D&D General To multiclass or not to multiclass

[DragonLancer]

Under 2024, I am not sure I see a point to multiclassing mechanically. If it helps build a concept you want then, yeah, go for it.

In my current campaign only one player has multi-classed. He is now Monk 4/Ranger 1. He took Ranger specifically for the mechanical benefit of Hunter's Mark and no other reason. Everyone else at the table has looked and decided that sticking to their chosen class works better.

 

[Ath'kethin]

Hmm. Despite the thread title, there's no "I don't multiclass" option in the poll.

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

Hmm. Despite the thread title, there's no "I don't multiclasas" option in the poll.

I was sleep-deprived and being cute; I was mostly hoping to find out why people who multiclass do multiclass.

 

[payn]

 

[Horwath]

No multiclassing. Period. The longer I play 5E the more I realize it is more problematic than ever. There are just too many synergies out there that work for power-gaming, which I oppose.

If I ever continue with allowing multiclassing, it will be you have to keep all your classes' levels within 1 of each other.

multiclassing within one level sucks,
multiclassing with dips sucks even more,

I like multiclassing with even levels, so there is a house rule:

at levels 5,8,11,14,17 and 20 you get dual class levels, as low level features are less valuable than high level ones.

at level 20, you are 13/13 split with 20 levels worth of HDs or HPs.

 

[Horwath]

Other:
classes are just guidelines for new players that cannot make their own class that defines their vision of their character.

 

[Hex08]

I have so much class I have no choice but to multiclass

Seriously though, I have played multiclass characters in every version of D&D I have played (and that is a lot of them), excluding 4E & 5E since I never played them, including spinoffs like Pathfinder. I always do so because it fits my character concept, not to min/max.

 

[Guest 7037866]

multiclassing within one level sucks,
multiclassing with dips sucks even more,

I like multiclassing with even levels, so there is a house rule:

View attachment 402451
at levels 5,8,11,14,17 and 20 you get dual class levels, as low level features are less valuable than high level ones.

at level 20, you are 13/13 split with 20 levels worth of HDs or HPs.

Way too convoluted. Either no MCing or even MCing. Nothing else IMO.

 

[cbwjm]

I clicked other mostly because both of the other options are reasons for me to multiclass. My current character is a barbarian/wizard, that was a multiclass to fit the concept, but another multiclass I like is champion or battlemaster/swashbuckler because I find they fit well together. I wouldn't bother multiclassing with that one if swashbuckler was a fighter subclass, I'd just pick that instead of champion or battlemaster.

 

[jmartkdr2]

In my experience, there are three main reasons people multiclass:

1. career change
2. dip
3. hybrid

A career change is when during the character's journey they find they want to follow a different path than the one they started with. When based mostly on rp this usually means a major shift in priorities or outlook: a rogue finding religion and choosing to serve a deity might stop gaining rogue levels and start gaining cleric levels. When primarily mechanically motivated, this is more often a matter of finding the higher-level options of one class boring and so adding a new class to expand one's tools (ie a mid-level barbarian gaining fighter levels rather than more rage bonus.) The existing multiclass rules model this idea well.

A dip is when you basically want to play one class but a specific feature of another class is really tempting either thematically (ie a cleric wants unarmored defense) or mechanical (paladin with Pact of the Blade) - of course you can want the feature for both reasons (or justify it for both). This assumes you couldn't get the feature without multiclassing, or that the other ways to get it are actually higher opportunity costs - a feat-based multiclassing system would serve this idea better.

A hybrid is when you r concept just sits halfway between two classes - the magus is a good example, although the paladin would be even better if it wasn't already a class. Purely mechanical hybrids would depend or really great synergy between core class elements (like a monk/roge, sorta). Multiclassing rules are generally just not good at this, and a bespoke class will always do the job better. Exit: @Horwath offered a houserule that might be a good option in many cases.

Personally, I try to do both rp and mechanical reasons when I multiclass, because both matter, but which came first just varies. Sometime I note a mechanical synergy, other times I just have an idea that doesn't fit into any one class well. Once in a while it happens mid-campaign as the character grows in unexpected ways.