D&D 5e classes
All thirteen official classes: what each does in a party, how hard it is to play, the ability it depends on, and how to choose.
Your class is the biggest choice you make for a D&D character. It decides what you do in a fight, what you’re good at outside one, how many hit points you have and whether you cast spells. Everything else, from race to background, adds to it.
Fifth edition has twelve classes in the Player’s Handbook, plus the artificer, which Wizards of the Coast published later. Below, each one gets a plain summary: the role it plays in a party, how much there is to learn, the ability score it depends on and what it’s like to play.
Difficulty is about how much you have to track and decide each turn, not how strong the class is. An Easy class is a good first character; a Hard one rewards players who like reading their options and planning ahead.
All classes at a glance
| Class | Role | Difficulty | Main ability | Hit die | Saving throws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificer | Support caster and inventor | Moderate | Intelligence | d8 | Constitution, Intelligence |
| Barbarian | Front-line damage and tank | Easy | Strength, then Constitution | d12 | Strength, Constitution |
| Bard | Support caster, face and jack of all trades | Moderate | Charisma | d8 | Dexterity, Charisma |
| Cleric | Healer and divine caster | Moderate | Wisdom | d8 | Wisdom, Charisma |
| Druid | Nature caster and shapeshifter | Hard | Wisdom | d8 | Intelligence, Wisdom |
| Fighter | Weapon master and front line | Easy | Strength or Dexterity | d10 | Strength, Constitution |
| Monk | Fast skirmisher and striker | Moderate | Dexterity and Wisdom | d8 | Strength, Dexterity |
| Paladin | Armored holy warrior with burst damage | Moderate | Strength and Charisma | d10 | Wisdom, Charisma |
| Ranger | Wilderness scout and archer | Moderate | Dexterity and Wisdom | d10 | Strength, Dexterity |
| Rogue | Skill expert and precision striker | Easy | Dexterity | d8 | Dexterity, Intelligence |
| Sorcerer | Blaster caster with Metamagic | Moderate | Charisma | d6 | Constitution, Charisma |
| Warlock | Pact caster with a signature blast | Moderate | Charisma | d8 | Wisdom, Charisma |
| Wizard | Versatile arcane caster | Hard | Intelligence | d6 | Intelligence, Wisdom |
SRD subclasses
Each class’s subclass from the System Reference Document has a page of its own: every feature in the 2014 and 2024 rules, what changed, and a guide to playing it.
| Subclass | Class | 2024 rules | Chosen at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Path of the Berserker | Barbarian | Same name | 3rd level |
| College of Lore | Bard | Same name | 3rd level |
| Life Domain | Cleric | Same name | 1st level (2024: 3rd) |
| Circle of the Land | Druid | Same name | 2nd level (2024: 3rd) |
| Champion | Fighter | Same name | 3rd level |
| Way of the Open Hand | Monk | Warrior of the Open Hand | 3rd level |
| Oath of Devotion | Paladin | Same name | 3rd level |
| Hunter | Ranger | Same name | 3rd level |
| Thief | Rogue | Same name | 3rd level |
| Draconic Bloodline | Sorcerer | Draconic Sorcery | 1st level (2024: 3rd) |
| The Fiend | Warlock | Fiend Patron | 1st level (2024: 3rd) |
| School of Evocation | Wizard | Evoker | 2nd level (2024: 3rd) |
The classes
Artificer
Role: Support caster and inventor · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Intelligence · Spellcasting: Intelligence · Artificer Specialist: 3rd level · Source: Official: Eberron: Rising from the Last War and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
An inventor who puts magic into objects. Artificers infuse gear with magical upgrades for the whole party, cast Intelligence spells as half casters, and specialize as alchemists, armorers, artillerists or battle smiths with a mechanical companion.
Barbarian
Role: Front-line damage and tank · Difficulty: Easy · Main ability: Strength, then Constitution · Primal Path: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
The toughest character at the table. Barbarians have the biggest hit die in the game, Rage to hit harder and shrug off weapon damage, and very little to track. Charge in, swing hard, and stay standing when everyone else is on the floor.
Bard
Role: Support caster, face and jack of all trades · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Charisma · Spellcasting: Charisma · Bard College: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A performer whose music and words are magic. Bards are full spellcasters with healing, control and illusions, skills picked from any list plus Jack of All Trades for the rest, and Bardic Inspiration to boost their friends’ rolls. If you want to be good at a bit of everything and talk your way through problems, play a bard.
Cleric
Role: Healer and divine caster · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Wisdom · Spellcasting: Wisdom · Divine Domain: 1st level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A champion of a god, and the best healer in the game. Clerics wear armor, prepare spells from their entire list every day, and turn undead. Their domain, chosen at 1st level, can make them a front-line warrior, a trickster or a scholar; see the cleric spell list.
Druid
Role: Nature caster and shapeshifter · Difficulty: Hard · Main ability: Wisdom · Spellcasting: Wisdom · Druid Circle: 2nd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A guardian of the wild who commands storms, plants and beasts. Druids prepare Wisdom spells from a strong list of control and healing magic, and from 2nd level can Wild Shape into animals. Juggling two sets of statistics makes them one of the most complex classes.
