Do you give multi class chars another name instead of just fighter/rogue for example?

[Spacehamster]

For example I'm thinking of making a half orc champion/assassin/lore bard(for invisibility spell) he will be a great axe assassin, 12 champ/4assassin/4lore bard. Were thinking of naming the class combination and style "Night reaver", do you guys make up fancy names for your class combos/play style?

[Laserlight]

For example I'm thinking of making a half orc champion/assassin/lore bard(for invisibility spell) he will be a great axe assassin, 12 champ/4assassin/4lore bard. Were thinking of naming the class combination and style "Night reaver", do you guys make up fancy names for your class combos/play style?

No.

In character, your character can call himself a Night Reaver, but that doesn't specify his class levels; my Hexblade could call himself a Night Reaver, for example. Or a Humble Merchant, for that matter.

Out of character, why use an obscure name for mechanics when you can just say "fighter/assassin/bard" and have everyone know what you mean?

[Spacehamster]

No.

In character, your character can call himself a Night Reaver, but that doesn't specify his class levels; my Hexblade could call himself a Night Reaver, for example. Or a Humble Merchant, for that matter.

Out of character, why use an obscure name for mechanics when you can just say "fighter/assassin/bard" and have everyone know what you mean?

Meant in game, ofc other players and DM would know his levels and classes, but in game I call it something else for rule of cool.

[Naanomi]

While a character may call themselves a Druid or Warlock or whatever; for the most part I consider 'class names' a completely gaming concept for the most part (in most settings anyways). No one goes to Rogue college to multiclass from Fighter; it is just a natural progression in their advancement.

Given the 'building block' model of character advancement I usually adhere to, assigning particular names to particular class groupings in that way doesn't make very much sense

[Lord Il Palazzo]

Meant in game, ofc other players and DM would know his levels and classes, but in game I call it something else for rule of cool.Really, I don't use class names in-character very often, even for single classed characters. After all, many class names are fairly generic terms. Isn't anyone who fights a fighter? Couldn't you call that guy who robbed you a rogue or a thief even if he didn't have the class or subclass? Aren't those guys in the monastery likely to call themselves monks even though they spend their days studying religious texts rather than practicing martial arts?

The last two characters I actually got to play (since I DM much more often) were a warlock (pact of the tome) who called himself "Raven the Wizard" (he was a magic user with a magic book, after all) and a soldier-background mountain dwarf abjurer who might say he's a wizard if you get him talking specifically about his magic but is much more likely to identify as a soldier if you just ask him what he does.

[Hypersmith]

Sometimes yeah. But to be honest, it's not often that someone asks in character "what are you." I have a cleric/Monk that just got asked that when he joined the game, and called himself a clergyman. Will it ever come up in game again? I doubt it. Was it cool otherwise? Hell yeah.

[Sir cryosin]

Most people in books and what not refer to other people by name and class. For example " oh that's Tharen a red wizard of thay" or " What you never heard of the tell of Paladin Sir. Drystin" or " Can you tell me we're I might find Sylva the Druid". "oh if ya'll be going through the woods. You might hire the Ranger Draxes."

[tieren]

I have a OotA paladin/ fey patron warlock that refers to the class combo as a "green knight".

[Maxilian]

Yes, but not out of game.

Had an Wizard Alchemist / Ranger / Rogue, but for his sake, he was only an Alchemist.

Also had a Sun Soul Monk / Druid, and he did not see himself as a Druid, he was a Monk of the Golden Serpent. (Flying Snake shooting lazers).

and so on.

I hate the idea of seeing it as a Wizard "Oh let me practice to become a warlock", no that's not what happens, its a Wizard that makes a deal with any creature for more knowledge or that found a tome filled with dark magic and secrets.

[Laserlight]

Meant in game, ofc other players and DM would know his levels and classes, but in game I call it something else for rule of cool.

Whereas I would say that in game, "Night Reaver" does not refer to the meta concepts of class and levels, but simply to his job or nickname. I wouldn't expect NPCs to hear "Night Reaver" and know "he's a fighter/bard/assassin"; at most, they might say "he's tough, sneaky, knows a bit of magic and knows how to fight."

[Vaz]

My straight class characters aren't called that. My paladin of conquest is a Legionary, and my Warlock is a Witch Doctor.

[Millstone85]

I have a OotA paladin/ fey patron warlock that refers to the class combo as a "green knight".According to the PHB, any single-classed paladin following the Oath of the Ancients could be known as a green knight.

They could also be known as a horned knight or a fey knight, that last one being what I think would really fit multiclassing as a warlock of the Archfey.

