All DnD classes and subclasses – a player’s guide

What are the DnD classes, and how do they work? When you create a Dungeons and Dragons character, the first and most important decision to make is which of the 13 character classes you want to play as. Your D&D class is the mechanical core of your character, and dictates which skills you’re best at – both in combat and while adventuring. This guide draws on our team’s 70 years’ combined D&D experience to explain all 13 5e classes (and their subclasses) in detail, so you can create your own!

Once you’ve chosen one of the Dungeons and Dragons classes, use our other expert guides to help get your 5e character game-ready. Choosing a species for your character is the next step – our complete list of DnD races has all the info you need. If you’re using the new edition Player’s Handbook, your chosen background is also very important – so read our DnD 2024 backgrounds handbook to find the right one for you.

Read on for our full overview of each 5e class, its main subclasses, strengths, and weaknesses, and top tips for creation. We’ll also explain a few of the most popular homebrew classes to try – or you can hop to our FAQ section at the end for more in-depth info on how classes and subclasses work, how to choose the right ones for your character, multiclassing, and more!

In alphabetical order, the 13 core DnD classes are:

Artificer 5e

The Artificer 5e is a tinkerer and a lover of tools. Using powerful magical infusions, this class can create and bolster magical items and weapons that will really help your party pack a punch. The Artificer plays a big role in supporting their peers – it’s up to them to make everyone as powerful as possible.

Of course, that isn’t to say that you have to help your party out at all times. Feel free to roleplay petty grudges or selfish motivations for not passing out all the hottest new gadgets – Wisdom is a common ‘dump’ stat for this class, so you definitely don’t have to be wise all the time.

Artificer strengths

Machines and engineering rarely feature in D&D games, so the Artificer offers a unique flavor you can’t often explore with other classes. Its list of subclasses is varied, and each supports differing playstyles. Plus, thanks to your infusions, spells, and craftable items, there are heaps of customization options.

Artificer weaknesses

For some people, fine-tuning their perfect Artificer build is a big draw. But if you’re a beginner player or someone who doesn’t enjoy agonizing over small details, this might not be the class for you.

Plus, there are plenty of scenarios where the Artificer can feel a bit situational. They make great supporting characters and can use spells and 5e magic items to fill a few other combat roles in the party. But as Intelligence-based characters, they’re not going to naturally fill many out-of-combat roles.

The Artificer may also feel a bit wasted if your campaign doesn’t pay much attention to (or even allow) downtime, crafting, and magic items. So always check with your DM before going down this route.

Artificer subclasses

As one of the newer D&D classes, the Artificer only has four subclasses to choose from. These are:

• Alchemist – These Artificers gain additional healing powers and the ability to create random extra potions on the fly.
• Artillerist – Between Fireball and your literal Eldritch Cannon, you’re built to rain hellfire (and heaps of damage) upon enemies.
• Armorer – Don heavy armor and dive into melee with your beefed-up armor class and magical weapons.
• Battle Smith – Gain a mix of spells, martial prowess, plus a Steel Defender buddy to be your permanent companion.

We do know that a fifth subclass, the Cartographer, is currently being playtested. Watch this space for more details as and when they arrive.

Want to become a master of golems, explosives, and more? Check out our expertly engineered D&D Artificer 5e class guide for all the tools you need.

Barbarian 5e

With their rage ability and higher-level subclass features, the Barbarian 5e has the potential to deal devastating damage in combat and are near-impossible to take down because, of all the classes, they have the highest hit dice (which determine your health).

As this is a simple class that usually focuses on using brawn instead of brains, players will want to prioritize raising their Strength and Constitution scores for an effective battle-ready Barbarian build.

Barbarian strengths

High hit dice and plenty of Rage mean the Barbarian is one tough cookie in combat. It’s a satisfying experience to dominate the battlefield (even if your method of dealing damage can get a little same-y).

While every class has its own intricacies, the Barbarian isn’t too complicated to build. This means it could be a great choice for a new D&D player who still wants to feel like a powerful party member.

While their approach to conflict is simple, Barbarians remain particularly effective party members. When it comes to hitting stuff hard, few other classes can rival them – particularly when playing at earlier levels.

Barbarian weaknesses

Everyone has an Achilles’ heel, and the Barbarian has a few distinct weak spots. They’re only really built for melee, meaning ranged foes will be particularly problematic. Plus, combat is all they know – so they’re good at very little else.

Barbarians tend to dump their mental and social stats (Wisdom, Intelligence, Charisma). Low Charisma and a lack of useful skills mean they won’t be helpful in social situations, and they may feel a bit useless in campaigns with less focus on fighting.

That lack of Wisdom is the real killer, though. A lot of enemy attacks may call for a Wisdom saving throw, leaving your Barbarian vulnerable to magical effects.

Barbarian subclasses

At level three, you can learn to specialize your anger by choosing one of the DnD Barbarian subclasses:

• Path of the Berserker: The angriest Barbarian, you can use your Rage to become an unstoppable, frenzied force.
• Path of the Wild Heart: A Barbarian with a special connection to the natural world, you gain your pick of animal-themed powers, from damage resistance to flight.
• Path of the World Tree: This Barbarian is connected to a multidimensional tree. You can use its life force for extra HP, or grab your foes with spectral branches.
• Path of the Zealot: A Barbarian fighting in the name of a god. You can infuse your weapon with holy power and heal wounds with your devotion.

These are the 2024 subclasses, but the earlier 2014 rulebooks also offer plenty of (compatible) subclass options:

• Path of the Ancestral Guardian: These Barbarians commune with ancient spirits who protect them, provide useful information, and even attack on their behalf.
• Path of the Battlerager: A Dwarf-only subclass that’s known for its spiky armor and unusual agility.
• Path of the Beast: Can partially transform into a beast with extra-powerful attacks, additional movement, and the ability to curse their enemies.
• Path of the Giant: Grow large, throw axes that return like boomerangs, deal elemental damage, and even throw other creatures like weapons.
• Path of the Storm Herald: Create a stormy aura that can deal out buffs and damage that get better over time.
• Path of Wild Magic: When they Rage, these Barbarians trigger random magical effects. They’re also handy for buffing friends.

