M U L T I C L A S S , P L AY E R T I P S

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5e Multiclassing Combinations: Your Ultimate
Guide for a Masterful Multiclass
Opal, 1 year ago  32 min

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From increasing utility to developing a beautiful character arch, multiclassing can have multiple bene ts
—if you choose the right combination. If you’re a little hazy on how to multiclass, see our article that
quickly and clearly explains the multiclassing rules and reasons to or not to multiclass.

You can also explore our muticlass builds here.

When building a multiclass, you will choose a class for your Character Level 1. We will call this your “core
class.” Traditionally, more levels are taken in the core class than in your secondary class, but that is not
always the case. In this article, we will only focus on multiclassing a core class with a secondary class,
and no additional classes, though that is always a possibility.

Here we’ll discuss why a class is or is not an excellent core class candidate and which classes mesh well.
Remember, when you multiclass, you miss out on the highest levels of your core class.

So what do we consider a good reason to multiclass? From our How to Multiclass in 5e article:

We recommend multiclassing for these three reasons: to pick up armor

pro ciencies, to gain low-level class skills, or to t a speci c character
archetype.
So let’s begin.

Jump to the class you’re most interested in:

Arti cer
Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Warlock
Wizard

Artificer
If you intend on being primarily an Arti cer, we recommend not multiclassing, as you
 will miss out on the level 20 ability of +1 bonus to all saving throws for each magic item
you are attuned to (up to 6!).

However, taking up to three levels in the intelligence-based Arti cer may be bene cial
to other classes in order to gain armor and tool pro ciencies, magic Infusions (quick
magic items or enhanced armor and weapons), and potential subclass features.

You can play the Arti cer class with Eberron: Rising from the Last War.

Art by Brolo, CC License

Barbarian
With Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity as their main stats, Barbarians blend well
with physical-based classes.

Art by Ioana-Muresan, CC License

Things to consider:

A main feature of Barbarians is Unarmored Defense, so armor pro ciencies matter

little.

When raging, a Barbarian cannot cast or concentrate on spells.

Level 20 Barbarians increase their Strength and Constitution maximum scores to 24. Is
this something you’re willing to sacri ce for a multiclass that can’t be achieved some
other way?

Compatible Barbarian Multiclasses:

Barbarian/Fighter
Focusing on Strength, a Barbarian/Fighter gains a Fighting Style, Action Surge, a potential to increase
crits (especially with Reckless Attack), and possible battle maneuvers. We recommend taking 1-3 levels in
Fighter, but de nitely not as many as 5, as Extra Attacks don’t stack.

If you choose to take three levels in Fighter, Champion is a great archetype for
increasing the probability of critical hits. A Barbarian who is Reckless Attacking has
advantage, and a Champion can crit on a 19 or a 20. You’ll be increasing your
probability of a crit immensely.

With Path of the Berserker, a Barbarian can make a single melee weapon attack as a
bonus action each turn. Add in Extra Attack, and the Champion Fighter archetype, and
the number of crits a character makes should skyrocket.

Conversely, choose the Fighter archetype Battle Master and gain extra maneuverability
in battle.

Barbarian/Rogue
Adding a few levels of Rogue can beef any Barbarian build. With Expertise, an additional skill, and (if
taking two levels) Cunning Action, this is a solid combination. Plus, a Barbarian gains advantage while
Reckless Attacking, which gives him automatic Sneak Attack while using a nesse weapon, even while
using Strength.

We don’t recommend taking more than two levels in Rogue, as none of the archetypes,
except maybe Scout, really add much to a Barbarian.

Note that Sneak Attack won’t be a ton of extra damage, as you’re just taking a few levels
in Rogue.

Notable Barbarian Multiclasses:

Barbarian/Bard:
To make this multiclass work, forego damage-based Bard spells and focus on utility spells that can be
cast out of battle. This build is useful for improving grappling and athletics abilities with Jack of All Trades
(level 2) and Expertise (level 3).

Take 3 levels in Bard for the College of Swords (Blade Bard) for extra damage.

Barbarian/Cleric:
Clerics have useful Domain abilities that can be used while raging, and healing can be used outside of
battle.

Death Domain adds additional damage once per rest with a melee attack at level two.

Strength Domain gives you a Druid cantrip and a +10 bonus to an attack roll, ability
check, or saving throw, once per rest.

War Domain allows you to make an additional weapon attack as a bonus action a
number of times equal to your Wisdom modi er and gives you a +10 bonus to an attack
roll once per rest.

Arcana Domain combined with the Ancestral Guardian Barbarian totem can produce an
interesting Oracle-style Necromancer.

Barbarian/Druid:
To best utilize this multiclass, take at least 3 levels in Druid.

Druids who choose Circle of the Moon gain the ability to Wild Shape as a bonus action
while in a rage. Be sure to choose a beast that uses Strength in its attack in order to
gain the rage damage bonus.

Choose the Bear Path of the Totem Warrior to become resistant to all but psychic
damage, even while in Wild Shape, and expend your spell slots as a bonus action to
heal yourself (Circle of the Moon), to keep the Wild Shape party going. Since you can’t
cast while raging or in Wild Shape anyway, this is a great compromise.

