Old Skool Concepts with PF1 Rules: Fighter/Magic-Use/Thief (Patreon)

I have worked with the core d20-based game system behind the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 1st edition for more than 26 years, and with previous editions of those game mechanics for longer than that. I'm a big proponent of the PF1 rules... but sometimes I want to revel in ideas from older, more 'Old Skool' versions of the game. for example, older editions of the game handled multiclassing much differently, and as a result triple-class characters were not only viable, in many cases they were significantly stronger than single-class characters.

There’s good reason to move away from the way that rules edition handled the concept, but it does mean the fighter/magic-user/thief (an old-skool staple, especially for elves and half-elves) ceases to be an effective, easy class to build in Pathfinder 1st ed, and that’s kind of a shame. You can, of course, just take levels in fighter, rogue, and wizard. .. but it doesn't work well. The two biggest issues with that method is that your character can't have a mix of abilities at first level (which feels odd for characters who have a character history designed to explain why they have a smattering of magic, martial, and stealth training), and that it's hard to make such a character effective compared to single-classed characters or those that proceed into a complimentary prestige class.

However, with the advent of the magus, hybrid classes, and variant multiclassing rules, there’s no reason a balanced, fun, and effective fighter-wizard-rogue can’t be re-introduced into the game. The simple option to do this is to play a magus and use the variant multiclassing rules from Pathfinder Unchained to gain rogue abilities (or, of course, play a rogue and use the variant multiclassing to add magus abilities). Neither of those options creates a character with an equal balance of fighter, rogue, and wizard, but such builds are straightforward and effective.

The other option is to design a fighter-wizard-rogue hybrid class. I've designed numerous classes for d20 games, both as official additions in books from the games' publishers and as third-party offerings. Making a class that feels like a cohesive and effective combination of three classes without invalidating any of its parent classes is an interesting design challenge

But with creative application of the design rules, some way to avoid the pitfalls such multi-focus characters often suffer, and some careful balancing, it can be done. Such an effort is presented below. For extra flavor, a GM might consider limiting the class to half-elves... 

On Hybrid Class Names

Since this hybrid class is inspired by the fighter/magic-user/thief of previous editions of the fantasy game engine Pathfinder is built on, for the official class name I just updated those to Pathfinder class names, making it the Fighter/Wizard/Rogue. But that's not how Pathfinder hybrid classes are developed in the official game. The magus is clearly a fighter/wizard, and the warpriest even officially a cleric/fighter, but both classes still gets their own names.

So, for GMS/game groups that prefer to follow the official hybrid class naming convention, here are some options on what to call a fighter/wizard/rogue.

Caliburn, Curtana, Faegir, Firebrand, Galatine, Gwydion, Kunnigr, Tarnhelm, Tizona, Valiant, Virge

(Of COURSE the iconic Fighter-Wizard-Rogue is a half-elf! Art by Jacob Blackmon)

Class details.

Fighter/Wizard/Rogue

There are dozens of paths that lead some to seek to master three different areas of expertise at once, especially for those who want to excel in the realms of combat, spellcasting, and subterfuge. Some simply see focusing on any one realm of effectiveness as limiting, and prefer to be generalists than specialists. Among the longer-lived species, it's not uncommon for youthful interest in multiple areas to never fade, and training in a broad range of techniques to be seen as normal. And a not-insubstantial number of those who want to have a wide range of options are the children of adventurers who introduced their offspring to many secrets as they grew up, making it perhaps inevitable that the next generation would refuse to give up wanting to have it all.

Role: Fighter/wizard/rogues are flexible, and while they may never be the best in a specific type of conflict, they can directly aid their allies or face foes in a wide range of situations. Members of this class are highly sought after by groups that see themselves as having all the basic roles a group needs covered, but still want more members, as well as those so small that having someone cover multiple realms of expertise well enough is better than someone who is a maestro of one, but of little help in any others.

Hit Die: d8

Parent Classes: Fighter, Rogue, Wizard

Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills: The fighter/wizard/rogue’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all, each taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: Fighter/Wizard/Rogue SPELLS PER DAYLevel   BaB   Fort    Ref      Will 0-level  1st        2nd       3rd        Special

1          +0        +1        +1        +1         2          –           –           –          Broad training

2          +1        +1        +1        +1         2          –           –           –           Sneak attack +1 point, trapfinding

3          +2       +2       +2       +2        2          –           –           –           Knack

4          +3       +2       +2       +2        2          0          –           –           School (1st)

5          +3       +3       +3       +3        3          1          –           –           Sneak attack +1d4

6          +4       +3       +3       +3        3          1          –           –           Knack

7          +5        +3       +3       +3        3          1          0          –           Evasion

8          +6*      +4      +4        +4        3          1          1          –           Sneak attack +2d4

9          +6*      +4      +4        +4        4          2          1          –           Knack

10        +7*      +5      +5        +5        4          2          1          0          Uncanny dodge

11        +8*       +5       +5        +5        4          2          1          1          Sneak attack +3d4

12        +9*      +5       +5        +5        4          2          2          1          Knack

13        +9*      +6       +6        +6        4          3          2          1          Bravery +2

14        +10*    +6        +6        +6        4          3          2          1          Sneak attack +4d4

15        +11*    +7        +7         +7        4          3          2          2          Knack

16        +12*    +7        +7        +7        4          3          3          2          School (6th/8th)

17        +12*    +7        +7         +7        4          4          3          2          Sneak attack +5d4

18        +13*    +8        +8        +8        4          4          3          2          Knack

19        +14*    +8        +8        +8        4          4          3          3          Improved uncanny dodge

20        +15*    +9        +9        +9        4          4          4          3          Sneak attack +6d4

*The fighter/wizard/rogue receives iterative attacks as normal, the chart does not show them to simplify presentation

Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and light and medium armor. Because all your fighter/wizard/rogue spells are considered to have the Still Spell feat (see “Spells,” below), you can ignore arcane spell failure for spells cast from the fighter/wizard/rogue class list.

