Subclasses

Artificer Subclasses

Alchemist (TCoE): Add new support and healing options, as well as bonus healing and bonus damage with spells which deal certain damage types.
Armorer (TCoE): Don a suit of magic armour and smash or blast your foes in combat.
Artillerist (TCoE): Emphasise the Artificer’s abilities as a Blaster, and adds the ability to summon magical canons to aid you in combat.
Battle Smith (TCoE): Artificer Handbook: Focus on fighting with weapons alongside your new Steel Defender, a sturdy pet construct designed for combat.

Barbarian Subclasses

Path of the Ancestral Guardian (XGtE): Conjure up the spirits of your ancestors to defend yourself and your allies in battle.
Path of the Battlerager (SCAG): These barbarians cover themselves with spiked armour ready to destroy whoever dares to attack them, or those attacked by the barbarians themselves. Their rage is so powerful it can restore partly his health during battle.
Path of the Beast (TCoE): Manifest teeth, claws, and other fantastic bodily features, and tear your enemies to shreds.
Path of the Berserker (PHB): Those who follow the path of the berserker become a meat grinding machine when enraged. This path is for those barbarians that lose the sense of everything but their foes’ suffering during battle.
Path of the Fiendish Reaver (Tom’s): These warriors throw themselves into the fray with little concern for themselves, they may undergo a physical transformation, growing horns, fangs, or even changing the colour of their skin red, blue, purple, or black hues.
Path of the Giant (GotG): Call on the power of the giants to grow in size, hurl items, and deal elemental damage.
Path of the Raider (Tom’s). Barbarians who specialise in wielding two weapons at a time, vicious attacks, and fighting on or around longships and water.
Path of the Storm Herald (XGtE): These barbarians can channel storms around themselves to affect those around them. It can be very versatile as it allows you to change those auras/powers instead of just choosing one and sticking with it.
Path of the Totem Warrior (PHB): Choose from Animal-themed benefits at several points, allowing you to customise your barbarian to fill several roles in combat.
Path of the Zealot (XGtE): A great option for reckless players, or for players who tend to die frequently, the Zealot is exceptionally difficult to kill and can be raised from the dead without the expensive material components usually required to do so.
Path of Wild Magic (TCoE): Throw unpredictable magic into the mix, gaining a randomly-selected buff every time you rage, allowing you to do fantastic things like teleporting in combat.

Bard

College of Creation (TCoE): Use the song of creation to sing objects to life or create them out of thin air, and add powerful additional benefits to Bardic Inspiration.
College of Eloquence (TCoE): The best bard that ever did bard, College of Eloquence reinforces and expands upon the Bard’s core class features. While it doesn’t add anything truly new to the class, it does make the Bard’s core features considerably better.
College of Glamour (XGtE): A combination of support and Charm effects, College of Glamour makes a great support caster but doesn’t add any directly offensive capabilities.
College of Lore (PHB): Double down on the Bard’s core features, adding more Expertise, more Magical Secrets, and new support options.
College of Spirits (VRGtR): Commune with the spirits of the dead to empower yourself and your allies and to defeat your enemies.
College of Swords (XGtE): A bard of this college is a master with light sharp blades. This allows them to go straight into melee combat. Its elegance of their weapon mastery can confuse the target and attack their foes when and where they expect the least (dealing more damage).
College of the Free Folk (Tom’s): Bards of the College of the Free are hardy and volatile people, you sing songs of violence and trickery and live out a similar life, they are adept at fighting in all kinds of armour.
College of Valor (PHB): Add some martial capabilities to the Bard, including medium armour, shields, martial weapons, and Extra Attack.
College of Whispers (XGtE): These are the bards that search for your dirtiest and best kept secrets to use against you to scare or charm you. Great intel collectors and better threateners, ready to get people out from your way or damage their foes psychologically.

