All Official Wizard Subclasses Ranked In DnD 5E

Summary

• Wizards are a top choice in D&D for magical control, with various subclasses for customization, including new updates.
• Some subclasses like Transmutation may lack versatility, while others like Abjurer excel in combat protection.
• Wizards like Evokers focus on dealing damage, while Diviners can manipulate dice rolls for strategic advantage.

Wizards are the best class to choose in Dungeons & Dragons if you want to control the powers of magic and shape the universe around you. Not all wizards are created equally, however. There are plenty of subclasses of wizards, both official and unofficial. Depending on the adventuring module your Dungeon Master is using, your choices for a school of magic can vary widely.

Wizards are a versatile class, making it a common choice for multi-class options; plus, there are feats and abilities that you can use to further customize your character. We’ve listed a few of the more popular and versatile here to get you started on your character creation sheet.

Updated on January 30, 2025, by Lucas Olah: Wake up, magic nerds; we have an update. Dungeons & Dragons received an update to its classes in 2024, and that includes wizards – because why wouldn’t it? So, not only is the base class now more powerful and has access to new spells, but four subclasses were updated along with it: The abjurer, the diviner, the evoker, and the illusionist – yes, they dropped the ‘School of…’ in the beginning. It’s time to reevaluate all subclasses, see how the changes to the main class affect them, and see if the updated version of these subclasses will tweak their position in our ranking.

13

School Of Transmutation

Most of this subclass’ abilities are just done better by other classes and at lower levels. The Shapechanger ability doesn’t have the same flexibility as a druid’s Wild Shape. The Major Transformation ability has several effects that clerics can do at lower levels, and Transmuter’s Stone, though fun, still doesn’t offer anything you couldn’t easily get from other spells or equipment.

If you’re going to play a transmutation wizard, you’re doing it to roleplay as a mad scientist. If you want to be a more effective wizard, there are better subclasses.

12

Bladesinging

It’s Worth It For Its Concept, Though

There are plenty of subclasses that let you swing a sword and cast spells, from arcane tricksters to eldritch knights or any sort of paladin. If that’s what you want, then you should probably play one of those subclasses instead of being a bladesinger.

The problem with being a bladesinger is you’re just being pulled in too many different directions. You’ll need either Strength or Dexterity to wield your sword with any accuracy, and you’ll also want Intelligence to cast spells with any efficacy. You also have dismal hit points compared with a real martial class, making you fragile and weak compared to something like a fighter or paladin.

11

Graviturgy Magic

The Universe Sings For Me

Being a wizard is all about understanding the fundamental forces that bind the universe together, and it doesn’t get much more fundamental than gravity. Graviturgy wizards know how to manipulate gravity, making objects seem lighter or heavier than they actually are. They can also use gravity to move creatures and objects to wherever they want.

Much of the graviturgy mage’s abilities are highly situational. Adjust Density is great if you want to steal a grand piano or drop it on someone’s head, but otherwise, it’s a mere parlor trick. You have to be very clever to get the most out of being a graviturgy wizard.

10

School Of Enchantment

Charming

An enchantment wizard can use enchantment magic to beguile your enemies. This is why it combines nicely with the actor feat. In practice, this usually means dazing them, casting multiple enchantments at once, and avoiding their hits in battle. Spell Sniper is helpful for organizing your spells, which can be an issue with some wizard subclasses.

One of the more interesting facets of the enchantment wizard is how your charms give you some capacity for being the party’s face. The only issue is you’re charming your way through society, which might make you a few enemies along the way.

9

Abjurer

The ‘Tank’ Wizard

Abjurers just say ‘no’ to their enemies’ damage and get away with it. You’re better at countering your enemies than any other wizard, either by shutting down their spells or by using your Arcane Ward to protect yourself and its upgrade, the Projected Ward, to protect allies with a reaction. You also get Counterspell and Dispel Magic for free in your spell list, and you can use Dispel Magic as a bonus action.

Of all the wizard subclasses, abjurers are the most capable in an intense combat situation. You still don’t necessarily want to find yourself surrounded by kobolds, but you’ll probably manage to get yourself and your party out alive.

8

War Magic

Spellmonger

This subclass is very similar to the abjurer, with less focus on protecting your teammates and more on dealing damage while not getting squished yourself. You get to take your turn early and deal damage before your enemies can react, then switch to a defensive position before they hit back.

