The question you ask yourself when creating your character is “What class should I choose?” You can choose from the list of stock classes below or you can design your own. To help you make an informed choice, check out our table for each of the standard DnD classes.
A Quick Overview of DnD Classes
| DESCRIPTION | TYPE | PRIMARY ABILITY |
|---|---|---|
| ARTIFICER | Support, Utility, Ranged damage | Intelligence |
| BARBARIAN | Melee damage, Tank | Strength |
| BARD | Utility, Support caster, Control | Charisma |
| CLERIC | Support caster, Healer, Melee damage | Wisdom |
| DRUID | Utility, Support caster, Healer, Control | Wisdom |
| FIGHTER | Tank, Melee damage | Strength or dexterity |
| MONK | Melee damage, Control | Dexterity and wisdom |
| PALADIN | Tank, Melee damage, Support, Healer | Strength and charisma |
| RANGER | Ranged damage, Utility, Support | Dexterity and wisdom |
| ROGUE | Melee/ranged damage, Utility | Dexterity |
| SORCERER | Spell damage, Control | Charisma |
| WARLOCK | Utility, Spell damage, Control | Charisma |
| WIZARD | Utility, Spell damage, Control | Intelligence |
Available DnD classes
Class is one of the defining characteristics of your DnD character. A character class defines a character’s capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. At its most basic level, it describes the general skills and abilities of a fictional character in order to help players decide how they want to approach play.
ARTIFICER
Short description: A support caster that uses his tinkering skills to craft magical items and wondrous devices.
Artificer is one of the DnD classes introduced in the 5th edition of the game. It’s a support class that focuses on using magic items and spells to help the team. The name artificer comes from the Latin word “Artifex,” which means “skilled craftsman.” They can cast spells to create magical items, which they can then use to power their own abilities.
Artificers are like wizards who specialize in magic items and constructs. They use their magic to create powerful items, and they have a special affinity for constructs, sentient beings created from inanimate objects. Which makes them extremely versatile. They can create drones, golems, and other mechanical helpers to assist them in battle. Their powers also allow them to repair or even re-create items that have been destroyed or damaged.
Artificers are often found among adventurers who are looking for treasure. As a result they find powerful magic items. In other words, the artificer is a class for those who enjoy tinkering with machines and creating new ones from scratch.
BARBARIAN
Short description: This class excels at fighting multiple enemies and taking huge amounts of damage. They are melee fighters who take their power from the chaos of battle and their fury at the world.
A barbarian’s main role is to be a frontline melee combatant. This means they use their rage feature to fuel their attacks and abilities. They are often the first to enter battle, and their high hit point total and ability scores make them excellent tanks. Barbarians also have many ways to buff themselves, making them more durable than other classes. They are not the most intelligent or educated characters, but they are extremely strong and can take a lot of hits.
In addition, the barbarian’s rage feature allows them to increase their power temporarily as they take damage in combat. Therefore, gaining a higher number of dice on attack rolls, and increasing their damage output at the cost of control over their actions.
BARD
Short description: A minstrel skilled at coaxing magical melodies from his instrument, who invokes the power of music to cast spells.
Bards are known for their magical songs, which they use to inspire their allies and weaken their enemies. They can charm the most powerful of foes to help them fight against other enemies. They are intelligent, charismatic, and focused on the arts but they can fill a variety of roles. The Bard is a jack of all trades and a master of none. This means that he can fill many roles in combat and even though they are able to heal or deal damage as other classes, they won’t be able to do it nearly as well. Bards are great at supporting their allies.
They are an excellent choice for players who want to play a supportive role in their party and don’t mind having less specialized abilities compared to other members of the party.
CLERIC
Short description: Priestly companions wield divine magic on behalf of deities, and their faith fuels that magic.
As a cleric, you’re a holy warrior who draws your power from your faith in a higher power. Whether you are devoted to gods of good or malignant forces is up to you. Your powers may be granted by the gods of light and life, or they might come from dark and sinister beings that seek to destroy everything around them.
Regardless of your source for divine magic, there are certain things that all clerics have in common: They must rely on their faith to perform their spells. All clerics are also proficient with light and medium armor and shields. Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and blessing their allies, and harming, even bestowing a curse on their enemies.
DRUID
Short description: A nature-based magic user who can take on animal forms.
The druid is one of the DnD classes that can be played as a “healer” or “tanker.” Which makes them one of the most versatile classes in the game. They have abilities that allow them to heal their party members and fight enemies with their fists and weapons. The Druid spell caster channels the power of nature to heal and protect friends and inflict damage on enemies.
They are spiritual leaders of nature and are able to shape change into different creatures. For instance, animals like bears or cats and even plants. Therefore they are a balance between the arcane and divine. Also, they have the ability to speak with animals.
FIGHTER
Short description: An expert in the art of battle, a warrior skilled with a wide variety of weapons and armor.
