D&D Class Rankings
Considered by many to be the greatest game ever created (and rightly so), since its release in 1974 Dungeons & Dragons has given players the freedom to create characters, worlds, and even planes of existence far beyond our own, limited only by what they can imagine and how they utilize the tools at their disposal. I was first introduced to Dungeons & Dragons via 2nd edition (or AD&D, as the cool kids call it), despite the fact that 3.5 was the most current edition at the time. Since then, I’ve gone from my humble beginnings as a 2nd edition Ranger, played my way through 3.5, dabbled briefly in 4th edition, and ultimately landed on Paizo’s Pathfinder system as my favorite version of the game. It was through Dungeons & Dragons that I found my creative voice, and was able to give much-needed structure to the stories that would eventually become my written works. To this day, the Pathfinder system of D&D remains my favorite game to play; more so than any video game, even. For the purpose of this list, I’ll be using the core classes listed on Paizo’s Pathfinder SRD website (and in their Core Rulebook). I’ll rank them in order from best to worst, briefly explain their role in the group for posterity, and describe why I love them (or hate them, as we get further down the list).
As a side note before we get started, I think it should go without saying this list is for entertainment purposes, so before you @ me just remember this isn’t chiseled in stone on the side of Mount Sinai.
#1: Paladin
Those of you that know me or are familiar with my work won’t find this as any surprise. Staunch defenders of the group, these heavy armored tanks selflessly rise up to answer the call of their deity, washing away the dark stain of corruption and smiting the wicked with a fervent zeal. …in theory, at least. More often than not you’ll be seen as the group buzzkill, but through some skillful roleplaying Paladins can be an ultimately satisfying experience. Immune to fear and even disease from early on, Paladins are the gleaming champions of the D&D world. As a fan of the classic sword and shield combo, I tend to gravitate towards them as my go-to class when trying out new systems, but even in familiar systems I find Paladins to be the most fun to build and play. Their combination of practical healing spells and abilities along with the dogma of self-sacrifice and furthering a just cause is right up my alley, and role playing the hero of the group is its own reward. Going full-blown murder hobo and taking everything you want/need is basically playing on easy mode, whereas playing as a Paladin provides its own unique challenges and opportunities. Honestly, I could rant, rave, and fanboy all day about this class, but we have ten more to get to.
#2. Monk
Like the idea of playing a Paladin, but aren’t crazy about the idea of NOT punching people? Then you have all the trappings of a Monk, my friend. The swift, graceful flow of unarmed combat paired with a heightened awareness of the world around them makes Monks a fine addition to any group. Early on Monks may struggle a bit, considering their lack of armor…or gear, in general. But later on, as they acquire feats that allow them to accomplish things like running up walls and even walking on air, Monks become one of the most formidable classes in the game. Some of the most ridiculous builds I’ve ever made were Monks, especially when one stops to consider there comes a point in a Monk’s progression where if they’ve taken the correct feat path they can no longer be shot with arrows, as they simply deflect them out of the air. With a variety of forms they can learn ways to incorporate different weapons, and Monks are always fun to play.
#3: Ranger
The lone, stoic patrolmen of the woods, Rangers embody…well, they embody Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, if we’re being honest with ourselves. The first character I ever played was an Elven Ranger, dual-wielding a longsword in his main hand and a short sword in his off hand. I still remember fondly the first time I discovered my role in the group, when I was asked to skin an animal the group had killed so we could sell its pelt (it was a large, rare animal, from what I recall). One of the nice things about Rangers is, depending on your favored enemies and terrains, you can really custom-tailor the class to fit your character idea. A Dwarven Ranger that favors killing giant-type creatures would play vastly different than a human Ranger that favors killing animals or even orcs. Weapons styles add further degrees of customization, making the experience all the more immersive. Besides, who doesn’t want to play as Aragorn from Lord of the Rings? Keep your hand down, you know you want to.