If you wish to focus on the Druid side of this build, see the Druid/Barbarian section of
this article

Bard
 Bard is a pretty versatile core class. Like many other spellcasting classes, Bards use
Charisma as their primary stat. Classes that also utilize Charisma are prime candidates
to multiclass with Bard. Plus, Bards don’t have many awesome abilities at high levels, so
taking a few levels in anything is worthwhile.

Bard by bipicado, CC License

Things to consider:

Full spellcasters will usually take a hit when multiclassing with other full spellcasters, as
they will be unable to reach all high level spells.

Utilize that high Charisma of a Bard to multiclass with another high-Charisma class.
 Bards aren’t really ghters—they are more utility-based characters, so focus on
multiclasses that give more utility (with one exception: a Paladin multiclass).

Compatible Bard Multiclasses:

Bard/Paladin:
If you want to be a ghting Bard, this multiclass is probably your best option, as both Bards and Paladins
utilize high Charisma. With the addition of a Fighting Style and Smiting at Paladin level two,
Bard/Paladins bene t from a Bard’s higher spell slots: the higher the spell slot expended, the more
Smiting damage.

You could choose Paladin as your core class, but Bards at level 10 and 14 get magical
secrets to learn 2 highest spells from any class. Thus, it would be more bene cial to use
Bard as your core class, as you can get two high-level Paladin spells that would not be
available to Paladins who multiclass with Bard.

All Paladin archetypes mesh well with Bard except Paladin of Ancients, which is only
useful if you take 6 levels of Paladin. This is not a great tradeo .

Additionally, while taking 5 levels in Paladin gives you Extra Attack, Bard’s College of
Valor can give you the extra attack instead.

Try to get high Bard spell slots by taking as many levels in Bard as you can in order to
deal maximum damage from Smite.

Bard/Cleric:
As full spellcasters, Bards have great advantage with their spells already. By adding Cleric, a character
could have some extra spells prepared. You could also add medium or heavy armor pro ciencies,
depending on the Cleric’s Domain. We recommend choosing utility Cleric spells like bu s that don’t use
modi ers, since Clerics are Wisdom-based.

Life Domain gives a Bard/Cleric heavy armor pro ciencies and enhance healing spells.
You will need Strength 13 to wear heavy armor.

Nature Domain could be thematically cool, as a character will get a Druid cantrip and
heavy armor pro ciencies (13 Strength required to wear). One could also charm
animals in a Snow White-fashion based on Wisdom (if 2 levels are taken).

Arcana Domain is useful for Bards, but you wouldn’t get armor pro ciency. With this
domain, you’ll get 2 cantrips and the arcana pro ciency. With this, you could always
have detect magic prepared.

Bard/Fighter:
This is a clever multiclass with nice bene ts. A Bard who chooses College of Valor will get armor
pro ciencies, but a Bard who multiclasses one level with Fighter will get these bene ts all the same.
Then, the Bard/Fighter could choose a much more bene cial College for greater utility.

Notable Bard Multiclass

Bard/Rogue:
Because a Rogue and a Bard both gain Expertise, a character could have up to 8 Expertise skills (if you
take 6 levels Rogue). Additionally, Cunning Action is useful for improved mobility. Note here that Sneak
Attack doesn’t really do enough damage to matter with a class like Bard that should focus less on
damage.

At 3 levels in Rogue, a Bard/Rogue can choose the Arcane Trickster archetype, which
gives the character additional spells, though they use Intelligence instead of Charisma.
 As an Arcane Trickster, a Bard/Rogue will gain a suped-up Mage Hand.

A Scout archetype gives a Bard/Rogue double pro ciency on Nature and Survival checks
at 3rd level, which is essentially the same as gaining Expertise under a di erent name.
Remember, you only add extra pro ciency once, so the ‘Survivalist’ feature does not
stack with Expertise.

Cleric
In our opinion, Clerics should just go full Cleric. Clerics have great high-level abilities,
and they don’t need to learn spells, just prepare them. With the right Domain, a Cleric
will gain heavy armor pro ciencies. Additionally, Clerics get a multitude of abilities with
Domains and Channel Divinities. You won’t nd too many powerbuilds with Cleric as
the core class. 

For a more in-depth analysis, see our Cleric Multiclass Guide.

 Art by Dragon7350, CC License

Things to Consider:

Most Clerics stay out of the melee ghts, but if you want a speci c Cleric style, like War
Cleric, you will nd that Cleric/Paladin is your best option.

We recommend taking no more than two levels of a multiclass with Cleric, as a Cleric
gains three uses of Channel Divinity per rest at level 18, which is an invaluable addition.

Compatible Cleric Multiclass

Cleric/Paladin:
Gaining a Fighting Style and Smite, a Cleric/Paladin gains more martial abilities and attack damage. If a
player chooses to take multiple levels in Paladin, his character will gain Extra Attack at level 5, but this
risks gaining high-level Cleric spells and abilities.

