Multiclassing

Multiclassing allows you to gain levels in multiple classes. Doing so allows you to mix and match the abilities of those classes to create a character concept that might not be reflected in one of the standard class options. With this rule, you have the option of gaining a level in a new class each time you gain a level, rather than gaining a level in your current class. Your levels in all of your classes are added together to determine your character level. For example, if you have three levels in Arcane and two in Fighter, you would be a 5th-level character. As you gain levels, you might remain primarily a member of your original class, with a few levels in another class, or you might change course entirely, never again advancing the class you left behind. You might even start progressing in a third or fourth class. Compared to a single-class character of the same level, you have sacrificed some of your focus in exchange for versatility. You only receive the starting equipment of your first class.

Prerequisites

To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class and the new class, as shown in the Multiclassing Prerequisites table. For example, a Brute who decides to multiclass with the Acolyte class must have both a Strength and a Wisdom score of 13 or higher. Without the full training that a starting character receives, you should be a quick study of your new class, having a natural aptitude that is reflected by a higher-than-average ability score.

Experience Points

The experience points required to gain a level are always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table in Chapter 1, not on your level in a particular class. Thus, if you are an Acolyte 6/Fighter 1, you must earn enough XP to reach 8th level before you can take your second level as a Fighter or your seventh level as an Acolyte.

Hit Points and Hit Dice

You gain your new class’s hit points as described for levels after 1st. You gain a class’s 1st-level hit points only when you are a 1st-level character. You add the Hit Dice granted by all your classes together to form your pool of Hit Dice. If your Hit Dice are of the same type, you can simply pool them together. For example, a Fighter and a Hunter both have a d10, so if you are a Fighter 5/Hunter 5, you would have ten d10 Hit Dice. If your classes have Hit Dice of different types, track them separately. If you were a Hunter 5/Acolyte 5, for example, you would have five d10 Hit Dice and five d8 Hit Dice.

Proficiency Bonus

Your proficiency bonus is always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table in Chapter 1, not on your level in a particular class. For example, if you are a Fighter 3/Mercurial 2, you would have the proficiency bonus of a 5th-level character, which would be +3.

Proficiencies

When you gain a level in a class other than your first, you gain only some of the class’s starting proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclass Proficiencies table.

Class Features

When you gain a new level in a class, you gain its features from that level. Some features, however, have additional rules when you multiclass: Extra Attack, Unarmored Defense, and Spellcasting.

Extra Attack

If you gain the Extra Attack class feature from more than one class, the features do not stack. You cannot make more than two attacks with this feature unless it is specifically stated that you can (such as the Fighter version of Extra Attack).

Improved Defense

Bonuses from features that grant a bonus to your AC for Improved Defense do not add up, instead, you only receive the highest bonus or choose from the options that are available to you.

Unarmored Defense

If you receive the Unarmored Defense feature from another Class, you must choose between them.

Spellcasting

Your spellcasting ability depends partly on the combined levels of all your spellcasting classes and partly on the individual levels of those classes. If you have the Spellcasting feature from more than one class, use the rules below. If you multiclass but have the Spellcasting feature in only one class, you follow the rules described in that class.

Spells Known and Prepared. You determine which spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a member of a single class. If you are a Hunter 4/Arcane 3, for example, you know three 1st-level Hunter spells, based on your Hunter level. As a 3rd-level Arcane, you know three cantrips and six Arcane spells that can be used as either 1st or 2nd-level spells.

Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use that class’s spellcasting attribute when you cast the spell. Likewise, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for spells of the class associated with that focus.

Mana Points. You determine your mana points by adding together the mana points from all your classes that have the Spellcasting feature. If you have more than one spellcasting class, you can cast spells of a level equal to your highest maximum spell level. For example, if you are a Hunter 6/Arcane 3, you would add together the 9 Hunter mana points and the 10 Arcane mana points, for a total of 19 mana points. However, you do not know any 2nd-level Hunter spells.

