I'm currently playing a Halfling 4th level Arcane Trickster/4th level Eldritch Knight. I know I want to get to 5/5, to get Uncanny Dodge, 3d6 Sneak Attack and Extra Attack, but for character level 11, I could go for AT6 (Expertise), EK6 (ASI/feat) or Wizard 1. W1 would give me the equivalent of Mage Initiate, Ritual Caster and some other perks.
Except when you have a specific build you are working toward, I would discourage multiclassing altogether.
At 11th level, what will you be doing while your party casters are slinging 6th level spells? Is what you are working toward going to satisfy you while your allies are casting Arcane Gate, True Seeing, and Heroes Feast?
Multi-classing delays so many strong features that you will often find yourself underpowered compared to your teammates.
A small dip can add a lot of flavor and versatility to a character, but much more than that is rarely worthwhile outside of RP reasons.
My response was "No, unless you have a specific build you're working toward", plus additional context.
My advice is to either choose something that is fun to roleplay, or something that allows you to meaningfully contribute to your team. Anything else will likely prove unsatisfying.
Triple classing is fun if you just want a few more toys to play with as far as spells. Wizard is especially great for that, since you get a subclass ability and the ability to acquire all the 1st levels spells you can find, and ritual casting.
It will not be as strong as sticking to the first 2 classes, that pretty much goes without saying.
Although it might not be as big a sacrifice as you might think if you have time to make spell scrolls, and more spells usually means more out of combat possibilities/utility. Especially with all the cantrips you'll have. And honestly, Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster are already a bit of an odd pairing, so it sounds like you are already going for a fun, eclectic character rather than one which is strong in the strictest sense.
If you just want to have fun and aren't too focused on being the biggest, baddest damage dealer, I'd go for it. I might pick up 6 and 7 in EK for the War Casting feat or Magic Initiate feat, either before or after a level or so of Wiz, if you do still want to be a pretty effective combatant.
As far as team comp goes, you still won't be challenging any full casters for their role.
I don't know what kind of concept/build/character you had in mind but I probably wouldn't have grabbed more then 3 levels of Rogue myself and I probably wouldn't have grabbed any of them until I was level 8 EK unless starting as a Rogue for the proficiencies.
In any case, if I were you, I would hurry the hell up and grab level 7 of EK for their War Magic and 2nd level spells ASAP. Once that is done, the ASI one level later is mighty tempting. At that point though, you'll already be level 12. Fighters would already have 3 attacks, half-caster classes will be getting 4th level spells next level, full casters have had 6th level spells for 2 levels and will be getting 7th level spells at level 13...
Speaking of 3 attacks, again, I would not consider multiclassing further until you reach level 11 or 12 in EK depending how important that ASI is and if you wanna make your main class Fighter or Rogue. In your current state, I would probably do either:
Option 1: EK 4/AT 4 -> EK 5-11 -> AT 5-9 = EK 11/AT 9 Option 2: EK 4/AT 4 -> EK 5-16 = EK 16/AT 4 (Recommended) Option 3: EK 4/AT 4 -> EK 5-13/14 -> AT 5-6/7 = Either EK 13/AT 7 or EK 14/AT 6 depending what you value more between the extra ASI or 2nd level spells from AT but considering they both use spells from the same spell list, it feels a bit redundant.
It is important to note that none of these options are optimal though (Option 3 even less so) and you will feel behind everybody else up until EK 11 (character level 15) for sure when you finally get your 3rd attack and again until character level 17 (fighter 13) if you want to get 3rd level EK spells.
Also of note, option 1 only lets you get up to 5 ASIs total (the same as a 19th level non-multiclass) but no 3rd level spells, it does let you pick up Evasion, more Sneak Attack and Magical Ambush though. Definitely the weakest option here IMO but maybe you really wanted that 9th level ability?
Option 2 (my recommendation) lets you not lose any of the extra ASIs from Fighter (7 ASIs total) as well as not delaying your progression further, letting you pick up 3rd level spells from EK at Fighter 13 (character level 17, better late then never).
Option 3 is a cross between Options 1 and 2, not as weak as Option 1, not quite as strong as Option 2 and progresses the same up until EK 13 but then you're only getting up to 5 or 6 ASIs total and delaying everything all over again once you reach that level. Personally, I don't feel the 5th, 6th and 7th level Rogue abilities are worth more then the 2 extra fighter ASIs, 15th level free misty step when using Action Surge and increased hit die. I would personally have favored an EK 17/Rogue 3 and would have picked either Swashbuckler, Assassin or Scout depending on my concept.