Druid
Druids are a versatile core class based on what team role your character will ll: healer,
tank, damage-dealer, support, etc. A Druid can mix with many classes adequately when
she chooses e cient spells to aid his focus.
 Aarakocra Druid by Ioana-Muresan, CC License

Things to Consider:

A Druid uses Wisdom to spellcast, so combining with other spellcasters that use
Charisma can be a waste of stats.

At Level 20, Druids can use Wild Shape unlimitedly, so think carefully about
multiclassing and missing out on this ability!

Druids only wear light or medium armor, which can’t be made of metal, so you won’t
multiclass for armor pro ciencies.

Compatible Druid Multiclass:

Druid/Barbarian:
This is by far the most e ective Druid multiclass. Dipping even one level into Barbarian will give you
Rage and Unarmored Defense. This will permit you a higher armor class than leather armor, which a
Druid typically wears, and the ability to rage in beast form, giving you extra damage with Strength
attacks, advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, and extra resistances.

Choose Circle of the Moon archetype to wild shape as a bonus action, allowing you to
keep your rage going.

Taking three levels in Barbarian and choosing the Bear Path of the Totem Warrior will
grant you resistance to all damage types except psychic, and you can heal yourself by
expending spell slots as a bonus action (if you are Circle of the Moon).

Druid/Cleric:
A great nature healer. Taking two levels in Cleric will give your Druid character a Divine Domain and a
Channel Divinity, which can add some cool abilities and access to additional spells.

Choose the Life Domain to gain additional healing per spell (2 + spell level), which
means Goodberries restore 4 instead of 1 hit point (a total gain of 30 hit points for a 1st
level spell).

Notable Druid Multiclasses:

Druid/Fighter:
A single level dip in Fighter will provide a Druid with a Fighting Style and Action Surge.

Armor pro ciencies don’t help Druids very much, but one particular Fighting Style
available is Mariner (UA), which will give a Druid a swimming speed, a climbing speed,
AND a +1 bonus to AC.
 Action Surge is helpful for any class, but for a spellcaster, a Druid can cast two non-
bonus action spells in one turn. And a character regains his use of Action Surge after
only a short rest.

There are not many Fighter Archetypes that mesh well with Druids, unfortunately.  A
Druid shines best when he focuses on utility spells above damage output or weapon
attacks. While there are many spells that deal su cient damage, there are more Druid
Utility spells that rock. So a Druid that wants to gain a Fighter Archetype should focus
on one that provides additional utility, especially to spellcasting.

Scout (UA) is possibly the best Fighter archetype to combine with Druid, as a character
will gain pro ciencies in three new skills and superiority dice bonuses for skill checks
and armor class.

Druid/Monk:
Taking one level in Monk will give a Druid extra AC with Unarmored Defense (AC = 10 + Dex + Wis, which
is great for Druids, who use Wisdom for spellcasting). Taking more levels in Monk can provide extra
utility like speed and dodging/disengaging/dashing, but the tradeo is fewer Druid spell slots. For this
build, it is better if you’re more Druid than Monk.

See our powerful Druid/Monk multiclass Monkey Fist.

Druid/Ranger:
For a player who wants to be an e ective weapon-wielding Druid, the Druid/Ranger multiclass is
probably the best option. As a half-caster, Rangers will augment a Druid’s spellcasting with additional
spells (starting at level 2). At rst level, a Ranger can choose a favored enemy against which he can track
better. With Natural Explorer, he gains a favored terrain; and at second level, a Ranger gains a Fighting
Style. This can give bonuses to ranged weapon attacks (Archery), gain a swimming and climbing speed
while increase AC (Mariner, UA), or remove disadvantage for close-quarters shooting while giving a +1
bonus to attack rolls (Close Quarters Shooter, UA).

A Druid/Ranger that desires Extra Attack will take ve levels in Ranger. Thus, the character must nd an
archetype that synergizes with Druid.

Beast Master will give you a companion to control on your turn. You command actions
such as Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help. At level 5 Ranger, you also get to
attack in addition to your beast.

Hunter will give a Ranger extra abilities with attacking, such as damage bonus or an
additional attack.

A Druid/Ranger should focus his attention on a Druid Circle and spells that augment weapon ghting or
increase utility, so the Circle of the Moon is out of the running.
 Circle of the Land returns spell slots and provides new spells like Misty Step, Silence,
Spider Climb, and more. At Druid level six, di cult terrain costs no extra movement,
which can be helpful for a ranger who ghts at a distance and has to close that distance
fast.

Circle of the Shepherd (Xanathar) allows a Druid to summon spirit auras that give
advantage on attack rolls, along with bonuses to summoned creatures.

Here are three articles on Druid spells that greatly increase utility: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part
3

Fighter
Fighters may bene t greatly from a few levels in another class. Requiring a 13 minimum
in Strength or Dexterity to multiclass, this class pairs well with Rogue and Barbarian, as
well as Ranger and Warlock.
 Art by yuikami-da, CC License

Things to Consider:

Focusing on physical Strength, Fighters pair well with other physical stats-based classes.

