I was looking for a ranking of all 2024 D&D classes, but I couldn't find any good ones. All of them were either biased or obviously ai generated. Now, I'm trying to make one, and need help doing it. Currently, my list is:
12: ranger, they got nerfed, and already sucked beforehand. Sorry, ranger mains.
11: fighter, they aren't great out of combat.
10: barbarian, the buffs are mid.
9: paladin, they're just kinda like a worse cleric.
8: druid, they got buffed but aren't great.
7:Rogue. The creators of d&d actually said that rogue is the weakest, but weapon mastery and cunning strike are really good
6 Cleric, it didn't get buffed at all really, and even got nerfed a tad bit
5: wizard, they're just a solid class overall.
4: monk, they probably got buffed the most because they were trash in 2014 rules. Now have much more damage output, and have less situational abilities
3: sorcerer, they fixed the "not enough spells" problem, and are super versatile with spells.
2:bard. Remember how bards used to be able to be tanks, shock attackers, support, or spellcasters? Well now, they can do all 4 simultaneously.
1: hands down, warlock wins. I think this one is unanimous, they are almost on par with the 2014 twilight cleric.
These are mainly based on combat and roleplay, but also partially on how fun they are to play.
So, tell me what you think, and what you would change.
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
Ranking them by what? Only you’ve put Rogue at 12 and as I'm playing one at the moment he’s far from the weakest damage dealer in our party and out of combat he’s an absolute beast where it’s virtually impossible to fail at a skill check
Ahh, I see your points. I'm going to edit them now. Thanks though
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I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
I was looking for a ranking of all 2024 D&D classes, but I couldn't find any good ones. All of them were either biased or obviously ai generated. Now, I'm trying to make one, and need help doing it. Currently, my list is:
12: ranger, they got nerfed, and already sucked beforehand. Sorry, ranger mains.
11: paladin, they're just kinda like a worse cleric.
10: barbarian, the buffs are mid.
9: fighter, because they are good at combat and nothing else
8: druid, they got buffed but aren't great.
7:Rogue. The creators of d&d actually said that rogue is the weakest, but weapon mastery and cunning strike are really good
6 Cleric, it didn't get buffed at all really, and even got nerfed a tad bit
5: wizard, they're just a solid class overall.
4: bard. Remember how bards used to be able to be tanks, shock attackers, support, or spellcasters? Well now, they can do all 4 simultaneously.
3: sorcerer, they fixed the "not enough spells" problem, and are super versatile with spells.
2: monk, they probably got buffed the most because they were trash in 2014 rules. Now have much more damage output, and have less situational abilities.
1: hands down, warlock wins. I think this one is unanimous, they are almost on par with the 2014 twilight cleric.
These are mainly based on combat and roleplay, but also partially on how fun they are to play.
So, tell me what you think, and what you would change.
Sorry but this is just a terrible list.
Ranger is great Tier 1, okay tier 2, falls off a bit in tier 3 and 4 but it's still quiet viable, it just requires a mindset switch from pure martial focus to using more subclass features and ranger spells.
Paladin has issues yet might be the best class in the game right now, Divine Smite got nerfed but if you look past Divine Smite, or just entirely forget about Divine Smite all together, the rest of what Paladin has makes it one of the most solid classes in the game, it is the only class in the game with a dedicated healing resource, some archetypes/subclasses might have such resources but Paladin has it at the class level. Paladin has some of the best damage output in the game and is basically the best "tank", only rivalled by Barbarian. Then on top of this Paladin is a functional party face with their high charisma and let's not forget about the 2nd best feature in the game, Aura of Protection (spellcasting is the best and Paladin has that too)
Barbarian still does what it does the best, going out in a rage makes it unique and really the only other class that can be as reckless is Paladin but it's still a greater risk for Paladin to just recklessly delve straight into the front lines. Ultimately barbarian acts as a barrier between hostiles and ranged/casters better than anybody else.
Fighter are indeed combat orientated but I feel this take ignores the buffs that Fighter did get by being able to expend second wind charges to say, buff their stealth using tactical mind. Fighter is now able to do more outside of combat compared to what it use to be able too.
Druid... Druid I feel got rebalanced, unfortunately Circle of the Moon no longer dominates to a point where it pushes as being one of the best subclasses anymore. Ultimately I do think Druid is perhaps not as good as it should be but Circle of the Land and other subclass choices are now more viable and better than they use to be.
