Changing Classes

Changing Classes

Much work was expended to make all the classes balanced and interesting to play at all levels. However, some players may wish to play a character which is not purely one class or another, but is, instead, a combination of one or more classes. Two methods exist to accomplish this: multi-classing and dual-classing.

Broadly speaking, multi-classing and dual-classing allow you to enjoy the synergies of more than one character class, at the expense of gaining action points, fewer preferred class bonuses, and lower class levels, compared to your peers. Multi- and dual-classed characters will also find that more of their ability scores are important, forcing them to spread their scores out a bit more than a character focused on a single class. However, such combinations can be very powerful indeed, making such a decision quite attractive, despite the aforementioned drawbacks.

Multi-Classing

Multi-classing is the most easily understood form of changing classes. Multi-classing means you stop advancing in levels in your current class, in exchange for gaining levels in a completely different class of your choosing. GM's may decide that some combinations are disallowed, either due to personal preference, or due to campaign/story-based justifications.

In order to multi-class, you must possess 5 or more levels in your most recent character class, and you must meet any requirements of the new character class you wish to begin advancing in (such as alignment restrictions).

Once you have chosen a new character class, you begin advancing in that class from level 1, and you must commit to advancing at least 5 levels in that class before you can multi-class again. You may, of course, advance as many levels beyond 5 as you wish in that class. You may also multi-class back into a class you had already gained levels in, in which case, you continue gaining levels from where you left off.

Due to the level requirements, you can multi-class a maximum of seven times by level 31, which should provide enough class diversity for even the most exotic character concepts, or whimsical indecisiveness.

Experience points required to advance in a new class is always based on your total character level, NOT your current character class' level.

Your 'preferred class' bonus is (nearly always) based on the first character class you choose at character creation. If it is not, you must inform your GM what your preferred class is, at character creation, and the GM may always disallow this, if they so decide. Once a preferred class is selected, it cannot ever be changed, even through character reselection.

If any of the classes you choose offer a choice of paths at class level 1, such as the fighter's Technique, the rogue's Path, or the barbarian's Mein, you may only ever select this path when you gain your first level in that class. That is, if you change classes, and then come back and take new levels in the first class which offered a choice of paths, your additional levels in this class make use of the same path. You can't take more than one path in a class (unless the class specifically allows that), nor can you change it, once selected, without use of the Character Reselection rules.

You always gain base attack bonus, save bonuses, and class features, based only on the new character class, not your previous character class(es).

You no longer gain a free action point at the start of each combat. You may still use action points you acquire through some other means, such as by acquiring One-Time Boons.

Example 1: A paladin reaches character level 6, and chooses to stop gaining levels in paladin (stopping at 5th level), in order to gain levels in fighter, instead. At level 11, the player chooses to revert back to being a paladin, stopping at fighter level 5. At level 11, they become a sixth level paladin, and continue advancing as before. Such a combination allows the character to become an expert at wearing heavy armor, and gain some new tricks with their weapon, while primarily focusing on their paladin's class features.

Example 2: A player chooses to make a fighter at level 1. At level 6, she changes to cleric, and then at level 11, changes to a rogue. Thus, at level 11, she is a fighter 5, cleric 5, rogue 1, with a total character level of 11. Such a character is very self-sufficient, with a wide range of modest capabilities that work well together.

Example 3: A player creates a rogue at character creation, and changes to a prowler at level 7. At level 12, they change to a brawler, and then at 17th character level, they change to a monk. At this point, they are character level 17, with 6 levels in rogue, 5 levels in prowler and brawler, and 1 level in monk. This character is a monster in melee combat, with great mobility and powerful attacks, whether armed or unarmed.

Dual-Classing

A dual-class character chooses two character classes at character creation. Only one of these classes is their preferred class, and once selected, the player is committed to those two classes for the remainder of that character's career. A character that dual-classes can never multi-class. Similarly, dual-classing can only be declared at character creation (meaning you cannot play a single class for a while and then decide to dual-class). Dual-classing requires a commitment.

The advantage of dual-classing is that you alternate between the two chosen classes every other level, meaning that you gain the benefits of both classes as early as 2nd level. Thus, at level 4, you have two levels in each class.

The class you choose at 1st level is your preferred class, granting you this bonus every odd-numbered level.

You always gain base attack bonus, save bonuses, and class features, based only on the character class you are advancing in your current level.

You no longer gain a free action point at the start of each combat. You may still use action points you acquire through some other means, such as by acquiring One-Time Boons.

Some fun examples of character classes which synergize well are Sorcerer/Prowler, Fighter/Rogue, Cleric/Monk. There are numerous other powerful and entertaining combinations that players are encouraged to explore.