D&D 5E Why do you like single or multi classing

[Cadence]

As for the “suddenly, I’m a wizard too”, that’s not much of problem for me, as I can assume that the desire/knowledge/practice has been happening in downtime that hasn’t been referenced in the game until it now became important. I mean, I don’t normally roleplay out the fighter doing his nightly practice or the cleric doing evening prayers and reading sacred texts for those that began their careers in that class - but I can assume that they are doing such things during the times between adventures.

I wonder if part of it for me is trying to imagine what skill level the 1st level character is supposed to be? Are they an apprentice, for example, or a journeyman?

If 1st level is apprentice level skills, should stuff like a first level character has be pretty easy for anyone to get and be common? If 1st level is journeyman level skill, then is it something folks pick up on the side that's so easy they don't have to announce they're doing it until they get it?

[In any case, I am all on board with admitting we all have game pet peeves and this happens to be mine, instead of say AC or HP or whatever bothers anyone else.]

 

[Stormonu]

I wonder if part of it for me is trying to imagine what skill level the 1st level character is supposed to be? Are they an apprentice, for example, or a journeyman?

If 1st level is apprentice level skills, should stuff like a first level character has be pretty easy for anyone to get and be common? If 1st level is journeyman level skill, then is it something folks pick up on the side that's so easy they don't have to announce they're doing it until they get it?

[In any case, I am all on board with admitting we all have game pet peeves and this happens to be mine, instead of say AC or HP or whatever bothers anyone else.]

D&D is split on that. In older editions (explicitly I remember 2E), you could, for example, have a 0th level character as a king. Skill at a profession was not tied to level in at least 1E & 2E.

I think 3E further complicated things with the NPCs classes. In that, skill was DEFINATELY tied to level. With the old “9th is name level”, you could see something like Initiate levels 1-3, Apprentice levels 4-6, Journeyman 7-9, Master 10+ level.

With 5E no longer using skill points, mostly it goes back to the 1E & 2E design - though you could argue that the proficiency modifier defines the relative “skill level” of the individual (though the difference there isn’t as great as it was in 3E).

Mostly now (short of spells), level doesn’t equate directly to skill in a profession. It’s just a measure of how powerful a protagonist you are (i.e., importance to the story) and the level of threats you can expect to take on.

 

[Blue]

I'm only playing 5e with one group right now. Because of an pair of players who are no longer with us, in that group multiclassing is considered quite cheesy. So I play pretty much exclusively single classed characters.

I do some theory crafting with multi-classed characters, but in actual play I don't do builds and just see where my characters ends up with the needs of the party and the direction they grow in.

 

[GnomeWorks]

I don't allow multiclassing in my games, and haven't for years. I've read numerous arguments against it, both in terms of how it impacts the game and characters mechanically and RP-wise, and have decided it just doesn't make sense for my table.

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't care for multiclassing. For me and my playstyle, I find that multiclassed characters are too fiddly, and they slow my progression down too much for all classes I've taken.

For adding optimization and/or versatility, I prefer feats and subclass options.

 

[ECMO3]

I have had successful single and multiclass characters. That is to say they survived and contributed and also did not bore me.

As time goes by, I find myself drawn more to single classed characters. It could be a Tasha’s effect or something else but I find I can make most concepts/approaches work with a single class and feats.

I like getting to feats or ASIs faster and feel less cluttered going single classed.

Just curious about others and their preferences for single or multiclassing. Why do you like one approach over the other?

I almost always multiclass, and I triple classed one time (Arcane Trickster/Arcane Archer/Shadow Sorcerer).

A Bladesinger is the only character I will play single classed and I even often multiclass them.

Basically I find there are two reasons I multiclass. Either I like characters with a lot of options or I have a specific theme and multiclassing is the fastest way to get there.

For example my Tempest Melee Cleric with Booming Blade, Dissonant Whispers and Warcaster. I wanted to be able to be a melee cleric spamming booming blade and Tempest has the exact flavor I want but lacks the booming blade cantrip. I also wanted to be able to use booming blade on a reaction attack and I really liked the idea of dissonant whispers - wade into melee and cast DW and then get an AO on the guy you just targeted.

Unless you play an elf, you need 3 feats to do this single class - Magic initiate for Booming Blade, Fey Touched for Dissonant Whispers and Warcaster for the spell AO. That means 8th level on an Elf, Custom or Human or 12th level on anyone else.

By multiclassing into Fathomless Warlock I got a very thematic second class that let me get all that online at 5th level with a Variant Human. I could have triple classed with the same stats and got it online at 3rd level.

 

[James Gasik]

My first 5e character was a Fighter (Battlemaster) that I made into an archer, as I liked the idea of being able to use maneuvers at range. By level 7, however, I noticed a problem. I wasn't getting more Superiority Dice (as I cared about the effects, not the damage). I had little utility- I was a Noble with 16 Charisma, but there was usually someone else with better Persuasion around. I made the mistake of being a Halfling, which meant I couldn't use a longbow. Extra Attack was 4 levels away.

Thinking about it, I realized there was a great way to add utility to my character and get an easy source of extra damage. I became a Rogue, and never looked back. More skills, bonus action Disengage, and eventual Expertise in Perception allowed me to eventually shoot up from "meh" Perception to the sharpest scout around!

I don't think it's overpowered, but instead that this points out the issue with being single-classed in 5e; the rate at which you gain new abilities slows way the heck down, and some classes don't get much to look forward to. Multiclassing to give your character more options and depth seems like the natural solution to dry, boring advancement and the relatively "simple" design of many classes.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My main drivers in my PC design choices away from most single class builds are: a long time spent in the hobby; a preference for FRPG PCs with some kind of fantastic/magical capabilities independent from items or the buffs of others; the structure of D&D classes. I might have a character idea I can articulate, but when I go looking, there’s not really a single class that encompasses the features I’m emphasizing.*

For example, one of the last 3.5Ed PCs I played was built on the concept of “Arcane Paladin”. IOW, he was supposed to be a martial arcanist with “aura” abilities and some kind of “Smite” like ability. That’s not a set of abilities you’re going to find in a single class.

OTOH, one of the last 3.5Ed PCs I designed was a single class fighter. His “fantastic” elements all stemmed from his race (Hengeyokai), the multiheaded & cryo templates, and a bunch of Fey heritage feats.



* at least, not in an official product. Sometimes, I can find them in 3rd party products, but that’s no sure thing, either.