Note: I didn't know where this should go, and I don't want to spend 3 hours looking through thousands of forums.
So, I'm new to D&D. I've never played a game and I have very little experience when it comes to creating a character, I don't have a DM to teach me either. The luxuries of living in the middle of no where. But what I do have, is the Players Handbook and a couple of other guides. Using them and a couple of YouTube videos I managed to scrape together a basic Character Sheet for a fighter, which I can hopefully use as reference for later on. For now I just want to get a few questions answered.
1: Skills
If I'm correct, the Soldier background gives you a proficiency bonus in Athletics and Intimidation. And your class, eg. Fighter, will allow you to choose two more skills. Dose that mean you get a total of four skills you can be proficient in?
2: Fighting Style
Why dose the PH say that "You can't take a Fighting Style more then once, even if you get to choose again", when in the "Champion" archetype, allows you to choose a second Fighting Style at level 10?
3: Multi-Classing
Exactly how common is Multi-Classing?. Because I've herd the game gets pretty easy after level 10. And I'm guessing a house rule that forces players to never surpass level 10 in a certain class, by using the Multi-Classing system, might fix the easiness and It would also give a bit more variety to the players.
Yep, your class skills combine with your background skills
It means you can't take the same fighting style multiple times. So as a Champion, if you take fighting style B first, when you get to pick your next fighting style, you can't take B again, you would have to take A, C or D
Can't comment for the commonness of multiclassing, but the game is only as easy as the DM makes it, and you don't need to create homebrew rules capping levels to solve that. Forcing multiclassing beyond level 10 might not be the solution you're looking for, instead use tougher encounters or just simply only run a campaign to level 10
While you are correct their are ways to get more skills, for example if the Fighter with a soldier background is a half elf their race would give them proficiency in an extra two skills of their choice making the total 6.
Multiclassing
I think multi-classing is generally a player choice rather than forced on by the DM. I am aware of some DMs do not allow multi-classing (either at all or for inexperianced players) but I do not know of any DMs who insist on it.
If players know what they are doing multi-class can actually increase the power of a build, though often it is optimal toonly have 2-3 levels in the second class.
I think players choose to multiclass either because they have tried all the mainclasses they want to and want to try something different or they have a character concept whose features are not all available in a single class or because they want to paximise the power of their character and believe it will be more powerful if they dip into a second class.
The issue with forcing a level cap is most apparent with spells. Spellcasters get higher level slots, but they can never access high level spells.
Now maybe this is what you want, because some of those spells can totally win or bypass an otherwise challenging encounter, but players are likely going to be upset that they will never get the abilities that define them as masters of their class. Because bypassing an encounter with a spell makes you feel like a hero.
The other pitfall is that multiclassing can produce an extremely wide variance of effectiveness. You can find synergies but you can also go very, very wrong. It's really not recommended for newer groups.
If you're finding things are too easy, it's not hard to increase the difficulty of encounters. Add harder enemies, add more enemies, add terrain that favors them, add extra conditions to the fight, add alternative goals for the encounter, etc. There is a wealth of knowledge on the internet with different examples on how to do this.
Multi-classing generally weakens the character, especially if you do either more than 1 other multi-class or more than 2-3 levels of the secondary class. Mainly because higher level abilities are better than low level abilities, with a few exceptions (Action Surge, Portents, etc.)
Ok, well. Thank you all for answering my questions, I believe I can take it from hear. But if I ever do have anymore questions, I think I know where to come.
Note: I didn't know where this should go, and I don't want to spend 3 hours looking through thousands of forums.
So, I'm new to D&D. I've never played a game and I have very little experience when it comes to creating a character, I don't have a DM to teach me either. The luxuries of living in the middle of no where. But what I do have, is the Players Handbook and a couple of other guides. Using them and a couple of YouTube videos I managed to scrape together a basic Character Sheet for a fighter, which I can hopefully use as reference for later on. For now I just want to get a few questions answered.
1: Skills
If I'm correct, the Soldier background gives you a proficiency bonus in Athletics and Intimidation. And your class, eg. Fighter, will allow you to choose two more skills. Dose that mean you get a total of four skills you can be proficient in?
2: Fighting Style
Why dose the PH say that "You can't take a Fighting Style more then once, even if you get to choose again", when in the "Champion" archetype, allows you to choose a second Fighting Style at level 10?