For the a full rules explainer, head to our Barbarian 5e guide.

Bard 5e

If you want to hone your roleplaying skills, the confident and charming Bard 5e class is a great choice. Often referred to as the ‘jack of all trades’ of the adventuring party, the Bard is a versatile class that can be a huge benefit to teammates, both in battle and in social interactions.

A relatively tricky class to optimize, choosing the Bard’s spells requires strategic thinking and foresight. As they are primary spellcasters who truly shine in social situations, focus on raising their Charisma score as you progress. But don’t forget to buff your Dexterity, too – a Bard with a smart mouth often needs to dodge attacks and make hasty escapes.

Bard strengths

The Bard is one of the more flexible classes Dungeons and Dragons offers. They’re masters of many different skills and spells, which means they’ve heaps of utility in and outside of combat.

The Bard can be tweaked to fit whatever role your party is missing, and they can have their fingers dipped in many pies at once. Want to be the party Face but still feel powerful in combat? That’s the Bard, baby.

Bard weaknesses

Many Bards can master a blade or hurl a Fireball, but they’re still likely to be outshone by DnD classes specifically designed to do those things. Wizards and Warlocks can access far more powerful damage-dealing spells, and the strikes of a Fighter, Barbarian, or Paladin often overshadow those dealt by a Bard.

Plus, as we already mentioned, the Bard isn’t the easiest class to optimize. It’s easy to become paralyzed by the number of options available or get stuck spamming Vicious Mockery in combat when you’re trying to save your spell slots.

It’s also common for new players to misunderstand the Bard’s core role in combat. You may think your character is the star of the show at all times, but their support-focused mechanics often mean they’re most effective when empowering a more specialized friend.

Bard subclasses

While there are many DnD Bard subclasses in 5e, only four were updated for the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is the most up-to-date version of the game’s rules. These are:

• College of Dance: The power of busting a move makes you extra agile and capable of dealing devastating unarmed strikes.
• College of Glamour: Charm and frighten enemies with Fey magic while also buffing your friends.
• College of Lore: You know everything! That means lots of extra proficiencies, more spells, and improved odds on the dice.
• College of Valor: You can juggle martial attacks and spellcasting in combat, and your Bardic powers buff your battle abilities.

Here’s a quick summary of the still-compatible 2014 subclasses that can be found in other books:

• College of Creation: Animate ordinary objects, create items out of thin air, and use ‘motes of potential’ to hand out buffs and damage.
• College of Eloquence: These Bards are extra persuasive, which means their Bardic Inspiration is more potent than ever, and they can debuff foes with a cutting word.
• College of Spirits: Reach out to ghosts for extra spells, buffs, and dice to roll.
• College of Swords: You’re as good a fighter as you are a singer, and your Bardic Inspiration buffs your attacks.
• College of Whispers: This Bard’s repertoire includes psychic damage, causing fear, and manipulating shadows.

For more on the class, here’s the Bard 5e explained. 

Cleric 5e

The Cleric 5e has been chosen by a particular god to act as their divine agent. Traditionally, the Cleric is seen as a party’s supporter and healer, but a properly built Cleric is just as capable of excelling in other areas. Don some heavy armor and smite foes with a melee weapon, or stand back and blast armies of the undead with radiant light – as a Cleric, the world is your holy oyster.

However you choose to play them, Clerics are primary spellcasters, so a strong Wisdom score is essential. A beefy Constitution score is handy too, whether you plan to heal or harm. With their simple spellcasting mechanic and baked-in roleplaying options, they are a great mid-complexity pick for first-time players.

Cleric strengths

With so many subclasses to choose from, Clerics can excel in most party roles. Each ‘divine domain’ comes with its own form of Channel Divinity, an awesome Cleric ability that does far more than just scare off the undead.

While they’re known for their incredible healing skills, it’s just as viable to create an offensive build and deal some impressive levels of damage. Plus, as Wisdom spellcasters, Clerics have a some excellent utility skills and a better chance of staying stable when it comes to the game’s favorite saving throws.

Cleric weaknesses

A lot of D&D players hear the word ‘healer’ whenever a Cleric is mentioned. This means that, regardless of your DnD character build, other players may expect you to focus on healing their combat-happy characters. It’s an issue that can be solved with clear communication, but it’s worth knowing before you sign yourself up for some holy smiting.

Cleric subclasses

There are a frankly silly number of DnD Cleric subclasses. However, the latest 2024 Player’s Handbook only offers four options:

• Life Domain: You’re the best dedicated healer that D&D has to offer.
• Light Domain: Your command of light can be used to buff, burn, and blind targets.
• Trickery Domain: Use illusions to gain buffs and control advantages on the battlefield.
• War Domain: You’re great at attack and defense, both with magic and weapons.

You can find heaps more subclass options in the books released before 2024:

• Arcana Domain: These Clerics learn extra Wizard spells and protect friends from magical effects. Plus, they’re particularly powerful against enemies from other planes.
• Death Domain: This Cleric combines melee attacks with potent necrotic damage and spells.
• Forge Domain: Don some magical armor and weapons and charge into battle, dealing extra fire damage along the way.
• Grave Domain: These Clerics can use debuffs and empowered healing to maintain the balance between life and death.
• Knowledge Domain: These Clerics have a huge number of skill proficiencies, plus the ability to read minds and see visions of the past.
• Nature Domain: Command animals and plants to join your side, and charge into melee with heavy armor.
• Order Domain: Empower others, control enemy actions, and soak up hits in heavy armor.
• Peace Domain: These Clerics are all about buffing and protecting their allies rather than dealing direct damage to enemies.
• Tempest Domain: Lightning and thunder damage are this Cleric’s bread and butter. They’re beefy and great at striking foes.
• Twilight Domain: Twilight Clerics worship gods of the night and stars, and this gives them a jack-of-all-trades toolbox of buffs, damage, and utility.

For more on this class, here’s all you need to know about the Cleric 5e.

Druid 5e

The shape-shifting nature-themed Druid 5e class is fairly flexible. They’re particularly proficient at morphing into beasts, healing, and controlling the elements to turn a battle in your favor. While it’s possible for Druids to deal serious damage with a claw slash or a burning Moonbeam, they’re more adept at area control, allowing them to force foes into the path of their well-buffed adventuring pals.

