I have a level 8 Ranger multiclassed to level 2 Cleric who has three 3rd level spell slots when they should not be available until Ranger level 9. Am I missing something in the multiclass rules, or is this a bug? The 3rd level slots actually showed up in earlier levels:
You are in fact missing something from the multiclass rules.
Spellcasting
Your capacity for spellcasting depends partly on your combined levels in all your spellcasting classes and partly on your individual levels in those classes. Once you have the Spellcasting feature from more than one class, use the rules below. If you multiclass but have the Spellcasting feature from only one class, you follow the rules as described in that class.
Spells Known and Prepared. You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a ranger 4/wizard 3, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd-level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.
Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell. Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus.
Spell Slots. You determine your available spell slots by adding together all your levels in the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard classes, and half your levels (rounded down) in the paladin and ranger classes. Use this total to determine your spell slots by consulting the Multiclass Spellcaster table.
If you have more than one spellcasting class, this table might give you spell slots of a level that is higher than the spells you know or can prepare. You can use those slots, but only to cast your lower-level spells. If a lower-level spell that you cast, like burning hands, has an enhanced effect when cast using a higher-level slot, you can use the enhanced effect, even though you don't have any spells of that higher level.
For example, if you are the aforementioned ranger 4/wizard 3, you count as a 5th-level character when determining your spell slots: you have four 1st-level slots, three 2nd-level slots, and two 3rd-level slots. However, you don't know any 3rd-level spells, nor do you know any 2nd-level ranger spells. You can use the spell slots of those levels to cast the spells you do know — and potentially enhance their effects.
Pact Magic. If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.
To figure out your spells slots, you divide your ranger level by 2 (8/2=4) and add that to your cleric levels (4+2=6) to get your caster level for purposes of figuring spell slots. Then you look at the chart for multiclassed spellcasters in the link above, and see that you get 4 first level slots, 2 second level slots, and 3 third level slots. You can't actually know or prepare any third level spells, because you learn and prepare spells based on your individual class levels, but you have the slots. What you can do is upcast your spells and use those 3rd level slots that way.
I have a level 8 Ranger multiclassed to level 2 Cleric who has three 3rd level spell slots when they should not be available until Ranger level 9. Am I missing something in the multiclass rules, or is this a bug? The 3rd level slots actually showed up in earlier levels:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/Osyrass/characters/25746661
Thanks
Danny
You are in fact missing something from the multiclass rules.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Specifically, the multi-class rules are here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/customization-options#Spellcasting
To figure out your spells slots, you divide your ranger level by 2 (8/2=4) and add that to your cleric levels (4+2=6) to get your caster level for purposes of figuring spell slots. Then you look at the chart for multiclassed spellcasters in the link above, and see that you get 4 first level slots, 2 second level slots, and 3 third level slots. You can't actually know or prepare any third level spells, because you learn and prepare spells based on your individual class levels, but you have the slots. What you can do is upcast your spells and use those 3rd level slots that way.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
Check your entitlements here. | Support Ticket LInk