Tooky Tibblewats
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This guide wont use terms like cherry picking becuase thats just wrong. I really hope this is laid out with a simple format and does more enlightening than confuzzling. This may seen out of order as well but i am writing it like this for a reason, when your done reading it will make sense. Before we start however I am going to lay out the attributes and what they do.
Every 2 points above 10 in an attribute you recieve a +1 Modifier, every 2 points below 10 you get a -1 modifier.
Str-Strength this determines how much weight you can carry and its modifier adds to your + to hit chance and your damage for melee weapons
Dex-Dexterity this attribute gives you its modier in bonus AC how every armour has a different max dex bonus so check your armour to make sure you benefit as much as possible from this. The other thing Dex does is gives you its modifier added onto your ranged to hit chance. Lastly the Dex mod increases your reflex saving throw.
Con-Constitution Every level you get hitpoints. The Con mod is added to your hit points gained every level. Con also effects your fortitude saving throw.
Int-Intelligence This attributes modifer adds to your skills per level, and effects your number of skill trains at character generation. Also the modifier on INT is VERY important for wizards. The modifier (for wizards only) gives you bonus spells. If you have a +1 mod, you will get 1 extra lvl 1 spell to prepare. If its 2, you will get 1 extra lvl 1 and 1 extra lvl 2 spell to prepare, and so on. At the moment the max modifier needed for wizards is 5 base(20int). INT also effects spell points for wizards, so you want as much as possible.
Wis-Wisdom This attribute adds its modifier to your Will saving throw. Also for clerics rangers and paladins it awards bonus spells just like INT does for wizards. Wis determines the amount of spell points for cleric ranger and paladins. Currently like wizards, clerics only need a mod of 5(20) and like wizards they need as many spellpoints as possible, paladins and rangers need a mod of 2 (14wis), rangers and paladins dont need as much of this as they can get.
Cha-Charisma This attribute is for bards and sorcerers. Like Wis, and Int it effects your spells, and spell points. Charmisa also effects how good Holy Smite (paladin special attack) Lay on Hands(Paladin mega yum heal) and Turn Undead (Cleric and Paladin special) actually are. Each modifer will greatly increase the effectiveness of these abilities.
To build an effective multiclass follow and consider the steps below, even if you dont know too much about the game you should be able to get something out of this.
With Multiclassing it is very important you preplan a good amount of your character, often times when you level you may see a feat you want thats better for your current situation but out of haste you fail to see it was only good then and not 3 levels down the line.
First step to a multi class is considering do you wish to be a tank, ranged, melee, mage type caster, or heal type caster. Now when you pick one of these 5 dimensions to your character keep in mind to be effective at your primary focus, you dont have to make your class pretaining to your focus the highest level.
Your second step is considering what 2 or 3 classes will take you to your focus goal the most effectively. To do this you must look at the advantages of every character not so much the downfalls because the downfall of one is often the strength of another. It is very hard to tri-class in this game with the lvl 10 cap, it can be done but I dont suggest it.
Here are the classes with their strengths and weaknesses to multiclassing.
Bard : The bard is the most common choice to Sorcerers being it is CHA based as well. You find that most people take bard as a secondary class.
Strengths: Most wands fall into the class spell catagory for a bard. Meaning as a sorc you take a lvl of bard and you can use cure wands without failure. Bards do not receive Arcane Spell Failure from light (possibly medium too i have to double check) armour. This makes the low DEX caster very happy. Bards also get a song. It is similar to bless in most aspects as it gives a morale (sv vs fear) buff, Damage and Hit. The bard can also enhance these modifers through action points.
Weaknesses: Bards cast spells but like sorcerers they can never scribe or learn spells other than the ones they chose from level up. Also bards do not get many spell points even with a very very high charisma.