I have also thought of the typical Vengeance/Fiend palalock as a "knight of the Blood War".


My straight class characters aren't called that. My paladin of conquest is a Legionary, and my Warlock is a Witch Doctor.Surely your warlock has friends on the other side? :smallsmile:

[Sariel Vailo]

Sorcerer wizard
Sorcerer supreme

Rouge monk
Ninja

Bardic rouge
Orlesian bard

Sorcerer warlock
Power for powers sake

Monk barb
Calming rage

Cleric paly
Holy knight

[Maxilian]

Bardic rouge
Orlesian bard


So... this guy come from the Dragon Age universe? :smallconfused:

From Orlais?

or what else is Orlesian supposed to mean?

[Sariel Vailo]

So... this guy come from the Dragon Age universe? :smallconfused:

From Orlais?

or what else is Orlesian supposed to mean?

Oui orlais. For in orlais a bard sings and stabs.as if its a game.so bardx rouge x

[Hrugner]

I don't think I've ever referred to my character as their class in game. That would be weird. On the other hand, I do wonder who is calling your character a "Nightreaver"? I do use shorthand for build types, we all use gish or sorcadin for instance, but that only becomes necessary if there's a build type outside of the class options that's viable or popular enough to have been a class on it's own.

[Dudewithknives]

In game yes.

My cleric usually calls himself by his church rank, priest, friar, ect depending on his experience.

Most wizards I have seen call themselves by their school speciality, abjurerer, evoker ect.

Most barbarians call themselves barbarians.

However, most fighters don't call themselves fighters, it is usually whatever their job is.

I did play a warlock who was refluffed where his foci was a pistol, his eld blast were gunshots, his spells were him drinking from a flask or throwing a bottle, and just studded leather armor looked like a duster, he called himself a gunslinger. Raven queen patron with a huge raven on his shoulder and a chain pact shape shifted raven that was actually an imp on the other shoulder. I named them Thought and Memory.

[Vaz]

Surely your warlock has friends on the other side? :smallsmile:

Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang

[Sigreid]

Really, as far as I'm concerned the characters and NPCs have no concept of the classes. Most people who are called barbarians don't have the class, they're just uncouth tribals. Clerics and druids are called such because of the organizations or belief systems they ascribe to, etc.

[Naanomi]

Really, as far as I'm concerned the characters and NPCs have no concept of the classes. Most people who are called barbarians don't have the class, they're just uncouth tribals. Clerics and druids are called such because of the organizations or belief systems they ascribe to, etc.
I largely do the same... Druids are called Druids (they have a global Circles system and their own language); and scholarly types can tell you the difference between a Warlock, Sorcerer, and Wizard... but that is about it

[TheCrowing1432]

While a character may call themselves a Druid or Warlock or whatever; for the most part I consider 'class names' a completely gaming concept for the most part (in most settings anyways). No one goes to Rogue college to multiclass from Fighter; it is just a natural progression in their advancement.

Given the 'building block' model of character advancement I usually adhere to, assigning particular names to particular class groupings in that way doesn't make very much sense

Actually in most settings class names are actual real jobs that are mentioned in universe. Wizards and Clerics are frequently mentioned, Fighter Schools are a thing.

its only when you get to more abstract things where it starts to break down, Rogues would probably just be called thieves, and barbarians, could just be called warriors, or berserkers.

As far as the OP is concerned, it depends on what combination.

Like if you were a wizard/fighter multiclass, it would make sense to call yourself a Spellblade for example, as for something more mundane like rogue/fighter, eh, I dont know.

[Nifft]

Actually in most settings class names are actual real jobs that are mentioned in universe. Wizards and Clerics are frequently mentioned, Fighter Schools are a thing.

That's the first time I've heard "Fighter Schools" being used as anything other than a joke.

Which settings would these be, and roughly where in each setting book could I find that stuff?

[Rfkannen]

A fighter rogue is a mercanery or rough boi.

[SharkForce]

Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang

wrong kid movie... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZAY-78zhmw)

anyways, i think sometimes you might see the class names used in character, but not anything near all the time.

[Princess]

I have a barbarian/fighter/rogue idea I've nicknamed The Boogeyman. But IC I don't think they'd introduce themselves as such... because talking to people alerts them of your presence when you could be murdering.

[Tanarii]

I have a OotA paladin/ fey patron warlock that refers to the class combo as a "green knight".
I call that one Knight of the Summer Court. :smallbiggrin: Also green knight / fey knight are already names for an Ancients Paladin. Not that it really matters, the combination is also suitable as a fey knight.

