Best Subclasses Of Each Class

In Dungeons & Dragons, your character is defined by what class they take; however, there’s always room for customization. After all, one wizard won’t be the same as the next, and we’re not just talking about their personality either. You may have your classes, but then you also have to make the choice of your subclass, which are niches that your particular class would focus on.

It’s the difference between a wizard who uses a sword and one who manipulates time. Some subclasses are better than others, with great abilities that can make any character that follows a particular subclass stand out. Whether it’s the better cleric or the better bard, these are the absolute best subclass from every class in Dungeons & Dragons.

Updated on November 6, 2024, by Alfredo Robelo: The 2024 Player’s Handbook changed how several subclasses and core concepts of the game work, making quite a few styles of play rise on top of others. We’ve updated this article to include the newest information whenever possible, while keeping the options for people wanting to play with the 2014 rules.

12

Path Of The Ancestral Guardian (Barbarian)

Great Buffs And An Ancestral Connection

Barbarians are going to be beasts regardless of their subclass, but there’s nothing wrong with a little help, and that’s where Path of the Ancestral Guardians comes in. On top of offering some really great roleplaying opportunities by using the ghosts of a character’s ancestors for aid in combat, the barbarian gets some massive buffs.

Ancestral Protectors, in particular, are very strong, making an enemy have disadvantage to attack anyone but you. It’s a good thing that you’re perfectly capable of defeating almost anyone in melee as a Barbarian.

If you have access to the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the new Path of the World Tree subclass might be worth looking into. It serves a supportive role just like the Ancestral Guardians, but with a focus on mobility and enemy displacement rather than disadvantage and damage reduction.

11

College Of Dance (Bard)

A Monk With Charisma

Bards that want to be in the front lines are usually either torn apart, or part of the College of Valor. The 2024 Player’s Handbook has added a new option for bards wanting to be the center of attention even in combat, and that is the College of Dance, a subclass that turns bards into monks.

You can still cast all the basic spells that bards are known to do, while also gaining unarmored defense and using unarmed strikes with your bardic inspiration die. If you want a more traditional bard, then College of Lore is your best bet, but it’s hard to say no to the possibility of destroying a dragon with a dance routine.

10

Twilight Domain (Cleric)

Tons Of Utility For Clerics

The cleric class has some fierce competition for the best subclass, but Twilight Domain remains superior. From some great bonus spells to having some of the best darkvision that you can get in the game, the subclass starts out strong and only grows stronger.

If you want to use only subclasses found in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, then the War Domain is the better choice, letting you be the dedicated healer and tank without anyone else filling those roles.

The subclass can grant a very great Channel Divinity to end certain conditions or give out hit points as well as a flying speed; it’s a fantastic subclass that has a lot of utility for any cleric.

9

Circle Of The Moon (Druid)

The Most Versatile Wild Shape Options

It should be no surprise that the best subclass for a druid is the Circle of the Moon. Although newer subclasses have come out, nothing seems to top the original. Circle of the Moon druids utilize the powerful Wild Shape feature to the best of their ability, letting you use it as a bonus action and ignoring the max CR limit.

Wild Shape and the subclass Circle of the Moon have gone through several changes in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. It is still a fantastic subclass, but if you want to try something new, the Circle of the Sea uses the changes to the class in a great way.

This means that the druid can transform into all manners of creatures and still get a bunch of other features like Primal Strike that makes attacks in beast form magical and even the option to transform into elementals.

8

Battle Master (Fighter)

Learn Maneuvers And Enemy Weaknesses

Battle Master is the quintessential fighter. These fighters can learn maneuvers, which are abilities that enhance a character’s fighting, whether it be being able to parry a creature, tripping them over, pushing them, or much more, as there are tons of great options.

But there are also features in the subclass that let you learn about an enemy and their abilities as well as getting other proficiencies like with artisan tools, which can be great for adding depth to a character roleplay-wise.

7

Warrior Of The Elements (Monk)

Become The Avatar

The monk class received several overhauls in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, making it one of the better classes in the book. Among the many changes, the Warrior of the Elements (previously known as the Way of the Four Elements) was simplified and turned into something worthy of a monk instead of a strange wizard apprentice.