Cleric

Arcana Domain (SCAG): The Arcana Cleric borrows some options from the Wizard, giving the Cleric a lot of really great utilities and support options, as well as some excellent offensive options. Excel at combating otherworldly creatures and mastery over magic.
Death Domain (DMG): A highly offensive domain, Death adds martial weapon proficiency and several options for dealing necrotic damage. However, the domain lacks almost any support or utility options, so you’ll need to fall back on the Cleric’s normal spells and core features to provide those capabilities.
Flame Domain (Tom’s): Focuses on combat and illusions, brings heavy armour, martial weapons, and spells and abilities which allow you to thrive on the front lines of combat. The Channel Divinity gives you an alternative way of bringing back to life creatures.
Forge Domain (XGtE): A front-line, heavily armoured cleric with a good mix of offensive fire options and utility spells.
Grave Domain (XGtE): Straddling the line between life and death, the Grave domain adds a mix of offensive, defensive, and healing options.
Knowledge Domain (PHB): Blessed with both magical and mundane knowledge, the Knowledge Domain grants Expertise in two knowledge skills, a number of excellent divination options, and the ability to temporarily gain proficiency in a set of tools.
Life Domain (PHB): The iconic healer, but also a strong heavily-armoured Defender.
Light Domain (PHB): Praise the sun, then blast your foes with fire and radiant damage.
Nature Domain (PHB): Nature provides a Channel Divinity ability which only functions against plants and animals of the monster manual. The domain's other abilities allow you to absorb elements and choose damage types of attacks.
Order Domain (TCoE): A heavily-armoured commander, the Order Domain adds great options to lead their allies and enchant their foes in battle.
Peace Domain: Nominally themed around a peaceful approach to problems, the Peace Domain offers powerful options to heal and defend your allies, turning them into efficient, resilient, nearly-unstoppable combat monsters.
Tempest Domain (PHB): Heavily armoured and ready to command thunder and lightning to destroy your foes.
Trickery Domain (PHB): Skilled in stealth and illusion, the Trickery Domain is welcome among a party or rogues, sneaks, and ne’er-do-wells.
Twilight Domain (TCoE): Use the mystical power of twilight to empower and defend both yourself and your allies to overcome any challenge.
War Domain (PHB): Direct and simple, the War Domain brings heavy armour, martial weapons, and spells and abilities which allow you to thrive on the front lines of combat.

Druid

Circle of Dreams (XGtE): A tricky mix of healing, support, and teleportation options.
Circle of Spores (TCoE): A poison-themed master of fungi and mushrooms, you gain the ability to adopt a powerful symbiotic form and to deal huge amounts of poison damage.
Circle of Stars (TCoE): Draw on the power of magic constellations to change your capabilities, choosing to attack your foes, support and heal your allies, or withstand your foes' attacks.
Circle of the Land (PHB): Emphasise your connection to the natural world by adding extra spellcasting related to specific natural environments.
Circle of the Moon (PHB): Master Wild Shape, gaining access to more powerful wild shape forms suitable to combat.
Circle of the Shepherd (XGtE): A powerful summoner with useful abilities to buff and support their allies.
Circle of Wildfire (TCoE): Tame a powerful wildfire spirit which serves you as an ally in combat, and use magic fire to defeat your enemies.

Fighter

Arcane Archer (XGtE): Gain limited magic to improve your archer abilities.
Battle Master (PHB): Master of combat manoeuvres, the Battle Master uses a unique Manoeuvres mechanic which allows you to add additional effects to your attacks to harm and hinder your foes.
Bright Sword (Tom’s): Use antimagic and ability which excel at combating mages by disconnecting their connection to the weave.
Cavalier (XGtE): Known for their exceptional abilities to fight while mounted, but the Cavalier is also a capable bodyguard and Defender.
Champion (PHB): Simple and straightforward, but unquestionably effective, the Champion thrives on the Fighter’s central features.
Echo Knight (EGtW): Summon an echo of yourself from alternate time streams to fight alongside you in combat.
Eldritch Knight (PHB): Complement your phenomenal martial prowess with magic to defend yourself and to strike at your foes.
Gunslinger (Mercer): A fighter but with guns.
Psi Warrior (TCoE): The Psi Warrior is a martial psionics user, making use a semi-magical mechanism known as “psionics” to produce effects which are borderline but technically not magical.
Psychic Source (Tom’s): Use your innate magic powers to teleport around the battlefield, unleash psychic screams, and even teleport to other planes of existence.
Purple Dragon Knight (SCAG): An inspirational leader and diplomat, the Purple Dragon Knight is a capable leader and good Face despite the stereotypically non-charismatic nature of fighters.
Rune Knight (TCoE): Empower yourself with the magic power of giants, using runes to create fantastic magical effects and enlarging yourself in combat.
Samurai (XGtE): Capable and resilient, the Samurai is capable of sudden bursts of incredible prowess and adds some proficiencies to aid them in social situations.