Extra Attacks don’t stack, so keep your multiclass level low if the other class has this
feature.

Fighters have pro ciencies in all armor and often wear heavy armor, but that is not
required.

Compatible Fighter Multiclasses:

Fighter/Barbarian:
Probably the most synergetic multiclass for a Fighter, dipping a level in Barbarian as a Fighter will give
Rage abilities, which give advantage to Strength checks and saving throws, damage resistances, and
increases damage. A Fighter/Barbarian will not utilize his Heavy Armor pro ciencies, as one cannot rage
in Heavy Armor, but that is made up for with Unarmored Defense, which allows a character to add his
Constitution modi er to his AC.

Taking a second level will add Reckless Attack, giving a character advantage on all Strength-based melee
weapon attacks, as well as Danger Sense, where a character has advantage on Dexterity saving throws
against attacks that can be seen.

Take advantage of the Reckless Attack by choosing the Fighter archetype Champion,
which scores a critical hit on a weapon attack roll of 19 or 20, increasing the probability
for a critical hit.

Fighter/Rogue:
With the addition of a skill pro ciency, Expertise, and Sneak Attack, a Fighter/Rogue is a winning
multiclass. Taking expertise in athletics, and gaining Cunning Action at level two (dash, disengage, or
hide as a bonus action) will help a ghter hone his grappling maneuverability. Also, having a pro ciency
in Thieves Tools is always helpful. Don’t count on Sneak Attack adding too much damage, as it’ll be low
as a low-level Rogue.

See our Ultimate 5e Rogue Fighter Multiclass Guide for our analysis on this multiclass combination.

I would argue that a player shouldn’t take more than two or three levels in Rogue when multiclassing
with a Fighter, as he’ll miss out too much on awesome high-level Fighter abilities. If you choose to go to
level three, here are two opportune Rogue archetypes that mesh well with Fighter:

Assassin: gain advantage on attack rolls against a creature that hasn’t taken a turn yet.
Also, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a crit. Recall that at level 5,
 Fighters gain Extra Attack, which means more hits with advantage. Combine this with
the Alert feat (+5 to initiative) to ensure success! See this Arcane Archer Assassin build.

Swashbuckler: Prevent creatures from having opportunity attack against you and gain
Sneak Attack when you and your foe are secluded.

Notable Fighter Multiclasses:

Fighter/Ranger:
Become a versatile Fighter with this combination. Choose a favored enemy, gain advantages on di cult
terrain, and choose an additional Fighting Style at level two to become an adept ghter and a natural
party leader. With the addition of Hunter’s Mark at level two, no enemy can easily escape you.

You basically can’t go wrong with any archetype. Just choose what style of ghting you want to achieve,
and you’ll nd a great combination.

See our Arcane Archer/Hexblade multiclass “Hexarcher” here.

Fighter/Warlock:
Thematically, this is a very cool multiclass. Gain some impressive Invocations to beef up your utility or
weapon damage, and score some wicked Patron abilities.  

Despite the fun build, this can be a weak multiclass, as some of the Pacts do not mesh
well or are redundant with Fighter abilities.

However, combine this multiclass with a few more classes and build a powerful death-
dealer.

Monk
Like Cleric, we recommend building straight Monk. With an incredible reach of abilities
and skills, Monks do not bene t much from an addition of another class.

Art by SurugaMonkey, CC License

Things to Consider:

Monks get a high quantity of attacks. If you multiclass, focus on abilities to beef attacks.

Monks have Unarmored Defense, so armor pro ciency does little for a Monk.

Compatible Monk Multiclasses:

Monk/Ranger:
To gain the most from your multiple attacks, a Ranger’s Hunters Mark will add 1D6 to each of a Monk’s
Fury of Blows. However, instead of multiclassing, you could get the Hex feat and gain the same utility
without compromising a level in Monk.

Paladin
Some of the biggest min/max builds in Dungeons and Dragons involve Paladins who dip
into other classes. Paladins can multiclass into anything to gain more spell slots and
abilities. Our caution: at what point are you no longer a Paladin? Think more about your
 character background with this multiclass and less about how much damage output
you can achieve.

Art by SurugaMonkey, CC License

Things to Consider:

Paladins utilize Charisma.

Paladins are half spellcasters and could bene t from the addition of full spellcasters.

Paladins have more prerequisites for multiclassing: Strength 13 and Charisma 13, plus
whatever stat they need to meet with their new class.

A Paladin’s Smite bene ts from higher-level spell slots

Compatible Paladin Multiclasses:

Paladin/Sorcerer:
With the addition of a Sorcerous Origin, Metamagic, and full spellcasting, this is a powerful build. Like
Paladins, Sorcerers focus on Charisma, which means compatible stats for spellcasting.

We recommend taking at least three levels of Sorcerer to gain the “Quickened Spell”
Metamagic option, which will allow a Paladin to attack AND cast a spell as a bonus
action.

Add additional damage for Divine Smite using higher spell slots from the Sorcerer
addition.

