Is there a point to multiclass feats?

I was initially excited about the addition of multiclass feats, thinking that I'd be able to do D&D 4e style multiclassing, but was disappointed to learn that you could only take one multiclass feat per class. In D&D 4e, you could take four feats:

 

1. Multiclass Feat - One free skill + an at-will power 1/encounter or an encounter power 1/day from your second class.

2. Encounter Power Swap - Trade one of your class's encounter powers for an encounter power of your second class.

3. Utility Power Swap - Ditto for utility powers.

4. Daily Power Swap - DItto for daily powers.

 

PoE multiclassing stops at the initial feat. Now, the right multiclass feat is pretty good compared to other feats, especially when you run out of stuff to take, but PoE generally rewards specialization over versatility. In fact, it heavily punishes versatility outside of the main character, and only when it comes to dialogue options. In combat, it's much better to sink all of your stats into a few key ability scores and focus your build on doing one thing well instead of several things not so well.

 

They also don't seem to add any extra dialogue options, so taking a multiclass feat in the hopes of unlocking class-specific dialogue options is a waste of time. Also, I play exclusively on Path of the Damned or Triple Crown (PotD, ToI, and Expert Mode), so I really cannot waste feats for flavor, especially if they don't even add any extra dialogue options.

 

So, is there a point to them? Or are they simply there for flavor?

I guess it's mostly for flavor and to make up for the lack of true multi-classing options in the game.

 

The Monk talent would have been great for Druids but it doesn't work with their Spiritshift form by design, so there goes its only good application. Right now, the only good ones are Apprentice's Sneak Attack and Gallant Focus (the latter only if you don't already have a Paladin in your party.)

Runner's Wounding Shot is also OK if you have somebody who wants to do arbalest or gun alpha strikes but has no special abilities for that - like chanters or priests and so on. By the way: does the dot effect generate focus? Never tested that. And why is Novice's Suffering worse than Transcendent Suffering. I never used it - but it seems to produce nearly the same numbers. So why is a monk with fists OK but a rogue or a fighter is not?

Edited October 16, 2015 by Boeroer

So why is a monk with fists OK but a rogue or a fighter is not?

 

Because a Monk doesn't have to invest a talent to get the same results

Ha! Yeah - you're obviously right. But besides that?

Nothing, really. It's fine, but not something I'd ever consider. If I want to fight with fists, I play a Monk and save that talent slot for something else.

I like grabbing Veteran's Recovery on occasion.

Many of the classes in Pillars are already hybrids and thus "multi classed". Like a Paladin is a combination of dps with tank/healing. How you build it makes it strong or weak in some sides.

 

But the multiclass talents are more like a little extra, to add on top. Like a dps character might choose the mini sneak attack for more deeps.

 

So if a person just wanted to charm everybody, but didn't want to run 3-6 ciphers at once, they could all choose the charm ability. Flavor, as has been described.

 

One example is that when I pick the mini sneak talent, I get a different cursor when a target is under some kind of debuff. This can actually be very useful when planning tactics out, as you don't have to read the status symbols on every enemy. So it gives you a closer experience to playing a rogue. But you're not playing a rogue obviously.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Ymarsakar

Apprentice Sneak is so good it's optimal in a lot of builds and wounding shot has its place. The others are more for flavor rather than mechanics.

 

Wounding Shot DOT does not generate focus, but it works with blunderbuss now >). 80% of a 150 damage shot re-applied over 6 seconds is an additional 120 for 270 damage in 6 seconds. Recall Agony from Cipher first adds another 90 damage. My chanter carries 3 blunderbusses. I wish I had room to squeeze in a second ranger for a blunderbuss build (first uses Stormcaller naturally). 

I can also imagine that Veteran's Recovery combined with Beloved Spirits and a Trollhide Belt vor something like that could add up to a nice effect on a chanter tank

Edited October 17, 2015 by Boeroer

Sneak Attack on barb is pretty neat. It's "only 15%" but that's actually a lot.

Depends on the base damage of the weapon. On a dagger it's not so big. On Firebrand it's really noticable. It's also good for an alpha shot from a gun or arbalest, combined with (runner's) wounding shot. That way the dot is even bigger and you get sneak attack bonus anyway, since you started the encounter (preferably from stealth). I never tried sneak attack + backstab + runner's wounding shot. That should be a pretty awesome alpha strike. Theoretically you could also add deathblows to that, now that indiv. stealth work, or with shadowing beyond - but that's not very likely to happen a lot of times.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Boeroer

The monk multiclass talent that boosts unarmed damage is amazing for shapeshifted druids.

I thought it still didn't work and maybe never will. In 2.01 it didn't.

Andrea says it doesn't work by design, I wonder if that's based on a dev post?

Andrea says it doesn't work by design, I wonder if that's based on a dev post?

 

Unfortunately yes.

 

Andrea says it doesn't work by design, I wonder if that's based on a dev post?

 

Unfortunately yes.

 

 

I was hesitant to like your post. I guess I am not that affected by it, since I have yet to play a spiritshift druid. Let me be clear that what I do like is the fact that you provided that link .

Ahah yeah, when I liked Aarik's post, I did because I like his dedication and his providing that kind of feedback. The fact Novice's Suffering doesn't apply to Spiritshift definitely is not to my liking

I have found that Apprentice's Sneak Attack is excellent for the entire party. My basic tactic is to give every party member a ranged weapon, and have them all sneak until spotting an enemy. They they all open fire on that one target and get the sneak attack bonus for it. It almost always kills that baddie right off the bat. Then the front-liners switch to melee weapons as the rest of the mob comes running in.

 

But that is not the end of the goodness. Apprentice's Sneak also combines wonderfully with the Fighter's knockdown. The sneak attack bonus applies to foes you have knocked down. So there is a wonderful synergy there.

Edited October 18, 2015 by SubRosa

I was initially excited about the addition of multiclass feats, thinking that I'd be able to do D&D 4e style multiclassing,

I was initially excited about the addition of multiclassing (which is what the devs initially called the new system), thinking I'd be able to do 3e/5e style mixing-and-matching.  It was a shame when that didn't happen, although Josh has subsequently said he would like to include 3e/5e style multiclassing in PoE2 were a sequel to eventually be made.

 

But I agree that PoE's system falls short of even the stripped-down multiclassing system available in 4e.  And yes, I think your guess that multiclassing talents were added for flavor purposes is exactly right.  Which isn't a bad thing, in and of itself, as long as you accept that they won't appreciably change your character.

My 2nd level Warrior/Ranger/Cleric/Mage/Squirrel/Carrot/Communist will level up pretty soon...

 

Anytime now ;_;

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/65829-update-74-the-mob-rulers-wizards-and-druids-and-our-partnership-with-paradox/?p=1432180

What does the communist part do?

+4 Accuracy and +20% damage when dual-wielding a hammer and sickle.

Thanks - spilled my wasabi nuts all over the keyboard.

I guess that's what the squirrel does - creating drop traps in a nutshell.