Tabletop RPG advice for little dragons

Class Guide and Playstyles in DnD 5e

by Brandon Gregory

Illustration of a half-elf pirate holding two scimitars

Whether you’re new to DnD or just new to some classes, you may wonder what each is like. What’s the difference between a Fighter and a Barbarian, for instance, or a Sorcerer and a Wizard? Sometimes even reading the introductions in the handbooks won’t give you a clear idea, and it can be hard to get that without getting way into the mechanics of each class.

This page gives a basic overview of what each class does and how it plays. It’s not a perfect guide because some classes can be very diverse; however, this should give you a good general idea of how the classes are different and which might be best for you.

Contents
  1. Artificer
  2. Barbarian
  3. Bard
  4. Cleric
  5. Druid
  6. Fighter
  7. Monk
  8. Paladin
  9. Ranger
  10. Rogue
  11. Sorcerer
  12. Warlock
  13. Wizard

Artificer

Artificers are a diverse half-caster class and the biggest thing they bring to the table is versatility. They get a lot of utility magic and tool proficiencies, and their subclasses allow them to fill many roles. Artificer subclasses are diverse and can play reasonably well as support characters, tanks, ranged blasters, or frontline strikers. As high-intelligence characters, Artificers are skilled investigators and often serve as a source of knowledge in many areas: magic, history, religion, or nature. They also gain the ability to create magic items that can be used either by them or other party members, which can make them more powerful or give them more versatility, such as pulling out a cap that allows them to breathe underwater when no one else in the party is prepared to go diving.

Primary Stat: Intelligence

Difficulty: ★★★★★

Pop Culture Examples of Artificers

Barbarian

Barbarians are THE tank class. Their natural toughness and a massive pool of hit points place them firmly on the front lines of combat where they can shrug off damage and hit back harder. They’re typically strong in every physical feat, from jumping across chasms to dodging fireballs to resisting the effects of poison. They also get some class features to enhance critical hits and get them more often, so Barbarians are among the top picks for critical hit build. Contrasting disciplined Fighters, Barbarians rely on their raw power and can jump into battle rather than wait for the perfect moment.

Primary Stat: Strength

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Barbarians

Bard

Bards are the quintessential jacks of all trades and can fill many roles, reminiscent of the old red mages of Final Fantasy games. They’re full casters and get good support and control options, but they can wear light armor and fight with weapons when needed. They get a lot of skill proficiencies and can fill any gaps in the party’s array of skills. Bards also have many options for buffing their teammates, making any ally more effective at what they do. As high-charisma characters, bards are notoriously strong social characters and natural performers.

Primary Stat: Charisma

Difficulty: ★★★★☆

Pop Culture Examples of Bards

Cleric

Clerics are full casters who wear armor, making them much more durable than most other spellcasters, and they do well on the front lines of combat. They have the best support magic, but a wide variety of subclasses allows them to serve just about any role on the battlefield, from ranged blaster to frontline warrior to trickster illusionist and even mind reader. They can also absolutely destroy undead monsters, which is flavorful and comes in handy occasionally. Clerics gain their powers from a god, and there are many gods to choose from, making many different character concepts possible.

Primary Stat: Wisdom

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Clerics

Druid

Druids are nature-based spellcasters who get great support and control spells, and some good attack spells. They can transform into various animals—typically weaker animals that are used more for utility, like turning into a hawk to scout ahead, but there is one subclass that can turn into more powerful animals for combat. Most druids will stay far away from the front lines, choosing instead to hinder enemies, support their allies, or use their magic and animal transformations for out-of-combat challenges.

Primary Stat: Wisdom

Difficulty: ★★★★★

Pop Culture Examples of Druids

Fighter

Fighters are trained killers, having mastered multiple weapons and relying on their expert training when enemies face them. They can be built equally well with either strength or dexterity and make great front-line characters or powerful archers. Their class features are almost entirely combat-based, so you won’t get much out of the class for out-of-combat challenges. More than any other class, though, Fighters are a blank slate, and any type of character you want can be a Fighter—if you want to be a standard knight, that works, but a Japanese-inspired swordsman or a Native American-style warrior can work just as well.