Rogue is still the weakest combat class, one on one, sneak attack is now possible in one-on-one situations but this was never a strength of rogue, their utility does make them almost irreplacable... if Ranger and Bard didn't exist but Ranger and Bard do exist and so rogue is in my opinion a class you won't actually miss if you don't have one.
Cleric's "nerf" is that it no longer multiclasses too well due to level 1 archetype/subclass choices, overall cleric is not that much different.
Wizard does a lot of things well still but overall it stands out less than it did in 2024, changes in how rituals work means they are more open to other classes and notably sorcerer (it's main rival in the arcane caster department) now gets more spells too. Overall I don't think Wizard is as high a ranking as it use to be, still the best class for utility due to how they learn spells and cast rituals tho.
Bards tank? I wouldn't risk it and bard has one of the worst DPR of all classes, they are a support spellcaster and that is still the case. Some subclasses can do slightly better at some things. Bards are very helpful but anybody looking at them as tanks or DPR classes, they aren't.
Sorcerer is improved and a better blaster than Wizard, I still don't know if I'd rank Sorcerer above Wizard. While sorcerer has infringed more on to Wizard, I think Wizard is still technically slightly ahead.
Monk might be the most improved but I still wouldn't say they are top tier, they just aren't the obvious last place anymore.
Warlock as best? Nope, hard disagree. Warlock is good but the best? definitely not.
If I had to, and I mean HAD TO. Rate the classes I would probably go:
12 Ranger - the switch in play style between tier 2-3 to stay relevant and counter-intuitive design of the class (too much on hunter's mark). This is only placement I agree with but for different reasons.
11 Rogue - they are still too hyper specialised, their damage is good and they fulfil a good role but a Ranger or Bard can actually potentially do the role just as well, if not better in some cases (pass without trace, whole party, can potentially pass stealth checks). Rogue just exists as the highest DPR choice of the three classes, oddly.
10 Monk - They are combat improved, social? not at all, all criticisms about how Fighter is useless outside of combat, is basically true of Monk but no longer true of fighter.
9 Warlock - class design is even more open to be customised and now all subclasses/archetypes feel more viable, however they are still mostly a highly limited class with only 2 slots for half the game and a reliance on cantrips. High charisma does help in social situations and the sheer scale of customisation is good, the ability to be more martial based does potentially mean warlock can be considered higher on the list.
8 Druid - I don't think the class got as much TLC as it deserves, the class is still a bit lack luster in terms of features but better than 2014 which was terrifyingly lacking in decent features.
7 Paladin - the class might deserve to be higher but I rated down Ranger for counter-intuitive design and Paladin is almost as bad as ranger on that front. Paladin would be higher if not for that (too much on divine smite, why have a feature for find steed?). Divine smite is now trash tier but changes to subclasses and the ability to use spell slots on different spells means that doesn't affect paladin as badly as initially thought, some smite spells are in fact more usable too, more for their secondary effects than the damage. Shining smite negating invisibility is insane in those few situations where it comes up.
6 Barbarian - Barbarian is better designed for later tiers of play, it is no longer dominated by totem/wild heart and berserker is no longer a trash subclass.
5 Bard - Bard is still one of the best support classes, that can heal and perform other jobs, it's strongest in later tiers due to magical secrets massively expanding their potential spell list.
4 fighter - if it were a list based solely on combat fighter would be number 1, but social and utility matter, fighter is better in these areas but still lacking compared to other classes. Fighter might not win in 1-on-1 situations against casters but there are builds which do better now and mostly this list is focused on party-vs mobs, not pvp.
3 sorcerer - much improved but still loses out on utility when compared to Wizard.
2 Cleric - Cleric never needed a buff because it was already very strong, but cleric DID get buffed in a few areas, more so guidance is now adapted to how tables generally played it and that makes it insanely good as a social buffer while still being a strong battlefield class, they now can get heavy armour without having to be a certain archetype/subclass. The few nerfs that did come in were needed, spirit guardians + spiritual weapon was always broken but still remains possible as a war cleric. There are now tactics where clerics can near wipe entire dungeons in a few turns but I am disregarding this for the comparison, they are however still a highly functional class that can stand in most of the battlefield and be functional. Also bless should never be underestimated as a spell.
1 Wizard - sorry, but I feel that Wizard was one of the best classes in 2014 and while not massively improved in 2024, they are still a head with their versatility with rituals and how many spells they can actually achieve via spellbooks.