The fighter is a melee class. Fighters have broad training that allows them to handle a variety of weapons with some degree of skill. They learn the basis of all combat styles but each fighter specializes in a certain fighting style. Some concentrate on archery, some on fighting with two weapons at once, and some on augmenting their martial skills with magic. They have a variety of weapon and armor options available to them and are adept with shields. Fighters can also choose from several skill proficiencies that will help make them highly competent in those areas.
The main strength of a fighter is his ability to withstand a lot of attacks while doing a lot of damage, which makes him ideal for players who like to play defensively or offensively in combat situations.
MONK
Short description: Monks, who have mastered the martial arts, can use their Ki (or internal energy) to perform incredible feats, such as strength and control beyond that of a normal human being.
Monks are masters of martial arts, agile and strong, specialized in unarmed combat. They can wear light armor and use special abilities based on mystic energy called Ki. The monk level determines the number of Ki points you have. They also excel at moving around the battlefield, avoiding damage while dealing it out in spades.
Monk Ki features include a Flurry of Blows, patient defense, and step of the wind. With these features, a monk can make additional unarmed strikes on his/her turn, dodge attacks, or even disengage and dash as a bonus action. Monks are trained in a variety of weapons and have increased speed above all.
PALADIN
Short description: A holy warrior, bound to a sacred oath. They gain magic powers through their devotion to that Oath.
Paladins are warriors who have taken vows to uphold justice, righteousness, and the principles of their faith. They use their powers to smite evil foes and heal the innocent. In DnD 5th edition, paladins commit themselves to a path that obeys a particular oath however they can choose one of a number of sacred oaths that encompasses the nature of their quest.
Moreover, the paladin’s strength and ability to inspire others come from their devotion to their deity. Their piety allows them to channel divine energy directly from their deity, making them a huge force on the battlefield. A paladin’s code is as important as his or her faith. The code emphasizes fairness, mercy, honesty, and loyalty.
RANGER
Short description: A ranger is a master of survival that uses his knowledge of the wild to track and combat threats.
Rangers are masters of the wilderness, so they are great trackers and hunters and can move through nature quickly and efficiently. In addition to being able to live off the land, rangers also have a lot of knowledge about animals and plants.
They journey deep into the wilds on their own or with others, learning all they can about the land as they go along. They’re excellent scouts for adventuring parties who need someone to keep an eye out for enemies or dangers. Because rangers are a half-caster class in the 5th edition, they have limited spellcasting, usually focused on tracking or hiding.
ROGUE
Short description: Rogues are masters of the shadowy arts, relying on skills, stealth, and the vulnerabilities of their enemies to gain the upper hand in any situation.
Rogues are masters of dealing damage and dodging attacks. They’re also proficient in moving around the battlefield and hiding, making them good at disabling traps and opening locks. Their stealth abilities allow them to sneak up on enemies and attack them, surprise them from behind, inflicting extra damage.
Rogues are versatile, with skills that can be used both in battle and outside of it. They’re stealthy and dexterous and are able to find and disarm traps or pick a lock if they need to get in somewhere. While rogues lack strong defensive abilities, their expertise at avoiding hits makes them hard to hit when they want to be evasive.
SORCERER
Short description: A spellcaster who draws on magic derived from inborn talent. They can customize the way their spells work through meta magic, a type of magical talent or gift.
Sorcerers are powerful magic users who draw their power from an inner source and have no need for ritual or study. They can cast spells spontaneously, without preparation, and unlike other classes, casting spells comes naturally to them.
The sorcerer’s power comes from within, rather than from an ancient artifact or secret knowledge. Because of this, a sorcerer is able to cast spells without preparation or study. They have a special relationship with their magic, and their spells are always powerful.
WARLOCK
Short description: A practitioner of magic that draws its power from a bargain with a powerful entity. A wielder of eldritch abilities, who focuses on blasting one’s enemies with arcane power.
They are described in the game as those who have made a pact with an otherworldly being, such as a devil or demon, and can use their power to cast spells and perform rituals. By binding themselves to these entities, they gain access to a wide array of powers that they can use in combat.
They do not cast spells, but instead use spell-like abilities called “invocations”. The most important of these abilities is the “eldritch blast”, which is the warlock’s main offensive ability, firing a blast of magical energy at the target.
WIZARD
Short description: Scholars specialized in the arcane arts, capable of altering reality itself. Wizards draw upon an essential strand of magic, weaving it into spells that burn and blast, manipulate minds, and command the elements.
Wizards are known for their magical ability and their intelligence. They are spellcasters who can cast the most spells per day and knows the highest number of cantrips. Wizards are highly schooled in one or two disciplines but have limited martial training. They specialize in the school of magic that they choose at level one.
Wizards are powerful spellcasters who can conjure up fireballs and lightning storms to destroy their enemies. Therefore they wear light armor and use wands as their weapon of choice. They also have an impressive amount of knowledge and are able to recall any fact they’ve ever learned with a simple question. Or by reading an old book.
