New Classes and Multiclasses

[jamesmishler]

As this question came up in another thread, I figured I should post this in a place where it could be readily found by title...

Classes mentioned in Tell Qa (and later, elsewhere) will be released as time and space permit. I determined that there wasn't enough demand for a "class book," so I'll be fitting new classes in products as I can.

The Mycretian class, complete with new Gifts, will be included in "XXXI," as well as in the retail version of Tell Qa (which will be 56 pages, and expanded).

Other classes, such as mentalist, courtesan, necromancer, and what have you, will be included in later products. Until then, the judge should use a class similar, with the NPC perhaps having some special abilities. For example, a mentalist would simply be a wizard focusing on mental control and mind reading, a necromancer a wizard focused on necromancy, a courtesan a rogue or assassin with special seduction abilities and a few cantrips, etc.

Once the full class has been revealed in a product, it is then up to the judge whether to allow it as a PC class or not...

As for multi-classed NPCs, multi-classing works however the judge uses it for his campaign.

IMC, multi-classing is extremely difficult. If started at 1st level it is easiest. Multi-class characters add together the EP needed for both classes to advance to the next level, -1 for dual-class, -2 for triple-class. For example, a fighter/wizard needs 4,601 EP to get to 2nd level. A single-class character can dual-class later in his career, but it is expensive; for example, if a 3rd level wizard wants to become a wizard/fighter, he starts out as a wizard 4/fighter 1, but the EP chart for him is the same as for a wizard/fighter 4, i.e., he has to earn the same EP to go to wizard 5/fighter 2 as the as a wizard/fighter 4 has to earn to go to wizard/fighter 5. This reflects the difficulty of picking up a new profession later in life... And usually, I'd require training and expenditure of lots of gold or apprenticeship for months in-game (many, many months, to learn magic).

Hit dice are averaged, and rolled once at the new level. A fighter/wizard has a d7 for hit dice (with Zocchi dice, anything is possible these days).

Best BtH is used, yes, even for the multi-class fighter.

Primes for all classes must be taken as primes; this means, interestingly enough, that only humans should be triple-classed, a reversal from classic systems. However, I let half-elves be triple-classed, using their special bonus attribute as the third prime, or "sub-prime."

When using abilities of one class, all special class rules must be obeyed, though elves and half-elves can wear armor up to and including chain and still cast spells if multi-classed as a wizard.

That's the way I run multi-classing. It's a hard path, usually not for humans as it takes a long, long time to rise decently in levels... and triple-classed characters are very, very rare...
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James Mishler

Main Man, Adventure Games Publishing
jamesagp1@gmail.com
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http://jamesmishler.blogspot.com

[moriarty777]

Hey James, I have to say that how you run Dual Class has finally given me a couple of ideas how to set up mine. I was unsatisfied with how the original AD&D game had this set up but it seemed the best alternative. The way you have yours set up might be a good way to go... (or at least a partial way to go).

Thanks!

Moriarty the Red
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