Multiclassing Should Always be Allowed in a 5E D&D

Multiclassing in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons always seems to polarize a Dungeon Master when it comes up. I’ll admit I’m no exception to this rule. In fact I’m so much in favor of multiclassing in 5E D&D I sometimes ask my players why they aren’t multiclassing. They say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence but for my part, my grass is looking pretty darn green. Regardless of what side of the multiclassing fence you find yourself on I’m going to try to convince you my grass is clearly the greenest.

Multiclassing in 5E D&D makes story sense

When it comes to 5E D&D I love mixing things up and I’m a huge fan of how Wizards of the Coast has really encouraged nuance and roleplay with this edition of the game. This shift has led greater discussions on long held traditions of inherently evil races and alignment. We’re not going to be discussing either of those hot buttons today but I do think it’s worth mentioning the discussion of nuance has led many toward more realistic, inclusive and generally more fun storytelling.

“Multiclassing lets you combine classes together, and feats are special options you can choose instead of increasing your ability scores as you gain levels. Your DM decides whether these options are available in a campaign.” — From the 5E D&D Basic Rules/Player’s Handbook chapter 6: Customization Options

When it comes to people being staunchly against multiclassing I tend to relate the discussion to those revolving around alignment. For literal decades, alignment has been a staple of D&D. However, with 5E D&D’s focus on roleplay and interesting storytelling we’ve seen people drift away from the rigidity alignment imposes.

Most of the arguments regarding alignment bring up the notion that defining good and evil is difficult without a singular moral perspective. These discussions frequently address how what one character might consider a good action could just as easily be perceived as evil by someone with a different viewpoint. Thus, I’ve heard many people say alignment is outdated.

Much in the same way when we focus on storytelling and more grounded or realistic depictions of individuals as opposed to archetypes, I begin to draw the conclusion these characters we play in D&D are more nuanced than merely a singular type of character. Maybe my sorcerer is thrust into the heart of the city’s seedy underbelly and gets caught up in a criminal organization. Doesn’t multiclassing into rogue make sense for her?

Suppose my barbarian has traveled to seek enlightenment in his past, completing a pilgrimage to a peaceful monastery. From there he might multiclass into cleric, monk, paladin or even bard based on where his attentions and studies lead him.

Multiclassing enables a freedom to develop characters more naturally and organically. Just as we, the players, are living breathing people with more interests beyond our hobby, so too are our characters. By forcing players to avoid multiclassing we limit the potential growth and development of our characters. It’s true they might become more optimized or less effective in a given area but for me games requiring optimized characters to thrive are usually the sorts of experiences I avoid.

Forcing players to follow a single class path feels just as rigid to me as forcing characters to take certain actions due to their alignment. Neither is fun for the player if they lose agency of their character, neither is interesting to the story and neither accommodates the realistic development a character might undergo during a game’s progression.

Multiclassing in 5E D&D makes mechanical sense

“But Steven!” I hear you contend, “What about the mechanics? Doesn’t it break the game to let players multiclass? What if it makes one character better than all the others?” Believe me, I hear you.

In my home D&D group there’s a player who’s a computer programmer by profession. For him a lot of the fun of 5E D&D comes from understanding the mechanics of the game and then combining rules in new or interesting ways to accomplish ridiculous power levels. And that’s okay.

One of the coolest things about D&D is how many different ways there are to play and enjoy the game. My friend loves hacking the game. For him the game is like a puzzle full of mechanical pieces. By rearranging how those pieces fit together new and clever mechanical combinations surface.

This is not the way I particularly enjoy playing 5E D&D but it’s his own take on the game and when he’s having fun then everyone else is having fun, too. Now granted, I have sat in a group or two where “that guy” (you know the one) brings his optimally-built character to the table. It exploits half a dozen mechanics combos and through this player’s showboating and grandstanding the rest of the group is rendered more or less useless.

This is a problem but it’s not for the reasons you’re probably thinking. The issue with the player is the showboating and grandstanding. The player is likely going to exhibit the same behavior no matter what game they’re playing. The problem is with the behaviors that mitigate other people’s fun.

The friend I mentioned makes a point of not showboating. There are times his character could absolutely steamroll a situation but it makes more story sense for someone else to deal with it. In those instances he steps back and allows someone else to take center stage. Just as many times there might be a scenario where the DM purposely splits our nine person party so only a select cast of characters encounter a certain thing, which might be much easier handled by the min-maxed character had they been there.

These sorts of moments offer options. Sometimes the solution is to bring the min-maxed or multiclassed character back to the challenge and build teamwork during the game. Sometimes part of the challenge of the situation is the best character for the job can’t participate in solving the problem. And then of course you have problems that literally require more than one person to solve. Maybe it’s because you need multiple bodies, because you need multiple perspectives or you just need to be able to hold a conversation with another person.

All of these are easy examples of how to mitigate a showboating multiclass character. Even Superman, who has half a dozen super powers, needs the Justice League sometimes. Much in the same way, multiclass characters are not flawless. No character in 5E D&D ever is such. There’s literally a box on the character sheet for defining a character’s flaws.

Multiclassing power is based on case-by-case situations and ultimately should be allowed in games because it’s one of the core ways certain people enjoy the game.

Multiclassing isn’t the problem in most situations

Characters should be allowed to multiclass in any circumstance. A DM has a plethora of tools at their disposal for dealing with any challenge the players present during a game. Not the least of these is the ultimate power to just say no to certain things.

As for multiclassing taking away the fun of those who don’t understand or do it, a lot of times those situations are solved out of game with a direct conversation among players. Like any other means of playing the game, multiclassing isn’t inherently a jerk thing to do and if a player tries to abuse it to the detriment of others’ fun this is more of a personal problem than a problem with the game they’re playing.

What do you think?

Do you like or dislike multiclassing in 5E D&D? How do you feel about story surrounding multiclass characters? Whatever you’ve got to say, drop something in the comments. You can also tweet @Nerdarchy or connect with us on Facebook. If you’re looking for some exciting options for multiclassing, check out Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, complete with optional class features and a slew of new subclasses to pop into your 5E D&D games.

*Featured image — Whether you play a multiclass character, simulate what it’s like to multiclass without actually multiclassing or straight up stick with the class that brought you to the dance the possibilities are endless in 5E D&D. This blog post uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Inc., used under Paizo’s Community Use Policy (paizo.com/communityuse). We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. This blog post is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo. For more information about Paizo Inc. and Paizo products, visit paizo.com. [Art by Wayne Reynolds]

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