Strategic Control Caster Builds in DnD 5e

by Brandon Gregory

Support casters and Blasters are important, but a good Controller mage can absolutely wreck an enemy party, potentially turning some encounters into a cakewalk. They have spells to completely take some enemies out of the fight or chop the battlefield in half, turning one tough encounter into two easy ones. Most full casters can fill this role, but here’s a breakdown of which classes do it best.

First, though, a bit of background on my class choices.

Half-casters (Artificers, Paladins, and Rangers) get some of these spells. They’re not included here because half-casters learn these spells much later than full-casters, making them less useful in fulfilling this role. That said, all three of the half-caster classes can dabble in this role.

Second, only spells available to the base classes are listed. Many subclasses (particularly Warlock subclasses) gain some additional control spells that can make them a better fit for the role than my ratings would indicate. I may build a guide that gets that granular someday, but for now, that’s beyond the scope of this article.

Control Spell Options by Class

Here are good control spells and classes that have them.

Here’s the count of how many options each class has at each spell level:

Control Caster Class Breakdown

While most full-casters can be Controllers (sorry, Clerics), some things make each class better or worse at fulfilling this role. Here’s a rough breakdown of each full-caster class, with ratings for spell selection and role fit. Spell selection rates their options for control spells. Role fit compares the Controller role to the overall class design and examines how easily a class can shift to being a Controller.

Wizard

Wizards are best-in-class controllers, having the most control spell options by a pretty wide margin and with the Controller role being one of the things the class was designed for. Of the 41 control spells in the list above, Wizards have access to 35 and have exclusive access to some pretty amazing options like Wall of Force and Maze. With the spell selection and the generous amount of spells the Wizard can learn and prepare, it’s easy to make a Wizard good at control, damage, and utility. In short, the Wizard loses nothing by taking on the Controller role, making them an excellent candidate.

Spell Options: ★★★★★

Role Fit: ★★★★★

Sorcerer

Sorcerers make excellent blasters, but they have some great options for control as well. For spell selection, they’re basically Wizard-light and have a lot of the same options as Wizards. One limitation they have compared to Wizards is the lower number of spells they can learn, and they don’t prepare spells, giving them less versatility in their options than Wizards. While a Wizard can potentially learn almost every spell and swap them out on a long rest, Sorcerers have to choose the spells that are important to them and can only change them on a level up. Even with that limitation, Sorcerers can make great Controllers if you commit to the build.

Spell Options: ★★★★☆

Role Fit: ★★★★☆

Bard

While known primarily as Support casters, Bards can make great Controllers with at least a few options at every spell level and the spell slots to use them. They have the same limitation as Sorcerers in that they don’t prepare spells, so they have to commit to their spell selection for an entire level, making it harder to slip into the Controller role for a short time. Adding to this challenge is the expectation that Bards be Support characters, making it hard to split their spell choices between the two roles. Bards can make fantastic Controller characters—just make sure your party has the support it needs before committing fully to the role.

Spell Options: ★★★★☆

Role Fit: ★★★☆☆

Druid

Druids are an odd mix of support, damage, and control spells, with some added utility from wildshape, making them very versatile characters. While their number of control spells is relatively low, they still have some excellent control options. At level 1, for example, Entangle is one of the best control spells and remains useful throughout the game—and it’s exclusive to Druids. Like Bards, Druids are often expected to be Support characters, but Druids can prepare spells each long rest, giving them far more versatility in their spell selection than a Bard or Sorcerer. The only real challenge for the role fit is that Druids have so many things they can do that it can be hard to decide whether to use a control spell or do something else. Still, Druids are excellent Controllers with plenty of options for wrecking an enemy party.

Spell Options: ★★★☆☆

Role Fit: ★★★★☆

Warlock

Compared to many other spellcasters, Warlocks are simple in both their playstyle and their role. For most Warlocks, the goal is to damage the enemy and make their lives as hard as possible. That seems to be a great fit for a Controller character, but there are some challenges. Warlocks do not prepare spells, so they can only swap them out on level-up. Beyond that, Warlocks learn fewer spells than most other spellcasters and have few spell slots to work with. Their spell slots recharge on short rest rather than long, but they have some spells (namely Hex) that are foundational to their playstyle and will likely be used every encounter. So while Warlocks can be good Controllers, they’re potentially giving up a lot of their spell versatility to fill that role.

Spell Options: ★★★☆☆

Role Fit: ★★★☆☆

Cleric

Clerics are the only full casters that I would say are not fit for the Controller role. They only have three spell options at relatively low levels (1, 2, and 4) and are designed to be support and damage casters. That said, Hold Person and Banishment are two of the more useful control spells, and both are on the Cleric spell list. While Clerics fulfill two roles, they prepare spells, making it easier to fit a control spell or two into their daily spell lists as needed. Still, I hesitate to call a Cleric a Controller. They’re more like a support and damage caster with one or two control options.

Spell Options: ★☆☆☆☆

Role Fit: ★★☆☆☆

Best Feats for Control Casters

Control casters are less feat-reliant than other builds, but there are still a few that can make a significant difference.

Alert

Alert is probably the best feat a control caster can take. Going earlier in combat gives you more opportunity to control how that battle plays out, and you have many options for influencing that. As a bonus, the inability to be surprised gives you some protection against enemy rogues.

Metamagic Adept

Metamagic is a Sorcerer feature, but it’s useful for every caster. Take Subtle Spell and cast your spells out of combat without anyone noticing. Take Twinned Spell and make a spell meant for one target two. There are many great options here, and if you’re not a Sorcerer, this is the only way to get them.

Resilient

Many control spells listed above require concentration, which means that any kobold with a slingshot can break your hold on the enemy party. Taking Resilient to gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws can go a long way in making you more reliable in combat.

Telekinetic

+1 to your spellcasting stat, but the shove feature also gives you something to do with your bonus action. Remember that you can’t cast two leveled spells on your turn, even if one uses your bonus action. Shoving enemies away from you is also a great way to disengage from a close foe without losing your action.

Tough

For classes with a d6 hit die (Sorcerers and Wizards), the extra hit points can help. Your main goal, though, is to stay out of melee combat entirely, so if you find yourself getting hit a lot, you might look at changing some of your tactics.

About the Author

Brandon Gregory

Brandon Gregory is a web developer and writer in the Kansas City area. He's been playing TTRPGs since 2020 and is involved in the disability-related TTRPG podcast Tales from the Crips. He's into classic movies, mental health, and, of course, DnD. Also, he's in a band. One time, they rocked so hard it killed a man.