Breakfast Topic: The Madness of Multiclassing
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Oct 15th 2009 at 8:00AM
Honestly, it's all about balance. Games like Dungeons and Dragons are generally built from the ground up to support multiclassing. Each class has its synergies, and multiclassing its own rules, and there's a limited frame in which they work which works with the whole concept of multiclassing. With WoW, you have 10 separate classes so minutely balanced that even the slightest outside influence can shift the balance of power in class representation and role. With millions of players, each of them expecting to be able to fulfill a certain role and be competitive with everyone else, and each class balanced around a very specific set of skills and equipment, adding multiclassing to WoW would require such an extensive redesign that it would make Patch 4.0 look like a hot fix.
Of course, with that said, it's definitely fun to speculate on how multiclassed characters would work. After all, there's probably been a time for most of us when we've said, "If only I had that other class' ability." For me, I admit to want to play a nice affliction warlock/unholy death knight combo. I figure that with all the DoTs both classes can bring, plus Ebon Plaguebringer, I'd be pretty powerful. Then, maybe we cheat a little and let Pestilence spread Affliction lock DoTs too. I'd pretty much be an unstoppable god of annihilation and a textbook example of why there's no multiclassing in WoW.
So if you could grab a few skills from another class for your own new multiclass character, what would they be, and how would you use them?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Vandersveldt Oct 15th 2009 8:08AM
As a mage, I'm horribly jealous that Hex doesn't break on damage.
curtisrutland Oct 15th 2009 9:13AM
And I'm sure shammys are jealous of your no cooldown on Poly.
Rhabella Oct 15th 2009 10:35AM
Or maybe the fact that poly removes control of the character?
Tyrnas Oct 15th 2009 8:12AM
Could I just multiclass leather and/or mail phys dps itemization onto plate? That's all I really want.
Rakah Oct 21st 2009 10:13PM
I'd cross a rogue with a hunter and create an unkiteable stealthy killing machine with a pet!!!
Farproc Oct 15th 2009 8:15AM
in wow. multiclassing is called 'rolling a druid'.
myst Oct 15th 2009 8:36AM
I can confirm this.
Yvaine-blackrock
Daevastation Oct 15th 2009 9:08AM
yea i con confirm this.. Windrunner-Alliance-Lords of Lordaeron
snowleopard233 Oct 15th 2009 9:33AM
Except in each form druids are on-par representation with each role. Bears can tank, cats can dps, trees can heal, and boomkin can make you develop a lifetime phobia of chickens.
With DandD multi-classing you'd either be a strange ineffectual 1/4 quarter tank 3/4 dps or you'd be a fighter who was OP just because he took a few levels for some cantrips or an animal companion.
It's for these reasons I like WoW's handling of the class system the best. Each class has its own flavor and play-style were you shouldn't feel the need to dip into other class's spells mismatched spells. Furthermore, the diversity of the talent trees allows you to play almost completely different classes.
tkc Oct 15th 2009 11:45AM
WINNER!!!
That was my thought exactly. With dual spec I've tanked, dps'd, and healed with my druid.
Lucidien Oct 15th 2009 10:10PM
o_O Oh my, so many of you have missed the point of DnD multiclassing! It isn't to be able to have qualities associated with other roles. DnD has Druids, and they're very similar to the ones in WoW. The point is to enhance your role by adding qualities (talents? spells?) from your multiclass, so perhaps a Warlock taking some talents from the Fire-Mage talents, or perhaps a Holy-Pally pinching some Priest abilities (e.g. buffs or heals). The idea is to ENHANCE what you're already good at. If you pick something completely wrong for your original class, your party (in DnD) will notice that you reek of suck. I think it would make a delightful addition to WoW, but I don't see it happening in the 4.0 release.
DB Oct 15th 2009 8:16AM
Don't we already have two multiclasses? Paladins and druids can fulfill all three main roles in the game with merely a spec and gear change. I'm not sure if that fits the true meaning of multiclasses though. I'm guessing that's as close as you can get in wow.
Como Oct 15th 2009 9:27AM
It's referring to actual multi classes and not multiple specs. In most games this would take on the form of you are lv 80 rogue (stats and all abilities) and a lv 40 warlock(weird combo I know) and that would bring over the extra stats from the lv 40 lock and abilities.
vazhkatsi Oct 15th 2009 1:02PM
its like you take levels in other classes, so i have in dnd a bard4/ranger6/monk5. it was a weird game.
jealouspirate Oct 15th 2009 8:24AM
I always loved the "job system" from the older Final Fantasy games (FFIII, for example).
I think WoW should have a system like this. You're able to maintain your one character, so you don't lose achievements, gold, etc, but you can switch classes. Limit it to 2 even, like dual-spec.
You purchase "dual-class", then with the press of a button your lvl 80 Shaman becomes a level 1 Warrior. You level your warrior skills for a while, then switch back to Shaman for that night's raid. That leads to no imbalance at all, but it maintains the convenience of only worrying about one character.
Banzai Oct 15th 2009 8:31AM
I really liked the Job system in FF too. I don't think it's too realistic for WoW though, but it's nice to dream.
Think of a Rogue who could heal. That'd be so OP. Or a Warrior casting Dots on it's target... Would be pretty darn powerful.
Skonged Oct 15th 2009 9:38AM
I agree we should have the option to switch classes but keep our level. How can we get this onto Blizzard's devs desks?
Massa Oct 15th 2009 9:40AM
I love the job system in Final Fantasy Tactics (never played FF3). It would allow a few abilities from your secondary class, and would require you meet certain level requirements of lower classes.
It didn't give every ability of your secondary class--so it would almost be like the pet bar or something. You could have say, a full-fledged mage that had a lower level priest as it's secondary (or vice versa). As the mage, you had all mage abilities, but could choose (or have chosen for you) 3-4 skills from the priest. I would think if the devs choose your skills it would stay balanced more easily.
Course, I play a druid, so all I do is change forms and I'm good--but a druid is actually a similar tactic. As a cat, I don't have 30-40 rogue skills to use, I get like 12 cat specific spells, and have to change forms for the other stuff.
t0xic Oct 15th 2009 10:10AM
@Skonged
Having rolled multiple toons and leveled them all to 80, I can see your point. I enjoy different class playstyle, and it's a great convenience to be able to log out and back in as a completely different class/role for a 5-man or raid.
However, I think you'll find the popular consensus is that the convenience of being able to "switch classes but keep our level" isn't that convenient when you consider the potential impact it would have on the game.
Leveling a retribution paladin to 80 doesn't really qualify you to be a resto druid healing raids at 80.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but I can see that side of the issue as well. I personally don't enjoy joining 5-man PUGs with the mage that has a "tank main" and thinks it's perfectly okay to stand out in front of the tank and face pull. This is an extreme example to illustrate the point.
That isn't to say that EVERYONE would be terrible at playing a level 80 druid if they hadn't leveled one, but I hope you'd agree that the curve for learning all of the abilities and being EFFECTIVE at them is another matter.
t0xic Oct 15th 2009 10:21AM
@Skonged
After looking at what you said, I think I took it out of context. If so, I apologize. It's early, and I'm still drinking my first coffee =)