2018/04/25

OSR: Multiclassing in the GLOG

The GLOG makes multiclassing ridiculously easy. All classes have 4 templates (A, B, C, and D). You get one per level (1-4) and you have to take them in order. If you want to multiclass, just pick a different template from a different class.

I require my players to justify their multiclassing. There needs to be a good in-character reason, opportunity, and plan. If they even look like they're multiclassing for mechanical optimization, it's not going to happen. 

Weird interactions are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. Here are a few example rulings.


Bad Cop

Paladin of the Word A, B
Sword Exorcist A, B
Justification: be a paladin, find a sword of exorcism.
The Sword Exorcist class is a ghost detective. The Paladin of the Word commands things with the voice of the Authority, but cannot otherwise speak. Commanding people (or ghosts) to TESTIFY  or CONFESS seems appropriate.



Boomsquad

Many Goblins A,B
Cannoneer A, B
Justification: be many goblins, find a cannon.
Many Goblins got a cannon. I'd rule that, collectively, they can carry it without any issues. They don't get the additional hirelings provided by the Cannoneer A template. Instead, they gain +4 HP, +2 inventory slots, and the ability to carry a cannon without it occupying any inventory slots. Ammo, gunpowder, etc. would still take up some of their 7 slots.


Surly Gnome Massacre Division

Race: Gnome
Many Goblins A
Surly Gnome A, B, C
Justification: this one kind of self-justifies.
Gnomes are small, truculent, and violent. They can turn invisible if they close their eyes, hold their breath, and don't move. The Gnome Massacre Division is a horde of gnomes with sharp daggers and red hats. They drag larger enemies to the ground and pummel them to death with dozens of blows. Basically, you play a nebulous gnome family/caravan/horde. 


Gluttonous Monk

Monk A
Ghoul A
Underground Cannibal Gourmet A, B
Justification: be a monk, eat things (including people) and enjoy it. 
When good monks go bad. You might not do a lot of damage, but the paralyzing claw effect from the Ghoul A template doesn't rely on damage. You are going to write an amazing cookbook and illustrate it too.


Rags to Riches

Barbarian A
Fighter A
Knight A, B
Justification: work your way into the feudal system by prowess at arms, diplomacy, and bribes.
It will take a lot of in-character work to move from an outsider to a trusted member of the Second Estate, but you can do it, and if you do you will become very famous. You will have three attacks per round, deal a ton of damage, and probably start fights you shouldn't start and die because of it. Being good at fighting is dangerous; it means you are more likely to fight. 


Apocalypse Sorcerer

Barbarian A
Sorcerer A, B, C

Justification: be a barbarian, start meddling with things you weren't meant to meddle with. Alternatively, be a sorcerer with poor impulse control.
While raging, the Sorcerer's Harm ability does extra damage. Get mad. Blow stuff up. You can use your other Sorcerer abilities while raging, but only to kill stuff (or make it more likely to die). You can alter things to be dead (they come back after the effect ends), etc. You are even more likely to explode.


Papageno

Goliard A, B
Bell Exorcist A, B
Justification: free-wheeling monk-musician-poet found some magic bells
Very silly, but possibly workable. Heavy 
use of Kibeth, the Walker, I'd imagine. Make people dance. Charm the birds right off the trees.


Multischool Wizards

Let's say you roll up a Level 1 Elementalist Wizard. Your friend rolls up a Level 1 Garden Wizard. Your friend's character dies 10 minutes into the game from a poisoned doorknob and you loot their spellbook. You like the Garden Wizard spells so much that, at level 2, you ask to level as a Garden Wizard.

1:1 Wizard Schools (Elementalist 1, Garden Wizard 1): Keep the cantrips, mishaps, and dooms of your original school. Gain spells from your new school when you level.

2:1, 3:1, Wizard Schools (Elementalist 1, Garden Wizard 2,3,4): Replace the cantrips, mishaps, and dooms of your original school with those from your new school. Gain spells from your new school when you level.

Basically, you're the kind of wizard you have the most levels in, or the kind of wizard you started as if there's a tie.

Multiclassing After Level 4

You can't.
Maybe you should retire your character to safety and start a new one.

12 comments:

  1. Me: see multiclass/multischool wizard section.
    Me: remeber you previous quote where wizards breed spells.
    me: "at least those orphaned spells are cared for."

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  2. "Rags to Riches"... Did you mean Rollo? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollo

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  3. I'm allowing my players to take a total of 6 templates. I figure that multiclassing is cool, and setting the template count higher than the class-template count forces everyone to do it *eventually.* Since the players know that, some of them have already taken multiclass levels (3 out of a total of a dozen or so players). I think the choice between going 4-2 and 3-3 is more interesting than the choice between going 4-0 and 3-1, since multiclassing is neat. Do you have any particular reason for disallowing that?

    Side note: I wonder how many people are actually running games using the GLOG. I can tell that you are, it looks like Dan of Throne of Salt is (how do you mention people?), and I am, but I don't know of anyone else for sure. It's weird to think that there are only a handful of people in the entire world running a system.

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    1. I am! At least in my own modified form. I've got a Knight-Fighter multiclass at the moment, about to max out on templates. Arnold mentioned a while ago that beyond level 4, abilities can still be accrued through adventuring. Everything on both Fighter and Knight are available through this method, but only though significant training and sacrifice.

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    2. 6 templates seems like a lot, but it would definitely lead to some cool multiclassing ideas. I worry it would lead to too high-powered characters for my current groups and playstyle, but I'd definitely consider it for a more heroic-type game.

      There are dozens of us using the GLOG. There's even a G+ group now.

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    3. Yeah four templates seems plenty for a more challenging, grounded game, but six might be perfect for a heroic fantasy game.

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  4. Papageno you say? http://gilgalahad.tumblr.com/post/155957572468/maoh-why-does-this-whole-scene-look-sound-like

    Does Bad Cop imply Good Cop?

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    1. Oh man, that animated version is great. I like Stephen Fry's modern english libretto a little better, but there's much less weirdness in his live-action version.

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    2. Can't say I knew he'd done one. I shall look into this.

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    3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNuM9Z4MEQw

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  5. The quibbling contrarian in me wonders about in-character reasons that look, in context, like mechanical optimization. Like, say a sorcerer gets badly wounded in his first expedition, and takes a hit to his precious pride.

    So he takes a level of fighter, restoring his confidence that this time, he will be ready for the next villain who DARES try and lay a hand on him!

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    1. See, that's not really a concern for me. It's the weird edge cases of templates interacting oddly that I'm more worried about. I've covered the most egregious melee case (3-attack barbarian/fighter/knight) above, but there are others I probably haven't thought of.

      As long as there's a good reason for it, I'm fine. If it's just because you want +X to Y, nah.

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