I only allow the +2 bonus for a strong save the first time a class gives a strong save. No reason a 3rd or 4th level multiclass should have the strong saves of a 8thor 10th level single class.
Mike
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This and the 4x skill points at 1st level thing are two ways in which multiclassing gets wonky in favor of the character.
+0 BAB at 1st level classes and caster level progression are two ways in which multiclassing gets wonky *against* the character.
The math definitely needs to be smoothed out a bit, to prevent this sort of stuff.
Using a variation on fractional progression, from UA, resulting in multiclassed characters only getting +1.5 at 1st level (which would round up to +2 Fort save for your first Fighter level, but only a +3 Fort save if you then added a level of Cleric) would be one option.
This and the 4x skill points at 1st level thing are two ways in which multiclassing gets wonky in favor of the character.
Are you guys letting players get 4xskill points every new class they add???
gods I hope i misread that .
Could be you didn't.
I think changing AB and save progressions isn't such a good idea. Or it is, depending on if you want to fix 3.5e or if you want to rebuild a new D&D from scratch.
Could be you didn't.
ah no thats for you very first class level to show what ya been doing since birth to 1st level any new classes after that only get the normal rate no x4 .
I don't want to alter BAB for multiclassing or save bonuses. Part of the point of d20 was that, you get a level, you add this to it. The "you get some benefits but not others" approach is part of what I didn't like in Saga, as it makes multiclassing more complicated, and it sounds like its going to be the same in 4e.
How's this idea? Use that nice EXP chart that has been provided in PRPG, and whenever a new multiclass is used, shift the character's progression over one slot. Granted there are only 3 slots right now, but...
I also instituted the +2 drop when I for games I run that use Gestalt Unearthed Arcana rules (along with the Fractional advancement). Keeps things very much under control.
That almost works out to just stacking class levels that share the same progression (BAB or Save). That should normalize saving throws, no more odd gaps with no advancement. A Fighter 7 / Barbarian 7 / Ranger 6 would: stack all three for a fort save at +12 (20th level), stack the Fighter and Barbarian bad saves (+4, 14th) and add the ranger good (+5, 6th) for a +9 reflex, all stack for the bad Will save of +6.
+12 +9 +6 vs. +15 +7 +6
The reason to do a stacked calculation instead of just add is to avoid cases where two class have the same Bad save and are advanced evenly throughout play. This leads to a static save for about 6 levels before it jumps 2 points. In the above cast, under 3.5, a Fighter/Ranger/Barbarian won't see an increase in the will save until 7th level if you take the classes evenly. Then it jumps a total of 3 points from 7th to 9th. The end results are the same on the bad save but getting there is rather haphazard.
KnightErrantJ, then don't recalculate and just us the existing character (NPCs) as is. That's a major advantage of not changing the whole underlying system. We can still use stuff from 3.0, d20 Modern, 3.5, or even the pre-Saga Star Wars books with only a slight nod that they aren't exactly correct and just allow them their slight difference.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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I am more and more liking Crosswiredmind's 'zero level' idea.
The way it would work here is that if you took fighter as your first class, you would get +1 in fortitude for your 'zero level', i.e., your early training, and then get another +1 at first level. If you multiclassed into fighter, you would only get the +1 at first as fighter was not your zero level.
It actually solves a lot of similar problems with multiclassing and requires little thought.
I'm also bugged by the +2 save gains by multiclassing. Definitely only allow this at 1st level.