Class Guide and Playstyles in DnD 5e
If you're newer to DnD or just haven't played some of the classes, you may be wondering what each of them 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 doesn'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 of the 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.
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 a variety of roles. Depending on subclass choice, they can play reasonably well as support characters, tanks, ranged blasters, or frontline strikers. As high-intelligence characters, Artificers are skilled investigators and also 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, but can also 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
- Iron Man from MCU - If you want to be the Medieval fantasy version of Iron Man, an Armorer Artificer is your best bet.
- Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy - Rocket is a great example of a character that uses their intelligence and mechanical aptitude to fight.
- Tali'Zorah vas Normandy from Mass Effect - The Normandy's tech genius is a great example of an Artificer Battle Smith, using her drone to help her fight.
- Rikku from Final Fantasy X - Yes, the thief from Final Fantasy X is actually an Artificer. Sure, she can steal, but the reason everyone uses her is her Mix ability, which can give you some powerful potion effects.
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 if you’re looking for a critical hit build, barbarians are among the top picks. Compared to disciplined Fighters, Barbarians instead rely on their raw power and can jump right into battle rather than wait for the perfect moment.
Primary Stat: Strength
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Pop Culture Examples of Barbarians
- Berserker from the Fate series - If you've ever wondered what a level 20 martial character would look like in battle, look no further.
- Lagertha "The Shieldmaiden" from Vikings - Far from being some random brute, Lagertha is a noble woman - both as a queen and someone with values and a strong purpose. Her defiant personality and commitment to something bigger than herself are a great inspiration for a Barbarian.
- Wolverine from MCU - Nobody can take more abuse and keep going than Wolverine. He's a fierce fighter, but his greatest strength is just ignoring damage that would incapacitate other combatants.
Bard
Bards are the quintessential jacks of all trades and can fill a wide variety of 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 a lot of options for making the entire party stronger, 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
- Scott Pilgrim and Todd the Vegan from Scott Pilgrim vs the World - Powerful psychic attacks channeled through a bass guitar, what's not to like? Just don't drink the half and half.
- Soul King Brook from One Piece - He's the ship's musician as well as their secondary swordsman. Brook is probably a College of Swords Bard.
- Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy - If you've ever wanted to stop a battle with a dance-off (and, let's be honest, who hasn't?), the Bard class might be for you.
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 nice flavor that comes in handy from time to time. Clerics gain their powers from a god, and there are a wide variety of gods to choose from, making many different character concepts possible.
Primary Stat: Wisdom
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Pop Culture Examples of Clerics
- Melisandre from Game of Thrones - Proof that Clerics are under no obligation to be nice, this Cleric of the Light Domain is as deadly as she is devout.
- Pike Trickfoot from The Legend of Vox Machina - This one is almost cheating since Pike is a Dungeons & Dragons Cleric, but she's a great example.
- Yuna from Final Fantasy X - Though she's also a summoner, Yuna is the party's white mage and works tirelessly to send the dead into the afterlife, making her a great example of a Grave Cleric.
- Rosa Joanna Farrell from Final Fantasy IV - For those who have played pretty much any Final Fantasy game, white mages are almost always Clerics, but Rosa's skills as an archer are a good fit for the War Domain.
Druid
Druids are nature-based spellcasters who get a lot of great support and control spell options, 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
- Doric from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - This is literally a Dungeons & Dragons character, but Doric is a Circle of the Moon Druid, and she makes this look good.
- Layla from Sky High - An unassuming nature-lover who's secretly a badass when the need arises, Layla is a great concept for a Druid.
- Poison Ivy from DC - Self-proclaimed eco-terrorist Poison Ivy uses nature powers to fight others, making her a textbook Druid.
- Solas from Dragon Age: Inquisition - This lone wolf mage has powerful support and control options and can traverse through dreams, making him a great fit for the Circle of Dreams Druid.
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
- Hector vs Achilles from Troy - Two quintessential Fighters squaring off against each other.
- King Bradley from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Bradley's martial prowess is hinted at early on in the series, but when we see him really fight, he proves that a guy with a sword can be just as terrifying as any magical or technological threat.
- Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan - Mikasa is one of Attack on Titan's biggest badasses and she trains tirelessly to keep her fighting edge.
- Auron from Final Fantasy X - Final Fantasy X's stoic badass is a great example of a Fighter.
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 being able to run up walls or catch arrows (and, in some cases, throw 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
- Mickey from Snatch - Monks don't have to look like Tibetan Buddhists. A streetwise brawler character can absolutely work as a Monk.
- Sanji from One Piece - Another Monk outside the mold of an Eastern martial artist, Sanji's kicks are deadly and he's one of the best fighters in the series. His flaming kicks can be accomplished with the Ascendent Dragon subclass.
