What is Dual-Classing? In past editions of Dungeons & Dragons, there were both multiclass characters and dual-class characters. The former existed much as they do in D&D 5e, while the latter was essentially a character who began play with features from two classes, but progressed more slowly as a result. In 2nd edition, you tracked experience for these two classes separately, leading to situations where you might be level 2 in one class while still being level 1 in another. This was an edition where every class had its own experience track, however, so it made sense at the time. For our purposes, a dual class character gains some of the benefits of both classes, but does so at the expense of levelling up more slowly and foregoing the usual ASI/feat progression, getting only half as many ASIs/feats as a single class character does. Building a Dual-Class Character First and foremost, you'll need to choose which two classes you are combining. At this stage, only certain combinations are permitted, although others might be added if the system proves to be fun and not too unbalancing. In order to play a dual-class character, you must meet the minimum ability score requirements to multiclass into both classes. Artificer/Barbarian (Fleshcrafter) Ayla Artificer/Bard (Rockstar) Artificer/Bloodhunter (Haemetic Augmentor) Ayla Artificer/Cleric (Chirurgeon) Miles Artificer/Druid (Biomancer) Ayla Artificer/Fighter (Dreadnought) Artificer/Paladin (Consecrated Mechanist) Ayla Artificer/Ranger (Trapper) Miles Artificer/Rogue (Investigator) Miles Artificer/Sorcerer (Soulsmith) Miles Artificer/Warlock (Chaos Theorist) Ayla Artificer/Wizard (Technomancer) Cody Barbarian/Bard (Skald) Barbarian/Blood Hunter (Bloodluster) Tibor Barbarian/Cleric (Flagellant) Cody Barbarian/Druid (Apex Predator) Ayla Barbarian/Fighter (Juggernaut) Miles Barbarian/Monk (Brawler) Crimton Barbarian/Paladin (Harbinger) Ayla Barbarian/Ranger (Slayer) Ayla Barbarian/Rogue (Thug) Miles Barbarian/Sorcerer (Bloodrager) Barbarian/Warlock (Shaman) Barbarian/Wizard (Decimator) Miles Bard/Blood Hunter (Crimson Tongue) Ayla Bard/Cleric (Evangelist) Bard/Druid (Beast Whisperer) Bard/Fighter (Vigilante) Ayla Bard/Ranger ( Minstrel ) Miles Bard/Rogue (Scoundrel) Ayla Bard/Paladin (Divine Herald) Ayla/Miles Bard/Sorcerer (Musetouched) Bard/Warlock (Occultist) Cody Bard/Wizard (Spellsinger) Tibor Blood Hunter/Cleric (Ur Priest) Blood Hunter/Druid (Primal Stalker) Blood Hunter/Fighter (Steelblood) Ayla Blood Hunter/Monk (Rite Walker) Blood Hunter/Paladin (Red Hand) Blood Hunter/Ranger (Wild Hunter) Tibor Blood Hunter/Rogue (Shadowstalker) Miles Blood Hunter/Sorcerer (Mutant) Ayla Blood Hunter/Warlock (Defiler) Ayla Blood Hunter/Wizard (Sanguimancer) Ayla Cleric/Druid (Hierophant) Tibor Cleric/Fighter (Warpriest) Cleric/Monk (Shugenja) Cleric/Paladin (Hospitaller) Miles Cleric/Rogue (Inquisitor) Miles Cleric/Warlock (Oracle) Cody Cleric/Wizard (Mystic Theurge) Miles Druid/Fighter (Verdant Blade) Tibor Druid/Monk (Nature Wielder) Druid/Ranger (Beastmaster) Miles Druid/Rogue (Scavenger) Druid/Sorcerer (Elementalist) Miles Druid/Warlock (Witch Doctor) Druid/Wizard (Wu Zhen) Fighter/Monk (Kensai) Fighter/Paladin (Crusader) Miles/Ayla Fighter/Ranger (Skirmisher) Miles Fighter/Rogue (Thug) Fighter/Sorcerer (Arcane Armiger) Tibor Fighter/Warlock (Curse Knight) Tibor Fighter/Wizard (Spellsword) Miles Monk/Paladin (Sohei) Monk/Ranger (Ishi) Monk/Rogue (Ninja) Monk/Sorcerer (Shinobi) Tibor Monk Warlock (Shintao Monk) Paladin/Ranger (Wood Warden) Tibor Paladin/Rogue (Blackguard) Miles Paladin/Warlock (Hellknight/Feyknight etc.) Ranger/Rogue (Sentinel) Ayla Ranger/Sorcerer (Wild Wanderer) Ranger/Warlock (Eldritch Warden) Tibor Rogue/Sorcerer (Nightblade) Rogue/Warlock (Cultist) Rogue/Wizard (Renegade Wizard) Cody Sorcerer/Wizard (Arcanist) Crimton Warlock/Wizard (Witch) Miles Dual-Classing Requirements Artificer: Intelligence 13 Barbarian: Strength 13 Bard: Charisma 13 Blood Hunter: Strength or Dexterity 13 and Intelligence 13 Cleric: Wisdom 13 Druid: Wisdom 13 Fighter: Strength or Dexterity 13 Monk: Dexterity 13 and Wisdom 13 Paladin: Strength 13 and Charisma 13 Ranger: Dexterity 13 and Wisdom 13 Rogue: Dexterity 13 Sorcerer: Charisma 13 Warlock: Charisma 13 Wizard: Intelligence 13 Hit Dice When assigning your hit die, look at the hit die of the respective classes and consult the following table to find your new hit die total. Class 1 HD Class 2 HD New Hit Die d6 d6 d6 d6 d8 d6 d6 d10 d8 d6 d12 d8 d8 d8 d8 d8 d10 d8 d8 d12 d10 d10 d12 d10 Proficiency Bonus Your proficiency bonus is based on your character's level, as normal. Skill Proficiencies Choose your skills from the skill lists of both classes. Whichever class gives the lower number of skills, you choose that number of skills. For example, a fighter/ranger can choose 2 skills, picking from both the Fighter skill list and the Ranger skill list. Proficiencies You gain the armor, weapon, and tool proficiencies of both classes. You choose which two saving throw proficiencies from the two classes you would like, with one being 'strong' and one being 'weak', as below. Strong Saves Weak Saves Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom Strength, Intelligence, Charisma Starting Equipment Rather than using the starting equipment