Everything you need to know about the classes and subclasses revisions for D&D 2024
D&D 2024 has arrived and one of the biggest changes comes in the form of a major overhaul to character classes and subclasses. I’ve been trawling through these, researching the changes and tactics for each one and compiled them into the guides below.
By far the biggest changes have come for classes like the monk and ranger, both of which had major issues in the 2014 edition. Both classes get a major spruce up with the monk in particular becoming a bit of a powerhouse now.
Beyond that, I’ve found the classes to be more flexible, tactical and have better synergy between abilities. For example, weapon masteries give martials more tactics to how they approach attacks. Warlocks get pacts as part of their eldritch invocations allowing you to easily mix and match these features into whatever kind of warlock you want to build.
There’s also been a lot more thought about how abilities might combine, with many abilities now being usable as a bonus action for instance to ensure turns can be more productive.
Read on for a breakdown of all the classes and subclasses available in D&D 2024 and how to choose which one to be.
Choosing your class and subclass?
Ah, yes, the age old problem. Which of the dozen (or more) character ideas I have in my head should I choose this time around? With 12 classes and 48 subclasses published in D&D 2024 (and this doesn’t even get into the matter of backward compatibility with 2014 subclasses) there’s literally loads to choose from.
While many will shout about how much better one class is over another, the reality is that there is a fairly solid amount of balance to the classes and this is especially the case for D&D 2024. I do think some perform better than others, but in actual play, you will find that each has its uses and usually won’t feel overwhelmingly over/under-powered compared to another class.
Often, it comes more down to what role you want to play. Below are some ideas of the different kinds of roles available and which classes can work well in those roles.
Keep in mind that some classes have subclasses or optional features that can make them work in a different role to the typical one (like a valor bard can be a melee combatant, as can a warlock with the right kinds of eldritch invocations). Below I’ll explore more typical roles for the classes to help here but you can fashion less typical classes into different roles:
- Melee warrior: Barbarian, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue
- Ranged warrior: Fighter, ranger, rogue
- Tank: Barbarian, fighter, paladin
- Healer: Cleric, druid, bard
- Damage dealing spellcaster: Cleric, sorcerer, wizard
- Support caster: Artificer, bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, wizard
- Party face: Bard, paladin, sorcerer, warlock
- Stealth specialist: Bard, monk, ranger, rogue
- Skill specialist: Artificer, bard, ranger, rogue
You may want to talk to your group as part of the character creation process to understand their character plans to help you determine what gaps you might want to fill in the party. It’s perfectly fine to play the same class, but you may find that your benefits to the party are enhanced if you fulfil a particular niche that others don’t also fulfil.
You can read more about each class and subclass below and click through to the optimisation guides for loads of tips on how to build and play them too.
All the classes and subclasses in D&D 2024
Artificer 2024
About artificers
Artificers are the inventors and engineers of the D&D universe and are most synonymous with the Eberron setting. Combining magical acumen with technological prowess, they arm themselves with empowered suits of armor (like Ironman), alchemical elixirs, robotic companions, artillery and even magical maps. They are also (so far) the only class to be published outside of the Player’s Handbook (though the Psion may be incoming).
Strengths
- Create magic items for you and your allies
- Spell storing items allowing for many castings of 3rd level spells
- Make great support characters with lots of utility, sharing spells and enhancements to saving throws
Weaknesses
- Spells only go up to level 5
- Relatively lacking in resilience for a sometimes martial
- Spell list tends to be weak, despite many utility options
Artificer subclasses
- Alchemist (FotA) – Specialists in brewing up elixirs, alchemists focus on buffing allies.
- Armorer (FotA) – With an advanced and adaptable suit of armor, armorers can lean heavily into stealth or resilience.
- Artillerist (FotA) – With cannons and explosive spells, artillerists make an excellent long range damage dealer.
- Battle smith (FotA) – Built for melee combat and accompanied by a robotic companions, battle smiths make great secondary martials.
- Cartographer (FotA) – Exploration experts, cartographers can easily teleport around the battlefield.
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Barbarian 2024
About barbarians
Barbarians are fierce warriors with primal instincts whose main approach to just about anything involves brute force and a reckless abandonment of self-preservation. Barbarians can enter a rage in battle making them formidable opponents capable of dealing large amounts of damage and shrug off all but the most lethal of wounds.
Strengths
- Extremely resilient warriors
- Strike with greater power than most classes
- Easy for beginners to play as
Weaknesses
- Not much utility outside of combat
- Tend to have fewer tools than most classes in combat
Barbarian Subclasses
- Path of the Berserker – Become a frenzied rage machine that hits even harder than most barbarians.
