Fighter Multiclass Options: The Top 5e Choices Laid Out [Guide]

Last Updated on January 22, 2023

If you’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons for a while, you might have thought about multiclassing and whether it could be a thing to aim for.

We assure you that it can help you make quite a powerful character, but only if you do it right. In this guide, we will talk about the best multiclass options for a Fighter.

Are There Any Exceptionally Good Multiclass Options for Fighter?

The Fighter is a class with a lot of potential for personalization and a class that most D&D players choose. With multiclassing, you can customize the character even further and make it even more powerful.

Gaining some levels in a different class will give you certain abilities and features that the Fighter normally doesn’t have.

While multiclassing is not necessary, some classes can make your Fighter an ultimate combatant. So what is the best class to choose along with the Fighter?

Fighter and Barbarian

The best multiclass option you can choose for a Fighter is by all means a Barbarian.

It’s the ideal way to go if you want to inflict mass amounts of physical damage. Both classes focus on making the most of their physical abilities.

Choosing a Barbarian as a second class will give your character Rage, which is more than useful for a Fighter. It gives you an advantage on Strength checks and saving throws and also increases the melee damage you can cause.

On top of that, you will also get resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage.

Gaining the second level in Barbarian also gives you some nice advantages.

For example, a Reckless Attack gives you an advantage on all Strength melee weapon attacks, while Danger Sense gives you an advantage on Dexterity saving throws.

A nice thing to do is to choose the Champion archetype because you will have an increased chance for critical hit doubles when you have the advantage.

So overall, the combination of Fighter and Barbarian will give you more damage output, resistance to damage, and more hit points. All the abilities you gain from Barbarian will work well with Fighter, except maybe Action Surge.

The Best Options To Consider for Multiclassing

For those who don’t like the Barbarian class, there are a few more classes that work well with Fighter. Let’s check them out!

Fighter and Rogue

Choosing this multiclass is a nice way to combine the martial powers of a Fighter with the stealth of a Rogue. It also allows you to create a bit different type of Fighter with more intelligence and sneakiness.

The first advantage we should mention is that you only need to take two or three levels in Rogue to get quite a decent power-up through Cunning Action, Experience, and Sneak Attack.

Also, expertise doubles your proficiency bonus for two of your skill proficiencies or one skill proficiency and proficiency with thieves tools.

Note that you will get a Cunning Action at the third level, which allows you to disengage, dash, or hide as a bonus action. That way, you will be more mobile and able to get in and out of combat with ease.

If you choose the Assassin archetype, at the third level, you will get the Assassinate ability. It will give you the advantage on attack rolls against creatures that haven’t yet taken a turn in combat.

It also gives you critical hits on any enemy you have surprised and is a great combination with the Action Surge feature of Fighters.

Fighter and Ranger

A Ranger might not be particularly interesting to play with, but it can be a great combination with a Fighter. It’s an excellent way to go if you want to play a solitary Fighter with a strong connection with nature and wilderness.

Note that just one level in Ranger will give you a Favored Enemy. You will also be able to pick a Favored Terrain, which can give you a significant boost through a certain kind of environment.

With two levels in Ranger, you will get an additional fighting style as well as spellcasting.

At level 2, you will also get access to the Hunter’s Mark spell. It gives you an extra 1d6 damage every time you hit the enemy with a weapon attack. Combined with the Action Surge, it can stack a ton of damage in a single turn.

Fey Wanderer is a great archetype if you want a charismatic character with a connection to the Fey. You will also get a Charm Person spell and Dreadful Strikes spell, which deals extra damage when attacking with a weapon.

With the Gloom Stalker, you will also get Disguise Self and Umbral Sight. Note that the Horizon Walker’s Planar Warrior will change your weapon’s damage type and add extra damage.

Fighter and Warlock

A Warlock is an expert who has entered into a pact with a powerful patron and uses magic as a supplement to his powerful physical attacks.

It can be a good combination with a Fighter, but note that some Pacts might not be particularly useful for that multiclass.

A nice thing about this multiclass is that you will get the physical power of a Fighter combined with spellcasting, which can be quite a good combination.

Note that also, the Eldritch Blast is an excellent ranged attack option that will be useful throughout the whole game.

A Warlock is a versatile class, and any multiclass can benefit from just one level in it. It can supplement your weapon damage and will give you access to abilities associated with Patrons.

Choosing the Warlock class will also allow you to choose Hex as one of your spells. It will add 1d6 extra damage every time you attack an enemy.

If you kill the enemy, you can use a Bonus Action to curse another one. Note that, playing as a Fighter, you will make multiple attacks per turn, in which case spells like Hex can be quite beneficial.

Fighter and Cleric

It can be interesting to play as a character who is both a warrior and a healer.

You will get certain spellcasting and healing abilities, but you shouldn’t go much deeper into that. It might be a wiser choice to choose Paladin instead of this multiclass.

At the first level, you will gain access to three cleric cantrips and two spells that you can use to heal yourself or your party.

Cleric’s spellcasting can be very useful since you can swap out of your prepared spells from all of the spells you have slots for.

Dipping just one level into this class will allow you to choose a Domain. It gives you access to some unique and useful features, but note that the War Domain is the best for the Fighter.

You will be able to use Divine Favor and Shield of Faith, which can be very useful on the battlefield.

Other Things To Note

Obviously, multiclassing can be quite useful. However, it can be tricky knowing when to choose the second class and how to do the multiclassing properly. But first, what are the benefits of multiclassing?

By choosing a second class, you will get more customization options and high-level gameplay opportunities for combat-focused games.

It will also lead to creative storytelling opportunities and diverse your gameplay experience through the middle of the game to keep things fresh.

When To Take Another Class

Theoretically, you can start multiclassing at the second level. However, it would make your character limited, and you won’t get the benefits from either class.

As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t start multiclassing until your base class reaches level 5.

Note that you also need to have a certain prerequisite Ability Score, which is 13 for most classes.

Conclusion

As you can see, Barbarian is the best class to combine your Fighter with. Rogue, Ranger, and Warlock can also be useful, while choosing a Paladin might be a better option instead of Fighter and Cleric multiclass.

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Also consider reading:

• The 15 Best Magic Items for Fighters