under the “equipment” section of your class description, instead refer to the starting wealth table on page 143 of the Player’s Handbook. You have the maximum amount of starting wealth of the wealthier of your two classes. For example, a barbarian/rogue would start with 160 gp (the maximum amount of money a Rogue can start with at level 1). Class Features You get the class features of both classes. A 1st-level monk/ranger, for example, gets both the Monk’s Unarmoured Defenceand Martial Arts features, and the Ranger’s Favoured Enemy and Natural Explorer features. Class- and ability-based restrictions (like a druid’s inability to wear metal armor) apply normally to a dual-class character, regardless of what the other class is. Ability Score Improvement/Feats The Ability Score Improvement feature gained at class levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19 can increase only one ability score by 1. Gaining a feat requires exchanging two instances of the Ability Score Improvement feature as opposed to one. The Ability Score Improvements gained at fighter levels 6 and 14 and at rogue level 10 are unaffected by this change and function as normal. Talents When selecting talents, a dual-class character does not count as being multiclassed, and so cannot qualify for the multiclass talents in Character Options: Talents III. Extra Attack If you gain the Extra Attack feature from more than one of your classes, they don’t add together (except for the Fighter’s Extra Attack adding to itself). Instead, if you gain the Extra Attack feature from both of your classes, you may exchange one instance of Extra Attack for a feat. Additionally, the Warlock’s eldritch invocation Thirsting Blade doesn’t grant an additional attack if you also have Extra Attack. Spellcasting A traditional character with the ability to cast spells gains spells and has spell slots indicated by their class table. A dual-class character with two classes that both contain spellcasting presents a huge balancing issue. For example, double the number of spell slots for a dual-class character with two full casters would be a huge bump to spellcasters; two 9th-level spell slots at 17th-level wizard/sorcerer would be insanely imbalanced. So, consider the following specifications. As when a traditional character multiclasses between two classes that have different spellcasting abilities for their spells, you have to consider this when you choose your spells. A dual-class wizard/sorcerer who has fire bolt from the wizard list uses intelligence for their spellcasting ability modifier, but has ray of frost from the sorcerer list uses charisma for their spellcasting ability modifier. Your spellcasting attack modifier and spell save DC would be calculated differently for the spells you possess. You calculate spells known/spells prepared between both classes separately, following the normal rules for each class separately. However, you possess the spell slot progression of whichever class gains higher spell slots. A gestalt character with two full casters, such as wizard/sorcerer, would only have the spell slots of a full caster, as normal, but would simply have more spell options throughout the day to spend on those spell slots. Dual-class full caster combo characters do possess cantrips, meaning that a 20th-level wizard/cleric would have 10 cantrips - 5 from wizard and 5 from cleric. For example, a dual-class 5th-level sorcerer/paladin would have a full caster's spell slot progression, rather than the paladin spell slot progression. You would know 5 cantrips and 6 spells of 1st- through 3rd-level from sorcerer, and with a Charisma of 16, you would be able to prepare 5 paladin spells. Despite only having access to the spell slots of a full caster, you are still subject to the normal preparation rules of a paladin, meaning that you prepare spells from the paladin list as though you only have access to the spell slots of a half-caster. This would mean that you can choose 5 paladin spells of 1st- or 2nd-level, alongside what spells you would know as a 5th-level sorcerer. However, as normal, you can use your higher level spell slots to up-cast your paladin spells, such as cure wounds at 3rd-level. Levelling Up A dual-class character is balancing the rigors and skillsets of two classes and as such, takes longer to advance in their chosen classes. A dual-class character requires twice the experience to level up, as per the table below. Level Experience Needed 2 600 3 1,800 4 5,400 5 13,000 6 28,000 7 46,000 8 68,000 9 96,000 10 128,000 11 170,000 12 200,000 13 240,000 14 280,000 15 330,000 16 390,000 17 450,000 18 530,000 19 610,000 20 710,000 Starting at Higher Tiers If you're creating a dual-class character to replace a character slain at a higher tier, they begin at the same experience as required for a the entry level to that tier, not at the same level. This means that a dual-class character created to replace a level 5-9 character would begin at 6,500 experience, putting them partway into level four. Multiclassing A dual-class character cannot multiclass. Class Specific Changes When two classes have unarmoured defense, these do not stack. Instead, you may choose which of the two to use. Warlock spell slots are always calculated separately, regardless of the combination.