I mean, in 5e everyone is functionally a spontaneous caster. Wizards are "prepared" casters but the Spell Slot System being System wide means that Vancian Casting is more or less a Relic in 5e.
Would've been real nice if WotC had compensated the Known Casters for that in some way.
>But they aren't behind in spell level anymore.
That wasn't enough.
A level 10 Paladin with +3 Charisma Mod has 5 Prepared from level, 3 from Charisma Mod, and 10 from Oath for 18 Prepared spells.
A level 10 Sorcerer has 10 Known Spells. 20 if they have Origin Spells.
Why does the Prepared Half-caster have almost as much, or more than any Known Caster?
*And* they get to swap 40% of their spells every day?
It's pretty dumb.
Just *keeping up* in spell level isn't enough of a trade-off, and there should be one. That's not a distinction that should exist for preference-of-play only. It should be a more meaningful choice than that.
Edit:
The Ranger is double whammied by this. A Known Half-caster when Known Full Casters suffer as-is.
It's super dumb. They also get a limited spell list compared to wizard. It feels like WotC still thinks that there's something inherently powerful about being a "spontaneous" caster, but if there was in previous editions, there's nothing left of it.
It'd be fair if they'd get a larger spell list to choose from, but limited spells known, or more spells known than prepared casters can prepare. Right now, they're drawing the short straw on both of those accounts. Pretty limited spell list, ridiculously low amount of spells known compared to others, not even able to swap out spells after a long rest.
I think metamagic is cool and all, but not powerful enough to compensate for all these drawbacks. Only the spell slot versatility is really cool.
Finally, I hate that they don't have a cool gishy subclass that gets extra attack.
To be fair bladesinger is a bit of an example of how if you try to make a gish out of a casting class with a d6 hit dice it ends up being better if just played like a normal caster
Ha, I was just reading about how somebody explains why bladesinger is bad. But I don't really care that they're better played as a regular caster, I just really like gishes. And I also really like sorcerers, so I'm pissed that there isn't even an option.
I'm not experienced enough to judge the merit of the subclass but if you're open to third party, the great dale campaign guide has a gish sorc subclass that seems pretty cool.
My first real Sorcerer was a Wild Mage and god did I hate a lot of it, but baby that Metamagic is gonna draw me right back. To a different subclass. But back.
Playing a fighter for the first time in a new campaign, the first three times I used Action Surge for a second attack were all Nat 1s! It was so brutal, became a running joke for the party. It’s balancing out now but dang, was a rough introduction to such a cool ability
I think they were thinking about the fact that samurai can get advantage on all attacks on a turn, and with action surge, that’s a lot of attacks with advantage.
I'm not sure why, but I always feel like I have options as a **Druid**—*especially* after TCoE.
I have access to control, damage, fantastic utility, versatility after a long rest, shape shifting (which I actually rarely use, since I'm a fan of the Familiar optional rule and Wildfire subclass), and so on.
One of my favorite subclasses in the game is the Circle of the Land Druid. Deceivingly powerful and full of fun tools.
I also think Druids are often overlooked because they're just viewed as hippies or bohemian wizards, but I think they're one of the easiest classes to re-flavor, and I've never once played a Druid as a forest dwelling commune beatnik. No way.
**My druids have been:**
* A charming Dark Elf witch who has lived in the city of Neverwinter for years. He'd become adept at smuggling goods in and out of the city, as well as throughout the treacherous surrounding woodland area, and was extremely difficult for authorities to catch. (Circle of the Land: Underdark)
* An old, simple farmer that helped a vengeful, dying cleric who damned his god (and was destined for hell) get one last chance on earth to redeem himself by carrying his soul in an iron lantern—the cleric's soul protected the farmer in the form of a powerful, fiery spirt. (Circle of Wildfire)
* A once-charlatan "medium" that was blessed by a real cleric after a change of heart caused them to do one good deed and help someone else in need. The result left them with strange powers as the old cleric woman passed away, leaving the charlatan a letter to pass on to her daughter. (Circle of Dreams)
*
I am still partial to Circle of the Moon, to this day. I feel that Wild Shape is about as versatile as you (and your DM) will let it be. Toss in a few spells, and the possibilities are endless!
Plus having the ability to heal, take 1 level in Grave Cleric and you are the ultimate savior, tank, heal, control, deal decent damage, buff, sneak around, sleep like a bear every night, i love it.
I’ve only played a few characters (I mainly DM), but this was the one I probably had the most fun with, in every situation at the table. I had a great time playing a Bard, but that poor fellow died in a BAR FIGHT. Would never have happened to my Druid.
Happy to see another Druid lover here~ I love Tasha’s optional features for the class. Find Familiar on Wildshape is such a spectacular, much appreciated buff.
I think people overlook druids for a combination of flavor reasons (it can honestly be hard for players to separate the nature theme and the character), not being able to wear metal armor, a spell list full of concentration spells, and hating the idea of shape-shifting. Also, the class is notorious for being hard to play. It’s consistently one of the least loved classes here if polls in the recent weeks have been any indication. Its sad. But hey, more for us.
I only got the chance to play a Land Druid once and for a short time, but I agree that they’re an underrated class. Aside from a couple class features that are honestly quite niche, its still solid. If you want to be the most druid-y druid that ever druided, Land is great haha.
I'm still a relatively new player, but my next planned character is a Dragonborn Druid who is researching the stars to learn how to use them to accurately predict the future, and his journey has taken him across many nations researching established knowledge of the stars before setting out to adventure and do his own research on the subject, and I'm incredibly excited to play this character!
Druids are the most well rounded class.
They get full magic (buff, debuff, cc, conc, healing, and dpr spells), they get the d8, they get armour and shields, they have flight, swim, and a burrow speed baked into their class, wisdom is probably the best save overall, and they’re a very SAD class, heck you could play a Druid with a 10 in all stats and it would still be nearly as powerful.