[rudy]

In game, for me, some classes might be terms that characters & NPCs actually use. "Wizard", "Cleric of Elhonna", (though they might also say Priest of Elhonna, or Devout of Elhonna... you get the idea).

Others they are much less likely to use. Rogue is probably the top of the list of class names NPCs and PCs are unlikely to use in character; when asked to describe her capabilities, a character would not say (in character), "I'm a Rogue". They might instead say that they are an agile combatant, or an archer, who knows their way around traps. For just one example.

[SharkForce]

In game, for me, some classes might be terms that characters & NPCs actually use. "Wizard", "Cleric of Elhonna", (though they might also say Priest of Elhonna, or Devout of Elhonna... you get the idea).

Others they are much less likely to use. Rogue is probably the top of the list of class names NPCs and PCs are unlikely to use in character; when asked to describe her capabilities, a character would not say (in character), "I'm a Rogue". They might instead say that they are an agile combatant, or an archer, who knows their way around traps. For just one example.

for rogues, i'd expect names like explorer, treasure hunter, dungeoneer, investigator, troubleshooter, scout, guide, adventurer, and so forth.

incidentally, i'd also expect some of those to also potentially apply to fighters, rangers, barbarians, and other classes as well.

and even for wizards and such, it likely depends a lot; wu jen, magician, fakir, wizard, mage, istari, thaumaturge, arcane researcher, loreseeker, ritualist, arcanist, the last of the red-hot swamis, master of magic, hedge wizard... not to mention all of the school-specific possibilities.

in general, the classes are designed to represent a variety of concepts, not just one individual thing. it therefore stands to reason that members of those classes would likewise call themselves by many different names. while each of those concepts should probably have slightly different mechanics, in an effort to keep it simple we just treat them all mechanically mostly the same, but it is unlikely that they consider themselves to all be the same.

[Paeleus]

I call my Fighter Sorcerer:
The Arcane Knight

Disclaimer: Play a character or background, not a class.

[Sariel Vailo]

Id call a warlock wizard dark magician but thats the old yugioh. Comin back

[Samayu]

Most barbarians call themselves barbarians.

"I'm not a barbarian! I'm a nice guy!"
Actual quote from my last barbarian character.

[Tanarii]

"I'm not a barbarian! I'm a nice guy!"
Actual quote from my last barbarian character.

'Who you calling a Barbarian? The Bastarnae are the civilized ones, not you pestilential city dwellers!'

[Sigreid]

Most barbarians call themselves barbarians.



That's kind of like saying "Tribal people call themselves savages."

[Arkhios]

@OP: No, not really. Although, (in character) I rarely refer to my character being a member of X class or classes. I just prefer describing my characters with their combined merits.

[Tanarii]

Best just to call a spade a spade. Most adventurers would be 'Vagrant'. :smallamused:

[smcmike]

"Barbarian" literally comes from making fun of foreigners who talk in nonsense syllables "bar bar bar." No one would call themselves barbarians, except in the context of adopting the term from the "civilized" culture.

What your barbarian calls himself in the game is a matter for you to decide. Mine is just a sailor with rage issues and a preternatural knack for violence.

Actually, the backgrounds are generally more likely to be used in-game than the classes. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy....

[NecroDancer]

My warlock is often called "flight risk" if that helps....

[SharkForce]

Best just to call a spade a spade. Most adventurers would be 'Vagrant'. :smallamused:

well, where do you think "murderhobo" comes from? :P

[Talionis]

Yes. I think you are bringing up a very very very important point. By calling your Rogue/Monk/Warlock a Ninja of the dark way you explain and fluff what might otherwise be a very strange progression of Rogue2/Monk1/Warlock2/Rogue2/Warlock3/Monk3/Warlock4/Rogue3.

Instead of having to role play switching from one profession to another and then back again the whole multiclass setup is a Ninja of the Dark Way or Nightreaver and that's just the normal progression for these NotDW.

It allows for an easy explanation of the mechanics that create the character you want to role play.

[Naanomi]

Yes. I think you are bringing up a very very very important point. By calling your Rogue/Monk/Warlock a Ninja of the dark way you explain and fluff what might otherwise be a very strange progression of Rogue2/Monk1/Warlock2/Rogue2/Warlock3/Monk3/Warlock4/Rogue3.

Instead of having to role play switching from one profession to another and then back again the whole multiclass setup is a Ninja of the Dark Way or Nightreaver and that's just the normal progression for these NotDW.

It allows for an easy explanation of the mechanics that create the character you want to role play.
I would (almost) never roleplay switching from class to class anyways... it is all just representative of natural development either way in my book; I don't go take a night course at Ranger Community College.

