More than 2 classes?

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I'd like to know what you think about giving more than two classes to a character.

Humans and Half Elves can have several different classes without many limitations in the choice.
I believe that it can be interesting to have two lower levels classes and one main class which will go up to the higher levels.

For instance, I have two characters I really like in my party:

-a Paladin lvl2 / Monk lvl2 / then Cleric lvl+(Ilmater)
He gained weapon proficiencies and some nice perks with his levels as paladin and monk (AC bonus and save bonus!)

-a Monk lvl2 / Ranger lvl2 / then Druid lvl+
With no armour and the benefit from ambidexterity!

These two combinations make sense from a RP point of view (I really like the Ilmater Paladin/Monk/Cleric; but found it more difficult to justify the Monk level -ancient order- with the druid/ranger type) and stresses the advantages of the character (combining the bonuses of some classes into really neat perks)

What do you think of these combinations?
Are they a waste of levels?
Can you think of any other (better? ) possibilities?

 

I think your combos are quite good and not too powergamish. Powergaming usually means a high-wis Monk 1/... or high-cha Paladin 1/... or more subtle the Fighter 4/...

 

I'm just curious, why 2 levels of Ranger? I can't seen any benefit in taking 2 levels of Ranger. Other than that, it sounds like a killer combo. Also, with you lower levels being as close as they are, you could actually use a race whose favorite class is cleric (like a female Drow) instead of using a Human/Half-Elf. I might have to try this out for myself, it's most intriguing. I'm just curious, what are the stats for them?

 

A ranger gets the ambidexterity feat for free when wearing no armor.

 

Yeah, but why TWO levels of ranger?

 

No apparent reason other than RP, indeed. +1 to BAB and a bit more HP, doesnt justify it from a power view.

@Maertyn
btw, ambidexterity and two weapon fighting feats with no/light armor (up to studded leather&hide)


Monk and paladin multiclassing so freely. The point of paladin&monk multiclass restriction is the class itself. Monks are simply to focused into their own branch of martial arts and paladins get power from faith, not skills. So, if you're RPing a character with both classes and a third in which you advance further, it must be a really paranoid character to hop around so much.

 

Paladin levels aren't useful in this one. The main reason one ever takes one level in monk is the WIS bonus to AC. You need a high WIS score. Also, monk AC bonus and Evasion preclude armour, which means you'd better have a high DEX score as well. If you're human or half-elven, you have 76 points to spend. Taking DEX 18 and WIS 18 leaves you 10 points for each other stat. You would need at least CHA 14 for Divine Grace (CHA bonus added to saves) to pay off. But you don't really want your CON or STR to go below 10. Damage penalty, HP penalty? No, thanks. Plus, monk has some of the bonuses that paladin has. In fact, almost all of them. The ability to use the Holy Avenger sword won't benefit you much, as your STR bonus will be about 0 and your DEX bonus will be at least +4.
Small blades are the way.

Don't forget Evasion, hehe.

Well, as monks in D&D are martial arts specialists and not cloistered scribes, a combo with ranger is quite viable and druid connects with ranger easily.

Classes other than human or half-elf also have many interesting multiclassing options. The fact that their favoured class is not the one in which their level is highest can be used to your advantage. For instance, a tiefling can make a fighter(14)/wizard(14)/rogue(2), an aasimar can make fighter(13)/wizard(14)/paladin(3), and so on. When your highest level class is your favoured class, you won't avoid XP penalty in such combinations. And when your favoured class is also your highest level class, the problem doesn't exist. Therefore, a tiefling can make a ranger(3)/fighter(4)/barbarian(3)/rogue(20) as well as a human or half elf could.

[ August 14, 2004, 15:02: Message edited by: chevalier ]

 

Thanks for the feedback

Actually I took two levels of ranger because I didn't like the character having only one level, sounds a bit odd to have just one level (except if you begin as a wizard who then realizes that he is after all more gifted as a fighter and ends up being a fighter who reads scrolls and can identify anything)

I could have made the cleric a Battleguard of Tempus for the weapon specialisation in axes (a really preposterous idea since I already planned on giving this character "finesse"), yet I really think that keeping all three classes under the tutelage of Imater made sense (Monk of the Broken ones then Painbearer of Ilmater).

