DCC Multiclassing

 

So, hearken back to the days of AD&D, when you wanted to be a fighter/magic-user … it was a decision made at the beginning of your character creation, and was unmutable.  Once you decided your plucky hero was a fighter/magic-user, that was your class selection, and you advanced at a slower rate, splitting your XP between classes.

Then came 3rd edition, with the concept of shopping for discrete classes after every point you levelled up – this created all sorts of all sorts of interesting combinations (one of my players created a cleric/ranger that was effectively a Batman-themed archer), but also caused some rule bending with 1-level dipping into classes to build in new abilities, which led to classes not being as front loaded, which led to later rule adjustments through later 3rd to 5th edition rules, spreading out class abilities.

T
he earlier AD&D concept had something to say for it – you picked a combination and lived with it.  No one complained about overpowered combinations, because the combinations were limited, and fairly straight forward.  A fighter/magic-user couldn’t wear armor while casting spells, but could use martial weapons.  In fact, you clearly made a trade-off of power for versatility.  The concept that only demi-humans could multiclass wasn't ideal, and led to a less-human game with the PCs diving for dwarves, elves, half-elves, half-orcs and halflings.

N
ow, DCC is it’s own interesting creation – you can’t choose a class when you first start out at 0-level, so gaining a class at 1st level is a heady achievement that really shouldn’t be diluted.  Let that plucky farmer enjoy his moment in the sun as he becomes a lofty 1st-level warrior.  But what about when you make it to 2nd level?  Capturing the feel of AD&D, maybe this would be a good point to let your players choose to multiclass their characters at this point, and it’s a once-in-a-character-lifetime choice.  It allows interesting varieties such as a Thief/Wizard, or Warrior/Thief, which is a perfect reflection of the Grey Mouser or Fafhrd, or even Conan, so it fits the central premise of being faithful to Appendix N.

A
s an ancillary effect, it lets you but it also offers some versatility to demi-humans, so they aren't railroaded into one class only, and then you can offer options, like becoming a Dwarf/Thief or an Elf/Warrior.  Frankly, giving demi-humans a choice to branch out seems like a good solution to me.

S
o, if allowing this, characters get versatility, but they need to stick with their career-altering choice choices, and advance in both of their newfound classes at half-speed.  So here’s my simplified take on multi-classing, as allowed in my campaign.

E
njoy!

  

Multiclassing

Multiclassing may be chosen when a character advances to 2nd level only, and a second class may be added instead of advancing in the character’s current class (eg. 1st level Wizard/1st level Thief instead of 2nd level Wizard), with experience point requirements to level up are taken from the combined levels of the classes.

W
hen the increased XP goals are met, both classes advance together.   So for example a 0-level Gongfarmer becomes a 1st-level Thief at 10 XP, a 1st-level Thief/Wizard at 50 XP, and then a 2nd level Wizard/2nd  level Thief at 190 XP.  Each character can advance to a combined maximum of 10 levels (so with this example, a 5th-Level Thief/5th-Level Warrior) – and the character gains the following benefits:
 

Ability

Multi-Class Benefits

Hit Points

Combined (one hit die gained for each class, plus STA mod for each)

Weapon Training

Combined

Attack Bonus

Combined

Saving Throws

Highest bonus of either class

Crit Die

Highest table and associated die roll of either class

Action Die

Highest dice of either class

Skills

Highest bonus of either class

Caster Level

Separate for each class

Spells Known

Separate for each class


Thus, a 2nd level Wizard/2nd level Thief with a Stamina of 14 would have 1d3+1 hp (for 0-level) plus 2d4+2 (for the Wizard class) and 2d6+2 (for the Thief class), a +2 Attack bonus from both classes combined, saving throws of Fortitude +1, Reflex +1, and Will +1 (the highest of each class), and would use 1d12 on the II Critical Hit Table, and cast spells as a 2nd level Wizard.

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