With quirky 5e spells and an aversion to metal, roleplaying as an eccentric Druid can be fun for players who love mysticism and folklore. As a primary spellcaster, you should focus on raising your Druid’s Wisdom score first and foremost.

Druid strengths

Druids are Wisdom-based spellcasters, which feel great to play. You’re hardy in the face of the game’s most common saving throw, and you’re naturally adept with out-of-combat skills like Perception, Insight, and Survival.

And that’s not the only reason the Druid makes a great all-rounder. The Druid has an excellent selection of spells and cantrips, and you can prepare any Druid spell of the appropriate level, switching your options out on a long rest.

Combine this with the Druid’s strong and varied subclasses, and you’ve a highly versatile and replayable DnD class. Whether you want to be a frontline fighter or a supportive healer, the Druid has options for you.
We haven’t even talked about Wild Shape 5e yet. Depending on how you play your Druid, this can be a huge boon in or out of combat. And there’s endless amounts of fun to be had roleplaying in your animal form.

Druid weaknesses

The Druid’s low armor class and health make it one of the squishier classes to play. DMs can be very particular about that ‘no metal’ rule when it comes to armor too, so you’re particularly vulnerable.
Plus, while the Druid can access some truly awesome spells, many of them rely on concentration 5e. This puts a limit on the cool Druid shenanigans you can get going. Some Druid builds can start to feel a bit like a jack of all trades, master of none.

Druid subclasses

The 2024 Player’s Handbook features four DnD Druid subclasses. These are:

• Circle of the Land: You can command nature to help you out in a fight, and your connection with a certain terrain type offers new spells.
• Circle of the Moon: A powerful all-rounder who can fight in Wild Shape and harness the varied powers of the moon.
• Circle of the Sea: Surround yourself with a damage-dealing tempest and cast heaps of storm-themed spells.
• Circle of the Stars: Different constellations enhance your combat abilities in a variety of ways.

Other D&D books also offer additional subclasses:

• Circle of Dreams: Their ties to the Feywild give them teleportation, healing, divination, and ally-buffing powers.
• Circle of Spores: Fungal powers mean these Druids are buffed by spores, which they can also use to deal necrotic damage and resurrect the dead.
• Circle of the Shepherd: Animals and nature spirits can be summoned to help these Druids with healing, scouting, and battle.
• Circle of Wildfire: Gain a wildfire spirit summon that can protect you from death, improve your spellcasting, and deal fire damage on your behalf.

Here’s a full explainer for the Druid 5e. 

Fighter 5e

A Fighter 5e is a specialized battle machine with more combat prowess than every spellcasting class put together. They’re an excellent choice for new players who like to keep things simple, but they’re far from the boring option. Veterans can use their versatile stats and subclasses to experiment with all kinds of effective builds.

A Fighter’s most important stat is the one that helps them swing or shoot their weapon. That’ll be Strength or Dexterity, depending on your preferences. After buffing that, focus on building a strong Constitution (or even Intelligence, if you want to add some spellcasting options).

Fighter strengths

As we mentioned, Fighters are great options for new players who are still learning the ropes of D&D. The Champion is one of the simplest subclasses in the game, which may appeal to newbies still building their confidence.

That’s not to say things can’t get more advanced – as we already said, there’s a whole range of viable Fighter subclasses and character builds that add complexity. Fighters also have more ability score increases to play with, meaning you can shake things up even further by experimenting with 5e feats (or DnD 2024 feats, if you’re using the new rules).

Fighters are entirely designed around combat, which means they feel great to play during battle. They get more attacks than anyone else, and they deal ridiculous levels of damage to single targets. Combine that with a sturdy armor class and plenty of HP, and you’re one hell of a powerhouse.

Fighter weaknesses

The Fighter’s greatest strength also leads to its greatest pitfall. While you’re a beast in battle, you’re not great at much else. Playing a Fighter in a campaign focused on investigation or social intrigue may leave you twiddling your heavily-armored thumbs. The DnD weapon mastery rules introduced in the 2024 rules will help add some variety to the class, but this is still a fairly one-note class.

Like other martial classes, Fighters are also particularly vulnerable to spell attacks that call for mental saving throws. Wisdom is not usually your strong suit.

Fighter subclasses

You’ll be surprised by how many ways there are to swing a sword about and hit people hard. In the 2024 rulebooks, you can choose from these DnD Fighter subclasses:

• Battle Master: A tactics expert, you gain all sorts of special maneuvers, from disarming attacks to ambushes, that will make martial combat far more interesting.
• Champion: The most Fighter-y of Fighters, your critical hits get more powerful and you get more of them, as well as near-unlimited re-rolls.
• Eldritch Knight: Why pick between the sword and the spell? With this Fighter subclass, you gain magical powers, firing off cantrips alongside your attacks.
• Psi Warrior: This Fighter is strong in body and mind. You may protect yourself with a wall of force, move objects with your brain, and force jump like a Jedi warrior.

Other D&D books feature these Fighter specializations:

• Arcane Archer: These Fighters imbue arrows with magic and use a variety of Arcane Shots to damage, debuff, and guarantee more consistent hits.
• Cavalier: Master mounted combat and defensive tactics that make you a serious threat to foes – and an even better friend.
• Purple Dragon Knight: These Fighters are traditional knights who excel at inspiring their fellow combatants.
• Rune Knight: Grow to a mighty size, and etch magical runes into your equipment that offer more damage and control options.
• Samurai: These Fighters are as swift as they are persuasive and disciplined – and they often attack with advantage.
• Echo Knight: Create echo copies of yourself that allow you to teleport and attack from ridiculous ranges – you can basically be everywhere at once.

Not satisfied? We can also explain the full class Fighter 5e guide.

Monk 5e

The Monk 5e class is the martial arts expert of the D&D world. Their discipline gives them a supernatural level of focus, which is represented mechanically by Focus Points. Spend these wisely, and the Monk becomes an agile, versatile, and incredibly formidable martial class.

With their speed, Monks make excellent strikers in combat, able to break through enemy lines and target spellcasters. Their abilities make them great damage dealers, but their low hit dice and lack of DnD armor proficiency often leave them vulnerable.

