While may be a relatively well-balanced game, as with any complex system, not everything will be perfectly equal. While every D&D class remains a viable option, some tend to scale better at higher levels than others.
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Though every unique build can determine a large part of how effective a given character will perform in different aspects of the game, certain classes do have a tendency to work better in the early game. Combat-focused characters tend to thrive in the early game, while spellcasters seem to receive a large boost to their power in the mid-game and beyond.
8 Barbarian Can Dominate At Lower Levels
Most of the melee-based classes excel in the early game, and barbarians are one of the strongest in this regard. With a noticeable advantage in terms of hit points and their Rage ability offering a significant boost to their attack and damage reduction, these warriors will dominate the battlefield in the first segment of any campaign.
Although their power doesn't scale as much as other classes with access to spells, barbarians will remain a force to be reckoned with all the way into the late game. Still, they are an ideal choice for any campaign that will focus on lower-level play.
7 High-Level Paladins Are Extremely Strong
Paladin is often considered the best of all the melee classes. It combines strong offensive and defensive capabilities with access to powerful magic and the extremely useful Divine Smite ability.
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Unlike other combat classes, with the exception of the ranger, the paladin's access to magic grants them a significant advantage over classes such as fighter or barbarian in later levels. High-level magic tends to outpace other class abilities in the late game, and for paladins that simply combines with their already significant abilities that only improve as they reach the late game.
6 Clerics Play An Important Role In The Early Game
Combat at low levels in D&D is dangerous, and in any campaign that features a high level of difficulty, the threat of characters dying in the first three levels of the game will always be significant. Clerics can play a massive role in mitigating this possibility with their access to incredibly useful support and healing magic.
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It should also be noted that while clerics are a massive asset to any party in the early part of the game, they do not taper off as they level up, only gaining access to better magic as they gain levels. However, they may transition from their early hybrid role to being more support-based, as their combat abilities cannot always keep up with other classes in that regard.
5 Druids Are Beasts In The Late Game
Druid is one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, with the ability to take on a support role, join the frontline, or provide plenty of utility all without significantly adjusting the basic build. This comes from the sheer strength of their excellent spells and abilities.
That being said, druids are one of the best classes at higher levels due to their excellent spell list providing incredible options for offense, support, and healing. In addition, their Wild Shape ability grows sharply in power in later levels, even for characters who have not chosen Circle of the Moon.
4 Fighters Can Hold The Line From The Start
Often considered the best class for someone new to the game, right from level one. They have enough hit points to survive on the frontline and some useful early game abilities that give them an advantage in survivability over other classes.
Fighter is also the class that has the most linear power growth, however, and while they will always remain good at what they do even in the highest levels, they often can match the sheer dominance of the other combat classes such as paladin or barbarian at those levels.
3 Bards Become More Versatile As They Level Up
Very few classes can match the sheer versatility of a late-game bard, with its wildly varied spell list, highly developed skills, and plenty of useful abilities. While they may be comparatively weak early on, in the mid-to-late game bards are some of the best characters to have in a party.
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One of the best aspects of the bard is how easily they can excel in all aspects of the game as they level up. They dominate in social encounters, can provide plenty of utility when adventuring, and provide some incredibly useful support in combat. All in all, bards are easily one of the most useful classes at higher levels.
2 Rogues Are Useful Right Off The Bat
Considering that the game is called Dungeons and Dragons, it'ss no surprise that a class whose abilities focus on the two key pillars of exploration and combat would be one of the best in the game. Rogues are strong right from D&D's earliest levels.
Sneak Attack provides a strong damage boost that scales as they level. Expertise grants them a significant boost to certain skills, and Cunning Action provides them with early game survivability. Rogues are certainly a top choice for the best class in the first few levels of the game.
1 Wizards Can Become The Most Powerful Late-Game Class
Spellcasting classes tend to have the most exponential power curve in the game. This is most noticeable with wizards, who struggle to survive and contribute in the first few levels but are often the most powerful characters of all in the late game.
As with other spellcasting classes, a wizard's power comes from their spell list, which has some of the strongest magic in the game. The ease with which they can gain new spells, combined with some decent subclass abilities, makes this class by far one of the strongest for late-game play.
