Dungeons and Dragons is home to many different races, classes, and subclasses. The amount of variety can lead people to think that some are stronger than others, especially when a few subclasses do not seem particularly powerful on paper. Although the 5th Edition certainly simplified things in many ways, D&D is still a tabletop game that rewards direct experience, and certain classes and subclasses do not reveal their true capabilities until somebody puts some significant time into them.
8 Most Fun Classes To Play In Dungeons & Dragons, Ranked
D&D players who care mostly about fun factor should consider the following classes first and foremost. Here's how they rank.
Compared to many of the rest, these five subclasses look unassuming and weak on paper, but they're legendary when utilized to their full potential. They might come with a learning curve, but they are rewarding in the long run. Until then, you might find yourself asking, "Why would anybody pick that?"
A number of the images are just representative of the subclass.
Horizon Walker
The Bane Of Planar Entities
The Horizon Walker is a subclass of the ranger that focuses on taking threats from other planes of existence and sending them back to where they came. This play-style focuses on movement, detection, and banishment of ethereal beings from different planes. By unlocking Detect Portal at Level 3, players can detect an opening of any portal that leads to a different plane from up to a mile away. Planar Warrior allows you to target a creature and deal an additional 1d8 damage to them whenever you damage them.
This is all alongside gaining access to Misty Step at Level 5, Ethereal Step at Level 7, and Haste at Level 9. Misty Step allows the user to teleport, the Etherealness transmutation makes the player completely incorporeal to help dodge attacks, and Haste doubles your movement speed, making this class the most positioning-favored subclass to boot!
Once players reach Levels 11 and 13, the class really comes online. At level 11, Horizon Walker Rangers unlock the ability of Distant Strike, allowing them to close the distance towards an enemy by teleporting 10 feet before attacking, which provides favorable positioning. At Level 13, they unlock Banishment, which sends an enemy that originates from a different plane back to whence they came. If their concentration isn't broken in a minute, they'll never return, and if they are on the same plane, then they'll return to the spot from which players banished them.
Horizon Walker Ranger is a versatile and “always at an advantage” sort of class that is relevant across all tiers and perfect for campaigns with Planar Travel, Aberrations, Fey, Angels, Fiends, you name it! Having just one will drastically improve your run, and they'll always have an option or an advantage over the enemy!
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Knowledge Domain Cleric
Keepers Of Lore And Followers Of Knowledge Gods
The Knowledge Domain Cleric is a subclass black sheep for its lack of "focus" on anything clear, a jack-of-all-trades that is proficient at many skills and tools. This subclass focuses on the aspect of knowledge and utilization of reading, scrying, and understanding the world that they're living in. They're teachers, learners of Faith, and providers of knowledge.
Starting at level 1, the Knowledge Domain Cleric can add two languages to become proficient in Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion, opening up countless avenues for roleplaying to fit ANY campaign. At the 2nd level, Knowledge Domain clerics can choose one skill or tool and become proficient at using it for 10 minutes, adding to its ability to fill in the gap for any team that needs a bit of a boost to make it past altercations, situations, or combat scenarios.
At 5th Level, players can learn Speak with the Dead to commune with the deceased. But it’s at Level 6 where the Knowledge Domain Cleric truly shines. Once they unlock Chanel Divinity: Read Thoughts, any creature within 60 feet of them has to make a Wisdom saving throw. Upon failure, the entity will have their surface-level thoughts and emotions, and what they're actively thinking about first and foremost broadcasted to the cleric, and at any moment, the cleric can use the suggestion spell on them without expanding a spell slot or worrying about saving throws.
This class is one of lore, of understanding, and of learning what lies in the depths of the world that the DM curated in a given campaign. This class is one whose journey is defined by the knowledge that they yearn to find and learn. They vie to see new entities, realms, and planes alike in the beautiful fantasy of Dungeons and Dragons. The Knowledge Domain Cleric's strength doesn't come from their power of faith but their beauty in knowledge, making the experience of a well-rounded campaign feel satisfying.
Dungeons and Dragons: Magic Classes Are Clearly Better Than Martial Classes, but You Should Play Them Anyway
While magic classes in Dungeons & Dragons are a crowd favorite, martial classes might be the unsung heroes of most D&D tables.
Shadow Sorcerer
Magic Weilded By Those Tainted By The Underdark.
Sorcerer is a class of "passion," and that passion is bright, shining, and sometimes even explosive! The class has always been a consistently bright one, and that's what makes Shadow Sorcerer stand out as the figurative black sheep of the bunch, thanks to its ties to theShadowfell. The player’s once living, bright glow diminishes under the effects of birth or corruption.
Starting at the 1st level, you obtain Strength of the Grave and Darkness. Strength of the Grave lets your character make a charisma saving throw when you're going to take a hit that will reduce your hit points to 0. Upon success, you instead are taken to 1, and this will reset every long rest unless the damage was a critical hit or radiant. Darkness can be cast with sorcery points or a spell slot to obscure an area in complete, utter darkness.
