D&D (2024) What happens when a multiclass character loses a prerequisite?

[Voadam]

I’d generally go RAW and only needed for a new class.

 

[cbwjm]

Do you have any citation for that?

Because IME that was never the case. If your ability scores dropped below a minimum required for a class, you retained your class and level to that point, but could not progress further.

I know there is a citation if the paladin in AD&D ever performs a willinging/knowingly evil act--you're a fighter of equal level at that point and forever more. I thought there was a similar rule in the DMG about ability scores for classes and not being able to advance, but it could easily have just been the way we played and not a "rule".

You'd have to trawl through dragon magazine sage advice, no idea which issue.

 

[Voadam]

Do you have any citation for that?

Because IME that was never the case. If your ability scores dropped below a minimum required for a class, you retained your class and level to that point, but could not progress further.

I know there is a citation if the paladin in AD&D ever performs a willinging/knowingly evil act--you're a fighter of equal level at that point and forever more. I thought there was a similar rule in the DMG about ability scores for classes and not being able to advance, but it could easily have just been the way we played and not a "rule".

I am unaware of any general rule in the 1e PH or DMG (or 2e PH) saying what happens if a stat drops below a class or race minimum. Given things like shadows and raise dead affecting constitution this can come up. Certainly nothing about no longer advancing.

The paladin and ranger etc. classes had specific rules for what happens if alignment stuff happens but not class prerequisites.

I always interpreted minimums and maximums as being for character creation, not adjustments after creation.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I don't think it would make sense to penalize a multiclass character if their prime requisite falls under the minimum. As others have said, RAW just requires the score to be able to multiclass in the first place (in other words, to learn the fundamentals of the class while adventuring), not to continue progressing.

Consider the following thought experiment. Wilbur is a 1st level character with a 3 Intelligence. While it certainly won't be optimal, Wilbur's player can absolutely pick wizard as his starting class. Nothing prevents Wilbur from gaining Wizard levels, despite his abysmal Intelligence. Cleo is a 2nd level Wizard/Cleric with 13 in both Intelligence and Wisdom. If she loses 1 point off of her Int and Wis, should she be able to continue leveling in her starting class but not her multiclass? IMO, that wouldn't make sense. The character is equally skilled as a Cleric and a Wizard.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

So for example a Paladin-Rogue with a 13 Charisma who lost a point in Charisma permanently.

Now what? Lose all Paladin levels, can't advance in Paladin levels any more, nothing you had the minimums when you first multiclassed so you can keep getting Paladin levels.

Per the official rules? Nothing happens, there's no rule that says anything about this. (Especially since 5e does not actually have absolutely-permanent-cannot-be-reversed ability score loss as a mechanic, so you're already inventing new rules if you're doing that.)

For your own table? The rules are--by design--completely incapable of providing guidance here. You just have to decide, and nothing in the books will help you make that decision.

For my part, I think I'd want to talk with the player about how they view this situation. Does it make sense for this to lead to consequences? For religious or philosophically-committed classes, like Paladin, Druid, or Cleric, I could see this taking the form of a crisis of faith, or another entity getting a foothold and potentially swaying the character. That could be a very fun story to explore. Sorcerer and Barbarian could potentially manifest unusual powers as they "lose control". Etc. I wouldn't want it to totally impede their character growth, but it would be cool to see a real story come out of this change.

 

[ezo]

You'd have to trawl through dragon magazine sage advice, no idea which issue.

LOL that would explain why I never heard of such a thing. I think I've only ever seen maybe a dozen Dragon Magazines and owned maybe four.

I am unaware of any general rule in the 1e PH or DMG (or 2e PH) saying what happens if a stat drops below a class or race minimum. Given things like shadows and raise dead affecting constitution this can come up. Certainly nothing about no longer advancing.

I skimmed through both books and there is no ruling either way. There isn't even much about prerequisites other than in the DMG where it says Age penalities cannot reduce scores below racial or class minimums.

I always interpreted minimums and maximums as being for character creation, not adjustments after creation.

We always treated it as you have to keep those minimums or you don't gain XP until you somehow raise it back to the required minimum. You can always adventure without getting XP.

 

[James Gasik]

I found this in issue #10 of Polyhedron (second question):

 

[ezo]

I found this in issue #10 of Polyhedron (second question):

View attachment 387708

Nice find.

 

[cbwjm]

LOL that would explain why I never heard of such a thing. I think I've only ever seen maybe a dozen Dragon Magazines and owned maybe four.

Yeah, and there is much to trawl through if you wanted to find something in them.

I think they compared class ability requirements to race requirements, in much the same way a dwarf that loses constitution below the race minimum is still a dwarf, a class that drops below the requirements retains that class. It was a long time ago though, who knows what I'm remembering

 

[ECMO3]

Nothing happens, they're still able to take levels since they've already started taking the class.

There's been similar questions asked since back in ADnD times, what happens if a paladin loses a point of Charisma, do they staty a paladin? The answer was yes since that 17 was just what was needed to qualify, it didn't need to be retained.

I do remember this, if I remember correctly the person writing was upset because his DM told him he had to revert to fighter.