The Monk’s mystical abilities are powered by their Wisdom score, and they open the class up to healing and blasting as well as striking. Plus, that Wisdom score makes them excellent party Scouts. Focus on raising your Dexterity and Constitution along with Wisdom to make your Monk the ultimate martial arts machine.

Monk strengths

Monks may not always hit hard, but they hit often, getting multiple attacks earlier than most martial classes. Plus, when your weapons are your hands, you’re never unarmed – something that can be useful in social scenarios or when the party gets captured.

As Monks require strong Wisdom, Dexterity, and Constitution, you’ll easily resist the common saving throws a DM throws at you. You’re also a beast on the other end of saves, sometimes forcing enemies to fend off multiple saves in a single turn. Spellcasters beware.

Monk weaknesses

For a long time, many players considered the Monk the worst fifth edition class of all. We don’t believe any class is rock-bottom, but the original 5e Monk class does have some drawbacks that can make it difficult to master. Thankfully, the Monk found in the 2024 Player’s Handbook fixes many of these flaws.

In the 2014 Handbook, the damage Monks deal can feel a little puny. Their Focus Points (formerly Ki) were the main event of the class, but they were also a surprisingly scarce resource – leaving the class feeling lackluster as a whole.

Whatever version of the Monk you play, their armor class and hit dice leave them particularly squishy. They get few proficiencies, and they’re heavily reliant on three stats – which is challenging for new players to optimize and often rules feats out of a viable build.

Monk subclasses

There are lots of DnD Monk subclasses to try, but these are the ones supported in the modern, 2024 Handbook:

• Warrior of Mercy: This Monk wields the power of life and death. You can heal with one hand and harm with the other, even raising the dead at high levels.
• Warrior of Shadow: A rather Rogue-like Monk, you cloak yourself in magical darkness, attacking from a shadowy shawl of your own creation.
• Warrior of the Elements: The elemental Monk is massively upgraded in the 2024 rules. You can blast your opponents with far-reaching elemental strikes, and gain rocket-powered flight.
• Warrior of the Open Hand: This Monk is a master of unarmed combat. You can use your fists to trip or shove enemies, jump around like a ninja, and heal yourself with good, clean living.

If you’re happy to mix and match, the 2014 rulebooks have plenty of additional options, too:

• Way of the Ascendant Dragon: Channel draconic energy to deal elemental damage, frighten foes, and even grow wings.
• Way of the Astral Self: Gain extra spectral body parts that enhance your attacks, skills, and defense.
• Way of the Drunken Master: These Monks move like drunkards, but don’t underestimate them – they’re particularly agile and unpredictable.
• Way of the Kensei: Kensei Monks master weapons as well as unarmed strikes, and they’re formidable when wielding both.
• Way of the Long Death: These terrifying Monks use their understanding of death to siphon life from others and keep themselves standing.
• Way of the Sun Soul: Gain blazing ranged attacks that burn foes with blinding light.

For more on this class, see our Monk 5e guide.

Paladin 5e

The Paladin 5e is a charismatic hybrid cast that combines divine spellcasting with good old-fashioned melee fighting. Their high Charisma means they often take on leadership roles, juggling the party face role along with healing, damage, and defense.

A Paladin is only truly a Paladin when they have taken a holy oath. This decides the creed they live by, which gods they pledge themselves to, and/or what particular powers they can access.

A Paladin’s Strength and Constitution scores are key for ensuring they land heavy-hitting smites in the name of their chosen god. However, they’re also reliant on Charisma to increase the potency of their spells and diplomatic abilities.

Paladin strengths

The Paladin excels in both striker and support mode, with strong damage and healing options in equal measure. They hit hard, they heal hard, and with chunky AC and armor proficiencies, they can tank pretty well too. Surely there’s nothing a Paladin can’t do?

Paladin weaknesses

Ranged combat – that’s one thing Paladins can’t really do. They also aren’t known for their stamina. Paladin spell slots and the majority of Paladin features all replenish on a long rest, meaning they can feel a bit feeble when facing multiple combat sessions in a single day.

Plus, Paladin players have a lot of ability scores to juggle. Strength and Charisma are the absolute bare minimum, with Constitution also playing a major role in your build. When your class can do everything, you’ve got to build carefully to avoid getting spread too thin.

Paladin subclasses

Paladins can take various ‘oaths’ that represent their key subclasses. These DnD Paladin subclasses are available in the 2024 Player’s Handbook:

• Oath of Devotion: This Paladin fights for justice and honor. Your weapon glows with holy powers, and your powers protect your allies from all dangers.
• Oath of Glory: A Paladin that’s all about self-improvement. You can buff yourself, and your friends, with many boons.
• Oath of the Ancients: This Paladin loves the world as much as any Druid. As well as wielding nature-based magic, you never age, and are very hard to kill.
• Oath of Vengeance: A very angry Paladin that likes to be in the center of any fight. Pick a target and take them down, dishing out extra attacks and damage against your chosen foe.

Older D&D books offer additional options, such as:

• Oath of Conquest: War, glory, and order are the realm of the Conquest Paladin, who uses fear, control, psychic damage, and smites to dominate others.
• Oath of Redemption: Use magic to protect your friends, and give hostiles a chance to listen to your persuasion before you punish them for evil doing.
• Oath of the Crown: Heal and help friends while compelling enemies to face you in honorable (but deadly) duels.
• Oath of the Watchers: A jack-of-all-trades caster who’s trained to deal with Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, and Fiends in particular.
• Oathbreaker: Paladins who break their oaths use fear and hatred to fuel necromancy and potent attacks.

The Paladin 5e guide covers all the finer details of this class.

Ranger 5e

The Ranger 5e is a hybrid class that has mastered exploration and the natural world. Part martial warrior, part scout, and part spellcaster, they can be versatile party members, able to provide ranged and melee damage, control spells, and heaps of utility.

A Ranger might bring a chosen animal companion on adventures to back them up in battle. They might specialize in slaying particular monsters, or they may simply be masters of stealth, making them a serious threat to any creature caught unawares.

A smart ranger prioritizes their Dexterity score above else as this helps them scout dangerous situations and master finesse weapons. Wisdom is also key to survival (and nature-focused spellcasting) – but don’t forget to save some points for beefing up your main defensive score, Constitution.

