D&D 5E Warlock Spell Slots and Multiclassing

Allistar1801 · Jul 21, 2019

So, I don't actually know how pact magic interacts with spellcasting. The wording on the pact magic is a bit weird to me and I'm not sure how to interpret it, so I figured I would ask here. Sorry for the stupid questions in advance

1) If I multiclassed into wizard, what happens to the slot from the warlock level? For example lets keep it basic and say I'm warlock-1/wizard-1. I get 2 1st level slots from wizard, so what happens with the warlock slot? Would it be another 1st level slot that can only be used on warlock spells or does it not work like that at all?

2) Can I use my wizard spell slots to cast warlock spells? If I were to go further into wizard than warlock, could I use my 2nd or 3rd level spell slots to cast a warlock spell? On the other hand, can I use that warlock spell slot to cast spells from my wizard spell list?

3) Does the warlock spell slot still regenerate on a short rest? This makes a slight difference in the case that #2 is true and you can effectively gain an extra spell slot in addition to the arcane recovery feature from wizard

4) How do the spells known translate? Keeping with the example, if I started out as a warlock and multiclassed into wizard, would I get the 6 starting spells from the wizard's spell list for being a level 1 wizard, or does that change since I'm multicalssing into wizard and thus get less spells.

Flamestrike · Jul 21, 2019

Have you read the Multiclassing section of the PHB? It answers all these questions.

A Wizard 1/ Warlock 1 has:

2 Wizard spell slots, that refresh on a Long rest.
1 Warlock spell slot, that refreshes on a Short rest.

His Spells known are his Wizard spells (as a 1st level Wizard) and his Warlock spells (as a 1st level Warlock).

He can cast his spells known through either class through spell slots gained from either class. They're interchangeable.

Sorcerers Apprentice · Jul 21, 2019

You can use warlock slots to cast wizard spells and vice-versa. Apart from that spells known, spell slot recovery etc. are separate for each class and work exactly the same way as for a single class wizard or warlock at the level you have in each class.

Allistar1801 · Jul 21, 2019

I have never really looked at the warlock, but I have done multiclassing in the past. The thing that confused me is the wording on the pact magic section of the multiclassing section. It doesn't help that this will only have been the 2nd caster I've ever played.

Paul Farquhar · Jul 21, 2019

If you are not experienced in playing casters, is it necessary to multiclass? Could you not make do with the Magic Adept feat?

Wizard/Warlock isn't a good combination, since if you use a warlock slot your casting stat is CHA, but if you use a Wizard slot your casting stat is INT.

Sorcerer/Warlock works better.

FarBeyondC · Jul 21, 2019

Allistar1801 said:
1) If I multiclassed into wizard, what happens to the slot from the warlock level? For example lets keep it basic and say I'm warlock-1/wizard-1. I get 2 1st level slots from wizard, so what happens with the warlock slot? Would it be another 1st level slot that can only be used on warlock spells or does it not work like that at all?

Pact Magic spell slots are different from normal Spellcasting spell slots, and thus the multiclass into wizard has no effect on the spell slot gained from warlock. A multiclassed 1st level warlock / 1st level wizard would have a total of three 1st level spell slots (two from the Spellcasting feat and one from the Pact Magic feature), all of which can be used to cast a 1st level spell from either the warlock class or the wizard class.

Allistar1801 said:
2) Can I use my wizard spell slots to cast warlock spells? If I were to go further into wizard than warlock, could I use my 2nd or 3rd level spell slots to cast a warlock spell? On the other hand, can I use that warlock spell slot to cast spells from my wizard spell list?

So long as the spell (for either class) is of the appropriate level for the spell slot (Pact Magic spell slot or Spellcasting spell slot), you can use the spell slot from either pool to cast it.

Allistar1801 said:
3) Does the warlock spell slot still regenerate on a short rest? This makes a slight difference in the case that #2 is true and you can effectively gain an extra spell slot in addition to the arcane recovery feature from wizard

All warlock Pact Magic spell slots are regained on a short rest.

Allistar1801 said:
4) How do the spells known translate? Keeping with the example, if I started out as a warlock and multiclassed into wizard, would I get the 6 starting spells from the wizard's spell list for being a level 1 wizard, or does that change since I'm multicalssing into wizard and thus get less spells.

Nothing changes with regards to spells known.

To be more precise, when determining spells known (and spells prepared), you prepare the spell list for each class separately. Which is to say, using your multiclass, that you get all 6 starting spells from the wizard class and all 2 starting spells from the warlock class.

Allistar1801 · Jul 21, 2019

Paul Farquhar said:
If you are not experienced in playing casters, is it necessary to multiclass? Could you not make do with the Magic Adept feat?

Put simply playing casters isn't complected for me (at least not for my playstyle). Their spells and everything are pretty self explanatory, the spell slot system is fine, and I have experience in almost every other class. The thing is, as I have said 3 times now the pact magic section in the multiclass area threw me off with it's strange choice of wording and I wanted to double check. I'm happy to see that it works as I thought it did.

As for why not just take magic adept and instead go for a warlock and wizard multiclass "Because I think it will be fun". My playgroup and also my weird patchwork playstyle of support/debuff/control provide for unconventional combos. (also for my playstyle and personal tastes, sorc is not what I'm looking for)