If you want to main Rogue, then... I probably wouldn't have gone Fighter to begin with and would have gone something like AT Rogue 1-3/4 -> BS Wizard 1-2 -> AT Rogue 4/5-18 and build towards an AT Rogue 18/Bladesinger 2 build or something like that and simply used Booming Blade every turn on that one attack you do get. Another possibility would have been AT Rogue 1/2 -> BS Wizard 1-6 -> AT Rogue 2/3-14 building towards an AT Rogue 14/BS Wizard 6 for the Bladesinger's Extra Attack would also have been pretty good. I do understand though that your DM will probably not let you completely ditch a class and "reroll" the same character with a different build though.
I know how amazing a multiclass seems like on paper, I almost fell into that trap myself on my first character. However, it makes no sense to plan for a 20th level character build if 99% of games don't make it there and if you only come online during at most 20% of the campaign, if at all. Multiclass builds are great and all but typically don't come online until levels 12-15 and heavily delay your progression. Unless I was in a campaign that started at 10+, I wouldn't EVER consider dipping more then 1 or at most 2 levels before level 10 for something that will get alot of usage like a Rogue's cunning action, a Paladin's Divine Smite, a Barbarian's Reckless Attack, etc.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
That is the strongest argument for leveling your fighter side more instead of getting levels in anything else.
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As others have said if you want to go for effectiveness to the party it is rarely a good idea to do more than a dip of multiclass (and even a dip usually makes you less effective but there are a few exeptions). If you want to go roleplay and fun playing your character you can multiclass more knowing your character will be less effective but your post gave no indication you wanted to do this or what sort orf character concept you have.
If you want to maximse effectiveness I would pick either rogue or fighter and concentrate in that class from then on.
Kilthor went through EK and came to the same conclusion.
The other alternative is to stick with AT, prevent your sneak attack going more than 2d6 behind single class, get uncanny dodge, expertise, evasion etc and you would get 3rd level spells at character level 17 (same as if you concentrated on EK). As nearly all your damage is sneak attack as long at you hit with your attack your second attack wont do much and if you miss, deending on how easy your DM makes it to hide if you are at advantage for nearly all your attacks you shouldn't miss much and you can action surge if you do. If you find it hard to get advantage there may be a case for getting a 5th level of fighter as an insurance policy but I wouldn't take any more than that unless you are going to major in EK.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
That is the strongest argument for leveling your fighter side more instead of getting levels in anything else.
Meh, with some sneak attack dice and dice from booming blade/green flame blade, its not the biggest sacrifice in the world. More attacks are generally better, but its not like they got nothing offensively out of multiclassing rogue in terms of multi-classing. And sneak attack dice go towards attacks of opportunity in a lot of occasions too.
So realistically unless you have a specific roleplay reason for triple classing the advice is DON’T. You are probably better off using a fighter asi for an initiate feat if you want more magical abilities as the 2 cantrips at least scale damage with character level not class level.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
That is the strongest argument for leveling your fighter side more instead of getting levels in anything else.
Meh, with some sneak attack dice and dice from booming blade/green flame blade, its not the biggest sacrifice in the world. More attacks are generally better, but its not like they got nothing offensively out of multiclassing rogue in terms of multi-classing. And sneak attack dice go towards attacks of opportunity in a lot of occasions too.
OP said they were thinking of getting a level of wizard. Currently, one level of wizard or rogue will not be as good as one level of fighter.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
You need to consider what you'd even get from Magic Initiate (wizard). You've already made a couple passes through the wizard list with both your subclasses - can anything you passed up the first two times really compete with the benefits of advancing either of your existing classes? It doesn't seem that way to me. There aren't many level 1 spells that have a lot of impact at higher levels, and the ones that do - like Shield for example - you should already have.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
That is the strongest argument for leveling your fighter side more instead of getting levels in anything else.
Meh, with some sneak attack dice and dice from booming blade/green flame blade, its not the biggest sacrifice in the world. More attacks are generally better, but its not like they got nothing offensively out of multiclassing rogue in terms of multi-classing. And sneak attack dice go towards attacks of opportunity in a lot of occasions too.
OP said they were thinking of getting a level of wizard. Currently, one level of wizard or rogue will not be as good as one level of fighter.
