If you think that Multitalented, a trait, equals the power of a full feat (Toughness), you are definitely reading things wrong.
You don't get cumulative benefits. You get two favored classes, and when levelling in either one, you can get the standard FC benefits. This is the power level of a trait. Any other race doesn't get FC benefits in one of those classes.
Any other reading basically blows the power level of a trait out of the water.
==Aelryinth
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Any other reading basically blows the power level of a trait out of the water.
You're thinking of race traits, which are supposed to be half a feat.
Multitalented is a racial trait, and some of these are as good as or better than feats. Examples include the human bonus feat or Tengu swordtraining (Martial and Exotic Weapon Proficiency for a large number of weapons). Multitalented is listed as a 2 RP trait in the race builder, which means it should be about even with "specific bonus feat" in usefulness.
That said, I'm still pretty sure Multitalented is not supposed to stack favoured class benefits in any way.
Reason 1 is the KISS principle - stacking favoured class benefits is needlessly complicated, so that's 1 point for Option 1.
Second, the intent of the feat is to make half-elves more efficient multiclassers (hence, multitalented). Option 1, 3, and 4 fulfill this intent by making both favoured classes equally beneficial. Option 2 does not achieve this intent, since if one favoured class gets a double favoured class benefit, the half-elf still has incentive (as you pointed out) to take levels in one favoured class over the other. -1 point Option 2.
3 and 4 are much better than a feat. If you pick HP as your first favoured class bonus, you've effectively gained Toughness, but on top of still having your floating favoured class bonus from your first favoured class, you also get a second class with an second favoured class bonus, and you have the option at every level to take something other than the HP as your first favoured class bonus. Since you can easily get benefits that are greater than the Toughness feat, and you also have a great deal of flexibility, this interpretation is significantly better than a feat. Since Multitalented (worth 2 RP) should be no better than a specific feat benefit (eg Toughness), 3 and 4 are likely too powerful. -1 point Options 3 and 4.
Option 1: 1 point
Options 2, 3, 4: -1 point
Option 1 wins.
EDIT: I agree that multitalented isn't a great trait, but Half-elves are still not a bad race overall. They get the same flexible ability score bonus as humans and half-orcs. Compared to half-orcs, they get +2 to a more useful skill, elven immunities are about even with orc ferocity, Skill Focus (tradeable for EWP) is about even with weapon familiarity, and while darkvision is a bit better than low-light, half-elves get Multitalented (or trade it for something), so that's about even. It's a bit harder to compare with humans, but I'd put Skill Focus/EWP plus elven immunities about on par with the single bonus feat, and keen senses + low-light + multitalented isn't that far off from a skill point per level.
Is that how multi talented works? I thought you just picked two favored classes. I don't think it means you get another favored class point on top of the regular one. I believe the multitalented mastery feat supports this. view.
Example in my case:
Half-Elf Inquisitor, I am declaring my Multitalented Favored Classes are Inquisitor and Fighter, allowing me to take a +1 Skill Point or +1 Hit Point whenever I go up in either class. Then there is the standard +1 Skill Point or +1 Hit Point that everyone gets for Favored Class as a separate item, which is how the current rules read.
Uh, what? No, multi-talented just lets you treat both Fighter and Inquisitor as a Favored Class, so leveling as either one gives you +1 skill or +1 HP (or an alternate bonus). There's no more to it and I can't even begin to see how you think it works in any other way.