- Ty Lee from Avatar: The Last Airbender - Ty Lee is a Monk who makes great use of Stunning Strike. She probably has expertise in Acrobatics as well. (If we're looking at Monks in Avatar: The Last Airbender, though, take a look at Suki too!)
- Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII - Though she can steal, Yuffie is a great example of how a ranged Monk could work.
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 they need it, but resource management of the spell slots is also important. They’re typically strong defenders but can be built to use two-handed weapons as well for extra damage. Their place is strongly 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
- Darth Vader - When Paladins turn away from their oaths for dark purposes, they become Oathbreakers and gain new powers from that. Vader previously gained power from his oath but found new power in breaking it.
- Samara from Mass Effect - Samara is a powerful warrior whose life is dictated by her oath.
- Wonder Woman from Justice League - Wonder Woman has deadly martial prowess aided by some supernatural abilities, and she's driven by her devotion to protecting people, making her a natural fit for the Paladin.
- Tidus from Final Fantasy X - Though it's not explicitly stated, it's Tidus's principles that end up leading the party to victory, and those principles are perfectly represented by the Oath of Glory.
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, though, 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
- Geralt from The Witcher - A monster hunter-type character works well as a Ranger, especially with the Monster Slayer subclass.
- Jon Snow from Game of Thrones - Jon Snow can track foes through the wilderness and has a dire wolf as a companion. This is a great example of a Ranger. (His wildling girlfriend Ygritte is a great example of a Ranger too.)
- San from Princess Mononoke - The wolf princess hero from Princess Mononoke is a great example of a Ranger.
- Wakka from Final Fantasy X - Though Wakka is much more likely to be swimming around a sports arena than traipsing through the woods, he's a great example of what a Ranger could be.
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 either 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 a lot of things.
Primary Stat: Dexterity
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Pop Culture Examples of Rogues
- Ant-Man from MCU - Perhaps an odd example, but Ant-Man's fighting style revolves around disappearing and reappearing with a surprise attack for an opponent. He's not supernaturally strong, but the sneak attacks are powerful.
- Arya Stark from Game of Thrones - Arya is a nimble fighter who goes for the killing blow when her enemy is not expecting it. She's a great example of a Rogue.
- Catwoman/Selina Kyle from DC - Far from being a thug on the streets, Catwoman is a sophisticated thief who can handle herself in a fight.
- Isabela from Dragon Age 2 - Rogues don't have to be thieves or assassins; a swashbuckling pirate works well as a rogue too.
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are arcane casters—straight-up magic users with a variety of spells for attack, defense, and utility (though not many support options, except for the Divine Soul subclass). Where they shine is in using sorcery points to bend the rules of magic—for instance, to cast a spell without anyone noticing or make 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
- Colonel Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Few characters on this show match the destructive potential of Colonel Mustang. He may be a bit of a one-trick pony, but it's a terribly effective trick.
- Elsa from Frozen - Another elemental mage (although Sorcerers aren't limited to one element), Elsa has one power that she uses to many effects.
- Natsu from Fairy Tail - Natsu is probably the most perfect example of a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. Pretty much every "Wizard" in Fairy Tail is a Charisma caster of some sort.
- Lulu from Final Fantasy X - Lulu is all about destroying enemies with powerful attack spells, and that's a great fit for the Sorcerer class.
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 can be cast without using 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 have to be very selective about when they cast full spells (although they get their spell slots back on a 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 sort of powerful creature (but not a god), which adds some interesting built-in flavor for backstories.
Primary Stat: Charisma
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Pop Culture Examples of Warlocks
- Edward and Alphonse Elric from Full Metal Alchemist - Drawing power from an unfathomable and immensely powerful being is a great example of a Great Old One patron, although the powers the Elric brothers get are more remniscent of the Hexblade subclass.
- John Constantine from DC Animated Universe - Constantine is far from the most powerful magician in the DC universe, but he's able to use his powers cleverly to take on powerful foes.
- Raven from Teen Titans - Raven's powers come from her demon father, and she has a bit of a spooky vibe. Raven would be a Fiend Warlock.
- Anders from Dragon Age II - Warlocks don't have to be dark and spooky. Anders has entered into a relationship with a spirit of justice, which is a great fit for the Celestial Warlock.
Wizard
Wizards are the ultimate magic users. Like sorcerers, they get powerful attack, defense, and utility spells, but they get to pick a lot more options, giving them unmatched versatility. They can make great blasters, but can also use magic to solve a lot of 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, so Wizards usually roleplay as the character who has things figured out and has heard of 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
- Dr. Strange from MCU - Though he's called a sorcerer, Dr. Strange is absolutely a Wizard. He's studied hard to learn magic, and he has a spell for just about everything.
- Gandalf from Lord of the Rings - Gandalf is pretty much the prototype for every Wizard in DnD.
- Late-Season Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Willow grew from a shy, unassuming teenager to one of the most powerful characters in the show by studying magic—a great prototype for a younger Wizard.
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.