D&D (2024) Which class is the most durable (level 1)?

[Ashrym]

Barbarian. D12 hit die and max at level 1 means you will have the most hit points.

Rage means you will be taking only half damage (or less) from attacks, while dishing out more damage than anyone.

Your AC will be the same as the Fighter. You will likely both be AC 17 at level 1. Barbarian with a 14 Dex 16 Con and a shield. Fighter with Chain Mail and a Shield, unless you're a Dex based fighter which seems much less optional these days with the nerfs to ranged weapon attacks.

For those mentioning Fighter's Action Surge, you don't have that at level 1.

When it takes 9 hits to drop the barbarian and 7 hits to drop the self healing fighter but the barbarian gets hit twice as often then the fighter is more durable by avoiding (edit: avoiding thru AC) and healing damage instead of soaking it.

 

[Mistwell]

When it takes 9 hits to drop the barbarian and 7 hits to drop the self healing fighter but the barbarian gets hit twice as often then the fighter is more durable by avoiding (edit: avoiding thru AC) and healing damage instead of soaking it.

Why would the barbarian get hit twice as often with the same AC, same weapon, and same shield?

Where is this misnomer that the Barbarian has a lower AC at level 1 coming from? Unless the fighter is choosing the Defense fighting style, they likely both have 17 or 18 AC.

 

[Zardnaar]

Why would the barbarian get hit twice as often with the same AC, same weapon, and same shield?

Where is this misnomer that the Barbarian has a lower AC at level 1 coming from? Unless the fighter is choosing the Defense fighting style, they likely both have 17 or 18 AC.

Advantage to hit it if you're reckless attacking.

More relevant above level 1.

Barbarian damage reduction isn't always reliable at level 1. Eg vs poison (vermin are common).

To many variables but generally it's Barbarian or Fighter. Cleric might be a surprise contender due to buffed cure but once again varies eg cleric goes down if hit hard enough and cure isn't a bonus action.

An extra point or two of AC probably won't matter vs something like rage or whatever. How many fights and rests is also variable.

 

[Mistwell]

Advantage to hit it if you're reckless attacking.

You cannot reckless attack at level 1, and we're only talking about level 1, so irrelevant.

More relevant above level 1.

Literally ONLY applicable after level 1.

Barbarian damage reduction isn't always reliable at level 1. Eg vs poison (vermin are common).

Versus no damage reduction for the fighter.

 

[Zardnaar]

You cannot reckless attack at level 1, and we're only talking about level 1, so irrelevant.


Literally ONLY applicable after level 1.


Versus no damage reduction for the fighter.

Barbarian doesn't get second wind. Second wind always reliable. Rage isn't.

 

[Ashrym]

Why would the barbarian get hit twice as often with the same AC, same weapon, and same shield?

Where is this misnomer that the Barbarian has a lower AC at level 1 coming from? Unless the fighter is choosing the Defense fighting style, they likely both have 17 or 18 AC.

Because the fighter has 19 AC and picks up blade ward with magic initiate. The barbarian has 18 AC and damage reduction. The fighter heals damage instead of soaking it.

The difference is the fighter picks up additional defenses not available to a raging barbarian.

Assuming they are either human with tough as well or dwarf then the fighter has 15hp and the barbarian has 17hp. It takes 9 hits of 4 damage halved to drop the barbarian. It take 4 hits to drop the fighter who spends a bonus action on second wind twice to get to the 7 hits to drop him.

That's with a goblin minion example as a typical challenges to the level.

Those goblins hit the barbarian 35% of the time. They hit the blade ward fighter 17.5% of the time (before one use of shield spell as well) and both can apply the sap feature of weapon mastery.

Both are durable but the fighter's additional options do have the barbarian taking hits much more often

 

[mellored]

Fair. Swapped my vote to fighter.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

You cannot afford good heavy armor at level 1 though

Yes, you can. Both Fighters and Paladins start with chainmail in 5.5e. That's the third-best ordinary heavy armor in the game.

and the best you can afford provides the same AC as medium armor with a +2 dex modifier

Barbarians do not start with any armor, not even medium. The best heavy armor Fighters can afford is, as stated, chainmail which provides 16 AC. If the Barbarian sacrifices a bunch of their starting gold for it (two thirds of it, in fact!), they can get scale, which only gives the 16 AC, meaning the Barbarian is still behind (even with a shield!) because of fighting style.

, or no armor with a 16 con and 16 dex. You're not getting Splint Mail at level 1. So Chain and Shield is 18. And Scale + Dex + Shield is 18, and Unarmored Defense with 16 Con and 16 Dex and Shield is 18.

Why would any Barbarian do this? They cannot use Dex for weapons. Sure, finesse weapons exist, but they're incompatible with Rage. "When you make an attack using Strength—with either a weapon or an Unarmed Strike" etc., emphasis added. (Believe me, I'd LOVE it if Rage worked with Dex, because then I might be able to sell a DM on allowing the Zealot subclass to function as a 4e Avenger, which would be a significant thing for me.)

The best either is doing is 18, unless Fighter is choosing Defense for their Fighting Style.

Why would any Fighter specifically trying to be durable at 1st level NOT do this? They can switch out as soon as they hit level 2, so they aren't even locked into it.

So, no, I don't accept that there are a bunch of 1st level Barbarians going for 16 Dex and 16 Con. One of those two stats--most likely Dexterity--is going to be only 14 at best, which means you aren't getting more than 15 AC via Unarmored Defense. Fighting Style is not needed, but isn't a cost either, as noted. Any 16 Dex/16 Con Barbarian is stuck being less accurate and doing less damage while Raging until they get to a much higher level (4 minimum).

Also, note that of the three, only Fighter gets a Fighting Style at this level (and Barb never does!), so Defensive puts the Fighter that much ahead even over the Paladin.

1st level Fighter can do 16/14/16 for Str/Dex/Con, meaning they sacrifice no long-term potential while still having the best AC a 1st-level character can get. Chainmail (16 AC), sword and board (+2 AC), Defensive style (+1 AC), and anywhere between 2 and 5 uses of Second Wind per day, typically 3-4.

So yeah, I stand by what I said. The only way the Barbarian can be even debatably "more durable" is if they sacrifice their long-term potential for a tiny AC boost that still won't get them up to par with the Defensive Fighter.

 

[Ashrym]

The 18 AC barbarian is doable with starting gear. Scale mail, shield, and war pick is 65 gp leaving 10 gp for other equipment.

2gp backpack
1gp bedroll
5sp blanket
4 cp bullets (20; ranged ammunition)
2gp traveler's clothes
10 sp rations (2 days)
5 sp pouch (for sling bullets)
1 sp sling (ranged weapon)
2gp tent
5sp tinderbox
6cp torches (6)
2 sp waterskin

That leaves the barbarian with 1sp for incidentals. There's nothing wrong with an adventurer starting poor and needing work. It's not the best ranged option but it is affordable. An alternative is skip the sling, bullets, and pouch for a javelin. That leaves 2sp, 4cp. I'd go with the sling and buy javelins later.

 

[Horwath]

unless Fighter is choosing Defense for their Fighting Style.

unless we are talking about this kind of experiment, I have not seen a fighter take Defense style with anything unless focused on 2Handed melee as GWF style is complete rubbish.

and if planning of playing battlemaster, you will take the style for extra maneuver and dice.