#4: Barbarian
A veritable cyclone of teeth, fists, and blades, the rage of a Barbarian can sunder mountains, part lakes, and defy the laws of physics within the game at higher levels. I find more personal enjoyment playing my barbarians as relatively illiterate, but there are countless paths one could take when developing their hulking behemoth (or halfling that’s compensating for something, if you prefer the comedic route). If the idea of leaping from the side of a cliff, landing axe-first in the head of an adversary, and using his corpse to beat his wicked companions to death sounds exhilarating and fun, Barbarian just might be the class for you. Recent editions like Pathfinder have given a great deal more flexibility to the class with their rage powers, but even at their core, Barbarians always present amazing roleplaying opportunities when you find yourself in an urban setting. Conan was a Barbarian, and we all saw how well it worked out for him.
#5: Rogue
Stealth, guile, and subterfuge are the tools of the Rogue class. But a Rogue lives and dies by the way they spend their skill points, and in that regard, you can play anything from the streetwise cutpurse to the silver-tongued aristocrat living a double-life as a spy. Personally I prefer to play utilitarian Rogues, but given the tremendous versatility of the class, you can always end up with incredible stories like that of Krod the half-orc rogue. The story isn’t mine to tell, but if you’re interested you can read more about Krod here. That being said, a Rogue’s role in combat along with playing as the “ultimate safe-cracker” has them round out my top 5 classes. To dial the fun knob up to 11, be sure to keep your Use Magic Device skill fully leveled, and don’t be afraid to experiment with magical artifacts just because you have no idea what they are or what they do.
#6: Sorcerer
You didn’t think I was going to leave the arcane classes off the tier list, did you? Coming in at number six, Sorcerers are my go-to when I want to play a spellcasting class. Which isn’t all that often, but when it is…I go Sorcerer. Differing from their turbo-nerd counterparts, the wizards, Sorcerers are masters of the arcane with an innate ability to cast spells that comes to them as naturally as breathing in the air around them. My favorite sorcerer build was the self-proclaimed hobo mayor Prismo, who immediately took the Leadership feat at level seven and was poised to begin cultivating his army of thieves, cutpurses, and beggars. Your spell selection is admittedly limited as a Sorcerer, but you’re still capable of doing anything with magic items, and it encourages you to find creative uses of the spells you have at your disposal rather than simply stocking up to make sure you have EVERY spell for EVERY situation. They’re like the charismatic Penn and Teller’s of the arcane world, and make a welcome addition to any group.
#7: Fighter
Aaaaand right back to what’s familiar, I know. But hear me out: Fighters are actually pretty amazing. There’s so much you can do with them. Aside from being well-outfitted in terms of armor options, you start the game proficient in any weapon you pick up, and can specialize in a weapon (or weapons) of your choosing as you see fit in ways that no other class can. Sure, a Paladin can pick up a longsword and use it proficiently, but a Fighter can master the longsword in ways the Paladin never could, representing a dedication to the art of combat that one can’t achieve by pursuing other facets of their character development. The role playing opportunities with a fighter are going to be what you make of them, and games that are more role-play heavy might not be as rewarding for some players that choose to go the Fighter route, but there’s still a lot you can do with the character that make them fun and interesting in their own way. My favorite fighter build would probably be the Dwarven Fighter I built, that wielded a Dwarven dorn-dergar (a 10 ft. long chain with a solid iron ball the size of a fist at the end). Unfortunately I never got to develop him very far, but the plans I had in mind for him involved a great deal of tripping, disarming, and heavy drinking.
#8: Bard
I’ll be honest, when I first started playing the game and learned about Bards, I completely wrote them off. Playing as “the character that follows the group around and plays the lute” didn’t appeal to me at all. It wasn’t until I read more about the class, watched some thought-provoking YouTube material about them, and learned what it takes to unlock their true potential that I finally got on board with them being part of the group, let alone playing one. Limitless potential, resourcefulness you won’t find anywhere else in the group, and just enough magic to get you in to trouble. Also, you don’t HAVE to follow the group around and play your lute…you GET to, and that’s the big difference. My favorite Bard build involved building a literal Michael Flatley character (I even named him “Lord of the Dance,” and dressed him in a bedazzled leather armor vest with matching headband), who would gracefully dance around the outside of combat and take shots at enemies with his short bow while inspiring the group to greatness. The DM wasn’t overly fond of him, I don’t think. Honorable mention goes to the time that same DM made everyone roll for a randomly assigned race and class, and I got Tiefling Bard. So I did what any normal person would do; I rolled up the lead singer/stand-up bass player of a symphonic black metal band, and devoted all of his spells to creating literal sounds and visions from the abyss itself to accompany his hellish performances.