The thing is, my list will be different to everybody else's, and that isn't to say either I or those other people are wrong either since it's all subjective and opinion based. The best you can do for this is polls on these forums.
Well, the main problem is that there will always be a little bias, no matter what. You are probably right about the monk, it should be lower. However, they are still pretty powerful, and should be at least top 4. But, while i see your points, I still think wizard is below bard and sorcerer, especially at high levels. I do think though, that your ranking of the lower tiers are more reasonable than mine, because I dm more often than I play.
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I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
I agree with Pantagruel, this should have been a poll
The problem is that I was asking for all the classes ranked, not just "which is the best." also with a poll everyone will pick their favorite class, not the strongest one.
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I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
Class Ranking as a straight list doesn't make sense. A tier ranking would be better in my opinion. And no matter who does the ranking or what the criteria are used for the ranking, there will always be a bias for some type. Like do we value pure combat efficiency as important as social or exploration? Do we value spellcasting higher or lower compared to non-spellcasting options.
You can try valuate each single feature, but is proficiency in martial weapons the same value as proficiency wit light armor? or rather medium armor?
There are so many factors, it is not possible to make a definitive ranking.
And i tried to make my own ranking system, multiple different versions of it, it was never good enough in the end.
Also, polling is even worse, as peoples opinions/feelings weigh far more heavily in polls than actual facts. At best you need a table of different player types(minmaxer/optimizers, narrative first people, whacky ideas guys, super casuals and more) and let them discuss everything, then perhaps you get something somewhat unbiased.
Fundamentally, you cannot rank classes without defining the environment in which they are being used. You'll see people saying things like "divine smite is now trash", when, with different assumptions, it's almost as good as it ever was.
And that environment differs at the individual table level. I'm in three different games with a significant overlap of players, but different people are GMing in each one, and the basic assumptions are all notably different.
Just for the fun of it, let me try to make a tier ranking. This will be super biased though.
S Tier - I would always want to play that class if possible
Ranger- I like the overall abilities of the ranger much more than any other classes. I have such a big swing of possible options how to create a ranger. Two-Weapon, Two-Handed, Ranged, Sword&Board, Spellcaster. And at least three out of the four subclasses i like to see play out. Though i would like to have a subclass that makes the caster ranger shine, that gives them perhaps true strike and an eldritch knight like extra attack for cantrips.
Warlock- The new warlock is so much better than the old one. I love gishes, and that pact of the blade now allows any subclass to be one, instead of being shoehorned into hexblade is such a incease in possible options. Celestial Blade Pact, Fiend Blade Pact, Archfey Blade Pact, GOO Blade Pact all sound amezing, and the invocation system is a great as ever. This class will only get more interesting with new subclasses.
A Tier - I would want to play the class at least a few times
Barbarian- Barbarian has a lot of cool new toys i would like to use, and the new World Tree subclass seems super fun.
Monk- Similar to Barbarian, Monk got a big facelift and the subclasses make me want to try at least the elements monk to see how that plays out
Rogue- I have currently a 2024 rogue in play that has amazing INT rolled, so i play a Arcane Trickster, but i think i could see myself try at least two other rogue subclasses again.
Sorcerer- The new sorcerer seems so much better than the old one. If it gets a few more subclasses i can see myself trying it a few times.
B Tier - I would want to play the class at least once
Druid- It was always a class i wanted to play, and the new druid is interesting. I currently would consider the Circle of the Sea druid, but would rather have a update to the wildfire druid to use that.
Fighter- Not much changed, but i would try the new eldritch knight and see if i can make a high int fighter work.
Paladin- Not much changed for them, but i never had a paladin character, so i would like to see one in play.
C Tier - I don't mind playing that class, but it wouldn't be my first choice
Artificer- Just looking from the UA Artificer, and i played one 2014 rather recently, i don't think i would pick an artificer again that soo. Perhaps sometime down the line, but it isn't the top of my list.
Bard- I'm not big on the bard fantasy, and while it got a few interesting things going on, i don't see my self choosing a bard over another class unless i have a clear concept for it in mind.
Wizard- I tried playing Wizards in the past, and always the campaign died own quite quickly when i did. So i may try one, but i don't think it is a interesting class. And if i would have played a wizard before (to a higher level) i would likely rank it same as clerci
F Tier - No interest in playing that class
Cleric- I played a cleric with the 2014 rules, and while the 2024 ones are an updates, i have no desire to play one. Perhaps if a interesting subclass comes along the way.
