D&D 5E To MC or not MC? That is the question!

[LordEntrails]

I don't like 'optimizers'. I could care less if a character is optimized or not, I just don't like players who are obsessed with DPR or having the absolute 'best' character.

Fortunately, no one I have had join my games or other players at games I have joined have been that way in a few decades. So, I pretty much let players play anything they want, with the understanding that if it impacts the fun of the other players changes will be made.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If it's done in a way that makes sense with the story then I'm okay with it. I multi
classed my battle master with cleric because our cleric and paladin are absent a lot of the time. But it also made sense narratively and my DM made me work for it with a mini quest to obtain my holy symbol.

That’s how I am. I don’t ban multiclassing, but it has to have an in game reason. You can’t just decide all the sudden to take a level dip in a class unless your character has had some sort of exposure in the game to explain why they suddenly have those skills.

 

[Jediking]

My last two characters (usually I DM) were both multiclasses:
Triton Ranger 5/Bard 1 (killed at lvl 6). A true pirate, who could mix it up in melee and add support

Tortle Fighter 5/Druid 4 (currently playing). The spore+champion subclasses makes him a dangerous melee character, with an array of support spells


i’ve enjoyed them both and havenot found them to be out of balance with the other 5 characters, all of whom are single-classed

 

[Minigiant]

Multiclassiing allowed in both the game I play and run.

Maybe one out of six actually do it in campaigns. Too much of a power hit until it starts flowing. The flavor benefits aren't worth the power hit.
That number doubles in one shots though.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Need to make it so that if the player starts talking about multiclassing a devil appears right in front of them in a puff of smoke and says to the character "Sure. Just sign here on the dotted line".

but then they'd get mad about you interfering with their character.

 

[Iry]

but then they'd get mad about you interfering with their character.

"Ahh, but that would take years of training... or you could just... borrow the training of someone else."
The devil holds up a flickering gemstone, the image of a skilled swordfighter waging battle inside.
"You'd even be doing him a favor... Give an old soldier a break, eh?"

 

[Fanaelialae]

My players only occasionally multiclass. I have a house rule to the effect that, barring special exceptions, you cannot multiclass unless it is with a class you took your first 3 levels in. So a pure fighter 3 is likely to be all fighter for the rest of the campaign. Whereas someone who starts as Bard 1/Sorcerer 1/Warlock 1 could level in any of those 3 classes on leveling.

We usually start at level 3, so in those games you have to decide on your multiclassing at the start. This minimizes dips, since, unlike the case where you wait for a lull in your primary class to dip, you're paying the cost upfront, delaying the acquisition of higher level abilities in exchange for the opportunity. I also prefer this from an in-world perspective, since I never liked that an 18 Int wizard had to study magic for years to reach 1st level, but the 13 Int fighter can do it in a few days (even with tutoring that doesn't make sense).

Special exceptions are events that unlock an opportunity to multiclass due to campaign events. For example, fulfilling a quest for a particular god might grant you the blessing to become a cleric of that deity without requiring the training. Being ressurected by an angel might allow you to make a pact to become a celestial pact warlock. If a great repository of knowledge were "downloaded" into a character's brain, I'd probably allow that PC to take levels of wizard. So on and so forth.

 

[Horwath]

Multiclassing for Demi-humans in AD&D worked so much better from an optimization standpoint. Not necessarily a narrative one. And it didn't work for humans.

I like the modern version of it because it allows my character to grow and explore things in the fiction of the world and have it meaningfully represented on the sheet.

I'm playing a Fighter (EK) in a game right now. I never planned on multiclassing into warlock, but in our game, we've traveled to the fey courts, and my character has been noticed and contacted by the Raven Queen, or maybe her agents. If I decide to pursue those threads, I can very easily see multiclassing into Warlock because of the story.

Certainly, I couldn't have done that in AD&D without DM fiat or something.

I find multiclassing both over and underpowered.
depending how you do it.

1-2 level dips can be problematic if you count lets say levels 10-12.

2/9 split can be more powerfull than single class 11.

I would only allow equal split MC. that is 2 classes must be within 1 level of each other.

but 6/5 split is usually a lot weaker that single 11 or 2/9 split.

so solution is that MC should have more "effective" class levels that single class, but only with even split of levels.

In my variant dual classing, you can MC only with 2 classes, and you must keep classes within 1 level of each other.

But, you get extra class level on character levels 5,8,11,14,17 and 20.

that is if you are 4th level MC fighter/wizard you are fighter2/wizard2, but on 5th level you are fighter3/wizard3. On those dual levels you take average HPs and average HD for healing.
In case of fighter/wizard you would get 5 HPs (6+4)/2 and one d8 HD(middle of d10 and d6).
and for all other mechanics you would be counted as 5th level character, not 6th

then at 8th level you would be 5/5 split, 11th level would be 7/7, 14th level 9/9, 17th level 11/11 and 20th level is 13/13 split.

on average 13/13 dual class gives same number of HPs and standard 10/10 fighter/wizard split, same proficiency bonus, same number of HD healing, same weapon/armor/save proficiencies. It just gives extra 3 class level feature of each class.

you also get your features at much slower rate, 8d6 fireball at 8th level is a lot weaker than at 5th level and fighter 3rd attack at 17th level is also very late.

 

[Stoutstien]

I think a lot of problems that people have with multiclassing is not inherently based on the power of the combinations but the fact alot of classes have dead levels and practically non-existent capstones.
Combined with the fact that a lot of tables never see high-level play you can't blame them for going for the faster return provided by a front loaded class.

 

[Olrox17]

I allow multi classing, BUT: the DM is allowed to nerf any unforeseeable overpowered multiclass combination at a moment's notice.
An example: in my game, eldritch blast scales on warlock levels, not character levels.