Just thought of this while at work and I'm wondering if there would at all be any benefit in a game to play like, 2/2/2/2/etc in as many classes as possible.
My first thought: Bad, because dice roll scaling increases as you hit class thresholds so I imagine such an insanely multiclasses person would just be stuck with a level 2's damage output the whole time.
But I am also still very inexperienced so I'm wondering what other thoughts from people might be.
Multiclassing is generally a bad idea with the exception of a few specific builds that benefit from a small dip into a complementary class. A broad multiclass build like this will always underperformed compared to any non-multiclass build.
Multiclassing is generally a bad idea with the exception of a few specific builds that benefit from a small dip into a complementary class.
This is just completely false. Since most classes in 5E are very front-heavy (that is, you get most of your best features at low levels) there are a huge numbers of classes/builds that benefit from multiclassing. In fact, it's probably easier to list the builds that doesn't benefit from multiclassing rather than those who do.
That said, if you want build a character that has all classes or at least most of them I would recommend getting at least two levels of bard, for Jack of all trades and a level of hexblade warlock. That way you can at least be useful outside of combat and you can focus on charisma as you main stat and go to town with Eldritch Blast. For race I'd probably choose Variant Human, Half Elf or Custom lineage. Waforged and Harengon would also offer some nice benefits.
EDIT: Oh, yeah. If you pick Variant Human or Custom lineage, take the Lucky feat or a feat that bumps your charisma.
Umm, you all thinking it might not be a bad idea aren't serious, right?
You'd need at least a 13 in str, int, dex, wis and cha. So for stats, array is right out. Maybe you can roll really well, and that could help. Otherwise, you're doing a point buy where either you have a 10 in con and 13 in everything else, or an 8 in con, a 14 in one thing, and a 13 in everything else. And those will be your stats forever, because you'll never get an asi or feat. You won't get a subclass for like half of the classes. You'll only ever have level 1 spells -- you'll have higher level slots, so you can upcast, but you'll only have level 1 spells you can prepare/memorize. I guess you could eldritch blast since the number of bolts scales with character level, though at best, you're going to only be +2 to hit if you take that 14 in cha and dump con (+prof bonus), which might be ok at low levels, but will rapidly become ineffectual. Maybe you have a generous DM, who gives you lots of tomes/gauntlets/headbands to help boost your ability scores, but that still doesn't compensate for only having level 1 and 2 features.
For what it's worth, The Dungeon Dudes build is: Mountain Dwarf with Point Buy, using Tasha's Origin Ability Increase Optional feature to get 16 CHA, 10 CON, 13 all else.
Fighter
Warlock (Hexblade)
Cleric (Peace Domain)
Bard
Wizard
Rogue
Druid
Sorcerer (No Sorcerous Origin recommended in video)
-13, Barbarian, Monk, Ranger, Paladin, Artificer, pick your order, mostly just stemming the tide by here.
That said, Artificer 1 doesn't slow your spell progression, so you could swap that with Druid if you need to route around the metal armor restriction for a few levels.
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🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
I built an "all multiclass" character in 4e. He was level 1 in all the healing classes (cleric, warlord, etc....) so could dish out major amounts of healing. (never played, it was just a concept).
Playing an Abserd character in a campaign rn as a challenge. I'm actually doing pretty solid from start to where I am now (lvl 8). I could have maybe done a few things better but I'm very solid overall. The thing with these builds is how to maximize effectiveness with low level abilities to keep up with higher level abilities. As for race regular human is by far the best for these builds, maybe variant human/custom lineage could work. My go to's in combat are the following:
- Booming Blade/Green Flame Blade
- Hexblade's Curse + Magic Missile (Hexblade's Curse's + proficiency bonus to damage applies to each missile individually) for massive single target damage
- Faerie Fire for some support to help our martials out (my party is quite martial heavy) and bardic inspiration for support as well
- Booming Blade + Wrathful Smite + Menacing Strike (Menacing Strike is from the superior technique fighting style) For decent damage + High chance of frighten
- Haven't really used it much but Command is great especially as I gained higher level slots
- I'm typically moving from the frontline to the midline back and forth, but I do have some backline options as well in combat
Pros:
- Solid utility with a bunch of cantrips.