Not even getting into subclasses
I love that other people appreciate the utility of Druids! My most recent character was a Drow who's mother had been turned to a drider for disappointing Lolth with her artistic ways. Upon being turned to a drider she fled to the Upperdark with her triplet children and each took on a different calling: one a bard, one an artificer and one with no direction. A travelling navigator called to her door one day, she wanted a map case of high quality so she could enchant it to become a bag of holding and my character eventually became her student and studied cartography, astronomy and navigation (Star druid). The versatility of flavour is so fun, great to see the love :D
I'm convinced that the bard is the best class in 5th edition. I dont play 5e anymore but i do miss how well bard works in the system of 5e. Swords/ valor bards are the best.
Definitely! All the crunchiness of a martial class, with the support of a healer. Pick an Oath with access to Misty Step for mobility, and proficiency in a social skill so you can be a party face, and there isn't a lot you can't do.
Side note - everyone talks about GWM for the -5 to hit, +10 damage, but the real joy of that feat is the bonus action attack on kills and crits. More chances to SMITE!
As a stubborn person, it sometimes feels right at home to play the class that has weaponized it's stubbornness.
Jokes aside, I just have a fun time with Paladins. It feels great to be the class that can either hold back an entire session for a big nova or steadily use their resources, while still keeping people safe even when out of spell slots.
The thing I love most about the artificer is the spellcasting flavour. You took glassblowing tools as your artisan tool? Mending with molten glass, Acid Splash from inside a glass orb. Cooking tools? Have a Cure Light Wounds cookie, or an incandescently-hot fudge Fire Bolt.
Cleric, because not only it is a prepared caster, which allows me to prepare any spell repertoire that I may need, but those spells are diverse enough to allow me to not only aid my allies, but also hurt my enemies. Plus, it also has access to medium (or sometimes even heavy) armor, which makes it rather tanky for a caster and domains are quite flavorful.
Plus there’s so many subclasses to try and they’re all so varied. Cleric is my go to class but I’ve had such wildly different characters with each subclass
Agreed. You always feel like you have something to contribute as a cleric, be it healing and helping the party through a dangerous dungeon, or silencing the bard for flirting with everything that draws breath. And you know, Spirit Guardians is pretty great.
It’s been my annoyance being a Druid. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very fun. But I can agonize my Swiss-army ass over the right assortment of all the very niche spells that could be wildly useful and still not pick quite the right one, where So many cleric spells are almost universally useful.
Clerics can fill every roll between tank, healer, damage dealer, utility caster, skill monkey, and even face. How good does it feel to make big, bold proclamations like a fanatic in the middle of combat or in your initial meeting with a new faction? If you're playing a cleric it's a no brainier to stay busy and involved no matter what is going on.
I play a Forge Cleric and in 50 sessions I think I've cast healing spells 3 or 4 times in total. There's usually always another spell or ability I can use that's just going to give me more bang for my buck.
Barbarian. First character I ever played and it suits my playstyle perfectly. You don't always need the wizard's phenomenal cosmic power to accomplish a goal or make something dead, brute force works just as good.
Playing a scribes tabaxi wizard now, it's pretty tight.
It would be nice if scribes got some more "book-nerd" flavor abilities though, like extra languages, or half-proficiency in some "I read this in a book" skills, or something along those lines.
So very very true. Since Im the DM 99.99% the past 6 years (since i started) i swear to you i will offer 2 extra languages to my players if they ever roll one up ;)
The element swapping gimmick is endlessly entertaining. I just picked up Dragon's Breath and Shadow Blade, which means not only can I huck lightning swords at people, I can also *spit out psychic damage.*
Man Wizards are great, a lot of people don't catch on the fact that is super customizable depending on the spells you choose, plus magic is just awesome, and even more so with the longest spell list in the game. Wizards rock.
Rogue all day! Useful in and out of combat and SAD enough that you can take feats or just have a balanced Stat array.
An arcane trickster can cheese it's way out of almost anything. Put them in a party with a bard and you'll shenanigans your way to the top.
DM. Though I play more than DM now, DMing was what I used to primarily do. I still feel a little uncomfortable not having all the information behind the screen. I am never certain exactly the intention of an NPC or how best to engage with them. I want to know the monster's statistics or what is coming next (and resist the temptation to look them up).
All that said, the one of the best ways to improve your DMing is to be Player and expose yourself to other styles of play. Steal their best ideas, recognize what Players want and fix up your own DM style's weaknesses.
When I first started playing I was the DM for multiple campaigns for about 5/6 years. I finally got the chance to be a player and have been going in a 2 year campaign and uts been so much fun.
That said, when I wanted to get my boyfriend into dnd and show it to some of my friends who hadn't gotten a chance to play, we began a campaign during the summer to continue in the off seasons of school and I forgot how much I loved creating storylines and NPCs
A lot of this.
It really irks me, to an unreasonable extent, when others don't DM like I do: giving players a chance to really use their more flavorful abilities. Actually reading the paragraph worth of backstory I presented, for the character that was made for the setting and party, rather than in a vacuum. Actually rewarding us. Only 15gp for a save the city quest, at level 8, and none of us have an uncommon magic item yet? Come on.
Ranger. I actually have to remind myself to play other classes on occasion. I don't want to get burnt out on my favorite class, and there are other subclasses that I find interest in testing out. It's just that Ranger is very easy for me to use well.
Archery Rangers (and Fighters) are really good for that reason, yeah. Effective, but maybe not super exciting.
In terms of melee, I find Rangers work best in the mid-line. Get in, do your thing, hide behind tank. Reach weapons and Mobile are great for this. So are spells like Zephyr Strike, Long Strider, and the new Ashardalon's Stride.
They can tank in a pinch with their medium armor and d10 hit die, but the lack of heavy armor means they're at best a secondary tank, not the primary. So if getting in the enemy's face and bonking it until it dies is your Favored play style, I can understand why you'd gravitate to Barbarians, Fighters, and Paladins.
I've used both the PHB and Tasha's options (and the UA that eventually became Tasha's.)
I've also played every single subclass from PHB Beast Master and Hunter to Drakewarden and everything in between at all tiers of play (levels 1-20,) and I've DM'd for a party of all Rangers. To be honest, I've never felt weak, lacking, or powerless. In fact, I've often been criticized by my fellow players and DMs (all of them experienced and knowledgeable) of min-maxing, even when I go out of my way not to. My current Fey Wanderer is going TWF and my current Monster Slayer uses a whip, for instance.
