Multiclass Casters

[Deepbluediver]

This isn't a completed homebrew, I'm hoping to get some feedback and maybe ideas for a concept I've been mulling over.

I'm sure most of you have seen the optimization builds for melee classes that end up looking like Fighter 2/Swordsage 4/Monk 2/Hexblade 3, etc, while the optimization for casters is more along the lines of "Wizard 20". In fact, multiclassing primary casters is usually the opposite of optimization, because a casters primary feature, spells, don't stack from ECL the way HP, skill points, attack bonuses, and feats all do.

Not that primary spellcasters really need help in terms of boosting their power level, but I was wondering if there might be a decent way of allowing better multiclass variety for casters. We don't necessarily have to wait for some one to figure out how to balance casters vs. melee; this could simply be for a higher power game where everyone is playing tiers 1/2/3 anyhow.

If anyone has any thoughts, or has ever considered this yourself, I'd love to hear from you.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Actually, casters are encouraged to multiclass into any prestige class that offers full casting progression, since they usually don't get any actual class features.

To answer your question, you could make the Practiced Spellcaster feat from Complete Divine advance spells/day and spells known along with caster level. I'm not sure that it's the best idea, though-- spells are already incredibly strong.

[Prime32]

Add ToB-style multiclassing. (www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2410)

[Deepbluediver]

Actually, casters are encouraged to multiclass into any prestige class that offers full casting progression, since they usually don't get any actual class features.
Do a lot of prestige classes actually offer full spellcasting advancement? I'm asking in all seriousness here, because I don't know PrCs very well. Also, what about for people who want to make casters with different types of magic? Any options for them besides the rather bland Mystic Theurge?



To answer your question, you could make the Practiced Spellcaster feat from Complete Divine advance spells/day and spells known along with caster level. I'm not sure that it's the best idea, though-- spells are already incredibly strong.
I realize magic is very strong, I'm trying not to worry about that at the moment.
If anything, I would want this change (I won't call it a fix since nothing's really broken here) to be a baseline improvement, like advancing BAB and Saves. My thout was that a Fighter 10/Wizard 10 should have (slightly) better spellcasting than just a straight up Wizard 10.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Do a lot of prestige classes actually offer full spellcasting advancement? I'm asking in all seriousness here, because I don't know PrCs very well. Also, what about for people who want to make casters with different types of magic? Any options for them besides the rather bland Mystic Theurge?
Not sure about exact numbers, but in Complete Arcana (only because it's sitting right next to my computer at the moment), 5/19 PrCs give full spellcasting advancement, and another 4 only lose a single level. (the 19 including the three that give separate spellcasting progressions). Most variant systems like psionics and truenaming have theurge-type PrCs, of varying degrees of blandness.



I realize magic is very strong, I'm trying not to worry about that at the moment.
If anything, I would want this change (I won't call it a fix since nothing's really broken here) to be a baseline improvement, like advancing BAB and Saves. My thout was that a Fighter 10/Wizard 10 should have (slightly) better spellcasting than just a straight up Wizard 10.
Fair enough. I stand by my revised feat. If you don't think it's enough, I'd borrow the Tome of Battle effect that non-caster classes advance your CL by 1/2 levels taken.