Favored Multiclass: If bard is your primary and you wish to keep it that way, but want to add power heres what works best. Wizard (just 1 level) so that you can scribe new spells and your book is no longer limited. Sorcerer's are another often choice. As they are CHA based as well, and while not adding much to your arsenal of spells you get a butt load of bonus SP's. Also you can use Sorc to gain something like Spell Focus Enchanting. Most enchanting spells work off cha modifiers, therefore increasing the difficulty of the saving throw you will find your enchantment (crowdcontrol charms ect) are near godlike.
Side note on bards: A bard can always be taken to just 1 level awarding 1 song a day and the use of MANY wands you normally couldn't, and though this is not a solo game, if you have money to waste those cure wands will allow you to do what you want for the most part.
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Barbarian: Light armoured fighter type usually. This class is almost always multi'd. It doesnt have to be but they are like the fighter in the aspect they can be a "tank", and possibly better than Fighters since they get a d12 hps per lvl instead of a d10.
Strengths: Barbarians get enrage which makes them a massive damage dealer especially with 2 handed weapons and a large strength. This class recieves the most hp's per level. This class recieves +1 to hit every level. Barbarians are damn fast.
Weaknesses: Barbarians do not get heavy armour. Barbarians often have high STR and CON so dex is usually left lacking. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with in nearly all cases. No magical abilities.
Favored Multiclass : Fighter! Imagine that....Fighters will award you with heavy armour proficiencies, i believe tower shield, and though 2 less hps a level, bonus feats. Barbarians also mix well with rogues, since backstab(sneak attack) gets out of hand with enrage.
Side Notes: I feel Barbarians are best as 9bbn/1ftr this way you can spec all STR and CON with 12 dex to fully utilize plate, while either deal very large amounts of damage with a 2 hander or specing to tank and laughing as mobs try to make a dent in your hitpoints.
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Cleric: I really shouldnt include this class, as it really want to discourage people from being 6clr/4ftr, as it leaves you with not being a good high end healer and merely a secondary healer, which will really hurt you since getting a group is often hard since people view you as not a "real" cleric.
Strengths: Best healers in the game. Turn undead, great at buffing, required to do just about any and every quest. Heavy Armour, Shields.
Weaknesses: Clerics need WIS CHA then CON. This often leaves you with very low hitpoints in regards to Barbarians Rangers Fighters. Also its not possible to have as many hps as them. So clerics suck when it comes to not dieing when hit. Clerical Heals draw lots of agro, meaning monsters feel compelled to beat your ass, this is why your have plate, its not to tank, its to save your ass when you do your job right. Because of the clerics stat requirements they HAVE to neglect STR, as it will leave you with a low score in one of your primary attributes and end up making you gimp.
Favored Multiclass: Paladins and fighters. Paladins go great with a cleric since it will award them with the lay on hands ability, some increased to hit chances more 2 more hps per lvl than clerics get. Fighters are the most common choice for low cha/wis clerics since it will give them bonus feats, increases their combat abilities, more hps just like the paladin.
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Fighter: This is your average joe class, capable of learning to fight in 1 style and become godly with it. Also debatebly the best tank class in the game.
Strengths: Fighters get feats at 1, 3, 6, 9 just like every other class, however fighters get bonus feats at 1, 2, 4, 6,8,10. This makes them fully customizable in the way of melee combat. This is their only real strenght but it can be used to bestow what you want and need.
Weaknesses: Fighters dont really have any weaknesses other than bad players playing them. Also fighters often suck because people broaden out their bonus feats to much and dont stay specialized thus not allowing them to not be superb at anything. Again I have to say it the only weakness to a fighter is a bad player.
Favored Multiclass: Fighters sometime take a level or 2 of barbarian just for rage, and a few bonus hitpoints since they find they really dont need anymore feats.Fighters can be built around just about any class since they have no real attribute demands, and you can make it so you dont need STR or you dont need Dex. Fighters get 10hps a level so leaving con at 8 and making it 9hps a level isnt too bad when you plan to multiclass.