As people see, this list is not based on power or optimization, but about how interesting it would be to play the class for me.
With all the new emanation spells and effects, and the ability to voluntarily fail saving throws, and the new Grappler feat, I want a Monk. Grab two allies, and drag them at monk speed with step of the wind and proc both of their emanations on your turn on the whole battlefield. At level 10 when you step of the wind, you bring a 3rd friend along.
Really depends on if we are talking like fun to play, power, personal favorites etc.
For example since you put it in the 1 slot i'll talk about it. Warlock is my favorite class, i ill happily play it. But I wouldn't put it in the top tier of power, lower mid tier for the most part. If your games are going to 20 a bit higher since it has access to 9th level spells. But it has 2 primary attack vectors melee and cantrips. Melee it can dish out damage but its not designed to take damage, light armor with no shield and not a dex focused class. With the cantrips, its the best cantrip slinger but the damage is so far behind the curve you wont feel like a contributor using it. And its design is closer to a 1/2 caster mystic archer/warrior than full caster for most the game people play at. But its damage is well behind the 1/2 caster mold at most levels people play. It eventually out paces ranger who also needs some work on that score. But its still my favorite and I am playing it right now, and I would continue to do so even if power wise it was ranked last. I love the feel of pact magic, i love invocations, i love the thematic elements of an occultist finding passages in dark tomes about entities it can barter with for power. Its power level is irrelevant to all of that.
That being said, cantrip spam for the warlock and defense for pact of the blade needs some work. like they should just errata agonizing/repelling to just work with all cantrips, not pick a cantrip. And they need someway to get their damage to non super optimized single target DPR baseline. I still think for both ranger and warlock hex/hunters should become concentration free like at level 7 or something, deep enough its not worth the dip but low enough their damage keeps pace with baseline. Don't get me wrong you can always find a gimmick for any class that makes it OP, but I don't consider gimmicks in their overall power any more than I consider super optimized X builds from youtube guy. I more look at general play. And given how huge of a role combat is in most games they are not looking great. Some kind of spy campaign or something and they could really shine though.
To, the Warlock seems one of the hardest hit classes. While I really dislike how the Ranger was made dependent upon a single spell, it IS improved. The Warlock, by contrast, has had it's big gimmick of base attacks that cause forced movement or speed reduction copied by nearly every martial class, the Warlock didn't get a damage boost to make up for it. In addition, the bladelock might be improved on offense, but it has had defenses ripped away by the loss of a subclass that grants medium armor and shields, and those two things are now separate feats rather than one. Taking a dip with a bladelock is no longer something nice, but something absolutely required. The more I look at it, the more I feel the changes got it all wrong, at least for what was formerly one of my two favorite classes.
To, the Warlock seems one of the hardest hit classes. While I really dislike how the Ranger was made dependent upon a single spell, it IS improved. The Warlock, by contrast, has had it's big gimmick of base attacks that cause forced movement or speed reduction copied by nearly every martial class, the Warlock didn't get a damage boost to make up for it. In addition, the bladelock might be improved on offense, but it has had defenses ripped away by the loss of a subclass that grants medium armor and shields, and those two things are now separate feats rather than one. Taking a dip with a bladelock is no longer something nice, but something absolutely required. The more I look at it, the more I feel the changes got it all wrong, at least for what was formerly one of my two favorite classes.
I'll also point out they put a size limit on their shove, now almost all of the martial versions do as well but if your damage sucks the only add was shoves etc. which now stop working in a decent amount of boss fights, so now you start really looking bad. Basically remember all those players who said something like I'm not a hexblade but I never took agonizing blast as I don't care about eldritch blast and they focused on things like mask of many faces and good deception skills etc. Yeah that isn't really a choice anymore, its just what you need to do. Ignore doing damage, build your character around bringing other things to the table.
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I was looking for a ranking of all 2024 D&D classes, but I couldn't find any good ones. All of them were either biased or obviously ai generated. Now, I'm trying to make one, and need help doing it. Currently, my list is:
12: ranger, they got nerfed, and already sucked beforehand. Sorry, ranger mains.
11: fighter, they aren't great out of combat.
10: barbarian, the buffs are mid.
9: paladin, they're just kinda like a worse cleric.
8: druid, they got buffed but aren't great.
