Multi-classing in Beacon

While I've been converting NPCs to Beacon from AD&D, I've noticed the discrepancy between systems -- other versions of D&D use multi-classing. This won't be as difficult to handle in B/X and Original D&D modules, but the issue comes up with AD&D and, notably, D&D 3.x/Pathfinder. Beacon doesn't allow multi-classing, yet many modules have NPCs and adversaries who are multi-classed. I have had to grapple with how to handle something like this in converting the first module I converted to Beacon -- Grakhirt's Lair. In this post I'm going to discuss how I have approached it.

To begin with, I wouldn't allow players to multi-class in Beacon. It's technically possible. However, it's an easy way to inflate various skills and intrude on another PC's niche. Certainly, there could be a few fighters and those fighters might be spectacularly distinct from each other. I would nonetheless restrict multi-classing to avert skill inflation. I'm sure that there are a few ways that a group could handle it: The skill bonus in multi-classing is the only skill improvement you receive (i.e. they couldn't also receive a +1 to any skill of their choice when they choose to take a level in another class); Restrict multi-classing to only one other class; perhaps bar Savant as a class that can only be begun with (so as to limit the skill inflation). Indeed, multi-classing in this way might open up a way for the Paladin to exist (Fighter-Cleric). Those limitations might keep the game in balance, but there's another reason for the restriction: Beacon has much OSR flavoring. To be sure, there's multi-classing in AD&D, but the version of D&D that Beacon seems to strive to emulate (know that I don't have Todd Mitchell's word to back me up here) is Original or B/X D&D. In those versions of D&D there is no multi-classing. 

So to sum up, even though, provided the limitations above, multi-classing is possible, it may be worthwhile to restrict it for niche-protection, skill inflation, and the flavor of Old-School Basic D&D.

To the point of my post -- how I deal with multi-classing in modules I'm converting when I don't necessarily allow my players to pursue it -- I have usually dealt with them as monsters with special abilities. Many NPCs in Beacon are handled as monsters. An easy reference is the Human Commoner: HD 1d8 (5-8) AC 10 Dagger or sling (frankly, I'd revise that to club or sling). As the case-study for today's post I'll use the NPC I had described above -- Grakhirt.

Grakhirt, in AD&D1e terms, was a level 2 Assassin and a level 4 Illusionist. In Beacon, this would be Rogue and Enchanter. In the module, he was supposed to cast invisibility and then attempt an AD&D Assassination on one of the PCs (whichever one had been slaying the most near-goblins). I, consequently, gave Grakhirt Subterfuge and Knowledge as his highest skills. I gave Grakhirt the ability to cast spells as a fourth level Enchanter and the ability to sneak attack as a Beacon rogue. To represent the deadliness of AD&D assassination, I gave Grakhirt a rather high Subterfuge.
That's pretty much it. Basically, as most NPCs, treat the originally multi-classed adversary as a monster with special powers from a number of different sources. I imagine that this might be a no-brainer for most Beacon GMs, but I hope that the accompanying house rules on Multi-Classing in Beacon will also be helpful.