Best Party Compositions To Use In DND

There are a lot of different aspects to consider when starting a brand-new Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Overall party composition, however, is one of the most important. With so many classes and subclasses to choose from though, it can be a bit overwhelming.

If your party is electing to compose their classes as a group, there are lots of themed and optimized options for class breakdowns. Of course, success can vary based on party size and the playstyle of the campaign being run. From unconventional party makeup to classic options, here are some of the best and most fun party compositions.

10 The Classic Comp

It’s relatively well documented that the classic D&D party comp includes a rogue, a wizard, a cleric, and a fighter. This iconic composition not only gives your party access to divine and arcane magic but also provides some beefy warriors to help shore up your defenses. This combination is also good for melee and ranged combat.

Part of the other reason this comp is so renowned is its roleplay potential. Having a charismatic rogue in your party allows for the group to succeed in situations where brute force won’t work. A wizard can help the party out with its magic items, while a cleric can intercede with religious orders. Even the fighter can prove useful in militaristic situations.

9 Oops, All Clerics

For a fun and unique composition, consider having your party all play clerics! Since D&D offers so many subclasses (depending on which version your DM uses), there’s a lot of versatility on offer. Clerics can prove useful in melee combat and various roleplay scenarios depending on their subclass of choice.

As a starting place, consider using trickery, war, twilight, tempest, or light domains for your subclasses. The tempest and light domains offer good area-of-effect spells, and twilight offers excellent area-of-effect healing. Trickery clerics can be useful for deception, while war clerics can help boost damage done by the party.

8 The Darkness Comes

For any group that’s desperate to play the edgiest, darkest, or most evil party imaginable, consider this composition. A death cleric, oathbreaker paladin, necromancy wizard, and an assassin rogue are sure to make the best of bedfellows. Having the paladin and cleric combo allows for plenty of healing, while the necromantic wizard and assassin rogue are sure to deal plenty of damage to adversaries.

Tonally, playing an evil-aligned party with this composition is a no-brainer. If your DM or party wants to run an evil D&D campaign, this party comp is sure to scratch that itch. Just be sure you’re all on the same page on what an evil-aligned party’s goals are or risk party infighting.

7 Nature-Loving

For the animal lover in all of us, playing an entirely nature-based party can prove a fun combination with plenty of optimization potential. For this composition, consider a four elements monk, a wild heart barbarian, a beast master ranger, and any druid subclass of your choosing. If you’re playing a module like Tomb of Annihilation, or any campaign that’s not urban sprawl, this party comp might be right for you.

The only trick with this comp is that it’s low on healers. Of course, druids and rangers have some access to healing spells, so it’s imperative that they prepare those spells in their lists. But, depending on how many players you have, you could also add a nature domain cleric for good measure.

6 High Charisma, Low Strength

For any campaign that’s primarily roleplay based or set in the thick of a bustling metropolis, a high charisma party can make for a great composition. For this group, use a glamour bard, trickery domain cleric, arcane trickster rogue, and an illusionist wizard. Deceit and cunning are the name of the game with this party breakdown.

For starters, glamour bards have access to abilities like Mantle of Majesty, which allows them to cast Command as a bonus action. Trickery clerics and illusionist wizards, with skills like Invoke Duplicity and Illusory Self, can become masters of disguise. Arcane trickster rogues, in combination with their naturally high dexterity, can prove to be expert thieves, making for an incredibly sneaky and deceptive group.

5 Subclass Healers

If you like the idea of a primarily support-based party, but don’t like the vibe of all clerics, consider these subclasses. Choosing a monk of mercy, abjurer wizard, and divine soul sorcerer gives parties access to healing and defensive magics but maintains the intent of their original class. This can prove to be a subversive and unexpected comp for players who acknowledge the need for support classes but are tired of playing healers.

At its base level, the divine soul sorcerer grants players access to simple healing spells like Cure Wounds. But, at higher levels, this sorcerer build can also empower the healing of others. Mercy monks can touch their fellow players and restore hit points as well, while abjurer wizards have access to defensive spells that can help support their companions in the heat of battle.

4 Swashbucklers Abound!

For the chaotic-aligned party that loves to seek out treasure and loot above all else, consider the swashbuckler composition. This party starts with, of course, the swashbuckler rogue, followed by a college of swords bard, a battle master fighter, and the way of the drunken master monk. This group is bound to be the bane of any lawful NPC the party comes across.

What’s more, this composition maintains access to support spells from the bard spell list, so you shouldn’t be completely without healing. In addition, abilities like Fancy Footwork for the swashbuckler and various battle master abilities will allow your party to avoid damage. Plus, the way of the drunken master monk offers up a ton of fun when it comes to characterization.

3 Arcane Focused

For players who love magic and almost nothing else, an Arcane Focused party can be incredibly rewarding. This is especially true at higher levels of play when spell lists become beefier and more complex. For this composition, consider an evocation wizard, a hexblade warlock, a divine soul sorcerer, and a college of lore bard.

First off, having a divine soul sorcerer and a bard will give your party access to some healing and support spells, so you won’t have to rely on healing potions. Plus, including a hexblade warlock will give your party at least one melee-based fighter. Finally, an evocation wizard gets some of the most damage-intensive spells and abilities in the game, including Sculpt Spells, which allows you to do damage with evocation spells against enemies while avoiding hitting your teammates.

2 The Meatheads

Heading in the exact opposite direction, for parties that want to get up close and personal, hacking and slashing their way through encounters, this composition may prove the most useful. Combining the raw strength of the battlerager barbarian, champion fighter, and an oath of vengeance paladin will prove formidable for even the most dastardly villains. The only thing worth highlighting here is that, technically, the battlerager barbarian is only available to dwarves.

With that said, though, abilities like Improved Critical, which turns 19s into critical hits for the champion fighter, will ensure that your party is doing the most damage possible. Reckless Abandon allows the battlerager barbarian to defend themselves and compensate for the lack of a cleric by gaining temporary hitpoints. Meanwhile, having a paladin on hand will allow for a decent pool of healing as your party cleaves its way through enemies.

1 The Final Frontier

With modules like Spelljammer out in the world, there’s nothing like a space race-style party to surprise even the most seasoned of players. For this composition, use a lunar sorcerer, celestial warlock, graviturgy magic wizard, circle of stars druid, or a way of the astral self monk. These rarer, more unique subclasses will feel right at home in any campaign that takes place in the Astral Sea, or any number of extraplanar settings.

Besides the obvious space-like motifs, these subclasses offer some fun perks. First, the circle of stars druid and celestial warlock have extra features that give them healing abilities, like the Chalice in Starry Form for the druid, and Healing Light for the warlock. Your lunar sorcerer and graviturgy magic wizard can use spacey-themed spells to deal some heavy damage, while your astral self monk will make sure at least one member of the party is ready to get up close and personal in combat encounters.