-
Monstrous Menagerie II: Hordes & Heroes has a launch date! Mark your calendars for November 12th, 2024. 300+ more monsters for your D&D 2024, or Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition games, plus new horde rules and rules for heroic monsters who level up alongside you--whether they be allies, companions, or foes! Click here to follow on Kickstarter!
D&D 5E Rank your favorite D&D classes
- Thread starter Yaarel
- Start date
W'rkncacnter
Hero
4e strikes again!
ezo
Get off my lawn!
Rogue
Wizard
Fighter
Cleric
Ranger
Druid
Monk
Paladin
(Psion)*
Bard
Barbarian
Sorcerer
Warlock
I can't rank the others compared to Artificer (which I abhore) since I am not familiar with them in any edition.
*The "Psion" isn't the Psionicist from 2E, but if I considered it as such, it would be in the position listed above. Otherwise, just take it out.
Wizard
Fighter
Cleric
Ranger
Druid
Monk
Paladin
(Psion)*
Bard
Barbarian
Sorcerer
Warlock
I can't rank the others compared to Artificer (which I abhore) since I am not familiar with them in any edition.
*The "Psion" isn't the Psionicist from 2E, but if I considered it as such, it would be in the position listed above. Otherwise, just take it out.
EzekielRaiden
Follower of the Way
I've added a few that aren't on your list, but matter to me. Feel free to ignore them if you want a list without; I'll mark with asterisks.
Paladin
Summoner*
Sorcerer
Warlord
Avenger*
Swordmage
Shaman*
Ninja (if distinct from Rogue)*
Warlock
Monk
Druid
Bard
Rogue
Fighter
Cleric
Psion (and psionics in general)
Wizard
Artificer
More or less, think of their position like this: Imagine if there was no Wizard class, but there were still Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights, and someone tells you you should be happy to have not one but two Int-based spellcasting options. You would, I'd argue rightly, demand that a class that focuses on that Int-based spellcasting be included, that there's just not enough design space in the confined limits of a Fighter or Rogue subclass to truly articulate that theme.
That's how such folks feel about Swordmage and Warlord. The "Warlord Fighter" is to a real Warlord class what the "Wizard Fighter" (Eldritch Knight) is to the real Wizard class. Likewise, a Swordmage class is not "Eldritch Knight, redesigned." It's a class that marries warrior-stuff and spellcaster-stuff from the ground up, united, inseparable, indivisible. To do weapon drills IS to do spellcraft; to practice your spellwork IS to practice your bladework. You could no more separate a Swordmage's "spellcasting" from her "martial prowess" than you could separate a poet's "vocabulary" from his "grammar"--to use one skill in any functional way is to use the other skill, and vice-versa.
Paladin
Summoner*
Sorcerer
Warlord
Avenger*
Swordmage
Shaman*
Ninja (if distinct from Rogue)*
Warlock
Monk
Druid
Bard
Rogue
Fighter
Cleric
Psion (and psionics in general)
Wizard
Artificer
They were official in 4e, and had official equivalents (Marshal and Duskblade) in 3e. Both have pretty meaningful devoted fanbases that would like to see them given proper treatment as actual classes.
More or less, think of their position like this: Imagine if there was no Wizard class, but there were still Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights, and someone tells you you should be happy to have not one but two Int-based spellcasting options. You would, I'd argue rightly, demand that a class that focuses on that Int-based spellcasting be included, that there's just not enough design space in the confined limits of a Fighter or Rogue subclass to truly articulate that theme.
That's how such folks feel about Swordmage and Warlord. The "Warlord Fighter" is to a real Warlord class what the "Wizard Fighter" (Eldritch Knight) is to the real Wizard class. Likewise, a Swordmage class is not "Eldritch Knight, redesigned." It's a class that marries warrior-stuff and spellcaster-stuff from the ground up, united, inseparable, indivisible. To do weapon drills IS to do spellcraft; to practice your spellwork IS to practice your bladework. You could no more separate a Swordmage's "spellcasting" from her "martial prowess" than you could separate a poet's "vocabulary" from his "grammar"--to use one skill in any functional way is to use the other skill, and vice-versa.
Frozen_Heart
Hero
Order for how much I like them based on theme:
1 - Swordmage
2 - Sorcerer
3 - Blood Hunter
4 - Fighter
5 - Ranger
6 - Rogue
7 - Warlord
8 - Monk
9 - Cleric
10 - Druid
11 - Warlock
12 - Paladin
13 - Barbarian
14 - Wizard
15 - Artificer
16 - Psion
17 - Bard
Order for how much I enjoy them based on how they actually are in 5e (mixture of theme and mechanics):
1 - Barbarian
2 - Artificer
3 - Rogue
4 - Cleric
5 - Warlock
6 - Fighter
7 - Paladin
8 - Blood Hunter
9 - Sorcerer
10 - Monk
11 - Ranger
12 - Druid
13 - Wizard
14 - Bard
1 - Swordmage
2 - Sorcerer
3 - Blood Hunter
4 - Fighter
5 - Ranger
6 - Rogue
7 - Warlord
8 - Monk
9 - Cleric
10 - Druid
11 - Warlock
12 - Paladin
13 - Barbarian
14 - Wizard
15 - Artificer
16 - Psion
17 - Bard
Order for how much I enjoy them based on how they actually are in 5e (mixture of theme and mechanics):
1 - Barbarian
2 - Artificer
3 - Rogue
4 - Cleric
5 - Warlock
6 - Fighter
7 - Paladin
8 - Blood Hunter
9 - Sorcerer
10 - Monk
11 - Ranger
12 - Druid
13 - Wizard
14 - Bard
aco175
Legend
Top Tier, play one anytime
Rogue
Cleric
Wizard
Bard
Fighter
Mid-tier, Would play one for a change and have some fun with them
Swordmage
Paladin
Warlock
Sorcerer
Bottom tier, Would try on in a short campaign or convention.
Barbarian
Druid
Warlord
Monk
Ranger
Artificer
Holding words since I know others like them.
Psion
Rogue
Cleric
Wizard
Bard
Fighter
Mid-tier, Would play one for a change and have some fun with them
Swordmage
Paladin
Warlock
Sorcerer
Bottom tier, Would try on in a short campaign or convention.
Barbarian
Druid
Warlord
Monk
Ranger
Artificer
Holding words since I know others like them.
Psion
Similar Threads
D&D General
What Classes Would You Add to D&D?
- Poll
