Wizard / ClericMulticlass Build Guide — D&D 5e

A single Cleric level gives medium armour, shields, and access to Healing Word — the bonus-action pick-up that turns a downed ally into a fighting ally. For a wizard who already has the broadest spell list in the game, adding emergency healing and real AC is enormous.

Both classes cast from Wisdom to some degree, but the Cleric dip only needs 13 Wisdom to qualify. You are not trying to land Cleric save spells — you want the passive benefits (armour, Healing Word, a domain feature). Life Domain doubles Healing Word output; Knowledge gives two skill proficiencies and two tool/language proficiencies; Forge gives +1 AC on top of armour.

The cost is identical to the Fighter dip: one level of spell progression. The upside is that Cleric slots still advance your total slot count (both are full casters), so you lose no resources — only access to higher-level wizard spells by one level.

Ability priority: INT → CON → WIS (13) — Intelligence first. Constitution for concentration. Wisdom 13 is the multiclass requirement — you will not cast Cleric save spells, so 13 is enough.