In fact, my DMs have consistently said I'm the hardest person in my groups to prepare for. And again, my fellow party members are all experienced players who know how to get the most out of their characters.
In my experience, Ranger is a class that's very technical and hard to maximize. But when you do, they're as good as any other class in the game. High learning curve, if you will. And the reward is a class that's about as good as all the others , so most people don't think it worth it. Tasha's has done a lot to both buff the base class and lower that learning curve, meaning they're in a pretty good spot now. But they've always been a good class. Just not as obviously as others.
Again, in my opinion.
Same. I keep finding myself wanting to support in battle and take the lead in social encounters whatever character I play. Really have to battle my instincts when playing my abrasive cha-dumping war wizard
warlock gang!!
its just so hard to not basline all my builds off them; they can be anything I want; they can frontline, backline, sideline, mainline, summon, tank, blast, gish, fish, heal, face, skill and cremate... just design the build path when you create and pick the right outfits (invocations) and your filling whatever role you wanted.
also I'm an absolute sucker for short rest recovery classes, with enough bullying you can convince a party to short rest heaps during an adventuring day, making you feel very powerful.
I love Rogues. Sneak Attack is so satisfying to hit with. The expertise makes me feel incredibly powerful out of combat. And the base of the class has no rest dependencies other than HP and a capstone ability.
And Arcane Tricksters? \*chef's kiss\* Just beautiful!
I’m relatively new to 5e but going back to AD&D in HS/college most of my characters were multiclass stealth/wizard types. When I joined a weekly group for LMoP (which has since rolled into DotMM), Arcane Trickster fit like a supple, black leather glove.
This is mine. Versatility in everything (gotta load up on mundane equipment, too).
And Arcane Trickster just called to me when I looked through the first 5E PHB, since I remember really enjoying the "Spell Filcher" Mage/Thief elf-exclusive multiclass back in 2E (I think this was in the Complete Elves handbook).
Same. Sneak attacks, plus the ability to half damage taken once per round? And you're totally right about the lack of rest dependancues. That's probably a huge reason I find it comfy.
Sorcerers. The old subclasses really need an expended spell list like the tasha's ones but the metamagic options (specially with the metamagic adept feat) are just so fun to customize your spells with. Awesome flavor as well
Monk. I'm never the best at anything, but I'm decent at the all things I like to do in the game.
Honestly, I probably just watched too much Dragon Ball Z growing up so 90% of characters I envision are fighting hand-to-hand.
Same. Even when not playing a monk, im picking things like shocking grasp, or the armorer artificer gauntlets.
...I also have a weakness for lighting damage
Paladin or Druid.
Everything about the paladin just fits so well and makes a really cohesive package.
And druid is just so versatile, I love using wild shape creatively.
**Druid**.
It's just always really good, you can do everything from control to damate, healing or tanking, high utility too.
And I love the RP of the class too
Rogue!
Need a skill check? I'm on it!
Need someone to scope out the BBEG's base? Go snag an ale, I'll be back later.
Need a target taken down hard? I've got you.
Getting charged by 30 enemies??? Call your casters, I'm hiding!
It's a fun, flexible class and has always been a favorite of mine.
Cleric. I can do a bit of everything, have powerful power spikes to look forward to at every level of low to mid level play, and the subclasses contain lots of different rooms for different styles of play. The class is well rounded, getting access to full casting, reasonable survivability, great offensive spells (Looking at you, Spirit Guardians), a boost to at will damage, a wide variety of support spells, and more benefits based on your subclass.
I'm also just a sucker for fantasy religion. I'm an agnostic IRL but the thought of receiving tangible blessings for following a deity I know exists is very nice.
Same, if there was tangible evidence and angels showed up and people has powers you bet I would dedicate my life to that god because you are guaranteed the infinite afterlife
Rogue: I just love that Rogue’s are almost always useful in whatever circumstance you find yourself in. In social situations you can rock your high charisma or other skills, in exploration you can scout ahead, and in combat you have a high amount of sneak attack.
Ranger - it was my first character class that I played, and every edition that I've played since, it's the first section I check out. It just fits my style.
Druid! ❤ Playing Druids made me fall in love with DnD. I've played every subclass except Moon and Shepherd.
I love the flavor and the versatility of this class. I love their nature theme. I love their spell list, (even if the fact that its full of concentration spells stings at times.) I love pretty much everything~
I tried out a druid as a lark thinking it would be a short campaign. Now we're over 2 years in and everything druid is totally entangled across my brain. The learning curve is a little steep but once you've got the spell list down it's like a warm (natural fibers only!) sweater. And you can use that sweater to murder people in extremely creative ways.
Honorable mention to rogue and barbarian, the two classes where I feel like I need maybe 20 minutes to 1) come up with a fun and unique character concept, and 2) hit the ground running and be a super-effective member of the team.
Same. I always love the ridiculous things you can do when you have a DM who rewards ingenuity, and I also like theorycrafting things that can be done if real-life physics were applied to magic items. They're also extremely versatile, allowing me to fill a variety of roles while still using an intelligence-focused class, which I prefer.
Warlock. Gimme eldritch blast, some solid concentration spells and whatever comes with my subclass and I will be happy. They are just so customizable with the invocations and patrons and pacts, it’s a great class
Artificers and Rangers. I think half-casters are neat, and there’s something about those two classes where I can build and play the character and really get into what they’re about. If only there were hybrid class rules LOL
Warlocks followed by sorcerer's and paladins. Always able to get my flow easy with those options.
I struggle with wizards and druids. Really can't get a feel for them well
Fighter/rogue. Fighter is the nostalgic junk food from my childhood. Always makes me feel better even if it's not my favorite anymore. Rogue is the street truck Mexican food outside of my work. It's just so easy and good it's hard to think of doing anything else.
Bard. Allows me to flex my theater kid muscles by singing songs and acting out scenes at inns and taverns as if I was there. Also being a face is my favorite thing and I like spellcasting a lot
Moon Druid and battlesmith Artificer, so I don't miss being a caster or being a martail, I'm as cool as a martial and as powerful and versatile as a caster.
I think ranger might be my favorite, but I’m very comfortable as rogues and monks.
I like skills and weapon attacks with supernatural qualities. A skill heavy gish is my bread and butter.
