Is 5e multiclassing worse with the new Dungeons and Dragons rules? This has been an ongoing conversation since parts of the 2024 Player’s Handbook were first revealed. Power-builders have loudly lamented the loss of level-one subclasses, which fueled many broken character builds.
For players who don’t want to push the boundaries of D&D’s rules, however, many aspects of multiclassing are arguably stronger. Rather than definitively better or worse, perhaps the DnD multiclassing landscape is simply different.
To explain these changes, let’s take a look at a few core DnD classes that once ruled the multiclassing roost. By far the most popular were those who offered the best value as a level-one dip. Many of these have had their power diminished somewhat – but the base classes have more to offer than ever before.
Warlock
The ultimate star of the show was the Warlock 5e class. One level gave you access to a handful of Pact Magic spell slots and extra cantrips, while two levels unlocked DnD Eldritch Invocations, a hugely versatile feature that granted boons like a buffed Eldritch Blast and advantage on concentration saves. By level three, Pact Boons could further buff either your martial or spellcasting prowess.
More importantly, a level-one Warlock already has access to a ridiculous subclass, the Hexblade. A stellar spell list, generous armor and weapon proficiencies, a curse feature that deals extra damage to targets, and the ability to use Charisma for weapon attacks made this the perfect dip for MAD classes who wanted to juggle martial and magic options.
As previously mentioned, level-one subclasses are no longer a thing – in the 2024 rules, everyone picks their specialization at level three. Having to wait two extra levels for a Hexblade dip is problematic, as it seriously diminishes the power of the class you’re combining Warlock with. The best-optimized multiclass builds get the most value out of the least amount of multiclassing – as every dip into another class cuts you off from your core class’ best, highest-level abilities.
Wizards of the Coast seems to have compensated here by moving all of the Warlock’s best early-level features to level one. The rules for Pact Boons and Eldritch Invocations have merged, and both are available at level one (though you’ll only have one pick from the list). Many of the strongest Invocations are still only available to level-two Warlocks, but Pact of the Chain, Pact of the Blade, and Pact of the Tome can all be selected from the get-go.
Still, without the medium armor proficiency, extra damage, and free spells granted by Hexblade, this is a significantly worse level-one dip. It now appeals most to Paladins, who can use Pact of the Blade to juggle their MAD DnD stats, and Charisma casters who want to specialize more in melee attacks, such as certain DnD Bards.
A level-two dip offers your Warlock hybrid three Invocations rather than two, which is enough value to justify that second level for DnD character builds. However, it’s not worth going all the way to level three for a subclass – particularly as the Hexblade wasn’t carried over to the 2024 rules.
Cleric
Another class that used to choose its subclass at level one, the DnD Cleric was primarily chosen as a multiclass dip for its armor proficiencies and powerful low-level spells. Anyone who took one level as a Cleric gets proficiency with medium armor and shields, as well as access to eternally useful DnD spells like Bless, Healing Word, Guidance, and Sacred Flame.
Even better, there were multiple strong subclass options for multiclassing, particularly if you were only planning to dip in for a few levels. Forge Clerics offered heavy armor proficiency, which was perfect for a spellcaster looking to beef up. Both Peace Cleric and Order Cleric offered immensely powerful level-one abilities, though the Peace Cleric certainly won the popularity contests among players who liked to break the game.
As with the Warlock, D&D’s design team has attempted to mitigate the loss of level-one subclasses without offering multiclassers anything too broken. All Clerics now gain the Divine Order feature at level one, which lets them choose between an extra cantrip or proficiency in martial weapons and heavy armor. For DnD Wizards looking to dip their way into better defenses, the choice is obvious.
Yes, we’ve lost the broken potential of the Peace and Order Cleric dip. But multiclassing into Cleric still offers you some excellent extra spells and better defenses. We’d recommend it for pretty much anyone who wants to beef up without disrupting their spellcasting abilities too much.
Fighter
The DnD Fighter has always been a popular first-level dip. Spellcasters gained access to heavy armor and shields with minimal sacrifice, while more martial-focused characters benefited from the broad range of Fighting Styles available to low-level Fighters. With subclasses not appearing until level three, even in the 2014 rules, it wasn’t worth chasing these unless you were planning to invest a serious amount of levels into Fighter – if you’ve made it to level three, you may as well stick around until level five for that Extra Attack, right?
The situation is largely the same in the 2024 rules. Second Wind, another level-one feature that grants temporary HP, gets more uses in the update, which is nice. More importantly, Fighters now get DnD weapon mastery options at level one – and they get more than any other martial class. That’s excellent news for Valor Bards – or any martial who just wants to expand their options.
Spellcasters who purely want the heavy armor are better off multiclassing into Cleric, as they get more magical abilities that complement their existing skill set. But for everyone else, the Fighter remains a solid – if not better – choice.
Sorcerer
The DnD Sorcerer is another multiclassing stape from the 2014 rules. The power of its low-level spellcasting (shout out to Shield) is draw enough, but the versatility that Font of Magic and Metamagic add to any spellcaster makes it worth taking multiple levels in Sorcerer. Sorlocks aren’t a stereotypical build for nothing.
A low-level Sorcerer is so impressive that we haven’t even mentioned the fact that, in the 2014 rules, you’d select your subclass at level one. Divine Soul was always the standout subclass choice for multiclassers, adding Cleric spells to an already incredible spell set.
That’s gone now, but the Sorcerer remains an optimal multiclass option for spellcasters. Plus, now that Metamagic unlocks at level two rather than level three, you can make an even smaller dip into Sorcerer than you previously needed to.
Paladin
The DnD Paladin was never a useful one-level dip for 2014 multiclassing, but its level-two abilities could come in handy for Charisma casters who wanted to up their durability. Warlocks who could use Smites were quite formidable, as were Sorcerers and Bards backed up by the heavy armor proficiency and divine spells of the Paladin.
This was another way to get access to Fighting Styles, albeit at a later level and with fewer options than the Fighter. The MAD nature of Paladins makes this a hard sell for anyone who isn’t committed to Charisma, but luckily that leaves plenty of combinations.
This is one multiclass option that has gotten notably stronger, and it’s mainly because Paladins can now cast spells from level one. Since the Paladin’s signature smites are now entirely handled using spellcasting rules, this means that Paladins can pick up Divine Smite, Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, and Wrathful Smite at level one – and so can anyone who multiclasses.
There are plenty of strong spells on the rest of the Paladin’s spell list too, including Bless, which is one reason that Cleric multiclassing seems so attractive. Paladins also gain access to weapon mastery at level one, plus an improved version of their healing feature, Lay on Hands. It can still be worth progressing to higher levels to benefit from features like Fighting Styles, but a single level in Paladin feels far more powerful now.
For more on character builds, here’s all you need to know about DnD races and DnD 2024 backgrounds. Or, if you’d like to share your latest power builds and character concepts, come chat in the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
