Multi-Classing Revisited
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         Advanced Dungeons and Dragons has a strange system for handling characters who fit into more than just one class.
The following dialog from Bill Truglio's article Real Fantasy, describes the problem clearly:

Counselor-	"Well, I see you are here for continued education."
Student-	"That's right. I already have a degree in Engineering, and currently work at 'Good Stuff Manufacturing' in the design department. I'd like to get my degree in Business Management so I can qualify for a promotion."
Counselor-	"All right then. Just sign here and we'll get you enrolled."
Student-	After reading over the document before signing, he asks."What's this line about 'Not using any of my previous experience?'..."
Counselor-	"Oh that . . . You are human, Aren't you?"
Student-	"Yeah . . . of course, but . . . "
Counselor-	"Well, you can't apply those years of college and experience to your new career."
Student-	"Uhh . . . Why not?"
Counselor-	"Well . . . It's just impossible for humans to learn something new and still use their current skills. Oh, and you'll have to quit your job. While you're learning, you can't practice those other skills either."

         Now, there is a way around this problem. Humans, and halflings (only), can multiclass (in a generic world, the possibilities are the same as that of half-elves; the other classes are too unique to be combined). They can multiclass because they don't live too long. Other races may pick up a secondary class (a form of dual class). This isn't your standard dual class; there's a twist.
         Secondary classing is like "picking up" a new class group. The new group must be new; there can be no class of this group in which the character already has skill. There are two types (degrees) of dual classing; you can minimalize either your current class or your new class. Minimalization means that the class in question is generalized; the player picks up a weaker "part time" class or leaves most of his old class behind. If an elven fighter wants to pick up some wizard traits, then s/he remains a fighter, but picks up some wizard traits; instead of becoming a wizard, s/he simply leans a few spells of a specific school.
         When a character picks up a new class, no matter how, the character still earns experience for his old class (since that is what the character knows best). Experience in the new class is rewarded only for actions that would fit the attitude of the new class and utilize the abilities of that class, as the Dungeon Master sees fit. Upon passing the character's original class's level in the new class by two levels, all experience (unrelated to class bonuses) is split two to one. A third of all experience gained goes to the secondary class and the primary class gets the rest, then class-specific experience (for thief skills, spells cast, etc.) is received.
         If a character's secondary class is seventh level or higher and two levels higher than the first, the character may opt to become a true multiclassed character with both classes totalling an amount of experience equal to twice the required amount of the character's current primary level (a fighter/wizard primarily a fighter at level 5/7 can become a multiclassed fighter/wizard with 32,000 experience [twice the experience needed for a 5th level fighter, 16,000 x 2], therefore at level 5/4 [look it up]).
         If a character's secondary class is seventh level or higher and two levels higher than the primary class, the character may opt to swap primary and secondary classes. All experience remains the same, but the way in which new experience is awarded changes.
         Dungeon Masters should not allow terciary classes. If a Dungeon Master should choose to use terciary classes, the original secondary class should be treated like a human's original class as the character progresses away from it to a new secondary class. No further experience should be awarded to the original secondary class, and the use of its abilities while not more experienced in the new secondary class should void all experience in an encounter by the standard rules of dual classing presented in the Player's Handbook.

• Warrior Secondary Class: The following abilities are available to characters who do some part time warrior work: Warrior THAC0 (per secondary class level), can specialize in ONE weapon, warrior proficiency progression instead of other class's progression, and extra warrior melee attacks. Spending three slots on the tracking nonweapon proficiency will grant a character with secondary warrior class the ranger's tracking abilities. New weapons and items can be learned and used as described for multiclassed characters in the Players Handbook.
  
  
• Wizard Secondary Class: Being a part time wizard will allow a character to learn wizard spells at the same rate of a wizard, treating the character's intelligence as one point lower for all spellcasting-related purposes. A secondary wizard may never have more than four spells per spell level beyond first in his/her spellbook. These wizards must declare a specialty school/sect as divided by the campaign world and may learn spells from that area and lesser divination only. Secondary wizards over third level use the wizardly saving throws instead of the table of their primary class.
  
  
• Priest Secondary Class: Secondary priests are not highly reguarded among other priests. Part time priests recieve a -1 reaction modifier and -1 charisma for dealings with other priests. These characters have been assigned a sphere of spells from their diety; this and the All sphere (on Dark Sun include the sphere of Cosmos) are the only spheres from which the priest may cast priestly spells. Preparatory time (memorizing/praying) is doubled, and these priests may cast a maximum of three priestly spells per spell level. No bonus spells are rewarded for exceptional wisdom. Wisdom is treated one point lower for all priestly and spellcasting-related purposes. Priestly spell progression is otherwise as standard priests. Secondary priests over third level use the priestly saving throw table instead of the table of their primary class. Part time priests are limited to the weapons allowed by their order (see the multiclass section of the Players Handbook).
  
  
• Rogue Secondary Class: Part time rogues are not bards or any other strange rogue; they are theives. Secondary thieves are the same as standard thieves except that rogue skills all start at 0% (except climb walls, which doesn't exist for secondary thieves; they must get the lesser skill of mountaneering, a proficiency). The modifier for backstabbing is one less than for standard thieves (nothing for the first four levels, times two for the next four, then times three, then times four for 13th level and beyond), and theives' cant requires a proficiency slot to be spent in modern languages. As with all other part time classes, secondary thieves do not gain followers and cannot build strongholds. Dexterity is one point lower for calculating theif abilities. As with the other part time classes, weapons available to thieves are available to part time thieves so long as their primary class permits (see the multiclass section of the Players Handbook).
  
  
• Psionicists are not available as part time classes because psionics is something a character is born with and can't pick up. If a character has wild talents, and even enough wild psionics to have been a true psionicist, those powers have been lost to the extent at which the character cannot become a psionicist. Dungeon Masters can choose to use this same excuse to eliminate wizards as a secondary class, although wizardly spells are often seen as something taught, not born with.

© 1999 Khopesh, L+d. Khopesh (khopesh@mindless.com)

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