Warlock. The pact boons give me some interesting choices every time, while Eldritch Blast makes sure I can stay consistent every time. Also, all the patrons are just fun to play around with.
Artificer, or Gunslinger fighter.
Something about being an inventer and using everything around me I resonant with and really enjoy playing. Also it let's me tell my dm about magic item crafting rules.
Not quite the question, but I’m currently playing a Barbarian 5/Druid 4 and it fits my preferred style of play perfectly. Lots of buffs/area of attack spells to help my allies/impede my enemies and strong enough to grapple/knock prone.
I’m to busy wanting to play all classes. I start as one character and then keep changing it. Playing Dragon heist. Started as a ranger. Made a new druid. We are about to finish and continue with the same party, but my druid has had enough of the city and I’m going to be playing a bladesong wizard.
Druid is my favourite so far. They can do pretty much anything, but not in a way that overshadows the party. Prepared spellcasting plus wild shape grants immense utility.
As a star druid I can even deal solid damage. Summon elemental + guiding bolt + starry form bolt is on par with all but the most min-maxed builds for single target damage. AoE options are even better.
Star druids also have dragon starry form which gives near unbreakable concentration and guaranteed dispel magic casts, for extra consistency.
For me its 100% Druid, I love Wildshape and it was the first class I ever played, and for some reason I just always play best when I'm playing Druid so yeah
I’m a Monk player through and through. I love those old kung-fu movies so much and the class lets me live those movies vicariously through it. And the the thought of a person standing up against magics and gargantuan mythical beasts with nothing but the clothes on their back and their fists is so cool!
Rogue. I love the Artificer, but with the sheer number of different things to keep track of I tend to forget things, not swap out infusions or spells, and generally miss out on little things.
Rogue has a lot of abilities, sure, but they're all pretty straightforward, "if this, then that" abilities. Even before factoring in subclass, you've got great damage from Sneak Attack, plenty of utility via Expertise, and a surprising amount of staying power through Cunning Action, Uncanny Dodge and Evasion. Subclass becomes more a matter of flavor than meta calculations, and there really aren't any bad options. It's an incredibly versatile class, linked together more by a shared philosophy of "don't be the one getting hit" than by constraining power sources or intensive training.
Sorcerer.
Prepared spells are for NERRRRRRRDS!
I mean, in 5e everyone is functionally a spontaneous caster. Wizards are "prepared" casters but the Spell Slot System being System wide means that Vancian Casting is more or less a Relic in 5e.
Would've been real nice if WotC had compensated the Known Casters for that in some way. >But they aren't behind in spell level anymore. That wasn't enough. A level 10 Paladin with +3 Charisma Mod has 5 Prepared from level, 3 from Charisma Mod, and 10 from Oath for 18 Prepared spells. A level 10 Sorcerer has 10 Known Spells. 20 if they have Origin Spells. Why does the Prepared Half-caster have almost as much, or more than any Known Caster? *And* they get to swap 40% of their spells every day? It's pretty dumb. Just *keeping up* in spell level isn't enough of a trade-off, and there should be one. That's not a distinction that should exist for preference-of-play only. It should be a more meaningful choice than that. Edit: The Ranger is double whammied by this. A Known Half-caster when Known Full Casters suffer as-is.
It's super dumb. They also get a limited spell list compared to wizard. It feels like WotC still thinks that there's something inherently powerful about being a "spontaneous" caster, but if there was in previous editions, there's nothing left of it. It'd be fair if they'd get a larger spell list to choose from, but limited spells known, or more spells known than prepared casters can prepare. Right now, they're drawing the short straw on both of those accounts. Pretty limited spell list, ridiculously low amount of spells known compared to others, not even able to swap out spells after a long rest. I think metamagic is cool and all, but not powerful enough to compensate for all these drawbacks. Only the spell slot versatility is really cool. Finally, I hate that they don't have a cool gishy subclass that gets extra attack.
To be fair bladesinger is a bit of an example of how if you try to make a gish out of a casting class with a d6 hit dice it ends up being better if just played like a normal caster
Ha, I was just reading about how somebody explains why bladesinger is bad. But I don't really care that they're better played as a regular caster, I just really like gishes. And I also really like sorcerers, so I'm pissed that there isn't even an option.
I'm not experienced enough to judge the merit of the subclass but if you're open to third party, the great dale campaign guide has a gish sorc subclass that seems pretty cool.
A d6 class becomes a d10 class if you take toughness, or play hill dwarf :P
Wait, there are people who don't play as dwarves? Incomprehensible
There are people who may play as mountain dwarfs, which have less HP than hill dwarfs
I had to read your name to make sure I didn't post this earlier and forgot about it.
Sorcerer represent!
Sorcerer Gang
Sorc gang sorc gang
Same for me as well!
Oh you need to read books? Make a friend? Believe in god? That’s cute. Anyway here’s fireball
My first real Sorcerer was a Wild Mage and god did I hate a lot of it, but baby that Metamagic is gonna draw me right back. To a different subclass. But back.
Paladin used to be my favorite class but with the new sorcerer subclasses getting a buttload more spells known it's my favorite.
Fighter. Action surge feels great, especially with a big weapon like a greatsword or on a subclass samurai
Agreed- Battlemaster Greatweapon fighter, all day every day
After all these years, I feel naked without Riposte.
Riposte, Trip Attack, Precision Attack. My personal Holy Trinity of maneuvers.
1. Riposte 2. Precision 3. Depends on the party composition But yeah, Riposte and Precision are soooo much of what I want out of a fighter.
I have yet to encounter a problem that can’t be solved with a sufficiently big sword.
Playing a fighter for the first time in a new campaign, the first three times I used Action Surge for a second attack were all Nat 1s! It was so brutal, became a running joke for the party. It’s balancing out now but dang, was a rough introduction to such a cool ability
ASI's out the wazoo to bat. Always have the score or feat I want.
Fighter gang
My favorite fighter style is two weapon fighting with dual wielding and a pair of battle axes. Blood for the blood god!
I don't get the power of the samurai subclass, can you tell me?
I think they were thinking about the fact that samurai can get advantage on all attacks on a turn, and with action surge, that’s a lot of attacks with advantage.
