You dont have to suddenly tell people that youre two classes. Now, this can be a little bit hard to understand since theres a little bit of obfuscation when it comes to the rules; theyre intentionally made vague so they can be easily extrapolated and applied to new situations in future and independent publications. Perform a ritual with allies to learn a spell from any spell list with a level equal to the number of participants in the ritual. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them. Feb 5, 2016. Heavy armor will be better than the usual Hexblade medium armor, plus you get a shield. Flavor the Celestial Warlock like your pact is with an angel of Mother Earth. A druid doesn't have much use for a bard's abilities, and the bard doesn't get much out of Wild Shape. The idea here is to become a master manipulator. Curse an enemy so you deal more damage and strike critically more often against it, and regain hitpoints when the cursed target dies. This character makes a great support character with some tricks up its sleeve. Every class gives you different bonuses, but not all of them mesh well with the Warlocks playstyle. I enjoy hearing other perspectives and ideas, and I often add my favorites to my articles. Summary of subclass features: Give temporary hitpoints to allies as a bonus action that also allows them to move as a reaction without provoking opportunity attacks.. Resist cold damage and freely communicate with other creatures when youre submerged in water. Swim and breathe underwater. Will provide some bonus that cant be found through other means. An artificer and bard multiclass could lean strongly into helping its allies succeed. Hexblade Warlock gets medium armor and shield proficiency, learns Eldritch Blast, includes Shield on its expanded spell list, and increases Eldritch Blast damage with Hexblades Curse (which scales on Proficiency Bonus). For those players, I recommend taking one level of Sorcerer. D&D 5e Bard multiclassing image from Wizards of the Coasts Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos.This article contains affiliate links that add gold to our coffers. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them. Skip ahead to the portion of the article that interests you most by clicking the link below: Bard Multiclassing Principles Creation Eloquence Glamour Lore Spirits Swords Valor Whispers. Samurai Fighter would be really bad if you want to use Eldritch Blast. The secondary class may be referred to as a "dip" into that class if the concept only needs 1-3 levels in the second class. Cleric dwarf cleric Source: D&D Player's Handbook He brings fresh perspectives on game mechanics, group dynamics, and roleplaying insights for all TTRPG enthusiasts. I typically shy away from recommending multiclass if theyre a characters core class. The Hexblade thus benefits most from multiclassing into Paladin. A good assassin will find a way to invest in Charisma for social skill checks, but it gets crowded sharing stats with Dexterity and Constitution. You could treat the multiclassing as a mere mechanical change. You can eventually pass your curse between creatures when they die. As another class dipping into Warlock, since Warlock selects their subclass at Level 1, you immediately get some niche features from your Otherworldly Patron. I imagine this like an exotic dancer who takes advantage of the one-on-one situations that can result afterward with interested parties. After getting these 6 levels in Warlock, get 6 levels in Sorcerer to pick up Elemental Affinity, so you can add your CHA modifier to fire spells AGAIN. Fighter levels can be tempting for armor and Action Surge, but you could go for other martial classes like Paladin for the armor perks, too. So, that being said, here is a list of popular Warlock options for multiclassing. To explain the rules in the most detailed and clear way possible, players with more than one spellcasting class get spell slots from each class independently based on class level. You might be a bard who harnesses magic through your music or a warlock who has made a pact with an otherworldly entity. His love of storytelling has given him wide expertise on all things entertainment, from video games and tabletop roleplaying to television and movies, which he uses to inform his work in many ways. Its also forty swimming speed instead of the usual thirty. Become proficient with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons. Youre a fantastic support character who can also deal big damage and defend yourself. This will allow them to make use of both the Fighter and the Warlock features most effectively. But overall pretty neat stuff. Its my favorite ice magic build Ive ever heard. Bard is another great pickup for the Warlock, and yet another easy-to-pull-off multiclass since the two classes share a primary stat. Sorcerers that are highly optimized will commonly take Paladin levels along with the Hexblade Warlock to have melee options and other interesting options. Seeing as this is a multiclass guide, I will note that some classes give you more for just two levels dipped into them, making up for the loss of this feat. Outright bad and detrimental. The first-level spell slots gained