Wouldn't be much worse either. Really, it'd take 2 levels of rogue or fighter to be noticeably better, but even then they would be getting a pretty big boost in spell slots with 2 levels of wizard.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
That is the strongest argument for leveling your fighter side more instead of getting levels in anything else.
Meh, with some sneak attack dice and dice from booming blade/green flame blade, its not the biggest sacrifice in the world. More attacks are generally better, but its not like they got nothing offensively out of multiclassing rogue in terms of multi-classing. And sneak attack dice go towards attacks of opportunity in a lot of occasions too.
OP said they were thinking of getting a level of wizard. Currently, one level of wizard or rogue will not be as good as one level of fighter.
Wouldn't be much worse either. Really, it'd take 2 levels of rogue or fighter to be noticeably better, but even then they would be getting a pretty big boost in spell slots with 2 levels of wizard.
Right but then why go Fighter at all? And if the only answer is "Action Surge", why go further then 2 levels? He's already past that point, if he doesn't go up to at least level 5 and then 7, it's basically "wasting" those 2 extra levels in Fighter that barely gave him anything. Might as well have done an AT Rogue 18/Fighter 2 or something like an AT Rogue 16/Fighter 2/Bladesinger 2 or something like that. Sitting at EK 4/AT 4 like he is, he's already committed to both classes too much to even consider a 3rd class IMO. He can do it if that's what's fun for him. But his character will lag behind the rest of the party and will definitely not be nearly as powerful as he could be.
Even if Wizard is "OK" to get more spell slots with, I'd argue that "getting more spell slots" is not something you do at the beginning of your build. Its something you do at the very end once your build is already online and you just want extra ressources to spend. I'd still finish up whatever levels of both Rogue and Fighter he wants to get to first and then I would consider Wizard (if at all), not the other way around.
Edit: Besides, if all he wants is a single level of Wizard for Ritual Casting, why not just grab the feat? You get so many ASIs from Fighter that it'd be pretty easy to manage. He also already gets to go through the Wizard spell list with both EK and AT so its not like he's getting any new spells either, all he'd get from one level is improving his spell slots from 3/0 to 4/2. Ok great, 2nd level spell slots that can only be used to upcast 1st level spells...
Spells on an EK/AT are usually meant for defense or utility anyway, staples such as Shield, Absorb Elements, Expeditious Retreat, Fog Cloud, etc. He probably has them all already. One level of Fighter gets him a whole extra attack, another opportunity to deal weapon dmg or sneak attack if it hasn't been applied already and another chance to crit! Another level of Fighter gets him that ASI that could let him grab Ritual Caster if he really wanted to and the 7th level in Fighter (EK 7/AT 4 vs EK 4/AT 4/Wiz 3) would unlock 2nd level spells at the same character level (11). Now, he sacrified an extra attack and a better hit die for what at this point? A few extra spell slots he probably won't use much because anything that isn't utility will be pretty crappy by then. Remember, he'll be casting 2nd level spells while his allies will all be using 3rd to 6th level spells depending on half vs full casters.
That would leave him in a very bad position. A bad fighter who's also a bad rogue and can cast weak spells...
Right but then why go Fighter at all? And if the only answer is "Action Surge", why go further then 2 levels? He's already past that point, if he doesn't go up to at least level 5 and then 7, it's basically "wasting" those 2 extra levels in Fighter that barely gave him anything.
Well you kind of answer the question: he is already past that point of maining fighter. Its obvious that this character build isn't about optimizing for combat. And anyways, he is getting fighter 5 and rogue 5.
Even if Wizard is "OK" to get more spell slots with, I'd argue that "getting more spell slots" is not something you do at the beginning of your build. Its something you do at the very end once your build is already online and you just want extra ressources to spend. I'd still finish up whatever levels of both Rogue and Fighter he wants to get to first and then I would consider Wizard (if at all), not the other way around.
Level 11 isn't really "the beginning" of the build. He laid out that he plans on going 5 Rogue and 5 fighter before taking anything in Wizard.
The things you are pointing out as considerations are considerations he lists in his 3 sentence post.
Right but then why go Fighter at all? And if the only answer is "Action Surge", why go further then 2 levels? He's already past that point, if he doesn't go up to at least level 5 and then 7, it's basically "wasting" those 2 extra levels in Fighter that barely gave him anything.
Well you kind of answer the question: he is already past that point of maining fighter. Its obvious that this character build isn't about optimizing for combat. And anyways, he is getting fighter 5 and rogue 5.