Your attacks now can deal elemental damage; you can create explosions of fire, lighting, or whatever element you fancy, and you can even fly. If you are using the 2014 rules, however, you may want to leave the elements aside; the Way of Mercy is better in that case, offering a surprising amount of healing and damage to the party dynamic.

6

Oath Of Redemption (Paladin)

Provides The Best Roleplay Opportunities

Alongside being another fantastic subclass to open up roleplaying opportunities, an Oath of Redemption paladin is excellent at its niche of being a redeemer, whether it’s a character who is seeking redemption themselves or one who’s simply trying to save others.

If you want to use only subclasses found in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, then Oath of Vengeance is a great offensive tool, streamlined into being a great damage dealing tank.

Redemption paladins have an amazing channel divinity that can inflict the same damage an enemy deals back onto them, as well as an aura that can take damage for your allies. They even have an ability that lets you regain hit points passively. This is a paladin that can’t be beaten.

5

Gloom Stalker (Ranger)

Increased Stats And Usage Make Gloom Stalker A Standout

Rangers have had a controversial history in Dungeons & Dragons, to say the least, but thankfully, they’ve improved vastly with additional subclasses, especially with the addition of the Gloom Stalker.

The idea of a ranger skulking in those dark places people don’t go is great enough, but features like Umbral Sight that grants you improved darkvision, getting more attacks and bonuses to initiative already make this subclass so much more superior to the others.

4

Swashbuckler (Rogue)

Buffs, Debuffs, And Advantage On Rogue-Centric Abilities

It definitely isn’t easy to pick a subclass for rogues, especially with some new great ones like the Soulknife out. However, nothing will beat the Swashbuckler subclass. The Fancy Footwork feature alone is almost enough to make this subclass stand out, but there are so many more great features.

If you want to focus on ranged combat, the 2024 version of the Thief subclass is ideal. With the stealth attack option for your cunning strike, you can remain hidden even when attacking as long as you are behind cover.

Swashbucklers get a bonus for their initiative, can make other creatures have disadvantage to attack them, and later on even get advantage on all Acrobatics and Athletics checks, making them the best a rogue can be.

3

Lunar Sorcerer (Sorcerer)

Feels Fresh To Play Among The Sorcerer Options

Similarly to rogues, it seems that the subclasses for sorcerers can take you all over the place, but Lunar Sorcery is undeniably powerful. The sorcery subclass offers one of the more interesting flavors to a sorcerer’s origins, being the moon rather than a living being like celestials or dragons.

If you want to use only subclasses found in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the Draconic Sorcerer is a fantastic combat-focused subclass with resistances, a higher armor class, and the ability to naturally fly later on.

But it also has an interesting system where you may choose a phase of the moon and get different features accordingly, from new spells to an improved Sacred Flame attack, making this an exciting and fun subclass that makes sorcerers feel fresh.

2

Hexblade (Warlock)

Add A Melee Option To Your Spellcasting

Warlocks don’t have any bad subclasses per se, so it may be difficult to choose the best, but Hexblade certainly squeaks by. It offers a fantastic way for players to play a caster who is also great at melee with their enchanted Hexblade weapon.

But it also gives them more proficiencies spellcasters don’t tend to have, unique eldritch invocations, bonus spells, and more. Overall, it’s a great subclass and the most powerful one for warlocks.

Now, if you want to be a classic warlock who focuses on spellcasting and unknown horrors, then the Great Old One Patron is for you. Of course, we recommend the 2024 Player’s Handbook version since it has been heavily revised to be more useful in combat, as well as more in line with the theme.

1

Chronurgy Magic (Wizard)

Control Time Like No Other

There are some strong wizards out there, but Chronurgy magic is truly on another level. On top of ensuring you have great initiative, the subclass lets you reroll your own or enemies’ attacks, ability checks, or saving throws, trap creatures in time, and save spells to use for later.

The Diviner subclass in the 2024 Player’s Handbook lets you do similar things as a Chronurgy wizard, but with less potency.

Although it’s hard not to be strong as a wizard, Chronurgy Magic really enhances the control and damage a spellcaster can do. It’s a fantastic subclass that would be pretty hard to be weak with.