- Path of the Wild Heart – A renamed and revised version of the totem warrior that channels its connection with nature to obtain animalistic attributes.
- Path of the World Tree – A brand new subclass that serves as a protector from inter-planar threats that might traverse the world tree.
- Path of the Zealot – Your rage is a gift from the gods to enact their will.
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Bard 2024
About bards
Bards are the jack of all trades class who inspire those around them with music, tales of heroism and even dancing. While they may be tellers of tales, and not necessarily combative in nature, bards aren’t afraid to throw themselves into the thick of danger in order to learn of the greatest of tales (like Dandelion from the Witcher or Volo, the famous bard of D&D lore).
Bards can cast spells, capably swing a sword, are highly charismatic and get to pile extra points into their skills.
Strengths
- Bards are fairly good at most things
- Make an excellent face for your party
- Great at buffing
- Have access to top level spells, including those from other classes
- Have better mastery of skills than any other class
Weaknesses
- Lack mastery in the things they dabble in
- Lack the same number and potency of damage dealing spells of classes like wizards and clerics
- Have a lot of options to choose from making them difficult to play as
- Require a lot of creativity to fully maximise on things like their face skills
Bard Subclasses
- College of Dance – A brand new subclass that uses their ability to dance as a form of combat.
- College of Glamour – The popstar of bard subclasses can charm and enthrall their enemies into submission.
- College of Lore – A student of history and teller of tales of the past. Their studious nature grants them access to even greater magical secrets.
- College of the Moon (HoF) – Draw upon the powers of the Moonwells to both heal and harm.
- College of Valor – Inspired by tales of heroes, these bards can capably swing a sword as well as the heroes of old.
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Cleric 2024
About clerics
Clerics are wielders of divine powers and are devoted adherents of one of the many gods/religions of the planes from which they receive their power. Clerics operate primarily as healers and support casters, but are also capable of dealing large amounts of damage with their powerful spells.
Strengths
- The best healers in the game
- Also great at damage dealing spells and buffs
- Tougher than most dedicated spellcasters
Weaknesses
- Being the designated healer can be boring
- Lots of concentration spells means careful spell management
- Won’t do much damage with weapons
Cleric Subclasses
- Knowledge Domain (HoF) – Gather information through spellcraft and divine power.
- Life Domain – Consider life to be a wonderful thing to be preserved.
- Light Domain – These clerics serve the light in order to fight back the shadows.
- Trickery Domain – Use the power of trickery and deception to keep the world moving in whatever direction they see fit.
- War Domain – Follow the ideology of war, whether that’s to conquer or protect.
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Druid 2024
About druids
Druids are wielders of ancient magics arising from nature itself. They show devotion to nature and have the ability to shapeshift into animal forms. It’s their ability to shapeshift and to cast spells that make them one of the more versatile classes in D&D 5e.
For example, if you need to scout out an enemy hideout, then you can transform into a rat and take a nosy around. Need to get up a tall tower, just turn into an owl and fly up there. Need to restrain your enemies, you’ve got spells for that too.
Strengths
- Access to powerful spells that can help control the battlefield and provide buffs
- Wild shape is hugely versatile, especially out of combat, but can also make you a capable melee warrior in combat too
- Upgraded hit points from wild shape make you a bit tanky
- Strong healers
Weaknesses
- Unless you’re a moon druid, wild shape can often lack enough punch in combat
- Typically low AC for wild shape forms
- Spells deal less damage than for most other dedicated spellcasters
Druid Subclasses
- Circle of the Land – These druids draw power from the various biomes of the land.
- Circle of the Moon – Enhanced shapeshifters, with stronger forms derived from lunar magics.
- Circle of the Sea – Druids that draw their powers from the seas, creating a tempestuous aura about themselves.
- Circle of Stars – Druids that draw their powers from celestial bodies to transform themselves into a star-enhanced being.
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Fighter 2024
About fighters
Fighters are trained warriors and students of combat. They’re versatile combatants capable with a range of weaponry and fighting styles. Fighters are certainly in their element while in the thick of battle, and while they have their uses elsewhere (need to intimidate an uncooperative guard for example, or bash down a door), they are certainly at their best when fighting.
Strengths
- High damage dealers
- Tough characters capable of operating as a tank
- Work well as archers too if you have spare martials in the party
- Easy to use for new players
Weaknesses
- No spellcasting capabilities (unless you take an eldritch knight)
- Lack of utility outside of combat
Fighter Subclasses
- Banneret (HoF) – Knights that specialise in supporting and enhancing allies.