Primary Stat: Strength or Dexterity

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Fighters

Monk

Monks are highly mobile skirmishers. They can struggle when engaging strong opponents one-on-one, but their mobility and evasion skills often allow them to run right past the enemy’s frontline and attack the archers and spellcasters behind them, or employ hit-and-run tactics to wear enemies down. They get cool abilities, like running up walls or catching arrows (and, in some cases, throwing them back), and have an excellent stun attack. They’re also a great introduction to resource management, with ki points powering many of their abilities.

Primary Stat: Dexterity and Wisdom

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Monks

Paladin

Paladins are half-casters but they function more as strong martial characters who can use magic to boost some of their attacks. They get limited spell slots, like other half-casters, but can use these when a melee attack connects to apply additional smite damage to an opponent. This makes them great at applying burst damage when needed, but resource management of the spell slots is also important. They’re typically strong defenders but can be built to use two-handed weapons for extra damage. Their place is on the front line, as their smite ability does not work with ranged attacks. Paladins gain their abilities from an oath that dictates what they must do. There are a variety of oaths available, but all Paladins will have a code of some sort that they live by.

Primary Stat: Strength or Dexterity, and Charisma

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Paladins

Ranger

Rangers are nature-themed half-casters who use their magic mostly to enhance their attacks. They make excellent archers, but melee builds are also possible. They typically have a high Wisdom score, making them excellent at scouting and tracking, and have some of the Druid flavor while still having a strong, martial striking ability. The biggest reason to play a Ranger is just because you want to play a Ranger—they’re very flavorful, and no other class captures the idea of a hunter tracking their prey through the woods like this class. They also get along well with animals.

Primary Stat: Strength or Dexterity, and Wisdom

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Rangers

Rogue

Rogues are experts in stealth and subterfuge, often preferring to strike a vulnerable opponent than to take one head-on. Most of their damage comes from sneak attacks, so rather than getting a bunch of attacks like a Fighter, they get one big attack per turn. They can get in trouble if a strong opponent focuses on them, but they have multiple abilities to get themselves out of trouble or avoid damage. Out of combat, they have excellent stealth skills that can make them capable scouts or infiltrators, and they get more skill proficiencies than anyone except Bards, so they end up being good at doing many things.

Primary Stat: Dexterity

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Rogues

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are arcane casters—straight-up magic users with many spells for attack, defense, and utility (though not many support options, except for the Divine Soul subclass). They shine when using sorcery points to bend the rules of magic—for instance, casting a spell without anyone noticing or making some of their spells stronger. Flavor-wise, sorcerers are born with magical abilities and often struggle early in life to learn to control them. They make excellent blasters, so if you’re looking for an offensive spellcaster, this may be it.

Primary Stat: Charisma

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Sorcerers

Warlock

Warlocks are arcane casters that aren’t as diverse as Sorcerers or Wizards but can do a few things really well. They get access to a powerful cantrip (basically, a level 0 spell that doesn’t use a spell slot) that levels up with them and becomes their main attack. Beyond that, they have great control and attack spells but few spell slots to use, so they must be selective about when they cast full spells (although they get their spell slots back on short rest, unlike other spellcasters). They also get to pick from a list of available features every few levels, giving them abilities like seeing in total darkness, improving their spell attacks, using magic to disguise themselves, or talking to animals. This makes them one of the most customizable classes in the game. Flavor-wise, they gain their powers from a pact with some powerful creature (but not a god), which adds some interesting built-in flavor for backstories.

Primary Stat: Charisma

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Pop Culture Examples of Warlocks

Wizard

Wizards are the ultimate magic users. Like sorcerers, they get powerful attack, defense, and utility spells, but they get to pick many more options, giving them unmatched versatility. They can make great blasters, but can also use magic to solve many problems that might be difficult for other party members. Their control spell options are also fantastic, and a strategic Wizard can absolutely shut down an unprepared enemy party. Flavor-wise, Wizards are intelligence-based spellcasters who learned their magic through intense study. Wizards usually roleplay as the character who has things figured out, who knows about the most powerful magic abilities and can gain knowledge when the party discovers the evil villain’s plot.

Primary Stat: Intelligence

Difficulty: ★★★★★

Pop Culture Examples of Wizards

About the Author

Brandon Gregory

Photo of 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.