Multiclassing and leveling question

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I think I may be missing something about how 5e does multiclassing, because I'm very confused on a few topics concerning dips, particularly the infamous Warlock2 dip.

Okay, so you get a ranged attack that deals 1d10 force damage. Sure, you can even stack your charisma onto it, so if you have a charisma of 20, that's an extra +5 damage. Fine. That's two levels you have lost. As long as you aren't taking more Warlock levels, nothing scales anywhere. That... doesn't seem nearly as effective to me unless I seem to be missing something.

[smcmike]

The spell creates more than one beam when you reach higher (character) levels....

[ShneekeyTheLost]

The spell creates more than one beam when you reach higher (character) levels....

Wait, what? Scaling is based on character level rather than class level?

[TheTeaMustFlow]

I think I may be missing something about how 5e does multiclassing, because I'm very confused on a few topics concerning dips, particularly the infamous Warlock2 dip.

Okay, so you get a ranged attack that deals 1d10 force damage. Sure, you can even stack your charisma onto it, so if you have a charisma of 20, that's an extra +5 damage. Fine. That's two levels you have lost. As long as you aren't taking more Warlock levels, nothing scales anywhere. That... doesn't seem nearly as effective to me unless I seem to be missing something.

Cantrips scale with character level, not class level, and thus if you take the dip you get, amongst other things, a reasonably strong at-will ranged attack.

I still think it's somewhat overrated. EB has nothing on the damage of even a slightly dedicated ranged attacker, and a two-level delay is pretty damn costly.

Edit: Oh my, a zombie ninja!

[smcmike]

Wait, what? Scaling is based on character level rather than class level?

The spell text doesn't say anything about class level. It just says "when you reach higher levels"

[Firechanter]

I still think it's somewhat overrated. EB has nothing on the damage of even a slightly dedicated ranged attacker, and a two-level delay is pretty damn costly.

Sure, that's all well and true, but still. Especially for a Paladin it may be worth it, if the DM likes to throw Ranged encounters at the party, where terrain and/or monster abilities make it impossible to bring their melee power to bear. Javelins are short range, and you won't have the Dex for bows. Depends on how often this happens, of course. If every third encounter basically locks out melees, taking those two dip levels may be a toad the player has to swallow. Not that I'd DM like that, mind you.
In short, dealing something between 1d10+3 and 4d10+20 beats dealing 0 damage in encounters where you just can't close in for melee.

Of course, this should normally only apply to a very specific kind of campaign. In typical dungeon crawls, getting in melee is usually no problem, so a Warlock dip for EB is generally unnecessary.

[bid]

Wait, what? Scaling is based on character level rather than class level?
Anything in the Classes chapter uses class level, anywhere else it's character level. Cantrips are in chapter 11, Spells.

[Fighting_Ferret]

Warlock also gives 2 level 1 spell slots the restore on a short rest... what can you do with 2 level 1 spell slots 3x per day?

[Gtdead]

I think I may be missing something about how 5e does multiclassing, because I'm very confused on a few topics concerning dips, particularly the infamous Warlock2 dip.

Okay, so you get a ranged attack that deals 1d10 force damage. Sure, you can even stack your charisma onto it, so if you have a charisma of 20, that's an extra +5 damage. Fine. That's two levels you have lost. As long as you aren't taking more Warlock levels, nothing scales anywhere. That... doesn't seem nearly as effective to me unless I seem to be missing something.

A lvl 2 warlock/x 14 does almost the same damage as 16 warlock. It's the epitome of a "frontloaded" class.
The other common reason to dip lock is Cha based shillelagh. Bard can do it too but he needs 6 levels while warlock needs only 3.

Another common dip is 1 lvl of fighter for casters because of archery/defense and con saves. A bard 19/Fighter 1 is the best archer in the game, with access to foresight, EW/Quiver/Haste through magical secret, archery, ce and ss.

Rogue 2 is a fairly good dip, especially for martial ranged characters. Expertise and easier Advantage generation through cunning action. Some classes may want to dip more.

And the last common dip is sorcerer. This is best for tanky characters that want to use a shield+sword, but still want to be threatening. Twinned and Quickened scag cantrips deal a ton of damage.

[Spacehamster]

I think I may be missing something about how 5e does multiclassing, because I'm very confused on a few topics concerning dips, particularly the infamous Warlock2 dip.

Okay, so you get a ranged attack that deals 1d10 force damage. Sure, you can even stack your charisma onto it, so if you have a charisma of 20, that's an extra +5 damage. Fine. That's two levels you have lost. As long as you aren't taking more Warlock levels, nothing scales anywhere. That... doesn't seem nearly as effective to me unless I seem to be missing something.

A level 2 warlock, 2 Fighter, 3 Sorcerer can pull off 3 eldritch blasts when going nova(action, action surge and quicken meta magic) with 16 CHA thats 6 beams that does 1D10 + 3 each so thats 51 damage at level 7. :) at higher levels with maxed CHA and more beams it can get pretty silly. :)

[Xetheral]

A level 2 warlock, 2 Fighter, 3 Sorcerer can pull off 3 eldritch blasts when going nova(action, action surge and quicken meta magic) with 16 CHA thats 6 beams that does 1D10 + 3 each so thats 51 damage at level 7. :) at higher levels with maxed CHA and more beams it can get pretty silly. :)

The character you describe is 7th level, so shouldn't that already be six beams at 2d10+6 each?

[Tanarii]

The character you describe is 7th level, so shouldn't that already be six beams at 2d10+6 each?3 * 7th level EBs = 3* (2 beams x 1d10+3 each) = 6 beams @ 1d10+3

[Xetheral]

3 * 7th level EBs = 3* (2 beams x 1d10+3 each) = 6 beams @ 1d10+3

Right. I'm a moron sometimes.