You will also want to take at least three levels in Sorcerer in order to gain second-level
spells. As written by Gastronomie on Giant in the Playground, a Sorcerer can gain the
second-level spell Hold Person and cast it as a bonus action with Quickened Spell. If the
spell succeeds, the target is paralyzed, which means any melee weapon hit is an
automatic critical hit. Then, with his action, a Paladin/Sorcerer can make a melee
weapon attack and auto-crit. Add in Smite, and this is an incredible amount of damage.

Paladin/Warlock:
With individual spell slots per class, and utilizing Charisma fully, a Paladin/Warlock is a great multiclass
option that could provide for some interesting backstory and character development. Focus on
spellcasting abilities and Invocations that supplement your melee attacks.

Warlocks are unique in that their spell slots return after only a short rest. Paladins who
require spell slots for Smiting are at a huge advantage by gaining a few Warlock spell
slots.

Paladins could bene t from Warlock’s Invocations that provide ranged attacks, but
other Invocations could provide much more enticing utility, in and out of battle.
 Many Warlock spells do not require concentration, such as Mirror Image, Armor of
Agathys, or Arms of Hadar. These can bu your Paladin/Warlock in battle signi cantly
without compromising utility.

See our powerful Aasimar Paladin/Warlock build (with a dash of Rogue)

Notable Paladin Multiclasses

Paladin/Bard:
Also utilizing Charisma for spellcasting, a full-casting Bard is a great class to add into a Paladin build.
Gaining higher-level spell slots to expend on Smite and skills such as Jack of All Trades, you really can’t
go wrong with a Paladin/Bard. Choose a Bardic college at level three to increase damage output, utility,
or the appearance of an honorable leader.

College of Lore provides three additional skills and the ability to negate a foe’s damage
dealt or skill check.

College of Satire gives many bene ts that a Rogue would grant, such as Thieve’s Tools
pro ciencies and Cunning Action, as well as a climbing speed and reduced fall damage.

College of Swords provides additional damage and attack utility.

College of Whispers deals psychic damage with a weapon attack and helps you to
frighten a creature

Ranger
The Ranger is a functional class that has pretty solid utility while still open to diverse
development with the right multiclass. On their own, Rangers can be regrettably one-
dimensional, but with the addition of the right skills, they can really shine.
 Art by yuikami-da, CC License

Things to Consider:

Rangers multiclassing have quite a few prerequisites: they need Dexterity 13, Wisdom
13, and to meet whatever stat the new class requires.

Rangers use Wisdom for spellcasting.

Rangers are half spellcasters.

Hunter’s Mark is very useful and applied to all attacks. Focus on a multiclass that grants
multiple attacks.

Compatible Ranger Multiclasses:

Ranger/Rogue:
Rogue and Ranger are very compatible with Dexterity as a main stat.

Taking three levels in Rogue, a character can choose the Rogue Scout archetype. This
will enhance any Ranger’s monster-hunting utility.

Ranger/Fighter:
With the addition of Action Surge and a supplementary Fighting Style, a Ranger/Fighter will gain an
additional action per rest, allowing Hunter’s Mark to rack up, and possible extra damage or AC boost.
Ranger/Fighters will also gain pro ciency in Heavy Armor, which can be bene cial.

Ranger/Paladin:
This can be a powerful build. Use your bonus action to dual wield, utilizing Hunter’s Mark more
e ectively. You’ll use two light melee weapons and get two uses of hunters mark per turn. Stack this
with a Ranger’s Extra Attack, and you’ve got 2x attacks per turn. Then Smite!

See our Ranger Paladin Multiclass Analysis article for our take on which archetypes and Oaths blend
best.

Ranger/Cleric:
With the addition of spells, heavy armor pro ciency, and some cool Domain abilities, adding in a few
levels of Cleric to a Ranger can only help.

Notable Ranger Multiclasses:

Ranger/Warlock:
There are many directions you could go with this, but the most impactful one would be a Hexblade Pact.
This build pays o after a few rounds, as the following abilities take some actions and bonus actions to
set up.

With the Hexblade Pact, for one minute, the Hexblade’s Curse will add your pro ciency
bonus to weapon damage. Also, critical hit at 19 or 20. Combine this with Hunter’s Mark
and Extra Attack for great damage.

Additional Invocations can increase utility or damage and provide unique character
development.

See our magic-based archer multiclass “Hexarcher” here.

Rogue
 Rogues are versatile and combine well with just about any other class. However, while
Rogues can gain useful abilities through multiclassing, Rogues generally do well on their
own. Take note of what you’ll miss out on by multiclassing before you take the plunge.

Art by yuikami-da, CC License

Things to Consider:
 The more levels of Rogue you have, the more Sneak Attack damage you’ll deal.

Rogues get many skills and Expertise in skills, which still focusing on damage output.
Let your multiclass focus on damage output as well, or ways that you can bolster your
damage.

Rogues only gain Sneak Attack when they have advantage or a anking friend. Some
multiclasses will help you gain advantage without sacri cing too many levels of Rogue
or other Rogue qualities.