#9: Cleric
For me, Clerics are like the kid brother to Paladins, and while as a fancier of the melee classes I’m very much dependent on the healing they provide, I’ve never gotten much in the way of enjoyment out of playing them. If you’re playing the Cleric, you’re providing a valuable service to the group and I commend you for it…but more often than not, I’ve seen them used as a repository of healing items and spells. Which isn’t a bad thing, but considering they’re medium armored (keep in mind I’m going by Pathfinder rules, not 3.5), and are somewhat limited in the weapons they can use despite their 3 attack BAB progression, they don’t exactly belong on the front line with the church knights. I don’t entirely dislike Clerics, but I’ve played one before, and while roleplaying a member of the clergy can have its own interesting roleplaying moments, I’m putting them near the bottom of my tier list because playing a Cleric usually feels like a chore that no one wants to do. Unless you have a new player at the table and can convince them to play one, chances are you’re going to be a potion-heavy group with the contingency of “We just need to cut off a finger and get it back to the high priest so they can perform a true resurrection.”
#10: Druid
While not entirely the worst character in the game, and while I’ve admittedly seen some Druids pull off some pretty gnarly things with their nature-based spells, at the end of the day rolling up a Druid is a commitment to rolling up two characters, actually. Your Druid, and your Druid’s animal companion…which you’ll also have to level up, and care for, and figure out where its going to sleep while you’re in town. Which is all fine and good if you’re committed to the Druid experience, but most of the time when I see someone go Druid, they’re a new player that thinks they’re going to have the same experience they had in World of Warcraft. Which…isn’t entirely untrue, as World of Warcraft (like any good fantasy game) has strong roots in D&D. But unlike World of Warcraft, every time that beloved gorilla companion Mr. Pancakes learns a new trick, or a new command, you have to make note of it and keep record of everything Mr. Pancakes learns how to do. Not to mention, Mr. Pancakes is going to need specialized food, isn’t going to be able to enter most towns with you, at which point it becomes a question of, “Do I leave Mr. Pancakes with the wagon so I can go in to town with the group, or do I stay back with Mr. Pancakes and let the group have all the fun in town while I role play sitting around the wagon using sign language to agree with Mr. Pancakes that bananas are, in fact, the greatest thing ever?” All this, on top of keeping track of your ACTUAL character. I got exhausted just thinking about all that, now imagine trying to play one.
#11: Wizard
I fucking hate Wizards. Listen, we all know Wizards are an icon, and a staple of Dungeons & Dragons. I get it. But let’s be real for a second, here. Wizards are complete and utter trash that can be killed by a stray pebble kicked up by a nearby horse until they learn 3rd level spells, at which point they write down “Fireball” in their spell book and shit on DAMN NEAR EVERYTHING in the ENTIRE GAME. Here’s the thing about that spell book, though; it’s like doing homework. If played correctly, you’re supposed to be keeping track of everything you have written in that spell book, and choosing which ones your going to memorize at the start of each and every day. You have more creative control over what you can do than a Sorcerer, but unless you have a DM that lets you play fast and loose with the rules (or is a newer DM that doesn’t understand the rules of the game), the balance of a Wizard is supposed to be the time and preparation involved. Are they a powerful class? Absolutely. If played correctly, do they have redeeming qualities and present opportunities for role playing? Again, they most certainly do. Does that mean I’ll ever play one again? Not if I can avoid it.
So I know I threw some serious shade on wizards, and I’m sure if you’re reading this you probably have some ideas of your own about this list (or maybe even where I can stick it). I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Who would you have placed differently? What amazing stories about your favorite class would place it higher on your own list? What sets your wizard apart from all the others, and merits a higher ranking? Leave your comments below, and let me hear from you, because there can never be too much discussion about Dungeons & Dragons. Speaking of which, be sure to check out the Lunatic Parade Podcast, in which a group of elderly nerds discuss table top gaming at great length (among other things).
And last (but certainly not least), tremendous thanks to Siege for that stunning rendition of a wizard. You can see more of him and what he’s all about here.