I may, however, 'foreshadow' classes I know I want... my sorcerer that is going Warlock has already sold their soul to the demon; I just don't have any power to show for it until level 3 (or whatever).

[Tanarii]

well, where do you think "murderhobo" comes from? :P
I almost said it, but then I realized no one would call another that.

Or they might, in a world where powerful vagrants regularly slaughtered things and rolled their bodies for loot. :smallbiggrin:

[SharkForce]

Yes. I think you are bringing up a very very very important point. By calling your Rogue/Monk/Warlock a Ninja of the dark way you explain and fluff what might otherwise be a very strange progression of Rogue2/Monk1/Warlock2/Rogue2/Warlock3/Monk3/Warlock4/Rogue3.

Instead of having to role play switching from one profession to another and then back again the whole multiclass setup is a Ninja of the Dark Way or Nightreaver and that's just the normal progression for these NotDW.

It allows for an easy explanation of the mechanics that create the character you want to role play.

i wouldn't even go so far to suggest that there is necessarily a 100% typical path for almost anything.

i mean, let's consider some examples of RL professions.

consider "doctor" for example (in this case, meaning the medical kind). there are some generalizations you could make... but likely not as much as you might think. medical school might be typical for the first world, but not so much for a doctor in other parts of the world. they may or may not have much in the way of scientific knowledge, and even if you narrow that down further and only talk about, say, doctors who work at the mayo clinic, you're going to find that they all have different areas of specialization. you'll probably find that some focus far more on research and spend relatively little time (if any) working with sick or injured people. some will have additional areas of specialty on the side... a "sports medicine" specialist probably knows a lot more about physiotherapy than a brain surgeon, for example, who in turn will know more about surgery than a pathologist, who will know more about diseases than the doctor specialized in sports medicine.

or another example, "soldier". a given soldier might be a designated marksman, might have the strongest throwing arm in the group, might have superior awareness, could have some leadership skills and training and be a sergeant or corporal, could be military police, might be assigned to drive a certain vehicle when the squad gets it, might be the squad medic or radio operator... they're all "soldiers", but that doesn't mean that every last one of them has identical skills. they'll all have some degree of overlap (it would be pretty foolish if only one person in the squad could operate absolutely essential squad equipment, after all), but they won't be identical by any means.

and if i was actually a doctor or a soldier, i could probably go into way more possibilities in either field. i'm confident that i've barely even scratched the surface on this.

so, really... a "nightreaver" probably has some basic things that they will all share in common (i would be pretty surprised if they weren't generally stealthy in some way, for example, given the name, and i would likewise expect based on the name for them to have some level of expertise in killing stuff... frankly, the name suggests a group of assassins, so i'm gonna run with that)... but i very much doubt that it's anything at all like "every nightreaver starts with a level of fighter with duelist fighting style, takes 2 rogue levels, then 2 monk levels, then 3 warlock levels choosing fiend patron and blade pact, then a second level of fighter, then goes 4 more monk levels into shadow monk, then 1 more fighter level into battlemaster, then 1 more rogue level into assassin, then 3 levels in sorcerer to get subtle spell and distant spell (always green dragon origin), finishing up with 2 more levels of warlock.

it doesn't work like that in real life, and i see no compelling reason for it to work like that in D&D.

that might be how one specific character who has decided that they're a nightreaver is built, but another might be pure rogue and specialise in poisoning people's drinks, yet another might be just a rogue/monk hybrid, yet another might be a ranger who lays ambushes for travelers, and another might be a single-classed fighter who specializes in provoking victims into duels. (and a typical member might look like an assassin NPC from the monster manual, and have no class levels at all).

[Tanarii]

To shorten what Shark just said ... Some ninjas in the clan are Shadow Monks, some are Assassins, some are high Dex Fighters, Illusionists, or Trickery Clerics. But most of them are probably Criminals, and therefore share certain traits. (Or a DM's custom background.)

[Sigreid]

I almost said it, but then I realized no one would call another that.

Or they might, in a world where powerful vagrants regularly slaughtered things and rolled their bodies for loot. :smallbiggrin:

I have it on good authority from a friend who works with the homeless that a hobo is not a vagrant. Hobos are wandering homeless that actually believe in working instead of just begging. So murderhobo would be a wandering homeless person who kills for work. Fits really nicely.

[Tanarii]

I have it on good authority from a friend who works with the homeless that a hobo is not a vagrant. Hobos are wandering homeless that actually believe in working instead of just begging. So murderhobo would be a wandering homeless person who kills for work. Fits really nicely.
Interestingly, I originally meant to post Vagabond, I just got the wrong V word. I was thinking of Jack Shaftoe from the Baroque Cycle. So a 17th century vagrant or hobo, but specifically an adventurous ne'er-do-well vagabond.