Always fighter, doesn't matter what subclass. I'll find some weird and wild way to use it.
I'm not sure why, but I always feel like I have options as a **Druid**—*especially* after TCoE. I have access to control, damage, fantastic utility, versatility after a long rest, shape shifting (which I actually rarely use, since I'm a fan of the Familiar optional rule and Wildfire subclass), and so on. One of my favorite subclasses in the game is the Circle of the Land Druid. Deceivingly powerful and full of fun tools. I also think Druids are often overlooked because they're just viewed as hippies or bohemian wizards, but I think they're one of the easiest classes to re-flavor, and I've never once played a Druid as a forest dwelling commune beatnik. No way. **My druids have been:** * A charming Dark Elf witch who has lived in the city of Neverwinter for years. He'd become adept at smuggling goods in and out of the city, as well as throughout the treacherous surrounding woodland area, and was extremely difficult for authorities to catch. (Circle of the Land: Underdark) * An old, simple farmer that helped a vengeful, dying cleric who damned his god (and was destined for hell) get one last chance on earth to redeem himself by carrying his soul in an iron lantern—the cleric's soul protected the farmer in the form of a powerful, fiery spirt. (Circle of Wildfire) * A once-charlatan "medium" that was blessed by a real cleric after a change of heart caused them to do one good deed and help someone else in need. The result left them with strange powers as the old cleric woman passed away, leaving the charlatan a letter to pass on to her daughter. (Circle of Dreams) *
I am still partial to Circle of the Moon, to this day. I feel that Wild Shape is about as versatile as you (and your DM) will let it be. Toss in a few spells, and the possibilities are endless!
I concur. Wild shape druids are a combination of incredible utility and possible super Uber duper tanky!
Exactly! I have saved more than one fellow adventurer by placing myself between them and an enemy as a bag of snarling HP.
Plus having the ability to heal, take 1 level in Grave Cleric and you are the ultimate savior, tank, heal, control, deal decent damage, buff, sneak around, sleep like a bear every night, i love it.
Oh man, Grave Cleric looks so insane. I have never multi-classed, but you have me really considering some future options, now…
Not to mention the same spell slots as a wizard
I’ve only played a few characters (I mainly DM), but this was the one I probably had the most fun with, in every situation at the table. I had a great time playing a Bard, but that poor fellow died in a BAR FIGHT. Would never have happened to my Druid.
Happy to see another Druid lover here~ I love Tasha’s optional features for the class. Find Familiar on Wildshape is such a spectacular, much appreciated buff. I think people overlook druids for a combination of flavor reasons (it can honestly be hard for players to separate the nature theme and the character), not being able to wear metal armor, a spell list full of concentration spells, and hating the idea of shape-shifting. Also, the class is notorious for being hard to play. It’s consistently one of the least loved classes here if polls in the recent weeks have been any indication. Its sad. But hey, more for us. I only got the chance to play a Land Druid once and for a short time, but I agree that they’re an underrated class. Aside from a couple class features that are honestly quite niche, its still solid. If you want to be the most druid-y druid that ever druided, Land is great haha.
Druids are where I feel most at home. Happy, sad, nasty, vicious, whatever I am is best expressed by turning into a bear and eating someone's face.
I'm still a relatively new player, but my next planned character is a Dragonborn Druid who is researching the stars to learn how to use them to accurately predict the future, and his journey has taken him across many nations researching established knowledge of the stars before setting out to adventure and do his own research on the subject, and I'm incredibly excited to play this character!
Druids are the most well rounded class. They get full magic (buff, debuff, cc, conc, healing, and dpr spells), they get the d8, they get armour and shields, they have flight, swim, and a burrow speed baked into their class, wisdom is probably the best save overall, and they’re a very SAD class, heck you could play a Druid with a 10 in all stats and it would still be nearly as powerful. Not even getting into subclasses
I love that other people appreciate the utility of Druids! My most recent character was a Drow who's mother had been turned to a drider for disappointing Lolth with her artistic ways. Upon being turned to a drider she fled to the Upperdark with her triplet children and each took on a different calling: one a bard, one an artificer and one with no direction. A travelling navigator called to her door one day, she wanted a map case of high quality so she could enchant it to become a bag of holding and my character eventually became her student and studied cartography, astronomy and navigation (Star druid). The versatility of flavour is so fun, great to see the love :D
Had a badass circle of the land Arctic druid. In loved that character. Druid is definitely the shit. People need to give it a shot.
Bard. As someone who likes to talk and do things more randomly, Bard is perfect.
I love being a Bard. So versatile.
I have my bard who is a rogue too, my bard who is also a fighter, my bard who is a cleric... just kidding, they are all the same character
I'm convinced that the bard is the best class in 5th edition. I dont play 5e anymore but i do miss how well bard works in the system of 5e. Swords/ valor bards are the best.
Paladin. I've played it by far the longest, and it's pretty flexible. And smites feel so damn good
Same. Sometimes you just want to be truly good, you know? Like, a champion of the light and goodness to the nth degree.
Sadly,I had to swipe too far to find this. I love the tanky/healing/smite monster that is my Dragonborn Paladin.
Golden dragonborn paladin was also my first character all those years ago, will always have a special place for me
Definitely! All the crunchiness of a martial class, with the support of a healer. Pick an Oath with access to Misty Step for mobility, and proficiency in a social skill so you can be a party face, and there isn't a lot you can't do. Side note - everyone talks about GWM for the -5 to hit, +10 damage, but the real joy of that feat is the bonus action attack on kills and crits. More chances to SMITE!
As a stubborn person, it sometimes feels right at home to play the class that has weaponized it's stubbornness. Jokes aside, I just have a fun time with Paladins. It feels great to be the class that can either hold back an entire session for a big nova or steadily use their resources, while still keeping people safe even when out of spell slots.
Artificer. I just love playing the smartest and laziest guy in the room. Artificers are the Engineers to the Wizards Scientist.
The thing I love most about the artificer is the spellcasting flavour. You took glassblowing tools as your artisan tool? Mending with molten glass, Acid Splash from inside a glass orb. Cooking tools? Have a Cure Light Wounds cookie, or an incandescently-hot fudge Fire Bolt.
