D&D 5E Multiclassing

[Valetudo]

Hiya!



I believe you are incorrect. Standard is the Random method (4d6, drop low, arrange to taste). Stat array, point buy, and everything else are the options. I don't have my book on hand atm, but I'm 90% certain thats what it is. It may be stat array for Adventure League, but the core game uses 4d6-L.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

What do they use in AL?

 

[Valetudo]

Ok so technicually both are standard. They even call it the standard array. You cant roll your stats for AL though.

 

[Caliban]

Hiya!



I believe you are incorrect. Standard is the Random method (4d6, drop low, arrange to taste). Stat array, point buy, and everything else are the options. I don't have my book on hand atm, but I'm 90% certain thats what it is. It may be stat array for Adventure League, but the core game uses 4d6-L.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

In 5e, both 4d6 (drop the lowest) and the standard array (if you don't want to roll) are given the default. The variant is point buy (the stats in the standard array can be achieved with point buy).

Adventure League allows either the standard array or point buy.

 

[marcelvdpol]

Multiclassing is IMHO not really a problem. It will delay some powerful things OR make some things completely unavailable (barbarian Capstone for example). However, what does happen is that certain combo's are relatively strong at certain levels (Fighter / Barbarian at level 4 for example) but this is usually only a temporary thing. The aforementioned Fighter / Barbarian for example will suffer at level 5 because he will not have the Extra Attack feature yet.

Something similar will also be true for casters; Iconic spells will be learned later (Fireball, Dispel Magic, Counterspell) than usual and some spells will/might not be available at all.

What can happen with Multiclassing and Feats together is characters which are super-specialisted in certain things while being completely crap at other things. It has its own challenges as a DM; picking the party apart in an encounter designed to challenge them where they are weakest is a nice challenge for the DM.

I personally don't have an issue with Multiclassing myself, but if you don't want those super-specialized characters then the easiest way is simply not to allow Multiclassing.

 

[orderofthings]

I only request that players who multiclass base or on a character decision. The ranger spent the between-campaign-downtime studying with Reidoth, hence the druid dip. When the party fighter told me he was thinking about dipping into Rogue, he also started role playing his fighter just a little more rogue-ishly. When he levels up, the rogue level will make sense from a character perspective, as he is just the type of dude who might learn to sneak attack.
If the Paladin wanted to go Warlock, I would tell him to hold up. How? Why? I would look for opportunity, motive, does he have characteristics that make this seem natural?
If the player says "i just want those cantrips!" It's a no. Lay down some in-game groundwork first, demonstrate your character going in that direction through role playing or downtime usage or something. People in the real world don't usually just pick up some unrelated skill randomly. If a magic user is going to dip a level into fighter, i want to see them working out and training with the battlemaster during long rests. BEFORE they multiclass.

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[dco]

Bad idea, in my opinion it is a bad patch for something the system lacks, flexibility to build your character.

 

[Blue]

Bad idea, in my opinion it is a bad patch for something the system lacks, flexibility to build your character.

Can you expand on that? Why is it a bad patch? It almost seems like you don't like multiclassing because you don't like single-classing and want freeform character creations. Which is fine, but can you say why it's a bad idea within the framework of the existing rules?

 

[steenan]

I'm not dco, but I share his viewpoint, so I think I may try to explain it.

Why have classes instead of a freeform system? There are a few good reasons:

• Classes allow for easy character creation with no system mastery necessary. All choices that need to be made are described in the class and, if it's designed correctly, all combinations of such choices result in a good characters.
• There are some archetypes important for the game - basing classes on them ensures that PCs will be relevant to the type of stories the game is intended for.
• Each class can be designed as a whole and, because of that, is much easier to properly balance than a freeform system where all combinations of abilities must be taken into account.

But then, by adding multiclassing, we lose most of these advantages.

The number of possible combinations increases very significantly compared to pure classes, but the entire structure is much more complicated than in a pointbuy or slot-based freeform system, so it is even harder to balance. The archetypes are mixed in a way that often takes meaning from them. And while one can argue that it's still possible to create a simple character by using a single class, the same can be gained in a freeform system by introducing templates for people who want simple chargen.

TL;DR: It's not about classless system being better than one with classes or vice versa. Multiclassing combines disadvantages of both with no significant gain.

 

[hejtmane]

4d6L is not the standard. Stat arry is the standard.

Yes it is unless they changed the players hand book page 13 straight from the book

 

[Celtavian]

Paladin and warlock are the two most powerful multiclass combos with fighter a close third. Those are the three classes that allow for the most powerful combinations. Paladin for smiting, warlock for multiple reasons but mainly eldritch blast with charisma bonus damage and short rest renewable spell slots, and fighter for action surge and easy access to heavy armor and all weapons with a fighting style. Multiclassing provides more power at lower level and is a relative non-factor at higher level. If you don't plan to play to a very high level, you'll definitely feel multiclassing. Wizard/Fighters in heavy armor. Smiting bards or clerics with lots of slots. And warlocks in heavy armor with a powerful, unlimited ranged spell attack or paladins with a powerful unlimited ranged attack and smiting. Warlock/paladin can be quite nasty.

If you can handle the power bump, it is a lot more fun for your players because you can build mechanically more interesting characters.