Favored class... must be what you take at 1st level?

[raindog308]

I'm looking at p31 of the core (3rd printing). It says that every character begins with a single favored class - "typically, this is the same class as the one he chooses at 1st level."

However, it doesn't say it must be ;-)

So, I interpret this and subsequent sentences as meaning that I can choose and it need not be the class I took at 1st level.

For example, I was listening to a podcast where they discussed a monk/druid build in which the character took Monk at 1st level and then Druid for all subsequent levels. In that case, obviously you'd want Druid to be your favored class. Can you do that?

[PirateDevon]

Ayup.

[Lathiira]

Yes. It just means the character isn't working in the field that they're necessarily best suited for at the start of the game.

[Daviot]

Indeed. For instance, the eldritch knight PrC requires proficiency will "all martial weapons", thus most primary spellcasters might want to start with a level of fighter/ranger/whatever (larger max hp Hit Die etc.), and then take their spellcasting class; in this case, you should and could declare your favored class was the latter of the two.

[h0rnman]

If nothing else, APG Page 17 has this line in the Arcane Training substitution feature for Half-Elves:

Quote:

Half-elves with this racial trait have only one favored class and it must
be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger
and spell completion items for their favored class as if 1
level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels
in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented
racial trait.

Since a PC under normal circumstances is always at least 1st level, this would seem to imply that yes, that is allowed.

[see]

raindog308 wrote:

So, I interpret this and subsequent sentences as meaning that I can choose and it need not be the class I took at 1st level.

Yep.

[Sean K Reynolds]

"My father insisted I go to military school, even though I've wanted to be an actor ever since I can remember."