How a breakpoint works
Features arrive at class level, not character level. The cap of 12 is the sum of class levels. Withers rebuilds the split from level 1.
Extra Attack
Extra Attack is learned at class level 5 by barbarian, fighter, monk, paladin, and ranger, and at class level 6 by College of Swords, College of Valour, and Bladesinging. A second copy from another martial class does not add another swing.
Pact of the Blade's Deepened Pact at warlock level 5 is the stack that exists below Honour Mode and is turned off on Honour Mode. Action Surge, from fighter level 2, still feeds Extra Attack on Honour Mode.
Smite, invocations, and the cantrip that scales anyway
Divine Smite is learned at paladin class level 2. It spends a spell slot.
Aura of Protection is gained at paladin class level 6.
Agonising Blast is a warlock invocation from warlock level 2. Eldritch Blast's beam count follows character level, so the dip still gains beams as the character levels.
The Eldritch Blast page records a second beam at character level 5 and a third at character level 10.
Feats and spell slots
The feats page records a feat at class levels 4, 8, and 12. Fighter adds one at class level 6. Rogue adds one at class level 10. A multiclass that leaves a class on level 3 skips that class's first feat.
Spellcasting slots use an effective spellcaster level. On one class, a full caster uses the class level. Paladin and ranger use half that class level, rounded up. Eldritch knight and arcane trickster use one third, rounded up. With two or more Spellcasting classes, add those fractions and round down once. Warlock levels are left out of that sum, and pact slots stay separate.
Full casters can learn up to 6th-level spells. Half casters can learn up to 3rd-level spells. One-third casters can learn up to 2nd-level spells.
Two starters that stop early
Storm Sorcery's first real turn change is level 1 flight, then the level 6 storm. Open Hand arrives at monk level 3, before the first feat at class level 4.
What a level-up will offer
Community Update #21 removed ability score prerequisites. A level can start any class. A 13 in Charisma, Wisdom, or Intelligence is not required.
The same announcement says spreading your levels across every class has an achievement.
Jack-of-all-Trades is a level in every class in one playthrough, without asking Withers to change the character.
Explorer blocks a new multiclass level. Levels already taken remain if you change to Explorer. Jack-of-all-Trades cannot be completed on Explorer.
Custom mode has a Multiclassing switch. On lets a level-up add a class, and the switch locks when the campaign starts. The default is on. Opening Custom from Explorer starts that switch off unless another difficulty is selected first.
Withers charges 100 gold and rebuilds the character from level 1, including ability scores, class, and subclass. Race, background, and appearance stay.
Saving throws and armour
A new class does not add its saving throw proficiencies. Proficiency bonus still follows total character level.
A new class does not hand over every proficiency on its class list. A fighter dip does not grant heavy armour. A War Domain cleric dip does, because that armour proficiency belongs to the subclass, and subclass proficiencies still arrive.
Which ability a class spell uses
| Ability | Classes |
|---|---|
| Intelligence | Wizard, Eldritch Knight, Arcane Trickster |
| Wisdom | Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Monk |
| Charisma | Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Barbarian |
Items, scrolls, and prepared spells
A spell learned from class levels uses that class's ability on the attack roll and the save DC. A scroll copied into a wizard spellbook is a wizard spell and uses Intelligence.
A spell cast from an item, or from a scroll that was not transcribed, uses the ability of the class you most recently took a first level in. Illithid powers and free recasts use that same ability. Taking fighter or rogue, other than Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster, does not change it.
A new class or a respec does not update an equipped item's spell ability. Unequip the item and equip it again.
Cleric, druid, paladin, and wizard prepare spells. The number prepared is the spellcasting ability modifier plus that class's level, and it is at least 1.
When the next level should stay
Extra Attack for barbarian, fighter, monk, paladin, and ranger is class level 5. A level in a second class before that 5 delays it. One class through level 5 reaches it.
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