Side Note: Fighters are the only class with enough adaptation to mix well with anything.
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Paladin: This is the most attribute demanding class in the game. Paladins always require 12 dex to us full plate properly. Paladins need 12 wis to cast lvl 1 and 2 spells, but you want 14 so you get the bonus spells. Then your a fighter type so do lost of Melee and need a good hearty strenght, while all this in mind dont neglect your CHA for all the paladin specific abilities, or your con cause paladins usually take the role of tank.
Strengths: Paladins get aura's these are buffs that radiate from the paladin to nearby group members and stay on the party members till they move out of range of the paladin. At higher levels the paladin aura will give bonus AC, for this reason paladins have the highest armour class in the game, since they always have their aura.
Weaknesses: Paladins are very very stat demanding, it is a total pain in the ass to split class them if they are your primary focus. Paladins usually dont hit in melee as often as everyone else, often dont have as many hitpoints, tend to be the bless bitch in parties at lvl 4+ (this is a good thing though you have no mana so might as well do something useful with the drop you have) Really paladins are the extreme bard. They buff, can heal can turn undead, can standing melee, can get hit without dieing, but they are good at none of these traits.
Favored Multiclass: NONE
Side Note: If your a paladin and see your lacking power dont multiclass it, you'll just make your character worse. Tough it out play to lvl 8, then laugh your ass off when you start to abliterate people. About lvl 4 is when newbie paladins fall appart and become useless. If you have spells at lvl 4, and your lay hands doesnt suck you've done something right, keep going, i know your character is semi lame and not too powerful but it gets a hell of a lot better.
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Ranger: This is my favorite class so I'll just jump right in.
Strenghts: Rangers get STR mod to bow dmg. Rangers get free feats for two weapon fighting styles and bows every few levels. Rangers are the best pullers in the game. Ranger spells are very lacking in DDO because people dont know how to use them, when actually their spells own. Rangers get favored enemies, these are monsters that you do more damage than normal.
Weaknesses: Rangers get bonuses for 2weapon fighting and bows, however you have to chose bow or melee and stick with it. If you take both and meet in the middle you will find by lvl 6 you suck complete ass. If rangers spec in bows they need 18-20 base dex and 12 str, however, if rangers spec in 2 weapon fighting you need about 16str and 16 dex, since rangers are stuck with light armour. Rangers can be very good in melee, but if you go this route your like a paladin, you suck till later and your character is very stat demanding.
Favored Multiclass: Rogue's for the sneak attack, or fighters for bonus feats. Not too much to say about this, personally I feel rangers do best is taken straight to lvl 10.
Side Note: Multiclassing a ranger is usually easiest with the bow spec route. Since then your only needed stats are Dex and Wis, splash of STR, makin it easy to go into rogue, or taking up fighter and using the bonus feats to further specialize in bows.
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Rogues: This is not WoW, rogues can be but arent ment to be damage dealers here so complete neglect caring about damage or you will suck. Your role as a rogue is to find and disarm traps so everyone doesnt die, and to pick locks.
Strenghts: Rogues are the only class capably of disarming traps and picking locks. This makes them a required class for any group. Rogues get sneak attack, which is essentially backstab, this will suppliment their damage which is very very important since the base of rogues doesnt allow for damage dealing.
Weaknesses: Rogues like Paladins are very stat demanding. If your Spot, Search, Disable Device are low, your useless. Rogues needs INT DEX WIS all pretty equally. CHA is a secondary attribute since most rogues really like Use Magic Device. Str Con aren't too important.
Favored Multiclass: Usually rangers. Since rangers have good wis and dex usually they fit right into the rogue. Also when you take up some ranger levels your spot search hide move silently are class skills for the ranger. Rogues can multi in to just about anything if you dont care about disarming traps and doing your job, they can also be taken as a secondary class to a character not met to tank or disarm, to give a nice damage boost.
