Dual Class Characters In AD&D

You can play a human PC with more than one class.
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[@CaptCook999]

I didn't play too many humans. Mostly I played dwarves because they make pretty good thieves which I like to play. One of my Human characters was Lucan the Wolf Boy who started as a fighter and became an assassin. With noone to train him as an assassin (we were on an island) I used a Drow library we had access to for study and was limited to Drow tactics which included using poisons. It was an interesting time in our D&D campaign.

[@glenncox9128]

A very, very common misconception about armour use with spellcasters is the reasoning WHY there is any prohibition. For DRUIDS (Rangers, Bards) casting DRUID spells, the prohibition is because of the METAL (I specify ferrous or cuprous based - iron, copper - this is why I specify that Elfin chain is a mithral-silver alloy). - PHB pg 21 The reason MAGIC-USERS & ILLUSIONISTS are prohibited from using ARCANE spells is specifically because of a lack of MARTIAL TRAINING. - PHB pg 21.

[@MarkCMG]

Thanks for the video! Rarely used Dual Class for characters but it was fun when a whole group would do it so it felt more evened out.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

I often played dual class characters, we almost always made people play fighters as their first character. Magic User would be a great dual class with that for the exceptional hit points to keep you alive through low levels.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

Keep in mind only a multi class character can cast spells in armor or hold a sword and cast spells no matter how many levels Magic User you have above your fighter levels. Multi class characters don't have those limitations!

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

No, of course not. A split class Fighter and then Magic User is loads more powerful than any single class character.@jamesdeer3129

[@glenncox9128]

@@sebbonxxsebbon6824This rule ONLY made sense from the perspective of “Gary Gygax HATES Magic-users”. I tossed that rule as being pure garbage. “Note that this does not allow spell use while armour clad, such as an elven fighter/magic-user is able to do.” - PHB pg 33. Garbage contradictory rule. Flush it down the toilet.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

@@glenncox9128 No, rules didn't get tossed. We made bracers available as loot.

[@glenncox9128]

@@sebbonxxsebbon6824 Whether or not you choose to find a workaround, this particular rule is a garbage rule that contradicts other rules. Realistically, with all the magical protection items, it’s highly conceivable that either fighters or magic-users can achieve armour classes between -15 and -20. So, from that perspective, it’s simply a non-issue. But, from other related rules and reasoning, it’s simply a bad, contradictory rule, that serves no purpose, and ought to be removed from the game as though it never existed. Clearly, it was simply Gary’s unjustifiable attempt to nerf the dual class of fighter>magic-users. There was no point, reason, or justification for this. Flush this rule down the toilet.🚽

[@maksimsmelchak7433]

Great video.

[@glenncox9128]

I love the dual-classing options for humans. There is a little bit of ambiguity about which classes are allowed to dual class, but FWIW, I am liberal in allowing them to as long as they meet the requirements. There is a very specific and contradictory rule regarding dual-classing which I completely ignore as irrelevant, and an alternate rule which I impose as being logically relevant and consistent. That is, I won’t require Magic-users to remove armour to cast spells, but I will require Druids, Rangers, & Bards to remove metal armour (excluding Elfin chain) to cast Druid spells. Thus, studded leather & beyond spoils Druid spells. For the sake of argument, I am going to state that Elfin chain is a non-magical mithral-silver alloy only made by blacksmiths of certain Elvish stocks (High, Gray, Wild Grugach, and Valley). This isn’t in the official rules; I just made it up because it makes sense and aligns very nicely with the official rules.

[@glenncox9128]

When you fully understand the armour rules & requirements listed throughout the PHB, DMG, MM, & UA, you will understand why I did it this way. If you don’t, just ask, and I can give you the full reasoning with the relevant page numbers. It makes perfect sense.

[@ericaltmann5711]

We used to allow humans to multiclass as well back in high school. Our DM was sick of parties made up half elves!

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

We never had parties like that, but we also played by the rules and demi-humans can't go above their listed maximum levels in the players handbook. The rule is there because a multiclass character is very powerful and removing the rule is done by DM's that can't min/max and don't understand the principles of the balance of the game.

[@ericaltmann5711]

Late 80s@jamesdeer3129

[@glenncox9128]

Half-elves make sense within a certain limited context, but really, humans and Elves are far superior. Multi-classing is the poor man’s option when you have either few PCs or crappy dice rolls.

