How to swap a class level for another class

Question

So in a campaign I am currently a lv 4 Sorcerer/lv 1 Bard. Between sessions I tend to think about my character filling in gaps and in his backstory so to figure out how to play the character. He was orphaned and adopted by a significant figure in a church, he grew up in the church and was trained as a fighter from a very young age(flavor reason for why my sorcerer is proficient in the longsword), his background is acolyte for he is a fully ordained priest in his church although not a cleric. His natural abilities were in sorcerery, and while his adopted parents didn't like it they were supportive.

I gave him a level in bard for 2 reasons, our cleric likes to play tank and not healer and my wisdom sucks so cleric was out.

I feel I have 7 valid points here in summary why he should have been a sorcerer/paladin;

1. He was raised by the church
2. He was trained as a warrior
3. He is a full fledged priest of his church
4. He holds his church in great respect
5. He matches his god's alignment
6. He even prays to his god during breaks
7. I only choose bard for healing as a meta gaming decision

However I do not want to just ask my GM to retcon this decision, it'd set a bad example if nothing else. But he has said that he is open to homebrew(within reason) and requests for items we want to be added to the pool of randomly generated treasure he has.

Is there a way I can swap that bard level for paladin in the RAW or any known non-gamebreaking homebrew?

Answer 1

There is no RAW way to swap classes for already-taken levels.

However, if you want some precedent for retconning your character...

Adventurers League, the "organised play" system for D&D, allows you to change almost anything about your character before level 5. (Since you're now past that, AL wouldn't allow it... but it sounds like you're playing a non-AL home game, so you can ask the DM for some leeway)

Answer 2

While it is entirely up to the DM, and you will have to ask, the things you want to keep in mind are whether you were Lawful Good, and whether your Bard Class was veering toward the College of Valor. Additionally, are the spells you took as a Bard the same spells that a Paladin can eventually cast? Such as Cure Wounds or Heroism?

Does your Bard use a weapon that the Paladin might favor, like some kind of similar sword? Do you have a heraldry title, a mount, or similar equipment and paraphernalia indicating that the game world would think you were a Paladin, or could pass for one?

If these things are true, then the DM and other players may be more willing to accept the retcon, but in no way is it standard official rules, although there are precedents for reflavoring or rewriting characters.

Legally, you can do this with a Wish, by acquiring a Luckblade, Ring of Wishes, or bribing an Archmage.

However, the access to magical items in 5e is toned down significantly, as is the wealth, so you may be better off asking for special (outside the rules) permission to rewrite your character, rather than waiting another 3-10 levels for the opportunity to Wish yourself out of this situation.

in addition to wish, you can also use a True Polymorph to fix your character. Here's the relevant text:

Creature into Creature. If you turn a creature into another kind o f creature, the new form can be any kind you choose whose challenge rating is equal to or less than the target’s (or its level, if the target doesn’t have a challenge rating). The target’s game statistics, including mental ability scores, are replaced by the statistics of the new form. It retains its alignment and personality. The target assumes the hit points o f its new form, and when it reverts to its normal form, the creature returns to the number o f hit points it had before it transformed. If it reverts as a result o f dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to its normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce the creature’s normal form to 0 hit points, it isn’t knocked unconscious. The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature o f its new form, and it can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech unless its new form is capable o f such actions. The target’s gear melds into the new form. The creature can’t activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any o f its equipment.

If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration, the transformation becomes permanent.

You will find a wizard more willing to cast True Polymorph than Wish, because wish has a chance of being taken away each time it is cast. Warlocks and Bards can also cast it. Sorcerers and Wizards cast Wish, so which ever one you know that reaches 17th level first, that's your Fairy Godmother to do this legally by RAW.

Answer 3

Ask your GM to retcon your decisions

Yes, it sets a bad example, and I'd personally frown upon a player who approaches me with a topic like this. But your GM has no choice, if he wants the table to remain fun for everyone. His choices are:

1. Deny the request. You stick to the "messy" character you made, and your fun suffers, which isn't good.
2. Deny the request. You passive-aggressively send your character off to retirement or death, then make a new one with the same story, which might ruin some players' sense of immersion, which isn't good. (I know, one of my players tried this: "I am KETH! Keth's younger brother. We're all named Keth!")
3. Allow the request. Accept that new players will make mistakes, and be a little more sterner with this player when it comes to background choices/improvisation.

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As a sidenote: It looks like you want to play a Favored Soul Sorcerer from the UA. They are sorcerers with Cleric abilities, including healing. The DM may be a little more lenient if you're simply changing archetypes!