D&D 5E Overpowered, Underpowered or Just Right

[KahlessNestor]

There's no specific page number to refer to. It's just the way the action economy is defined into Attack action (as opposed to just a generic attack, which could be anything) and Cast a Spell action. One is natural language and the other (capitalized) is a specific technical term on the game.

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[Corwin]

Thanks. I seem to be coming to the conclusion now that alluded me before. In response to this particular quote, the players are very good role players and design a concept first and then try and make that work within the rules, as opposed to reading the rules first and then trying to make the most powerful concept. They really are good players and we have been the same group, sans one, for a long time.

He plans to put the rest of his levels into Eldrich Knight after these dips back and forth between fighter and rogue. Not entirely sure why he doesn't just go Rogue 3 and then switch to Fighter.

At the end of the day, he'll be fine. As long as he is following a path that interests him, and keeps him engaged in the character's development, I don't think you'll have any glaring issues. He'll be slightly below par sometimes, a little above others. But 5e is pretty good about "par" and handling most standard deviations from it.

Note about EKs and my previous post. At 7th level, EKs get War Magic. It lets them make a melee attack as a bonus action when they use their action to cast a cantrip. Combined with green flame blade or booming blade, that means they get to make two melee attacks that round. One as part of the spell, one as a bonus action.

 

[Waterbizkit]

It's less a specific page number and an amalgamation of several basic rules. Page 192 of the PHB describes actions in combat, page 201is the start of chapter 10 where spell casting is discussed and cantrips are talked about and then page 143 of the SCAG describes Green Flame Blade. When you add them all up you see that your casting the spell GFB which calls for you to make a melee attack, but at no point are you taking the Attack Action. Hope that helps.

 

[Tormyr]

Thanks. I seem to be coming to the conclusion now that alluded me before. In response to this particular quote, the players are very good role players and design a concept first and then try and make that work within the rules, as opposed to reading the rules first and then trying to make the most powerful concept. They really are good players and we have been the same group, sans one, for a long time.

He plans to put the rest of his levels into Eldrich Knight after these dips back and forth between fighter and rogue. Not entirely sure why he doesn't just go Rogue 3 and then switch to Fighter.

Sure, but what concept is the player going for? Is this fighter a criminal who can pick locks or is highly skilled? Are they able to apply their weapons more efficiently, or exceptionally quick. Any of these slot in nicely with a few levels of rogue, but some can also get their source elsewhere. A criminal background allows proficiency with Thieves' Tools for instance, but the Rogue's Cunning Action is more difficult to duplicate.

 

[Carbonfiber07]

Sure, but what concept is the player going for? Is this fighter a criminal who can pick locks or is highly skilled? Are they able to apply their weapons more efficiently, or exceptionally quick. Any of these slot in nicely with a few levels of rogue, but some can also get their source elsewhere. A criminal background allows proficiency with Thieves' Tools for instance, but the Rogue's Cunning Action is more difficult to duplicate.

More of a dexterous fighter/spy type. Wants the additional skill proficiencies with Rogue and a bit of stealth mixed with a more classic Figher/Magic User from old school. As an elf with this mix, he will fit in with the background of the campaign quite nicely, story wise.

 

[Tormyr]

More of a dexterous fighter/spy type. Wants the additional skill proficiencies with Rogue and a bit of stealth mixed with a more classic Figher/Magic User from old school. As an elf with this mix, he will fit in with the background of the campaign quite nicely, story wise.

Sounds cool. The nice thing about 5e is there is often more than one way to do it. Another player could use the Criminal or Spy background and get most of that. The tradeoff becomes a more solid fighter vs. a more flexible PC (especially with Cunning Action). Another option that a player can use in this situation is to go with the Arcane Trickster which than magnifies the rogue sneaking and skills side of things over the Strength/Damage leaning of the Eldritch Knight, and the PC would still get the bonus weapon attack from TWF.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

More of a dexterous fighter/spy type. Wants the additional skill proficiencies with Rogue and a bit of stealth mixed with a more classic Figher/Magic User from old school. As an elf with this mix, he will fit in with the background of the campaign quite nicely, story wise.

Depending upon whether the character is going to be good with advice or encouragement, it might be worth looking at the Bard class.

Or could stick with a dex-based fighter, since you won't want much armour, and pick up extra skills using the fighter's additional feat perhaps? (Have a look at the Skill Feats Unearthed Arcana and see if that is something you would allow.)

 

[Corwin]

Another option that a player can use in this situation is to go with the Arcane Trickster which than magnifies the rogue sneaking and skills side of things over the Strength/Damage leaning of the Eldritch Knight, and the PC would still get the bonus weapon attack from TWF.

Or he can even do both. As a rogue/fighter, he could be an AT and EK.

 

[mellored]

Just confirming what others said, you can not use green flameblade and TWF. You can GFB and sneak attack, as well the EK 7 (though sneak attack is 1/turn). Also remember you only get 1 bonus action, so war magic, or cunning action.

And overall the build is fine. He'll get his sneaky magic fighter. Multiclass in general is weak, and what looks like a combos just bring it up to par.

 

[schnee]

People have mentioned it before in a general sense, but not specifically, is how multi-classing will affect his Ability Score Increase / Feats. In 5E that is handled strictly at a specific level of a specific class, not per total character level.

The first one of those is always given at 4th level for every character. So, (rhetorical example that will never happen) if someone only took 3 levels of each class, and took 7 different classes, they would never get one.

By taking Rogue 3 / something else, he will get his first ASI/Feat at 7th level. At 8th level, every other class except the fighter gets their second; the pure fighter gets their third.

So, if you're on point buy, the extra breadth gained from the multi classing will be additionally balanced by the lower skill ranks, spell DCs, saving throws, etc. from their ability scores not moving up. Or, it will limit some options of customization by Feats.

Even given that, I have to slightly disagree with some others; I think 5E multiclassing is the most balanced of any edition I've ever used. It's not completely written off as terrible, it's not automatically adopted by every min-maxing twink; it makes for hard choices, because you get so much - by giving up so much. It's really hard to fall into a sub-optimal 'trap' choice compared to other editions.