Energize your Fifth Edition D&D character classes by playing across types

November 11, 2015

Hello, Nerdarchists! Have you played all the Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons character classes, and all the archetypes, and now you’re looking for something new? Are all your characters starting to feel the same? Do you need an idea to help kick start your creativity when it comes to character creation?

If so, I’ve got an idea for you. Take one of the standard D&D classes and play it as if it were another class.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Maybe, but if you’re looking to add a little spark to your game, this might just be the ticket.

Traditionally, D&D character classes have had certain roles to play within a gaming party, and while good at such roles, they could sometimes feel limiting. The fighter usually played the front-line combatant, the cleric was the healer, the spell caster played artillery, and the rogue did the sneaky stuff. While true that some classes combined various abilities to allow for expansion of gameplay and characterization, for the most part each class did its singular role well while being abysmal at pretty much anything else.

Fortunately, Fifth Edition has done away with much of that. Obviously various archetypes allow classes to expand their roles, such as letting the Fighter play mage a little through the Eldritch Knight and the rogue to have some spell abilities with the Arcane Trickster. Also, some of the Warlock’s Invocations give strengths of non-casting classes, while a few Cleric Domans provide abilities not normally associated with the priestly class.

Breathe life into your D&D characters

To my way of thinking, however, it is the Feats which provide the most benefits in the endeavor to give cross-class abilities.

Right off the bat, the Magic Initiate Feat allows for any character to pick up a couple of cantrips and a 1st-level spell. This little touch of magic might not seem like much, but a single Cure Wounds might save a party member, and a Fighter utilizing the Hex spell can truly deal out heavy damage even at low levels. Cantrips which provide a distance attack also allow characters to go without ranged weapons, if concerned about ammunition and/or encumbrance. Even spell casters can give themselves a nice little boost by using this Feat to snag some power from another class. Also, remember that Spell Sniper can provide a cantrip, as well as doubling the range on spells that require an attack roll, so a class without magic could gain a little more power by using both Magic Initiate and Spell Sniper.

Classes generally weak in combat skills can pick up some martial abilities with the Weapon Master and armor Feats, while Martial Adept allows for dipping into the Battle Master archetype. For those who want to add a little Monk flavor to their character, Tavern Brawler and Mobile can prove useful.

Then there are the sneaky Feats. If you have a Fighter who wants some Rogue abilities without actually multi-classing, consider the following Feats: Skulker, Skilled, Athlete, Dungeon Delver, even Medium Armor Master. Such Feats combined with the Criminal Background can make a Fighter almost as good at sneaking around as a Rogue.

And any character who would like some serious healing power should consider the Healer Feat, possibly combined with Magic Initiate or Inspiring Leader.

D&D Backgrounds play an important role

Besides Feats, Backgrounds can also allow a class to reach into other classes. If you have a character who wants to know how to pick locks, the Criminal would be obvious. If your Rogue wants to pass himself off as a Bard, the Entertainer could prove helpful. Several Backgrounds, such as Acolyte and Hermit, offer some magic-related skills for those who want a touch of flavor in that area.

I think about now a word of warning needs to be handed out. Keep in mind that if a character goes down the path I’ve suggested above, to some extent the character’s class might not be living up to its full potential. In other words, the class will not be fully optimized. For players who like their characters to be the absolute best of what they are, then crossing class abilities is probably not the best idea. However, giving a class some abilities from other classes can provide some interesting roleplaying, and it can help flesh out a character a little.

For instance, if you have a Barbarian who was raised by a Cleric, would it really be out of line for your Barbarian to have a few skills or even spells based upon the Cleric tradition? Using Feats and such for this might not make your Barbarian the strongest Barbarian around, but it might make him or her one of the more unique barbarians around.

I also would like to point out that another useful reason for working with D&D Backgrounds, Archetypes and Feats to create a cross-classing character is if your Dungeon Master does not allow multi-classing, or if your particular campaign does not allow for it.

Until next time, stay Nerdy all you D&D fans!