Even if Wizard is "OK" to get more spell slots with, I'd argue that "getting more spell slots" is not something you do at the beginning of your build. Its something you do at the very end once your build is already online and you just want extra ressources to spend. I'd still finish up whatever levels of both Rogue and Fighter he wants to get to first and then I would consider Wizard (if at all), not the other way around.
Level 11 isn't really "the beginning" of the build. He laid out that he plans on going 5 Rogue and 5 fighter before taking anything in Wizard.
The things you are pointing out as considerations are considerations he lists in his 3 sentence post.
True, I read it this morning but forgot about it. What I meant by this though is to finish getting everything he plans to get from Rogue and Fighter first. Not just go to EK 5/AT 5 then go Wizard. It is hard to say what he was planning with this build with what little info we had but I would reach whatever ability/feature he wanted and only then consider a 3rd multiclass if at all.
Either way, I would still not consider building up anything but EK until at least EK 7(/AT 4) for extra attack, War Magic to let him cast a cantrip and still get a 2nd attack using his bonus action as well as access to 2nd level spells. If he goes up to EK 5/AT 5 before considering Wizard anyway, its just worse then anything else no matter how you look at it. He'll have delayed War Magic, practically the defining feature of the EK as well as an ASI and 2nd level EK spells for what? Access to a few 1st level spells he already has, a few slots he probably won't use, a lesser hit die and Ritual Casting he could grab from the Fighter 6 extra ASI anyway... I honestly can't see ANY reason to even recommend going Wizard except if its just for fun and fits thematically but mechanically, it's bad on all fronts.
I can see why he is asking, if he were either an AT or EK only he would have 3 L1 spell slots, because he is both he has to use the multiclass table and he has 3 L1 slots total for both classes - and will have until he reaches 7/7 because of the “round down” rule. By taking even 1 level of wizard you jump to 4 L1 & 2 L2 slots which would be significant.
Personally, as one who has a character ready to jump into a new campaign, starting at level 10, I went with EK/Wiz split. Started as EK to 8 (for ASI's) then gave him 2 levels in Wiz, for, as stated by OP, some extra cantrips, couple more spells and, for MY build the ritual casting ability. My character is intended to be as optimized as I can towards a tank role, using the rituals and extra spells as utility. Most of my spell slots I expect to go POOF using Shield during combat, but I will be looking to reserve a couple for utility as needed and, depending how the party works, I may dip a bit deeper into Wizard for a few combat aiding spells as well.
A few have mentioned, multi-classing isn't optimizing, so don't think of anything you're doing now as a way to "get the most out of...." because the current build has held you back, under all the reasons listed (delayed 2nd attack is a huge hinderance for optimizing the character) Make decisions based on what YOU want him/her to do and be. Embrace the game as it is meant to be, making the character YOU want.
On topic of multi classing that "doesn't mix well" as some have stated, how well a multi mixes is dependent on what you intend to do with it and sometimes how odd mechanics meld, to give surprisingly beneficial results. An example is my Monk5/Rogue5 mix. Yes, I delayed the Monk progressions and thus my Ki pool, BUT, I picked up some Sneak Attack damage, eliminated the need to use Ki to disengage as a bonus and grabbed a handy "half the damage" ability that is very valuable to a somewhat squishy skirmisher. I am pretty sure this character will hold his own in combat as well as my pure Monk does at level 10. It's a bit of a weird mix, for sure, but mechanically, it should balance out quite well.
Most important thing: HAVE FUN.
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Talk to your Players.Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
Personally, as one who has a character ready to jump into a new campaign, starting at level 10, I went with EK/Wiz split. Started as EK to 8 (for ASI's) then gave him 2 levels in Wiz, for, as stated by OP, some extra cantrips, couple more spells and, for MY build the ritual casting ability. My character is intended to be as optimized as I can towards a tank role, using the rituals and extra spells as utility. Most of my spell slots I expect to go POOF using Shield during combat, but I will be looking to reserve a couple for utility as needed and, depending how the party works, I may dip a bit deeper into Wizard for a few combat aiding spells as well.
A few have mentioned, multi-classing isn't optimizing, so don't think of anything you're doing now as a way to "get the most out of...." because the current build has held you back, under all the reasons listed (delayed 2nd attack is a huge hinderance for optimizing the character) Make decisions based on what YOU want him/her to do and be. Embrace the game as it is meant to be, making the character YOU want.
