About leveling up...

[Devigor]

I've always joked about this, and a new player asked about it. I told him we don't do this in our groups, but I didn't know for sure if it was possible by RAW.

Could you theoretically go Fighter 1/Fighter 1 when leveling up, instead of going Fighter 2? I've looked it up out of boredom, and couldn't find a rule that says you have to advance a class instead of repeating it. Is this covered by the "source stacking" clauses? So the same benefit from the same source wouldn't stack, which would mean the same class features wouldn't stack?

Also, on a slightly different note... What about specialist wizards? Could you go, say, Diviner 1/Conjurer 1, giving up conjuration as a Diviner and giving up divination and necromancy as a Conjurer, using two separate spell slot configurations?

I don't see it being a problem if you prohibit Tome of Battle. Maybe certain prestige classes, too. Saving throws would probably get ridiculous, and BAB would fall, unless you used the fractional versions.

[LTwerewolf]

In the multiclass section is specifies multiclassing must be done with a new class. Specialist wizard is still wizard, fighter is still fighter. The part about leveling up a class says you go to the next level. Combining both of those, what you propose isn't possible.

It's also incredibly specific about this further down in the "adding a second class" section.

(A character can’t gain 1st level in the same class more
than once, even if this would allow him or her to select different
class features, such as a different set of domains for a cleric.)

[OldTrees1]

Fighter 1/Fighter 1 is prohibited


ADDING A SECOND CLASS
When a character with one class gains a level, he or she may choose to increase the level of his or her current class or pick up a new class at 1st level. (A character can’t gain 1st level in the same class more than once, even if this would allow him or her to select different class features, such as a different set of domains for a cleric.)


Multiclassing between variants of the same class is a tricky subject. In cases where a single class offers a variety of paths (such as the totem barbarian or the monk fighting styles), the easiest solution is simply to bar multiclassing between different versions of the same class (just as a character can't multiclass between different versions of specialist wizards). For variants that are wholly separate from the character class—such as the bardic sage or the urban ranger—multiclassing, even into multiple variants of the same class, is probably okay. Identical class features should stack if gained from multiple versions of the same class (except for spellcasting, which is always separate).

[Devigor]

Thank you both, that clears it up quite nicely. :smallsmile:

... That second part actually brings up a bit of another conundrum... Can the specialist variants in UA be considered different classes of wizard, just as the urban ranger and the ranger are not the same class? For instance, treating the Necromancer specialist variant as its own class, and treating the Illusionist specialist variant as its own class?

[Âmesang]

What about Complete Warrior Samurai/Oriental Adventures Samurai? :smalltongue: Or does one supercede the other?

[LTwerewolf]

What about Complete Warrior Samurai/Oriental Adventures Samurai? :smalltongue: Or does one supercede the other?

OA samurai is technically not legal and is replaced by CW samurai. Most people ignore this entirely and pretend CW samurai was never a thing.

[Belzyk]

What about Complete Warrior Samurai/Oriental Adventures Samurai? :smalltongue: Or does one supercede the other?

Id say CW samurai trumps Oriental because it's a 3.5 version of 3.0 samurai and Oriental is 3.0

[Âmesang]

OA samurai is technically not legal and is replaced by CW samurai. Most people ignore this entirely and pretend CW samurai was never a thing.
As do I. Though, to be fair, Oriental Adventures did receive a slight update in DRAGON #318…