Saving throws for Class-and-a-half characters

[CKDad]

Perhaps my search-fu is week, but perhaps this hasn't been asked and answered explicitly before. When a class-and-a-half character has to make a saving throw, what should their level modifier be? The most logical options seem to be either:
- The total of their levels, so a level 5/2 character would get a +7 modifier
- The higher of their two levels, so the 5/2 character would use a +5 modifier

I can see a rationale for either choice. Is there an official answer that I've missed? What have you done in your games?

[KaiserKris]

Perhaps my search-fu is week, but perhaps this hasn't been asked and answered explicitly before. When a class-and-a-half character has to make a saving throw, what should their level modifier be? The most logical options seem to be either:
- The total of their levels, so a level 5/2 character would get a +7 modifier
- The higher of their two levels, so the 5/2 character would use a +5 modifier

I can see a rationale for either choice. Is there an official answer that I've missed? What have you done in your games?

I'd use the higher of their two levels myself. Otherwise, the advantage for being class-and-a-half gets to be pretty huge at higher levels.

[Go0gleplex]

I'd second saying that the Primary Class level should be used for the save modifier.

[Rigon]

I believe the btb answer is the highest of the two levels. So in your example, the character would save as a 5th level character.

R-

[serleran]

If I were to use the rules, I'd do it this way:

Save = highest level (primary class level.)

Class Ability Check = level in relevant class.

Non-Class Ability Check = level irrelevant.

[CKDad]

Thanks folks. FWIW, I looked hard for an explicit BTB rule, but couldn't find a reference anywhere. It doesn't seem to be mentioned under saves, and isn't under the class-and-a-half rules either. It's definitely possible that I missed it, but 15 years of ASL makes one pretty good at parsing rules.

The main rationale I saw for combining the levels for saves (only) is that the character has paid the exp penalty, but after re-reading things last night I'd forgotten that you only pay half the exp for the second class - so following that line of thought, you should only get half the benefit of the second class. That might still be reasonable and I wouldn't quibble with a CK who chose to run things that way, but the points about overpowering at higher levels are persuasive to me.

Class Ability Check = level in relevant class.

Non-Class Ability Check = level irrelevant

That's exactly what I was doing for the ability checks. The only point of confusion in my mind was regarding saves.

Thanks all!

[Rigon]

If I were to use the rules, I'd do it this way:

Save = highest level (primary class level.)

Class Ability Check = level in relevant class.

Non-Class Ability Check = level irrelevant.

Exactly how I would do it and that's how I read it to be.

R-

[finarvyn]

I must be senile, but the concept of a "class and a half" character puzzles me. What is it, and where do you find rules for it?

(It sounds like a person can earn a half-class, but maybe that's too obvious to be correct?)

[Piperdog]

Hey Fin,
the class and a half is an option listed at the back of the latest printing of the PHB. Basically, you pick a primary class, then you pick another class to be a supporting class; in essence, your character gets a few of the special abilities of the other class, but usually not all, and unlike the typical multiclassing, your supporting class remains way behind the primary. This is really cool to me, and has allowed countless variations, including class and a half variants that I have named as new classes unto themselves. Good stuff.

[finarvyn]

Does sound pretty sweet. I guess I'll have to get the newest PH printing ASAP. (Hopefully with my next trip to the game store I can buy PH, CKG, M&T all in olive green hardbacks. If not, I'll be looking at the TLG store....)

[CKDad]

Piperdog nails it. For example, my son was kicking the idea around, and said "I want to play someone like Ezio! (from Assassin's Creed II)". He combined the monk and assassin classes (monk primary, I believe).

The class-and-a-half section is IMHO the single best addition in the 4th printing of the PHB.