Side Note: Every group needs a rogue who is good at disabling and detecting. Trap boxes will blow up on you if you fail and traps are very damaging in DDO. Opening Lock is a nice skill, but locks dont jam or blow up on you so this skill can be slightly lower but not significantly lower than everything else. Hide and Move Silently are secondary skills for the rogue worry about disable device, spot, seach, open locks first. If you want recon let the ranger do it.
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Sorcerer/Wizard: I am combining these 2 since they are very similar and i've been writing this for nearly 4 hours, and really I just want to be done.
Differences: Sorc's need CHA and have a shit load more spell points than wizards. Sorcerers like bards only learn spells from leveling up. Wizards are the only class capable of learning every arcane spell in the game. Wizards are INT base. Sorcerers are usually best when they take a spell focus feat and stick to spells of that school since you only get a few spells you want them to be super good.
Similarities: Both cast the same spells, both have the same role in a group. They have the same hitpoints gained per lvl. Both classes like dex and con since they are unarmoured and have low hit points.
Sorc Favored Multi: Wizard to scribe, bard for light armour. Fighter for combat feats, remember arcane spell failure only applies if your armour is on, not when you take it off to bestow buffs on yourself or other party members.
Wizard Favored Multi: Bard and Fighter ; same reasons as above.
Option: Sorc and Wizard may find it good to take a level or 2 of ranger just for the ranged combat.
Sidenote: Wizards in particular are most powerful as straight forward wizards, or buffers with some levels in fighter. Sorcerers on the other hand tend to kick severe ass when they go with bard and can heal themselves and wear armour.
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All and all this isnt too much of a multiclass guide but it breaks down everything a bit to enlighten you on what you should consider when thinking of multiclassing. Every so often someone makes a build that just doesnt seem like it would work, and it ends up kicking ass. In order to achieve that everything that needs to be taken into consideration is here.
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Closing
I left race descriptions out because the classes are the real focus, if you are educated of them, you can easily make the judgement of what race suits your goal the best. Also my answer to nearly everything is Halfling and thats usually not the best route to take, in some cases it is, but not usually. Hopefully this helps please post up and tell me what you think.
Much love, The Tooky Guild Leader Illuminat Sancti Xoriat
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thejeni
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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1st off Welcome to the site!
And that guide is very detailed! You should submit it into our guides section, so it doesn't get lost in the forums.
Siggy created by DeathFetish.
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Tooky Tibblewats
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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Sorry Jeni new to the site here didnt see the guide section. It has been reposted and thank you for your feedback.
-Tooky
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
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thejeni
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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| QUOTE | Sorry Jeni new to the site here didnt see the guide section. It has been reposted and thank you for your feedback.
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It is all good, I just hate to see something you spent so much time on get burried in the forums. When I get back from grocery shoping, I'll get it edited and approved.
And any time you have a guide you have writen, please submit it. It is good for your credit, and great for the commuinty!
Siggy created by DeathFetish.
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Ozone_Friendly
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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Well first off welcome to the site again. Wonderful guide to multiclassing. I have some personal differences with some of your points but that is just me, and even then they are minor, and everyone has thier opinions lol. And really if you include races, classes and options they are fairly endless so you did a great job at making it nice and understandable.
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EnPsyane74
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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Glad to see you took my advice & decided to spread the guide around, Took. :)
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urbanmatt
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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I am a 3rd Cleric. If I train as a 1st Bard at next level up do I get the 24 skill points awarded to a Bard when he is created at 1st level?
Also if I do this and then train as a Cleric at next level up after 1st level bard will UMD be a class skill since bards have it or will it be considered a cross class skill since I am leveling the cleric?
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jesterzdragon
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| RE: Guide to Multiclassing |
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First, the skill will be cross class if it is not on the class list of the class you are ranking up at the time. In this instance cleric.
When you take a first level in a new class, it is not considered 1st level. You are in this case 4th level and get the sad 2 + INT skill points of a cleric.
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