from this dip will also be useful for Warlocks since Pact Magic can be unkind to first-level spells that dont scale with upcasting. Im glad you liked the concepts overall! Certain cleric Domains give heavy armor proficiency with a single level, which is a vast improvement over what most bards get. Cleric will also give you proficiency with shields and medium armor, and some subclasses bump that up to heavy armor (which is very difficult to get proficiency with when multiclassing). Learn a greater version of Evards Black Tentacles that gives you temporary hitpoints and cant have its concentration ended by damage taken. These two classes can lend tremendous support to allies at all levels, especially since the Peace Clerics Emboldening Bone scales with your Proficiency Bonus regardless of Cleric levels. Builds on Warlocks existing capabilities as the partys face with Expertise and a free skill proficiency. Guidance & help (as a bonus action)? However, a character could theoretically work around the limitations. You can also pretend its the Archfey Warlock Patron, but with a better level-one ability for your purposes. The most important part of any game is that you have fun. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options, depending on the type of genie they choose, that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them (eventually having Wish as an option). Better options exist for this concept, but if you want access to Cleric spells like Spirit Guardians in addition to melee attacks that are based on the quantity of damage on a single attack rather than spread-out damage with multiple attacks, this combination is ok. Youll get Warlock invocations and several smiting spells from the Hexblade Warlock. Several of my recommendations are thematically cool or unusually unique to D&D. When the character uses alchemist tools to cast a fire spell, theyll add their Intelligence and Charisma modifiers to the damage roll, and add 1d8 from the Druid levels. Your email address will not be published. Grab someones shadow when they die so you can impersonate them and learn information from the departed. Other classes like Druid and Paladin have excellent level-twenty abilities. Lots of support options, including Bardic Inspiration to reliably pass checks. You can allow allies to make an attack a reaction when you affect them with enchantment spells. Gain special Blade Flourishes and increase your movement speed for the turn when you attack. The Sorcerer multiclass can really be used with just about any Warlock subclass because the synergy of the two classes is just that strong. Youve lived in the dark, studied with the Drow, and learned how to weave their dark magic into your arrows. Create nonmagical items. Other concepts will include the Warlock as a secondary class with a minority of level investment. This is bonkers . This build focuses mostly on being a successful Hexblade while investing half of your levels in strong multiclass supplements. Give temporary hitpoints to your party when you rest. Cast a spell of 6th level of lower with a casting time of one action without components once per 1d4 long rests. A warlock without MCing has pretty good control options, especially at lvl 15. An artificer improves the equipment of allies, and can also use its Flash of Genius feature to help allies with ability checks and saving throws. RELATED: 10 Best Feats For Fighters In D&D 5e, Ranked. This character would be a decently optimized concept with well-rounded abilities. However, pretty much any Bard subclass will provide extra bonuses for the Warlock since Bards have proficiencies that Warlocks dont get access to, and the Bard class will increase the raw power of the Warlock class by default. Animate an object with its own custom statblock. When you multiclass into a new class, you start at level one again and must work your way up toward level 20 from scratch. . At a glance, the themes align, but the synergy is sparse. Regain hitpoints as a bonus action based on your Warlock level. To ensure players know how to keep their bard viable, this list has been updated to include every class, and how well they can work with the bard. You could describe your psionic abilities as originating from your genie pact. Goes without saying that Elemental Adept: Fire is a no-brainer for your first ASI, although Moderately Armored might come in handy then or later. Druid Multiclassing D&D 5e: Best Practices, Character Concepts, and Inspirational Mulch , multiclassing requires minimum ability scores, content on multiclassing in our other articles, class-level multiclassing combinations article. Fifth Edition classes are much more suited to being standalone choices. However, some classes synergize far better with the bard than others, creating some bard multiclass combos that are mechanically more powerful than others. The College of Swords Bard gains Blade Flourishes to weaponize the Bardic Inspiration dice. Bring allies into your vessel and short rest in ten minutes with a PB healing boost. That sounds fine! Multiclassing is a fun way to add additional depth to your character and make their build feel more unique. I typically shy away from recommending multiclass if theyre a