At 6th Level, players obtain Hound of Ill Omen and can summon a creature of darkness to attack a target of their choosing, moving towards them and attacking them immediately, alongside making them have disadvantages against spells that are cast at them. The hound will make opportunistic attacks whenever possible and can fade through objects to reach them faster, making it easier for players to pick enemies off.
And at Level 14 and 18 is when the fun of the class begins to show itself, with players unlocking Shadow Walk at Level 14. This lets the Shadow Sorcerer freely teleport up to 120 feet when they're in dim light or darkness to another spot of dim light or darkness. Upon Level 18, they unlock Umbral Form. This makes the Shadow Sorcerer become an amalgamation of shadows, gaining resistance to all forms of damage except force and radiant, and being able to move through creatures and objects with little difficulty.
This class is fun for those who like to meander in the darkness. The simplicity of being a creature tainted by the Shadowfell or corrupted by its influence to utilize its power for good or questionable methods will bring a dynamic rarely seen in the tabletop environment.
Enchantment Wizard
Control. Subjugation. Domination.
Wizards are the titular class of Dungeons and Dragons, and with that comes a variety of different schools and subclasses that make no spellcasters truly the same. The Enchantment Wizard is a class built from the ground up to control, reflect, and debuff, to a point that is rarely seen in other classes. By simply becoming a Wizard, the School of Enchantment can possess any spell they so desire, so long as they have the gold for it, with half the gold and time being used if the spell is an Enchantment spell around Level 2.
Hypnotic Gaze is a spell that uses a Wizard's words and gaze to charm a creature. This state causes their speed to drop to 0 and makes them incapacitated and dazed, opening them for a strike if they fail a Wisdom Saving Throw. Subsequent turns allow the player to maintain this effect on the target unless concentration is broken, the target breaks line of sight, cannot hear, if they take damage, or if players move further than 5 feet from them.
Upon reaching Level 6, this class can become a real thorn in someone's side. They unlock Instinctive Charm, where if a creature they can see attacks them, they can use a reaction to divert the attack and have them attack someone else if they fail a Wisdom saving throw. This can be done every long rest and makes Enchantment Wizards a pain to fight against. Upon reaching level 10, Enchantment Wizards gain Split Enchantment and Beguile. Split Enchantment allows 1st-level or higher enchantment spells to be able to target a second creature. Beguile has the user point at a creature and create a phrase that uses five words, and upon failing a wisdom saving throw, the creature is forced to shout the approximation to the phrase in their native tongue, making for an amusing outcome to a roleplay scenario.
Finally, at Level 14, players gain access to Alter Memories, allowing them to make a creature forget they were ever charmed in the first place, opening the path to use any enchantment spells they want on them, and they’ll be none the wiser! Upon failing an intelligence saving throw, the target will lose up to 1 + a player’s charisma modifier in hours of time and actions it has undergone whilst it was charmed, allowing users to do whatever they need to weave in and out of various locations or scenarios.
Enchantment Wizards aren’t as flashy or bombastic as other Wizards, and that’s part of their charm; they’re suave, alluring, and allow players to adopt the roles of subterfuge, playmaking, and being the character behind the scenes, orchestrating the campaign subtly.
Dungeons and Dragons' 8 New Subclasses Are Clearly Playing Favorites
Dungeons and Dragons' eight new subclasses, coming in the book Heroes of Faerun, show clear favoritism on the part of Wizards of the Coast.
Wild Magic Barbarian
Unpredictable Magic Utilized By Unstoppable Rage.
Finally, Path of Wild Magic Barbarian. This class allows the Barbarian to take a more magical approach with their usual strategy of entering rage to go to town on enemies, with their attunement to magic allowing them to detect any form of magic within 60 feet of them the moment they reach Level 3.
What makes Wild Magic Barbarian truly unique is the use of Wild Surge. Whenever a Wild Magic Barbarian enters rage, one of eight different effects occurs at random, decided by rolling a 1d8. This includes dealing 1d12 necrotic damage to every enemy around them whilst gaining 1d12 temporary hit points, being able to teleport up to 30 feet to an open space with every bonus action, the ability to summon an exploding pixie every turn for a bonus action that deals 1d7 force damage, and more.
Upon reaching 6th level, players unlock Bolstering Magic, which can bless themselves or another creature with the ability to add a d3 to their attack or ability check d20 roll, or roll a d3 and replenish an expended spell slot.
Level 10 is when Unstable Backlash is unlocked. Upon taking damage or failing a saving throw, players can use a reaction roll to roll again on their Wild Magic table and replace their current rage effect.
Upon reaching Level 14, players inherit Controlled Surge, where they can roll on their Wild Magic table twice and choose which one they’d rather have. If they roll the same number, they’ll be able to choose whichever one they’d like.
Wild Magic Barbarian is a class of randomness, a wild card that is as reliable as it is spontaneous. Until further investment, players don’t know what sort of antics this class can do, and that’s what makes it the most enjoyable! Players can find delight in the fantastical simplicity of a Barbarian, a class rarely known for magic, utilizing its strength the only way it can, through rage!
Dungeons & Dragons is full of many classes, some of which people consider powerful then others, yet these are five classes that look weak on paper, but are really strong when you give them a bit of retrospection!
