Skip to content

Dual classing enhancement - not a request

Seeing a few threads recently on dual classing, I thought I would spin up my feature requests that I don't think can be implemented within the current game engine, unless paying down the technical debt that Trent said has been occupying the team of late has had a signifiant refactoring of the engine. Still, in the idea world, I would like...

1) Per PnP, there were very few restrictions on dual-classing. I want to dual-class any primary class into any other - although would be happy to accept no dualing from a fighter into another clear warrior class, such as Paladin to Ranger. Monk to Sorcerer should be well within scope though ;~)

2) Given the limitation that we can only dual along the lines of a valid multi-class, I want to dual-again! There should be twelve valid routes to triple-classing (if you happen to have the magic stats):

fighter -> cleric -> mage
fighter -> mage -> cleric
fighter -> mage -> thief
fighter -> thief -> mage
cleric -> fighter -> mage
cleric -> mage -> fighter
mage -> fighter -> thief
mage -> fighter -> cleric
mage -> cleric -> fighter
mage -> thief -> fighter
thief -> fighter -> mage
thief -> mage -> fighter

The PnP rules said you could "dual-class" as many times as you liked, as long as you satisfied the 17-stats requirements for additional classes. Indeed, in classic 1st Edition AD&D, the Bard was a (very different) class that was available /only/ as a third class - the original prestige class!

I am probably more interested in (2) than (1), but suspect the file format of the game engine means that neither would be possible without totally rewriting the character code and data structures.

(I do remember using paladin->ranger silliness in the classic Gold Box games)
FinneousPJGoturallunarJuliusBorisov

Comments

  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Yes, I need this so bad. Fighter -> Bard would be the only build I need
    GoturalJuliusBorisovFlashburn
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
    Oh sweet merciful Buddha, the char.op shenanigans you can pull with PnP duals are ridiculous.

    Fighter 9 -> Thief 11 -> Mage 30. 11 THAC0, 9D10+1D6 hitdice, Backstab x4, 290 skill points, snares at the optimum no save poison per round version and two grand masteries, and recover your classes at 1.2e6 exp.

    Fighter 8 -> Druid 12 -> Mage 30. This dual can be completed below the SoD cap, final unlock at 1.4e6 Exp, giving Grandmaster Scimitar and level 6 druid spells. 4.5 APR Belm madness, Insect Plague and Chaotic Commands all for the cost of a single mage level.

    And just for fun, replace Mage with Sorcerer, you have Druid casting to supplement sorcerer versatility, removing the class's only major drawback.

    Necromancer 8 -> Fighter 9 -> Cleric 39. Eat your heart out Anomen, this Cleric gets GM in multiple weapons, the Robe of Vecna, the Staff of the Magi, and drops Stoneskins, Greater Malaison and Doom/Chant on a Lesser Sequencer before hitting with a Finger of Death as a save or die at -11... And regains their levels at 800k Exp.

    Wild Mage 5 -> Thief 6 -> Monk 39. Nahals any mage spell with 5 NRDs and three Chaos Shields per day, pour all your thief points into Open Locks and Detect Illusions, then use Monk skill points to max out detect traps and then stealth, and complete your dual in BG1 before 100k Exp and still hit level 8 monk. Basically a full progression Monk sacrificing one level at the ToB cap for Scroll and wand use, Robes, NRD'd Shapechange and Stoneskins, and the ability to actually handle thief duties (and an easy 100% MR for tanking any surges). And if Monk counts as a Priest instead of a Fighter to make that dual combination illegal then go Fighter 7 instaed, to give them an extra 1/2 APR with their fists.

    Even if you open up multiclasses as well, your average Monk/X is going to barely squeeze into +4 fists at 8e6 level 25, Druid/X will take until 6e6 Exp before they finally mature into 6 level 7 spells per day, and even a functional kitted Stalker/Sorcerer is going to have a hard time competing with a FMT dual which gets Grand Mastery, actual thief skills and level 9 spells around the time the S/S is getting their second 1/2 APR.
    gorgonzolaFlashburn
Sign In or Register to comment.