Compatible Rogue Multiclasses:

Rogue/Fighter:
Gain a second Fighting Style, an Action Surge, and, if you take three levels, a helpful archetype. Take ve
levels for an Extra Attack and an additional ability score improvement, but risk dampening your Sneak
Attack. Armor pro ciencies may or may not help here, as it is sometimes disadvantageous to stealth in
medium armor.

See our Ultimate 5e Rogue Fighter Multiclass Guide for an in-depth analysis on how Rogue and Fighter
synergize.

Take three levels of Fighter and choose the Battle Master archetype. Feinting will give
you advantage as a bonus action against a foe with an addition of 1d8 damage. Riposte
will allow you to attack a foe that misses you outside of your turn, allowing you to add
your Sneak Attack and the extra 1d8 damage.

Pair Action Surge with the Assassin archetype for major damage output.

See our Rogue/Fighter build here, in which we analyze the maximum damage on a rst
turn at level 16 (spoiler alert, it’s over 250).

Notable Rogue Multiclasses:

Rogue/Bard:
Both classes gain Expertise. If you want a character that has many skill pro ciencies and high rolls with
those skills, I highly recommend a Rogue/Bard multiclass. Swashbuckler Rogues will bene t from the
Charisma investment that comes with Bard levels. Arcane Trickster Rogues will gain more spells and
spell slots in thanks to the full spellcaster levels of the Bard.

These two classes share many thematic similarities that lend well to roleplaying choices. There are many
subclass archetypes that can lend well to one another. I recommend keeping an eye on which
subclasses of Bard will not use bonus actions too often because Rogues have the Cunning Action feature
that uses their bonus action. In this context, the Bardic College of Swords (XgtE) and the College of Valor
(PHB) look to be strong multiclasses for any Rogue.
I wish to note that we previously suggested that Reliable Talent could stack with Jack of All Trades, but it
has been clari ed in Sage Advice’s 2019 Compendium that this combination will not work.

Rogue/Cleric:
This is a multiclass that could possibly maximize your character.

Take the Cleric Grave Domain to get Channel Divinity in order to mark someone so that
they take double damage. As a Rogue assassin, you could potentially do up to hundreds
of damage.

Example: see our Assassin of the Grave build.

Sorcerer
Similar to but less damage-dealing than Wizards, Sorcerers are full spellcasters with
little defense (no armor pro ciencies). With the addition of sorcery points and
Metamagic, Sorcerers have a few Strengths over Wizards to balance out their weaker
spellcasting.
 Art by BiPiCado, CC License

Things to Consider:

Sorcerers utilize Charisma for spellcasting

Sorcerers are full spellcasters

Sorcerers start with no armor pro ciencies

The Sorcerer as a core class seems to shine brightest in a support role. Make this your
focus when multiclassing. If you want to be a min/max player, we recommend you nd
a new core class. Dorgenedge on Reddit makes a great argument for this and how to
play a Sorcerer.

Focus on bu s and aiding your teammates, and you’ll surmount any spellcaster in
utility.

Compatible Sorcerer Multiclasses:

Sorcerer/Warlock:
This is a nice combination, as Warlocks regain spell slots on a short rest. Also, both classes use Charisma
for spellcasting, and Warlocks come with their own spell slots.

We recommend taking the Pact of the Tome to learn three additional cantrips from any
class’s spell list for free.

Archfey is a bene cial Patron, and you will gain great utility spells unavailable to
Sorcerers, like Faerie Fire and Calm Emotions. Fey Presence is a great way to take
enemies out of the battle temporarily.

Hexblade provides armor pro ciencies and a few spells. This is a good compromise for
gaining melee abilities in case you’re in a bind.

The Raven Queen grants access to the Sanctuary spell, which is a great bu for your
allies. You will also gain utility through Sentinel Raven.

Look for Invocations that provide utility or bu s.

Notable Sorcerer Multiclasses:

Sorcerer/Cleric:
Clerics provide armor pro ciencies, domain spells, and extra utility. You basically can’t go wrong with a
Sorcerer/Cleric combination. However, Clerics utilize Wisdom for spellcasting instead of Charisma, which
may weaken your utility slightly.

Focus on Cleric Domains that provide additional support abilities.

Sorcerer/Fighter:
Taking one or two levels in Fighter is a perfect way to gain defense without compromising too many
levels in Sorcerer. Gain Action Surge for the chance to cast an additional non-bonus action spell on a
turn, which is imperative when bu ng or debu ng in battle.

We recommend taking fewer than three levels, as there is not really any synergetic
Fighter archetype to a Sorcerer.

Sorcerer/Paladin:
This build is powerful when a Paladin is the core class, but, since Paladins are half-spellcasters, this can
dampen a Sorcerer’s spellcasting abilities.

By gaining light and medium armor and shield pro ciencies, a Sorcerer/Paladin nds a
way to defend himself. Choose the Defense Fighting Style at level 2 to gain even more
AC.

Divine Sense is a nice ability that a Sorcerer wouldn’t get otherwise, as Detect Good and
Evil is not among his spell list. Also, this ability utilizes Charisma, which a Sorcerer
covets.

