Split Personalities, The Art of the Hybrid - Part 1

Without a doubt, the Hybrid system in 4th Edition is one of the most complicated and confusing parts of the system. It's the one character option that has one of three outcomes: you fulfill one role very well, fill two roles but master neither, or you become completely useless.

The creators of the system even state this in the Player's Handbook 3:

"Because character classes aren't designed to be broken down and recombined in this way, not every hybrid is equally effective. Different combinations of roles, key ability scores., types of attacks, and other elements can result In different degrees of efficacy."

In the next few articles, I'll break down hybrid characters the way I make them, and I hope that this will give you a better understanding of the system.


Why Hybrids? - A History

It's no secret that 4th Edition DnD has fewer options for character building then 3.5 did. This is mostly because of how new the system is. Back when the second player's handbook was released, there were only a handful of classes and races to choose from. Players hated being stuck to such few options, and the game's current multi-classing system was considered weak at best.

In an attempt to create more "unique" character classes, Wizards created the hybrid class: a combination of two classes split down the middle and stuck together. While the system wasn't perfect, many critics loved how complex some of the characters became to play.

Some, however, just find the system confusing.


The Hybrid Basics:

To make an effective hybrid, you need to focus on a few things. First off, what do you want your character to do? Pure striker, controller or defender? Maybe you want to tank a little, but can throw the occasional heal in there? Maybe you want to be a heavy-armored caster who can hold the line, or a magical assassin who's all about the damage? Am effective character concept is a very necessary step.

But how do you know if what you've created effective, or even viable? While we'll go into each step of hybrid creation over the next few weeks, here are the main things you'll want to look at:

• Matching Ability Scores - Make sure that both classes use similar stats, if not the same ones.
• Compatible Class Abilities - If one of your classes benefits from the use of Arcane powers, choosing a martial class as your second wouldn't be optimal.
• Gear Dependence - Remember that while weapon proficiency stacks, armor does not; mixing a Paladin and a Sorcerer can be a powerful combo, but if you want to wear that plate armor, you'll need to be willing to spend a feat.

We'll talk about each of these in detail next week!