In my playtest games I've noticed that my players are quite avoiding multiclassing, probably a result of the increased number of class powers in PFRPG.
I was considering on applying the notion of "class ability feats" to make multiclassing attractive again. Not in the 4e way, which feels quite watered down, but something like that:
Multiclass Power (General; Special)
If you have levels in more than 1 class, you may choose this feat to pick up a class ability for a class other than the one which granted you this feat. The ability must be granted by the next level you would get in the class chosen:
* +1 caster level and spells per day
* bonus feat
* channel energy level increase
* sneak attack
* monk AC bonus
* domain / school / bloodline ability
In practice, you can choose one of anything but BAB and saves advance.
If you ever gain a level in the class affected by the feat, the feat stacks with the class level for the pertinent effects (like caster level) or you gain the next level-bound special ability. In other words, you do not get "two of each", for instance, by being a level 2 rogue, putting in a feat to gain 2d6 sneak attack when advancing to ranger 5 and then in your next level becoming a rogue 3.
Any comments, too overpowered or contrived?
So in your example of the 5th Ranger/2nd Rogue that took 2d6 Backstab. If he does take a 3rd level in Rogue eventually does he rechoose the feat? Does he loose the feat?
Actually that was the kind of feedback I was looking for. My initial idea was focused on spellcaster levels and oriented to deal with the SRD "loophole" prestige classes like Eldritch Knight or Mystic Theurge which exist only to guarantee simultaneous fighting-spelcasting (or divine-arcane spellcasting) advancement. That was an option with 3.5 classes, where Fighter, Wizard, Cleric or Sorcerer offered little in the way of abilities besides feat and BAB / spellcasting progression. With the richer PFRPG "basic classes", it seems quite unappealing for players to take Eldritch Knight, for instance, and, in fact, the class might be slightly underpowered, as it is not anymore "fighter with spells instead of bonus feats", but "fighter with no bonus feats, no special abilities and just wizard spells".
So my design idea was focused on spellcasting levels; that would give no trouble: if later on you got a new level in the spellcasting class, it stacked, so a Fighter 3/Wizard 2 with the feat has wizard 3 spellcasting, if he adds a level of wizard, he will have wizard 4 spellcasting. Taking wizard levels is still meaningful because of school powers. I envisaged the feat as flexible as possible, as maybe others found that it made sense for other class combinations (like a multiclass bard improving his bardic music via this feat).It is true that it could be abused. Although PF classes seem to discourage class dipping, I am getting the feeling that single-class characters are more powerful than multiclass ones than in previous incarnations of the game. Maybe it's me liking multiclass PCs (they are fun to run and to DM), but I think something could be done. Maybe connecting "multiclass feats" to a character's favored class would limit class dipping and add some definition to the notion of racial favored classes.
We need to get away from requiring extra feats in order for multiclass spellcasters to gain more parity as spellcasters.
Try this instead.
Multiclass spellcasters can count the total of their 'full-casting' class levels with regard to damage, dispelling, duration, etc....
By 'fullcasting' I mean bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers, wizards.
'Half-caster' (paladin, ranger, etc.) and non-caster levels (barbarian, fighter, etc.) can be totalled, add half of it to the character's effective spellcasting level. Rounded down. Prestige classes that add caster levels are counted as per the PrC description.
So, a ftr 4/wiz 9 casts spells at 11th level. A clr 3/ftr 3/wiz 4 casts divine spells at 4th level, wizard spells at 5th level.
It's up to you to decide if that should also apply to what kinds of spells they can gain access to. Should do so just to make it simple.
We need to get away from requiring extra feats in order for multiclass spellcasters to gain more parity as spellcasters.
Try this instead.
Multiclass spellcasters can count the total of their 'full-casting' class levels with regard to damage, dispelling, duration, etc....
By 'fullcasting' I mean bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers, wizards.
'Half-caster' (paladin, ranger, etc.) and non-caster levels (barbarian, fighter, etc.) can be totalled, add half of it to the character's effective spellcasting level. Rounded down. Prestige classes that add caster levels are counted as per the PrC description.
Essentially, what Book of Nine Swords does for Initiator levels.
I think it should be that all levels that don't have spells of their own count for half towards your Caster level. You'd have to pick which spell progression to count your levels to, and once chosen they couldn't be changed.
Multiclass spellcasters can count the total of their 'full-casting' class levels with regard to damage, dispelling, duration, etc...
By 'fullcasting' I mean bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers, wizards.
'Half-caster' (paladin, ranger, etc.) and non-caster levels (barbarian, fighter, etc.) can be totalled, add half of it to the character's effective spellcasting level. Rounded down. Prestige classes that add caster levels are counted as per the PrC description.
This is the rule i am using too, except that i don't count non-caster class levels.
But the problem is now that the core classes have so many cool powers no one will want to take a PrC, is that a bad thing? maybe maybe not.
Maybe people will stick to taking PrCs because they fit into the campaign because they add flavor to the campaign and match their players concept of their character rather than being yet another means of working the system to increase their characters power.
Right now I'm going with a "Improved Multiclassing" feat (posted in another thread, but I forget which). You count 1/2 of your other base class levels towards your class abilities (spellcasting, special abilities, etc., not BAB, skills, and saves). There is a cap of double your class level.
So a wizard 5/rogue 4 with the Improved Multiclassing (wizard) feat has the class abilities of a wizard 7 and rogue 4.
It maps out quite nicely with the dual-caster, mystic theurge style prestige classes (which I plan on tossing out since this feat solves the problem those prestige classes address). And it is much simpler than trying to break out the abilities like advancing sneak attack but not other class abilities.
Right now races get it free for their favored class (hasn't come up but humans and half-elves will either get it for their 1st level class, or choose whenever but can't change after they choose).
I am hoping that once my group is comfortable enough with it, that it can just be how multiclassing works, rather than requiring feats. But it may wind up being best balanced requiring feats. We'll see how it pans out.
So far on paper it seems to balance out the multiclass sacrifice better than out of the book multiclassing, and with the double level cap it doesn't encourage level dipping and doesn't have the problem of the 16th level fighter taking a single level of wizard to gain access to 5th level spells.
But that's on paper, we'll see how actual playtesting goes.