As you start playing the game, you will be introduced to many skills that your characters can have. One of these skills is Expertise. It’s a handy ability that bards and rogues can effectively use? But, how do you choose and build your Expertise in 5e?
Read below to see what is Expertise, when to multiclass, and how it might just be the best generalist skill in the game.
Table of Contents
What Is Expertise
Expertise is a class ability that allows a character to double their proficiency bonus on a skill. Besides that, it is one of the few class abilities that enable you to transcend the 5e’s bonus cap of +10 is instrumental and worth multiclassing in a few cases.
Who Gets Expertise
Level 3 Bards and Level 1 Rogues are the most suited for Expertise since it allows them to pick any of their skills and double their proficiency.
Next to them, Level 1 Knowledge Clerics can also obtain class-based Expertise. It lets them earn Expertise on skills Knowledge Clerics like Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion.
How To Get Expertise If You’re Not a Bard/Rogue
Multiclassing will be the best option if you’re not a Bard/Rogue. Knowing this difficulty, you should always make sure that whatever you’re earning from multiclassing is worth being behind that many levels. So, if you are not using this skill 2-3x per session, it’s unnecessary to multiclass for Expertise.
If you are to multiclass, there are two ways to go about it. The first path is the Bard 3 Build. This is the better option to take if the character is just starting since it gives an effortless bonus action way to help out the team.
If you prioritize the more damage-focused build, the second option is for you. You can either multiclass as Rogue 1, Rogue 2, or Rogue 3. Let’s look down below to read it more in detail.
Bard 3 Build:
It is any class that doesn’t have a solid bonus action ability. Bard 3 can help solve these weak points in two ways.
The first way is that if you choose to subclass your Bard 3 into the School of Valor, you get competent with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
The second way is you get access to Inspiration as a substantial bonus action ability. That means you can still throw fireballs and help your team in a direct, meaningful way.
Rogue X Build:
This can be done by any class as well. The Rogue 1 multiclass is the better choice than the Bard 3 multiclass since you’re only stepping down one level into Rogue, and you get some great benefits, but you achieve access to proficiency with Thieves Tools and two more skills.
One of the significant parts of this build is you can get 2 other abilities. There’s the Sneak Attack ability and Feinting Attack. From the handbook, Sneak Attack works like this:
“Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have an advantage on the attack roll.”
While Feinting Attack works as follows:
“You can expend one superiority die and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have an advantage on your next attack roll against that creature. If that attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll.”
Conclusion To Expertise
The expertise ability is excellent. It gives better consistency to classes that require routine skill checks. Some feats and skills are hard to express through just one class or subclass, so find your way to go about with multiclassing. So, nothing is left out of the table if it’s better for your character.
If you want to learn more about this amazing ability that Bards rule in, check out this Reddit link and the video below from How To D&D. Happy playing!