Fighter
Role: Weapon master and front line · Difficulty: Easy · Main ability: Strength or Dexterity · Martial Archetype: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
The best at fighting with weapons, and the most flexible build in the game: sword and shield, greatsword, bow or two blades. Fighters get more attacks and Ability Score Improvements than anyone, plus Second Wind and Action Surge. The classic first character.
Monk
Role: Fast skirmisher and striker · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Dexterity and Wisdom · Monastic Tradition: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A martial artist who fights without armor or weapons. Monks are the fastest class, attack several times a turn with their fists, and spend ki on stunning strikes, dodges and bursts of movement. They need two good ability scores, which makes them trickier to build.
Paladin
Role: Armored holy warrior with burst damage · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Strength and Charisma · Spellcasting: Charisma · Sacred Oath: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A knight bound by a sacred oath. Paladins wear heavy armor, heal with Lay on Hands, protect nearby allies with their aura, and spend spell slots on Divine Smite for huge single hits. Their oath shapes their ideals and their powers.
Ranger
Role: Wilderness scout and archer · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Dexterity and Wisdom · Spellcasting: Wisdom · Ranger Conclave: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A hunter and tracker at home in the wild. Rangers mix weapon skill, especially with bows, with Wisdom spells like Hunter’s Mark, and their conclave can add an animal companion or a stalker’s ambush. Best in campaigns with plenty of travel and exploration.
Rogue
Role: Skill expert and precision striker · Difficulty: Easy · Main ability: Dexterity · Roguish Archetype: 3rd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
The expert at sneaking, lock-picking, talking and finding traps. Rogues deal big Sneak Attack damage once a turn and use Cunning Action to dash, hide or disengage as a bonus action. Easy to play, with lots of room to be clever.
Sorcerer
Role: Blaster caster with Metamagic · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Charisma · Spellcasting: Charisma · Sorcerous Origin: 1st level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A spellcaster born with magic in the blood. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards but bend them with Metamagic: casting two spells in a turn, hitting two targets with one spell, or letting allies shrug off the worst of their own Fireball.
Warlock
Role: Pact caster with a signature blast · Difficulty: Moderate · Main ability: Charisma · Spellcasting: Charisma · Otherworldly Patron: 1st level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
A spellcaster who made a bargain with a powerful patron. Warlocks have only a few spell slots, but they come back on a short rest and always cast at full power, and Eldritch Blast with invocations is one of the best attack cantrips in the game.
Wizard
Role: Versatile arcane caster · Difficulty: Hard · Main ability: Intelligence · Spellcasting: Intelligence · Arcane Tradition: 2nd level · Source: Official: Player’s Handbook
The scholar of magic, with the largest spell list in the game. Wizards copy spells into a spellbook, prepare a different set each day and cast rituals for free. Fragile early and very powerful later, they reward players who like planning; see the wizard spell list.
Which D&D class should I play?
Start with the character you imagine, not the numbers. Every class is strong enough to be fun at a normal table, and the party’s mix matters more than any single pick. A few questions narrow it down quickly:
- Do you want to hit things or cast spells? For weapons, look at the fighter, barbarian, rogue and monk. For spells, the wizard, sorcerer, warlock, cleric, druid and bard. For both, the paladin, ranger and artificer.
- How much do you want to track? The fighter, barbarian and rogue have the fewest moving parts. The wizard and druid have the most. The warlock is a good middle ground for a first spellcaster: few slots, and they come back on a short rest.
- Do you want to help your friends? The cleric, bard and druid heal; the bard, cleric and paladin boost allies; the artificer upgrades the whole party’s gear.
- Do you want to be the one who talks? Charisma classes, the bard, sorcerer, warlock and paladin, make natural party faces. The rogue has the skills for it too.
- Do you want to be hard to kill? The barbarian, fighter and paladin have the hit points and armor to stand in front.
When you’ve picked, the character creation guide walks through the rest of the build, and the builder fills in your class’s hit points, saves and proficiencies automatically.
What is the easiest D&D class for beginners?
The fighter, barbarian and rogue. They have few resources to track, clear things to do each turn, and they’re hard to build badly. If you want to cast spells in your first game, the warlock or cleric is a good start.
How many classes are there in D&D 5e?
Thirteen official classes: the twelve in the Player’s Handbook (barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, warlock and wizard) plus the artificer.
What is the strongest class in 5e?
It depends on the level and the table. Full spellcasters like the wizard, cleric and druid have the most powerful tools at high levels; fighters, paladins and barbarians are strongest in the early game and in long days of fighting. No class is too weak to enjoy.
Which class is the best healer?
The cleric, followed by the druid and the bard. Paladins heal well with Lay on Hands, and any party does better with at least one character who can cast Healing Word.
Which class does the most damage?
Against single targets, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues lead. Against groups, sorcerers and wizards with area spells like Fireball deal the most over a fight.
Can I play more than one class?
Yes, with the Player’s Handbook’s optional multiclassing rules, if your DM allows them. You generally need a score of 13 or higher in the main ability of both your current class and the new one.
Did the 2024 Player’s Handbook change the classes?
It revised all twelve Player’s Handbook classes and moved each one’s subclass choice to 3rd level. The builder supports both editions, and each class page shows what changed in 2024.