Ranger strengths

If you want a character that excels at exploration, travel, and tracking, there are few better options than a Ranger. They can access some excellent spells for support and area control, and a range of strong Ranger subclasses allow you to specialize in your favorite roleplaying activities.

Ranger weaknesses

A Ranger is part Druid, part Rogue, and part Fighter – but it can be challenging to build a character that matches any of these classes in power. The problem with most 2014 Rangers is they specialize too much. Some of the Ranger’s main features can become far too situational, and a player can easily pick up tricks they’ll never need to use in a campaign.

The class got some optional features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and the 2024 rules gave the Ranger a complete overhaul. Things are better now, but it does require you to fork out for another DnD book if you want the new-and-improved build.

Still, even after all these tweaks, many consider the Ranger one of the weakest classes. The 2024 version is far stronger, but fans still aren’t keen on how much the class requires you to concentrate on Hunter’s Mark over your other Ranger spells.

Ranger subclasses

Here are the four stripes of DnD Ranger subclasses in the 2024 PHB:

• Beast Master: A Ranger who’s bonded with a mystical animal who will fight alongside you in combat.
• Fey Wanderer: This Ranger is infused with the strange magic of the Feywild. You can frighten or charm foes, summon a fairy to fight for you, and Misty Step all about the battlefield.
• Gloom Stalker: This subclass is for Rangers who like to fight at night. You can see in the dark, start combats with deadly ambushes, and send enemies running with scary Shadowfell magic.
• Hunter: Keeping things real, this Ranger forgoes magical tricks for special moves that make you a more effective fighter.

Though they’re the only ones supported by the new books, these aren’t the only subclasses available:

• Drakewarden: These Rangers gain a draconic companion that becomes a more effective ally as the Ranger grows stronger.
• Horizon Walker: Tricksy teleportation and force damage are the main tools for these Rangers.
• Monster Slayer: Their extensive knowledge of monsters helps them single out targets, control the battlefield, and counteract magical attacks.
• Swarmkeeper: A swarm of tiny creatures performs tasks (and attacks) on your behalf.

For more on the class in general, here’s our Ranger 5e guide.

Rogue 5e

As the class’ name implies, the Rogue 5e is someone who doesn’t necessarily worry about rules when pursuing their goals. They’re happy to pick locks, skulk in the shadows, surprise enemies with a stab from behind, and smile to your face while they pick your pockets.

A Rogue can play the role of scout, thief, or deadly assassin, depending on how you prefer to play them. They’re able to fill these many roles with ease thanks to the ridiculous number of skills they’re awarded. This is a ‘multi-tool’ class that’s heavy on utility – something your more spell- or sword-focused allies will be grateful for.

That’s not to say that a Rogue can’t hold their own in combat, of course. With abilities like Sneak Attack, they can obliterate single targets, making them satisfying to play for damage-dealing. Focus on raising your Rogue’s Dexterity score, and strategically pick your level-up options to support the playstyle you want.

Rogue strengths

The Rogue’s utility in and out of combat makes them a highly appealing class to play. Whether you want a master lockpicker, a cunning Charisma machine, or a sneaky scout, there are few roleplaying situations where a Rogue isn’t useful.

Rogues are also capable ranged and melee attackers, which gives them further versatility and ensures they don’t feel left out when it’s time for swords to clash. Abilities like Sneak Attack make them formidable single-target strikers, particularly at low levels. Plus, their Cunning Action gives them more agility than anyone else on the field (except maybe the Monk).

Rogue weaknesses

Strategy is perhaps the biggest con of playing a Rogue – there’s somehow too much strategy and not enough. The cycle of ‘hit then hide’ that Cunning Action creates can feel a little repetitive at times.

Meanwhile, it can be challenging to set up Sneak Attacks consistently, as they rely on your Rogue and other allies being positioned correctly or creating some sort of disadvantage for the target. This has gotten easier in D&D thanks to the introduction of weapon mastery, but it’s still a bit of a fiddly process.

Rogues also suffer for being jacks of all trades, as it can also mean they’re ‘masters of none’. Their damage output quickly falls behind more combat-dedicated classes, and characters with a bulked-out spell list can serve as equally good utility classes – if not better. A Rogue can be the perfect addition to your party depending on the campaign, but that strength can feel situational.

Rogue subclasses

These are the four types of Rogue in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. At level three, you can choose between:

• Arcane Trickster: A magically enhanced Rogue with spellcasting powers. You can use a mystical Mage Hand for pranks, or even steal the spells right out of a Wizard’s head.
• Assassin: The most murderous Rogue. You’re all about attacking by stealth, using ambush and poison to dispatch your foes.
• Soulknife: A Rogue who can use the powers of the mind. You have all sorts of tricks, from altering your own fate, talking telepathically, or just stabbing someone with a blade of psychic energy.
• Thief: The ‘classic’ Rogue, gifted in all things burglary. You can climb any wall, spring any lock, and use any magic items carelessly left lying around.

Other sourcebooks contain extra DnD Rogue subclasses:

• Inquisitive: You are a master of insight and investigation, and you can use your deductive powers to land more consistent Sneak Attacks.
• Mastermind: These Rogues excel in disguise and misdirection, and they’re strong tactical supporters on the battlefield.
• Phantom: Gain new skills and deal extra damage by communing with the dead.
• Scout: Extra nimble and adept at ambushes (particularly in the wilderness).
• Swashbuckler: You’re a charming scoundrel who’s as quick with their tongue as they are with a sword.

For more on the full Rogue 5e class, head to our dedicated guide.

Sorcerer 5e

Unlike other spellcasters, a Sorcerer 5e has their magic granted through natural means; their powers come from raw ability. This unusual entry into the world of magic grants them a particularly impressive ability – the power to edit a spell in their repertoire as they cast it.

Sorcery Points can make your spells snappier, sneakier, or generally more explosive. Juggling this extra resource makes the Sorcerer a complex class to master, but it’s also incredibly flexible and rewarding. Focus on raising your Charisma score above all else, as this fuels your magic and your chances of schmoozing your way out of dangers that spellcasting can’t solve.

