Multiclassing

[Lifetime]

Just a question to the 3E-adapted folks here..
If I multiclass my lvl 10 human fighter to a lvl 1 druid for example, what penalties does he get? I think I understand the favoured class bit, so experience penalties shouldnt apply, but does he lose his attack rolls, hitpoint bonuses and feats and all that stuff?
Can someone tell me exactly what the effect on your character is when you multiclass?
I take it to be something akin to dual-classing in 2E, where your abilites are suspended for a short time.. but I dont think thats it.
Could it really be too good to be true that you can add a level and gain the bonuses of both without any significant disadvantage?

[Kygon-Jo]

I had reservations aboutmulti-classing late in the game. It was not big but Idid do it.
My Ranger had the feat Two-Hand Fighting. I could not get the skill Ambidexterity. I multi-classed him to fighter and was able obtain this feat. As I Progressed I gave the ranger 2 more levels of fighter. The only thing that I noticed was I got more and different feats depending on whether I leveled up as a fighter or a Ranger. IE: I got an extra feat as a fighter and was able to get ambdexterity and another. When I leveled up as a ranger I could get Animal empathy. He is an excellent tank.

I see no penalties when I look at my AC and To hit numbers.

[Nightowl2]

For a pure human, there are no multiclass penalties if you have two classes and they are far apart.

Under 3rd ed. rules, bonuses for each class add in. So the saving throw bonuses you get as a fighter would combine with those of your other class (if any). This also applies to the "to-hit" bonus.

Nightowl2

[Magness]

3rd ed multiclassing is nothing like 2nd ed multiclassing or dual-classing.

If your 10th level fighter wants to take a level of druid, go for it. It does not disable your fighters 10 levels of fighter. Think of it has having 10 years of experience with a skill and then you take a class at a local university in "druid". Did you instantly forget, even temporarily, those 10 years of the other skill? No.

There are some exceptions to this rather open multiclassing. Monks and Paladins are allowed to take levels in other classes. But they are only allowed to take additional Paladin or Monk levels if the other class is in the allowed class. (poorly explained)

Example. A paladin of helm cam multiclass in fighter levels and continue to take paladin levels without penalty. However, if that paladin of helm wants to take a level of sorceror, he can never again take any levels of paladin.

This limitation varies by the paladin or monk "order" you initially select.

Also note that certain classes (and their subclasses) must take certain alignments at creation. Later on, if you are thinking about multiclassing, you will only be able to select classes that are allowed to select your existing alginment.

For example, Say that you started as a CG ranger. Later on you wanted to add in a level of monk. It would not be allowed because monks can only be of lawful alignments (LG, LN, or LE).

All in all, the IWD2 3rd ed multiclassing rules are very flexible. There are some very potent multiclassing combos, often when the stats are complementary.

Try to plan ahead. Don't create a rogue woth a low CHA then multiclass to a class that uses CHA based magic, such as a Bard or Sorceror.