are gained in fractional implement but rounded down to the closest whole number when they are actually used. Good saves are gained at +½ per hit die starting with 2.5 at first level (so 2.5 at 1st hit die, 3 at 2nd hit die, 3.5 at 3rd hit die...). Bad saves are gained at 1/3 per hit die starting at +1/3 at first level. Full (or best, such as the fighter and barbarian’s) base attack bonuses are gained at the rate of +1 per class hit die. Average (or medium such as the monk and cleric’s) base attack bonuses are gained at the rate of +1/3 per class hit die. Poor (or low, such as the Wizard’s) base attack bonuses are gained at the rate of +½ per class hit die.

Common Benefits: Your Base Attack Bonus, number of hit dice, fortitude save, reflex save, will save, and skill points are only limited by the class (including monster classes) that you have the most hit dice in. You take the best of each of these for each level from the classes and levels that you have.

The fist level is special. If you use a 1st level to gain any of the common benefits for a level other then 1st saves and skill points work differently. Instead of gaining +2 for a good save you instead gain +0.5. Instead of gaining (skill points + inelegance modifier) times four you gain skill points + inelegance modifier.

You may only take the best from a class once per each level you have in the class. (For example a Wizard 10 Fighter 5 would have base saves (rounded down) of +5 for Fortitude and +7 for Will. His Base Attack Bonus (round down) would be +7/+2. A Wizard 10 Fighter 5 Barbarian 1 would have a base Fortitude save (rounded down) of +6 for and a Base Attack Bonus (round down) of +8/+3

For other abilities that specifically state that they stack, or that class levels stack, these are considered similar abilities that do not stack (but see Prestige classes below for exceptions). If the ability is based on level or has a regular progression (such as sneak attack, or eldritch blast) you use the ability not based on which is on best on a per level basis but on a per class basis.

Hit Dice and Hit Points: On gaining your very first level you gain the maximum roll possible for your hit die. If you later gain a class with a larger hit die you take the maximum roll from that hit die instead.

On gaining ever additional level you gain a number of hit points from a hit die equal to the die’s maximum roll divided by two. On even numbers of total hit die you gain an additional hit point. (You may use what ever other constant system you want but this one reproduces the same average as normal rules)

Like with common benefits you take the best hit die available from all of the classes you have. You only can have a number of hit dice equal to the number of the highest hit dice you gain from a single class.

Average hit points are used to make things better balanced and to ease bookkeeping. You gain/loose hit points from a high/low constitution score equal to your highest amount of hit dice from a single class times your constitution modifier.

Total Character Level Dependant Bonuses: Total character level dependant bonuses are determined by your single highest number of hit die from a single class.

Challenge Rating Challenge Rating is based on what level you would have achieved based on all of the experience points you have spent.

Prestige Classes: When you wish to gain a prestige class you must determine the lowest level your character could be in order to gain that prestige class. To determine what the lowest level is you eliminate unnecessary classes and levels (if you loose prerequisites for something you loose access to what needed those prerequisites, also you loose Total Character Level Dependant Bonuses when your XP drops; both of these effects are only to determine if you meet the prerequisites of the Prestige class) and then look at your total invested experience points. Round down to the amount necessary to get a single class to the closest level and this is the lowest level your character could be in order to gain that prestige class. Your prestige class begins at the next level unless that would make the prestige class at a level lower then 6th level as 6th level is the absolute minimum level that a prestige class can have for its first level. Prestige Classes do not gain the special +2 bonuses to good will saves or the special bonuses to your skill points at very first level that you gain with base classes (base classes = classes that can be taken at 1st level with no racial hit dice).

Alternatively you could choose to add the Prestige Class levels onto a base class. This allows the Common Benefits from the two classes to stack but means that for taking the best at each level for Common Benefits the two classes are counted as the same class. This will most often cost more experience points but offers many advantages.

If the Prestige Class adds Spells per Day, Spells Known, or caster levels to an existing class or progression as if he gained levels in a specific class that Prestige Class must be added onto the base class (or the prestige class levels on that base class) that it adds Spells per Day, Power Points per Day, Spells Known, Powers Known, caster levels, or manifester levels to.