Though Sorcerers often focus on spellcasting, a Sorcerer/Paladin could focus on

weapon ghting and choose bu spells. However, at this point, I would recommend
using Paladin as your core class and taking a few levels in Sorcerer. See the Paladin
section for more details on why this is preferred.

For a Sorcerer to focus on damage-dealing spells, we recommend taking only one level
in Paladin for the pro ciencies or nding another way to gain armor pro ciencies.

Warlock
Great damage dealers for melee or ranged attacks while also providing excellent utility
with Invocations, a Warlock is a formidable class that could bene t from a few levels of
the right multiclass.

Art by yuikami-da, CC License

Things to Consider:

Warlocks utilize Charisma in spellcasting.

Warlocks have their own set of spell slots when multiclassing with other spellcasters.

Warlocks are pro cient in light armor, but there are some Patrons and Invocations that
provide additional armor pro ciencies.

Compatible Warlock Multiclasses:

Warlock/Paladin:
With two levels in Paladin, a Warlock will gain armor and shield pro ciencies, Divine Sense, a Fighting
Style, Lay on Hands, more spellcasting, and Smite.

Armor and shield pro ciencies will help defend your Warlock character.

Divine Sense allows you to know if unworldly foes are around, which can combine well
with the Warlock spell “Protection from Evil and Good.”

A Fighting Style can help boost AC. You could also take the Close Quarters Shooter to
bolster your ranged spell attacks, like Eldridge Blast.

Lay on Hands won’t provide much healing at such a low Paladin level, but it can help in
a bind.

Recall that Warlocks have special spellcasting rules and get their own spell slots apart
from spellcasters they multiclass with. However, you can use those spell slots to cast
spells from the other class. This means that you can gain a few Paladin spells and cast
them with your Warlock spell slots, up to fth level. Also, both classes utilize Charisma
for spellcasting, so your stats are compatible!

Smite is key in this build. Smite bene ts from high-level spell slots, which we just
discussed. Warlocks won’t take a spell slot hit from multiclassing with another
spellcaster, so you have plenty of high-level spell slots to use with Smite. Plus, Warlock
regain spell slots with a short rest, giving you more uses of Smite than a typical Paladin.

Warlock/Sorcerer:
With the addition of a Sorcerous Origin and Metamagic at 3rd level, and a few supplementary spells, a
Warlock/Sorcerer can have some bolstered spells.

Empowered Spell allows you to reroll damage dice.

Extended Spell makes a 1 minute spell last 24 hours.

Quickened Spell allows you to cast two non-bonus action spells in one turn, provided
one spell is a cantrip.

Subtle Spell allows you to cast a spell without somatic or verbal components.
 Twinned Spell allows you to target more than one creature with a spell.

Notable Warlock Multiclasses:Wizard

Warlock/Barbarian:
Warlocks and Barbarians have some surprising synergetic components.

Though a Warlock/Barbarian can’t cast a spell in Rage, he can still use non-spell Eldritch
Invocations. You won’t get the rage bonus (that’s only for melee attacks), but you will
get advantage on Strength checks and saving throws and resistances. Just remember
you still have to deal or take damage to keep your rage.

A Warlock/Barbarian will also gain Unarmored Defense, which could be valuable.

Warlocks tend to stay out of melee battle, but a Barbarian multiclass could allow you to
get right into the thick of it.

Warlock/Fighter:
While this is a good multiclass, The Hexblade Patron provides the same pro ciencies while also granting
a Charisma modi er bonus to attacks and critical hits on a 19 or 20. However, if you wish to take a
di erent Patron, a Warlock/Fighter multiclass can help bolster defense. Add in a Fighting Style and
Action Surge, and you could nd yourself with a great multiclass.

Similar to Wizard, would it be more bene cial to take your rst level in Fighter for the
weapon, shield, armor and Constitution saving throw pro ciencies; extra hit points; and
equipment? Warlocks don’t require equipment for spell casting, so you would just be
missing out on a few Warlock pro ciencies, like saving throws and skills.

Wizard
Notably defenseless, Wizards bene t greatly with a few levels of multiclassing that
provide extra defense.

Art by yuikami-da, CC License

Things to Consider:

Wizards excel with high level spells, so keep your multiclass low.

A Wizard’s level 18 ability Spell Mastery is incredible. You don’t want to miss out on it.

Compatible Wizard Multiclasses:

Wizard/Cleric:
Take one or two levels in Cleric to get armor pro ciencies.

One level with the Forge Domain from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything will grant heavy
armor pro ciencies as well as give a bonus to AC to a suit of armor until the end of your
next long rest.

Life Domain also allows a character to gain heavy armor pro ciencies while also
boosting healing spells.

Order Domain gives heavy armor pro ciency and allows an ally, when you cast a spell
on that ally, to use a reaction to attack a creature that you can see.

Look for other Cleric domains that provide armor pro ciencies.

Wizard/Fighter:
This combination will, again, provide pro ciencies with armor, which will help a Wizard defend himself.
Another cool feature is the use of Action Surge to cast two spells in a turn, provided neither spell is cast
as a bonus action. Plus, a Wizard will gain just a few extra hit points with the Fighter levels she takes.

