In particular, I'm interested in whether you can have a cleric/druid combo. I would question it, as they're getting their magic from two different sources. At the same time, I don't see why not.
Any rules of thumb for multiclassing spellcasters in Athas?
Basically, the elements of Athas are its gods, so anyone worshipping an element is choosing it as their god. Druids, on the other hand, worship nature, so they worship all the elements in balance. You wouldn't allow a player to be a cleric of two different gods, so it would probably stand to reason that a player couldn't be a druid/cleric combo.
That said, it's not set in stone anywhere, so do what you think would be fun in your campaign.
Originally posted by xlorepdarkhelm
Same here, I'm not fond of allowing any combination of the three divine spellcaster classes - cleric, druid or templar. The only way I permit it is through superb roleplaying and a well thought out character with an extraordinary background. Those things would have to work together to convince me that it's ok, for that character.
That's pretty much what I thought. That's sort of a general rule-of-thumb with Dragonlance, and I thought this may apply here as well, but I wanted to be sure.
Thanks!
As for Templars - no way they can combine with any other divine spell caster, but no problems multi-classing with a Defiler.
As for Defilers, maybe multiclass with Silt or Magma clerics - perhaps.
Preservers - maybe with a Druid, there was a NPC in one of the 2e books methinks that was... but yeah, again, more of an NPC thing there....
Probably the easiest PC combo's would be:
Preserver / Druid (low level druid, no gaurded land yet)
Druid / Cleric (water or earth)
Defiler / Cleric (Magma or Silt)
Templar / Defiler
That's my thoughts anyways.
Originally posted by Jaanos
Depends on the situation. A druid who gaurds a small stream, could easily convince me to be a water cleric / druid - but having a guarded land would restrict them as a PC, so better suited as a NPC.
I still mandate that the character be developed. It's one of my things - people who want to have deviations from the "norm", better come up with a very fleshed-out and well-defined character, more than game statistics and a comment like "well a druid of an area where there's an oasis is also a water cleric" - that's like chewing gum abd bailing wire for a character's background, and is not enough in my book.
But yea, that's one good example.
As for Templars - no way they can combine with any other divine spell caster, but no problems multi-classing with a Defiler.
Actually, in the Chronicles of Athas series, there's a character (Pavek, I believe) who is a Templar of Urik and a Druid. He does have some conflicting loyalties in it, but is a very well-defined character. Sometimes, I do like the idea of a character like this, but by forcing my players to make a detailed history, motivation and roleplaying for the character to do such a thing, only really adds to the experience, and is a sort of test to the conviction my player has to be something different.
But basically, I'd permit Templar & another Divine caster. I mean, I don't see much of a preoblem for a Cleric/Templar of Kurn....
As for Defilers, maybe multiclass with Silt or Magma clerics - perhaps.
Silt, Sun & Magma I would permit more for Defilers. The four Elements for Preservers more - and Rain... well.... that's an anomaly. I think they'd take either or, but also might be favorable of Ceruleans.
Preservers - maybe with a Druid, there was a NPC in one of the 2e books methinks that was... but yeah, again, more of an NPC thing there....
Druids and Arcane spellcasters I really have problems with. Simply because that's a significant cross purpose. On one hand, you are to defiend nature, and on the other, you steal a piece of it for personal gain. However, I'll agree - a Druid/Preserver could be an interesting, brooding character - one who knows what he does is wrong, and yet needs to do it, and thus uses preserving magic when only absolutely necessary. But I definitely don't see a Druid ever willingly associating with a Defiler.
Probably the easiest PC combo's would be:
Preserver / Druid (low level druid, no gaurded land yet)
Druid / Cleric (water or earth)
Defiler / Cleric (Magma or Silt)
Templar / Defiler
That's my thoughts anyways.
Interesting choice.
If you look at some of the 2e kits for preservers, there were definatley some that would go well with a preserver - but you hit the nail on the head - the players should make a very good case from being 'out on a limb' and so far from 'normal'
As a DM, those 'left-field' types make the best NPC's... reminds me of a ranger / thief baddie i made one... very, very good assasian, had all the ranger tracking abilities, plus all the nifty theif stuff to track once in a city.... try it some time, very potent combo for dealing with wayward PC's.....
Its a calling, and everything you do is influenced by the initiation into 'clerichood'.
Being a Templar was always something 'on top' of your skills, abilities and life path. Someone could be solely a templar but it would normally be a path to social/political power more than a calling.
The clerics and druids were the only classes on athas that implicitly define who you are. Whereas you could stop being a fighter, thief etc and simply use the skills gained in another profession, being a cleric or druid was it. Even if you changed to another class you are still a cleric of fire, druid of region 'X', etc.
So I would say yes but strange and would need alot of explaining for Cleric/Templar or Druid/Templar, unless of course we are talking about Tyrian temlars. (On a side note has anyone done a PC for Tyrian templars?) A slight possiblility for cleric/druid if and only if the druid's region was intimately defined by a single element, this though would have to be very rare as a druid is concerned with his/her region as a whole and there would effectively have to be no other element than that of the elemental patron's.
As for roleplaying, there are some 2e-compatible types of no less interest, such as:
evil templar of Oronis,
demihuman templar,
templar/thief,
templar/preserver,
and some other combinations with innate contradiction, so I see no reason to allow clerics/druids, multiclassed gladiators, and other similar 3e innovations.
