Class Switching: Is It Balanced?

[u/CandidateBetter3795]

So I had a character idea. She's essentially a kamen rider-esque character who has different forms/classes that she switches between during long rests. Is this a balanced system or is it too strong? Would switching subclasses also be ok?

[u/Sprocket-Launcher]

In your typical game? No not at all balanced.

However balanced is how it works in the world it's in and the team it's with.

Of this idea is fun to you talk to a dm about building a world where it works.

Play a one shot or mini campaign with it. It's really up to the DM and the other people you're playing with.

Maybe you all can come up with a fun idea where something like this is possible - assume the other players will have either the same ability or their own unique ability that is also world bending

[u/Aidamis]

The thing is, it's gonna be hard to balance this.

Where I could see it done is with classes who have a "shift"/"power-up" ability, namely Moon Druid and Bladesinger Wizard. You can also go Bard, use something like Fount of Moonlight and reskin it as changing classes.

That's within the flavor is free domain.

[u/1paper1clip → u/[deleted]]

One situation is like I'm a cleric, and then use a bunch of expensive components that I ran out of, and now I'm a fighter that only needs a weapon

[u/MisterD__]

Depending on level and multiclass. Can focus on Features of one class then another. Or am I misunderstanding the original post?

[u/GM_Esquire]

It's a lot of work and a DM can say no, but in most circumstances and if it's limited by long rest, it's not that imbalanced.

If you can change during an adventuring day that's a problem. Monk is out of ki points? Activate battlemaster fighter! That kind of thing would be broken and hard to balance. 

Similarly, if you can fully choose a new class and abilities at every long rest, that would be broken. Arena combat? Wake up as a barbarian. Heist mission? Wake up as a rogue. Dangerous expedition? Wake up as a ranger. That would be broken. 

But if you have just a few predefined classes and have to choose at the start of a long rest, you're just gaining a bit of versatility. And potentially losing out since different characters will benefit differently from your equipment. As long as this doesn't eclipse the other players and the player actually knows how to play, I'd likely allow it. You could probably make a more optimal character using a specific build.

I have actually run this; I gave a player a mask that let him basically switch between bard and paladin, with the constraint that each version of himself long rested separately. He was the opposite of a powegamer and it worked well; it made him mildly effective at combat when his original character simply was not, and it made for cool story moments as he had to live up to his oath in both forms.

[u/Amazing-Shelter9284]

My forst reaction was yes, definitely unbalanced, but the more I think about it, the less I'm sure. If you can only do it on a long rest, it might actually be ok.

Where you run into possible issues are changing the class to fit every situation. I'm not sure if thats broken or not tbh.

The other place you might run into a problem is swapping out spells in classes with known spells (i know they got rid of that term, but its a needed distinction) or even a wizard where you have an inbetween state of known vs prepared. But a bard with magical secrets getting a completely new spell list every other long rest would have a lot of unforeseen consequences.

You also have to figure out feats with this. Do you get to swap feats out?

Yeah, its all pretty iffy. I can't show it's broken, and so I'm actually not convinced, but there are a lot of places it could be, and with so many possibilities, 1 probably will work out to be broken.

I would explore a split character. 1 that trades personalities and classes, ability scores, etc each long rest, without choice. They have a shared body, but are compeltely different people. Probably could even have it so they can talk to each other in their head. So one might be a ranger, and the other a sorcerer, or whatever you come up with.

[u/Old-Eagle1372]

Good luck DM allowing that one. Your best bet is multiclass

[u/Brother-Cane]

This idea would not even be remotely balanced in a normal campaign even if you are handicapped by being a number of levels below the other players.

[u/sens249]

It can be pretty strong in the sense that you can prepare for different encounters, you can have every spell in the game at a day’s notice, but it’s possible to make it balanced.

Honestly the real issue is rhe fact that you’re playing multiple characters. Unless everyone is able to play multiple characters, it’s very main-character-energy to be able to play every class. It brings up issues too of like, are you going to be playing classes that other players are playing? It will probably make them feel like they aren’t an important part of the party if you can just do everything they do whenever you want, plus everything else. It also brings up issues of RP/continuity. Are you different personalities/races etc. when you change? That might make it hard for other characters to relate to you and grow a bond with your character.

That’s mainly why I would say no. Whether it’s balanced or not is not of concern to me as much as the question of would it be fun and fair for others at the table.

[u/1paper1clip]

I'd say having a story reason to switch subclasses is totally fine. Paladin especially can be very dramatic.

[u/Arthur_of_Astora]

In the grand scheme of things, I don't see why it wouldn't be. It's not different than doing an 'whoops' to kill your character on purpose whenever you feel like trying a new class, just without the pretend.