On topic of multi classing that "doesn't mix well" as some have stated, how well a multi mixes is dependent on what you intend to do with it and sometimes how odd mechanics meld, to give surprisingly beneficial results. An example is my Monk5/Rogue5 mix. Yes, I delayed the Monk progressions and thus my Ki pool, BUT, I picked up some Sneak Attack damage, eliminated the need to use Ki to disengage as a bonus and grabbed a handy "half the damage" ability that is very valuable to a somewhat squishy skirmisher. I am pretty sure this character will hold his own in combat as well as my pure Monk does at level 10. It's a bit of a weird mix, for sure, but mechanically, it should balance out quite well.
Most important thing: HAVE FUN.
All valid points, the one cave-at here IMO though is he is already using two classes. The 8/2 split you mention is fine, it probably works quite well in fact. And indeed, the primary reason to play is to have fun hence why I mentioned that it is the only good reason I see to multi into a 3rd class (Wizard). I just don't want OP to expect something like: "Wizards are powerful right, my spells are weak right now, if I go Wizard now, my spells will be stronger so my character will be stronger!". The statement is not false per-say but it still makes the character much weaker then he would be by sticking to Fighter or Rogue for several levels at this point.
In the end, the decision belongs to OP. If he took the time to ask though, it is much better that he takes this decision knowing what to expect and not regret it later on when it doesn't play out like he thought it would. Multiclassing while going in blind is a recipe for disaster. If he knows ahead of time though, it can still make quite a fun and jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none type of character.
It took me a minute to realize what the OP was really after (spell slots not spells) initially so the suggestion for an initiate feat was rightly ignored. That said initiate feats are great story telling/roleplay devices for character development (rather than optimization). I think of them as often being the result of temptation being followed by redemption or something similar. Think of the feat as a abilities granted to tempt a character into a change of some sort by a powerful entity. Then they either individually or via others resists the temptation to go in that direction but they retain the granted powers. In a case like the OP’s I could see there interest in magic being used by a power trying to make a warlock pact with them and them almost doing it but then stopping at the last moment and being left with the warlock initiate feat (perhaps chill touch and Eldritch blast cantrips and the Hex L1spell) .
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I'm currently playing a Halfling 4th level Arcane Trickster/4th level Eldritch Knight. I know I want to get to 5/5, to get Uncanny Dodge, 3d6 Sneak Attack and Extra Attack, but for character level 11, I could go for AT6 (Expertise), EK6 (ASI/feat) or Wizard 1. W1 would give me the equivalent of Mage Initiate, Ritual Caster and some other perks.
What would you do?
Except when you have a specific build you are working toward, I would discourage multiclassing altogether.
At 11th level, what will you be doing while your party casters are slinging 6th level spells? Is what you are working toward going to satisfy you while your allies are casting Arcane Gate, True Seeing, and Heroes Feast?
Multi-classing delays so many strong features that you will often find yourself underpowered compared to your teammates.
A small dip can add a lot of flavor and versatility to a character, but much more than that is rarely worthwhile outside of RP reasons.
I'm already Multiclassed, so advising not to multiclass seems pointless. I don't know why you even bothered to respond.
Your title question was "Should I triple-class?".
My response was "No, unless you have a specific build you're working toward", plus additional context.
My advice is to either choose something that is fun to roleplay, or something that allows you to meaningfully contribute to your team. Anything else will likely prove unsatisfying.
Triple classing is fun if you just want a few more toys to play with as far as spells. Wizard is especially great for that, since you get a subclass ability and the ability to acquire all the 1st levels spells you can find, and ritual casting.
It will not be as strong as sticking to the first 2 classes, that pretty much goes without saying.
Although it might not be as big a sacrifice as you might think if you have time to make spell scrolls, and more spells usually means more out of combat possibilities/utility. Especially with all the cantrips you'll have. And honestly, Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster are already a bit of an odd pairing, so it sounds like you are already going for a fun, eclectic character rather than one which is strong in the strictest sense.
If you just want to have fun and aren't too focused on being the biggest, baddest damage dealer, I'd go for it. I might pick up 6 and 7 in EK for the War Casting feat or Magic Initiate feat, either before or after a level or so of Wiz, if you do still want to be a pretty effective combatant.
As far as team comp goes, you still won't be challenging any full casters for their role.
I don't know what kind of concept/build/character you had in mind but I probably wouldn't have grabbed more then 3 levels of Rogue myself and I probably wouldn't have grabbed any of them until I was level 8 EK unless starting as a Rogue for the proficiencies.