One consideration is taking the level of Fighter rst, then taking levels in Wizard.
Fighters start with more hit points, better defense- and attack-based equipment,
Strength and Constitution saving throws, and di erent skills than a Wizard, though
some of them overlap.

Wizard equipment like a spellbook and a components pouch can be acquired in-game,
and starting on a quest to nd those things could provide for fun role play.

Notable Wizard Multiclass:

Wizard/Rogue:
Gaining pro ciencies in light armor, a Wizard/Rogue will gain a much-needed boost in AC. Plus,
additional skills gained are worthwhile: one skill from the Rogue’s skill list, thieves’ tools, Expertise, and,
at second level, Cunning Action to help a defenseless Wizard e ortlessly ee from foes.

Additional Wizard/Rogue utility: take the Thief archetype and use Fast Hands to
attempt, as a bonus action, to steal an enemy Wizard’s components or spell book to
make them essentially useless. Bonus, you keep whatever you take!
Conclusion
Keeping in mind the three main reasons to multiclass (armor pro ciencies, low-level class skills,
character development), choosing the right combination is key. Before you multiclass, check with your
DM about what level you’re going to reach in your campaign. If you don’t expect to gain those sweet
high-level abilities, multiclassing could be a fun and powerful choice that improves your character’s
utility and damage.

See all of our multiclass builds here.

TAGS #GUIDE #MIN/MAX #MULTICLASS #MULTICLASSING #PALADIN SORCERER

#ROGUE FIGHTER

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10 Comments
spare reborn
Enjoyed examining this, very good stu , thanks .

1 year ago   Reply

kwama_kween
One small little nitpick that stood out to me while reading was that in the
Warlock/Sorcerer multiclass you said that with quickened spell you can cast two non-
bonus-action spells. This is false because in the base rules you cannot cast two spells
in one turn (even if you action surge or use quickened spell). What quickened spell
allows you to do is cast both a cantrip and a spell in one turn.

6 months ago   Reply

Opal
Thanks, kwama_kween! I should have clari ed that you can cast two
non-bonus action spells in a turn. The Player’s Handbook (pg. 202) only
limits spell options when you cast a spell as a bonus action during your
turn. So a Fighter using Action Surge could use two actions in that turn,
and both of them could be used to cast a spell (as long as the Fighter
doesn’t cast a bonus-action spell). This is a commonly misunderstood
rule because of the wording, but it’s clear when you read it in the
context of its paragraph which is only talking about bonus-action
spellcasting.

You can read about this if you look up tweets by Jeremy Crawford (D&D
lead game designer) on the subject. Here’s an example of his tweets (he
gets questions about this a lot):
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2019/08/14/my-friend-got-angry-with-me-
saying-i-cant-use-a-spellaction-surgespell-because-you-can-only-cast-
one-spell-per-turn/

Thank you for helping keep our content accurate!

6 months ago   Reply

Sven Lovell
I think the Rogue (arcane trickster) and wizard bladesinger combination is interesting
too.

5 months ago   Reply

Flutes
Hi Sven! That sounds like a fun combination. What aspects of it do you
like best?

5 months ago   Reply

Sven Lovell
Hey Flutes, thanks for the question. So with only a 2 level
dip in Wizard Bladesinger as an Arcane Trickster you get
access to the wizard spellbook and Bladesong. Note that
you must be an elf or half elf unless your DM removes
this restriction.

The wizards spellbook increases your number of spells

that are ready to cast. The Wizard’s Ritual Spellcasting
feature allows you to cast rituals without having them
prepared. So you improve the spell casting ability of the
rogue considerably.
Bladesong is active for 1 minute and improves your
survivability. You get faster, your AC is increased by your
intelligence modi er, you have an advantage on acrobatic
rolls and get a bonus on your constitution saving throws
at the level of your intelligence, so you can better
maintain concentrations spells. In combination with for
example Shadow Blade this is great.
In addition, you are able to use items which require you
to be a wizard.

You get all of this for 1d6 sneak damage less than the
singleclass rogue would do. So a good deal.

5 months ago   Reply

Flutes
 That makes heaps of sense and sounds like
a fun character concept. I will have to try it
sometime! Thanks, Sven.

5 months ago   Reply

devo
This guide appears to incorrectly imply in places that you gain armor pro ciencies
from taking multiclass levels in certain classes, which is often not the case. For
example, adding ghter levels to a ranger will not give a ranger heavy armor
pro ciency. You need to take ghter as the core class to get that, and then add
ranger levels.

An example of an exception to this is taking War Cleric, which does grant heavy
armor pro ciency, even if you don’t start out with it.

5 months ago   Reply

Flutes
Thanks Devo, we updated the instance where we implied Fighters give
heavy armor. Thanks for helping us keep our content up to date! Please
let us know if we missed anything.

5 months ago   Reply

waffles
Jack of All Trades and Reliable Talent do not interact in the way that you stated.

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/10/15/how-would-reliable-talent-work-with-a-
roguebard-and-their-jack-of-all-trades/

4 months ago   Reply

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