Summary

  • Round out your party: Consult with fellow party members to choose a subclass that complements the party's weaknesses.
  • Rely on narrative flavor: Pick a subclass based on narrative style to align with your character's personality and story.
  • Ask your DM: Seek recommendations for a subclass from your Dungeon Master to explore homebrew and non-book options.

At a certain point in your 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons campaign, you will be asked to pick a subclass. This typically happens around level three, though depending on what version of the game you're playing, you might even be asked to make this seꦰlection at level one. So, how do you know which subclass is𝓰 right for you?

Related
Dungeons & 𝓀🧜Dragons: Best Subclass Of Every Class

While there are a ton of subclasses available in D&D, we list the🌼 best for each class option.

The Player's Handbook has a ton of options from the get-go. Plus, you can always use unearthed arcana options, or even homebrew your own. So, wheth🃏er you're new to Dungeons & Dragons or not, here are some tips and tricks to help you pick the best subclass.

10 ♊ Round Out Your Party

A Balanced Party Is The Best Party

The cover art for the 2024 Player's Handbook, featuring an adventuring party fighting a dragon.
2024 Player's Handbook Cover Art via Wizards of the Coast

When it comes to picking your subclass, there's no rule saying it has to be a solitary experience. Before committing to one subclass over another, you should consult your fellow party members and see what they're choosing. Discovering what weaknesses your party has, and tailoring your choi൩ce to those weaknesses can help tremendously.

For example, many classes 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:have healing subclasses, in which classes that don't normally heal can gain access to healing abilities. For a party that's down a cleric or paladin, this can prove immꦍensely useful.

9 Rely On Narrative Flavor 🌸

It's A Roleplay Game After All

A low-level adventuring party on a wagon in Dungeons & Dragons.
Different Players by Katerina Ladon

Ultimately, though you're going to want to pick a subclass based on its abilities and features, there's a🥃lso nothing wrong with making a choice based on narrative flavor. After all, one of the main tenets of Dungeons &a🐼mp; Dragons is telling a compelling story.

For example, if your character♛ is dark and brooding, there's no point in picking a subclass that goes against that archetype. Even if a subclass's abilities aren't amaziไng, but you love the flavor of it, there's nothing wrong with making a selection based on style over substance, as long as it works for you and your character.

8 𝐆 Ask Your D꧂M

That's What They're There For

An example of players and their characters exploring an environment in Dungeons & Dragons.
Exploration Example by John Grello

This next tip is primarily for new players or anyone who's never played a TTRPG before. Ask your Dungeon Master if they have any recommendations for a subclass based on what they know of your character. It might seem like this is taking away your choice, but actually,♔ it's emboldening you.

Related
Dungeons & D꧟rago🐼ns: 10 Tips For Running A Dungeon Crawl

Is your ൲party about to head inღto a deep, dark, dungeon crawl? Here are some tips on running your session.

Your DM may have a ton of ideas for homebrews, non-book subclasses, and more that could spark your interest. Before making an off🧔icial selection, talk to your DM about what they think might be right. They may surprise you.

7 Fol💮low The Fun

Still A Game!

A group of pirates force a prisoner to walk the plank in Dungeons & Dragons.
Pirates by Alexandre Honore

Yes, character optimization is important, and you certainly don't want to pick a subclass that seems objectively bad to you. However, if you're reading through s🌠ubclass options, and one seems the most fun to you, that's likely going to be your best piꦫck going forward.

Don't let a more seasoned or veteran player talk you out of a subclass that sounds fun to you just because th♊ey view it as less optimized. Ultimately, this is your character, and Dungeons & Dragons is a game where you're meant to have fun; so follow the fun!

6 Look Down The Road 🦩

Best Laid Plans

A bard casts Vicious Mockery on a kobold in Dungeons & Dragons.
Vicious Mockery by Igor Grechanyi

On the optimization side of things, make sure you're picking a subclass based on all of its features and abilities, not just some. Also, you might want t🌸o talk to your Dungeon Masterไ about what level they think the party will get to by the time the campaign wraps up.

