multiclassing and extra attacks

[yorkshiredave]

The obvious advantage of combining the fighters action surge with the extra damage potential and advantaged attacks of Barbarians and Paladins has been noticed by many, but the mutliclassing rules do not make a mention of what to do with the extra attack feature except that you cannot stack it if you get it twice.

So my question is, if two classes have the extra attack feature at level 5 do you allow the multiclassed character to still get the extra attack or do you insist they take 5 levels of one class to get the feature?

Its hard to deny the logic that the classes should stack for this feature but it does have implications for low level game balance and the absence of instruction in the rules should mean they don't combine..

[Giant2005]

I'd never allow class stacking for purposes of attacks. That'd make Fighters worthless.

[Felvion]

Personally i agree with the restriction of getting the extra attack feature only from the class you gained it first.
I had such an arguement recently with a multiclass character. We both agreed that extra attacks shouldn't stack though i'm seriously worried on whether or not he deserves some kind of different bonus.

[Maxilian]

The obvious advantage of combining the fighters action surge with the extra damage potential and advantaged attacks of Barbarians and Paladins has been noticed by many, but the mutliclassing rules do not make a mention of what to do with the extra attack feature except that you cannot stack it if you get it twice.

So my question is, if two classes have the extra attack feature at level 5 do you allow the multiclassed character to still get the extra attack or do you insist they take 5 levels of one class to get the feature?

Its hard to deny the logic that the classes should stack for this feature but it does have implications for low level game balance and the absence of instruction in the rules should mean they don't combine..

Well... the PHB says that the Extra attacks don't stack, if someone already have extra attacks for being a monk lvl 5, they won't get extra attacks for being also a figther lvl 5

[LucianoAr]

dont you guys think that kind of sucks? i mean, youre lvl 11 after all, with a martial class, that would be getting a 3rd attack or something similar at that point. i dont see why it shouldnt stack.

[Fwiffo86]

The multiclassing rules have been written they way they have been to prevent/discourage this exact behavior. It makes sense to disallow stacking of extra attacks. I think the devs learned the lesson of letting everything stack well. It isn't in the design philosophy of the game to have characters with 3 - 5 different 2 level dips.

My personal view of allowing this behavior is, its ludicrous. How many jobs do you or anyone you know do at the same time? 1 maybe 2. How many people do you know who have 3 or more jobs? Forgoing the "its a fantasy realm" argument, I never found it feasible to have more than one additional class and it make any form of sense to me.

It can be argued that the extra attacks "are" the big draw to playing a fighter, as it represents their core ability. Sacrificing levels (and abilities) to obtain the same bonus invalidates one of the major reasons to play a high level fighter.

At best, I would allow the extra attack feature at which ever feature grants the most attacks. But that is as far as I am willing to compromise here.

[Yagyujubei]

the point is to force the player to make tough choices with limited resources (levels/feats) you cant have it all and become a godlike super monster. you want a couple levels in warlock to get the tasty invocations? fine, but now you dont get your extra attack until 7 instead of 5. you want paladins smite? fine, but it either slows your extra attack OR your casting progression.

if that kind of ridiculous over powered character is what you're looking for just play 3.5

[Giant2005]

I'd consider giving someone their second attack if they had 10 levels worth of Martial Classes without picking one up from a level 5 single class.

[Shadow]

You want to hear something even better?
During the playtest, if you had multiple classes with the Extra attack feature, you gained extra attack at combined character level 8, not at 5 in an individual class.
So if you rolled a ranger, took him to level 2, multiclassed fighter, took that to level 5, you still didn't have extra attack. You got it next level as long as that level was either ranger or fighter.

[NeoSeraphi]

You want to hear something even better?
During the playtest, if you had multiple classes with the Extra attack feature, you gained extra attack at combined character level 8, not at 5 in an individual class.
So if you rolled a ranger, took him to level 2, multiclassed fighter, took that to level 5, you still didn't have extra attack. You got it next level as long as that level was either ranger or fighter.

That is teh dumb. I'm glad they changed it.