Whither the fighter/magic-user/thief?
Way back in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons days, multi-classing combinations were a wee perk for demihuman characters (dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, and half-elves) to compensate for the fact that they topped out at lower levels than human characters. Well, it was supposed to be some sort of even trade. Instead, AD&D multiclass characters got all the perks of their component classes and relatively few drawbacks. The chart topper was probably the fighter/magic-user/thief, which brought together the fighter's combat ability, the thief's skills, and the wizard's spellpower (sorry-- it's been so long, I just can't say "magic-user" with a straight face anymore). Armor, stealth, and fireballs? Yes please! It was a popular enough combination that the triple-threat became sort of an archetype of its own (though if it ever earned a common-use name like the gish, a fighter/magic-user, I never heard it).
Fast forward a couple decades, and here we are with 4th edition D&D. The designers dropped racial restrictions on class and level long ago, but multi-classing has also become less of a package deal. Swords and sorcery aren't as exclusive pursuits as they used to be, and anybody can train in the Thievery skill, but acquiring features outside the primary class's role requires a trade off. How then, using 4th edition rules, can I recreate the old triple-threat archetype of AD&D?
To start, I need to determine what qualities defined the fighter/magic-user/thief (FMUT?) for me, and then decide which features of 4th edition best represent them. Taking the component parts in order:
Fighter: The FMUT needs to be able to wear armor (at least chainmail), swing a sword, and stand toe-to-toe with foes for at least a couple rounds. Spare hit points would be a big help, but thanks to the variety of powers available, Strength is no longer the sole source of combat effectiveness. That's good, because the FMUT is going to face some severe multi-attribute dependency (or MAD, as they call it on the Character Optimization boards).
Magic-User: The FMUT needs to be able to cast spells-- some blasty, some esoteric. Happily, the arcane part of the build has only gotten easier to achieve in 4th edition. Armor-related spell failure is gone, and with a feat or two the FMUT can cast spells in every encounter. With Arcana skill training and the Ritual Caster feat, the FMUT gets access to a lot of the classic magic effects-- teleportation, divination, Tenser's floating disc. What will be tougher is deciding how much magic to incorporate.
Thief: The FMUT needs to be able to pick locks and pockets, sneak past people, and occasionally deal with traps. Backstabbing would be nice, but that's a secondary concern if the fighter aspect is up to par. As it happens, the Stealth and Thievery skills put most of the old standards in two handy baskets and runs off with them.
It's clear that I can get all the features I want, but the question is how to do it most effectively. The more powers and skills I can hang on the same ability or two, the less MAD will force me to spread my scores thin. The more features I can find in the same primary class, the fewer feats I'll have to spend picking up the balance. In the next few posts, I'll examine my options and see if I can develop an acceptable character.