In any case, if I were you, I would hurry the hell up and grab level 7 of EK for their War Magic and 2nd level spells ASAP. Once that is done, the ASI one level later is mighty tempting. At that point though, you'll already be level 12. Fighters would already have 3 attacks, half-caster classes will be getting 4th level spells next level, full casters have had 6th level spells for 2 levels and will be getting 7th level spells at level 13...
Speaking of 3 attacks, again, I would not consider multiclassing further until you reach level 11 or 12 in EK depending how important that ASI is and if you wanna make your main class Fighter or Rogue. In your current state, I would probably do either:
Option 1: EK 4/AT 4 -> EK 5-11 -> AT 5-9 = EK 11/AT 9
Option 2: EK 4/AT 4 -> EK 5-16 = EK 16/AT 4 (Recommended)
Option 3: EK 4/AT 4 -> EK 5-13/14 -> AT 5-6/7 = Either EK 13/AT 7 or EK 14/AT 6 depending what you value more between the extra ASI or 2nd level spells from AT but considering they both use spells from the same spell list, it feels a bit redundant.
It is important to note that none of these options are optimal though (Option 3 even less so) and you will feel behind everybody else up until EK 11 (character level 15) for sure when you finally get your 3rd attack and again until character level 17 (fighter 13) if you want to get 3rd level EK spells.
Also of note, option 1 only lets you get up to 5 ASIs total (the same as a 19th level non-multiclass) but no 3rd level spells, it does let you pick up Evasion, more Sneak Attack and Magical Ambush though. Definitely the weakest option here IMO but maybe you really wanted that 9th level ability?
Option 2 (my recommendation) lets you not lose any of the extra ASIs from Fighter (7 ASIs total) as well as not delaying your progression further, letting you pick up 3rd level spells from EK at Fighter 13 (character level 17, better late then never).
Option 3 is a cross between Options 1 and 2, not as weak as Option 1, not quite as strong as Option 2 and progresses the same up until EK 13 but then you're only getting up to 5 or 6 ASIs total and delaying everything all over again once you reach that level. Personally, I don't feel the 5th, 6th and 7th level Rogue abilities are worth more then the 2 extra fighter ASIs, 15th level free misty step when using Action Surge and increased hit die. I would personally have favored an EK 17/Rogue 3 and would have picked either Swashbuckler, Assassin or Scout depending on my concept.
If you want to main Rogue, then... I probably wouldn't have gone Fighter to begin with and would have gone something like AT Rogue 1-3/4 -> BS Wizard 1-2 -> AT Rogue 4/5-18 and build towards an AT Rogue 18/Bladesinger 2 build or something like that and simply used Booming Blade every turn on that one attack you do get. Another possibility would have been AT Rogue 1/2 -> BS Wizard 1-6 -> AT Rogue 2/3-14 building towards an AT Rogue 14/BS Wizard 6 for the Bladesinger's Extra Attack would also have been pretty good. I do understand though that your DM will probably not let you completely ditch a class and "reroll" the same character with a different build though.
I know how amazing a multiclass seems like on paper, I almost fell into that trap myself on my first character. However, it makes no sense to plan for a 20th level character build if 99% of games don't make it there and if you only come online during at most 20% of the campaign, if at all. Multiclass builds are great and all but typically don't come online until levels 12-15 and heavily delay your progression. Unless I was in a campaign that started at 10+, I wouldn't EVER consider dipping more then 1 or at most 2 levels before level 10 for something that will get alot of usage like a Rogue's cunning action, a Paladin's Divine Smite, a Barbarian's Reckless Attack, etc.
TL;DR: you've already delayed all your Fighter stuff for 4 levels, you don't even have Extra Attack yet which you should have gotten 3 levels ago. Think about it, you'd have been able to make one extra attack roll every turn for weapon dmg+ability modifier for 4 whole levels.
That is the strongest argument for leveling your fighter side more instead of getting levels in anything else.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
As others have said if you want to go for effectiveness to the party it is rarely a good idea to do more than a dip of multiclass (and even a dip usually makes you less effective but there are a few exeptions). If you want to go roleplay and fun playing your character you can multiclass more knowing your character will be less effective but your post gave no indication you wanted to do this or what sort orf character concept you have.
If you want to maximse effectiveness I would pick either rogue or fighter and concentrate in that class from then on.