Sorcerer strengths

When used well, a Sorcerer’s Metamagic abilities can transform the state of a fight in a single turn. Being able to improve the speed, success rate, reach, or duration of a spell opens up a huge number of possibilities, and the Sorcerer is a class that certainly rewards creativity.

These abilities can make Sorcerers one of the best damage-dealing spellcasters in D&D. Plus, thanks to their high Charisma score, they’ve got plenty of usefulness outside of a combat scenario.

Sorcerer weaknesses

As we said before, this is a fairly complex class that would suit only the most studious D&D newbie. You’ve got a limited spell list to work with, plus fewer spell slots than other spellcasters (particularly if you’re swapping them out to maximize your Sorcerer powers). Every character build decision really counts with a Sorcerer, and there’s less room for error.

The other downside to note is the consistency of a Sorcerer. A truly powerful turn uses up a lot of resources, so you’ll have plenty of cantrip-heavy and less exciting turns in between to make up for your explosive actions. And, given the lack of armor and puny hit dice, a careless Sorcerer can easily get downed before they’ve had a chance to change the tide of battle.

Sorcerer subclasses

There are four Sorcerer subclasses to choose from in the 2024 Player’s Handbook:

• Aberrant Sorcery: You’re a telepathic Psionics expert who, at later levels, can transform your body in horrifying and interesting ways.
• Clockwork Sorcery: You value balance and order above all, and you can use your powers to manipulate dice rolls and combat situations.
• Draconic Sorcery: Grow dragon wings! Be friends with a dragon! And gain a bunch of spells and resistances that are sort of related to dragons.
• Wild Magic Sorcery: You’ll regularly roll on a Wild Magic Surge table filled with random outcomes, as your powers are too chaotic to be fully controlled.

For more DnD Sorcerer subclass options, check out these options from additional sourcebooks:

• Divine Soul: Touched by the divine, you gain holy wings, Cleric spells, and the power to change the fate of your failed rolls.
• Lunar Sorcery: You gain an expanded spell list and the power to modify spells for cheap, but your abilities change with the phases of the moon.
• Shadow Magic: The power of darkness increases your fortitude, lets you slip through shadows, and gives you a shadowy hound companion.
• Storm Sorcery: Fly, control the weather, and deal heaps of thunder and lightning damage.

Our Sorcerer 5e guide can tell you about the full core class.

Warlock 5e

The Warlock 5e is a Charisma spellcaster that formed a pact with an otherworldly patron, who in turn granted them bombastic spellcasting powers. They may have fewer magical resources than a Wizard or Sorcerer, but their abilities feel completely unique. Plus, that pact they made is a roleplaying goldmine.

Each Warlock has a different gimmick depending on the Warlock patron they’ve allied with. That could be a hellish fiend, a mischievous fey, or an unknowable horror from deep underwater.

All Warlocks share an exceptional talent for ‘blaster’ spells that deal heaps of damage. It helps that they’re the only class with access to Eldritch Blast, one of the best damage-dealing cantrips in all of D&D.

Warlock strengths

Warlocks are well-suited to D&D players who want to try a little bit of everything. Being Charisma-based means they can easily become a passable party Face, and they’ve got so many customization options that none of your Warlock builds need to look the same.

Plus, the potency of their low-level abilities means Warlocks are a prime target for multiclassing – opening up your build options even further. Warlocks are a particularly popular multiclass option for players who want to maximize damage output (though this is slightly less true in the 2024 version of the rules).

Warlock weaknesses

Despite their deceptively easy spellcasting, Warlocks are a mechanically complex class. Each level-up choice is meaningful and requires strategic thinking.

Additionally, the Warlock’s spell slots are limited, and the amount of short rests you’ll get to replenish them is somewhat at the mercy of your DM. This means that in some situations (imagine a severe survival campaign where rests are limited) playing a Warlock can be incredibly restrictive.

Warlock subclasses

This is who you can sign up to serve:

• Archfey Patron: Serving a powerful being of the Feywild, you can blink around with an enhanced Misty Step and deal psychic damage to attackers.
• Celestial Patron: This Warlock serves a holy Upper Planes being like a sphinx or unicorn. You get some of the healing powers of a Cleric and can smite with extra radiant damage.
• Fiend Patron: This Warlock goes the other way, serving a demon or devil. You get hit points for kills and can use the luck of the devil to alter rolls.
• Great Old One Patron: This Warlock serves an eldritch elder being. You get telepathy and a range of psychic spells.

Other DnD Warlock patrons are available in older books, albeit without the upgrades available to the 2024 class:

• The Fathomless: A deep-sea being grants you tentacle summons, plus control over water, lighting, and thunder.
• The Genie: Choose one of four Genie patrons, each with their own unique spell lists, damage resistances, wish-granting powers, and magical genie vessel.
• The Hexblade: A pact with a Shadowfell creature means your Warlock is built for juggling melee combat and spellcasting as part of a powerful combo.
• The Undead: These Warlocks rely on necromancy, fear, and the power to transform into spirits and undead.
• The Undying: An immortal patron helps you cheat death with a mix of necromancy, healing, and the ability to re-attach your own body parts.

For more on the core class, head to our Warlock 5e guide.

Wizard 5e

The Wizard 5e is a studious magical genius who can access more spells than any other D&D class. Armed with their unique spellbooks, they have a range of battle strategies at their weave-powered fingertips.

Obliterate waves of enemies with immense damage, or control their every movement so they never get the chance to act. Beyond combat, Wizards also play essential roles in scouting and social situations. The utility of their spell list is unmatched.

This can be a tricky class to master at first, but the results of such studies can be explosive. Focus on your Intelligence score for spellcasting – and remember to keep your spellbook safe!

Wizard strengths

Flexibility is arguably the Wizard’s greatest strength. Thanks to their varied subclasses and the huge number of spells they can learn, a Wizard can fill almost any role in a party. They’re not the class to go for if you want to main as a healer, and they rarely outshine martial classes when they pick up a sword, but the right build lets you do pretty much anything else.

That being said, there are a handful of roles where Wizards really excel. Given just how powerful Wizards are when they focus on control, utility, or damage, specializing is a strength for them rather than a setback. Few other spellcasters can replicate their abilities, and if they can, they can’t perform them nearly as often.

