Gestalt and Dichotomous Characters

Best suited for smaller parties, gestalt and dichotomous Characters are two separate variant rules that have some conceptual overlap. Gestalt focuses on a character having two classes simultaneously, while, dichotomous focuses on having one class, with two archetypes. If either—or Ashla forbid, both—of these concepts sound intriguing to you, consider the following variant rules.

Gestalt Characters

As indicated above, gestalt characters level in two classes simultaneously. They gain all of the proficiencies and features of each class, with following adjustments.

Experience Gain

Because a character is leveling in two classes simultaneously, the amount of experience that character should require to gain a level should double. For instance, going from 2nd level to 3rd requires 600 experience points. For a gestalt character, it instead requires 1,200.

Hit Points and Hit Dice

If a character chooses two classes with different sized Hit Dice, they should take the average of the two Hit Die sizes (rounded down), and they don't add the Hit Dice together. For instance, if a gestalt character chooses to level in consular, who has a d6 Hit Die, and guardian, who has a d10 Hit Die, that character would have a d8 Hit Die. If the player chooses consular and sentinel, who has a d8 Hit Die, however, their Hit Die would be a d6, since that would be the average of the two Hit Die sizes rounded down.

Starting Proficiencies and Equipment

For starting proficiencies and equipment, what you receive varies:

Saving Throws. You choose the saving throw pair offered by either class. You cannot mix-and-match, and you do not get both.

Skills. You choose the skills offered by one of your classes. You cannot mix-and-match, and you do not get both.

Weapons, Armor, and Tools. You gain the weapons, armor, and tool proficiencies for both classes.

Starting Equipment. You gain the starting equipment—or starting wealth—for either class. You cannot mix-and-match, and you do not get both.

Ability Score Increases

When a gestalt character reaches 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, they gain the Ability Score Improvement feature in both classes. At each of these levels, that character should only gain this feature once, instead of twice. Alternatively, you can give them the full +2 Ability Score Improvement from one class, and a feat from the other, as with the ASI and a Feat variant rule.

Force- and Tech-Casting

If a character chooses two classes that both have force- or tech-casting, they use the following adjustments:

• They determine their Max Power Level as if they were multiclassing. If the potential Max Power Level of the two classes combined would exceed 9, however, they instead use the fullcasting Max Power Level progression present on the Multiclass Max Power Level table.
• They add the force or tech points from both classes together.
• They learn their powers separately by class, as with multiclassing, and those powers are restricted by that class's native Max Power Level regardless of their gestalt Max Power Level.

If a character chooses two classes with opposing casting, they ignore these rules. For instance, if a gestalt character levels as consular and scout, force- and tech-casting are treated separately as determined by their class.

Overlapping Features

If two classes receive features that overlap, and aren't otherwise mentioned, it's up to the GM to determine how those features interact.

Multiclassing

Gestalt Characters are not suitable for multiclassing.

Dichotomous Characters

Instead of your character leveling in two classes simultaneously, you can have your character level in one class, but with two archetypes from that class.

When a character reaches third level, they gain an archetype of their choice for their chosen class. Using this variant, they instead can choose two. At each level within that class that they would gain archetype features, they gain the features for both archetypes. If archetypes offer features that conflict, it's up to the GM to determine how those features interact.

Alternatively, you can have a dichotomous character choose the features of only one archetype at a given level, rather than both, allowing the player to mix and match archetype features.

Multiclassing

If a dichotomous character multiclasses, and reaches third level in two or more classes, it's up to the GM to determine whether they gain multiple archetypes in each class, or only in one.

Gestalt and Dichotomous

Gestalt and dichotomous characters, since they impact only certain parts of the character generation experience, work seamlessly together. Simply follow the rules associated with gestalt characters, including the restriction on multiclassing, and allow them to choose two archetypes in each class at 3rd level.