Hexer

School of Monstrosities (Tom’s):The Monstrosity hexers are considered the most balanced of the Hexer Schools, as a result of their skill with blade and able use of signcasting.
School of the Fiend (Tom’s): The most physically intimidating of the hexers, the largest, strongest, and typically clad themselves in heavy armour. They are able to clad themselves in heavy armour.
School of Undead (Tom’s): These hexers are more inclined to fight with multiple weapons at once and use poisons against monsters and humanoids.

Monk

Way of Mercy (TCoE): Empower your ki to harm and afflict your foes and to heal yourself and your allies.
Way of Shadow (PHB): they use Ki to heal and harm creatures, and gain proficiency in the Medicine skill.
Way of the Ascendant Dragon (FToD): It makes the Monk a bit of a blaster, allowing the Monk to handle crowds, which no other monk subclass does especially well. You eventually get additional capabilities like extremely limited flight and a version of Frightful Presence which can let you keep foes Frightened for an entire encounter.
Way of the Astral Self (TCoE): Use your Ki to conjure a magical set of arms and fight using your ki more than your actual body.
Way of the Drunken Master (XGtE): It caters well to hit-and-run tactics which help to keep the monk alive and out of range of direct attacks, encouraging you to focus on the Monk’s role as a Striker.
Way of the Faceless (Tom’s): Gain access to more weapons, and the ability to change form.
Way of the Four Elements (PHB): You gain limited magic fueled by Ki.
Way of the Kensei (XGtE): Master fighting with a weapon.
Way of the Long Death (SCAG): Exceptionally hard to kill, the Way of Long Death allows you to preserve your own life by taking others’.
Way of the Open Hand (PHB): The master of martial arts, Way of the Open Hand is the simplest and most iconic monk.
Way of the Sun Soul (SCAG): Blast your foes with radiant damage fueled by your Ki.

Paladin

Oathbreaker (DMG): A paladin who has broken their oath, the Oathbreaker gains evil abilities to harm their foes and to fight alongside undead and fiends.
Oath of Conquest (XGtE): Use crowd control and defensive options to crush your foes in combat.
Oath of Devotion (PHB): The “Vanilla” option, Oath of Devotion doesn’t really have a specific focus beyond “be a Paladin”. If you’re not sure what to pick, or if you’re new and trying to get a handle on the game, this is a fine option with a decent mix of abilities.
Oath of Eternal Flame (Tom’s): An offensive paladin that focuses on dealing fire and radiant damage, with some ability to support with group healing.
Oath of Glory (TCoE): Strive for perfection and glory, making yourself the greatest hero and athlete that you can be.
Oath of Redemption (XGtE): Focused on nonviolent solutions to problems, Oath of Redemption adds spells and abilities to protect yourself and your allies, and to inhibit enemies without harming them.
Oath of the Ancients (PHB): Use the power of nature to ensnare and restrain your foes.
Oath of the Crown (SCAG): Force enemies to face you in combat and protect your allies from damage.
Oath of the Watchers (TCoE): Guard the material world against extraplanar foes like elementals, fey, and fiends.
Oath of Vengeance (PHB): Focused primarily on Offense, Oath of Vengeance adds powerful new ways to boost your damage output and destroy your foes through force of arms.

