ericgrau
2012-09-19, 03:21 PM
This system is designed to make it viable to multiclass with casting classes. It provides much more flexibility than the prestige classes that do the same thing. The variant is not compatible with multiclass casting prestige classes such as mystic theurge nor eldritch knight.
The table below provides your effective level in a casting class for caster level, spell progression and progression of level dependent class features like turning, wild shape or bardic music. You still need enough levels in the relevant class to gain any class features but not to progress in them. For example you need 5 real levels in druid to progress in wild shape at all, but from there you gain all the wild shape benefits of a druid of the level given by the table, including new creature types. The row contains your class levels that advance casting in the relevant class. The column contains your class levels that don't advance casting in the relevant class. If levels in another class advance the same type as casting (arcane, divine, psionic) as the relevant class then its levels count for half in the relevant class (round down) and half not (round up). So a druid 10/cleric 2 would look at row 11, column 1 for his druid casting (11) and row 7, column 5 for his cleric casting (9).
Table: Effective Caster Level
(Row = class levels that advance casting in the relevant class)
(Column = class levels in other classes)
{table] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6
2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |
4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | | |
5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | | | |
6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | | | | |
7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | | | | | |
8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | | | | | | |
9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | | | | | | |
10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | | | | | | | | |
11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | | | | | | | | | |
12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | |
13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | |
14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
18 | 18 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
19 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
[/table]
The system also makes dual classing viable for any race and makes racial favored classes much more relevant for dips than they were with heavy prestiging. I would suggest reinstating favored classes if you ditched them, and as always rarely should anyone actually multiclass in a way that causes an xp penalty. OTOH do note that the bonus experience for being behind a level approximately cancels out the xp penalty. So each multiclassing penalty is effectively worth around -1 level. Perhaps not always the worst thing in the world for rare specialized builds.
The table below provides your effective level in a casting class for caster level, spell progression and progression of level dependent class features like turning, wild shape or bardic music. You still need enough levels in the relevant class to gain any class features but not to progress in them. For example you need 5 real levels in druid to progress in wild shape at all, but from there you gain all the wild shape benefits of a druid of the level given by the table, including new creature types. The row contains your class levels that advance casting in the relevant class. The column contains your class levels that don't advance casting in the relevant class. If levels in another class advance the same type as casting (arcane, divine, psionic) as the relevant class then its levels count for half in the relevant class (round down) and half not (round up). So a druid 10/cleric 2 would look at row 11, column 1 for his druid casting (11) and row 7, column 5 for his cleric casting (9).
Table: Effective Caster Level
(Row = class levels that advance casting in the relevant class)
(Column = class levels in other classes)
{table] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6
2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |
4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | | |
5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | | | |
6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | | | | |
7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | | | | | |
8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | | | | | | |
9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | | | | | | |
10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | | | | | | | | |
11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | | | | | | | | | |
12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | |
13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | |
14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
18 | 18 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
19 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
[/table]
The system also makes dual classing viable for any race and makes racial favored classes much more relevant for dips than they were with heavy prestiging. I would suggest reinstating favored classes if you ditched them, and as always rarely should anyone actually multiclass in a way that causes an xp penalty. OTOH do note that the bonus experience for being behind a level approximately cancels out the xp penalty. So each multiclassing penalty is effectively worth around -1 level. Perhaps not always the worst thing in the world for rare specialized builds.