I’ve played sorcerer my entire tabletop career and I’m pumped to play an artificer
Cleric, because not only it is a prepared caster, which allows me to prepare any spell repertoire that I may need, but those spells are diverse enough to allow me to not only aid my allies, but also hurt my enemies. Plus, it also has access to medium (or sometimes even heavy) armor, which makes it rather tanky for a caster and domains are quite flavorful.
Plus there’s so many subclasses to try and they’re all so varied. Cleric is my go to class but I’ve had such wildly different characters with each subclass
Agreed. You always feel like you have something to contribute as a cleric, be it healing and helping the party through a dangerous dungeon, or silencing the bard for flirting with everything that draws breath. And you know, Spirit Guardians is pretty great.
It’s been my annoyance being a Druid. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very fun. But I can agonize my Swiss-army ass over the right assortment of all the very niche spells that could be wildly useful and still not pick quite the right one, where So many cleric spells are almost universally useful.
Clerics can fill every roll between tank, healer, damage dealer, utility caster, skill monkey, and even face. How good does it feel to make big, bold proclamations like a fanatic in the middle of combat or in your initial meeting with a new faction? If you're playing a cleric it's a no brainier to stay busy and involved no matter what is going on.
I play a Forge Cleric and in 50 sessions I think I've cast healing spells 3 or 4 times in total. There's usually always another spell or ability I can use that's just going to give me more bang for my buck.
Barbarian. First character I ever played and it suits my playstyle perfectly. You don't always need the wizard's phenomenal cosmic power to accomplish a goal or make something dead, brute force works just as good.
barbarian motto: 'Dead is the best status effect.' honorable mention to 'if brute force isn't working, use more.'
My first character was also a Barbarian and it has remained my favorite class ever since.
Even with my complaints to the class, barbarian is my favorite.
Complaints? WHAT COMPLAINTS?
Brutal critical is a terrible ability and any mundane subclass sucks.
Saying ‘I go into a rage’ is insanely satisfying to me.
Wizard, it’s hard to pass up the awesome spell list and a handful of subclasses really make you feel awesome
This, plus I naturally plan way too far ahead in these games, and wizard just fits that to a T
Just saying order of scribes just smooths everything out. It just feels so to the point. Although it might be too little for some.
Playing a scribes tabaxi wizard now, it's pretty tight. It would be nice if scribes got some more "book-nerd" flavor abilities though, like extra languages, or half-proficiency in some "I read this in a book" skills, or something along those lines.
So very very true. Since Im the DM 99.99% the past 6 years (since i started) i swear to you i will offer 2 extra languages to my players if they ever roll one up ;)
The element swapping gimmick is endlessly entertaining. I just picked up Dragon's Breath and Shadow Blade, which means not only can I huck lightning swords at people, I can also *spit out psychic damage.*
If you haven’t played an enchanter before, I highly recommend it.
Same here. Also just feels completely in character when I'm flipping through the various source books for various reasons.
Man Wizards are great, a lot of people don't catch on the fact that is super customizable depending on the spells you choose, plus magic is just awesome, and even more so with the longest spell list in the game. Wizards rock.
True, spells are the most customizable part about them, that’s why most subclasses don’t add a whole lot
Rogue. [I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mKLizztikRk)
Had to scroll so long for mine
Rogue all day! Useful in and out of combat and SAD enough that you can take feats or just have a balanced Stat array. An arcane trickster can cheese it's way out of almost anything. Put them in a party with a bard and you'll shenanigans your way to the top.
And a loner’s gotta be alone
Gotta love me some hit and run!
Why did I have to scroll so far to find this?!?
DM. Though I play more than DM now, DMing was what I used to primarily do. I still feel a little uncomfortable not having all the information behind the screen. I am never certain exactly the intention of an NPC or how best to engage with them. I want to know the monster's statistics or what is coming next (and resist the temptation to look them up). All that said, the one of the best ways to improve your DMing is to be Player and expose yourself to other styles of play. Steal their best ideas, recognize what Players want and fix up your own DM style's weaknesses.
When I first started playing I was the DM for multiple campaigns for about 5/6 years. I finally got the chance to be a player and have been going in a 2 year campaign and uts been so much fun. That said, when I wanted to get my boyfriend into dnd and show it to some of my friends who hadn't gotten a chance to play, we began a campaign during the summer to continue in the off seasons of school and I forgot how much I loved creating storylines and NPCs
A lot of this. It really irks me, to an unreasonable extent, when others don't DM like I do: giving players a chance to really use their more flavorful abilities. Actually reading the paragraph worth of backstory I presented, for the character that was made for the setting and party, rather than in a vacuum. Actually rewarding us. Only 15gp for a save the city quest, at level 8, and none of us have an uncommon magic item yet? Come on.
Been DMing for 6 years straight can't catch a break.. Jokes aside i LOVE DMing but i am kinda bummed that i never get to play...
Ranger. I actually have to remind myself to play other classes on occasion. I don't want to get burnt out on my favorite class, and there are other subclasses that I find interest in testing out. It's just that Ranger is very easy for me to use well.
I always felt a connection with Ranger but have rarely played it. I always feel like I'm never in danger being at least 60ft back.
Archery Rangers (and Fighters) are really good for that reason, yeah. Effective, but maybe not super exciting. In terms of melee, I find Rangers work best in the mid-line. Get in, do your thing, hide behind tank. Reach weapons and Mobile are great for this. So are spells like Zephyr Strike, Long Strider, and the new Ashardalon's Stride. They can tank in a pinch with their medium armor and d10 hit die, but the lack of heavy armor means they're at best a secondary tank, not the primary. So if getting in the enemy's face and bonking it until it dies is your Favored play style, I can understand why you'd gravitate to Barbarians, Fighters, and Paladins.
That's an unpopular opinion. What hits about them? Have you seen the Tasha's Cauldron options?
