D&D 5E Does your concern about adding more classes to 5e D&D stem from multiclassing?

[Krachek]

my view
MC in one class is fine for dipping, but dipping is also annoying for many.
MC in one class for more than dipping is meh for most combination.
MC in more than one class is a theory challenge more than useful in play.
multiplication of subclasses is fine at first but get sometime meh too.
Adding class seem the last resort solution, and the only case the Artificier is not a super success.

The solution I see is to just give up with multiclass, and change class vs subclass relative power to give more versatility. That´s my hope for 2024 revision.

 

[Mind of tempest]

That doesn’t prevent the people I game with from buying them.

Have you tried homebrewing, or using 3rd party content?

belive me I have looked at homebrew and third-party none of it fits properly pointlessly complex was my conclusion.

 

[Zardnaar]

On occasion I've seen the argument that "it's selfish to oppose new options since nobody is forcing you to use them." Which I find odd, and maybe even naive. Or perhaps it's just disingenuous.

I said I don't allow something before and been called a fascist.

Different player I said no and then got hounded for a month every game day about allowing said option (MC hexblade/paladin mid level game).

 

[Mind of tempest]

I said I don't allow something before and been called a fascist.

Different player I said no and then got hounded for a month every game day about allowing said option (MC hexblade/paladin mid level game).

why do so many want that class combo?

 

[CleverNickName]

why do so many want that class combo?

In my opinion?

There are a number of popular "character build" guides on Reddit and elsewhere, that claim the hexblade/paladin multiclass is the most powerful melee character in the game. (Spoiler alert, it isn't.) A character that can deal a ton of damage every round isn't necessarily going to be a ton of fun to play, for the same reason that a one-trick pony isn't very much fun to watch. There isn't a prize for Most Damage Dealt During Combat, and nobody is going to ever "win" the game of D&D.

But these infamous threads and guides say otherwise, emphasizing Damage Per Round and short rest mechanics to "win" the game. Some threads offer advice on how players can convince their DM to allow this build, or advice for DMs on how to ban them effectively. New players come across these guides online and want to roll one up as soon as possible...and new DMs come across these guides online and want to shut them down.

That's why I think that particular combo comes up so frequently in discussion.

At the end of the day, it's just another multiclassed, highly-optimized character that may or may not be a good fit for the gaming group...like the PoleBarian, the CoffeeLock, and the Roadburn Druid. Beware these optimized "stuntman" character builds that pull the same two stunts every round of every battle...you are probably the only person at the table who is impressed.

 

[Mind of tempest]

In my opinion?

There are a number of popular "character build" guides on Reddit and elsewhere, that claim the hexblade/paladin multiclass is the most powerful melee character in the game. (Spoiler alert, it isn't.) A character that can deal a ton of damage every round isn't necessarily going to be a ton of fun to play, for the same reason that a one-trick pony isn't very much fun to watch. There isn't a prize for Most Damage Dealt During Combat, and nobody is going to ever "win" the game of D&D.

But these infamous threads and guides say otherwise, emphasizing Damage Per Round and short rest mechanics to "win" the game. Some threads offer advice on how players can convince their DM to allow this build, or advice for DMs on how to ban them effectively. New players come across these guides online and want to roll one up as soon as possible...and new DMs come across these guides online and want to shut them down as soon as possible.

That's why I think that particular combo comes up so frequently in discussion.

I thought you win at dnd by surviving long enough to get a cool tale?

 

[Minigiant]

why do so many want that class combo?

It'sa popular power build online. Hexblade's Hex Warrior and Warlock's Pact Magic allows a Paladin to melee attack with CHA and have short rest spell slots to feed into Divine Smite.

Bassically You make a 4e Cha-ladin

It's strong damage-wise but isn't really worth the hassle because that's all it's really good at until high level.

 

[CleverNickName]

I thought you win at dnd by surviving long enough to get a cool tale?

That's what I thought, too. But according to Reddit?

You "win" D&D every time you score a critical hit, which thanks to your Improved Critical feature will happen 10% of the time, and when it does it will trigger your Great Weapon Master feat and allows you to make a third attack with your two-handed weapon, and since you are a Halfling with the Lucky feat, you can crit-fish for another 19 or 20...

...or you "win" by casting Longstrider and Spike Growth, then Wildshape into an air elemental and grapple your foe and dragging them along the spikes for guaranteed damage (even if the foe is Legendary) and if you use Cunning Action to Dash as a Bonus Action, you can double that damage...and if you can get someone to Haste you, and someone else to Enlarge you, and...

...or you "win" D&D by taking a one-level dip of Druid to get the Goodberry spell, then using your Life Domain power to quadruple the healing potential of each berry, allowing you to heal 40hp of damage with a single 1st level spell slot...

...or you "win" every time you successfully exploit the Warlock's Moon Invocation and the Divine Soul Sorcerer's Greater Restoration spell to get unlimited Sorcerer spell slots...

...etc., etc.

 

[Mind of tempest]

That's what I thought, too. But according to Reddit?

You "win" D&D every time you score a critical hit, which thanks to your Improved Critical feature will happen 10% of the time, and when it does it will trigger your Great Weapon Master feat and allows you to make a third attack with your two-handed weapon, and since you are a Halfling with the Lucky feat, you can crit-fish for another 19 or 20...

...or you "win" by casting Longstrider and Spike Growth, then Wildshape into an air elemental and grapple your foe and dragging them along the spikes for guaranteed damage (even if the foe is Legendary) and if you use Cunning Action to Dash as a Bonus Action, you can double that damage...and if you can get someone to Haste you, and someone else to Enlarge you, and...

...or you "win" D&D by taking a one-level dip of Druid to get the Goodberry spell, then using your Life Domain power to quadruple the healing potential of each berry, allowing you to heal 40hp of damage with a single 1st level spell slot...

...or you "win" every time you successfully exploit the Warlock's Moon Invocation and the Divine Soul Sorcerer's Greater Restoration spell to get unlimited Sorcerer spell slots...

...etc., etc.

I can see some of those as more exploits to get more of what you need or a cool move to use on the boss.

 

[CleverNickName]

I can see some of those as more exploits to get more of what you need or a cool move to use on the boss.

I think that was the intent of the game devs, too. But there are folks on the Internet who seem to base their entire character on one of these exploits, and then attempt that same stunt every round. Because hey, why not?

I've never had to deal with anything quite as egregious as a Roadburn Druid or a CoffeeLock; I'd be surprised if anyone has ever seen one in actual play. But we have had several Hexblade multiclassers and they never seem to stick around. The player(s) always get bored with them and move on after a few levels.