Multiclassing fighter for spellcasting

[mishtery]

My friends and I started all of our first D&D campaign about a year ago. I play with a level 5 CN tiefling fighter with a criminal background and the champion archetype. My party has a sorcerer, a ranger, a druid, and a bard. I really want to spend some levels multiclassing to pick up spells to diversify what I can do besides killing everything we come across, but I'm not sure what to do or how to make it work.

My current stats are:
Strength 15+4
Dexterity 13
Constitution 14
Intelligence 9
Wisdom 12
Charisma 12

I thought about trying to work something out as a trickery cleric, but I'm not sure I like the cleric spell list. I also like warlocks but I'm not sure how to make a pact work for my character/what patron would be best/if it would work well with my current build. Otherwise I think my character has too low intelligence to be a wizard, and my party already has a sorcerer so that's out.

I would appreciate any advice on what to do here! I'm new to the game so I've only played a fighter so far and just have no idea what I'm doing.

[nickl_2000]

Here's the struggle that you will have. Your stats aren't good enough to allow you to multiclass into any casting class. You need either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to be 13+ to be able to multiclass into that class. Your DM may hand wave that, but it would be against the rules.


So, lets assume that you can't do it, what can you do for utility and casting. Feats
Magic Initiate Cleric would be awesome for Guidance, Spare the Dying, and Bless (your team will love you for pretty much all of those)
Magic Initial Wizard Could net you Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, and Find Familiar
Ritual Caster is great for out of combat utility as well.

I would look at those options since you get a lot of feats as a Fighters


If you do want to multiclass, you will need to drop your next ASI into Strength and Wisdom/Cha. Then you can multiclass after that into Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, or Bard. Cleric would still be a good choice for extra healing and good cantrips. Druid would do pretty much the same for out of combat utility at one level.

[mishtery]

Here's the struggle that you will have. Your stats aren't good enough to allow you to multiclass into any casting class. You need either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to be 13+ to be able to multiclass into that class. Your DM may hand wave that, but it would be against the rules.


So, lets assume that you can't do it, what can you do for utility and casting. Feats
Magic Initiate Cleric would be awesome for Guidance, Spare the Dying, and Bless (your team will love you for pretty much all of those)
Magic Initial Wizard Could net you Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, and Find Familiar
Ritual Caster is great for out of combat utility as well.

I would look at those options since you get a lot of feats as a Fighters


If you do want to multiclass, you will need to drop your next ASI into Strength and Wisdom/Cha. Then you can multiclass after that into Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, or Bard. Cleric would still be a good choice for extra healing and good cantrips. Druid would do pretty much the same for out of combat utility at one level.

That is good advice. I knew my stats pretty much prevent me multiclassing into anything other than rogue or barbarian right now. I was considering either trying to take a feat with spells or improving my ability scores at 6 so I could actually multiclass at 7 if I couldn't work something out with my DM, so thank you on the suggestions for what to do with that.

[lunaticfringe]

My friends and I started all of our first D&D campaign about a year ago. I play with a level 5 CN tiefling fighter with a criminal background and the champion archetype. My party has a sorcerer, a ranger, a druid, and a bard. I really want to spend some levels multiclassing to pick up spells to diversify what I can do besides killing everything we come across, but I'm not sure what to do or how to make it work.

My current stats are:
Strength 15+4
Dexterity 13
Constitution 14
Intelligence 9
Wisdom 12
Charisma 12

I thought about trying to work something out as a trickery cleric, but I'm not sure I like the cleric spell list. I also like warlocks but I'm not sure how to make a pact work for my character/what patron would be best/if it would work well with my current build. Otherwise I think my character has too low intelligence to be a wizard, and my party already has a sorcerer so that's out.

I would appreciate any advice on what to do here! I'm new to the game so I've only played a fighter so far and just have no idea what I'm doing.

Well officially your stats are too low to Multiclass into any spell casting class. You might look into asking to rebuild as an Eldritch Knight or start working on Arcane Trickster levels.

Or increase a mental stat at level 6.

Warlock abilities could just be your Fiendish Heritage manifesting. Talk to your DM. I'm Flexible with that stuff. Just because you are Mechanically a Warlock doesn't mean you made a Pact with a Demon/Fey/Abberation/Magic Sword/Angel.

[Specter]

The easy ways are Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate, for fighters have a lot of ASI's. For MI, I would suggest Warlock for thematical reasons (and Hex which is great for martials).

[nickl_2000]

That is good advice. I knew my stats pretty much prevent me multiclassing into anything other than rogue or barbarian right now. I was considering either trying to take a feat with spells or improving my ability scores at 6 so I could actually multiclass at 7 if I couldn't work something out with my DM, so thank you on the suggestions for what to do with that.