The war magic wizard is a kind of middle-ground between Evokers and Abjurers. You’re highly effective in battle, but you shouldn’t throw yourself into the thick of combat without a very good plan.

7

School Of Conjuration

With A Little Help From My Friends

Do you want others to do your fighting for you? Well, you’re already a squishy spellcaster, but if you want to take that to another level, conjuration might be the school for you. Your low-level abilities are mundanely useful. They include the ability to conjure small useful objects and a short teleportation trick.

At higher levels, it is harder for your enemies to unsummon your creatures by breaking your concentration. Your summoned creatures also get tougher. It’s not a flashy subclass, but if you’re into that type of magic, and it fits with your backstory, it’s worth investing in.

6

School Of Necromancy

Danse Macabre

Necromancy is very similar to conjuration. You raise undead minions that can fight for you – in this case, zombies and skeletons – and make them stronger.

What makes it a better summoner than conjuration is the fact that Animate Dead is not a concentration spell, leaving you free to summon an army of minions and deal powerful necrotic damage without missing a beat.

Your other abilities give you an advantage when fighting the undead, shielding you from their worst effects and even allowing you to turn them to your side. Just hope you don’t come across any clerics who have powers equal or greater than yours.

5

Illusioner

Lots Of Room For Creativity

Illusioner is for the cleverest of wizards. You don’t have the combat prowess of war magic or abjuration, and you don’t have an army of minions like a necromancer or conjuration wizard. But you can fool your opponents into thinking you’ve got an army just as easily as you can trick your way past some guards.

The utility you offer a party is unparalleled, provided you can think of clever ways to trick people into seeing things that aren’t really there. Or at least be there for a very short period. When analyzing your potential, it’s always important to see what you’re aiming for and what classes/roles the rest of the party will be. Illusioners are not the best for a battle wizard, but they’re far from being bad. What’s your character’s role?

4

Evoker

I Didn’t Ask How Big The Room Is

Be honest; this is why everyone wants to become a wizard: you want to throw Fireball at people. This is the subclass that lets you deal damage and then deal a lot more damage. This is the wizard class for a player who believes in the old adage, ‘Damage is king.’

Evokers can even shape your area of effect spells so that they avoid damaging your allies – a useful ability for when they complain about how you keep setting off explosions in small rooms. After all, what’s the point of magical power if you can’t use it to vaporize your enemies?

3

Order Of The Scribes

Know Everything

This is the spell school for those who have chosen a wizard based on the sheer variety of spells that they can learn. Its main benefits include the ability to copy spells at a faster rate and cast rituals quickly, which benefits from the base wizard changes where you can cast rituals from spells that are not prepared as long as they are in your spellbook.

The wide variety of spells you have at your disposal is useful with feats like Spell Sniper, which allow you to stack your spells and cast them in succession.

The fun part of being in the Order of Scribes is having an Awakened Spellbook, which sort of acts like a literary familiar. Your book can hear, has Darkvision, and can act as a conduit for your spells to be cast from a different location. Just remember that your book is your best friend, so you’ll want to avoid sending it into danger.

2

Diviner

Control Every Roll

Diviners are some of the most powerful wizards in D&D. The reason is simple: in a game where dice rolls determine everything, being able to load your dice can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Portent lets you take two d20s, roll them at the start of the day, and substitute those rolls for (almost) any roll made by yourself, a friend, or an enemy. Turn any hit into a miss, a miss into a hit, or ensure that desperately necessary skill check goes off without a hitch. Later on, you even gain the ability to see invisible things or read any language. Make your character a halfling and get the Lucky feat, too, then watch the despair in your DM’s eyes.

1

Chronurgy Magic

Time Is My Ally

The only thing better than seeing into the future is being able to reshape the present. Chronurgy wizards can force a re-roll on any d20, once again changing the course of history to be in your favor whether that means turning a miss into a hit or a hit into a miss.

Later, you can just place enemies into temporary stasis or lock one of your own spells into a mote of power, essentially giving you more spells than you’d otherwise have. Later still, you can just ensure success without even having to ask for a re-roll. That’s on top of your usual assortment of potent spells that allow you to do virtually anything.