Kilthor went through EK and came to the same conclusion.
The other alternative is to stick with AT, prevent your sneak attack going more than 2d6 behind single class, get uncanny dodge, expertise, evasion etc and you would get 3rd level spells at character level 17 (same as if you concentrated on EK). As nearly all your damage is sneak attack as long at you hit with your attack your second attack wont do much and if you miss, deending on how easy your DM makes it to hide if you are at advantage for nearly all your attacks you shouldn't miss much and you can action surge if you do. If you find it hard to get advantage there may be a case for getting a 5th level of fighter as an insurance policy but I wouldn't take any more than that unless you are going to major in EK.
Meh, with some sneak attack dice and dice from booming blade/green flame blade, its not the biggest sacrifice in the world. More attacks are generally better, but its not like they got nothing offensively out of multiclassing rogue in terms of multi-classing. And sneak attack dice go towards attacks of opportunity in a lot of occasions too.
So realistically unless you have a specific roleplay reason for triple classing the advice is DON’T. You are probably better off using a fighter asi for an initiate feat if you want more magical abilities as the 2 cantrips at least scale damage with character level not class level.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
OP said they were thinking of getting a level of wizard. Currently, one level of wizard or rogue will not be as good as one level of fighter.
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You need to consider what you'd even get from Magic Initiate (wizard). You've already made a couple passes through the wizard list with both your subclasses - can anything you passed up the first two times really compete with the benefits of advancing either of your existing classes? It doesn't seem that way to me. There aren't many level 1 spells that have a lot of impact at higher levels, and the ones that do - like Shield for example - you should already have.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Wouldn't be much worse either. Really, it'd take 2 levels of rogue or fighter to be noticeably better, but even then they would be getting a pretty big boost in spell slots with 2 levels of wizard.
Right but then why go Fighter at all? And if the only answer is "Action Surge", why go further then 2 levels? He's already past that point, if he doesn't go up to at least level 5 and then 7, it's basically "wasting" those 2 extra levels in Fighter that barely gave him anything. Might as well have done an AT Rogue 18/Fighter 2 or something like an AT Rogue 16/Fighter 2/Bladesinger 2 or something like that. Sitting at EK 4/AT 4 like he is, he's already committed to both classes too much to even consider a 3rd class IMO. He can do it if that's what's fun for him. But his character will lag behind the rest of the party and will definitely not be nearly as powerful as he could be.
Even if Wizard is "OK" to get more spell slots with, I'd argue that "getting more spell slots" is not something you do at the beginning of your build. Its something you do at the very end once your build is already online and you just want extra ressources to spend. I'd still finish up whatever levels of both Rogue and Fighter he wants to get to first and then I would consider Wizard (if at all), not the other way around.
Edit: Besides, if all he wants is a single level of Wizard for Ritual Casting, why not just grab the feat? You get so many ASIs from Fighter that it'd be pretty easy to manage. He also already gets to go through the Wizard spell list with both EK and AT so its not like he's getting any new spells either, all he'd get from one level is improving his spell slots from 3/0 to 4/2. Ok great, 2nd level spell slots that can only be used to upcast 1st level spells...
Spells on an EK/AT are usually meant for defense or utility anyway, staples such as Shield, Absorb Elements, Expeditious Retreat, Fog Cloud, etc. He probably has them all already. One level of Fighter gets him a whole extra attack, another opportunity to deal weapon dmg or sneak attack if it hasn't been applied already and another chance to crit! Another level of Fighter gets him that ASI that could let him grab Ritual Caster if he really wanted to and the 7th level in Fighter (EK 7/AT 4 vs EK 4/AT 4/Wiz 3) would unlock 2nd level spells at the same character level (11). Now, he sacrified an extra attack and a better hit die for what at this point? A few extra spell slots he probably won't use much because anything that isn't utility will be pretty crappy by then. Remember, he'll be casting 2nd level spells while his allies will all be using 3rd to 6th level spells depending on half vs full casters.
That would leave him in a very bad position. A bad fighter who's also a bad rogue and can cast weak spells...
Well you kind of answer the question: he is already past that point of maining fighter. Its obvious that this character build isn't about optimizing for combat. And anyways, he is getting fighter 5 and rogue 5.
Level 11 isn't really "the beginning" of the build. He laid out that he plans on going 5 Rogue and 5 fighter before taking anything in Wizard.
The things you are pointing out as considerations are considerations he lists in his 3 sentence post.