If you choose to or must add a single class to multiple classes, such as with Mystic Theurge, you it to the highest class. For each level you add to the high class that affects the other class you add an 'empty' level. The empty levels only exist for the purpose of when/if you choose to add a level onto the lesser class (such as if you were a Human Wizard 10 Druid 3 Mystic Theurge 2 then if you were to gain another level in druid it would cost as much experience as gaining a 6th level in Druid (Druid 3 + 'empty' 2 + the 4th level of Druid)

Multiclass Restrictions and Favored Classes You are limited to no more then one class at the same level as another class. This includes prestige classes. You may ignore favored classes. A Character of highest level 6 or above may have up to two classes at the same level at the same time ignoring favored classes. A Character can have no more then 2 + his highest mental attribute’s (Cha, Wis, or Int) bonus excluding his favored class and monster classes.
FatMonkey13
05-26-06, 07:41 PM :bump: nothing at all?
FatMonkey13
05-27-06, 01:52 PM :bump:
Max Octavious Xavier
05-27-06, 02:46 PM My first thought was, what problem is he trying to "fix" by changing the multiclass system? It might help to post why you want to change multiclassing.
FatMonkey13
06-07-06, 11:25 PM This system was created for a number of reasons
1) To integrate a variant of Gestalt with non-Gestalt game play
2) To allow character with high levels in 1 area to advance more quickly in the low levels of anther class.
3) To increase the playability of monster as a PC