3: Multi-Classing
Exactly how common is Multi-Classing?. Because I've herd the game gets pretty easy after level 10. And I'm guessing a house rule that forces players to never surpass level 10 in a certain class, by using the Multi-Classing system, might fix the easiness and It would also give a bit more variety to the players.
1. Yes you're correct. However, as stated before, some races give extra skills (e.g. half elf or variant human)
2. Yes, again you're correct. Champion lists all of them because the PHB doesn't know what Fighting Style you chose. It's a contingency.
3. As for multiclassing, it depends on how your character turned out (as how many poor stats you got) and the fiendishness of your DM. The house rule you mentioned sounds kind of cruel and unusual, because all classes get better as you progress. If you want versatility over power, then multiclass if your DM lets it. Yes, it gives lots of variety (I have a variant/wood elf (don't ask) evocation wizard 4/ fighter 1 who kills mainly at melee)
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Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking
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Note: I didn't know where this should go, and I don't want to spend 3 hours looking through thousands of forums.
So, I'm new to D&D. I've never played a game and I have very little experience when it comes to creating a character, I don't have a DM to teach me either. The luxuries of living in the middle of no where. But what I do have, is the Players Handbook and a couple of other guides. Using them and a couple of YouTube videos I managed to scrape together a basic Character Sheet for a fighter, which I can hopefully use as reference for later on. For now I just want to get a few questions answered.
1: Skills
If I'm correct, the Soldier background gives you a proficiency bonus in Athletics and Intimidation. And your class, eg. Fighter, will allow you to choose two more skills. Dose that mean you get a total of four skills you can be proficient in?
2: Fighting Style
Why dose the PH say that "You can't take a Fighting Style more then once, even if you get to choose again", when in the "Champion" archetype, allows you to choose a second Fighting Style at level 10?
3: Multi-Classing
Exactly how common is Multi-Classing?. Because I've herd the game gets pretty easy after level 10. And I'm guessing a house rule that forces players to never surpass level 10 in a certain class, by using the Multi-Classing system, might fix the easiness and It would also give a bit more variety to the players.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Skills
While you are correct their are ways to get more skills, for example if the Fighter with a soldier background is a half elf their race would give them proficiency in an extra two skills of their choice making the total 6.
Multiclassing
I think multi-classing is generally a player choice rather than forced on by the DM. I am aware of some DMs do not allow multi-classing (either at all or for inexperianced players) but I do not know of any DMs who insist on it.
If players know what they are doing multi-class can actually increase the power of a build, though often it is optimal toonly have 2-3 levels in the second class.
I think players choose to multiclass either because they have tried all the mainclasses they want to and want to try something different or they have a character concept whose features are not all available in a single class or because they want to paximise the power of their character and believe it will be more powerful if they dip into a second class.
The issue with forcing a level cap is most apparent with spells. Spellcasters get higher level slots, but they can never access high level spells.
Now maybe this is what you want, because some of those spells can totally win or bypass an otherwise challenging encounter, but players are likely going to be upset that they will never get the abilities that define them as masters of their class. Because bypassing an encounter with a spell makes you feel like a hero.
The other pitfall is that multiclassing can produce an extremely wide variance of effectiveness. You can find synergies but you can also go very, very wrong. It's really not recommended for newer groups.
If you're finding things are too easy, it's not hard to increase the difficulty of encounters. Add harder enemies, add more enemies, add terrain that favors them, add extra conditions to the fight, add alternative goals for the encounter, etc. There is a wealth of knowledge on the internet with different examples on how to do this.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Multi-classing generally weakens the character, especially if you do either more than 1 other multi-class or more than 2-3 levels of the secondary class. Mainly because higher level abilities are better than low level abilities, with a few exceptions (Action Surge, Portents, etc.)
Ok, well. Thank you all for answering my questions, I believe I can take it from hear. But if I ever do have anymore questions, I think I know where to come.
1. Yes you're correct. However, as stated before, some races give extra skills (e.g. half elf or variant human)
2. Yes, again you're correct. Champion lists all of them because the PHB doesn't know what Fighting Style you chose. It's a contingency.
3. As for multiclassing, it depends on how your character turned out (as how many poor stats you got) and the fiendishness of your DM. The house rule you mentioned sounds kind of cruel and unusual, because all classes get better as you progress. If you want versatility over power, then multiclass if your DM lets it. Yes, it gives lots of variety (I have a variant/wood elf (don't ask) evocation wizard 4/ fighter 1 who kills mainly at melee)
Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking