[4e] Ritual Caster Feature & Multiclass feats

[falconflicker]

I've been wondering, what do you think should happen if you have the ritual caster feature (such as a Cleric), and take a multiclass feat that grants a ritual caster class feature (such as Divine Secretkeeper).

I'd think that you'd get two ritual casting features, which you could use to buy both Ritual Casting and Alchemy, and until recently, the character builder agreed with me, though as of the April update, it doesn't.

[Kurald Galain]

The CB is wrong - you should be able to trade one of the RCs for Alchemy.

That said, I would suggest picking a different multiclass feat: the alchemist feat is exceedingly useless.

[falconflicker]

My friend's Half-Elf Cleric wishes to multiclass Invoker in order to use staves with her Dilletante power, the Divine Channeler multiclass doesn't grant impliments, and she thinks that additional at-wills used as encounters is useless.

[BlckDv]

Away from my computer with Char Builder right now so can't test this, but I *think* I recall that you can still swap out your starting Ritual Caster for Alchemy, it just doesn't let you trade out the one your get from the MC feat. That said; if you have not traded the starting one out for Alchemy BEFORE you take the MC feat, the program logic might be over-writing the same line and not realizing you have char. creation and feat granted RC.

[Aron Times]

Alchemist is a trap. This is coming from a CharOp afficionado who tried to make it work. Most of the damage dealt by player characters comes from static modifiers from class features, weapons, implements, feats, and the like. Alchemical items don't get static modifiers to damage. Although they deal similar amounts of damage dice to powers, the lack of static modifiers to damage really limits their potential.

[Thajocoth]

Just retrain your first ritual caster to alchemist in the builder. Done.

[Kurald Galain]

she thinks that additional at-wills used as encounters is useless.

...um, yeah.

Compare this: several multiclass feats give you the best at-will power of that class (your pick) to use for free, at need. Note that starting from high heroics, the average encounter isn't long enough to use most at-wills more than once.

And then the alchemy feat. Essentially, those items are simply other powers, that you can use at-will, only you have to pay for them. Pay a substantial amount of money, I might add, and if you haven't invested heavily in them, you won't be using each individual one more than once per encounter. That's right, the alchemist feat essentially gives you additional at-wills per encounter. The difference? (1) you have to pay for them, and (2) they are decidedly weaker than normal character powers.

[falconflicker]

I'm the Half-Elf Cleric (borrowing Falconflicker's account here). I want Divine Secret Keeper as it's the multiclass Invoker feat that gives me a useful skill training and the implements. The ritual casting/alchemy is mostly just extra and if I get alchemy, I want it for things like anti-venom and other out of combat stuff anyway. The multi-class is mostly for story fluff reasons and partly to open up more feats/paragon paths later.

Further, our party has a low damage output so we tend to use our at-wills several times a combat encounter (we just leveled up to lvl. 6).

...um, yeah.

Compare this: several multiclass feats give you the best at-will power of that class (your pick) to use for free, at need. Note that starting from high heroics, the average encounter isn't long enough to use most at-wills more than once.

And then the alchemy feat. Essentially, those items are simply other powers, that you can use at-will, only you have to pay for them. Pay a substantial amount of money, I might add, and if you haven't invested heavily in them, you won't be using each individual one more than once per encounter. That's right, the alchemist feat essentially gives you additional at-wills per encounter. The difference? (1) you have to pay for them, and (2) they are decidedly weaker than normal character powers.