Wizard weaknesses

The obvious downside of playing a Wizard is how delicate you are. Puny hit points, poor saving throws, and the worst hit dice in fifth edition all make you particularly vulnerable. As soon as a beefy enemy gets within melee range, you should start to worry.

The complexity of the class may also be off-putting for some players. Managing your spellbook and spell slots requires plenty of thought, and the Wizard class is most rewarding when you’ve carefully planned for an encounter. Essentially, be prepared to do a lot of homework as a Wizard – or, if you’re not ready for that kind of commitment, maybe try another class.

Wizard subclasses

Few classes can rival the number of DnD Wizard subclasses available to this class. However, if you’re only looking for the new 2024 options, here they are:

• Abjurer: Deflect attacks with a powerful Arcane Ward, gain advantage on saves against spells, and cast powerful abjuration spells to control battle.
• Diviner: You gain access to Portent Dice, d20s that are rolled at the start of every day and can replace any standard d20 roll that’s made.
• Evoker: Decimate your foes with aggressive elemental spells while ensuring your allies are protected from your waves of destruction.
• Illusionist: You gain extra summons to back you up in battle and illusions that help you stay on your feet.

There are also plenty of extra subclasses in older sourcebooks:

• Bladesinging: These Wizards practice a style of magic that enhances their ability to wield a blade and lithely dodge attacks.
• Order of Scribes: You’re so in tune with your spellbook that it can be used to modify the spells you cast from it.
• School of Conjuration: These Wizards specialize in conjuring handy objects or allies, and they can teleport with ease.
• School of Enchantment: Charm, hypnotize, and meddle with the memories of your enemies.
• School of Necromancy: You’re extra-adept at stealing life from creatures to buff yourself and raising undead under your command.
• School of Transmutation: Transform both creatures and objects into something that better suits your designs.
• War Magic: A mix of evocation and abjuration prowess makes War Wizards great at offense and defense on the battlefield.
• Chronurgy Magic: Literally manipulate time to exert control over enemies, spells, and dice rolls.
• Graviturgy Magic: These Wizards alter gravity, giving them huge amounts of control in combat.

For more on the core Wizard 5e class, head to our complete guide.

Popular homebrew DnD classes

The 13 classes above are all the official Wizards of the Coast character class options supported in the core rules. But there’s a vast number of unofficial and fan-created (homebrew) classes and subclasses constantly being created and shared by the DnD community. Below, we’ll explain a couple that’ve

Blood Hunter 5e

The Blood Hunter 5e is a DnD homebrew class from the mind of Critical Role Dungeon Master Matt Mercer, but it’s proven popular enough to get its own unofficial write-up on D&D Beyond. Based in part on The Witcher, Blood Hunters sacrifice their own health – and blood – to use the power of hemocraft magic against evil.

There’s a lot of roleplay potential in Blood Hunters. They gather in secretive orders, are misunderstood by much of society, and must constantly grapple with the darkness within – as the darkness they use to fight evil may one day consume them all together. Roleplay aside, there are also plenty of ways to customize your hemocraft to deal damage to baddies in new and interesting ways.

Blood Hunter strengths

The Blood Hunter offers one of the most unique roleplaying opportunities of all. If the Gloomstalker Ranger or Assassin Rogue just wasn’t dark enough for you, here’s your chance to mix martial and magic abilities with a bit of blood.

With a careful character build, the Blood Hunter can be a powerful front-liner. And most of the subclasses make solid choices, so there’s plenty of variety for players who love to craft a character.

Blood Hunter weaknesses

The Blood Hunter class is situational in a way the mainline classes aren’t. Firstly, you need a DM who accepts homebrew classes to play one at all.

And secondly, you’ll likely need to run your chosen class past the players too – the class relies on blood, gore, and self-harm, so it’s good practice to make sure everyone around the table is comfortable with you roleplaying these topics. If they’re not, maybe you’re better off choosing a regular Ranger or Fighter.

As this is a homebrew class, you should also expect the balance to be a bit off compared to the core classes. The Blood Hunter can feel great when optimized properly, but they might not always feel as powerful as the party Wizard and Warlock.

Looking to join a Blood Hunter order? First, you’ll need to undergo the Hunter’s Bane ritual – then you should check out our D&D Blood Hunter 5e guide for everything you need to create a character.

Blood Hunter subclasses

There are four Blood Hunter subclasses you can choose to refine your character:

• Order of the Ghostslayer – Dole out extra radiant damage, slip into the Ethereal plane, and absorb healing by harming others with your weapon.
• Order of the Lycanthrope – You became a werewolf on purpose, and transforming offers a range of offensive and defensive buffs.
• Order of the Mutant – You learn to craft consumable Mutagens that enhance your skills, speed, attacks, and resistances in a variety of ways.
• Order of the Profane Soul – You make a pact with a Warlock Patron, who grants you additional spells and attack buffs.

Illrigger 5e

Designed by Matt Colville and the MCDM team, the Illrigger 5e takes a little flavor from many classes. Like Paladins, Illriggers swear an oath to use their might and magic to serve a higher purpose – only this time it’s a particular archdevil. Like Rogues, they excel at manipulation. Plus, like Bards, they can use Dexterity, Charisma, and magic to their full advantage.

The class’ defining feature is a resource called ‘seals’. Illriggers can place one of these seals on an enemy (invisible to everyone but them) as a bonus action or when they land a successful weapon attack.

As they level up, they’ll gain a huge number of ways to use these seals. Some offer passive powers that debuff the target, while others can be expended to trigger a more explosive damage or control effect. Some seals can even be used to heal and buff your party – and at the bare minimum, they can be ‘burned’ to deal extra damage to a target at any time.

Illrigger strengths

If you’re a player who loves customization options, the Illrigger will be right up your alley. You regularly get to choose Interdictions that modify your seals, and you can hand-pick combat masteries and even languages. Illrigger subclasses are extremely varied, and if you want even more variety, there’s one that adds a small number of spells to your repertoire.

Whatever kind of Illrigger you want to build, these options are powerful. The class’ action economy is very generous, allowing plenty of opportunity for extra attacks and abilities that cost nothing. Pretty much every generically strong character option is on the table here – want to fly, cast free counterspells, or just deal a bucket of extra damage? An Illrigger can do it all.