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
FatMonkey13 05-25-06, 11:25 PM	This system was created for a number of reasons 1) To integrate a variant of Gestalt with non-Gestalt game play 2) To allow character with high levels in 1 area to advance more quickly in the low levels of anther class. 3) To increase the playability of monster as a PC (Based on Unearthed Arcana's Gestalt Characters, Szatany's New multiclass rules (for low-level games) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=467140) and my own thoughts): Experience: When you gain experience you must designate what class(es) you wish to use it for (this is to make it so people don’t instantly gain a number of levels in one or more classes and represents that a PC/NPC is working towards a goal). You may split this experience up in any way that you wish (such as 1 experience point to fighter and 561 to chicken master). When you use or loose experience for items, spells… you may choose to take this experience from experience set aside for any class or combination of classes. The cost for gaining a level in your 1st class is normal but every additional class (excluding monster classes and favored classes) cost an amount of experience equal to gaining 1 level higher then the 1st level in previous class (so a human needs to spend 1x xp for his 1st class's 1st level, 1x xp for his 2nd class's 1st level, 2x xp for his 3rd class's 1st level, 3x xp for his 4th class's 1st level and so on) Fractional Benefits: Base Attack Bonus and Saves are gained in fractional implement but rounded down to the closest whole number when they are actually used. Good saves are gained at +½ per hit die starting with 2.5 at first level (so 2.5 at 1st hit die, 3 at 2nd hit die, 3.5 at 3rd hit die...). Bad saves are gained at 1/3 per hit die starting at +1/3 at first level. Full (or best, such as the fighter and barbarian’s) base attack bonuses are gained at the rate of +1 per class hit die. Average (or medium such as the monk and cleric’s) base attack bonuses are gained at the rate of +1/3 per class hit die. Poor (or low, such as the Wizard’s) base attack bonuses are gained at the rate of +½ per class hit die. Common Benefits: Your Base Attack Bonus, number of hit dice, fortitude save, reflex save, will save, and skill points are only limited by the class (including monster classes) that you have the most hit dice in. You take the best of each of these for each level from the classes and levels that you have. The fist level is special. If you use a 1st level to gain any of the common benefits for a level other then 1st saves and skill points work differently. Instead of gaining +2 for a good save you instead gain +0.5. Instead of gaining (skill points + inelegance modifier) times four you gain skill points + inelegance modifier. You may only take the best from a class once per each level you have in the class. (For example a Wizard 10 Fighter 5 would have base saves (rounded down) of +5 for Fortitude and +7 for Will. His Base Attack Bonus (round down) would be +7/+2. A Wizard 10 Fighter 5 Barbarian 1 would have a base Fortitude save (rounded down) of +6 for and a Base Attack Bonus (round down) of +8/+3 For other abilities that specifically state that they stack, or that class levels stack, these are considered similar abilities that do not stack (but see Prestige classes below for exceptions). If the ability is based on level or has a regular progression (such as sneak attack, or eldritch blast) you use the ability not based on which is on best on a per level basis but on a per class basis. Hit Dice and Hit Points: On gaining your very first level you gain the maximum roll possible for your hit die. If you later gain a class with a larger hit die you take the maximum roll from that hit die instead. On gaining ever additional level you gain a number of hit points from a hit die equal to the die’s maximum roll divided by two. On even numbers of total hit die you gain an additional hit point. (You may use what ever other constant system you want but this one reproduces the same average as normal rules) Like with common benefits you take the best hit die available from all of the classes you have. You only can have a number of hit dice equal to the number of the highest hit dice you gain from a single class. Average hit points are used to make things better balanced and to ease bookkeeping. You gain/loose hit points from a high/low constitution score equal to your highest amount of hit dice from a single class times your constitution modifier. Total Character Level Dependant Bonuses: Total character level dependant bonuses are determined by your single highest number of hit die from a single class. Challenge Rating Challenge Rating is based on what level you would have achieved based on all of the experience points you have spent. Prestige Classes: When you wish to gain a prestige class you must determine the lowest level your character could be in order to gain that prestige class. To determine what the lowest level is you eliminate unnecessary classes and levels (if you loose prerequisites for something you loose access to what needed those prerequisites, also you loose Total Character Level Dependant Bonuses when your XP drops; both of these effects are only to determine if you meet the prerequisites of the Prestige class) and then look at your total invested experience points. Round down to the amount necessary to get a single class to the closest level and this is the lowest level your character could be in order to gain that prestige class. Your prestige class begins at the next level unless that would make the prestige class at a level lower then 6th level as 6th level is the absolute minimum level that a prestige class can have for its first level. Prestige Classes do not gain the special +2 bonuses to good will saves or the special bonuses to your skill points at very first level that you gain with base classes (base classes = classes that can be taken at 1st level with no racial hit dice). Alternatively you could choose to add the Prestige Class levels onto a base class. This allows the Common Benefits from the two classes to stack but means that for taking the best at each level for Common Benefits the two classes are counted as the same class. This will most often cost more experience points but offers many advantages. If the Prestige Class adds Spells per Day, Spells Known, or caster levels to an existing class or progression as if he gained levels in a specific class that Prestige Class must be added onto the base class (or the prestige class levels on that base class) that it adds Spells per Day, Power Points per Day, Spells Known, Powers Known, caster levels, or manifester levels to. If you choose to or must add a single class to multiple classes, such as with Mystic Theurge, you it to the highest class. For each level you add to the high class that affects the other class you add an 'empty' level. The empty levels only exist for the purpose of when/if you choose to add a level onto the lesser class (such as if you were a Human Wizard 10 Druid 3 Mystic Theurge 2 then if you were to gain another level in druid it would cost as much experience as gaining a 6th level in Druid (Druid 3 + 'empty' 2 + the 4th level of Druid) Multiclass Restrictions and Favored Classes You are limited to no more then one class at the same level as another class. This includes prestige classes. You may ignore favored classes. A Character of highest level 6 or above may have up to two classes at the same level at the same time ignoring favored classes. A Character can have no more then 2 + his highest mental attribute’s (Cha, Wis, or Int) bonus excluding his favored class and monster classes.
FatMonkey13 05-26-06, 07:41 PM	:bump: nothing at all?
FatMonkey13 05-27-06, 01:52 PM	:bump:
Max Octavious Xavier 05-27-06, 02:46 PM	My first thought was, what problem is he trying to "fix" by changing the multiclass system? It might help to post why you want to change multiclassing.
FatMonkey13 06-07-06, 11:25 PM	This system was created for a number of reasons 1) To integrate a variant of Gestalt with non-Gestalt game play 2) To allow character with high levels in 1 area to advance more quickly in the low levels of anther class. 3) To increase the playability of monster as a PC