Can someone Explain Plz

[Jakhargrove]

:confused: OK so I'm not necessarily new to the game. Or this wonderful fantasy world either, i played most table tops. (Favorite= Pathfinder). Anyway their still things that i do not really understand. Such as these complex character builds, example- 2Monk/2Pal/16Bar . So i would hear someone say my Wizard with a splash of Monk. What exactly are the benefits of the "splashing?

[Demsac]

Bards and barbs can't splash with monk or paladin because bards and barbs can't be lawful while monks and paladins have to be lawful (paladins have to be lawful good)

If you take insightful reflex on wizard/2monk build you gain a really high reflex save for the evasion and 2x martial arts feats (toughness/dodge/increased reflex save), plus if you are centered 2 monk gives 4% dodge and then there's stances Earth for HP/PRR Water for Dodge/Saves.

[Rusty_Can]

What exactly are the benefits of the "splashing?

Multiclassing (aka "splashing") is quite a complex subject.

In short, you give up something to gain something else from another class. You can have up to 3 classes and some don't mix due to alignment restrictions. Benefits and drawbacks depend on classes (http://ddowiki.com/page/Classes) and their enhancements (http://ddowiki.com/page/Enhancements):
- some classes provide extra feats (fighter, monk, wizard, artificer, ranger);
- some others have unique abilities (e.g. Divine Grace (http://ddowiki.com/page/Divine_Grace));
- moreover, multiclassed characters can access the enhancement trees of all their classes; trees are class-level gated, but sometimes you can find useful stuff even with a couple of levels.

For instance, let's consider a pure lvl 20 wizard character and a lvl 18 wizard - 2 rogue one; multiclassing, you lose:
- 1 lvl 7, 1 lvl 8, 2 lvl 9 spell slots (ie you can load fewer spells);
- 2 caster levels: spell penetration checks will be harder; some spells will deal lower damage;
- 1 bonus feat;
- +2 INT from the class capstones (see enhancements);
OTOH, you gain:
- Evasion feat;
- 1d6 sneak-attack damage;
- full trap skills, provided you train Spot, Search and Disable Device: as a pure wizard, you could train only 11.5 ranks in Spot and Search and could not train at all Disable Device (which is a rogue and artificer only class skill); just one rogue (or artificer) level would unlock the Disable Device skill and, moreover, would allow training full ranks (23) in any rogue skill, such as Spot and Search.
- you can train full ranks in UMD skill, useful if you plan to use divine wands and scrolls.

Hope it helps.

[Drelak]

From PnP D&D 3.x edition perspective one major difference is the spell system.
Because You have spell points instead of spell slots/day, it is less important to stay pure as a caster.
You also don't get bonus spell slots from high stat, just spell points, and items give those too.
Your spell selection will be narrower, but you can repeat all your spells.
This all means that you have more versatility in your stat selection and less pressure to stay pure class.

On the other hand, the action oriented combat system makes all toons more likely to be exposed to all kind of dangers.
Thus the evasion is more useful in this game to anyone with high Ref saves.

There is also this aspect of more computer game - less role playing. No GM here will tell you that you are a muchkin.
There are no prestige classes to spice up your pure builds, enhancement trees serve that function.

And there are so many possible stacking STR bonuses that you do not have to worry about BAB at all.

I am actually glad that there is this 3 class hard limit. Without it the builds could get complicated :p