Is it posible to multiclass the same class, with different subclasses?
like a Necromancer/Diviner,
or a Paladin of this/that?
I understand in many cases, this could go terribly wrong, like a cleric with two deities, but druid used to be considered one specialty priest, and people can do druid clerics, they can even do druid warlock paladin clerics.
But like, if you have a Monk:Ninja and switched to another monastery, for instance, would that be possible, and how would it work?
If you could, would you just total your same level for things like spells if it made sense, you would obviously ignore any repeats of the same powers, but how does it all work?
I'm guessing the answer is no, although i think some exceptions should exist.
It would make things more complicated, but I see no real issues with it. I'd merely rule that when you would gain an archetype feature next, you'd select the first tier archetype feature from another path instead. So, for instance, a Shadow Monk would reach level 6, but instead of gaining the level 6 Shadow feature, they pick the level 3 feature from Way of the Open Hand, and at level 11, they could choose to take either the level 6 feature from the shadow path, the open hand path, or the level 3 feature from the Elemental Monk and so on and so forth. Certain classes, such as Barbarians, shouldn't have the ability to do this, since they possess so few options. A level 6 Barbarian that gets two attacks, a bonus action attack, and Resistance to all damage but Psychic? That's crazy.
From the PHB page 196
you have the option of gaining a levei in a new class whenever you advance in levei, instead of gaining a leveI in your current class.
So multiclassing into the same class is not allowed by the rules.
But D&D is all about what's fun for the group so ask your DM if you have a specific build in mind. I don't see much reason to do this for most classes, particularly for spellcasting classes since they would not have access to higher level spells.
well oof, i think the problem is 5th edition tries to incorporate many, many classes into a few by using subclasses, when the original classes were never meant to be. The Ninja, Thief, and Asssassin were once 3 different classes, with the Ninja and Assassin having about 90% identical features. Now the Ninja is a Monk, and the Thief and Assassin are two different subclasses of Rogue.
some subclasses are way way different from each other too, but oddly very similar to classes outside their own. Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight are super similar, and probably vaguely similar to a Bladelock, but none of these three looks like the Battle Master or Thief. Illusionist used to be a separate class from Wizard, and had its own spell table, while Sorcerer didn't exist at all - it was basically a Spells & Magic option, or just another word for Wizard. But now you can be a Wizard/Sorcerer, but you can't be an Evoker/Illusionist, for example.
I think what would happen with spells, is you would use your total levels to determine your maximum spells, including spell levels, if both subclasses had the same table, although i could see how shafting people for doing it this way could also cut down on the high level spells. It's all very tangled. I think it would balance in the wizard's case.
they have a 10th and a 14th level special ability, so the 14th level special ability would lock out the 10th level, and max at the 6th.
So here's some combinations
2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th +2nd & 6th (14/6)
2nd, 6th, 10th + 2nd, 6th, & 10th (10/10)
2nd, 6th + 2nd 6th + 2nd 6th +2nd (6/6/6/2)
2nd & 6th, 2nd x7 (6/2/2/2/2/2/2/2)
i dunno, it might be funny.
shintashi brings up a good point, but I don't think extra archetype feature allotments should be a thing. I'd say that you could only gain an archetype feature when you normally would, then just have the choice to progress down the same archetype, or follow down a different path. Other class features would remain exactly the same, since you're still just a Fighter, wizard, warlock, whatever.
shintashi wrote:
shintashi wrote:
In my home campaign I opened up feats as a means to do this. When my players have really wanted a single feature from another subclass or class we've brainstormed up a feat version.
It keeps the levelling simple and doesn't cause power creep because they're giving up an ASI for it.
Turning certain features into feats, I can get behind, so long as they're not ridiculous, like taking a feat as a level 1 human fighter to get Reckless Attack while strolling around with a 19 AC from the Defense Fighting Style.
To me I could see having a house rule of allowing it as long as common sense rules were applied:
1) You can't take the same class again till you reach a specialty with all prior instances of that class. So a 1st level Fighter can't select Fighter when reaching 2nd character level, but a 3rd level Fighter (Champion) can select Fighter as a second class when they reach 4th character level.
2) If you get the exact same ability from the same class you don't gain extra uses for having recieved it again. Second Wind or Action Surge can still only be used once per rest by a theoretical "Fighter (Champion) / Fighter (Battle Master) / Fighter (Eldritch Knight)", even though they have acquired it 3 times. Consider this punishment for being redundant.
3) If you redundantly multiclass, you have to keep track of your different copies of the class as *strictly seperate* for purpose of what abilities you get and the level you are treated for when using those abilities. A "Fighter (Champion) / Fighter (Battle Master)" with 3 class levels in each (6 total character levels) doesn't gain Ability Score Improvement since they have not reached 4th level in either class option yet. A "Fighter (Champion) / Fighter (Battle Master)" with 7 class levels in Champion but only 3 in Battle Master (10 total character levels) will have "Remarkable Athlete" but *not* gain "Know Your Enemy" because they are 7th level for the former and only 3rd level for the latter. If they had 10 class levels in each option (20 total character levels) they can only use Indomitable once per rest and Extra Attack only lets them attack twice because they have not actually exceeded 10th level as either type of Fighter.
4) Redundant copies of Channel Divinity, Extra Attack, and Unarmed Defense work just like in the book, treating each copy of the class as a distinct class. This is pretty much the basis for #3 above.
5) Spellcasting works the same as specified in the book to. A Wizard (Illusionist) / Wizard (Necromancer) would prepare spells seperately for each (with the level of each prepared spell capped based on the copy of the class it was prepared under). They would essentially have two spellbooks and add spells to each seperately as each class rose (though they could of course copy spells between books to make them available to both copies of the class... oh no!). Spellslots are determined by adding the levels of the copies of the class together and checking against the "Multiclass Spellcaster: Spell Slots Per Spell Level chart". Its really no different then taking Cleric + Wizard except your two spell lists are remarkably similar. 
6) Clerics... Hmmm... I'd say you usually can't take the same diety twice (except maybe in a tight pantheon with some highly alligned gods) but each copy of Cleric you have gives access to a different domain. As the rules above still apply you'll have to gain levels under each seperately to gain any real power and the split will delay / cut you off from crazy stuff like Supreme Healing that would still require 17 levels applied to the life Cleric (Life) class specifically to acquire.
I think you're better off making a new subclass that incorporates the features of the subclasses you want.
Nevvur wrote:
problem with creating any new class is the tidal wave of arguments that follows about things like OP, Balance, etc, and always, ever always, the character is banned from AL syle game play.
I think that could be fixed if there was a dedicated class builder. Then a DM could whip out a calculator, punch in the numbers, and go "yep, checks out". Spells & Magic almost had something like that with the Wizards and Priests.
it's always a catch 22... people say "you dont need a new class, you can do that with existing classes", but becausse some of the criss cross powers or abilities you need are under the same class, or compete for level space (you only have 20 slots) it totally doesn't work. That's not really fair.
Using Feats to buy class powers sounds tricky. Seems like everybody wants the same 8 or so abilities.
shintashi wrote: