You can start at level one as a class that gets armor proficiencies, or you can multiclass with a class that gets armor when multiclassing. Bards and warlocks are two of the best utility classes in the 5th Edition, with each one bringing something a little different to the table when it comes to non-combat options. Required fields are marked *, $MMT=window.$MMT||{};$MMT.cmd=$MMT.cmd||[];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){$MMT.display.slots.push(["ec0188be-c720-43a4-a540-d9f8d10c01ce"]);}), This site contains affiliate links that will earn Flutes Loot a little commission.2020, Flutes Loot is unofficial Fan Content permitted under theFan Content Policyand is not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Making use of most of the druid's features requires either a high Wisdom score or many levels in druid, both of which undermine the effectiveness of the bard part of the multiclass. Aside from optimization, multiclassing allows you to bring unique characters to life with outside-the-box specialties. I typically shy away from recommending multiclass if theyre a characters core class. Dont invest too much in Charisma because your Intelligence will be more important. These rankings are meant to help you create an optimized class build, but rememberDnD isnt a game where you need to win to have fun. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The Artificers Tool Expertise ability will double your proficiency for any tool you are proficient with, such as tool proficiencies youve temporarily gained from your Channel Divinity: Knowledge of the Ages feature. Finish with Guidance and Word of Radiance and youre good to be somehow support-melee-reliable., Also at level 3, pick Book of Ancient Secrets and pick Find Familiar as one of the rituals so you can support your teammates with your celestial owl (sorry WotC, you had it coming when putting Flyby on it). For comparison, Sorcerers get four cantrips and two spells known, while Bards get two cantrips and four spells known. Overall, multiclassing into Cleric improves areas Warlock is weak at rather than building on existing strengths. You dont have to suddenly tell people that youre two classes. However, you can always choose your favorite class or a class that is more representative of your characters roleplay. The Enchanters Alter Memories feature will work as your capstone to this character concept, allowing you to charm and alter the memories of anyone who finds you skulking or manipulating. Sorcerer is an easy one due to the Charisma overlap, but even Wizard can work. Massive damage output, with each class complementing the others weaknesses, Better armor and defensive abilities from Paladins class features help you survive in melee combat, Spellcasting uses Charisma for both classes, Smite synergizes well with Warlock spellcasting to maximize damage earlier than pure Paladins, Warlock becomes reliant on Paladins defensive features to keep them alive as they enter riskier situations, Paladin spells are situationally useful for a Warlock-Paladin combo. Use a reaction when an ally succeeds with your Bardic Inspiration to give another ally a use of Bardic Inspiration (which does not expend your uses of BI). Ill now go through each Bard subclass to list ideas for multiclassing. A few options to consider: Expertise The Forge Clerics defenses and spells are fantastic additions to the Bards powers. Pay to win! Learn the Light and Sacred Flame cantrips. More bonus dice means you help your party that much more often. Could work for a specific build, but otherwise is either a wasted opportunity or is just weaker than other alternatives. Bards have a similar versatility to the Warlock, which makes them an excellent choice for multiclassing. If you enjoyed this guide, share it with your friends! Alternatively, you get another Metamagic option at Level 10, or you could spend more levels on Sorcerer to hoard even more spell slots. Due to the similarity in stat pools, Warlock/Sorcerers do not have to worry about their stat allocations as much as other multiclassed Warlocks. All you need is your bow and a target worthy of your attention. 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. Multiclassing is a process wherein a character of one class starts taking levels in one (or more - people can get a little nuts about this stuff) additional classes. What multiclass would you suggest for a teithling bard who is male but dresses feminine and even wears makeup, also his background is far traveler. Sorcerers benefit from any class that improves the characters armor proficiencies. As another class dipping into Warlock, since Warlock selects their subclass at Level 1, you immediately get some niche features from your Otherworldly Patron. For starters, each Patron grants the Warlock a unique expanded spell list. Could be fun. Bards have much to gain from other Charisma-based spellcasters, Sorcerers and Warlocks. Metamagic: Quickened Spell and Metamagic: Twinned Spell will allow you to fire off a ton of Eldritch Blasts. The Warlock and Sorcerer Multiclass is another combination with great synergy - with both classes using Charisma for spellcasting. 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. This will open doors to you that would normally be hidden or impassable, allowing you to find important stolen items, magic items worth stealing, kidnapped children, or any other noun that you seek. Extra Attack. Both of these subclasses specialize in creation, so lets see what they can do together! Picking up the Shield spell in this way could be useful, for example. Druid and Wizard give you more spellcasting options, but dont use Charisma as a spellcasting ability like Warlock does. 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. I love the Conquest Paladin, so I appreciate multiclass ideas that feed into its fear tactics. Feb 5, 2016. Bard is another great pickup for the Warlock, and yet another easy-to-pull-off multiclass since the two classes share a primary stat. Not all level-twenty abilities are worth getting; for example, Rangers have a poor level-twenty class feature, so they gain more from multiclassing. Im imagining The Devil Went Down to Georgia for the backstory. Warlock spellcasting in particular is renowned as outright broken with certain multiclass builds. Flavor the Celestial Warlock like your pact is with an angel of Mother Earth. This multi or dual-class is worth dipping into if you're looking to fill a role as the party's face or you want to take three levels to add the combat prowess of the College of Swords to your Bladelock. This is bonkers . You gain access to the powerful Sorcery Points which allow you to customize your spells. Warlocks need some of the best low-level spells, but Pact Magic doesnt work very well with them. You could describe your psionic abilities as originating from your genie pact. Expertise in Stealth allows you to sneak about reliably. Charm or frighten creatures in a small area. As such, combining classes that use different ability scores to cast spells is a challenge that is rarely worth it mechanically. The main way you do this build is mainly play a bard and pick up 2 levels in warlock (either multiclass at bard 3 or bard 5). Background: My Bard started out following the party because he wanted to write their epic story, but through his journeys with them has come to realize he would do anything to keep his friends and country safe. As a Warlock looking to multiclass, you can improve your spellcasting or branch out into martial fighting. This is because other classes can give a bard better weapons and armor, Extra Attack, and a Fighting Style without the baggage of a ranger's largely-incompatible spellcasting. Deploy a tentacle with bonus action attacks, and later react with it to defend allies from damage. Billy_Rage 2 yr. ago The obvious is fey lock and really any bard. Are you more afraid of Fireballs or Dominate Person? High degree of customization through distinct Cleric subclasses. Warlock is also an amazing primary class. Warlocks can also easily slot into just about any role in the game either by default or by multiclassing into another class. )., Thematically, golden dragons are known to be forces of justice and all thats good, hence my choice of Gold Ancestor Dragon. Multiclassing spellcasters is a challenge in 5e, because each class retains its own spellcasting progression and uses its own ability score for the power of its spells. I think of the twilight theme as a life and death kind of vigilance (even if thats not quite how its presented in print). Their spell list offers less support when it comes to buffing and healing, but that's offset by more battlefield control. For a Glamour / Archfey Lock, your level split will depend on how far you expect the campaign to go. Splitting spellcasting between Charisma and Wisdom is awful. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them. Mortals tremble as being beyond your understanding vie for your attention! Picking a class can be hard. Additionally, Warlocks will generally start the game with at least 13 points in Charisma, which automatically qualifies them to multiclass into Sorcerer. Clerics also get subclasses at level one, so some of them will provide massive value for one level of investment. Reader Stephany suggested this combination. The Creation Bard levels ensure a steady, cheap supply of gunpowder. Excellent offensive spell options that make you a master of ranged spell damage. In part, this is due to complementary spellcasting. Ultimately, the wizard and bard have little to offer one another. Raise a specter of your enemies to fight for you. Just because youre not sticking with a single class doesnt mean you should feel more excessively burdened than other characters to narrate your characters progress. This character has a beguiling power as a Warlock that pairs well with the Paladins Aura of Conquest. If you have enough space to not mess up your allies, you can cast Darkness and see through it. Bards lack the first-level value that other spellcasters provide in multiclassing, but theyre formidable in their own ways with more levels of investment. The Archfey: Fey are tricky, unpredictable creatures, and warlocks who swear pacts to The Archfey gain spells and abilities to confuse, surprise, and charm other creatures. Make it a luck-based character and take a level of Divine Soul Sorcerer flavored as luck. If you are tired of slinging spells and want to start cleaving orcs in half, multiclassing is the way to go! 2 Levels of Warlock gets you Invocations and two short-rest spell slots, as well as a number of good spells like Hellish Rebuke, Armor of Agathys, and Hex. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them. Spellcasting uses Charisma for both classes. Both of these subclasses use psychic blades to deal damage. Spirit Guardians is a great example! It works well. Add to your Swords Bards combat prowess without sacrificing spellcasting and Charisma. Power build! This build focuses mostly on being a successful Hexblade while investing half of your levels in strong multiclass supplements. The Wizard levels also give you many first-level spells that are invaluable, such as Shield, Feather Fall, Absorb Elements, Mage Armor, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, and more! This is more helpful for hordes than the Hexblades Curse which focuses down a single creature. Id probably pick the Clockwork Soul Sorcerer, but Divine Soul could work well. Wizards of the Coast LLC. As mentioned earlier, dipping one or two levels can be enough to justify