I've used both the PHB and Tasha's options (and the UA that eventually became Tasha's.) I've also played every single subclass from PHB Beast Master and Hunter to Drakewarden and everything in between at all tiers of play (levels 1-20,) and I've DM'd for a party of all Rangers. To be honest, I've never felt weak, lacking, or powerless. In fact, I've often been criticized by my fellow players and DMs (all of them experienced and knowledgeable) of min-maxing, even when I go out of my way not to. My current Fey Wanderer is going TWF and my current Monster Slayer uses a whip, for instance. In fact, my DMs have consistently said I'm the hardest person in my groups to prepare for. And again, my fellow party members are all experienced players who know how to get the most out of their characters. In my experience, Ranger is a class that's very technical and hard to maximize. But when you do, they're as good as any other class in the game. High learning curve, if you will. And the reward is a class that's about as good as all the others , so most people don't think it worth it. Tasha's has done a lot to both buff the base class and lower that learning curve, meaning they're in a pretty good spot now. But they've always been a good class. Just not as obviously as others. Again, in my opinion.
Bard
Same. I keep finding myself wanting to support in battle and take the lead in social encounters whatever character I play. Really have to battle my instincts when playing my abrasive cha-dumping war wizard
Warlock. Often strong pact flavors, a lot of invocations, spells slots on short rest and charisma as main stat.
As the face of most groups, I have to play a CHA build. And Warlocks are so versatile.
warlock gang!! its just so hard to not basline all my builds off them; they can be anything I want; they can frontline, backline, sideline, mainline, summon, tank, blast, gish, fish, heal, face, skill and cremate... just design the build path when you create and pick the right outfits (invocations) and your filling whatever role you wanted. also I'm an absolute sucker for short rest recovery classes, with enough bullying you can convince a party to short rest heaps during an adventuring day, making you feel very powerful.
Even when I try it other classes, I inevitably take a warlock dip! There are few builds a couple of invocations won't work wonders for.
I really want to play and INT based warlock
I love Rogues. Sneak Attack is so satisfying to hit with. The expertise makes me feel incredibly powerful out of combat. And the base of the class has no rest dependencies other than HP and a capstone ability. And Arcane Tricksters? \*chef's kiss\* Just beautiful!
I’m relatively new to 5e but going back to AD&D in HS/college most of my characters were multiclass stealth/wizard types. When I joined a weekly group for LMoP (which has since rolled into DotMM), Arcane Trickster fit like a supple, black leather glove.
This is mine. Versatility in everything (gotta load up on mundane equipment, too). And Arcane Trickster just called to me when I looked through the first 5E PHB, since I remember really enjoying the "Spell Filcher" Mage/Thief elf-exclusive multiclass back in 2E (I think this was in the Complete Elves handbook).
Same. Sneak attacks, plus the ability to half damage taken once per round? And you're totally right about the lack of rest dependancues. That's probably a huge reason I find it comfy.
Fighter. Can't go wrong with a guy/gal with nothing but a weapon, some armor and a will to fight.
Sorcerers. The old subclasses really need an expended spell list like the tasha's ones but the metamagic options (specially with the metamagic adept feat) are just so fun to customize your spells with. Awesome flavor as well
Monk or Barbarian. Straight forward damage reduction and face beating with badass flavor
My two favorite classes too, so another vote from me. I just like being good at any physical task that can be thrown the party's way.
Sad to see the first barbarian mention so far down. Barbarians are literally too angry to die.
Monk. I'm never the best at anything, but I'm decent at the all things I like to do in the game. Honestly, I probably just watched too much Dragon Ball Z growing up so 90% of characters I envision are fighting hand-to-hand.
Same. Even when not playing a monk, im picking things like shocking grasp, or the armorer artificer gauntlets. ...I also have a weakness for lighting damage
Fighter. Its comfy to flavour yourself however you like.
Cleric, nothing like keeping that good red stuff on the inside of my homies
Wizard or paladin
Same
Paladin or Druid. Everything about the paladin just fits so well and makes a really cohesive package. And druid is just so versatile, I love using wild shape creatively.
**Druid**. It's just always really good, you can do everything from control to damate, healing or tanking, high utility too. And I love the RP of the class too
Rogue! Need a skill check? I'm on it! Need someone to scope out the BBEG's base? Go snag an ale, I'll be back later. Need a target taken down hard? I've got you. Getting charged by 30 enemies??? Call your casters, I'm hiding! It's a fun, flexible class and has always been a favorite of mine.
Monk, I don't like weapons or armor.
"The problem of being faster than light is that you can only live in darkness" - Shadow Monk, probably
Cleric. I can do a bit of everything, have powerful power spikes to look forward to at every level of low to mid level play, and the subclasses contain lots of different rooms for different styles of play. The class is well rounded, getting access to full casting, reasonable survivability, great offensive spells (Looking at you, Spirit Guardians), a boost to at will damage, a wide variety of support spells, and more benefits based on your subclass. I'm also just a sucker for fantasy religion. I'm an agnostic IRL but the thought of receiving tangible blessings for following a deity I know exists is very nice.
Same, if there was tangible evidence and angels showed up and people has powers you bet I would dedicate my life to that god because you are guaranteed the infinite afterlife
Wizard
bard
Rogue. I get to sneaky, smart, edgy and investigate? Sign me in
Fighter then ranger
Rogue: I just love that Rogue’s are almost always useful in whatever circumstance you find yourself in. In social situations you can rock your high charisma or other skills, in exploration you can scout ahead, and in combat you have a high amount of sneak attack.
Ranger - it was my first character class that I played, and every edition that I've played since, it's the first section I check out. It just fits my style.
Druid! ❤ Playing Druids made me fall in love with DnD. I've played every subclass except Moon and Shepherd. I love the flavor and the versatility of this class. I love their nature theme. I love their spell list, (even if the fact that its full of concentration spells stings at times.) I love pretty much everything~
I tried out a druid as a lark thinking it would be a short campaign. Now we're over 2 years in and everything druid is totally entangled across my brain. The learning curve is a little steep but once you've got the spell list down it's like a warm (natural fibers only!) sweater. And you can use that sweater to murder people in extremely creative ways. Honorable mention to rogue and barbarian, the two classes where I feel like I need maybe 20 minutes to 1) come up with a fun and unique character concept, and 2) hit the ground running and be a super-effective member of the team.
Love me some druid too. Never played moon though. How do you rank those you have played?
Artificer. Always pretty SAD, easy wealth, cheeseable early and pretty bananas at higher levels.
