4E - Questions on what I should roll/homebrew multiclassing system!

[brakthir]

Hey guys! Our DM is running a side game for me and a friend (two man party) and we'll be utilizing his homebrewed multiclassing/hybrid system quite a bit. Well, how does it work? Well...in a nutshell...

You start as a level 1 fighter. You gain exactly as much experience to go to level 2. At this point, you can decide to multiclass. You choose to multiclass into ranger. Both classes instantly drop back down to 0 experience and you are now a level 1 fighter/level 1 ranger (but considered level 2 for mod+half your level bonuses). Any experience you gain now is halved and split evenly amongst both classes. You gain each of the bonuses separately (you receive 2 feats when both classes hit level 4, for example). You gain all abilities from the other class as normal.

Utilizing this system (and the fact that the DM throws homebrewed mobs at us and they are difficult), what two classes would you multiclass together? I was debating either ranger/avenger or ranger/fighter but I'm up for any advice. My partner is thinking wizard/something.

[Pramxnim]

This system seems wonky. The way you described it, leveling up is weird, since you gain xp in both classes at once, they would both hit level 2 at the same time, causing you to jump to level 4 from an effective level 2. It seems to me it works like so:

• Level 1: You're a single class, once you gain 1000 xp, you proceed to "multiclass" in another class
• Your character level is 2, but you are, for example, Fighter 1/Ranger 1. You gain all benefits of Ranger 1, plus a feat for lvl 1 in that class
• Your experience gain is split evenly into both classes, causing you to level up in them at the same time. By the time you gain 2000 more xp, you become a Fighter 2/Ranger 2, but effective character level 4. At this point, you gain 2 feats (1 for Fighter 2, 1 for Ranger 2)
• Once you gain 2500 more xp, you become a Fighter 3/Ranger 3, but effective level 6. At this point in a normal character's career, they have 5500xp and are level 5. The leveling system is thus broken compared to vanilla 4e.

It would be difficult to gauge the power level of a character in this weird multiclassing system. You would have 4+ at-wills, 6 encounter attack powers, 6 daily attack powers, and 6 class utility powers by the end of Heroic tier. However, at that point, your friend would like to consider you a level 20 character (without a paragon path or paragon tier feats but with the same attack and defense bonuses).

You wouldn't be lacking in the quantity of powers and options, but rather in the quality. If you're fighting late paragon enemies armed with heroic feats and powers, you would find some difficulty despite your bloated features.

This is just my unsolicited advice here (feel free to ignore it), but if you want to implement a more powerful hybrid system, I would just start you off with 2 classes, assume your PCs are effectively PCs 2 levels higher when designing encounters, and have you level up at a slightly slower pace (1.15-1.25 times the XP needed to level up compared to a normal PC) to give you time to get used to all your features and powers.

As for class combinations under the new system, I pick two classes that share at the very least a main stat and one substat, and you need to watch your action economy. If you're not a defender, pick minor action powers and immediate action powers so you have always have things to do. This allows you to react to any change in combat, making each PC a solo-tier monster. Be liberal with daily powers that bestow encounter-long buffs, and be aware of non-stacking bonuses or things with weird restrictions.

A few examples:

• Paladin//Fighter or Warden: The Paladin's mark punishment doesn't require an action, so they pair very well with any other Defender class that uses STR. Conveniently, both the Fighter and Warden make good use of STR and WIS and have punishment mechanics that don't care how a mark was applied. In addition to your Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction, you can make use of the Fighter and Warden's marking mechanic to mark everyone on the battlefield and punish them doubly for doing anything you don't like.
• Assault Swordmage//Infernal Warlock: Hellish Rebuke something you marked, and you've applied a catch-22 to it. It can attack you and take damage if it hits, or attack your allies and you get to smack it in the face with Eldritch Strike and apply curse damage. Works just like the hybrid combo, except you get even more AC from Shadow Walk, temp hps from your Pact Boon, and have an easy way to apply curse damage when it's not your turn. Very potent combo for survival and annoying DMs. At low levels, you can take Booming Blade and Rose King's Shield (feat) for even more temp hp.
• Elementalist//Elemental pact Hexblade: Pretty simple, double dip Constitution for your Warlock powers, (single dip for Sorcerer powers). You have nasty basic attacks and work extremely well with any Warlord in the party. You're decked out in Scale armor and so have pretty decent AC. No need to worry about encounter power choice, since you just get up to 6 uses of scaling encounter attack powers. Very simple to play and effective, to boot.
• Invoker//Wizard: A controller is all about power choice. Both Invoker and Wizards let you clear minions quickly and apply debilitating effects that are hard to get rid of. This is on the opposite side of complexity compared to the previous suggestion, so I wouldn't play this unless you're extremely familiar with every power you have in your arsenal, or it could slow down play a lot. Think of high-level 3.5e casters and their long turns.
• Strike + Defender, any combo that shares a stat: Applying your Striker extra damage feature off-turn is very powerful, and a Defender splash lets you do that easily.

[brakthir]

Thanks for the advice and input! It is a wacky system but assumed balanced since we are gaining experience at a much slower rate than pure classes. What you surmised is true, but on the flip side, our DM barely ever uses the MM to create his mobs so its all homebrew vs homebrew. However, the limitation on daily/encounter/at-will remains the same, so I would have to choose one or the other, not everything.

I'm liking the Fighter/Paladin combo, a super tank that marks everything seems extremely useful.

[Yakk]

4e xp to level doubles every 4 levels roughly. So if you have half the xp in two classes, you'll converge towards level 2X-8 very roughly. In short, if I get it right, by end paragin you'll be level 30 and be auto-hitting foes, be nearly unhittable, and have 1/3 more HP compared to your single-classed bretheren. Look at the xp chart and see when your level diverges.

In any case, to exploit this you should start with hybrid, and then note that the "only triggered within own class" restriction is missing.

The best status effect is dead; so go for either insane tap count with high bonuses or a catch-22 build.

You have an embaressment of powers; and PHB 1 classes tend to have the best power selection. Action economy sucks. To maximize damage output, you want as many minor/move/interrupt powers, and a two+ tap at-will. Or 3+tap encounter standard actions. Ideally ranged to save actions required to engage.

Some way to stack static bonuses.

Can you hybrid and use this multiclass system? Or use the old multiclass system as well? Qualifying as 5+ classes can get you sweet feat choices.

The level you expect to play to also matters.

[Dimers]

Avenger seems like a good pick, for extreme accuracy with whatever melee attacks you have. Melee ranger would make the best use of that for damage but many classes would benefit, especially those usually in light armor. Serene Blade runepriest ... Arena fighter ... swordmage double-dipping AC bonuses ... brutal barrage battlemind ...

You could pull off some good stuff with minionmancy. A rangerbeast directed with warlord or artificer powers, say.

Another approach is grabbing powers for different needs. Barbarian|sorcerer or paladin|sorcerer can pick from great ranged, area and melee attacks all in the same battle.

The level you expect to play to also matters.

+1. And what races are available, too.

[Tegu8788]

If you can hybrid with this MC rule, a Warlock|Executioner/F-Skald|Swordmage could be hilarious. Assault Mage Eldritch Strike tricks, plus Executioner free bonus damage, and Skald aura healing and buffing.