7:Rogue. The creators of d&d actually said that rogue is the weakest, but weapon mastery and cunning strike are really good
6 Cleric, it didn't get buffed at all really, and even got nerfed a tad bit
5: wizard, they're just a solid class overall.
4: monk, they probably got buffed the most because they were trash in 2014 rules. Now have much more damage output, and have less situational abilities
3: sorcerer, they fixed the "not enough spells" problem, and are super versatile with spells.
2:bard. Remember how bards used to be able to be tanks, shock attackers, support, or spellcasters? Well now, they can do all 4 simultaneously.
1: hands down, warlock wins. I think this one is unanimous, they are almost on par with the 2014 twilight cleric.
These are mainly based on combat and roleplay, but also partially on how fun they are to play.
So, tell me what you think, and what you would change.
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
.-. .- -. -.. --- -- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-
I recommend doing this as a poll? Also, it depends on game focus and tier of play.
Ranking them by what? Only you’ve put Rogue at 12 and as I'm playing one at the moment he’s far from the weakest damage dealer in our party and out of combat he’s an absolute beast where it’s virtually impossible to fail at a skill check
And Warlock is far from top tier even with the tune-up; still fairly short rest dependent and significantly less flexible with level 6+ spells.
Ahh, I see your points. I'm going to edit them now. Thanks though
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
.-. .- -. -.. --- -- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-
Well, if warlock wasn't top their, than monk would be number one, and 18.3 billion more people would complain.
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
.-. .- -. -.. --- -- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-
What, you've got a parallel Earth or two somewhere whose inhabitants all feel very strongly about 5e class tiers?
What do you think was taken from Clerics? Bless Strikes, better healing, better spell progression. Clerics are in a great spot.
And Warlock top? There is no level the warlock is a better caster than a Cleric, Wizard, or Sorcerer.
I use a one-tier system: They're all good for different purposes.
Sorry but this is just a terrible list.
Ranger is great Tier 1, okay tier 2, falls off a bit in tier 3 and 4 but it's still quiet viable, it just requires a mindset switch from pure martial focus to using more subclass features and ranger spells.
Paladin has issues yet might be the best class in the game right now, Divine Smite got nerfed but if you look past Divine Smite, or just entirely forget about Divine Smite all together, the rest of what Paladin has makes it one of the most solid classes in the game, it is the only class in the game with a dedicated healing resource, some archetypes/subclasses might have such resources but Paladin has it at the class level. Paladin has some of the best damage output in the game and is basically the best "tank", only rivalled by Barbarian. Then on top of this Paladin is a functional party face with their high charisma and let's not forget about the 2nd best feature in the game, Aura of Protection (spellcasting is the best and Paladin has that too)
Barbarian still does what it does the best, going out in a rage makes it unique and really the only other class that can be as reckless is Paladin but it's still a greater risk for Paladin to just recklessly delve straight into the front lines. Ultimately barbarian acts as a barrier between hostiles and ranged/casters better than anybody else.
Fighter are indeed combat orientated but I feel this take ignores the buffs that Fighter did get by being able to expend second wind charges to say, buff their stealth using tactical mind. Fighter is now able to do more outside of combat compared to what it use to be able too.
Druid... Druid I feel got rebalanced, unfortunately Circle of the Moon no longer dominates to a point where it pushes as being one of the best subclasses anymore. Ultimately I do think Druid is perhaps not as good as it should be but Circle of the Land and other subclass choices are now more viable and better than they use to be.
Rogue is still the weakest combat class, one on one, sneak attack is now possible in one-on-one situations but this was never a strength of rogue, their utility does make them almost irreplacable... if Ranger and Bard didn't exist but Ranger and Bard do exist and so rogue is in my opinion a class you won't actually miss if you don't have one.
Cleric's "nerf" is that it no longer multiclasses too well due to level 1 archetype/subclass choices, overall cleric is not that much different.
Wizard does a lot of things well still but overall it stands out less than it did in 2024, changes in how rituals work means they are more open to other classes and notably sorcerer (it's main rival in the arcane caster department) now gets more spells too. Overall I don't think Wizard is as high a ranking as it use to be, still the best class for utility due to how they learn spells and cast rituals tho.
Bards tank? I wouldn't risk it and bard has one of the worst DPR of all classes, they are a support spellcaster and that is still the case. Some subclasses can do slightly better at some things. Bards are very helpful but anybody looking at them as tanks or DPR classes, they aren't.