- Battle Master – Highly trained warriors that use battle manoeuvres to gain the upper hand in combat.
- Champion – Particularly deadly fighters that strike with deadliness.
- Eldritch Knight – Fighters that supplement their martial prowess with magic.
- Psi Warrior – A talented warrior that fights with their muscles, enhanced with psionic powers.
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Monk 2024
About monks
Monks are martial artists who follow a path towards spiritual and physical mastery. This makes them unique melee specialists, capable of weaving their way through combat to cause damage where they’re needed most. They also have access to interesting focus abilities that enhance their capabilities. They’re the equivalent of ninjas within the D&D universe.
Strengths
- Highly mobile
- Hit more times than most classes
- Focus points give them increased approaches and tactics in combat such as stunning an enemy
- Great at stealth and make a good backup rogue
Weaknesses
- Lack the durability of other dedicated martials
- Rely on the presence of other martials to be effective in combat
- Can be tricky to play for beginners
Monk Subclasses
- Warrior of Mercy – You use your abilities to bring peace more than harm.
- Warrior of Shadow – Ninjas that strike from the shadows.
- Warrior of the Elements – Monks that use the elements to supplement their powers.
- Warrior of the Open Hand – Incredibly skilled warriors using their fists to fight with near incomprehensible speed and power.
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Paladin 2024
About paladins
Paladins are powerful warriors that have made a sacred oath. A paladin follows a strict code of discipline and devotion. While the archetypal paladin is lawful good, protecting the innocent and the weak, paladins in 5e can be much more varied than this (though certainly do steer towards being protectors). They are usually tough, well-armoured damage dealers that can enhance their abilities with a solid number of spells.
Strengths
- Solid melee damage output spell-enhanced attacks
- Very durable
- Make very good backup healers
- Excellent face skills
- Half-casters with a reasonable repertoire of spells
Weaknesses
- Tend to be poorer at ranged combat
- Spells only go up to level 5
- Poor at stealth
Paladin Subclasses
- Oath of Devotion – Champions of law and justice, these paladins hold themselves and others to the highest of standards.
- Oath of Glory – A paladin that has made an oath to win at all costs and have their name etched into legends.
- Oath of the Ancients – Paladins that seek to wage war against darkness for a love of light and life.
- Oath of the Noble Genies (HoF) – Paladins that draw upon the elemental powers of genies.
- Oath of Vengeance – A paladin that has dedicated themself to punishing the crimes of others.
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Ranger 2024
About rangers
Rangers live on the fringes of society finding themselves most comfortable living within nature. They are trackers, scouts and explorers as well as capable warriors, excelling in exploration and combat elements of the game.
Strengths
- Capable warriors both with melee weapons and at range
- Great at exploration and scouting
- Can make capable backup rogues with decent stealth too
- Half-casters with access to a range of spells
Weaknesses
- Lack the same punch as other dedicated martial classes
- Too many concentration spells makes a focus on spellcasting difficult
Ranger Subclasses
- Beast Master – A ranger skilled in working with beasts, even training an animal as a partner.
- Fey Wanderer – Rangers that use the powers of the fey to charm their enemies.
- Gloom Stalker – A ranger that lurks in shadows to hunt the creatures of darkness.
- Hunter – A warrior that has honed their ability to hunt and trap their prey.
- Winter walker (HoF) – Rangers that dwell in frigid lands, becoming resistant to the cold while drawing upon it’s powers.
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Rogue 2024
About rogues
A master of stealth and trickery, a rogue is able to use more subtle means to achieve their goals. This might often involve thievery, deception and stealth. If you’re going to play a rogue, expect to approach your character with a bit more creativity and technical precision than the blunt force tools that are classes like fighters and barbarians.
Strengths
- Being stealthy
- Have a large range of skills that they are highly proficient at
- Capable of extremely high, single attack damage
- Highly mobile in combat
- Can make a solid party face
Weaknesses
- Lack the durability of other martials
- Get one attack, so you’ll often either do huge damage or no damage
- Will struggle in combat without the support of other martials
Rogue Subclasses
- Arcane Trickster – Arcane tricksters combine their roguish abilities with magical prowess.
- Assassin – Trained in the arts of stealth and death, assassin’s are trained killers.
- Scion of the three (HoF) – Rogues possessing the powers of the dead three, violent gods that encourage brutal and murderous devotion.
- Soulknife – Rogues that are able to enhance their abilities with psychic powers.
- Thief – Experts at stealing and burglary.
