Divorcing Character and Class levels

[R.Shackleford]

So friends and I are big fans of the old class based Final Fantasy games. I'm gettting ready to set up level progressions for a 5e FF campaign.

Character XP/Level will be reduced by 25%-50% needed for each level. Characters will grow quite fast. This will give you HP, proficiency bonus, ability score improvements, and any racial abilities based on levels.

Class AP/Level will be different for each class. All abilities will be at-will with a cool down mechanic (something like FFXIII, except reversed). Classes will go to level 6-ish and higher level class features will be out into feats.

What I would need is to determine how much AP, which is just class xp, should be needed for each class. To gain a level in a class you must have certain ability scores (think MC prerequisites) but you can only be one class at a time. You however can use passive abilities with any feature you gain from other classes. I would even allow a bit of martial/magic crossover such as Silent MM allowing a Fighter to strike a creature and making no sound while doing so (covering their mouths at the same time or gently lowering a dead body).

What I ask of the playground is this.

Q1: Have you seen a divorce of character and class level in 5e?

Q2: How much AP/Level should each class have?

Q3: Should I leave them to be different progressions or keep everyone in the same AP progression (which will be slower than the XP chart)?

Q4: Is there any Final Fantasy 5e homebrew already available?

Example (number aren't accurate)
Character Level/XP
1/ 0
2/ 100
3 / 300
4 / 500
5/ 1000

Class Level/XP
1/ 150 (first class level is free)
2/ 300
3/ 600
4/1200
5/ 2400
6/ 4800

You can apply AP to any class you qualify for. You must qualify for the class you take for free unless the GM says otherwise. You must select a class before gaining AP or the AP is applied to your current class (you can't double choice and split AP). This represent focusing your training on an area. You can switch your class during a short or long rest (abilities will all have at-will cool downs so short/long rest mechanic for maneuvers or spells aren't around).

Any help would be appreciated.

[busterswd]

It's more bookkeeping (maybe) but I'd consider something more akin to FF V. So your characters have their active set of class abilities, an active subclass class of abilities, and then a few passives they can equip from a list of the classes they've been leveling. So you'll get things like Fighter 6/Rogue 6 abilities/spells with maybe a passive that allows HP Regen from leveling Paladin fairly high.

[R.Shackleford]

It's more bookkeeping (maybe) but I'd consider something more akin to FF V. So your characters have their active set of class abilities, an active subclass class of abilities, and then a few passives they can equip from a list of the classes they've been leveling. So you'll get things like Fighter 6/Rogue 6 abilities/spells with maybe a passive that allows HP Regen from leveling Paladin fairly high.

That's pretty much what I was thinking with passive abilities. These will be features that apply no matter what class you currently are.

However perhaps making one choice for a passive feature would work well.

So character A and B may have fighter, sorcerer , and pales in levels. They are both currently in Fighter class. Character A picks "meta magic" as their passive ability and Character B picks "smite".

Might be a bit more book keeping but reliance on short rest, long rest, spell slots will reduce book keeping. Smite for example will add damage and have a cool down based on how much damage you deal. The more damage (there is a cap) the longer the cool down.