D&D General Should you Multiclass?

[Clint_L]

This is the thing that makes me hate multiclassing as it currently exists in 5e.

It is a tool for people who have system mastery to "generally be better in terms of power," while people who are just noodling with the system or trying to realize a character concept usually fall into the "detriment" trap because they're not actively looking for synergies and trying to maximize their power.

I don't find multi-classing makes that much of a difference in character power. Certainly it's true in 5e, as in almost any other RPG I've ever played, that players who know what they are doing can build more effective characters. But I think 5e is fairly exceptional in how well it does balance.

There are a few combinations that stand out, just as there have been a few species/feat combinations and so on. But generally speaking I don't find multi-classed characters to be an issue in my games.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I like multiclasses that make sense on all sides: character, thematic & utility. Especially when 8 levels after you made your subclass decision, it feels constraining. And at times the GM may need to allow multiclassing if they want a full array of class-features from a smaller party.

• The monk 4 acquired Rogue trap finding and lock picking after traps nearly TPKs the party twice.
• the champion 10 who was tired of being charmed by fey learned War Wizardry for Protection from Evil...and feather fall.
• the cleric 12 (Pelor/Life) joined the most militant order of the church that fought demons, devils and naughty Fey, and added Paladin(Watcher).
• Fey warlock 12 was getting leery of the way his powers were dependent on a patron his allies looked askance, and was convinced to go to band camp by the Lore Bard to be a Bard(sword).
• the Paladin16 (Ancients) devoted himself to Oldimarra and added Warlock(Celestial)
• the Lore Bard cut a deal with a different group of Fey for knoweldge, but didn't become warlock. Instead, after 17 levels of donating religiously to the church of Lydia (music/knowledge), he was indoctrinated as a cleric, balancing the claims on his soul.
• the Bard-lock 18 said hmmmm.....and followed suit, being the Bard-cleric's first and most notable convert.

 

[Distracted DM]

For those that're saying "hey, just make them all feats," either you're thinking of, or have not heard of, the Adventurer class.
Someone said that they liked the old split 50/50 method from earlier editions, for that you can try Horwath's homebrew for it which basically gives the PC a few extra levels' worth of features from each class over time to sort of keep them up to scratch with the rest, while still giving them versatility. I like it... and it sort of declares "I'm multiclassing because I like the concept" not "I'm multiclassing because I want to get paladin smites with my hexblade warlock for super double-smites and I can go SAD with charisma for attacks like the mechanical benefits."

 

[Corinnguard]

Oh, and for those who don’t know what it is or how it worked take a look below, all your characters progressed along those various pathways one node at a time at each level buying new abilities and stat boosts from the node you were currently on, certain paths were essentially a class progression (one path would have a bunch of white magic spell unlocks and bonuses to magic and MP as your white mage/cleric progression, another one was focused on rogue abilities with speed and luck increases) but at certain points the paths crossed and you could start training them towards another class’s abilities and strengths.
View attachment 421680
But more seriously for a moment, I’d actually be really interested in seeing how 5e would get translated into this format, obviously you’d have class abilities as nodes but maybe even ASI, proficiencies, bonuses to certain checks and even spell slots.

I am not sure 5e could come anywhere near this format because of its' complexity. That said, I like this piece of abstract artwork.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I am not sure 5e could come anywhere near this format because of its' complexity. That said, I like this piece of abstract artwork.

it is a nice abstract isnt it?

though honestly it's really not as complicated as it appears, mostly you're just following the path you're on one node at a time, which primarily are either just minor stat boosts or single abilities, and some of the paths intersect at points.

 

[Neonchameleon]

While I have been making characters, I tend to do pure, no multiclass. I look for times when it would be worth it, but I don't really see a time, does anyone have any good reason on why you should multiclass?

This ties into my big beef as a player with 5e. If you do not multiclass then for most classes once you have hit level 4 you can reach level 11 and have made a grand total of a single choice about how the character grows as opposed to what equipment you use (and divine spells are equipment, taken out of the locker interchangeably). Non-multiclass growth for non-Charisma casters in D&D is on rails and does not remotely reflect what the character either has done or what they know they need to do other than Number Go Up.

 

[FrogReaver]

This ties into my big beef as a player with 5e. If you do not multiclass then for most classes once you have hit level 4 you can reach level 11 and have made a grand total of a single choice about how the character grows as opposed to what equipment you use (and divine spells are equipment, taken out of the locker interchangeably). Non-multiclass growth for non-Charisma casters in D&D is on rails and does not remotely reflect what the character either has done or what they know they need to do other than Number Go Up.

Sounds perfect to me. Game should be more about playing the character than building it.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Sounds perfect to me. Game should be more about playing the character than building it.

Which is exactly the problem. If your character grows but the growth is on rails then you are playing the build not playing the character.

There is precisely no fundamental difference between deciding in advance "I will play a cleric to level 20 or as far as the game goes" than deciding in advance that you will play a Coffeelock or some tortured mixture of prestige classes in 3.5. In all these cases you have decided in advance what you are playing and are bound by your build rather than having your character grow as a consequence of events. Not multiclassing is just another optimised build, optimised for mechanical convenience.

 

[FrogReaver]

Which is exactly the problem. If your character grows but the growth is on rails then you are playing the build not playing the character.

There is precisely no fundamental difference between deciding in advance "I will play a cleric to level 20 or as far as the game goes" than deciding in advance that you will play a Coffeelock or some tortured mixture of prestige classes in 3.5. In all these cases you have decided in advance what you are playing and are bound by your build rather than having your character grow as a consequence of events. Not multiclassing is just another optimised build, optimised for mechanical convenience.

IMO the difference is that once you aren’t making choices about what you want to play level by level then you actually differentiate your characters in play/personality/imagination/goals instead of just mechanics.

 

[Neonchameleon]

IMO the difference is that once you aren’t making choices about what you want to play level by level then you actually differentiate your characters in play/personality/imagination/goals instead of just mechanics.

Which applies every bit as much to a tortured mess of 3.5 prestige classes, when you're not making choices level by level but making them in advance as it does to monoclassing when you aren't making choices level by level but making them in advance.

Meanwhile IMO if you aren't making choices level by level when you level up and not in advance you aren't actually developing and responding to the setting you are in. Instead you might as well have been Iseikai'd in or sent straight from central casting the day before with a set of character traits. You learn from what you actually do, not some abstract level plan you wrote in advance. And you learn what you need to to cope with the situation you are in.

Mechanics aren't the only way of differentiating characters but if you refuse to use mechanics to differentiate characters and to reflect their growth then why have them?