The only subclass I ever play without multiclassing is Bladesinger Wizard.
With a Bladesinger slowing down your ASIs, spell progression and increasing the time you get to level 6 and 10 (which are two of the best subclass features in the game), make it a very high price to pay .... although I do multiclass them simetimes too, with a a 4-level Rogue dip or 1-level Warlock dip being most common. I am about to play a bladesinger with a 4-level Cavalier dip, we will see how that goes.
With everything else I can always find advantages a 1-level dip that will provide solid, objective benefits at some point over slowing you down - Rogues get expertise, skills and proficiencies, fighters and Rangers get martial weapons, Warlocks, Clerics and Sorcerers get subclass abilities and Barbarians get Rage. Other than a bladesinger it is hard to find a case where your character would not be substantially better with one of those at a minimum at some point in your career.
People claim that slowing the progression to level 5 for either multiattack or 5th level spells will make your character far worse, but I find that is not generally true. On a 1-level dip it will hurt a character at 5th level, but generally be better at level 2-4 and better again at level 6+. I also find even at 5th level, when the dispartiy is greatest, cantrips can cover a substantial part of the ground you are losing with extra attack.
The most common secondary classes for me are Rogue, Warlock (undead or fathomless) or Shadow Sorcerer, with a 1-level dip being most common.
Shadow Sorcerer in particular will let you have your cake and eat it too with Human giving awesome darkvision to cover that glaring gap, while also getting a full caster level, 4 cantrips, 2 spells and a save against going to 0hps all on a 1 level dip.
If you are playing in a campaign with water or swimming a fathomless is almost a must on a non-aquatic race. I can take another level in fighter and look for potions of water breathing and grab a spear so I am not swinging my maul at disadvantage and I still will move at half speed ..... or I can take a single level in fathomless, breath water, swing my maul no problem and have a higher speed in water than on land PLUS the spells and cantrips of a 1-level Warlock? Hex me up!
If you are playing a melee build Undead Warlock form of dread for free temp hps plus a fear ability and a short rest spell slot on a 1-level dip is great.
Here are some of the coolest and most thematic 1-level or 2-level dips I have played:
Sailor Background Fathomless Warlock 1/Tempest Cleric
Haunted One Damphir Shadow Sorcerer 1/Undead Warlock (Strahd Patron)
Renegade female Drow Undead Warlock 2/Bladesinger (Kiearansalee Patron)
Human Rogue 1/Rune Knight (human grappler build with expertise in Athletics and tavern brawler)
Goblin Rogue 1/Fey Wanderer Ranger
Some of the most mechancially powerful multiclassess I played for their levels (levels at game end). These all had race and class features that are highly complimentary.
Arcane Trickster 4/Bladesinger 11
Mountain Dwarf Enchantment Wizard 6/Order Cleric 9 (caster in plate with a 10 Strength, 20 Wisdom, used hypnotic gaze and then cast enchantments as a bonus action, also had dissonant whispers on a wisdom save through Fey Touched)
Dragonborn Fey Wanderer Ranger 11/Whispers Bard 4 (Dragon Fear, Fey Reinforcements, Beguiling Twist)
With a Bladesinger slowing down your ASIs, spell progression and increasing the time you get to level 6 and 10 (which are two of the best subclass features in the game), make it a very high price to pay .... although I do multiclass them simetimes too, with a a 4-level Rogue dip or 1-level Warlock dip being most common. I am about to play a bladesinger with a 4-level Cavalier dip, we will see how that goes.
With everything else I can always find advantages a 1-level dip that will provide solid, objective benefits at some point over slowing you down - Rogues get expertise, skills and proficiencies, fighters and Rangers get martial weapons, Warlocks, Clerics and Sorcerers get subclass abilities and Barbarians get Rage. Other than a bladesinger it is hard to find a case where your character would not be substantially better with one of those at a minimum at some point in your career.
People claim that slowing the progression to level 5 for either multiattack or 5th level spells will make your character far worse, but I find that is not generally true. On a 1-level dip it will hurt a character at 5th level, but generally be better at level 2-4 and better again at level 6+. I also find even at 5th level, when the dispartiy is greatest, cantrips can cover a substantial part of the ground you are losing with extra attack.
The most common secondary classes for me are Rogue, Warlock (undead or fathomless) or Shadow Sorcerer, with a 1-level dip being most common.
Shadow Sorcerer in particular will let you have your cake and eat it too with Human giving awesome darkvision to cover that glaring gap, while also getting a full caster level, 4 cantrips, 2 spells and a save against going to 0hps all on a 1 level dip.
If you are playing in a campaign with water or swimming a fathomless is almost a must on a non-aquatic race. I can take another level in fighter and look for potions of water breathing and grab a spear so I am not swinging my maul at disadvantage and I still will move at half speed ..... or I can take a single level in fathomless, breath water, swing my maul no problem and have a higher speed in water than on land PLUS the spells and cantrips of a 1-level Warlock? Hex me up!
If you are playing a melee build Undead Warlock form of dread for free temp hps plus a fear ability and a short rest spell slot on a 1-level dip is great.
Here are some of the coolest and most thematic 1-level or 2-level dips I have played:
Sailor Background Fathomless Warlock 1/Tempest Cleric
Haunted One Damphir Shadow Sorcerer 1/Undead Warlock (Strahd Patron)
Renegade female Drow Undead Warlock 2/Bladesinger (Kiearansalee Patron)
Human Rogue 1/Rune Knight (human grappler build with expertise in Athletics and tavern brawler)
Goblin Rogue 1/Fey Wanderer Ranger
Some of the most mechancially powerful multiclassess I played for their levels (levels at game end). These all had race and class features that are highly complimentary.
Arcane Trickster 4/Bladesinger 11
Mountain Dwarf Enchantment Wizard 6/Order Cleric 9 (caster in plate with a 10 Strength, 20 Wisdom, used hypnotic gaze and then cast enchantments as a bonus action, also had dissonant whispers on a wisdom save through Fey Touched)
Dragonborn Fey Wanderer Ranger 11/Whispers Bard 4 (Dragon Fear, Fey Reinforcements, Beguiling Twist)
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