Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5e) classes are fundamental to crafting your character’s identity and role within the game. While race and background contribute to your character’s story and personality, your chosen class dictates your character’s abilities, skills, and overall function in your adventuring party. Understanding how to effectively select and play a class is paramount to building a successful and enjoyable D&D character. This 5e Guide will walk you through each class, offering insights and resources to help you make the best choice for your next adventure.
Below, you’ll find a series of handbooks dedicated to each of the D&D 5e classes. These resources delve into the nuances, strategies, and tricks to maximize your chosen class’s potential. We not only explore the core features and options of each class but also provide practical application through subclass breakdowns and example character builds.
While we primarily focus on single-class builds to establish a strong foundational understanding, for those interested in more advanced character customization, we recommend exploring our Practical Guide to Multiclassing and Build Guide Showcase, both of which delve into the complexities and benefits of combining multiple classes.
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Choosing Your D&D Class: A 5e Guide
Selecting your character’s class is arguably the most impactful decision you’ll make during character creation. It defines your character’s primary capabilities and their role within the adventuring party. A well-rounded party enhances your chances of success in D&D 5e. While the system is flexible and doesn’t demand strict adherence to traditional party compositions, ensuring your party collectively covers essential roles can significantly improve your effectiveness.
Traditionally, parties benefit from having characters who can fulfill roles similar to the classic Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard. For a balanced and capable group, consider ensuring these core capabilities are represented. Here’s a table illustrating class equivalents for these roles:
| Cleric Equivalent | Fighter Equivalent | Rogue Equivalent | Wizard Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bard | Artificer | Artificer | Bard |
| Cleric | Barbarian | Bard | Sorcerer |
| Druid | Fighter | Monk | Warlock |
| Sorcerer (Divine Soul) | Paladin | Monk | Wizard |
| Warlock (Celestial) | Paladin | Ranger | |
| Ranger | Rogue |
If your character concept doesn’t neatly fit into these categories, delving deeper into party roles can be beneficial. Party roles can be distributed and shared among members. As long as each role is adequately covered by the party as a whole, your group will possess the necessary tools for success, regardless of the specific classes chosen by individual players.
Exploring the Classes: Your 5e Class Handbook
This section of our 5e guide provides an overview of each official D&D 5e class, offering a starting point for your class selection journey. Click on the class names to explore in-depth handbooks and subclass breakdowns for each.
Artificer
The Artificer is a unique class centered around magical innovation and invention. They excel at creating temporary magic items and are a fantastic choice for players who enjoy customization and utilizing a wide array of magical gadgets. As a half-caster, the Artificer blends martial prowess with arcane spellcasting, drawing from a modified Wizard spell list that includes vital healing and support spells like Lesser Restoration and Faerie Fire. Their ability to infuse mundane items with magic and deploy mechanical companions makes them versatile problem-solvers both in and out of combat.
Artificer Subclasses Breakdown
Barbarian
Barbarians are the quintessential melee damage dealers and resilient tanks of D&D 5e. Known for their immense hit points, damage resistance while raging, and affinity for heavy weapons, Barbarians thrive in the thick of combat, employing straightforward yet effective tactics. The Rage mechanic allows Barbarians to become incredibly durable and deadly in short bursts, shrugging off attacks that would incapacitate other characters. If you enjoy playing a powerful warrior who excels at front-line combat, the Barbarian is an excellent choice.
2024 Barbarian
2014 Barbarian
Barbarian Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Bard
Bards are versatile and charismatic characters, embodying the jack-of-all-trades archetype. They blend roguish skills with sorcerous spellcasting, offering a unique mix of support, control, and damage capabilities. With a vast array of skills, Expertise to double their proficiency in chosen skills, and full spellcasting progression, Bards can effectively fill nearly any role within a party. Whether you envision yourself as a charming diplomat, a battlefield controller, or a skilled healer, the Bard offers incredible flexibility.
2024 Bard
2014 Bard
Bard Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Cleric
Often underestimated by new players as mere “healbots,” Clerics are, in fact, a dynamic and powerful class in D&D 5e. They are diverse divine spellcasters with access to an exceptional spell list, enabling them to excel in various roles. While they undeniably possess the best healing spells in the game, Clerics are equally adept at offense, often dominating combat with spells like Spirit Guardians. If you seek a class that combines potent spellcasting with martial capability and divine favor, the Cleric is a rewarding choice.
2024 Cleric
2014 Cleric
Cleric Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Druid
Druids are divine spellcasters deeply connected to the natural world. They are primarily spellcasters who excel at controlling the battlefield with area-of-effect spells and manipulating the environment to their advantage. While matching Clerics in healing capacity, Druids offer a distinctly different playstyle rooted in nature magic and shapeshifting. Their iconic Wild Shape ability allows them to transform into animals, granting them versatility in combat, exploration, and infiltration. For players who resonate with nature and wish to command its power, the Druid is a compelling option.
