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Mar 26, 2012 -- 9:52PM, ShinQuickMan wrote:

Rodney's incorrect assessment on the discrepencies in 3E-styled multiclassing concerns me. The biggest issue wasn't the stunted growth on BAB and saves; it was the stunted growth on class feature progression, with primary spellcasters being the worst offenders. Generally speaking, a level 4/level 4 multiclassed character cannot be measured equally to a level 8 single class character on that merit alone.

Also, it doesn't surprise me that the fighter's base progression is more boring old attacks per turn yet again.

Or if you read everything they have said you would know that the extra attacks are gravy they are throwing on top of the manuevers and other class features that are the mash potatoes of the fighter.  The idea that I could throw levels from a caster class of some sort in with my fighter without losing the whole I attack stuff with a sword aspect of my fighter sounds like what I would call an awesome character concept.  I'd more than likely play the smart fighter that isn't as much about damage but likes to control in melee with spell and sword.  although i might make that crazy blastem and stab em build too.  Already so pumped for the rules to come out for this.

Mar 26, 2012 -- 9:52PM, ShinQuickMan wrote:

Rodney's incorrect assessment on the discrepencies in 3E-styled multiclassing concerns me. The biggest issue wasn't the stunted growth on BAB and saves; it was the stunted growth on class feature progression, with primary spellcasters being the worst offenders. Generally speaking, a level 4/level 4 multiclassed character cannot be measured equally to a level 8 single class character on that merit alone.

This is my thought as well.

For a 2nd level character, you balance the loss of whatever features you get at 2nd level with the added flexibility of a second class.  This is usually pretty easy to balance; the features at level 2, while better than level 1 (hopefully) aren't so much better that multiclassing is pointless.  But as characters gain levels, they begin to get progressively better and better powers (especially in the case of spellcasters and new levels of spells, but it can be true of all classes depending on what the high level abilities are).  For multiclassing to not be a trap, low level features need to be useful across all levels, and high level features must not competely overshadow low level ones.

In addition, in my experience such multiclassing systems don't promote free character growth.  Rather, it promotes cherry-picking to get the very best combination of features and powers.  This rewards system mastery, and leads to illogical characters (what is a bard/fighter/rogue/wizard/cleric?).  Eliminating the features from 3E that stood in the way of such bizzare combos will actually encourage it further.  I feel that class is a very important concept in D&D, as it is something that separates the game from classless systems.  Allowing a totally free multiclassing will blur the lines so much that you might as well eliminate all classes and just use a point buy system in which players select powers/features/hp/etc from a master list.