- Very much a jack of all trades, where I'll always have a solid option in a fight. The amount of spell options to really control the battlefield, even if they're all low level is pretty solid. With levels in different prep casters I can swap out things to get what I need.
- Good defenses. Medium armor + shield spell gives okay AC and absorb elements is nice. Second wind and healing myself with spells make me tankier as well. I've never needed to use Strength of the Grave yet but that might save my life one day.
- Very solid mobility with expeditious retreat and longstrider if I have the time to cast it before combat starts.
I'd say my weaknesses are the following:
- I don't have high level spells, only 1st level spells. Hexblade's Curse + Magic missile is how I try to make the most of higher level slots. I miss out on big powerful utility
- I don't have the best skills overall (I haven't took a rogue level) and due to spread out stats they're not the highest. I typically obtain my knowledge through ritual casting identify or and arcana check due to my decent arcana modifier.
- All around just average stats. Nothing good. I've had to rely on Hex Warrior and Blessing of the Forge to make my weapon good enough for use.
- Saving throws aren't bad but they're overall all mediocre.
- You do have to do some mental gymnastics when it comes to evaluating the best combat option sometimes.
Overall if I were to re-spec I would have focused on the caster levels and really leaned into Hexblade's Curse + Magic Missile earlier on. The party wasn't very tanky early on so I focused on being the tank for a bit.
Multiclassing is generally a bad idea with the exception of a few specific builds that benefit from a small dip into a complementary class.
This is just completely false. Since most classes in 5E are very front-heavy (that is, you get most of your best features at low levels) there are a huge numbers of classes/builds that benefit from multiclassing. In fact, it's probably easier to list the builds that doesn't benefit from multiclassing rather than those who do.
Memnosyne is right. As a general rule, it is more optimal to play in singleclass. However, there are several builds that benefit from a dip in another class. And some very few cases where that multiclass is actually much more powerful than any singleclass. The paradigmatic examples are hexadin and sorcelock.
This is a matter of opinion, of course. But really, when someone disproves this, the arguments are usually based on static builds. For example, with builds at lvl 20. The problem with that argument is that you have to play a multiclassed build up to lvl20, and multiclassing delays your progress until then. (ASIs later, spells later, key features later, etc.). What multiclassing gives you to be really worth it has to be really, really good. For example, converting a MAD class to SAD.
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Just thought of this while at work and I'm wondering if there would at all be any benefit in a game to play like, 2/2/2/2/etc in as many classes as possible.
My first thought: Bad, because dice roll scaling increases as you hit class thresholds so I imagine such an insanely multiclasses person would just be stuck with a level 2's damage output the whole time.
But I am also still very inexperienced so I'm wondering what other thoughts from people might be.
Multiclassing is generally a bad idea with the exception of a few specific builds that benefit from a small dip into a complementary class. A broad multiclass build like this will always underperformed compared to any non-multiclass build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZCIh_3b5K8
Beat me to it
I LOVE IT.
Dungeon Dudes also did a video on the practicality of doing this, inspired by the aforementioned Puffin Forest video:
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
This is just completely false. Since most classes in 5E are very front-heavy (that is, you get most of your best features at low levels) there are a huge numbers of classes/builds that benefit from multiclassing. In fact, it's probably easier to list the builds that doesn't benefit from multiclassing rather than those who do.
That said, if you want build a character that has all classes or at least most of them I would recommend getting at least two levels of bard, for Jack of all trades and a level of hexblade warlock. That way you can at least be useful outside of combat and you can focus on charisma as you main stat and go to town with Eldritch Blast. For race I'd probably choose Variant Human, Half Elf or Custom lineage. Waforged and Harengon would also offer some nice benefits.
EDIT: Oh, yeah. If you pick Variant Human or Custom lineage, take the Lucky feat or a feat that bumps your charisma.
Hmmm. Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me...
hmmmm dats very interesting
Umm, you all thinking it might not be a bad idea aren't serious, right?