[@glenncox9128]

Weird. A bunch of comments disappeared.

[@maecenus778]

Cool video! I’m really curious how your player did the Monk dual class thing. I have a monk character that I am starting to wish I had not started off as a Monk since they are kind of a terrible class. I was thinking of going into Cleric. Would a Monk / Cleric still not receive any bonus from Strength or Dex? What about the bonus to damage with melee weapons?

[@page121tabletoproleplaying4]

I would give the newly minted Cleric (former Monk) the strength bonus once he was a higher level Cleric than Monk. I would allow the melee weapon damage bonus at that time also.

[@glenncox9128]

Technically speaking, a Monk isn’t really allowed to dual-class. But, I would allow it. A word of warning up front though - you’re going to need to be absolutely anal about maintaining that lawful alignment, or you’ll end up wanting to tear your character sheet apart. (Monks drop to 1st level and start over. OUCH!)

[@skidnsf]

The thing that bothers me about duel classed characters (weather in AD&D or later versions of the game), is that it takes years of study/training/experience to gain one class ( as noted by the starting age of each of the classes listed in the DMG) but there is no rule for the amount of time a character has to spend to invest in order to take on a second class. How is it a Magic user has to be a apprentice for years under a higher level spell caster, but then upon leveling just decides to take on another class and gain all of its class abilities. Where the hell did they learn all this. Between adventures... I think not. I understand it doesn't make sense for the party to wait around a few months or years while the character learns his new craft, and that it is just a game dynamic option, but with a set of rules that covers such realities as taxes, slow healing process, time management,diseases, insanity, and other "real world" issues to deal with, why is this over looked. I did find a n older dragon magazine that has the classes and time to train for certain things broken down by time ( Im forgetting th issue just now), which I found potentially useful. What are others thoughts about this? Thanks

[@glenncox9128]

I noted this also. I simply assume that, aside from the initial training period noted in the DMG pgs 12, 39, 86, & UA pg 45 (neophyte), that learning a new character class later will take from 6 months to 2 years. However, for a dual-class with exceptional ability scores, I am prepared to commute that to 1-4 months to become a neophyte, and then the appropriate training time for each stage thereafter.

[@glenncox9128]

If a player has to invest the requisite down time for a character (which ought to be a normal routine), then they can simply play another character in the meantime. There is no reason for any player to miss any adventuring. Alternate characters ought to always be available.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

@@glenncox9128 We always had 3 player characters generated in 1e, to level we made the character do training which could take 2 months or more.

[@coachlarry6773]

Cool video, one thing is in our games we rarely played humans because of them not getting any bonuses to start. Now with your game not having level limitations is there any big reason to be a human and duel classed over a Elf and multi-classed? Do they gain levels faster or ? Thanks for posting.

[@Taricus]

They would require the same amount to go up to a certain point, but the high stats for dual classing would pull in a +10% xp bonus for the dual class character's new class (because their prime requisite score has to be 17+). So that would make the dual-class character start leveling faster after the switch. The first class would stop being able to level after the switch, but a multiclass would still split xp and level both classes. Also, eventually, the dual class would eventually level past the multiclass in whatever they switched to, because they would not be splitting xp--especially after progression becomes linear.

[@page121tabletoproleplaying4]

Many of the characters at our table are human. Mostly, players create a character they want to play and then look at race. I've never had a problem with humans being chosen.

[@pccleric]

Keep in mind a lot of the demi human races suffer from racial hatred of another race. Such as orcs and elves.

[@coachlarry6773]

@@pccleric I’m not sure he plays that way.

[@christopherlocke7770]

I have a question... I have a 10th level human fighter that I dual classed to a Druid and as a fighter I double specialized with a scimitar. In your opinion, is that knowledge and ability to fight with a scimitar attenuated or gone since the dual classing? I obviously took the scimitar as a weapon for the druid class as well thinking this would carry over.

[@page121tabletoproleplaying4]

I would allow him to use the scimitar specialization as a Druid only after the Druid levels exceeded the fighter levels.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

@@page121tabletoproleplaying4 That is how we played also. No fighter abilities including specialization until the new class exceeded the old class in levels or you receive no experience points for the adventure.