If you’re a Dungeons and Dragons player that enjoys multiclassing, you may be wondering how spell slots work with this mechanic. In short, when you multiclass as a spellcaster, the number of spell slots you have is determined by adding together the levels in all your spellcasting classes.
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But there are some important details to keep in mind.
Understanding Spell Slots
Before we dive into how spell slots work with multiclassing, let’s quickly review what they are. Simply put, spell slots are the resource that spellcasters use to cast spells.
Each class that has access to spells has its own table that shows how many spell slots of each level a character can use per long rest. For example, a 3rd level wizard has two 2nd-level spell slots and four 1st-level spell slots.
When a character casts a spell using a spell slot, they expend that slot and can’t use it again until they complete a long rest. Some classes, like sorcerers, have the ability to convert higher-level slots into lower-level ones or vice versa.
Multiclassing as a Spellcaster
Now let’s talk about what happens when you multiclass as a spellcaster. First off, not all classes that have access to spells are considered “spellcasting” classes for the purposes of multiclassing. The following classes are considered spellcasting classes:
- Bard
- Cleric
- Druid
- Paladin
- Ranger
- Sorcerer
- Warlock
- Wizard
If you have levels in multiple spellcasting classes, you can use the spell slots from any of them to cast spells you know or have prepared. The number of spell slots you have is determined by adding together the levels in all your spellcasting classes.
For example, let’s say you have three levels in wizard and two levels in sorcerer. You would consult the multiclassing spellcaster table to determine how many spell slots you have:
| Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known/Prepared | 1st Level Slots | 2nd Level Slots | 3rd Level Slots | 4th Level Slots | 5th Level Slots | 6th Level Slots | 7th Level Slots | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | – | – | –*(see below)– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – | —*(see below)— — — — — — — — — — — — — — | —*(see below)— — — — — — — | —*(see below)— — — — | —*(see below)— — | ||||||||||||
| 2nd | – | – | 2– – – – – – – – – – – – – – | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 3rd | – | – | 3– – – – – – – – | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 4th | – | – | 3 – – – – – – – |
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 5th | – | – | 4 – – – – – – – |
7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||||||||
| 6th | – | – | 4– – – – – – – | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 7th | – | – | 5– – – – – | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| 8th | – | – | 5 – – – – – | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| 9th | – | – | 6 – – – – – | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||||||
| 10th+ | – | – | 6 – – – – – | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||||||||||||
Note that the table only goes up to level 20. If you have levels beyond that, consult your DM for how many spell slots you have.
The Importance of Spellcasting Ability Score
In addition to the number of spell slots you have, your spellcasting ability score also affects your spellcasting ability. When you cast a spell, you use your spellcasting ability modifier plus your proficiency bonus (if applicable) to determine the DC for any saving throws and the attack bonus for any attack rolls. The higher your ability score, the better you’ll be at casting spells.
If you have multiple spellcasting classes, your spellcasting ability score is determined by each class separately. For example, let’s say you have three levels in wizard (which uses Intelligence as its spellcasting ability) and two levels in cleric (which uses Wisdom). Your Intelligence would be used when casting wizard spells and Wisdom would be used when casting cleric spells.
Casting Spells from Multiple Classes
When you have levels in multiple spellcasting classes, you can cast spells from any of them as long as you have a high enough level spell slot. For example, let’s say you have two levels in wizard and three levels in sorcerer. You can cast a 3rd level spell using a 3rd level spell slot from either class
