Cleric Spell Prep Clarification

[carrdrivesyou]

The PHB has this to say regarding spell preparation for clerics (emphasis mine):

"You prepare the list of cleric spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the cleric spell list. When you do so, choose a number of cleric spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your cleric level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots."

Does this mean that if I multiclass away from cleric, I still gain access to the higher level spells? It seems silly that I could take 1 level of cleric, then go full druid/sorc/wizard and still have access to 4th and 5th level cleric spells, just because I have higher level slots.

Am I reading this correctly, or did I miss a critical phrase that suggests that I must be a certain level in the cleric class in order to access those spells?

[solidork]

The rule that prohibits this is part of the multiclassing rules. You learn/prepare spells based solely on your levels in each individual class.

[JNAProductions]

The rule that prohibits this is part of the multiclassing rules. You learn/prepare spells based solely on your levels in each individual class.

Yup, this.

If you're a Cleric 1/Other Full Caster 19 (let's say Druid), you prepare spells as a 1st level Cleric (so, with a Wisdom of 20, six spells of 1st level) and a Druid of 19th level (so 24 spells of levels 1-9).

[GenericFighter]

To reassure you, you're not going crazy. The multiclass rules don't account for this form of 'prepare spells from the full class list' style of spellcasting. It directs you to use each class preparation rules as normal, seemingly forgetting what is says in the cleric and druid entries, and they give an example of a multiclass ranger/wizard (both with fixed spell acquisition) which is profoundly unhelpful.

The fact that one can infer what they meant (spells limited by individual class levels rather than overall character level) doesn't change the fact that it is badly written and needs a better example.

[Frogreaver]

The multiclass rules make the preparation be based on individual class slots. Much like qualifying for warlock invocations requires single class warlock levels despite it only referencing your level. (When multiclassing such things typically should be read as ‘in this class’)