Illrigger weaknesses

The Illrigger’s greatest strength is also its biggest downside. Since an Illrigger can be a striker, healer, support, control, spellcaster, and tank all in one, having a well-built one in your party may make other players feel less useful. And even though the 2024 rules have upped everybody’s power levels, the balance of this particular class can create a pretty large power gap.

It also doesn’t help that the Illrigger’s flavor means it’s only really available to evil characters who want to serve devils. Evil characters are more challenging to work with at the table, given their tendency to be selfish and not be a team player with good-aligned allies.

If you want to play an Illrigger, it’s important to remember that D&D is a team game. Talk to your DM about using this third-party option first, and build carefully.

Illrigger subclasses

There are five Illrigger subclasses to choose from:

• Architect of Ruin – You gain the power to cast spells that can be modified by your seals or make your seals more effective.
• Hellspeaker – Charm and manipulate foes, then obliterate them with your extra accurate, extra deadly strikes.
• Painkiller – Deal devastating blows and dominate that battlefield – and command your friends to do the same during your turn.
• Sanguine Knight – You can manipulate the blood in others’ bodies, which is mainly used to fuel healing and buffs for your friends.
• Shadowmaster – These Illriggers use darkness to their advantage, meaning their attacks are as sharp and sudden as any assassin’s.

DnD classes FAQ

Above, we’ve profiled all the main Dungeons and Dragons classes and how they play – but there’s some more key info and tips you should know when planning your next character! Here, we answer the most important questions on classes in the game, including:

How to choose the right DnD class for you

DnD classes define what makes you an adventurer – whether that be a particular profession, faith, heritage, or lifestyle choice. Each has its own play styles, with different strengths and weaknesses. Every class also comes with a host of subclasses that offer new and varied ways to play (more on them in a moment).

You might choose a class because you like its description or because it fills a role in the party that you’d find enjoyable. If you’re a new player, you might also want to choose one of the simpler classes to start with.

The 2024 Player’s Handbook provides a useful table summarizing these key features:

The Artificer, Blood Hunter, and Illrigger don’t appear in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, so we’ve made our own table of features for them:

The main abilities listed here give you a general idea of what role a class might play in their adventuring party. However, the D&D community also uses key terms to define a character’s typical activities.

It’s generally recommended that your group has a good spread of these roles rather than a bunch of classes that fill the same niche. This makes you a more powerful team in general, but it also gives everyone a unique role – meaning everyone gets to have a hero moment without treading on anyone else’s toes.

A few notes, in case you use these roles to find your next D&D class:

• Most classes can perform multiple roles for a party.
• You don’t need to have one of every role listed here to make a strong, fun D&D party.
• Your chosen subclass makes a big difference to the roles you can fill. For example, a healing-focused Life Cleric won’t make a good Blaster, but a Light Cleric will.
• Because of this, it’s fine to have multiple of the same class in your party, as picking different subclasses means they offer different strengths.

If you want a step-by-step guide, use our complete DnD character creator to walk you through character creation from start to finish.

When do I pick my DnD subclass?

In Dungeons and Dragons 5e, subclasses are specialized variants within each class – depending on your class, you’ll get to choose one at level two or three.

Each one has its own distinct flavor and theme, to help you make your character distinct from the vanilla class by giving you access to new skills, spells, and traits, often changing your particular role within the party. Typically, you’ll unlock new subclass features every two or three level-ups.

Each subclass represents a distinct tradition, group, or way of life followed by specialists within each class, so you’ll find they have a variety of different names, depending on which class you’re playing. For Warlocks, subclasses are dictated by which infernal entity is giving you power; so they’re referred to as Warlock Patrons. For Wizards, your subclass is the particular School of Magic you studied at, and so on.

Choosing a subclass isn’t as important as your base class, but it does decide some of your most powerful abilities, and give you lots of opportunities for roleplaying – so it’s worth carefully considering which you like best.

Key tip: The new 2024 Player’s Handbook slims down the range of subclasses to just four per class, but there is a much wider variety of subclasses on offer from the older sourcebooks released between 2014 and 2024. If you’re using the 2024 core rules, you may use older subclasses – but some rules tweaks may be needed, so check with your DM first.

For full info, read our DnD subclasses guide.

What is DnD multiclassing, and how do I do it?

In DnD 5e, you can also play a ‘multiclass’ character – this means gaining levels in more than one class at the same time. Multiclassing is a super popular way to play the game, because it gives you access to a whole new slate of abilities, spells, buffs, and tactical options.

It’s also extremely straightforward to do in DnD 5e: on each DnD level up, you can simply choose to gain a level in a different class, rather than the one you started with. The only rule is that your character’s core ability scores meet the minimum requirement for the class you want to ‘dip’ into.

Here’s a handy table showing those multiclassing minimum stats:

A multi-class character’s total level is measured as the sum of all their level ups across classes – so if you have four levels in Sorcerer and two in Warlock, you’re a level six Sorcerer/Warlock (commonly called Sorlock).

As long as you meet the stat minimums above, you can also dip into as many different classes as you like, as your character keeps leveling up. You’ll unlock each of your classes’ subclasses, too, when you reach the target level within that class – so all kinds of wild hybrids are possible if you’ve got the character crafting creativity to make it work!

Just remember that, while you’re dipping into multiple class trees, other party members will be reaching higher power levels in their single class – and the Challenge Ratings of the monsters you’ll be facing will be getting ever scarier. You’ll get a wider spread of abilities, but you won’t be able to reach the pinnacle of any one class – so you need to be smart about the ways you want to use your new skill combos to aid the party.

For a full run-through and top tier multiclass character ideas, read our complete DnD multiclassing guide.

And that’s it for our complete rundown of the Dungeons and Dragons 5e classes, for now! Our many up to date rules explainers can also help you through your latest campaign – try our breakdowns of the important DnD stats you need to understand, the six DnD sizes for creatures, and our handy DnD level up checklist.

We’re also keeping track of the latest updates to the DnD release schedule – so keep that one bookmarked for upcoming releases!

Source: Wargamer