Either way with multiclassing or Magic Initiate, you will want to focus on spells that don't need a DC or spell attack. Spells like Bless, Find Familiar, Guidance, Mending, Prestidigitation, Enhance Ability (although I think that is level 2), Healing Word, Shield, Mold Earth, Shape Water, and the like.


And I did forget about Warlock, but I'm personally against them in your case. If you are playing for utility, you would be better off getting something that gets more Cantrips. Arcana Cleric would be amazing if you are allowed to use it (5 cantrips, 3 cleric and 2 wizard but it is Unearthed Arcana), if not Grave Domain Cleric could net your spare the dying, guidance, Mending, and Thaumaturgy.

[LeonBH]

If you want to play Warlock, you could go Fey or Fiend easily. Play it off as you were seduced by this wonderfully and devilishly cunning entity, one thing led to another, and now you've sworn your soul and/or allegiance to him or her. Romance is optional.

[Aett_Thorn]

My question to the OP would be: what do you want to get out of this?

If it's just some versatility, then maybe taking ritual caster (cleric) would be useful for your party, since that is a skillset that they likely don't have.

If you want to be an effective spellcaster, then that's going to take more than a 13 in your casting stat (although you'll never be BAD, especially if you take spells that don't require an attack roll or saving throw). For instance, if you wanted to give yourself some magical ranged attacks and go Warlock for Eldritch Blast, then with a 13 Cha, you're attacking with just a +1 (+prof) bonus, which might not be enough.

However, I do think that you could do well with a Cleric dip. The cleric spell list might not be your bag of chips, but even first-level spells would give you access to things like Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil and Good, and Bless, which are useful spells that won't require much in terms of Wisdom progression.

[mishtery]

My question to the OP would be: what do you want to get out of this?

If it's just some versatility, then maybe taking ritual caster (cleric) would be useful for your party, since that is a skillset that they likely don't have.

If you want to be an effective spellcaster, then that's going to take more than a 13 in your casting stat (although you'll never be BAD, especially if you take spells that don't require an attack roll or saving throw). For instance, if you wanted to give yourself some magical ranged attacks and go Warlock for Eldritch Blast, then with a 13 Cha, you're attacking with just a +1 (+prof) bonus, which might not be enough.

However, I do think that you could do well with a Cleric dip. The cleric spell list might not be your bag of chips, but even first-level spells would give you access to things like Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil and Good, and Bless, which are useful spells that won't require much in terms of Wisdom progression.

Mostly what I'm interested in is having more options when my party chooses not to engage in combat and something to do when we're fighting monsters I can't reach with melee moves (which keeps happening because we're fighting dragons). I would love to be a good spellcaster, but my melee attacks are so strong it would probably be silly to try to replace them.

And yeah while I don't personally love cleric spells, they would be a lifesaver for my party who currently avoid dying by having me be the only one who gets attacked in battle. And with the trickery cleric I was considering, I could get a few skills that would be useful outside of combat like disguise self even with a small dip. And arcana cleric as someone else mentioned could also do some of the same thing.

[lunaticfringe]

Hmm. Your STR is 19?

If you want to MC I think you could up Cha to 16 with Fighter 8 and go into Whisper Bard till 6. Has some nice out of combat tricks with the Ability to add damage on hit (woohoo improved Crit). Just an idea.

[Burnteyes]

Hmm. Your STR is 19?

If you want to MC I think you could up Cha to 16 with Fighter 8 and go into Whisper Bard till 6. Has some nice out of combat tricks with the Ability to add damage on hit (woohoo improved Crit). Just an idea.

I was a little curious where that +4 on his/her STR is coming from.. If there is something outside of magic items (of which there are a few, iirc)that can do that, I need to know about it.

[Waterdeep Merch]

Mechanically, this isn't a great option, but dipping warlock with a fiend pact and roleplaying it as if it's the equivalent of asking for money from your dad is incredibly amusing to me. Like, imagine a slightly overweight pit fiend wearing glasses and a plaid shirt, watching TV. He's wondering when you're finally going to get into the family business and start corrupting some souls for the Blood War. You aren't getting any younger.

[mishtery]

I was a little curious where that +4 on his/her STR is coming from.. If there is something outside of magic items (of which there are a few, iirc)that can do that, I need to know about it.

I have gauntlets of ogre power, which give a strength score of 19, but my base strength score is 15.

[bid]

Yeah, Int13 / Wis13 / Cha13 are necessary for caster. You can't even ritual caster without it.
You'd have to wait until your ASI at level 8, or convince your DM to go from 9 12 12 to 8 13 12.

The easier choice is to swap from champion to EK, again with DM approval.


BTW, note it as Str19(15) as it's not a "bonus" but a "replacement".