Spells: You cast spells drawn from the wizard spells list, and keep a spellbook, learn and prepare spells like a wizard, and gain 2 new spells known of a level you can cast at each new class level. Your caster level is equal to your class level. All your spells automatically gain the benefit of the Still Spell feat, allowing you to cast spells in armor without dealing with arcane spell failure, and while your hands are full (such as when using a 2-handed weapon).

Because of your training in methods of combat and the ways of stealth and subterfuge, your spells are powered less by how smart you are than by how nimble you are. To cast a spell, you must have a Dexterity of at least 10 + spell level, and the save DC of your spells is (10 + spell level + Dexterity bonus). And any calculation within a spell that uses Intelligence (or in your school, see below) is instead calculated using your Dexterity.

A fighter/wizard/rogue gains additional spells per day based on their Dexterity score.

Broad Training: You are considered to have a base attack bonus of +1, the ability to cast 1st level spells, and 1d6 of sneak attack, for purposes of meeting prerequisites and drawing a weapon as part of a move action when moving. You treat your class level as your fighter level, rogue level, and wizard level when meeting prerequisites (including feat prerequisites). If this is your favored class, you can take a racial favored class bonus appropriate to your race for fighter, rogue, or wizard at each level.

Although you do not have the armor training or weapon training class features, for purposes of prerequisites you are treated as having them if a fighter with a level equal to your class level had them (and of having them with the same bonus as a fighter of your class level when calculations use that information). For weapon training, you also select weapon groups it would have applied to, if you had it, for use with the Advanced Weapon Training feat, even though you do not actually gain the normal bonuses from weapon training with those groups.

Sneak Attack: As the rogue class feature, except when you first gain this ability it deals only +1 point of damage (though it qualifies for any sneak attack talent you select with your knack). This increases to +1d4 at 5th level, and by an additional 1d4 every 3 levels thereafter.

Trapfinding: As the rogue class feature.

Knack: At 3rd level, and every 3 level thereafter, you gain a bonus feat or talent that must be a combat feat, metamagic feat, item creation feat, or rogue talent. You must meet the selection’s prerequisites, and have any relevant class feature it modifies. Each time you gain a new knack, you may choose to learn a new knack in place of a knack you have already learned. In effect, you lose the knack in exchange for the new one. The knack cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, talent, or other ability. You can only change one knack at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the knack at the time you gain a new knack for the level.

School: At 4th level, you select one wizard school. You are not considered specialized in the associated school, and you do not pick opposition schools—this has no effect on how many spells per day you can prepare or your chance to learn spells of various schools. You do, however, gain the abilities from this school that a wizard gains at 1st level. Your class level acts as your wizard level for any calculations of these abilities.

At 16th level, you also gain any abilities from the school that a wizard would have by 8th level (regardless of what level the wizard would have gained them, if it is before 8th level).

Evasion: At 7th level you gain evasion, as the rogue class feature. It functions if you are in no armor, light armor, or medium armor.

Uncanny Dodge: At 10th level you gain uncanny dodge, as the rogue class feature. At 19th level this upgrades to improved uncanny dodge. Both functions if you are in no armor, light armor, or medium armor.

Bravery: At 13th level your gain bravery, as the fighter class feature, with a flat +2 bonus.

THE FIGHTER/SORCERER/ROGUE

Of course as soon as you allow a fighter/wizard/rogue class into a game, someone is bound to ask if there are fighter/sorcerer/rogues as well. It's perfectly reasonable to say "no," but for GMs who want to add such options (or even prefer them over the more Old Skoll fighter/wizard/rogue), it's actually a very simple alternate class.

Rather than a spellbook and preparing spells as a wizard. a fighter/sorcerer/rogue has spontaneous spells known and spells per day as listed below. A fighter/sorcerer/rogue is considered to have Still Spell on their class spell (and do not need to take extra time to apply that specific metamagic to spells).

Fighter/Sorcerer/RogueClass Spells Known Spells Per DayLevel 0-Level 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd1 1 - - - - - -2 1 - - - - - -3 1 - - - - - -4 1 - - - - - -5 1 - - - - - -6 2 1 - - 1 - -7 2 1 - - 1 - -8 2 1 1 - 1 1 -9 2 1 1 - 1 1 -10 3 1 1 1 2 1 111 3 2 1 1 2 1 112 3 2 1` 1 2 2 113 3 2 2 1 2 2 114 3 2 2 1 3 2 215 4 2 2 2 3 2 216 4 2 2 2 3 3 217 4 3 2 2 3 3 218 4 3 2 2 4 3 319 5 3 3 2 4 3 320 5 3 3 3 4 4 3

Knack: A fighter/sorcerer/rogue cannot select metamagic feats or item creation feats as knack selections. They can choose Eschew Materials and any feat listed with their bloodline (see bloodline, below).

Bloodline: A fighter/sorcerer/rogue does not gain a school, instead selecting a sorcerer bloodline at 4th level. You do not gain the spells of the bloodline as bonus spells. You do, however, gain the abilities (including the bloodline arcana) from this bloodline that a sorcerer gains at 1st level. Your class level acts as your sorcerer level for any calculations of these abilities.

At 16th level, you also gain any one ability of your choice from the bloodline that a sorcerer would have by 9th level (regardless of what level the sorcerer would have gained it).

The Old Skool ClassesThis list will expand as time goes on, and eventually I'll have a Pathfinder 1st Edition Index for paying patrons!

AnruthCleric/AssassinFighter/Magic-User/ThiefPaladin/Sorcerer