2024 Druid
2014 Druid
Druid Subclasses Breakdown
Fighter
Fighters are the quintessential martial class in D&D 5e: versatile, capable, and consistently effective. They boast a wide array of combat options and receive more Ability Score Improvements than any other class, allowing for extensive customization through feats. The Fighter’s straightforward mechanics at lower levels make it an easy class to learn, while the depth of tactical options and feat combinations provides ample room for optimization as you gain experience. Whether you prefer sword and board, two-handed weapons, or ranged combat, the Fighter is a solid and adaptable choice.
2024 Fighter
2014 Fighter
Fighter Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Monk
Monks are iconic unarmed combatants in D&D, capable of extraordinary physical feats without relying on spells. They occupy a niche between Fighters and Rogues, blending martial arts prowess with stealth and agility. While Monks can be complex to build and play optimally, their unique blend of abilities can be highly rewarding. However, the class’s mechanical demands often lead to homogenous builds, with limited deviation possible without compromising effectiveness. If you enjoy a challenge and mastering intricate combat maneuvers, the Monk might be for you.
2024 Monk
2014 Monk
Monk Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Paladin
Paladins are holy warriors fueled by their unwavering commitment to a sacred oath. Typically clad in heavy armor and proficient in melee combat, Paladins are equally skilled at smiting foes and healing allies. Their reliance on Charisma for spellcasting and divine abilities also makes them surprisingly adept in social situations, where more martial classes often falter. The Paladin’s multifaceted nature, touching upon combat, spellcasting, and social interaction, makes them a mechanically rich and satisfying class to play, and a great way to learn the core mechanics of 5e.
2024 Paladin
2014 Paladin
Paladin Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Ranger
Rangers are skilled explorers and warriors who bridge the gap between martial prowess, roguish skills, and druidic spellcasting. While earlier iterations of the Ranger class faced criticism for situational abilities, recent updates like Optional Class Features and compelling new subclass options have transformed the Ranger into a highly effective and engaging class. If you enjoy wilderness exploration, tracking, and a blend of combat and spellcasting, the Ranger is worth considering.
2024 Ranger
2014 Ranger
Ranger Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Rogue
Rogues are more than just stereotypical thieves; they are cunning, highly skilled characters capable of solving problems and fulfilling diverse roles within a party. The Rogue’s signature ability, Sneak Attack, encourages tactical gameplay, rewarding clever positioning, stealth, and exploiting enemy vulnerabilities to deliver devastating single strikes. If you prefer a class that emphasizes skill, cunning, and strategic combat, the Rogue is an excellent choice.
2024 Rogue
2014 Rogue
Rogue Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are innate spellcasters, drawing their magical power from inherent sources like draconic bloodlines or chaotic energies. They learn fewer spells compared to other full casters like Wizards, but their Metamagic feature grants them unparalleled flexibility, allowing them to modify their spells on the fly to suit any situation. For players who appreciate the raw power of magic but prefer a more streamlined spellcasting experience without the complexities of spellbooks, the Sorcerer is a highly satisfying option.
2024 Sorcerer
2014 Sorcerer
Sorcerer Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Warlock
Warlocks derive their magical power from a pact with a powerful otherworldly entity. Mechanically, the Warlock stands apart from other spellcasters, offering extensive customization options and a unique spellcasting resource system that sets them apart. While building around the Eldritch Blast cantrip has been a consistently effective strategy since the Player’s Handbook, Warlocks offer diverse build paths and playstyles beyond this staple. If you enjoy pact magic, eldritch invocations, and a class with a distinct flavor, the Warlock is a compelling and versatile choice.
2024 Warlock
2014 Warlock
Warlock Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Wizard
Wizards are the quintessential arcane spellcasters in D&D, embodying the archetype of the scholarly mage. They possess the most extensive spell list in the game, including many of the most potent spells available. Their ability to learn spells from scrolls and spellbooks and cast rituals makes them exceptional utility casters in addition to their raw magical firepower. If you relish mastering a vast repertoire of spells and wielding arcane power with scholarly precision, the Wizard is the ultimate choice for the studious spellcaster.
2024 Wizard
2014 Wizard
Wizard Subclasses Breakdown
Multiclass Build Showcase
Exploring 3rd-Party Publishers for 5e
Beyond the official D&D 5e content, a vibrant community of 3rd-party publishers creates exciting and innovative materials. RPGBOT covers content from some of our favorite creators, published under the Open Gaming License, Creative Commons, or through DMsGuild. It’s important to note that this content is not considered official and is typically not permitted in organized play like Adventurer’s League. Always check with your Dungeon Master and gaming group before incorporating 3rd-party materials into your campaign. If your group is open to exploring these resources, we hope our articles provide valuable guidance.
Keith Baker
Kobold Press
Mage Hand Press
Matt Mercer / Critical Role / Tal’Dorei
MCDM
MonkeyDM
Other
This 5e guide provides a comprehensive overview of the D&D 5e classes, designed to help you begin your character creation journey. Each class offers a unique playstyle and contributes distinct strengths to an adventuring party. We encourage you to explore the detailed handbooks linked within this guide to delve deeper into each class and find the perfect fit for your next D&D character. Happy adventuring!
