Where does the term "gish" come from?

[Seharvepernfan]

I always subconciously think "gith".

Why are multiclassed caster/warriors called gish?

[Feytalist]

In previous versions, Githyanki (the planar race) had a "gish" caste, which was essentially a warrior/wizard hybrid. The name carried over from there.

[Eldan]

Not just essentially. The way multiclassing in AD&D worked, they had basically the power of both classes.

[Feytalist]

Well, okay. But they leveled up much slower than single-classed characters.

In any case, the word was originally tied to a special sort of Githyanki fighter/wizard. It just became popular enough to be used to describe any martial caster over time.

[Snowbluff]

In previous versions, Githyanki (the planar race) had a "gish" caste, which was essentially a warrior/wizard hybrid. The name carried over from there.

This^
It's in the MM

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Well, okay. But they leveled up much slower than single-classed characters.

Not exactly, considering 2nd edition multiclassing split your XP gains between the two classes, and you typically had to double your current XP to gain the next level at any given level, so they're usually no more than one or two levels behind in each class relative to a single-class character of that same class.


But yes, it's a reference to the Githyanki Gish, the original Fighter/Mage archtype.

[John Campbell]

But yes, it's a reference to the Githyanki Gish, the original Fighter/Mage archtype.

The Elf class was a fighter/mage before the githyanki had been invented.

[panaikhan]

I thought it was an internet mangling of Gestalt, being a word generally used for multiple things combined into one.

[Knaight]

The Elf class was a fighter/mage before the githyanki had been invented.

Revision: Its a reference to the Githyanki Gish, the original stylish fighter/wizard achetype.

[Feytalist]

Not exactly, considering 2nd edition multiclassing split your XP gains between the two classes, and you typically had to double your current XP to gain the next level at any given level, so they're usually no more than one or two levels behind in each class relative to a single-class character of that same class.

Well, yes. That still implies a slower leveling up than single classes, which was what I said.

[Yora]

I thought it was an internet mangling of Gestalt, being a word generally used for multiple things combined into one.
Which is also awful, since that doesn't have anything to do with what the word actually means.