Question about multiclassing

[MrLEWXIII]

My first time playing a baldur's gate game and i just need some clarification. So i started as a druid and want to multiclass it with either a fighter or barbarian. My question is if i do that, do i get the weapon efficiencies of those classes? Would i have been better off starting as a fighter/barbarian and then multiclass with a druid? Just a bit lost with how it works.

[Jaggid Edje]

You do get the proficiencies of the class you multi-class as, yes. Both weapon and armour proficiencies.

[ChaosKhan]

When you pick 1 lvl in a class, you always get all the proficiencies and abilities, that the said class would receive on lvl 1.

For example, if you multiclass 1 lvl into fighter as a wizard, you will be able to freely equip heavy armour and wield greatswords without any drawbacks.

[6h0$t942]

There are a lot of differences between the editions in how druid is treated. The game caps at lvl 12, so im not sure how much accesss to useful shapeshifting you'll have. If you're wanting to play an animalistic warrior i think the barbarian has a subclass that does something like that. Generally speaking for a first character its better to stay away from multiclassing. People will disagree about that but its true.
Also there is an option to change classes. A hard to miss npc shows up in your camp partway through act 1. Well, for me i noticed him like 70% through the first area. iirc it costs 100g. So not small but not terribly expensive.

[Jaggid Edje]

The main thing you may want to consider however is that you get an ASI/Feat every 4th class level (not character level) so if you multi-class but don't take even multiples of 4 for each class you will miss out on one of those.

It's pretty much up to you, of course, and it can be worth it to sacrifice the ASI/feat for some other more beneficial multi-class gain.

[PaloG]

What you start as doesn't matter as there's no mechanics that affect the way your character's stats or abilities evolve over time like weighted stat gains(e.g. Fire Emblem) or anything similar. Taking a level in Fighter at character level 1 and taking a level in Fighter at character level 9 will still give you the exact same things.

What matters is the break points you choose and the synergies you're creating. If for example you want to make a Druid/barbarian there are two conflicting paths you can take. You can either go Druid 2/Barb 1 to get access to Rage and Wild Shape as fast as possible or you could delay it and go Druid 5 first to get the extra attack first and then dip into Barb 1 for Rage at character 6. And it's the same for every other class feature you want. Barb 2 for Reckless Attack or Druid 5 for extra attack first? etc etc

Just a word of caution though, I'm not sure about Fighter as I've never looked into a Fighter/Druid mix but when it comes to Barbarian if you're focusing more on the spellcasting aspect of the Druid and not the Wild Shape then you're shooting yourself in the foot by multi-ing into it. Rage eliminates your ability to cast and concentrate with very few exceptions like wild shape that counts as an action and not a Spell.

[hoot hoot]

I'm confused by some of these comments. I don't think you get all of a class's proficiency if you multi-class into it as a second class.

I wanted to get a character, who could only wear light/medium armor, into heavy armor, so I gave her one level in Fighter.

Yet they didn't get the heavy armor proficiency UNTIL I respecc'd her to be a Fighter at lvl 1, then specc'd into a different class.

[Szorrin]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't get saving throw proficiencies when multiclassing (at least you don't in tabletop 5e), so if there's specific ones you want (constitution is nice if you're a caster, for those concentration checks) that's one thing to look out for.

[Szorrin]

Originally posted by ᵀⁱᵗⁱˡˡᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ:

I'm confused by some of these comments. I don't think you get all of a class's proficiency if you multi-class into it as a second class.

I wanted to get a character, who could only wear light/medium armor, into heavy armor, so I gave her one level in Fighter.

Yet they didn't get the heavy armor proficiency UNTIL I respecc'd her to be a Fighter at lvl 1, then specc'd into a different class.

This is also correct, you don't get ALL of them. You don't get Heavy Armor when multiclassing.

[Drake]

Originally posted by ᵀⁱᵗⁱˡˡᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ:

I'm confused by some of these comments. I don't think you get all of a class's proficiency if you multi-class into it as a second class.

I wanted to get a character, who could only wear light/medium armor, into heavy armor, so I gave her one level in Fighter.

Yet they didn't get the heavy armor proficiency UNTIL I respecc'd her to be a Fighter at lvl 1, then specc'd into a different class.

Yes only your first class get all proficiency. Subsequent Multiclass won't give heavy armour proficiency, some saves and some skills.

[PaloG]

Originally posted by Szorrin:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't get saving throw proficiencies when multiclassing (at least you don't in tabletop 5e), so if there's specific ones you want (constitution is nice if you're a caster, for those concentration checks) that's one thing to look out for.

No need for correcting, you're absolutely right. I completely forgot about Save Throw proficiencies. And about Heavy Armor proficiency I legit was surprised to find out from these comments that it's not inherited either(had to look it up in the PHB but yeah, neither Fighter or Paladin give it if you multi into them and not start as them)

[Jaggid Edje]

I forgot about the heavy armour proficiency thing myself. I haven't multi-classed into a heavy armour class in 5E in a long time (started as one, yes, classed into one, no).

The saving throw thing just seemed like an obvious given to me.

[Sentient_Toaster]

Correct. When you pick a level from another class, you do not get everything it provides. You never get saving throw proficiiencies, you usally don't get skill proficiencies, you don't get heavy armor proficiency from the class.

Note: you do get everything that a subclass gets, if the class grants a subclass at level 1. For instance, multiclassing into war cleric *does* give you proficiency in martial weapons and heavy armor.

[MrLEWXIII]

Thank you all for the replies. Been very informative. Steam points for you all.

[HereIsPlenty]

I haven't played D&D since the 80s, how exactly do you multiclass anyway? If I am reading this right you dont gain levels in both of the classes at the same time?

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by HereIsPlenty:

I haven't played D&D since the 80s, how exactly do you multiclass anyway? If I am reading this right you dont gain levels in both of the classes at the same time?

When you level up you decide which class gets a level. So you only get the new level abilities for the one class you choose to level.

So, for example, if your character is level 5 and you took 3 levels of bard and 2 levels of paladin, you would have all of the abilities of a level 3 bard and of a level 2 paladin.

Spell slots work a little differently though, those are shared and there's a special table to reference to see what your available slots are.

A few other various exceptions exist, such as the "Extra attack" ability, if you get that from 2 different classes, you still only get one extra attack.