Hi, I'm looking for feedback on a variant system for multiclassing before I use it in a game I'm about to run. Feedback appreciated.
Problem
Since most levels of a class become progressively more powerful, and the experience cost of a level is unrelated to the actual class level, multiclassing base classes is often disadvantageous. A Cleric 10/Wizard 10 is not nearly as powerful as a Cleric 20. A 19th-level Monk does not get the same utility from one level of Fighter as they would the final level of Monk. This is why there is a plethora of the "dual-prestige classes" in 3.5E.
Solution
Gaining the first level of another base class requires a feat. Further levels cost as much as XP as they would if you had no other levels; becoming a level 5 ranger costs 10,000 XP whether you are level 1 or level 10.
Your stats are no longer calculated by stacking values from multiple classes 1-1. BAB, saves, caster level of like type, are instead equal to the highest value offered by one of the classes + 1/3 the value of the second class (+ 1/3 the third, and so on). Skills are likewise compared at each level; a 1st-level ranger with 4 skill points adding one level of rogue with 8 would gain 5 more skill points (rogue's 8 + 1 from the ranger - 4 they already had). Some number crunching is provided below.
Effective character level, feat acquisition, attribute increase, etc. is also as if the character were the level of their highest class + 1/3 the level of each other class.
Hit Point are done normally. Each level of a class grants its normal die worth of HP, no matter what other levels or current HP one has. Since HP can vary so much, I don't think this makes a difference.
Prestige Classes are also done normally; they "sit" on top of a base class, and thus require as much experience as raising the base class would and make it cost more to raise the base class later on. To determine which base class to use, place it on the highest base class used to reach the prerequisites. Some tweaking will probably be required per PrC.
Level---XP------2 Multiclass----1/3 BAB-3 Multiclass----1/3 BAB
3-------3000-----2/2/2-----------2--------2/2/2--------------2
4-------6000-----3/3-------------4--------3/2/2---------------3
5-------10000----4/3-------------5--------3/3/3--------------5
6-------15000----4/4-------------5--------4/4/3--------------6
8-------28000----6/5-------------7--------5/4/4--------------7
10------45000----7/7-------------9--------6/6/6------------10
12------66000----9/8------------11-------7/7/7-------------11
14------91000---11/10----------14-------8/8/8-------------12
16------120000--11/11----------14-------10/9/9------------16
18------153000--13/12----------17-------11/10/10---------17
20------190000--14/14----------18-------12/12/11---------19
Oh god, that sounds like 2e multiclassing.
I can see a partial increas in effective class level, but nothing like this.
Moogle, I gotta say, I'm a bit impressed.
If this is what you want, it looks pretty workable to me.
That said I would never, ever, recommend this for use as a general rule system. It actually combines the most abusable aspects of both 1st and 3rd edition (levels in both/all classes near a single class, and infinite customization/scaling).
Like I said, as a framework for what *you want*, I think it would mostly work. I would point out that you're reverting to 3.5 XP chart - this is important because Pathfinder's XP chart is exponential and would make a large negative impact on your idea.
I will point out that using a feat as the cost to multiclass, while seemingly a tough cost, is not any sort of inhibition to excessive multiclassing. This is because so many classes give bonus feats, that easily replace the cost.
For instance a Cleric, who happens to want the scribe scroll feat, could either take that feat, or multiclass into wizard and get it for free, plus more spells. Let's say that cleric was 11th level (scrolls of Heal are about the most worthwhile thing in the world). He could be a Cleric 11/Wiz5 and get *another* bonus feat, for less xp than to be a Cleric 12.
It can certainly work for your home game if you want it to.
The parties I play in enforce no XP penalty when multiclassing anyway. I suppose we'd have to if we had munchkinesque cherrypicking, but my players and I have always have a good story reason behind the classes/PRC's we take.
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We toyed around with the following for a bit to make multiclass a bit better.
BAB, Saves, HP all done as normal. the special class abilities and spells you get half of your other class(or a 3rd if you are 3 classes ect). So for example a 6th level fight, 6th level wizard would have the BAB, Saves and HP of those 12 levels as is. But would get the fighter feats as if they was 9th and cast spells like a 9th level Wizard.
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All that math seems like quite a large penalty to me ;)
Joking aside, it does seem a little overly complicated for something that has been simplified so much. 'Course, that's coming from a person that almost never multiclasses just because I like the ability to see a noticeable power increase (especially since I tend to play spellcasters).
And people say Hero math is hard.