Sorcerer is improved and a better blaster than Wizard, I still don't know if I'd rank Sorcerer above Wizard. While sorcerer has infringed more on to Wizard, I think Wizard is still technically slightly ahead.
Monk might be the most improved but I still wouldn't say they are top tier, they just aren't the obvious last place anymore.
Warlock as best? Nope, hard disagree. Warlock is good but the best? definitely not.
If I had to, and I mean HAD TO. Rate the classes I would probably go:
12 Ranger - the switch in play style between tier 2-3 to stay relevant and counter-intuitive design of the class (too much on hunter's mark). This is only placement I agree with but for different reasons.
11 Rogue - they are still too hyper specialised, their damage is good and they fulfil a good role but a Ranger or Bard can actually potentially do the role just as well, if not better in some cases (pass without trace, whole party, can potentially pass stealth checks). Rogue just exists as the highest DPR choice of the three classes, oddly.
10 Monk - They are combat improved, social? not at all, all criticisms about how Fighter is useless outside of combat, is basically true of Monk but no longer true of fighter.
9 Warlock - class design is even more open to be customised and now all subclasses/archetypes feel more viable, however they are still mostly a highly limited class with only 2 slots for half the game and a reliance on cantrips. High charisma does help in social situations and the sheer scale of customisation is good, the ability to be more martial based does potentially mean warlock can be considered higher on the list.
8 Druid - I don't think the class got as much TLC as it deserves, the class is still a bit lack luster in terms of features but better than 2014 which was terrifyingly lacking in decent features.
7 Paladin - the class might deserve to be higher but I rated down Ranger for counter-intuitive design and Paladin is almost as bad as ranger on that front. Paladin would be higher if not for that (too much on divine smite, why have a feature for find steed?). Divine smite is now trash tier but changes to subclasses and the ability to use spell slots on different spells means that doesn't affect paladin as badly as initially thought, some smite spells are in fact more usable too, more for their secondary effects than the damage. Shining smite negating invisibility is insane in those few situations where it comes up.
6 Barbarian - Barbarian is better designed for later tiers of play, it is no longer dominated by totem/wild heart and berserker is no longer a trash subclass.
5 Bard - Bard is still one of the best support classes, that can heal and perform other jobs, it's strongest in later tiers due to magical secrets massively expanding their potential spell list.
4 fighter - if it were a list based solely on combat fighter would be number 1, but social and utility matter, fighter is better in these areas but still lacking compared to other classes. Fighter might not win in 1-on-1 situations against casters but there are builds which do better now and mostly this list is focused on party-vs mobs, not pvp.
3 sorcerer - much improved but still loses out on utility when compared to Wizard.
2 Cleric - Cleric never needed a buff because it was already very strong, but cleric DID get buffed in a few areas, more so guidance is now adapted to how tables generally played it and that makes it insanely good as a social buffer while still being a strong battlefield class, they now can get heavy armour without having to be a certain archetype/subclass. The few nerfs that did come in were needed, spirit guardians + spiritual weapon was always broken but still remains possible as a war cleric. There are now tactics where clerics can near wipe entire dungeons in a few turns but I am disregarding this for the comparison, they are however still a highly functional class that can stand in most of the battlefield and be functional. Also bless should never be underestimated as a spell.
1 Wizard - sorry, but I feel that Wizard was one of the best classes in 2014 and while not massively improved in 2024, they are still a head with their versatility with rituals and how many spells they can actually achieve via spellbooks.
The thing is, my list will be different to everybody else's, and that isn't to say either I or those other people are wrong either since it's all subjective and opinion based. The best you can do for this is polls on these forums.
Well, the main problem is that there will always be a little bias, no matter what. You are probably right about the monk, it should be lower. However, they are still pretty powerful, and should be at least top 4. But, while i see your points, I still think wizard is below bard and sorcerer, especially at high levels. I do think though, that your ranking of the lower tiers are more reasonable than mine, because I dm more often than I play.
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
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I agree with Pantagruel, this should have been a poll
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
The problem is that I was asking for all the classes ranked, not just "which is the best." also with a poll everyone will pick their favorite class, not the strongest one.
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
.-. .- -. -.. --- -- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-
Class Ranking as a straight list doesn't make sense. A tier ranking would be better in my opinion. And no matter who does the ranking or what the criteria are used for the ranking, there will always be a bias for some type. Like do we value pure combat efficiency as important as social or exploration? Do we value spellcasting higher or lower compared to non-spellcasting options.
