http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20090406
Very interesting stuff.
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1172415
Other than that, it looks very good. There's still a reason to go for multiclassing, which is nice (hybrid warlords don't get Commanding Presence).
NOT LEGAL FOR RPGA PLAY WTF?
Other than that, it looks very good. There's still a reason to go for multiclassing, which is nice (hybrid warlords don't get Commanding Presence).
Not legal yet, and for good reason, IMO. It's a play test that is in serious need of feedback to get any kinks out.
Since I was on my way to breaking down and buying the single issue anyway, I decided to go all out and buy a year's subscription. I'm such a hypocrite :P --said I wasn't gonna do that. Glad I did though (and now I don't have to hassle with auto-renewal every month ;)).
This may be a rough playtest (with kinks to work out) but it's got potential I think. I'm happy. I actually feel less intimidated by hybrid classes than I do multiclassing. It's too easy to 'hamstring' yourself when multiclassing if you're not careful (i.e. don't know exactly what you're aiming for ;)). Hybrids seem a bit more straight-forward than multiclassing, easier for me to see (ahead of time) what I'm getting into.
I've been hoping something like 'dual-classing' was gonna be possible in 4e. This definitely has me anticipating PH 3 (already). One more D&D book to add to my ever-growing collection ;). When's it due out?
Summary: This is what I was hoping for with 4e multiclassing all along.
I'm happy with it. I can finally make the ranger/cleric I wanted to make since 4e came out.
That's the difference between being good at Multiclassing and being good at Hybrid Classing. Hybrid Classes are the real Jack-of-All-Trades, Master-of-None. They sacrifice power on both ends, but end up with more of the classes than the Multiclass would give for the secondary class. Multiclassers are specialists who have dabbled elsewhere; Hybrid Classers can't get into expert territory with either of their classes, and thus suffer. However, that's not to say that Hybrid Classing is bad; Hybrid Classes really create a character who is caught between two different paths in life; and thus, Hybrid Classers are better at having both, and can still run their feats the normal way.
I assume that while Half-Elves are really good at being Multiclassers, Illumians, who used to occupy that position, will be really good at Hybridclassing. Illumians always really did focus on two different classes, each working with a sigil, and balanced them, rather than one class with dabbling into another. I wouldn't be surprised if the Illumians join the cast of classes in PH3; but they're going to have to explain how some Illumians survived the death of their culture as talked about in the Manual of the Planes.
All in all, I like it. Gives more ways of having options. My first impression was that it could break the game, but it looks like it will actually be underpowered if anything; only by using well-compatible classes and race will they be able to play on level with the other characters. It reminds me of the difference between Multiclassing and Gestalt Classing in 3e. Only that Multiclassing in 3e was evil because you had to balance them or suffer; and Gestalt Classing in 3e, which sounding cool, suffered in the skills department and was too spread out. But Hybrid Classing looks like it'll be a great upgrade to the Gestalt Classing, and it looks like it'll fun too. I already know a friend whose character may go into Hybrid Classing, rather than the Multiclass Longtooth Fighter/Ranger (focus on Str/Wis) he's been doing so far.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Illumians join the cast of classes in PH3; but they're going to have to explain how some Illumians survived the death of their culture as talked about in the Manual of the Planes.
THE VANISHED ILLUMIANS
As for the illumians, it’s said that some still remain in the world, a diminished but wiser race.
But having just one race that is good at hybrid-classing kind of defeats the purpose, so I think that Doppelganger/Changeling will also be good at hybridizing.
Bel
Yes, some Illumians are still alive. I guess when I posted that, I'd forgotten that fact. Works well too: Devas, Gnomes, Shifters, Goliaths, and Half-Orcs are rarer to see than the eight races of PH1; therefore the races of future PHs should be more rare than those (at least in the natural world). Illumians would make a good race for PH3.
Hybrid Sorcerer/Bard
Role: leader/controller
Power Source: Arcane
Key Attribute: Charisma, Dexterity, Strength, Constitution
Armor: Cloth
Weapons: Simple melee, longsword, scimitar, short sword, simple ranged, military ranged
Defenses: +1 reflex +1 will
Hit Points: 12 +constitution
Hit Points per Level: 4
Healing Surges: 6+ Constitution modifier
Class Skills: Arcane, plus three skills from the following list
Acrobatics (Dex), Arcana (Int), Athletics (Str), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Perception (Wis), Religion (Int), Streetwise (Cha),
Class Features:
Majestic Word (Hybrid) as bard’s ability but only once per encounter
Song of Rest
Spell Source (hybrid) only gains damage bonus to sorcerer based powers and the resistance related ability