I was also completely unaware until I just looked it up right now that hobo is a 19th century word, nor that it associations with migrant worker. So thank you for helping me learn something today.

[Sigreid]

Interestingly, I originally meant to post Vagabond, I just got the wrong V word. I was thinking of Jack Shaftoe from the Baroque Cycle. So a 17th century vagrant or hobo, but specifically an adventurous ne'er-do-well vagabond.

I was also completely unaware until I just looked it up right now that hobo is a 19th century word, nor that it associations with migrant worker. So thank you for helping me learn something today.

My pleasure. I was surprised when I learned what it meant as well.

[Gtdead]

In character I hardly use class names to introduce myself. I'm not a paladin, I'm Sergeant Whatever of the Whatever Order. I'm not a fighter, I'm a guard of whatever city, or a gladiator in the whatever arena. I'm not a wizard, but a professor at the college of the whatever magic school.

Out of character I would do that as a concept and for story reasons. I want to make a bounty Hunter. I may try a mc of ranger and rogue. Mechanically I will call it ranger x/rogue y, but if the dm agrees, Instead of me having to include rp reasons for my multiclass, I can advance as a custom single class.

[RazorChain]

Meant in game, ofc other players and DM would know his levels and classes, but in game I call it something else for rule of cool.

I once had this DM when playing a Paladin. Everybody and their mothers in the game knew I was a paladin. "of course we trust you, you're a paladin". It made me very aware of that I was playing a game. My character didn't even know he was a paladin, he was just a humble servant of the gods, sworn to protect the weak and innocent.

[Tanarii]

IMX one thing I find different about 5e, is the backgrounds tend to make brand new players start off by thinking of their character in terms of background rather than class. As time passes they slowly move to thinking of them as their archetype instead, which is perfect for my games. E.g. the PC is no longer a Acolyte who's just left the temple who happens to also be a Bard, but rather now an ex-Acolyte that is an experienced dungeon delving Bardic herohobo.

That's quite different from other editions. D&D is a game of very strong archetypes*. For players new to the game of D&D to generally start off thinking of their PC themselves as a Elf Guild Artisan instead of a Elf Druid shows they did something very innovative and new in the whole background system. IMO it's the custom personality suggestions associated with each that do it, but I could be wrong.

So there's no reason a multi classes character can't be treated the same way.

*this is the reason mulitclassing has been borked since 3e, and this thread even has to exist. The 'freely mix and match class levels' is strongly at odds with D&D's strong archetypes.

[Sigreid]

I once had this DM when playing a Paladin. Everybody and their mothers in the game knew I was a paladin. "of course we trust you, you're a paladin". It made me very aware of that I was playing a game. My character didn't even know he was a paladin, he was just a humble servant of the gods, sworn to protect the weak and innocent.

I would also think that the average person wouldn't know the distinctions anyway. For example, to Joe the Shepard, the titles sorcerer, wizard, warlock and mage are probably interchangeable. He simply doesn't know what the difference is.

[Naanomi]

I would also think that the average person wouldn't know the distinctions anyway. For example, to Joe the Shepard, the titles sorcerer, wizard, warlock and mage are probably interchangeable. He simply doesn't know what the difference is.
Yes I agree, the differences may be known in an academic setting but not by most people.

Inquisitor: "Actually I could care less about any 'witches' we find, regardless of the peasant's fear... only the lowest ranks of the Cult of Siano actually practice witchcraft; the true leaders are Conjurers steeped in the lore of Wizardry; though since both use 'spellbooks' it takes an expert eye to distinguish between the two"

[Ninja-Radish]

I did this once. I made a MC Nature Cleric\Ranger and called him a Warden.

[MaxDPSsays]

Omg what would I call my oath of the ancients paladin 7/fiend warlock 2/ lore bard 2(will be lore next lvl) / red dragon sorcerer 1?

Confusedadin?

[mephnick]

I made a straight class Ranger who was never referred to as anything but a "Cleric of Ehlonna".

[Vaz]

Omg what would I call my oath of the ancients paladin 7/fiend warlock 2/ lore bard 2(will be lore next lvl) / red dragon sorcerer 1?

Confusedadin?

Dave?

You could just choose whatever. Does he even need a title? He could be a postman.

[mephnick]

He could be a postman.

Oh man, then badguys could quote The Postman.

"You ain't a postman, you're just a drifter who found a bad of mail!"