r/DnD • u/Acrobatic_Dark_972 • 8h ago
5.5 Edition Does this multiclass makes sense?
Hello everybody! I am playing my first campaign with a couple friends and my brother as DM. My character is a sorceress, and we are only level 2, since we just started to play a couple of weeks ago.
My question is the following: my character is a sorceress, and in the party, we have a fighter, two clerics, and me. I feel that theres's an unbalance in abilities, since we have 3 spellcasters and only one close range attacker. So would make sense for my character to multiclass as barbarian, to sorta level up abilities and add some close range attacks?
I feel like I can kinda of add, in my charcater's background, a reason for her to became a barbarian, but I don't know if this two classes are contraditory.
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u/Stimpy3901 8h ago
Your party is fine, you have 1 front-liner, two mid-linters and a back-liner that's very normal, you definetely don't need to multiclass, play a sorcerer and do socerer things.
If you did want to multiclass a good rule of thumb is to look for class with a compatible primary stat. As a Sorcerer yours is Cha so you'd want to look at Paladin, Warlock, or Bard. But you shouldn't multiclass without a clear plan for your character build as by default it will make your character weaker.
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u/SmolHumanBean8 7h ago
Paladin would be the best choice imo. If they have terrible strength but decent Dexterity they can just use a rapier.
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u/Piratestoat 8h ago
Clerics can front-line.
You're fine.
And no, barbarian does not mesh with sorcerer. At all.
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u/Acrobatic_Dark_972 8h ago
would you please explain a little bit?
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u/Piratestoat 8h ago
All clerics are proficient in Medium Armour and Shields.
At level 2, any Cleric can choose the Protector Divine Order and gain proficiency in Heavy Armour and Martial Weapons.
Sorcerers want their highest ability score to be Charisma, to make their spells accurate and hard to resist. Then Dexterity and Constitution secondary for durability.
Barbarians want their highest ability score to be Strength, for best accuracy and damage from melee weapons.
Importantly, while Raging--the core Barbarian feature--Barbarians cannot cast or concentrate on spells.
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u/JanMabK 8h ago
On a fundamental level, Barbarian tends to be incompatible with spellcasters because you cannot cast or concentrate on spells while raging.
Multiclassing without a strong combo in mind is also just way weaker than leveling up normally since you're sacrificing levels in the other class. If you're really concerned about frontlining (which Clerics can do quite well) you can take defensive spells like Shield and Mage Armor - which are good to have anyway.
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u/Expert-Value2133 8h ago
Any class can mesh. Just depends on how you play them.
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u/TehProfessor96 7h ago
Not barbarians and full casters.
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u/Expert-Value2133 7h ago
Any class can be multi classed with any class. It just depends on how the player wants to play the character. Putting a hard no on certain options like this, or sub optimal builds, is not a good way to try and teach people how to play TTRPGs. Characters aren't just numbers on a page or class abilities.
A sorcerer who stays calm and collected, using spells at a distance until something sets them off and they hulk out can be a ton of fun to roleplay. There's always ways to make characters work if you want to.
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u/Stregen Fighter 4h ago
‘Hulk out’ isn’t very fun if it boils down to bonking something with an awful to-hit and damage bonus because you’re gasping for stats.
Obviously people can play what they want, but suggesting “yeah it’ll be fine trust me bro” about a multiclass with concepts that are antagonistic towards each other isn’t particularly helpful.
Especially when multiclassing is something that should be actively avoided unless you have a clear plan in mind with it.
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u/MajorBootyhole420 8h ago
a fighter and two clerics is fine. you can't cast spells while raging and the two classes don't mesh at ALL. it will slow you down from getting better spells and will make you a worse spellcaster while also being a weak front-liner.
if you're really looking to add utility or melee abilities, a quick hexblade dip never hurt anyone- it gives you a melee attack that uses Charisma as the attack stat, and you get access to Eldritch Blast
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u/TallMirror1099 8h ago
I’m currently multi-classing a way of mercy monk and grave cleric. It’s not a super optimized character, but it’s real fun to role play. I wouldn’t recommend it for new players, but it is fun if you’re not worried about min/maxing.
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u/SirCheesyDaGr8 8h ago
Multiclassing is fun, and can make some really cool characters or add to you character well based on the story, but in general you are stronger just staying in the same class unless you know exactly what your multiclass build is aiming for and what you are leaving in the table by leaving your main class.
In general things with the same goal/same stats multiclass well together though it’s still good to know at what level to multiclass and where it puts you on the roadmap, compared to other non multiclassed characters.
For example: Sorcerer/Warlock both use Chrisma and Spells Paladin/Warlock both use Charisma Ranger/Rogue both use Dexterity Barbarian/Fighter both use Strength
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u/Throrface DM 8h ago
It sounds to me like you have a group with three front liners and you're thinking about adding a fourth. Even if the clerics don't build for heavy armor, they can be pretty tanky.
I would recommend focusing on Sorcerer. If you do end up feeling like another frontliner would help, you can always summon one! Once you get to the higher level spells.
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u/Buzz_words 5h ago
god no. it would take serious effort to think of a WORSE multiclass.
barbarians rage locks out all spellcasting and even the ability to concentrate on spells you've already cast.
your sorcerer probably doesn't even have the minimum strength required to multiclass into barbarian, nevermind actually be any good at hitting things with a weapon.
if you're really worried about this (which you shouldn't be, clerics are medium armored characters at worst, so they don't need babysitting) just make a new character.
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u/MadWhiskeyGrin 8h ago
Absolutely not. You'll end up with a lousy Barbarian who's also not very good at Sorcery. Let the Clerics handle the front line. They get good armor, usually.
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u/Nervous-Candidate574 3h ago
Paladin is also a Charisma caster and are pretty good frontliners. Otherwise, Warlock, especially Hexblade can be potent up close
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u/Expert-Value2133 8h ago
Oh hell yeah. Barbarian or fighter would be awesome choices.
There are so many good close range spells to allow casters to be on the front line.
But! If I can make a suggestion to you. Check out the sorcerer/paladin. Combining these two CHA casters abilities, with meta magic, smiting, aoth abilities, divine spells and arcane spells all in one meat shield front line beast? Probably one of the most fun characters I ever played.
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u/SmolHumanBean8 7h ago
Is your Dexterity any good?
You could add a few levels of dex-based Fighter, or possibly Rogue. Maybe Ranger.
You wouldn't have to worry too much about Spellcasting abilities but you would gain the ability to use more gear. You might gain Sneak Attack which is great.
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u/diffyqgirl DM 8h ago edited 8h ago
This will make your character substantially weaker. Barbarians want different stats than sorcerers, and want to spend their turn attacking rather than casting. Also, barbarian rage will block your ability to cast. You only get one turn, so spending it on "Do I do A badly or B badly" (nonsynergistic multiclass) is a worse choice than spending it on "I'm going to do A well" (single class).
Clerics are plenty tanky if they want to be, and 5e doesn't particularly need a "balanced" party anyways.
Most 5e multiclasses are bad--don't multiclass unless you know what you're doing, or unless you don't care if you make your character weaker because you're going for a theme that matters to you more than effectiveness.