Ranger

Beast Master (PHB): Fight alongside a powerful beast companion, training them as a living weapon to aid you in battle.
Drakewarden (FToD): The Drakewarden pairs the Ranger with a draconic spirit which they can summon into physical form as a Drake Companion. This companion is a durable fighting companion with some minor supportive abilities, and over time the drake grows in size and gains the ability to fly and serve as a mount.
Fey Wanderer (TCoE): Gain fey power and use it to beguile, charm, and outwit other creatures.
Gloom Stalker (XGtE): Hunt your foes in the dark, gaining the ability to see and fight in the dark, and to ambush your foes.
Horizon Walker (XGtE): Walk the planes, gaining the ability to teleport in battle and to travel between planes without relying on spells like Plane Shift.
Hunter (PHB): A capable warrior, the Hunter is the most customizable ranger subclass, capable of succeeding in a variety of fighting styles.
Monster Slayer (XGtE): A functional and effective subclass, striking a good balance between damage output and durability without the stress of additional decision points. If you’re looking for a relatively simple ranger, the Monster Slayer is a great choice.
Swarmkeeper (TCoE): Use a swarm of fey spirits to empower your attacks, to defend you in combat, and even to carry you through the air.

Rogue

Arcane Trickster (PHB): Use illusions and enchantments to confuse and outsmart your foes.
Assassin (PHB): Masters of infiltration, disguise, and dealing high-damage sneak attacks at the beginning of combat.
Inquisitive (XGtE): Insight and Perception, combined with Expertise there’s no one who could reasonably compete with the Inquisitive’s powers of perception.
Mastermind (XGtE): The Mastermind works best in a game with a lot of intrigue and social interactions. The only feature which applies in combat situations or in a dungeon crawl or something is Master of Tactics; everything else is for social situations.
Phantom (TCoE): Speak to the spirits of the dead and use their knowledge to empower your attacks and your skills.
Scout (XGtE): The Scout manages to keep you at a nice safe distance, keeping you safely out of attack range while your allies distract enemies long enough for you to Sneak Attack them.
Soulknife (TCoE): Use psionic power to create deadly psychic blades in combat.
Swashbuckler (XGtE): Charismatic master duelists, swashbucklers use their Charisma in unique ways both in and out of combat, and are masters at engaging foes one-on-one.
Thief (PHB): The Thief is the iconic Rogue, it is reliable and very effective at the tasks which you most associate with Rogues.
Water Dancer (Tom’s): A combat focused rogue which is best when fighting alone and moving around the battlefield.

Sorcerer

Aberrant Mind (TCoE): Combine the power of psionics with the power of arcane magic to create a spellcaster with the sorcerer’s deep well of spellcasting and some of the warlock’s spooky, occult magic.
Clockwork Soul (TCoE): An avatar of order, the Clockwork Soul rounds the edges off of probability and wards their allies against harm and entropy.
Divine Soul (XGtE): Descended from a divine bloodline, add the ability to learn and cast cleric spells in addition to sorcerer spells.
Draconic Bloodline (PHB): Draconic Bloodline leans heavily on elemental damage, and between its unusual durability and emphasis on direct damage, it’s very simple to play.
Psychic Potential (Tom’s): You are attuned to magic of the weave, using it to gain resistance, teleport, and unleash a psychic scream to affect enemies.
Shadow Magic (XGtE): Masters of magical darkness, gain the ability to see in darkness and summon a powerful shadow hound to weaken and attack your foes.
Storm Sorcery (XGtE): Adept at flight and casting spells in close quarters, storm sorcerers dart in and out of close range to deal bursts of sonic and lightning damage before flying back out of reach and retreating.
Wild Magic (PHB): Wild Magic is unpredictable and adds an element of zany fun to your game.

