Silly questions

[ZorroGames]

Do most dips into a different class than your main occur at level 1 to get the class mix online faster?

What dips actually occur best after a level or two (or more) of your main class?

[Aett_Thorn]

Well, most around here would say that you either want to dip very quickly so that you could get your mix going, OR you want to get your main class up to level 5 first, then dip.

Level 5 is the first level of second-tier gameplay. Spellcasters get their bigger spells (like Fireball), and martial classes get Extra Attack, which can basically double their damage output. So getting to that point even a bit later can cause you to feel behind other players for a bit.

Still, there are some combos (like a Paladin/Sorc) where your main damage output may come from Smites. So going Paladin 2 and then going Sorc X is a good call.

So it really depends on the mix you’re going for, and also where you expect your game to end.

[JackPhoenix]

Utterly dependant on the multiclass you're going for. Decide what abilities you want as soon as possible. The first class may depend on what you need from it... Fighter/Wizard gets heavy armor and Con save proficiency, Wizard/Fighter doesn't. Level 5 is a big bump in power, but in some cases, you don't mind delaying it, if you're going for some specific combination.

[MrStabby]

Some of it comes down to flavour as well. My cleric/rogue/ranger crammed in a lot of classes at the start: cleric 1, rogue 1 then ranger to 5. Yes I felt behind levels 5 and 6 (quite far behind in combat) but I felt my character was mechanically represented and that it was a single concept developing rather than a mid game career change.

[Unoriginal]

I think people who do optimization generally go for the "is the benefit from the multiclass better than the benefit from getting to next level in this class?" approach. Can't say for sure, though.

That's why people who do Fighter/Wizard usually start fighter then go full Wiz, and those who do Fighter/Rogue tends to go for Fighter until they get the multiattack/6th lvl ASI before going Rogue.

[CTurbo]

I usually prefer to take the first 5 levels in the same class before changing classes.

Then you have your 1 level dips(Fighter, Paladin, Cleric usually) almost always from proficiencies.

Then you have your 2 level dips like(Fighter, Paladin, Rogue, Warlock usually) to get very useful features.

[sithlordnergal]

It 100% depends on the build. For a Fighter/Wizard, or a Sorcerer/Warlock, you're going to go one level of sorcerer or fighter first for the saving throws and/or armor. For Bard or Rogue multiclasses, it depends on if you want skill proficiencies or what your dip class offers. And then there are builds like the Oath of the Ancients Soradin, where you'll probably want to wait until level 9 or 10 before you dip so you can have your ASI and resistance to spells

[PeteNutButter]

It mostly just depends on which class has the better level 1 (of features that you won’t get when MCing into said class). So if your character is planning on taking fighter levels then first level is usually fighter since it’s probably the strongest level 1. Con saves are as good as a feat for a caster and it gets every armor and weapon along with 10 hp. If you then multiclass into another class you tend to get almost everything out of the second class as well.

If I were to order the classes in order of which I should take my first level in it’d be something like:

1. Fighter (armor saves and hp)
2. Barbarian (saves and hp)
3. Paladin (armor)
4. Sorcerer (saves)
5. Rogue (extra skill)
6. Everything else

It’s a rough outline but I’d probably never play a character with class levels in say bard and fighter without starting in fighter.