True, I read it this morning but forgot about it. What I meant by this though is to finish getting everything he plans to get from Rogue and Fighter first. Not just go to EK 5/AT 5 then go Wizard. It is hard to say what he was planning with this build with what little info we had but I would reach whatever ability/feature he wanted and only then consider a 3rd multiclass if at all.
Either way, I would still not consider building up anything but EK until at least EK 7(/AT 4) for extra attack, War Magic to let him cast a cantrip and still get a 2nd attack using his bonus action as well as access to 2nd level spells. If he goes up to EK 5/AT 5 before considering Wizard anyway, its just worse then anything else no matter how you look at it. He'll have delayed War Magic, practically the defining feature of the EK as well as an ASI and 2nd level EK spells for what? Access to a few 1st level spells he already has, a few slots he probably won't use, a lesser hit die and Ritual Casting he could grab from the Fighter 6 extra ASI anyway... I honestly can't see ANY reason to even recommend going Wizard except if its just for fun and fits thematically but mechanically, it's bad on all fronts.
I can see why he is asking, if he were either an AT or EK only he would have 3 L1 spell slots, because he is both he has to use the multiclass table and he has 3 L1 slots total for both classes - and will have until he reaches 7/7 because of the “round down” rule. By taking even 1 level of wizard you jump to 4 L1 & 2 L2 slots which would be significant.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Personally, as one who has a character ready to jump into a new campaign, starting at level 10, I went with EK/Wiz split. Started as EK to 8 (for ASI's) then gave him 2 levels in Wiz, for, as stated by OP, some extra cantrips, couple more spells and, for MY build the ritual casting ability. My character is intended to be as optimized as I can towards a tank role, using the rituals and extra spells as utility. Most of my spell slots I expect to go POOF using Shield during combat, but I will be looking to reserve a couple for utility as needed and, depending how the party works, I may dip a bit deeper into Wizard for a few combat aiding spells as well.
A few have mentioned, multi-classing isn't optimizing, so don't think of anything you're doing now as a way to "get the most out of...." because the current build has held you back, under all the reasons listed (delayed 2nd attack is a huge hinderance for optimizing the character) Make decisions based on what YOU want him/her to do and be. Embrace the game as it is meant to be, making the character YOU want.
On topic of multi classing that "doesn't mix well" as some have stated, how well a multi mixes is dependent on what you intend to do with it and sometimes how odd mechanics meld, to give surprisingly beneficial results. An example is my Monk5/Rogue5 mix. Yes, I delayed the Monk progressions and thus my Ki pool, BUT, I picked up some Sneak Attack damage, eliminated the need to use Ki to disengage as a bonus and grabbed a handy "half the damage" ability that is very valuable to a somewhat squishy skirmisher. I am pretty sure this character will hold his own in combat as well as my pure Monk does at level 10. It's a bit of a weird mix, for sure, but mechanically, it should balance out quite well.
Most important thing: HAVE FUN.
Talk to your Players. Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
All valid points, the one cave-at here IMO though is he is already using two classes. The 8/2 split you mention is fine, it probably works quite well in fact. And indeed, the primary reason to play is to have fun hence why I mentioned that it is the only good reason I see to multi into a 3rd class (Wizard). I just don't want OP to expect something like: "Wizards are powerful right, my spells are weak right now, if I go Wizard now, my spells will be stronger so my character will be stronger!". The statement is not false per-say but it still makes the character much weaker then he would be by sticking to Fighter or Rogue for several levels at this point.
In the end, the decision belongs to OP. If he took the time to ask though, it is much better that he takes this decision knowing what to expect and not regret it later on when it doesn't play out like he thought it would. Multiclassing while going in blind is a recipe for disaster. If he knows ahead of time though, it can still make quite a fun and jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none type of character.
It took me a minute to realize what the OP was really after (spell slots not spells) initially so the suggestion for an initiate feat was rightly ignored. That said initiate feats are great story telling/roleplay devices for character development (rather than optimization). I think of them as often being the result of temptation being followed by redemption or something similar. Think of the feat as a abilities granted to tempt a character into a change of some sort by a powerful entity. Then they either individually or via others resists the temptation to go in that direction but they retain the granted powers. In a case like the OP’s I could see there interest in magic being used by a power trying to make a warlock pact with them and them almost doing it but then stopping at the last moment and being left with the warlock initiate feat (perhaps chill touch and Eldritch blast cantrips and the Hex L1spell) .
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.