Pure class or mongrel ?

[wellard]

It seems to me that after about level 20 or so there is very little point in remaining a pure class character. Is this so? You learn very few useful if any new skills or spells compared to adding a new crossbreed to your character.

discuss [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[pritchke]

That's pretty much the way I feel as well and am usually satisfied with my 20/20s. Always wondered if there was any point of staying pure after level 20.

[Legolas]

There is a point to it, certainly. You gain more feats by advancing in your epic classes (except with fighter and rogue and wizard). You also gain access to class-restricted epic feats, such as the Rage types for barbarians, or Epic Spells for wizards, sorcerers, clerics and the like. Additional shapes are a must for druid and shifter classes. Arcane Archers continue to improve their ranged attack bonus, dwarven defenders hone thier resistances, and rogues continue to perfect their sneak attack skills. Depending on your build (and the module you play), it can be very worthwile.

On the other hand, it is true your attacks per round don't increase much, your attack bonus and AC pretty much stall, your spell DCs don't improve and you don't get new spell slots either. A level 25 and 35 character are much closer together power-wise than a level 2 and 6 are.

It really depends on whay you want/are playing. Quite often, you'll see people putting 5 or 10 more levels into their current class and spending the other 15 or 10 on a new. Being able to use magic suddenly, or different magic, or certain skills, or whatnot, can all be considerations here. The point is there are definately situations where multiclassing is the only good idea. But the opposite is certainly true as well.

[robertthebard]

I agree, but there are some classes that should remain pure, monks, and in my opinion, most spell casting classes, if you are building for spell capabilities, and not to fulfill a requirement for another class. *Arcane Archers for example, or Pale Masters* Monk ac bonus, continues to improve with epic lvls, and points allotted in Wisdom. This can make them formidable opponents late in their *careers*. Epic spells also come to mind, for pure class mages/clerics, the Spell craft ability also helps more than just the ability to cast epic spells, contributing to saving throws vs spells, and, IIRC, you gain a point bonus to saves for every five points in spell craft, IIRC. There are valid arguments for dual classing any class, and I'll be the first to admit that I mainly play dual classed/multi classed chars. I am, however stuck on the convention that monks should remain true to their profession, to keep the bonuses coming.
For rogues, their is epic dodge, and while no, you do not have to be pure classed as a rogue to get the feat, it is easier that way.

[T-D-C]

Actually your spell Dc's do raise. Arn't they based on a formula that goes off your casting class ? Therefore a wizard 30 verses a wizard 20/fighter 10 will have higher spell DC's becauyse they have the higher caster class.

[Legolas]

Spell DC = 10 + Spell Level + Casting Attribute Modifier + Feat bonus.

The wizard will do better only because he may have more specialist feats and greater intelligence.

[Stratos]

IIRC, it's your ability to punch through spell resistance that raises with caster levels.

[T-D-C]

Ahhh thats right. I was thinking of the spell resistance.