You can try valuate each single feature, but is proficiency in martial weapons the same value as proficiency wit light armor? or rather medium armor?
There are so many factors, it is not possible to make a definitive ranking.
And i tried to make my own ranking system, multiple different versions of it, it was never good enough in the end.
Also, polling is even worse, as peoples opinions/feelings weigh far more heavily in polls than actual facts. At best you need a table of different player types(minmaxer/optimizers, narrative first people, whacky ideas guys, super casuals and more) and let them discuss everything, then perhaps you get something somewhat unbiased.
Fundamentally, you cannot rank classes without defining the environment in which they are being used. You'll see people saying things like "divine smite is now trash", when, with different assumptions, it's almost as good as it ever was.
And that environment differs at the individual table level. I'm in three different games with a significant overlap of players, but different people are GMing in each one, and the basic assumptions are all notably different.
Just for the fun of it, let me try to make a tier ranking. This will be super biased though.
S Tier - I would always want to play that class if possible
A Tier - I would want to play the class at least a few times
B Tier - I would want to play the class at least once
C Tier - I don't mind playing that class, but it wouldn't be my first choice
F Tier - No interest in playing that class
As people see, this list is not based on power or optimization, but about how interesting it would be to play the class for me.
With all the new emanation spells and effects, and the ability to voluntarily fail saving throws, and the new Grappler feat, I want a Monk. Grab two allies, and drag them at monk speed with step of the wind and proc both of their emanations on your turn on the whole battlefield. At level 10 when you step of the wind, you bring a 3rd friend along.
Really depends on if we are talking like fun to play, power, personal favorites etc.
For example since you put it in the 1 slot i'll talk about it. Warlock is my favorite class, i ill happily play it. But I wouldn't put it in the top tier of power, lower mid tier for the most part. If your games are going to 20 a bit higher since it has access to 9th level spells. But it has 2 primary attack vectors melee and cantrips. Melee it can dish out damage but its not designed to take damage, light armor with no shield and not a dex focused class. With the cantrips, its the best cantrip slinger but the damage is so far behind the curve you wont feel like a contributor using it. And its design is closer to a 1/2 caster mystic archer/warrior than full caster for most the game people play at. But its damage is well behind the 1/2 caster mold at most levels people play. It eventually out paces ranger who also needs some work on that score. But its still my favorite and I am playing it right now, and I would continue to do so even if power wise it was ranked last. I love the feel of pact magic, i love invocations, i love the thematic elements of an occultist finding passages in dark tomes about entities it can barter with for power. Its power level is irrelevant to all of that.
That being said, cantrip spam for the warlock and defense for pact of the blade needs some work. like they should just errata agonizing/repelling to just work with all cantrips, not pick a cantrip. And they need someway to get their damage to non super optimized single target DPR baseline. I still think for both ranger and warlock hex/hunters should become concentration free like at level 7 or something, deep enough its not worth the dip but low enough their damage keeps pace with baseline. Don't get me wrong you can always find a gimmick for any class that makes it OP, but I don't consider gimmicks in their overall power any more than I consider super optimized X builds from youtube guy. I more look at general play. And given how huge of a role combat is in most games they are not looking great. Some kind of spy campaign or something and they could really shine though.
To, the Warlock seems one of the hardest hit classes. While I really dislike how the Ranger was made dependent upon a single spell, it IS improved. The Warlock, by contrast, has had it's big gimmick of base attacks that cause forced movement or speed reduction copied by nearly every martial class, the Warlock didn't get a damage boost to make up for it. In addition, the bladelock might be improved on offense, but it has had defenses ripped away by the loss of a subclass that grants medium armor and shields, and those two things are now separate feats rather than one. Taking a dip with a bladelock is no longer something nice, but something absolutely required. The more I look at it, the more I feel the changes got it all wrong, at least for what was formerly one of my two favorite classes.
I'll also point out they put a size limit on their shove, now almost all of the martial versions do as well but if your damage sucks the only add was shoves etc. which now stop working in a decent amount of boss fights, so now you start really looking bad. Basically remember all those players who said something like I'm not a hexblade but I never took agonizing blast as I don't care about eldritch blast and they focused on things like mask of many faces and good deception skills etc. Yeah that isn't really a choice anymore, its just what you need to do. Ignore doing damage, build your character around bringing other things to the table.