[Aerich]

A "normal" party generally earns somewhere between 16-18 levels each during the game. The obvious disadvantage to lots of multiclassing is that it cuts down the levels that a character can earn in their "main" class. It's not a big deal if a character's main class is Fighter, but it can have a large effect on spellcasters.

With the exception of #6 (sorc/cleric) in your party, I believe it will do just fine. The problem with a sorc/cleric is that you will end up with a spellcaster that is underpowered, overall. I suspect you want both another offensive caster and another healer, which is why you picked that combination. I would suggest one of two options:

1) Take a cleric of Lathander instead of a sorc/cleric. It's a fire-specialist cleric, and is generally considered to be at least tied for the most "offensive" of the clerics (with a Stormlord of Talos).

2) Take a sorceror instead of a sorc/cleric. If you still want more healing (which I would endorse), take a paladin[2]/cleric[x] instead of a pure-class paladin. Clerics can tank surprisingly well because of their spells.

Edit: forgot to address a question...

Whether or not I take a level of fighter with a wizard class is something that has to be assessed in light of the party as a whole and with regard to other features of the character. That is a long-winded way of saying - if you have plenty of tanks, don't bother, and if the wizard is an ECL-race (e.g. drow), taking a level of fighter to begin with will mean that your character will be weaker (as that one level may be the difference in whether or not you can access another level of spells). A drow or an elf will get bow and longsword proficiency anyways. If you are still set on taking a level of fighter with your wizard or cleric or whatever, you can do it at any time. In fact, it would be better to start off your wizard as a wizard (because it gets one or more "free" spells at creation, and gets more skill points and better skill options; fighters have terrible options when it comes to getting useful skills).

Note that all of the above advice is for a party that is not going to continue on to HoF mode. If going on to HoF mode, mad multiclassing will increase the versatility of very high-level characters.

[ 01-30-2007, 01:49 AM: Message edited by: Aerich ]