Cleric 1/Warlock 5 exploit

[asorel]

According to the multiclassing section, spellcasting multiclass rules only apply if you gain the Spellcasting feature multiple times. Taking 5 levels of Warlock grants you a pair of third-level slots from the Pact Magic feature, not the Spellcasting feature. The Cleric's section on spellcasting states that you can only prepare spells for which you have slots, and does not mention Cleric level in terms of spell preparation. As you have a pair of 3rd-level slots, you are able to prepare Animate Dead, and cast it using your Pact Magic slots. Every short rest, you put potentially 8 zombies under your control for 24 hours.

Does this work? Is there a rule to prevent this from happening? Someone on another forum presented this exploit as a way to "break the game," and their reasoning appears sound after reading the appropriate sections of the PHB.

[Daishain]

According to the multiclassing section, spellcasting multiclass rules only apply if you gain the Spellcasting feature multiple times. Taking 5 levels of Warlock grants you a pair of third-level slots from the Pact Magic feature, not the Spellcasting feature. The Cleric's section on spellcasting states that you can only prepare spells for which you have slots, and does not mention Cleric level in terms of spell preparation. As you have a pair of 3rd-level slots, you are able to prepare Animate Dead, and cast it using your Pact Magic slots. Every short rest, you put potentially 8 zombies under your control for 24 hours.

Does this work? Is there a rule to prevent this from happening? Someone on another forum presented this exploit as a way to "break the game," and their reasoning appears sound after reading the appropriate sections of the PHB.
No, it doesn't work, and you aren't the only one to try to abuse that particular wording. Actually, your proposed exploit is relatively tame compared to most others I've seen.

However, the multiclassing rules clearly state that for the purpose of learning and preparing spells, you act as if you were single classed. In other words, your character prepares cleric spells as if they were a character level one single class cleric, and learns warlock spells as if they were a character level five single class warlock.

[asorel]

No, it doesn't work, and you aren't the only one to try to abuse that particular wording. Actually, your proposed exploit is relatively tame compared to most others I've seen.

However, the multiclassing rules clearly state that for the purpose of learning and preparing spells, you act as if you were single classed. In other words, your character prepares cleric spells as if they were a character level one single class cleric, and learns warlock spells as if they were a character level five single class warlock.

I thought as much, and that's the position I would take in games. The primary factor that gave me pause was the wording of the Spellcasting Cleric class feature. While it makes references to Cleric levels regarding Spells Known, Spells Prepared are "...for which you have slots," without mention to Cleric Level or tables.

[Daishain]

I thought as much, and that's the position I would take in games. The primary factor that gave me pause was the wording of the Spellcasting Cleric class feature. While it makes references to Cleric levels regarding Spells Known, Spells Prepared are "...for which you have slots," without mention to Cleric Level or tables.
They made the mistake of writing the class descriptions as if multiclassing wasn't an option.

To be fair, multiclassing is technically labeled an optional rule in this edition. But they should have anticipated that allowing it would be the default at most tables.