So it has been said before that spellcasters multiclassing in 3.x are screwed royally. So what about adding a "Magic Rating" to all classes?
Wizards, Cleric, Druids, Sorcerers, Bards => MR = class level
Paladins, Rangers, Monks => MR = 1/2 class level
Fighter, Barbarians, Rogues => MR = 1/3 class level
No matter how high the MR, the character can't cast spells unless he has levels in a class with the "spells" ability listed. MR cannot be higher than character level.
... or something to that effect.
What about splicing in the NeverWinter Nights feat: Dedicated Spellcaster.
I'll have to look up the prerequisite later, but it allowed the character the spell progression of their magic using class while multiclassing. I've tried it with a psion, and it doesn't seem to unbalance anything, and a cleric gave it shot for a quick playtest, and it didn't seem to harm anything.
What about splicing in the NeverWinter Nights feat: Dedicated Spellcaster.
I'll have to look up the prerequisite later, but it allowed the character the spell progression of their magic using class while multiclassing. I've tried it with a psion, and it doesn't seem to unbalance anything, and a cleric gave it shot for a quick playtest, and it didn't seem to harm anything.
Can't say I'm familiar with that feat.
But I was thinking... what if races gave a one-time boost to the Magic Rating? Elves and Gnomes could give, say, +1, whereas Dwarves and Half-orcs would give +0, or even -1 (minimum 1). So an Elf Fighter 1/Wizard 1 would still have an MR of 3, while a Dwarf wizard 3 has a MR of 2.
Just thinking this stuff up on the fly.
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I think that stealing the mechanic from book of nine swords regarding initiator level for multi-class characters would work pretty well. It's not too different from your magic rating concept actually - it simply counts all of your non-caster levels as 1/2.
So, a Wiz 4/Ftr 6 would cast spells as a 7th level wizard.
A Wiz 4/Clr 1/Ftr 6 would cast spells as a 7th level wizard and as a 4th level cleric.
Remember that D&D operates on an exponential power system. That is, characters two levels higher are supposed to face challenges that are literally twice as large. As such the game hands out Cohorts at level - 2 and Apprentices at Level - 4 and doesn't even blink. If you're getting power at level divided by 2, you are falling farther and farther behind the curve. In four levels you are your own cohort. In eight levels you are your own apprentice. In 10 levels you seriously don't even have an ability that is even worth writing on your character sheet.
Classes like the Mystic Theurge had the right idea (and even they didn't go far enough) - characters can't be allowed to fall more than a very small number of total levels behind the curve in any endeavor they undertake. Once a character is 3 levels behind the magic powers game they no longer can compete in the magical spells department with the Fighter who happens to take Leadership and get a Wizard cohort.
Finding an acceptable mathematical rubric is nothing like easy. But merely handing out some sort of fractional virtual spellcasting levels is just using a broom on the ocean.
-Frank
Remember that D&D operates on an exponential power system. That is, characters two levels higher are supposed to face challenges that are literally twice as large. As such the game hands out Cohorts at level - 2 and Apprentices at Level - 4 and doesn't even blink. If you're getting power at level divided by 2, you are falling farther and farther behind the curve. In four levels you are your own cohort. In eight levels you are your own apprentice. In 10 levels you seriously don't even have an ability that is even worth writing on your character sheet.
I know, but it's still better to get 5 spellcasting levels out of your 15 levels of fighter than none at all, right? It'd be like spreading the feat Practiced Spellcaster (Complete Divine) throughout the class levels.
Plus, if you're a cleric 10/wizard 10, your Magic Rating would still be 20, just like a Wizard 20 or Cleric 20, so no need for a Mystic Theurge.
Several things should just work off your Character Level rather than your Caster level. In fact, I'd like to get rid of Caster Level altogether.
-Frank