D&D 5E Multiclassing ability score prerequisites—required for balance or an unnecessary hurdle?

[Saeviomagy]

Kind of an absurd example, anyone who rolls a 3 for Intelligence and chooses to be a wizard deserves whatever hardships they end up facing.

First up, it applies to int 12 as well. Now you have to study magic for 4 more levels, and get more intelligent in order to give to magic.
Secondly how does it make sense that being unable to stop studying magic is one of the biggest drawbacks? A wizard gets flexibility and offensive combat power from a high int. He can happily spend every combat duel welding daggers with his maxed out dex, but no matter how much he does so, he must keep getting better at magic...

I also prefer when there has to be some kind of story-based justification, because after all these are supposed to be characters, not bags of stats & abilities. It doesn't have to be terribly complex, but there should be a better reason than "I want to grab X ability".

And to the power gamers who have planned out a build from level 1, that's fairly trivial to accomplish. But the guy just doing what makes sense for his character's story progression? He's locked out by a rule with almost zero benefit to anyone's game.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Personally I would probably remove the ability score requirement to multiclass out of a class, but keep the requirements for the new class.
As Saeviomagy says, it makes sense that a less naturally-talented character may be more likely to leave their current path and take up something that fits their abilities better.
It also makes sense that a character would require better than average capabilities relevant to a class in order to pick it up in a few days or weeks rather than the years that a character stating in that class is assumed to have spent learning it.

 

[TwoSix]

Personally I would probably remove the ability score requirement to multiclass out of a class, but keep the requirements for the new class.
As Saeviomagy says, it makes sense that a less naturally-talented character may be more likely to leave their current path and take up something that fits their abilities better.
It also makes sense that a character would require better than average capabilities relevant to a class in order to pick it up in a few days or weeks rather than the years that a character stating in that class is assumed to have spent learning it.

I'm OK with that option. The one concept I've wanted to try that the multiclassing prereqs actively hinder is the low-Int wizard, who melees first and casts only when necessary. A fighter or cleric dip would be great to help that concept, but can't be done with the current rules.

 

[clearstream]

It doesn't really prevent them, just puts a price-tag on them. If you don't have a use for the minimum you have to meet.

It's a more nearly-meaningful limitation in point-buy or array than with random generation, just like in the olden days. Far from high requirements limiting or balancing a class, such classes just became a further reward for rolling high.

When rolling it doesn't interact with balance because the same character than satisfies the requirement will likely have imba stats anyway. The balance comes in when choosing the customisation option i.e. points buy.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

It gives odd stat numbers a meaning.

 

[Aldarc]

Um...Vax in Critical Role is a multiclassed assassin rogue/vengeance paladin of the Raven Queen, so it clearly isn't impossible. Even using daggers, he is very effective.

To what extent though does Critical Role follow the multiclassing rules? My impression is that since the game tends to be more narrative and character-focused, the rules often take a backseat for "rule of cool" character and story moments.

 

[KahlessNestor]

To what extent though does Critical Role follow the multiclassing rules? My impression is that since the game tends to be more narrative and character-focused, the rules often take a backseat for "rule of cool" character and story moments.

They usually follow the rules pretty closely, because if they don't, they hear about it. They have a few house rules.

In any case, most of them have pretty high stats and could probably multiclass any direction they like. You can find all their character sheets here:

https://www.critrolestats.com/pcstats/

 

[KahlessNestor]

To what extent though does Critical Role follow the multiclassing rules? My impression is that since the game tends to be more narrative and character-focused, the rules often take a backseat for "rule of cool" character and story moments.

They usually follow the rules pretty closely, because if they don't, they hear about it. They have a few house rules.

In any case, most of them have pretty high stats and could probably multiclass any direction they like. You can find all their character sheets here:

https://www.critrolestats.com/pcstats/

 

[Kalshane]

They also use rolled stats (which is why most of them have really good stats).

 

[KahlessNestor]

They also use rolled stats (which is why most of them have really good stats).

Still, it was declared by a poster that a rogue/paladin multiclass was "impossible" and I gave a famous example of one existing.

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