heavyfuel
2020-05-19, 09:56 AM
3.5's UA brought us Gestalt Characters (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm). Basically, two characters in one. You gain both classes' class features, and take the best HD, attack bonus, skill points, and saving throws.
This rule is amazing when playing with a few players (a single layer) because it allows for a single character to fill two holes in the party. So the standard Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, Wizard party can be two character, a Fighter//Cleric and a Rogue//Wizard.
The goal:
My goal is not to simply import Gestalt rules into 5e, but also make the rule true to its intention, allowing a single character to fill multiple roles in the party.
Potential problems:
Gestalt rule made more versatile characters, but also made most characters MAD (multiple ability dependant). The Fighter now needs a high Wisdom and decent Charisma, and the Rogue now needs Int more than ever, both for spellcasting and to pick the extra knowledge skills expected of Wizards. Not a big problem in 3.5 with its high point-buys and uncapped stats. In 5e, however, this could be an issue.
Multiclassing also worked seamlessly with Gestalt in 3.5 because Feats and Ability Score Increases were tied to Character level rather than class levels. Allowing characters to multiclass now can allow for double feats/ASI. It becomes even weirder when you take the multiclassing spell table into consideration.
The Rule:
Pick two classes to be your gestalt class.
At 1st level:
- The array for your ability socres is 15 14 14 13 12 8 (32 point-buy equivalent, instead of 27).
- You gain proficiency in saving throws for both classes. A Fighter//Wizard would be proficient in Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom saves; a Rogue//Wizard, however, would only be proficient in Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom.
- Whichever class gives the greater number of skills, you gain that number of skills, plus one. You may pick skills from either class list. A Sorcerer//Ranger would gain 4 skills, picked from either the Sorcerer's or the Ranger's skill list.
- You gain the proficiencies from a single background, as usual.
- You gain the maximum HP possible for the largest HD available for your classes and that HD as Hit Die. A Barbarian//Sorcerer would start with 12+Con HP and have a single d12 for Hit Die.
At every level:
- Your proficiency bonus don't stack.
- No multiclassing allowed.
- Beyond 1st level, you gain the largest HD available for your classes. The class with smallest HD determines your minimum HP you can roll, being equal to half (rounded up) its maximum. A Barbarian//Sorcerer would gain a d12 at every level, any roll below a 4 is treated as a 4.
- You gain features for both your classes, including whichever archetypes, traditions, domains, etc, you choose for each class.
- If you gain multiple Fighting Styles, even if at the same level, you pick each Fighting Style from its given list. You may not pick the same Fighting Style more than once.
- If both classes gain the Unarmored Defense feature, you choose which one to use. Once you make this choice, it cannot be changed.
- The Extra Attack class feature doesn't stack, and you gain only a single extra attack. A Fighter//Paladin of 5th level has a single extra attack, but a Fighter//Paladin of 11th level still has the third attack because of the Fighter feature.
- Ability Score Increases granted at the same level do not stack. A Fighter//Ranger of 4th level would have a single ASI, but would gain a second one at 6th level because of the Fighter class.
- If both classes have the spellcasting feature, use the following rules:
- Spells Known and Prepared: You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a Ranger//Wizard of 3rd level, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.
If both classes give you Cantrips known, pick all Cantrips from their respective lists.
Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell. Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus.
- Spell Slots: You have a number of spell slots equal to whichever class' gives you the highest number of slots. For the aforementioned Ranger//Wizard, you would have 4 slots for 1st-level spells, and 2 slots for 2nd-level spells, because that's how many slots the Wizard class gives you. Because you don't know any Ranger spell of 2nd-level, you can use those slots only to cast your lower-level spells. If a lower-level spell that you cast, like cure wounds, has an enhanced effect when cast using a higher-level slot, you can use the enhanced effect, even though you don't have any ranger spells of that higher level.
- Pact Magic: If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you must choose which to use. Once you make this choice, it cannot be changed. Regadless of your choice, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, or you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.
As such, a Paladin//Warlock 3 that chose Pact Magic would know 2 cantrips and 4 spells from the Warlock list, and be able to prepare 4 spells of the Paladin list (assuming a Charisma of 16). However, he would only have two slots, which he regains when he finishes a short or long rest.
Similarly, a Paladin//Warlock 3 that chose Spellcasting would know and be able to prepare the same number of spells. However, would only have three 1st-level slots, so he wouldn't be able to cast his 2nd-level warlock spells.
