Old-School D&D style game

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I wouldn't say that anyone in my game has felt that he was required to 'multi-class' as such, if his original concept didn't call for it.

Sir Michael Carragher* was conceived as a warrior with some wilderness survival, mountaineering and archery. In D&D terms, he would probably have been a Fighter with a level of Ranger or something. In Dungeon Fantasy terms, a junior Knight with maybe a lens for Scout or Barbarian.

This was back when he was a tall but gangling 150 point tyro swordsman who went to the Big City for the first time and met his cousin Murlak, launching their famous adventuring careers.

Murlak Solstice, meanwhile, was a young, but promising swashbuckling rogue and con man who belonged to the Thieves' Guild in the city. In D&D terms, most certainly a Rogue or Thief, depending on edition. In Dungeon Fantasy terms, either a Thief or the Rogue from Pyramid #64.

Some 1,200+ points later, Sir Michael Carrager is still, in D&D terms, a Fighter with a level or two of Ranger. He is an accredited knight, has followers, owns land where he is building a castle and settling farmers and villagers and he's marrying a titled noblewoman, but he remains a recognisable Knight in DF terms and a Fighter in D&D terms.

Murlak Solstice is most certainly still a Rogue or Thief, but if we were to imagine him in terms of D&D multi-classing, we might find some Prestige Classes to model his swashbuckling fencing and command of a privateer ship** (Duellist? Swashbuckler? Dread Pirate?) and his plutocratic power in the setting (Merchant Prince).

That points out a tendency of high-level play, actually. A Warrior, Fighter or Knight can remain a Warrior, Fighter or Knight at high power-levels, but should probably aim to become a general, condottieri, warlord or feudal lord as well, something to allow him to lead other men into battle. A Thief or Rogue would do well to become a more subtle mover-and-shaker in the world, either in the underworld, the legitimate business world or both.

*Who oringally went by the name Brash Mickey and still answers to that in private.
**As well as, ah, that whole 'secret pirate alter ego' and command of a pirate fleet after defeating their previous pirate lord.

It sounds like you're talking about their significant social advantages, but earlier you seemed to be saying you weren't even counting those towards the 1000 points. Of course DF doesn't really consider social advantages (other than Ally)...but I could see how huge levels of Reputation, Wealth, large groups of Allies, etc. might add up to a lot.