Ki

If you choose to gain levels in Bodhisattva and Shaman, your Ki points are added together, for example, a Shaman 5/Bodhisattva 5 will have 7 Ki points for being a Shaman and 7 for being a Bodhisattva, totaling 14 points.

Vel Sutras. Vel spaces are added together, for example, if you are a Bodhisattva 10/Shaman 5, you will have a total of 8 Vel points (5 from Bodhisattva and 3 from Shaman).

Versatile Progression

Normally in Runarcana, upon earning enough experience to level up, a character advances a level in the same class and subclass they originally chose. Just as Multiclassing lets you gain levels in different classes, Versatile Progression also lets you do something different.

When a character earns enough experience to advance a level in a class, instead of advancing in the same class and subclass, or in another class, they may choose a new subclass from the same class they already have.

When this happens, the character progresses normally in their class level, but their subclass level becomes split between the subclasses they’ve chosen.

An example to illustrate this: take an 8th-level Arcane who chose the Fiery Glyph right at character creation. When this Arcane accumulates enough experience to advance to 9th level, they can choose to remain an Arcane, but instead of receiving the 9th-level benefits of the Fiery Glyph (if any exist), they can choose to advance that level by starting into the Effigy Glyph.

This way, they remain a 9th-level Arcane and receive all the class benefits tied to that level, but don’t gain access to the Fiery Glyph’s 9th-level features, gaining instead the Effigy Glyph’s 1st-level features.

When the choice is made this way, that character no longer uses “subclass features” based on the relevant class’s table, but instead bases them on the subclass level they have.

This way, upon advancing to 10th level, that character can advance either to the Fiery Glyph’s 9th level, or to the Effigy Glyph’s 2nd level, or even advance a level in another class, becoming multiclassed.

When Versatile Progression is chosen, the class level continues progressing normally; this way, an Arcane who follows this progression doesn’t become an Arcane 8/Arcane 1, but rather an Arcane 9.

As a suggestion, it isn’t recommended that more than two subclasses be advanced per class through Versatile Progression, since it creates substantial room for imbalance.

Tied to the Narrative

Although a GM can allow Versatile Progression without much complication, it’s important that, narratively, Versatile Progression has to be found or otherwise made possible before it’s chosen.

The narrative concept that enables Versatile Progression is that every subclass draws on a set of skills, knowledge, and training common to that class; this way, there’s no need to start the path over the way multiclassing requires.

While an Arcane who wants to become a Combatant needs to meet the necessary attribute prerequisites regardless of their level as an Arcane, and upon choosing multiclassing starts at Combatant level 1, Versatile Progression keeps the level, since all of the class’s “basic” training is already known to the character.

This difference reflects exactly the differences that exist between classes, whether in the type of training, or the set of knowledge and practices involved.

Just as with Multiclassing, Versatile Progression within a narrative should ideally arise from existing narrative devices. An Arcane who picks up a sword and trains alone every day, with no guidance at all, won’t reach Combatant level 1 the same way one with an instructor would.

The narrative device can vary widely, ranging from instruction by someone with the subclass in question, even at a lower class level, to an ancient scroll, a secret tome, or even the emanation of a powerful entity.

It’s important that the narrative built to enable Versatile Progression reflect this shift in the path initially chosen by the character. Their prior learning isn’t erased, but it doesn’t fully carry over toward reaching a level in the new subclass.

Costs in gold, equipment, or even the search for an instructor can be added as something necessary for this development to happen.

Additionally, if a subclass has a very particular regional theme, as is especially the case with the Bodhisattva class, the character may first need to encounter that possibility within the story before choosing levels in it.

Finally, some unwanted interactions can happen, such as overlapping subclass features that do the same thing, or that share a name but do something different. For these cases, the rule is that gaining the same feature twice doesn’t count as gaining an amplified or improved version of that feature. For this and other questions, the GM’s word should always be final.