For example, you might decide you want to play a soulknife rogue because of the level 17 ability known as Death Strike. However, your DM might tell 🌳you that they only intend for this campaign to run until level 15. Be careful that you don't accidentally shoehorn yourself into a subclass that might not even give you the key ability you want.

5 Match The Campaign's Tone

Don't Fight The Current

A paladin imbues their weapon with Divine Smite in Dungeons & Dragons.
Divine Smite by Bryan Sola

While playing against type can be fun, depending on the overall tone of a campaign, you might want to be careful about veering too far away from the overall atmosphere your Dun🌠geon Master is cultivating. After all, it can be a bit of a buzzkill if you're playing a horror campaign and your character is designed to be a comedic clown.

Related
Dungeons &🍸 Dragons: 23 Best Feats For A⛦ Druid

D&D players can select specific feats for their characters, and here are the best oꦯnes to pair with the Druid class.

Most subclasses can be flavored to ensure that they fit a campaign's tone. But, for example, if you're playing in a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:survival-based campaign that's warding off a zombie apocalypse, maybe picking a college of dance bard as your subclass might feel a bit tonally off 🍃for the seriousness of the campaign.

4 Try Out🤪 Unearthed Arcana

Don't Limit Yourself

A group of gnomes tinkering in Dungeons & Dragons.
Gnomes by Eric Belisle

Beyond the 2024 Player's Handbook, Wizards of the Coast often puts out supplements known as 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:unearthed arcana, in which they𝕴 offer up playtest material that often includes different subclasses. If you're a veteran player who feels that they've tried everything, make sure you chec﷽k out these supplements.

Of course, you'r🌜e going to want to also make sure that your Dungeon Master is comfortable running playtested material. A lot of unearthed arcana isn't necessarily balanced yet, so make sure you run your selection by your DM before show𒆙ing up at the table.

3 A🐟void Redundancies

No Need To Nerf Yourself

An artificer fighting an adversary in Dungeons & Dragons.
Gnome Artificer Vi via Wizards of the Coast

While, at level thre♔e, it's highly unlikely that you'll have access to any features or abilities otherwise offered in your subclass description, you are going to want to make sure you're not gaining access to completely redundant abilities. This goes for both your own character and your party's composition.

For example, if your subclass features grant you the ability to teleport, but you know your party has access to a magic item that offers a similar effect, you might want to select something else. Similarly, if your party already has a plethor🦹a of healers, you might not want to pick a healing subclass.

2 ൩ Counter Enemies

Optimize, Optimize, Optimize

A warrior uses a firearm in Dungeons & Dragons.
Firearms by Chris Seaman

By the time you pick a subclass, you should have a general id✱e𓃲a of what kind of campaign your Dungeon Master is running, and what kinds of enemies they favor. A lot of DMs have personal style that tends to come out throughout a lot of games, and you can easily pick up on the types of creatures they like to use, and what these creatures' strengths and weaknesses are.

Related
Dungeons & Dragons: Every Official Monk Subclas꧅s, Ranked

Monks are great if you want to play a speedy melee🍷 character in Dungeons & Dragons — let's look at the best subclasses.

So, when picking a subclass, consider ways you might be able to counter your DM's style. For examplꦿe, if your Dungeon Master tends to favor plant-like beasts, perhaps select൲ing a wildfire druid as your subclass will prove beneficial.

1 Consider Homebrew⛄s ඣ

Think Outside The Books

Tasha brewing a potion over a cauldron in Dungeons & Dragons.
Tasha by Linda Lithen

Lastly, you should also talk to your DM ab♐out the🅘 possibility of homebrewing a subclass. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to create something from scratch, but, if none of the preexisting subclasses are speaking to you, there's no harm in trying out something fresh.

Sometimes, you might just even want to try tweaking one or two rules in a subclass to make it more suitable for your character and your ca💟mpaign. Talk to your Dungeon Master about this possibility first before coming up wiꦇth a whole new subclass. Plus, some DMs might not allow homebrew at all, so be warned.

dungeons-and-dragons-series-game-tabletop-franchise

Your Rating

Original Release Date
1974
Designer
𝕴E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson ꦗ
Player Count
2+