D&D 5E Matt Mercer Just Changed My Mind About Multiclassing

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing
Required viewing: "Handbooker Helper: Multiclassing," April 10, 2019:

Here's the deal. I've always hated multiclassing in 5th Edition. The prerequisites seemed unnecessary, the "always stack except when they don't" nature of class features, and the horrible horrible nightmare of what happens when a spellcaster takes levels of another spellcaster...and for what? some weapon proficiencies and maybe a class feature or two? It just never seemed like it was worth all of the trouble.

And then I watched this little introduction/how-to video. Matt does a great job of explaining how prerequisites work, how class features stack (or don't), and how to sort Hit Dice and spells out. It's not like I'd never heard this stuff before--I've read the rules, plus several threads on ENWorld dedicated to that topic--but for whatever reason, this campy how-to made the lights come on for me. Matt did in 8 minutes what nobody else could do in half a decade: he made 5E multiclassing sound simple and interesting. I used to be a solid "no" when my players asked about that optional rule, but now I'm all "sure, let's go for it."

It was the first time the Internet has ever changed my mind about something D&D-related. I'm not sure what to think anymore. What's happening to me?? What have I become?!?

Seriously though: has the Internet ever changed your mind about the way you run your game? Tell us a story.

(As a side note, if you aren't watching the "Handbooker Helper" video series, you are really missing out. Yes, they are campy and cringy for seasoned gamers, but they are also insightful and fun. I've learned a great deal from watching them, and not just about multiclassing.)
 
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Guest 6801328

Guest
Seriously though: has the Internet ever changed your mind about the way you run your game? Tell us a story.

[MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] and [MENTION=6776133]Bawylie[/MENTION] totally opened my eyes to a better way to play D&D.

DISCLAIMER: The use of the word "better" in this post is meant entirely subjectively, and is not intended as a denigration or dismissal of the views of other participants in roleplaying games. Even if they are playing the game wrong.
 




I owe a lot of my current enjoyment and inspiration of/for D&D to the blog: http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/

I burned out from running D&D until I started reading this. It taught me to kind of 'let go' of the illusion of control that I thought had on the game and embrace player agency and the chaos of open world style play.

It has literally changed the way I see and play D&D for the better. I'm playing more D&D now than I have ever, as well.
 





Charlaquin

Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
Ooops, guilty. Sorry about that - that's been a back-and-forth in a thread a few months back and I just took it at face value.

It’s a back and forth in a thread currently. Players declaring checks seems to be the new Warlord.
 


robus

Lowcountry Low Roller
Supporter
AngryGM’s posts on running the game were very illuminating when I was starting out and Iserith’s adjudicating actions guide I found here was icing on the cake (and a major reason why I stuck around)

I thought AngryGM’s schtick was just against DMing styles he didn’t like but it turns out he’s got a lot of retrograde opinions, so my enthusiasm for him has dimmed considerably (thank goodness he got off twitter!), but he still continues to produce thought provoking articles damn him!

I really don’t want to see him DM though, I might end up disappointed like I was, surprisingly, with Colville. :(
 

DND_Reborn

The High Aldwin
The only thing the video taught me was an oversight by our table that you have to have the prerequisites in the current class as well as the new. We don't play that way and frankly it makes no sense to us so we're okay with ignoring it. :) The idea you need it in your new class is okay since you are "quickly learning" everything and it helps to have a natural aptitude (i.e. higher ability scores), but since your current class (or starting one) is what you trained longer for, it doesn't seem necessary to us.

We also allow Unarmored Defense to stack, it doesn't hurt a thing and seems silly not to since the sources (Con for Barbarian and Wis for Monk) are different. We wouldn't allow it to double-dip if the sources were the same, however.

Finally, we don't bother with the spell slots. We just keep them all separate. It allows for multicasters to have more spells available and makes the game feel more "magical" in that since when they don't have to resort to cantrips all the time because they fear running out of spell slots before a rest.

Personally, a lot of the things they restricted in multiclassing you can remove and it works fine anyway, at least for us. ;)
 

G

Guest 6801328

Guest
The only thing the video taught me was an oversight by our table that you have to have the prerequisites in the current class as well as the new. We don't play that way and frankly it makes no sense to us so we're okay with ignoring it. :) The idea you need it in your new class is okay since you are "quickly learning" everything and it helps to have a natural aptitude (i.e. higher ability scores), but since your current class (or starting one) is what you trained longer for, it doesn't seem necessary to us.

If I had to guess (and I don't...it's more of a hobby than a real job) I'd say that the current class prereq is more about preventing minmaxing than it is about any sort of simulation.
 

Warforged DK

Explorer
[MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] and [MENTION=6776133]Bawylie[/MENTION] totally opened my eyes to a better way to play D&D.

DISCLAIMER: The use of the word "better" in this post is meant entirely subjectively, and is not intended as a denigration or dismissal of the views of other participants in roleplaying games. Even if they are playing the game wrong.

Although I've not played with either of them, I lurked and followed their posts way back from the old WotC servers in 4e. [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] has taught me a ton about DM-ing and I've used many of his scenarios in play. I remember the post-wars of him vs SageAtopTheMountain or some pretentious name like that. [MENTION=6776133]Bawylie[/MENTION] has a lot of great insight to the game towards making it more fun.
 

DND_Reborn

The High Aldwin
If I had to guess (and I don't...it's more of a hobby than a real job) I'd say that the current class prereq is more about preventing minmaxing than it is about any sort of simulation.

I suppose, but I don't really see how it could help. How do you think it could?

Most characters have 13+ in the ability scores for their starting classes anyway. Needing an extra one or two when choosing a multiclass hasn't been much of an issue--at least at our table.
 


Bawylie

A very OK person
I’ve never been a fan of multi-classing. But then again, I’m the DM, so who cares whether I like multi-classing or not? That’s for the other side of the screen.

Has the internet ever changed the way I play? Sure, absolutely. Exposure to players outside my regular player pool, the whole The Forge and it’s attempt at justifying total waffle-theories with big words, and attempting to truly understand what’s behind players driven by so-called simulation has all been really eye-opening. Playing online, text-only, and audio-only has refined some of my skills and really brought home to me how much I love the tactile aspect of the game. A virtual table is fine, but I love minis, maps, bits, and bobs. I love paper craft and that’s been a HUGE game changer.

If not for encountering this stuff in talking to various people online, I might be stuck in 1999-2000. Fine for the time , but we’ve upgraded significantly.
 

G

Guest 6801328

Guest
I suppose, but I don't really see how it could help. How do you think it could?

Most characters have 13+ in the ability scores for their starting classes anyway. Needing an extra one or two when choosing a multiclass hasn't been much of an issue--at least at our table.

Well, let's say you wanted to dip 2 levels in Paladin just to get Divine Smite for some creative build, but you don't want to put 13's in both Strength and Charisma (I don't know...pretend you're going Bladesinger Wizard or something). If it was only the new class that had prerequisites, you'd just start as Paladin then switch to your main class.
 

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