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Sorcerer 2024
About sorcerers
Sorcerers have innate magical abilities that often come either as a gift or inherited from some ancestor. They tend to be highly attuned to their magical abilities with the capacity to magnify their spells beyond that of other spellcasters. Of course this greater spell power does come with drawbacks as they have less spells available in their repertoire compared to wizards.
Strengths
- Metamagic allows sorcerer spells to pack a bigger punch
- Great at dealing high levels of damage
- Also have a range of buffs and battlefield control spells
- Tend to have a few turns of really explosive, magical damage
- Have good face skills
Weaknesses
- Durability! Sorcerers are really easy to kill so keep them out of harms way
- Resource management can be challenging between spells and meta magic
Sorcerer Subclasses
- Aberrant Sorcery – Such sorcerers gain psionic abilities from the influence of aberrations.
- Clockwork Sorcery – Sorcerers with innate magic derived from Mechanus.
- Draconic Sorcery – These sorcerers have the powers of dragons coursing through their veins.
- Spellfire sorcery (HoF) – With magic that originates from the weave itself, they specialise in defensive and protective magic.
- Wild Magic Sorcery – Chaotic sorcerers whose magic is wild and unpredictable.
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Warlock 2024
About warlocks
Warlocks are magic users that have made a pact with a powerful, magical being. The warlock draws their power from their patron, granting them great power, but at the cost of binding themselves to their patron. Often, these patrons have sinister desires for their warlock servants meaning warlocks can often end up conflicting with the more lawfully good members of a party.
Strengths
- Enhanced cantrips means better regular spell damage than most spellcasters
- Tougher than most dedicated spellcasters
- Can manage themselves in melee if needed
- Have great face skills
- A lot of flexibility in building a warlock to suit whatever role you want to play
Weaknesses
- Less spell slots than any other spellcaster meaning levelled spells need to be used sparingly
- This can mean that they quickly run out of options for the most effective things to do in combat
- It also means there often aren’t spell slots to spare for out of combat spells
- Need to be built carefully to be effective in whatever role they’re playing as
Warlock Subclasses
- The Archfey Patron – Warlocks whose magic comes from a pact with a powerful fey being.
- The Celestial Patron – Warlocks that have made pacts with celestial beings from the upper planes.
- The Fiend Patron – Warlocks that have made dangerous pacts with powerful fiends like devils and demons.
- The Great Old One Patron – Warlocks that have gained their powers from eldritch creatures from the Far Realm.
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Wizard 2024
About wizards
Wizards are scholars who are educated in the ways of magic using spells as a tool to further their own pursuits. Unlike sorcerers, who inherit their magical abilities, and warlocks who are gifted it in a pact, wizards dedicate themselves to endless study in order to gain access to the powers of magic. As such, wizards are capable of hugely powerful feats of magic, though often are not prepared to go toe to toe in melee combat.
Strengths
- Huge repertoire of known spells
- Can cast the most spells too
- Have spells for just about every situation. This grants them a fair bit of utility both in and out of combat
Weaknesses
- Lack durability
- Poor with weapons
- Lack the ability to heal effectively
- When spell slots run out, they can become a bit useless
Wizard Subclasses
- Abjurer – Wizards that specialise in magic that blocks, banishes and protects.
- Bladesinger (HoF) – Elegant blade-wielders that merge weapon attacks with spellcasting.
- Diviner – Wizards that specialise in magic that can grant knowledge of things throughout time and space.
- Evoker – Wizards that specialise in magic that creates powerful elemental effects.
- Illusionist – Wizards that specialise in creating illusions to trick and deceive.
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Third Party Classes
Monster Hunter (Grim Hollow)
About Monster Hunters
Monster Hunter’s specialise in the hunting and slaying of, well, monsters of course. Each monster hunter specialises in a different method for defeating their foes. Some trap from the shadows, others harness magical powers for both their own use and to nullify monstrous magic and some even consume the flesh of their foes to absorb their powers.
Strengths
- Capable martial warriors
- Make strong use of reaction attacks for increased damage
- Particularly adept at hunting certain monster types
Weaknesses
- Less capable against monsters not in their grimoire
- Lack of utility outside of combat
- Some situational features
Monster Hunter subclasses
- Carver guild (GH)– Fearless monster hunters that wade into melee combat with monstrous enemies.
- Devourer guild (GH) – Consume the creatures they hunt, enhancing themselves and deforming their own bodies in the process.
- Occultist guild (GH) – Harness magic to fight and nullify the magic of monsters.
- Trapper guild (GH) – More traditional hunters that lay traps and sneak up on their prey.
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Spotlight on D&D 2024
All the latest updates on what’s changing with the 2024 rules revision.