multiclassing. . Stuff like armor of agathys or mirror image. This character is a know-it-all, sporting plenty of skill proficiencies, heaps of Expertise, and a Channel Divinity to instantly gain proficiency in something theyre not already skilled with. I can definitely take that feedback to think of more core Hexblade ideas. Any foes depending on non-reach melee weapons will be unable to hit you unless they switch to ranged attacks. This concept was kindly shared by a comment from MadnessOpus: One combination that I would like to point out is Celestial Warlock 14/Draconic Bloodline 6 (with Gold/Brass/Red Ancestor for fire damage: I REALLY, really hope they will update the list with Fizbans Gem Dragons so this could work with Crystal and radiant damage somehow? Dungeons & Dragons bards combine well with a lot of other classes, but there are some bard multiclass options that are better than others. Standing at the head of your army of undead, you blend in as one of the horde. Thats a cool support character concept! It might be the lord of multiclassing because of how much value you get for one level in Hexblade Warlock. Warlock/sorcerer is also a very strong option for a sorcerer multiclass. Multiclassing can be useful for roleplaying as well, so its not merely for min-max-style players. Sure you can do a bunch of new stuff, but passing more performance checks or inspiring allies cant compare to better armor proficiency for sheer power. Skip ahead to the portion of the article that interests you most by clicking the link below: Warlock Multiclassing Principles Archfey Celestial Fathomless Fiend Great Old One Genie Hexblade Undead Undying. Warlocks and Bards both use Charisma, so you won't be casting subpar spells with either class. Fighter gives the Warlock access to Extra Attacks that can be made using the Warlocks Pact Weapon if they choose the Pact of the Blade. Clerics run into a common problem for a bard multiclass: differing spellcasting ability scores. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, Every Bard Multiclass Combo In D&D 5e, Ranked, Bards And Druids Don't Have Much Use For Each Other's Features, Rangers Don't Give Bards More Than Other Martials, Barbarian Bards Will Struggle With Obvious Limitations, Bards And Artificers Do Similar Things In Different Ways, Fighter Bards Can Certainly Hold Their Own, Paladin Bards Are Charismatic And Hit Very Hard, Warlocks Give The Bard A Huge Damage Buff, Every Druid Multiclass Combo In D&D 5e, Ranked, 10 Best Feats For Bards In D&D 5e, Ranked, Certain cleric Domains give heavy armor proficiency, D&D: 5 Must-Have Spells For Level 1 Bards (& 5 To Avoid), it wouldn't be as effective with either single class' abilities, 10 Best Feats For Fighters In D&D 5e, Ranked, sacrifice in terms of spellcasting and bard features, But in return, they'll get several cantrips, 5 Reasons Why Paladins Are The Best Holy Characters In D&D (& 5 Why It's Clerics), D&D: 10 Characters To Inspire Your Next Bard. Required fields are marked *, $MMT=window.$MMT||{};$MMT.cmd=$MMT.cmd||[];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){$MMT.display.slots.push(["ec0188be-c720-43a4-a540-d9f8d10c01ce"]);}), This site contains affiliate links that will earn Flutes Loot a little commission.2020, Flutes Loot is unofficial Fan Content permitted under theFan Content Policyand is not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Deal bonus damage with an attack once per turn. If you really want to multiclass and you cant decide on a class, Sorcerer is a great pickup for Warlock players to give them a healthy boost to their firepower and defenses. Unlike other classes, the different Warlock subclasses in Fifth Edition make it possible for Warlocks to play almost any role, especially when they multiclass, and allow them to comfortably multiclass with almost every other class. In short, yes, you get spell slots and spells known from each class individually as if you were single-classed. Barbarian is a great pickup for any Warlocks who want to play tank. When deciding what to multiclass with, youll want to look at a few different factors. Published Dec 2, 2021 Some D&D multiclass builds can feel as like they were destined to merge two classes into an overpowered monster, like the Bard/Rogue build. When "This is as good as a single-class build" is your highest tier for a multiclass, your guide isn't very good. The persona gets you in front of powerful people during a performance. Your cursed target essentially has to flip a coin to hit you or not. Extra armor and weapon proficiencies, a Fighting Style, and the ever-useful Action Surge are all helpful for a bard. Getting Sorcerer Metamagic will allow you to cast Booming Blade as a bonus action and an action to double up dealing big damage for a nova round. Glamour specializes in compelling others while appearing to be a grand, celestial being. Couple this with the fact that you're going to want two levels for . This is a solid build that could be really fun to play. This is super gimmicky in that it combines subclasses that have bonuses to fire damage spells. Would undead warlock/death cleric be good? You can opt for more feats by taking four levels of Fighter, but youd miss out on the Wish spell (you probably should learn Wish at level 20 with this character). Fifth Edition tried to rebalance the power of all the classes to make them more viable as standalone classes. Powerful Sorcery Points which allow you to bring unique characters to life with outside-the-box specialties weapons will unable. Your allies, you can always choose your favorite class or a class that improves characters! For comparison, Sorcerers and Warlocks into its fear tactics standalone classes investing half of your attention characters.... 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