Gestalt in D&D 5th Edition
Build your character as normal by choosing a race and a background. When you choose a class, choose two classes instead of one.
Character Level
When you choose your classes at level 1, and at each level you gain afterwards, you gain the class features of both of your chosen classes. Both of your class levels progress at the same time as your character level. You may not Multiclass.
For example, when you advance to level 5, you gain the 5th level features from both of your chosen classes but are still considered a 5th level character.
Proficiency Bonus
Your proficiency bonus increases as normal, based on your character level.
Hit Points and Hit Dice
From your two classes, you choose which Hit Die you use to determine your Hit Points at 1st level and the Hit Points you gain at higher levels. You have a number of the chosen Hit Die equal to your character level, as normal.
Saving Throw Proficiencies
Your classes determine the saving throw proficiencies you can choose from. Choose any two saving throw proficiencies from either of your selected classes.
For example, if you chose Barbarian and Cleric, you could choose Constitution and Wisdom saving throw proficiencies or any combination of the four available.
Skill Proficiencies
Your classes determine the skill proficiencies you can choose from. Determine which class gains the largest number of skill proficiencies and choose that many from of the skill proficiencies available to either of your selected classes.
For example, if you chose Barbarian and Cleric, you could choose any two skill proficiencies from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, and Survival.
Other Proficiencies
You gain any armor, weapon, and tool proficiencies from both of your selected classes.
Starting Equipment
Choose one of the starting equipment combinations from one of your classes and receive that equipment as normal. You can choose one option from the starting equipment of your other class.
Class Feature Interactions
There are a few features that have additional rules while playing with Gestalt rules.
Ability Score Improvement
You do not gain the Ability Score Improvement feature from both of your classes. When you reach 4th level, you choose which Ability Score Improvement feature you want to use from either of your classes. You gain the benefits from the chosen feature as normal.
Channel Divinity
If you gain the Channel Divinity feature from more than one of your classes, you gain both features as normal, however, the use of either feature remains separate. You can only use your Channel Divinity feature from one of your classes with the options available to that class.
Extra Attack
If you gain the Extra Attack class feature from more than one of your classes, the features don't add together. You choose which Extra Attack feature you would like to use and gain its benefits as normal. If one of your classes gains the Extra Attack feature at a later level, you can replace your current feature with the newly gained one. The warlock's eldritch invocation, Thirsting Blade, doesn't give you additional attacks if you also have Extra Attack.
Unarmored Defense
If you gain the Unarmored Defense class feature from more than one of your classes, the features don't add together. You choose which Unarmored Defense feature you would like to use and gain its benefits as normal.
Gestalt Spellcaster:
Spell Slots per Spell Level
| Lvl. | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Spellcasting
Use the following rules for Gestalt spellcasting.
Spells Known and Prepared. You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually. If you are a 4th level ranger/wizard, for example, you know three 1st level ranger spells and four wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains twelve wizard spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare seven wizard spells from your spellbook.
Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell. Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus. If one of your spellcasting features includes Ritual Casting, you can only cast spells as rituals using that feature.
Spell Slots. You use the Gestalt Spellcaster table to determine your available spell slots from your chosen classes. If you gain the Spellcasting feature from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, or wizard classes, you use your character level to determine your spell slots per spell level. If you don't have any of those classes but you have either of the artificer, paladin, or ranger classes, you use half your character level (rounded up) to determine your spell slots per spell level. If you only gain the Spellcasting feature from the Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster features, you use a third of your character level (rounded up) to determine your spell slots per spell level.
If you have more than one spellcasting class, this table might give you spell slots of a level that is higher than the spells you know or can prepare for one of your classes. You can use those slots to cast your lower level spells as normal.
Pact Magic. If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.