Warlock

Archfey (PHB): Fey are tricky, unpredictable creatures, and warlocks who swear pacts to The Archfey gain spells and abilities to confuse, surprise, and charm other creatures.
Celestial (XGtE): You have access to some cleric spells, a pool of easy hit point restoration (Healing Light), and access to some sources of radiant/fire damage.
Dead (Tom’s): Your patron is death, they hold great sway over the necrotic forces that are ever present throughout all the planes of existence. You take on features of undead and improve your undead summoning abilities.
Fathomless (TCoE): A powerful threat in and around water, the Fathomless gives you new spells related to storms and water, and you gain the ability to conjure spectral tentacles to attack your foes and to defend you from harm.
Fiend (PHB): The Fiend offers mostly offensive options which improve the Warlock’s ability to kill stuff, but also offers some extremely potent defensive abilities. The Fiend is a blaster first and foremost, and is heavily dependent on fire damage.
Genie (TCoE): Make a pact with a genie of one of the four major elements, and gain benefits like empowered spellcasting and a magic vessel which you can use both as a spellcasting focus and as a resting place.
Great Old One (PHB): the Great Old One focuses on drawing power from something unknowable and being appropriately crazy.The spells are a good mix of options, the features provide some excellent tools to handle a diverse set of challenges, and overall the spooky, cultish feel of getting power from an elder being just feels right for the Warlock.
Hexblade (XGtE): Forge a pact with a mystical force known only as “The Hexblade”, gaining the ability to use Charisma for weapon attacks and other fantastic combat abilities.
Undead (VRtR): The Undead is clearly intended to be a spellcasting-focused subclass, and many of the subclass’s most impactful features work best when combined with Eldritch Blast. Form of Dread is the signature feature of the subclass, and once you add Grave Touched your go-to combat tactic is to turn on Form of Dread and start blasting.
Undying (SCAG): The Undying seeks to make the Warlock survivable, most of the options are situational and reactionary, and grant the Warlock very few options to actively address problems. You do get a few options to heal yourself and your allies.
White Frost (Tom’s): Focuses on cold damage and improving the cold damage you deal, it additionally provides you with survivability tools.

Wizard

Bladesinging (TCoE): Masters of fighting with both weapons and with spells, bladesingers can perform a secret song and dance which makes them deadly in combat. Among the most caster-focused gish options.
Chronurgy Magic (EGtW): Manipulates the flow of time, allowing you to force rerolls, to stop creatures, and even to temporarily suspend spells in a tiny bead and share it with your allies. Chronurgists also gain access to the Dunamancy spell list.
Graviturgy Magic (EGtW): Manipulate space and gravity to move your foes about on the battlefield and crush them with powerful gravitational effects. Graviturgists also gain access to the Dunamancy spell list.
Order of Scribes (TCoE): Awaken your spellbook, and master the central concepts of wizardly magic, allowing you to learn spells faster than other wizards and employ them in new and unusual ways.
School of Abjuration (PHB): Masters of protective magic, Abjurers gain a powerful magical ward which can absorb damage dealt to you or your allies and recharges when you cast abjuration spells.
School of Divination (PHB): Diviners gain the powerful Portent feature, allowing them to roll two to three d20’s at the beginning of the day and use them to replace rolls, as well as the ability to cast divination spells and incredible little cost.
School of Enchantment (PHB): Powerful and versatile spellcasters, enchanters gain abilities to charm and hypnotise foes, and to affect additional targets with single-target enchantment spells.
School of Evocation (PHB): Exceptional at dealing damage with spells, evokers deal more damage with cantrips than other spellcasters, and can make safe spaces in their area damage spells to avoid harming allies.
School of Fiendology (Tom’s): Focuses on fire damage, taking resistance of fiends, and you excel at summoning creatures from the Lower Planes.
School of Illusion (PHB): Masters of illusion spells, illusionists gain abilities to manipulate illusion spells beyond their normal limits, including the ability to make them partially real.
School of Necromancy (PHB): Gain the ability to heal yourself when you kill other creatures, and to more easily create and control undead, including powerful ones far more powerful than spells alone would allow.
School of Transmutation (PHB): Gain abilities to turn things into other things, like wood into metal, yourself into an animal, dead things into live things, and injured or sick things into happy and healthy things.
War Magic (XGtE): Powerful combatants, war wizards gain abilities to defend themselves against attacks and to boost their spell damage by countering or dispelling other spells.

Tom’s subclasses

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