Here are the stats I used:

-Paladin of Ilmater (human):

STR 8 DEX 18 CON 6 INT 8 WIS 18 CHA 18

-Monk of the Old Order (half-elf):

STR 14 DEX 18 CON 8 INT 8 WIS 18 CHA 10

Please bear in mind that these characters are no tanks (I have a drow wizard/barbarian and a tiefling rogue/fighter for that)

I really like these characters for their abilities and high AC (without any armour)
Besides the paladin has the highest saving throws I ever saw.
The paladin gets some nice immunities and some bonuses to the saves while the Monk class grants some bonuses to the AC an some physical perks (deflect arrows, evasion)

I get away with the combination between monk and paladin by seeing the first class as a sort of mystical warrior dedicated to the perfection of both mind and body. Since the paladin is a rather spiritual warrior, I believe it makes sense -in a way- this character decided to devote his life to the welfare of others (Ilmater) through different means: first as a holy warrior (a crusader-like paladin), then as a seeker of truth (hermit or pilgrim -Monk) before eventually becoming part of the established clergy.

Besides the Monk and the Paladin somehow share the same ethos they're the only classes that would refuse a reward for their quests.

I still think that humans and half elves are the best if you want to go beyond two classes and remain flexible.
If you consider the Monk/Ranger/Druid I could still give her up to three levels in any class (except barbarian ) without any penalty (would be penalized for a fourth level in let's say fighter)... if you want to multiclass other races you have to plan things even more carefully.

Now that you mention it, I could have made a drow out of her, I just can't see how I would justify this character being a drow -Drizz't is a ranger but he is an exception, is he not? and I like the combination Druid/Ranger, besides how could a drow worship Ilmater, Lathander or Selune? Selune would match well the Old Order Monk, but what about the ranger class? It sounds a bit farfetched to me...

A Barbarian/Ranger/Druid would be nice too. At level 15 Druid gets immunity to fatigue so this character would no longer be fatigued after using his Rage ability. Being a ranger type he would be restricted in the armours he could use though...
I need to think about this one (I like the idea of these three classes combined)

 

If these characters are fun, I wish you well on your journey. Don't need no power character if you enjoy it. And from your post above I can see that you have quite the knowlegde of the game's mechanics and care about role-playing. Cheers!

 

I'm a little curious. I've read that if a Monk or Paladin train in classes outside of Monk/Paladin and the class they are suited to multiclass with that they are supposed to lose their bounses. However, it doesn't seem to be the case with what you have described here. In the example of Monk 2/ Paladin 2/ Cleric X, I know that there is a Monk/Cleric ability and a Paladin/Cleric ability, but it doesn't say anything about a Monk/Paladin ability. So, do you in fact lose any special abilities by doing Monk 2/Paladin 2/Cleric X or is the manual wrong?

**Edited**
Nevermind, I found another post that answered my question. It actually limits the ability to level up as a Paladin or Monk once you switch classes. So how did you progress your characters? 2 levels of Paladin, 2 levels of Monk and then finish off with Cleric?

[ August 16, 2004, 16:06: Message edited by: Vassago ]

 

@Vassago: exactly, the high WIS combines for the Monk and the Cleric and Paladin level 2 gives some nice advantages (protecting the party from fear for instance...)

Paladin is a great class to begin a game with, then you can change a character into a Sorceror, a level spent on the Paladin class won't hurt this character a bit (high CHA works for both) and it grants a lot of proficiencies that make a Sorceror much more versatile.

[Edited: of course the Paladin 2/Monk 2/ Cleric X would still be able to gain levels as a Monk so you could imagine Paladin 2/ Cleric 1 to 3/ Monk X... I wanted a Cleric with the Paladin's and Monk's special abilities, not a Monk with a few healing spells -already have lay on hands ]