At higher levels, a character that chooses Pact Magic and gains the Mystic Arcanum feature can use this feature to cast any spell of the appropriate level he knows or has prepared, regardless of the class that granted the spell.
This rule is amazing when playing with a few players (a single layer) because it allows for a single character to fill two holes in the party. So the standard Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, Wizard party can be two character, a Fighter//Cleric and a Rogue//Wizard.
The goal:
My goal is not to simply import Gestalt rules into 5e, but also make the rule true to its intention, allowing a single character to fill multiple roles in the party.
Potential problems:
Gestalt rule made more versatile characters, but also made most characters MAD (multiple ability dependant). The Fighter now needs a high Wisdom and decent Charisma, and the Rogue now needs Int more than ever, both for spellcasting and to pick the extra knowledge skills expected of Wizards. Not a big problem in 3.5 with its high point-buys and uncapped stats. In 5e, however, this could be an issue.
Multiclassing also worked seamlessly with Gestalt in 3.5 because Feats and Ability Score Increases were tied to Character level rather than class levels. Allowing characters to multiclass now can allow for double feats/ASI. It becomes even weirder when you take the multiclassing spell table into consideration.
The Rule:
Pick two classes to be your gestalt class.
At 1st level:
- The array for your ability socres is 15 14 14 13 12 8 (32 point-buy equivalent, instead of 27).
- You gain proficiency in saving throws for both classes. A Fighter//Wizard would be proficient in Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom saves; a Rogue//Wizard, however, would only be proficient in Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom.
- Whichever class gives the greater number of skills, you gain that number of skills, plus one. You may pick skills from either class list. A Sorcerer//Ranger would gain 4 skills, picked from either the Sorcerer's or the Ranger's skill list.
- You gain the proficiencies from a single background, as usual.
- You gain the maximum HP possible for the largest HD available for your classes and that HD as Hit Die. A Barbarian//Sorcerer would start with 12+Con HP and have a single d12 for Hit Die.
At every level:
- Your proficiency bonus don't stack.
- No multiclassing allowed.
- Beyond 1st level, you gain the largest HD available for your classes. The class with smallest HD determines your minimum HP you can roll, being equal to half (rounded up) its maximum. A Barbarian//Sorcerer would gain a d12 at every level, any roll below a 4 is treated as a 4.
- You gain features for both your classes, including whichever archetypes, traditions, domains, etc, you choose for each class.
- If you gain multiple Fighting Styles, even if at the same level, you pick each Fighting Style from its given list. You may not pick the same Fighting Style more than once.
- If both classes gain the Unarmored Defense feature, you choose which one to use. Once you make this choice, it cannot be changed.
- The Extra Attack class feature doesn't stack, and you gain only a single extra attack. A Fighter//Paladin of 5th level has a single extra attack, but a Fighter//Paladin of 11th level still has the third attack because of the Fighter feature.
- Ability Score Increases granted at the same level do not stack. A Fighter//Ranger of 4th level would have a single ASI, but would gain a second one at 6th level because of the Fighter class.
- If both classes have the spellcasting feature, use the following rules:
- Spells Known and Prepared: You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a Ranger//Wizard of 3rd level, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.
If both classes give you Cantrips known, pick all Cantrips from their respective lists.
Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell. Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus.
- Spell Slots: You have a number of spell slots equal to whichever class' gives you the highest number of slots. For the aforementioned Ranger//Wizard, you would have 4 slots for 1st-level spells, and 2 slots for 2nd-level spells, because that's how many slots the Wizard class gives you. Because you don't know any Ranger spell of 2nd-level, you can use those slots only to cast your lower-level spells. If a lower-level spell that you cast, like cure wounds, has an enhanced effect when cast using a higher-level slot, you can use the enhanced effect, even though you don't have any ranger spells of that higher level.
- Pact Magic: If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you must choose which to use. Once you make this choice, it cannot be changed. Regadless of your choice, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, or you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.
As such, a Paladin//Warlock 3 that chose Pact Magic would know 2 cantrips and 4 spells from the Warlock list, and be able to prepare 4 spells of the Paladin list (assuming a Charisma of 16). However, he would only have two slots, which he regains when he finishes a short or long rest.
Similarly, a Paladin//Warlock 3 that chose Spellcasting would know and be able to prepare the same number of spells. However, would only have three 1st-level slots, so he wouldn't be able to cast his 2nd-level warlock spells.
At higher levels, a character that chooses Pact Magic and gains the Mystic Arcanum feature can use this feature to cast any spell of the appropriate level he knows or has prepared, regardless of the class that granted the spell.