You'd need at least a 13 in str, int, dex, wis and cha. So for stats, array is right out. Maybe you can roll really well, and that could help. Otherwise, you're doing a point buy where either you have a 10 in con and 13 in everything else, or an 8 in con, a 14 in one thing, and a 13 in everything else. And those will be your stats forever, because you'll never get an asi or feat. You won't get a subclass for like half of the classes. You'll only ever have level 1 spells -- you'll have higher level slots, so you can upcast, but you'll only have level 1 spells you can prepare/memorize. I guess you could eldritch blast since the number of bolts scales with character level, though at best, you're going to only be +2 to hit if you take that 14 in cha and dump con (+prof bonus), which might be ok at low levels, but will rapidly become ineffectual. Maybe you have a generous DM, who gives you lots of tomes/gauntlets/headbands to help boost your ability scores, but that still doesn't compensate for only having level 1 and 2 features.
For what it's worth, The Dungeon Dudes build is: Mountain Dwarf with Point Buy, using Tasha's Origin Ability Increase Optional feature to get 16 CHA, 10 CON, 13 all else.
That said, Artificer 1 doesn't slow your spell progression, so you could swap that with Druid if you need to route around the metal armor restriction for a few levels.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
I built an "all multiclass" character in 4e. He was level 1 in all the healing classes (cleric, warlord, etc....) so could dish out major amounts of healing. (never played, it was just a concept).
Playing an Abserd character in a campaign rn as a challenge. I'm actually doing pretty solid from start to where I am now (lvl 8). I could have maybe done a few things better but I'm very solid overall. The thing with these builds is how to maximize effectiveness with low level abilities to keep up with higher level abilities. As for race regular human is by far the best for these builds, maybe variant human/custom lineage could work.
My go to's in combat are the following:
- Booming Blade/Green Flame Blade
- Hexblade's Curse + Magic Missile (Hexblade's Curse's + proficiency bonus to damage applies to each missile individually) for massive single target damage
- Faerie Fire for some support to help our martials out (my party is quite martial heavy) and bardic inspiration for support as well
- Booming Blade + Wrathful Smite + Menacing Strike (Menacing Strike is from the superior technique fighting style) For decent damage + High chance of frighten
- Haven't really used it much but Command is great especially as I gained higher level slots
- I'm typically moving from the frontline to the midline back and forth, but I do have some backline options as well in combat
Pros:
- Solid utility with a bunch of cantrips.
- Very much a jack of all trades, where I'll always have a solid option in a fight. The amount of spell options to really control the battlefield, even if they're all low level is pretty solid. With levels in different prep casters I can swap out things to get what I need.
- Good defenses. Medium armor + shield spell gives okay AC and absorb elements is nice. Second wind and healing myself with spells make me tankier as well. I've never needed to use Strength of the Grave yet but that might save my life one day.
- Very solid mobility with expeditious retreat and longstrider if I have the time to cast it before combat starts.
I'd say my weaknesses are the following:
- I don't have high level spells, only 1st level spells. Hexblade's Curse + Magic missile is how I try to make the most of higher level slots. I miss out on big powerful utility
- I don't have the best skills overall (I haven't took a rogue level) and due to spread out stats they're not the highest. I typically obtain my knowledge through ritual casting identify or and arcana check due to my decent arcana modifier.
- All around just average stats. Nothing good. I've had to rely on Hex Warrior and Blessing of the Forge to make my weapon good enough for use.
- Saving throws aren't bad but they're overall all mediocre.
- You do have to do some mental gymnastics when it comes to evaluating the best combat option sometimes.
Overall if I were to re-spec I would have focused on the caster levels and really leaned into Hexblade's Curse + Magic Missile earlier on. The party wasn't very tanky early on so I focused on being the tank for a bit.
Memnosyne is right. As a general rule, it is more optimal to play in singleclass. However, there are several builds that benefit from a dip in another class. And some very few cases where that multiclass is actually much more powerful than any singleclass. The paradigmatic examples are hexadin and sorcelock.
This is a matter of opinion, of course. But really, when someone disproves this, the arguments are usually based on static builds. For example, with builds at lvl 20. The problem with that argument is that you have to play a multiclassed build up to lvl20, and multiclassing delays your progress until then. (ASIs later, spells later, key features later, etc.). What multiclassing gives you to be really worth it has to be really, really good. For example, converting a MAD class to SAD.