D&D 5E Could a Sorcerer with a 1 Wizard dip fulfill everything unique about a wizard?

[Asisreo]

So, when discussions about Wizards and Sorcerers come up, there's talk about ritual casting, spells known, and the ability to write down spells, right?

Well, what about if a sorcerer takes a 1 level dip into wizard?

Really, the wizard's entire benefits are basically in their spellbook. A spellbook that any character can get at level 1.

Another point, however, is that sorcerers are full casters and dipping into the wizards do not interfere with their spell slot acquisition rate. The only thing that is reduced is sorcerer points and the higher level spell known that you would've gotten.

However, taking this dip at, say, level 7 lets you put all your spells known into scrolls which can then be put into your spellbook. This lets you "forget" the spells on level up without actually forgetting them, they're now wizard spells.

A sorcerer also gets the ability to add spells to their overall list via spellbooks and scrolls external to their character. That way, if a sorcerer feels like they don't have enough, the DM is free to give them more.

 

[jgsugden]

You can only add 1st level spells to your wizard spellbook. It must be of a level you can prepare, and you can only prepare 1st level wizard spells.

You're better off taking the Ritual Caster Feat if you want to go this way.

 

[Asisreo]

You can only add 1st level spells to your wizard spellbook. It must be of a level you can prepare, and you can only prepare 1st level wizard spells.

You're better off taking the Ritual Caster Feat if you want to go this way.

Not at all.

My book says that as long as its a wizard spell and you have a spell slot, you can add it to your spellbook.

 

[Flamestrike]

Not at all.

My book says that as long as its a wizard spell and you have a spell slot, you can add it to your spellbook.

Read the rules on multiclassing on PHB 164:

Spells Known and Prepared. You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a ranger 4/wizard 3, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd-level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.

So a 1st level Wizard + Sorcerer X prepares spells as a 1st level Wizard (Prepares [Int+1] number of 1st level Wizard spells).

 

[Blue Orange]

I always felt with the wizard they wanted to keep the old 'book learning makes you powerful' trope beloved of, um, almost everyone who plays D&D but they kept finding ways to improve on the class in terms of game mechanics. I always tended to confuse the warlock, sorcerer, and wizard in terms of party role, though they have different concepts in terms of the game's mythology ('fluff').

 

[Asisreo]

Read the rules on multiclassing on PHB 164:

Spells Known and Prepared. You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a ranger 4/wizard 3, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd-level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.

So a 1st level Wizard + Sorcerer X prepares spells as a 1st level Wizard (Prepares [Int+1] number of 1st level Wizard spells).

This is all true.

However, this does not erase the ability for the wizard to add spells into their book. The spells prepared is obviously restricted to your intelligence and wizard levels but your spellbook isn't this equation.

It could theoretically hold every single wizard spell without violating any spells known.

 

[cbwjm]

Not at all.

My book says that as long as its a wizard spell and you have a spell slot, you can add it to your spellbook.

That's an old printing, it's been updated to clarify that you can only copy spells of a level you can prepare.

 

[Flamestrike]

This is all true.

However, this does not erase the ability for the wizard to add spells into their book.

They can only add spells to their book if they can prepare them (as a 1st level Wizard)

Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/wizard

 

[pming]

Hiya!

No. No you can't. That's totally impossible! Next you're going to tell me you can just "use your imagination all willy-nilly!". Crazy talk! CRAZY TALK I TELL YOU!

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Wizards can't copy spells above their wizard casting level as wizard spells. Even if you were allowed to copy it you can't prepare it as a wizard spell and hence can't do anything with it no matter how many levels they have in another class that may well also be able to cast that spell. At my table I do actually houserule to allow wizards to copy spells above their level, as copying a spell they haven't yet acquired the ability to cast makes perfect lore sense as part of their learning process while also being convenient sometimes. But they have to get to the correct Wizard level to prepare and cast it before they can prepare and cast it.

Now, that out of the way, I think a Sorcerer with 1-3 Wizard levels does cover much of the deficiencies of a Sorcerer. Namely they get a lot of low level magic and the ability to not have to use any of their precious Sorcerer spells known for things like Shield and Mage Armor. They also get Find Familiar and other low level ritual casting. And knowing 3 extra cantrips never hurt. Certainly it would be the preferred Sorcerer build for my own playstyle as party arcanist, where I tend to want to be the one detecting magic and comprehending languages, and where I really hate to say goodbye to low level classics like Magic Missile and Sleep.

That said, you need a minimum 13 Intelligence to multiclass, and realistically a 14 or 16 to get a good number of Wizard spells prepared. Also as much appeal as there may be in the theoretical power of of such a multiclass, the early levels of Sorcerer are a slog even without multiclassing. Full caster multiclass dips are often quite strong, but it means feeling appreciably behind in your main class's magic every level thereafter.