characters core class. However, you can always choose your favorite class or a class that is more representative of your characters roleplay. Could be fun. Fifth Edition Warlock Patrons have an immense amount of versatility since they all offer different things and allow the Warlock to slot into roles other than the ranged caster. Get damage resistance and a bonus action to temporarily fly. However, multiclassing on Warlocks in 5e is fantastic, especially if you only dip one or two levels into Warlock rather than making a primary Warlock with one or two levels in another class. Spike Growth becomes available to a Dao Genie Warlock, so you can still use fun battlefield control tactics while knocking enemies around Eldritch Blast. I am once again copying my recommendation for the Assassin Rogue. Its a cool combination that wont be immediately obvious to the casual player, but its a fun option for those who want to interact with animals at will. The Sorcerer class is usually regarded as the best multiclass option for Warlocks. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Bonus dose of early Magical Secrets. The secondary class may be referred to as a dip into that class if the concept only needs 1-3 levels in the second class. As such, combining classes that use different ability scores to cast spells is a challenge that is rarely worth it mechanically. Put thirteen or fourteen points into Dexterity and Constitution, and go full force into Charisma with this combination. Theyll love it! For starters, each Patron grants the Warlock a unique expanded spell list. The nice thing about Cleric is that you choose your subclass at Level 1 (heres a handy guide from RPGBot), so even a single level dip gives an immediate bonus. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them. This is the multiclass path to having expertise in as many skills as you could possibly want. The two classes have immensely powerful synergy since the two classes share a spellcasting stat. Your Channel Divinity at Level 2 is usually quite good too, and they cover a wide variety of effects, so you can choose one that suits your playstyle. Adds nothing to Warlocks offensive capabilities. with the concept I went with, maybe monster slayer or gloomstalker, go with pact of the blade and go with improved pact weapon and go with the long bow, thinking of a warlock multiclass that can do massive amounts of damage to enemies. Tanks are going to want to choose more bulky classes like Barbarian, but DPS Warlocks will receive fewer benefits from taking tank classes since they do not share primary stats or gear needs. Create combos like casting two spells in one turn, making your save-or-sucks spells more reliable by giving disadvantage on saves, or rerolling eldritch blast damage dice. This effectively means that a barbarian and bard multiclass would have to decide which class it wanted to behave like in combat - while doing neither as effectively as a single-classed character. If you enjoy acting as the partys face, this combo is a good way to double down. The Hexblade patron allows you to use Charisma for attack and damage rolls with your Pact of the Blade weapon, so your task of balancing your stats is simplified. Mortals tremble as being beyond your understanding vie for your attention! Really, Warlocks represent an excellent class whether it is your primary or secondary class. Dont forget that multiclassing requires minimum ability scores in both new and prior classes (as described on page 163 of the PHB, or page 54 of Eberron RftLW for Artificers). This is separate from your character level in that your character level is the summation of your class levels, to a maximum of 20. With just two levels, a warlock and bard multiclass can take Eldritch Blast and the Agonizing Blast invocation, giving them damage comparable to a fighter for the rest of the game with a simple cantrip. Lets talk about Warlocks and how they can multiclass effectively. In part, this is due to complementary spellcasting. For Warlocks it, and yet another easy-to-pull-off multiclass since the two classes share spellcasting. Shy away from recommending multiclass if theyre a characters core class its sleeve weapons! Lean strongly into helping its allies succeed i enjoy hearing other perspectives and ideas, and learned how to their... 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Sorcerer multiclass can really be used with just about any Warlock subclass because the of... With the Warlocks playstyle to use Eldritch Blast an attack a reaction when you affect them with spells... Additional depth to your party when you rest easy-to-pull-off multiclass since the two classes is just strong. With enchantment spells choose your favorite class or a Warlock without MCing has pretty good control options including! Dexterity and Constitution, and yet another easy-to-pull-off multiclass since the two have. Ive ever heard Eldritch Blast bard gains Blade Flourishes and increase your movement speed for the Rogue! On Warlocks existing capabilities as the partys face with Expertise and a free skill proficiency once again copying recommendation! Important part of any game is that you have fun can allow allies to make an attack reaction!