(c) Dr Paul Kinsler. [Acknowledgements & Feedback]

This material is intended to augment or improve the on the rules in the official manuals, which you will need to make sense of it; although I suppose you might find some of the ideas interesting anyway.

Multiclassing ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Humans are allowed to multiclass, other races (PC's only) have no level limits. Any multiclassed character selects a 'primary' class, and uses the hit dice gained by progression in that level. This means that these characters may have more hit points than previously, but this isn't a big problem since they go up levels in their classes much slower than single classed characters anyway. The character gets weapon proficiencies according to their primary class. This hold for initial proficiency's, the proficiency slots due to levels, and the non proficiency penalty. Non weapon proficiencies can be gained according as either class. Optional rule: If (and only if) fighter is their primary class, a character can specialise in one weapon, and only by one extra slot. Other multiclassed characters cannot specialise. Multiclassing II: Adding new classes to a character. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If a fighter character wants to learn magic (or visa versa), why not let them? The following suggestion is intended to allow this to happen without unbalancing the game. A character starting out selects a primary class. Single classed characters only have a choice of one (obviously), but multiclassed characters can pick any one of theirs. Hit points and hit dice are then controlled solely by their primary class - multiclassed characters with gain no extra hit points from their secondary classes, although all other secondary class abilities remain unaffected. Existing characters can add a new secondary class to their abilities. However, it is much harder to go up levels in this new secondary class. The 'secondary class adjustment' (SCA) controlling the amount of extra work needed is one less than the characters level in their primary class. This is worked out at the point they decide add the new class, but the SCA can never be less than one. To advance to first level in this new class the character must accumulate enough EXP in the class to rise to level equal to the SCA on the level progression tables. To rise to level two costs the same as rising to a level of one greater than the SCA, and so on. Thus 'Moonbeam', a fourth level fighter who wishes to become a fighter/thief has a thief-SCA of 2 and must subsequently allocate 2500 EXP to the thief class before it is possible to act as a first level thief. This is the same amount that a single classed character needs to reach third level. To reach second level as a thief, Moonbeam must accumulate 5000 EXP, and so on - even if fighter levels have been gained in the meantime. The 'SCA' is fixed when the new class is started. The results of this system are twofold. Firstly, the character has some time to wait before getting new abilities - this represents effort and resources spent on learning new skills. DM's should also make the characters find teachers and spend time training. The second effect is that starting new classes at already high level is expensive in EXP, so high level characters don't quickly become good at being all classes. If a ninth level fighter wants to become a fighter/magicuser, 60000 EXP need to be gained before even first level abilities are achieved.

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Date=20040523 Author=P.Kinsler Created=1992-ish

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