Multiclassing spell list

[LiaLili]

I'm still really confused about how multiclassed spell lists work. Say I'm gonna play a 17 Warlock/3 Bard character. Since level 3 bards only have 1st and 2nd level spell slots, does that mean I can only take 1st/2nd level spells from the Bard list? Or do I have full access to both classes' spell lists, regardless of my level in either?

[Man_Over_Game]

I'm still really confused about how multiclassed spell lists work. Say I'm gonna play a 17 Warlock/3 Bard character. Since level 3 bards only have 1st and 2nd level spell slots, does that mean I can only take 1st/2nd level spells from the Bard list? Or do I have full access to both classes' spell lists, regardless of my level in either?

There are two key mechanics you need to separate: Spells known, and Spell slots.

Spells known are only calculated through its individual class. Your Druid levels do not influence what Cleric spells you know, and vice versa.

Spell Slots DO combine based off of caster levels, using the rules listed in the Multiclass section of the book. Warlocks are separate, and do not count as caster levels for the sake of the spell slot totals, so you track those separately. You can spend any spell slots from any class to cast any spell you know from any class.


In your example, you'd have a Level 17 Warlock's Spells Known, a level 17 Warlock's Spell Slots, a level 3 Bar's Spells Known, and a level 3 Bard's Spell Slots, all kept separately. However, all of your Spell Slots can be used to fuel any spell that you know (the only real reason to keep spell slots separate is because some Warlock Invocations can only be fueled by Warlock Spell Slots, and Warlock Spell Slots have different regeneration rules than anyone else)

In a different example, if you were a level 17 Druid and a level 3 Cleric, you'd have a level 17 Druid's Spells Known, a level 3 Cleric's Spells Known, and Spell Slots as if you were a level 20 caster to fuel any of your Classes' spells.

Just to reiterate, Warlocks are the only exception to the spell slot sum/caster level rules. If you had 4 levels each into Sorcerer, Druid, Bard, Cleric, Wizard, you'd only be able to learn spells as if you only a level 4 character of each of those classes, yet you'd have spell slots as a level 20 caster.

[Chronos]

You could only take 1st and 2nd level bard spells, but if you cast them from your warlock slots, they'd be cast as 5th-level spells, for a possibly increased effect.

[LiaLili]

All right, I get it now. Thank you so much!