Inducements to stay within a single class, even when "splashing out" is cheaper

[PhoenixPhyre]

I'm contemplating and drafting a replacement for multiclassing (which I've always hated for a bunch of reasons) involving 4e/PF2e-style "Emulation Features" (not feats)--chained choices that would occur at 3rd, 8th, 13th, and 18th level. Effectively, you'd have Regular/Greater/Superior/Supreme (yes, stolen from healing potions) features, representing roughly a 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th-level-equivalent feature from the class you're branching out to. And you can't get the higher ranks without the lower ranks. Emulation features are somewhat reduced-power versions of core class features.

Everyone would get those, and they don't conflict with anything else. So at 3rd level, you'd get your regular features from your class and the option to take a Regular Emulation Feature from a different one. At 8th, you could either take a Regular Emulation Feature from a 3rd class OR a Greater Emulation Feature from the class you took your REF from at 3rd. Etc.

But I want to make it a viable option to just keep with your current class and specialize more. So I'd also like to complement that with Specializations (also tiered in the same way)--if you choose not to branch out, you instead get the next Specialization Feature for your class. And you could, in principle, mix and match. So you could do (eg as a Fighter): Regular Specialization / Regular Emulation (Wizard) / Greater Specialization / Greater Emulation (Wizard). Or other combinations. Basically, the specializations are the default option.

My thinking is that you'd get one of:
* more uses of something you already have
* slightly better uses
* an alternate feature "for free", improving it if you already took that option
* a feature out of the "default" subclass, or an improvement on it if that was your subclass
at each step.

So what would y'all like to see for each class at each level bracket:

Regular: 1st-3rd level
Greater: 4-8th level
Superior: 9-13th level
Supreme: 14th-18th level

The goal being that if you want to be outright stronger (or better QoL), you choose the specializations, but if you want to be broader you choose the Emulations. Remember that this replaces multiclassing entirely, so your only non-base access to things like fighting styles, extra attack, etc comes via the Emulation features.

As a (very WIP) example:

Ranger
Regular: Gain Favored Foe (if you don’t have it). If you do, increase die size by one at each step (base 1d6 -> 1d8 -> 1d10)
Greater: Gain a choice from Hunter’s Prey, even if you already have that feature (but must choose a different option).
Superior: Favored Foe no longer requires concentration.
Supreme: Gain a choice from Superior Hunter’s Defense, even if you already have that feature (but must choose a different option).

compared to the Emulation (Ranger):
Regular: Favored Foe (1d4)
Greater: Fighting Style, Hunter’s Prey (1 choice)
Superior: Defensive Tactics (1 choice)
Supreme: Nature’s Veil

[Breccia]

This feels like it will need a hefty rewrite to some classes.

I'm blanking at what a Fighter would Emulate from a Wizard.

1) If "spellcasting" is a feature, letting a 3rd-level Fighter also be a 3rd-level Wizard, this system is too strong.

2) If "spellcasting" is not Emulated at all, then many classes suffer for it. Wizard Emulating Fighter would be far stronger than Fighter Emulating Wizard, who's left with Ritual Casting and maybe some subclass features.

3) Or, you have to redesign how spellcasting works with Emulation/Specialization, suggesting spell slots/spell levels/spells known will jump every few levels rather than increase smoothly.

Basically, this looks like a much larger job than you might have thought at first. It's an interesting idea, but not something you'll get working in a single afternoon. Good luck.

[PhoenixPhyre]

This feels like it will need a hefty rewrite to some classes.

I'm blanking at what a Fighter would Emulate from a Wizard.

1) If "spellcasting" is a feature, letting a 3rd-level Fighter also be a 3rd-level Wizard, this system is too strong.

2) If "spellcasting" is not Emulated at all, then many classes suffer for it. Wizard Emulating Fighter would be far stronger than Fighter Emulating Wizard, who's left with Ritual Casting and maybe some subclass features.

3) Or, you have to redesign how spellcasting works with Emulation/Specialization, suggesting spell slots/spell levels/spells known will jump every few levels rather than increase smoothly.

Basically, this looks like a much larger job than you might have thought at first. It's an interesting idea, but not something you'll get working in a single afternoon. Good luck.

The way I have it is that "Spellcasting Emulation" is slightly different for each Emulated class. And is basically like #3--you get a bump when you take a new rank of the Emulation. That way Wizard Emulation (which really has nothing but Spellcasting) gets the following, with the proviso that you only get spell slots IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE THEM. So if you're an EK, you get extra spells but you don't get any more spell slots. "Caster Level" is purely for learning/preparing new spells or casting from scrolls, cantrips use your character level as normal.

Regular: Spellcasting
Greater: Spellcasting
Superior: Spellcasting
Supreme: Spellcasting

Rank	Cantrips	Min Spells in Book	Slots	Caster Level
Regular	3	3	2 1sts	1
Greater	3	6	4/3	4
Superior	4	9	4/3/3/1	7
Supreme	4	12	4/3/3/2/1	10

Basically, you're a "slightly-more-than-half" caster if you pick up the Emulation each time you can. Comparatively, Cleric Emulation (which gives some other features as well) looks like (with caster level also governing spell prep)

Regular: Domain feature (1st level, no proficiencies), Spellcasting
Greater: Channel Divinity (1x/rest, from domain), Spellcasting
Superior: 6th level domain feature, Spellcasting
Supreme: Divine Intervention (as 10th level cleric), Spellcasting

Rank	Cantrips	Slots	Caster Level
Regular	1	1 1st	1
Greater	1	2/1	4
Superior	2	3/2/1/1	7
Supreme	2	4/3/2/1/1	10

So you get the spell level progression of a half-caster cleric, but fewer slots (if you don't have native slots) and fewer cantrips.

And druid (which also gives regular wildshape, except at 18th level) is something similar.

Edit: so a 3rd level, non EK Fighter with Wizard Emulation (Regular) would have

* 2 1st level slots
* Spell book
* Ritual casting (wizard)
* Count as a 1st level wizard for learning/scribing/preparing spells, but cantrips progress normally
* would know 3 wizard cantrips.
* Have 3 wizard spells scribed into his book by default.

If he didn't take another Wizard Emulation rank, he'd not progress that at all. If he did, he'd gain (net)
* 1 second level slot
* Counting now as a 4th level wizard
* Get 3 additional spells scribed for free (1st or 2nd level).

If he was an EK, he'd not get the spell slots but would get the other pieces just the same.

[Breccia]

The way I have it is that "Spellcasting Emulation" is slightly different for each Emulated class.

Okay, that's probably the most sane way to do it.

[GnomeWorks]

Multiclassing is an optional rule in 5e.

I haven't allowed it the entirety of the time I've been running the system. Game still works just fine.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Multiclassing is an optional rule in 5e.

I haven't allowed it the entirety of the time I've been running the system. Game still works just fine.

Sure. But I like some of the things it enables. But not the way it enables it.

[olskool]

Multiclassing is an optional rule in 5e.

I haven't allowed it the entirety of the time I've been running the system. Game still works just fine.

I hate multiclassing too, but I went old school with it (just like I always do). You can choose a second Class to practice at the start BUT you split your EXP between the two Classes and have to have 1 point higher than the required ATTRIBUTE for BOTH Classes. I allow Humans to TRIPLE Class as long as all the Classes' Attributes are all one higher than required and EXP then gets split between THREE progressions. Thus, multi-classed characters will be lower in level than their more focused single Class companions.