Gestalt question

[sengmeng]

I only DMed a gestalt campaign once, and in that one, I'm not sure if I remember whether I was told to do this or I decided that this is how it would be, but in that campaign my PCs picked two classes AND STUCK WITH THEM, i.e., every level they added a level to the same two classes... no multiclassing beyond being gestalt in the first place. Is this normal/typical/fair? Thoughts?

[Greenish]

Well, it makes the gestalt builds simpler by necessity, which may be a good thing for some parties, and with well-chosen classes you shouldn't have too many dead levels or such annoyance in there. There are some concepts better realized by multiclassing, though.

[Greymane]

Depends on how used to variety your group is. It still lets you do Factotum//Wizard so this doesn't really dim down power at all; but for some people, simple is good.

[Eldan]

It certainly doesn't help balance: theoretically, you could have a Truenamer/Samurai and a Spell-to-Power Erudite/Factotum or other such shenanigans.

It's not normal either, no. The default gestalt rules say that you are allowed to take prestige classes.

[Tyndmyr]

I only DMed a gestalt campaign once, and in that one, I'm not sure if I remember whether I was told to do this or I decided that this is how it would be, but in that campaign my PCs picked two classes AND STUCK WITH THEM, i.e., every level they added a level to the same two classes... no multiclassing beyond being gestalt in the first place. Is this normal/typical/fair? Thoughts?

It isn't normal.

Normal is that you get to PrC on one side of the gestalt. The other has to remain base class only. I consider this a good balance, as PrCs on both sides get complicated with meeting all the entry requirements, but some PrCing gives people things to look forward to, because a lot of base classes are...let's face it, pretty boring, and/or front loaded.

It makes some classes much less viable choices.

[Noneoyabizzness]

normal heard of it frequently enough to not say its so abnormal.
typical-no typical is raw as per UA or srd
fair/anything+fullcaster 20 can expand horizons to people who dont normally play casters. likewise complimentary noncaster classes may make a player expand to the joy of the sub-opt and play them. the fact is you esentially are offering hundreds of other "gestalt classes" that are on par with class+prc builds. when in a mixed rule game this is so fair. full gestalt only still fair.