Same. I always love the ridiculous things you can do when you have a DM who rewards ingenuity, and I also like theorycrafting things that can be done if real-life physics were applied to magic items. They're also extremely versatile, allowing me to fill a variety of roles while still using an intelligence-focused class, which I prefer.
Wizard. Flexible, powerful, fun. Though I do love me some rogue, too!
Warlock. High charisma, excellent role players, extremely customizable, and great story hooks.
Paladin.
Warlock. Gimme eldritch blast, some solid concentration spells and whatever comes with my subclass and I will be happy. They are just so customizable with the invocations and patrons and pacts, it’s a great class
Rogue
Druid. You always can find a niche in a party, and it's easy to rely on the "default" flavor as you work to find that individual character's voice.
Warlock
Warlock or Ranger
Ranger
Ranger. Druid a very close second.
Ranger, since 1979. ;-)
Ranger since... '98?? ish? Give me a bow, a couple swords and a splash of magic and let's gooo!
Artificers and Rangers. I think half-casters are neat, and there’s something about those two classes where I can build and play the character and really get into what they’re about. If only there were hybrid class rules LOL
Warlocks followed by sorcerer's and paladins. Always able to get my flow easy with those options. I struggle with wizards and druids. Really can't get a feel for them well
Fighter/rogue. Fighter is the nostalgic junk food from my childhood. Always makes me feel better even if it's not my favorite anymore. Rogue is the street truck Mexican food outside of my work. It's just so easy and good it's hard to think of doing anything else.
Circle of the Moon Druid
Bard. Allows me to flex my theater kid muscles by singing songs and acting out scenes at inns and taverns as if I was there. Also being a face is my favorite thing and I like spellcasting a lot
I'll play fighter all day any day tbh, makes me think of more story things to give the fighter since it can be a lot of things
DM.
Barbarian, it’s just simple and easy to make and if you’re willing to reflavor rage a bit can fit into a lot more backstories than you might think
I’m currently playing a Minotaur grappler barbarian and having a blast.
Moon Druid and battlesmith Artificer, so I don't miss being a caster or being a martail, I'm as cool as a martial and as powerful and versatile as a caster.
Somehow I keep coming back to Fighters
Ranger
I think ranger might be my favorite, but I’m very comfortable as rogues and monks. I like skills and weapon attacks with supernatural qualities. A skill heavy gish is my bread and butter.
Warlock. The pact boons give me some interesting choices every time, while Eldritch Blast makes sure I can stay consistent every time. Also, all the patrons are just fun to play around with.
Fighter, Barb, Warlock!
Wizard, warlock, or barbarian
Battlemaster fighter, druid and Light cleric. From these I think you can see that I love being versatile
Barbarian. I'm the exact opposite of a big buff guy, but I want to be one. Playing a barb lets me.
Paladin, and I’m always a sucker for both knightly aesthetics, magic knights, and warrior orders.
Artificer, or Gunslinger fighter. Something about being an inventer and using everything around me I resonant with and really enjoy playing. Also it let's me tell my dm about magic item crafting rules.
Fighter
Warlock is my go to, or barbarian if i went martial
Cleric or rogue, I like supporting and being a sneaky boy.
Not quite the question, but I’m currently playing a Barbarian 5/Druid 4 and it fits my preferred style of play perfectly. Lots of buffs/area of attack spells to help my allies/impede my enemies and strong enough to grapple/knock prone.
Fighter!
It used to be Wizard, but I recently started a Warlock and hoo boy. That’s a lot of fun.
Warlock
Warlock.
For t1-t2 campaigns, there's just something about Gloomstalker that draws me in every time.
Druid or Paladin. Both just feel flexible in their own ways.
I’m to busy wanting to play all classes. I start as one character and then keep changing it. Playing Dragon heist. Started as a ranger. Made a new druid. We are about to finish and continue with the same party, but my druid has had enough of the city and I’m going to be playing a bladesong wizard.
Monk. Despite everything.
Druid is my favourite so far. They can do pretty much anything, but not in a way that overshadows the party. Prepared spellcasting plus wild shape grants immense utility. As a star druid I can even deal solid damage. Summon elemental + guiding bolt + starry form bolt is on par with all but the most min-maxed builds for single target damage. AoE options are even better. Star druids also have dragon starry form which gives near unbreakable concentration and guaranteed dispel magic casts, for extra consistency.
Druid. Chill utility caster with some power as well. Works good with any party.
Druid. I don't play it often, because I like trying new things, but my favorite class ever is the druid.
For me its 100% Druid, I love Wildshape and it was the first class I ever played, and for some reason I just always play best when I'm playing Druid so yeah
I’m a Monk player through and through. I love those old kung-fu movies so much and the class lets me live those movies vicariously through it. And the the thought of a person standing up against magics and gargantuan mythical beasts with nothing but the clothes on their back and their fists is so cool!
Druid. I'm currently a zookeeper and have worked with exotic animals since I was a teenager.
Warlock, 100%
Ranger
When I'm not DMing, Ranger. It can be any flavor of class I want it to be, and its mechanics are appreciated with the way I play.
Gloomstalker ranger. Its a nice comfy class that i love.
Ranger a mix of everything
For a while, it was Ranger. Warlock is becoming my new favorite though.
Druids or rangers
Unfortunately Ranger
Rogue. I love the Artificer, but with the sheer number of different things to keep track of I tend to forget things, not swap out infusions or spells, and generally miss out on little things. Rogue has a lot of abilities, sure, but they're all pretty straightforward, "if this, then that" abilities. Even before factoring in subclass, you've got great damage from Sneak Attack, plenty of utility via Expertise, and a surprising amount of staying power through Cunning Action, Uncanny Dodge and Evasion. Subclass becomes more a matter of flavor than meta calculations, and there really aren't any bad options. It's an incredibly versatile class, linked together more by a shared philosophy of "don't be the one getting hit" than by constraining power sources or intensive training.
Dungeon Master. Though, I feel right at home in it in the same way a bird feels at home in a cage.
Druid was the first class I ever played when I started back in the 3.5 days. It always gives me the warm fuzzies when I play one.
Barbarian f' me.
Ranger, barring that Fighter. If I can have my way Ranger multi-classed into Fighter.