Dungeons and Dragons 5e: Why You Should Play a Gestalt…

Dungeons and Dragons has been around since the 1980s, and hasn't always been the game that players know today. With every new version, changes are made to combat, classes, styles of play, and character building. Many of these changes helped to streamline gameplay and shift the game's focus to features such as combat or roleplaying. The most recent major changes to Dungeons and Dragons happened with the 2024 Player's Handbook, which shifted the TTRPG's focus to roleplaying and storytelling, with all other features and mechanics redesigned to support this goal.

5e is a great opportunity for DMs to create intricate stories that involve multiverse-spanning threats. To meet this, DMs and players should consider a Gestalt playthrough, which allows players to essentially use two classes at once. Gestalt campaigns are a throwback to DnD's 3.5e, but can easily be adapted to 5e's rules and expectations. In return, players get more versatility and the chance to play incredibly powerful characters, while DMs get to run a campaign with massive stakes and breathtaking payoff.

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By Shayna Josi

Gestalt Gameplay in Dungeons and Dragons

Gestalt leveling finds its roots in the mechanics of DnD's 3.5e. A Gestalt playthrough changes character leveling in that it allows all players to pick two classes at the start of the campaign, and level both simultaneously each time they gain a level. This style of gameplay differs significantly from conventional DnD campaigns, in that multiclassing usually only allows players to level one of their classes at a time. This didn't change with the 2024 PHB, and there isn't an official ruleset for a Gestalt campaign in 5e.

Who Should Play a Gestalt Campaign?

Gestalt campaigns can be difficult to balance, and aren't ideal for inexperienced DnD players. Players need to juggle two classes' worth of features and know when to use each of them, so new DnD players could get lost in the complexity. Some classes are also better suited together than others, and combining incompatible classes could limit rather than enhance even a Gestalt character, so it's good for players to have a sense for all the classes beforehand.

However, for those who have played before, a Gestalt campaign can open doors to some storytelling and roleplaying opportunities for both the players and the DM. The aim of a Gestalt campaign is to build characters that are more versatile than in the average campaign. Players are still limited by resources such as spell slots and ki points, which help to balance encounters and not make the characters too powerful in the early parts of the campaign. As the party advances, however, they become equipped to deal with bigger stakes.

Running a Gestalt Campaign in DnD 5th Edition

DMs who want to run sweeping DnD campaigns with big stakes, such as a cosmic-level threat, would benefit from investigating a Gestalt campaign. The party versatility that Gestalt campaigns offer is beneficial to both the player and the DM, allowing the DM to create bigger stories while players get to engage in a thrilling power fantasy.

Homebrewing a Gestalt Campaign

Gestalt players have created homebrew rules that adapt the rules of a Gestalt campaign for 5e. This gives players and the DM the opportunity to run a Gestalt campaign while also focusing on roleplay and storytelling. DMs may need to tweak encounters as they go for balanced combat, while leveling may need to come at a slower pace so that players don't get overwhelmed with so many new abilities at each level. Even with these hurdles, DMs and players who want a change in gameplay that doesn't break the game should definitely consider a Gestalt campaign.

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