Gestalt

[AvatarVecna]

Could gestalt work in 5e? What problems would exist if such a game was to be run?

[Oscredwin]

There is going to be something like that in the DMG.

[archaeo]

The only real "problems" will be the modification of the encounter building guidelines (one assumes a party of 4 gestalt characters will be absurdly powerful) and the incompatibility of gestalt characters being in the same party as single-classed or conventionally multiclassed characters. One can only imagine how powerful Cleric 20 / Wizard 20 would be, or Monk 20 / Druid 20.

But who knows, maybe the DMG will present a new spin on the idea that makes it a viable option in a normal campaign.

[Aldurin]

It's definitely a "wait until the DMG" matter, but I do think it will work differently than before. The main part is the fact that spell slot progression stacks with multiclassing, and there is the possibility that there is some way to take two archetypes from the same class using the variant rules they introduce.

I think that the most notable difference is that the increase in power between gestalt and non-gestalt will be far smaller, given that 5e's control of ability scores and roll bonuses is much tighter, casters are nerfed by the inability to stack concentration buffs and a stronger definement of action economy that will be harder to break outside of the fighter's shenanigans.

[Durazno]

On the other hand, if you let them get the ability score increases and/or feats from both classes, now that those are in the class feature tables, gestalt characters could end up being wildly more powerful.

[Daishain]

On the other hand, if you let them get the ability score increases and/or feats from both classes, now that those are in the class feature tables, gestalt characters could end up being wildly more powerful.
whether or not they do, I can imagine just about every class being crossed with fighter for exactly that reason.

[archaeo]

whether or not they do, I can imagine just about every class being crossed with fighter for exactly that reason.

Letting you have doubled ability score increases/feat opportunities seems nuts; I bet the rules will say something to the effect of "You may take the ability score increases of whichever class has more." This would still make gestalting with Fighter very powerful, but lord knows there are probably plenty of absurd gestalt combinations; you may get higher stats this way, but I imagine I might prefer taking Monk or Paladin if I'm going to gestalt with a martial class.

[toapat]

Letting you have doubled ability score increases/feat opportunities seems nuts; I bet the rules will say something to the effect of "You may take the ability score increases of whichever class has more." This would still make gestalting with Fighter very powerful, but lord knows there are probably plenty of absurd gestalt combinations; you may get higher stats this way, but I imagine I might prefer taking Monk or Paladin if I'm going to gestalt with a martial class.

Fighter will always be a strong foundation of gestalt, expecially in this version where they are very strong physical combatants. Its not really "Who is good in gestalt" anymore so much as who is bad? The only solutions to that question i can come up with are Wizard, as EK/AT gestalt better with each other if we maintain the current multiclass rules for casters, and monk, because just more spellfu

[AvatarVecna]

On the other hand, if you let them get the ability score increases and/or feats from both classes, now that those are in the class feature tables, gestalt characters could end up being wildly more powerful.

It helps that attributes have a set ceiling to them; it means that a character can afford to not take all 20 levels in a class, and if they do, they get many more feats.

[Gnomes2169]

Making the Ancient paladin/ Fey warlock has never been easier... And if it works like it did in 3.5 and you can multiclass your gestalt classes, you can even pull off a this:

Paladin (Ancients) 20// Warlock (Fey+Blade pact)/ Sorc (Draconic; Red) to get all of the delicious, tanky/ mobility/ ranged/ melee DPS goodness you could ever want. And all of it uses your good looks as power (basically, how to sexy the universe into your favor, the class. :smallbiggrin:)

... Just realized that I have a player who would love this gestalt combo. I'll have to point it out to him later...

[Oscredwin]

I'm really hoping that there will be a way to mix gestalt (or 2E style multiclassing) with regular characters in the same party.

[Daishain]

I'm really hoping that there will be a way to mix gestalt (or 2E style multiclassing) with regular characters in the same party.
We might have to come up with out own rules for that. If the gestalt rules are anything like they were in 3.5, there will be a pretty considerable power gap in between gestalt and standard.

What might be possible would be feature swap. For instance, I was playing earlier on with taking a cleric, swapping spell progression out to something similar to the sorcerer, dumping channel divinity, and in exchange gaining the paladin's lay on hands, and a few auras. The idea was to end up with a class similar to the favored soul concept. I'm still fiddling with the balance, but I like what I've got so far. I may end up tweaking the class features into something unique and turning it into a homebrew class submission.

[Theodoxus]

I'm really hoping that there will be a way to mix gestalt (or 2E style multiclassing) with regular characters in the same party.

This is my fervent wish too.

[rollingForInit]

I never got to play 3.5. The powergamer in me wants this, really badly. So many fun things to try.