Multiclassing has been in D&D since before WotC bought TSR, but different editions have handled the nuances of it differently. Third Edition favored it to the extent that single-classed characters were rare at many tables. Fifth Edition is more slanted toward single-classed characters, with multiclassing presented as an optional rule. But like feats, it’s a very popular option.
This is the part of a weekly series of articles by a team of designers answering D&D questions for beginners. Feel free to discuss the article and add your insights or comments!
On the surface, D&D multiclassing is pretty simple. Just take a level of a different class when leveling up instead of the one your character currently has. However, there are a number of pitfalls in the process that can trip players up. The full multiclassing rules can be found on pages 163-165 of the Players Handbook, and if you’re considering a multiclass character, you really do need to read them, but even veteran players are occasionally caught out by a few nuances.
You can raise those attributes with Ability Score Increases or feats and still meet the prerequisites. The game only cares about your abilities at the time you multiclass. Along those lines, though: Ability Score Increases are a class feature, not something that you automatically get based on character level, unlike a character’s proficiency bonus, which is based on total character level.
Similarly, the order you take your classes in matters. If you start as a fighter or paladin, your character will be proficient in heavy armor. However, multiclassing into fighter or paladin only grants proficiency with medium armor. If you want heavy armor proficiency after level 1, you’ll need to pick it up via a feat or a subclass that grants it, such as the cleric’s Life Domain subclass. The same applies to skill and tool proficiencies. It’s wise to figure out which proficiencies you care about the most and order your multiclassing progression accordingly.
That’s the simple part. Here’s where it gets tricky: you prepare spells as if you were simultaneously a single-classed character for each of your spellcasting classes. So if you’re a cleric 3/fighter (eldritch knight 3), paladin 3, you prepare one set of spells as a third-level cleric, another as a third-level Eldritch Knight fighter, and another set as a third-level paladin. All of these spells can be cast with any spell slots of an appropriate level that you have, but they use the spellcasting modifier of the class they’re cast with.
This means that you can conceivably have multiple copies of the same spell available to cast and they could potentially have different save DCs, etc. It’s worth noting that there’s no benefit to this on purpose; you’re better off preparing different spells and eliminating overlap from your various spell lists, but sometimes subclass lists overlap. It also means that multiclassed spellcasters will typically have a lot more spells available to cast than single-classed ones, but they will be lower-level (though you can still upcast them).
It’s also advantageous to stick to classes that use a single spellcasting attribute; this is why multiclass combinations using some mix of bard, paladin, sorcerer, and warlock are so popular; they all use Charisma as their spellcasting modifier and raising Charisma makes all of the spells from all of those classes better.
To reiterate: any spell from any class can be cast with any qualifying spell slots you have, period. It makes no difference if they’re “standard” or pact magic slots. The same goes for alternate spell slot uses such as sorcery points and Divine Smite. (This also potentially enables some game-breaking cheese, but that is beyond the scope of this article.)
Another spellcasting-related issue that can trip players up is cantrips. Here’s all you need to know about cantrips: first, you always use the spellcasting attribute that corresponds to how you acquired the cantrip, whether that’s via a class or a feat. Second, they scale up by your total character level, regardless of how (or when!) you acquired them. The vicious mockery cantrip of a 17th-level bard and the vicious mockery spell of a 16th-level fighter/1st level bard will both do 4d4 damage.
This is the part of a weekly series of articles by a team of designers answering D&D questions for beginners. Feel free to discuss the article and add your insights or comments!
On the surface, D&D multiclassing is pretty simple. Just take a level of a different class when leveling up instead of the one your character currently has. However, there are a number of pitfalls in the process that can trip players up. The full multiclassing rules can be found on pages 163-165 of the Players Handbook, and if you’re considering a multiclass character, you really do need to read them, but even veteran players are occasionally caught out by a few nuances.
Prerequisites and Order
When making a multiclassed character, it’s important to make sure you meet the multiclass prerequisites for the classes you’re multiclassing into and out of. A common stumbling block here is the Dexterity-based paladin build, or “dexadin.” Single-classed characters do not have any attribute requirements or minimums, and so it’s viable to make a paladin that focuses finesse weapons instead of strength ones. Players doing this will often “dump” Strength. This is fine until they decide they want some levels in another class. In order to multiclass into or out of paladin, you need a Strength score of 13 and a Charisma score of 13, even if you’re not “using” your strength score. You also need to meet the prerequisites for both classes. For example, paladin/ranger would need 13s in Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma.You can raise those attributes with Ability Score Increases or feats and still meet the prerequisites. The game only cares about your abilities at the time you multiclass. Along those lines, though: Ability Score Increases are a class feature, not something that you automatically get based on character level, unlike a character’s proficiency bonus, which is based on total character level.
Similarly, the order you take your classes in matters. If you start as a fighter or paladin, your character will be proficient in heavy armor. However, multiclassing into fighter or paladin only grants proficiency with medium armor. If you want heavy armor proficiency after level 1, you’ll need to pick it up via a feat or a subclass that grants it, such as the cleric’s Life Domain subclass. The same applies to skill and tool proficiencies. It’s wise to figure out which proficiencies you care about the most and order your multiclassing progression accordingly.
Spellcasting
The formula for determining spell slots for traditional casters is pretty simple: add together:- all of your primary spellcaster (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard) levels;
- half of your secondary spellcaster (paladin and ranger) levels, rounded down;
- one third of your tertiary spellcaster (subclass-based spellcasting such as the Arcane Trickster subclass for the rogue) levels, also rounded down and consult the table in the multiclassing rules for how many spell slots of each level you have.
That’s the simple part. Here’s where it gets tricky: you prepare spells as if you were simultaneously a single-classed character for each of your spellcasting classes. So if you’re a cleric 3/fighter (eldritch knight 3), paladin 3, you prepare one set of spells as a third-level cleric, another as a third-level Eldritch Knight fighter, and another set as a third-level paladin. All of these spells can be cast with any spell slots of an appropriate level that you have, but they use the spellcasting modifier of the class they’re cast with.
This means that you can conceivably have multiple copies of the same spell available to cast and they could potentially have different save DCs, etc. It’s worth noting that there’s no benefit to this on purpose; you’re better off preparing different spells and eliminating overlap from your various spell lists, but sometimes subclass lists overlap. It also means that multiclassed spellcasters will typically have a lot more spells available to cast than single-classed ones, but they will be lower-level (though you can still upcast them).
It’s also advantageous to stick to classes that use a single spellcasting attribute; this is why multiclass combinations using some mix of bard, paladin, sorcerer, and warlock are so popular; they all use Charisma as their spellcasting modifier and raising Charisma makes all of the spells from all of those classes better.
To reiterate: any spell from any class can be cast with any qualifying spell slots you have, period. It makes no difference if they’re “standard” or pact magic slots. The same goes for alternate spell slot uses such as sorcery points and Divine Smite. (This also potentially enables some game-breaking cheese, but that is beyond the scope of this article.)
Another spellcasting-related issue that can trip players up is cantrips. Here’s all you need to know about cantrips: first, you always use the spellcasting attribute that corresponds to how you acquired the cantrip, whether that’s via a class or a feat. Second, they scale up by your total character level, regardless of how (or when!) you acquired them. The vicious mockery cantrip of a 17th-level bard and the vicious mockery spell of a 16th-level fighter/1st level bard will both do 4d4 damage.
