D&D 5E Optimal Multiclassing

[Andor]

Multiclassing in 5e is well done. The cost of multiclassing is delayed progression in your primary class which pushes back all sorts of juicy things like spell level progression, extra attacks and stat bumps/feats. Furthermore multiclassing into a class does not give you everything the class gets, fighters don't get Heavy armour for example, and you don't get new skills, unless the new class gets more than the normal two like Rogue and Bard.

So I'm wondering, where are the sweet spots? The places where a Multiclasser shines as opposed to trading depth for breadth.

Two occur to me.

Der Critmeister:

1/2 Orc Barbarian X/ Champion 3 - Barbarian and 1/2 Orcs both up your crit dice. You take a Great Axe and go to town. With the Champions expanded crit range Reckless attack means you crit slightly less than 20% of the time. (~19%) for many dice of damage. The fact that Fighter also gives you GWF, Actions Surge and a Second Wind is just gravy.

Sydney the Silver Standard Bearer of the Undying Legion:

The Bard is, amazingly enough, a power class in 5e. So he can kind of do this without Multiclassing. A 10th level Bard can take the 4th level Paladin spell Aura of Life, however with a two level dip into Sorcerer he can use the Distant spell meta magic to double it's radius, and Extended spell to double it's duration. That means that for the next 20 minutes every friendly person within 60' won't stay dead. If they drop to 0 they get 1hp and spring right back up. Time to get yourself an army of mook and tell the Necromancer to go cry in the corner.

What can you guys come up with? This is meant to be a fun thread btw, not char ops fromage de doom.

 

[aramis erak]

Cleric, Wizard, Bard, and Druid: if you stick entirely within those, you only lose/delay access to the higher level spells known, not to the higher level spell slots. So it's entirely possible to have a Wiz/Bard 5/5 with 3 cantrips via Bard and 4 via wizard, plus 8 level 1–3 spells as bard, and at least 10 as wizard in the spellbook, and have access to 5th level slots for them because of the multi-classing rules.

It's exceptionally potent,

Really, tho' the best "diversion" I can see is a single level of rogue. It only adds one skill, but it allows double proficiency bonus on two skills, or one skill and one tool, gives the sneak attack bonus d6, and gives the secret language of Thieve's Cant, and the Thieve's tools proficiencies.

 

[Theovis]

Wizard gains a LOT by dipping into Cleric...

 

[Chocolategravy]

Multiclassing in 5e is well done.

Been a rough day, thanks for the laughs.

 

[Khaalis]

Been a rough day, thanks for the laughs.

Poorly placed sarcasm aside... What are your beefs with Multiclassing Rules n 5E? If you aren't willing to expound on your comment, you're just trolling ad that is unproductive.

 

[Juriel]

Paladin 2 picking up full caster levels would go well with their smites - when you have slots to burn on every hit you make, it starts to add up.

Then you realize that you're just a full caster that is behind regular full casters in spells, why are you even hitting things. But you know.

 

[Falling Icicle]

So I'm wondering, where are the sweet spots?

I think taking 2 levels of warlock could be powerful. You can get eldritch blast and agonizing blast, and do fighter-like damage at will. Of course, this requires investing heavily in Charisma, but it's a tempting option, especially for characters such as sorcerers and paladins that already need a good Charisma.

 

[jadrax]

Paladin 2 picking up full caster levels would go well with their smites - when you have slots to burn on every hit you make, it starts to add up.

Then you realize that you're just a full caster that is behind regular full casters in spells, why are you even hitting things. But you know.

And your two levels behind on picking up Ability Increases/Feats.

I think any sane Multitasking plan involves buying Classes in blocks of 4 or 5 levels.

So you get five levels of Fighter, then you get 5 levels of Rogue, and you have a Character that is ok. If you alternate getting Fighter and Rogue levels, then at certain levels you are going to be way behind the power curve.

 

[DammitVictor]

Paladin 2 picking up full caster levels would go well with their smites - when you have slots to burn on every hit you make, it starts to add up.

Paladin 6 gets you Extra Attack, Aura of Protection and branding smite plus 3 levels of spellcasting power to apply to the spellcasting class of your choice.

 

[Andor]

I think any sane Multitasking plan involves buying Classes in blocks of 4 or 5 levels.

That's what I mean by it being well done. Multiclassing always involves making hard choices. Every level you take in Class B means leaving good stuff on the table from class A, but works the other way around too. Except for Clerics and Wizards the juicy subclasses are all 2-3 levels deep in a class. Stat bumps are at 4, extra attacks are at 5.

There are downsides. One of my PCs was trying to build a Ninja Assasin which starts to really take shape at Monk 3/Rogue 3. After the 3rd session he decided he was not enjoying the slog through Chu-nin school to get there and is rerolling as a Warlock.

On the flipside someone posted an example of a 12th level dilettante with one level in every class. It was not an unplayably weak character.