D&D 3.5 Favored Class Alternative?

[Necrosnoop110]

My group hates the Favored Class rule as it stands. They don't like the idea of restricting or reducing access to different classes. Anyone have any houserules that keeps the spirit of certain races having predilections but without penalties?

Thanks,
Necro

[Chemus]

First option is to make it completely a Fluff thing; dipping multiclass elves who aren't wizards would be seen as unusual, either exceptional or eccentric (or crazy, if they're not rich/powerful). Other elves would be ruder, or just always ask 'why the hell?' Non-elves would racistly lump the non-wizard in with all the other elf wizard stereotypes, etc.

Consider that Racial ACF's exist; perhaps that's enough on its own to flavor your popcorn?

Perhaps consider a small bonus for the favored class; +5% or somesuch... it rankles less to lose a bonus, and multiclassing hurts a lot less that way.

TheChrisWaits on BG Board had an interesting idea of favored archetypes. Just look at similar base classes and group them for what looks like what the race would see as similar to its favored class.

[faeryn]

Treat any class that has a racial substitution as favored for that race. Treat classes that are based along the same concept as the races listed favored class as favored...


For example:
Changelings - Favored Class Rogue - Racial Substitutions Rogue, Wizard, & Psion
treat all of the following as Favored: Rogue, Spellthief, Lurk, Wizard, Psion, & all other rogue-like classes.

If feel this is still too restrictive, you can expand it to treat classes similar to racial substitution classes as favored as well, thus including Sorcerer, Erudite, Wilder, & maybe Archivist.


Alternatively you can simply ignore the multiclass penalties all together and either ignore favored classes as a result, or offer a bonus of some kind for racial classes...

[nijineko]

My group hates the Favored Class rule as it stands. They don't like the idea of restricting or reducing access to different classes. Anyone have any houserules that keeps the spirit of certain races having predilections but without penalties?

Thanks,
Necro

there is a feat that allows you to swap out your favored class. as a dm, i always allowed it for free if there was a decent backstory reason for it. (such as mixed parentage in ancestry or some such.)

[ksbsnowowl]

You could always go the Pathfinder route.  Each level at which you take the racial favored class, you gain a small benefit.  Pathfinder gives you the choice of either a bonus Hit Point or a bonus skill point.  You can decide independently for each level in which it occurs.  So at 20th level you could have 20 bonus hit points, or 20 bonus skill points, or any combination in-between.

[Necrosnoop110]

You could always go the Pathfinder route.  Each level at which you take the racial favored class, you gain a small benefit.  Pathfinder gives you the choice of either a bonus Hit Point or a bonus skill point.  You can decide independently for each level in which it occurs.  So at 20th level you could have 20 bonus hit points, or 20 bonus skill points, or any combination in-between.

I like that one. Thanks!