Summary

  • The Artificer class introduces new mechanics and subclasses like Alchemist and Artillerist.
  • The Bard class revolves around supporting the party and may be challenging to role-play effectively.
  • The Ranger class, while having animal companions, is considered weaker compared to other classes.

Dungeons and Dragons has spanned decades and many editions now, with One D&D likely being implemented into most people's games. With this new edition, players might be looking to begin their foray into the world of tabletop gaming, but might not even know where to begin as a player.

With classes and their subclasses needing to be taken into consideration, it can be a little overwhelming when choosing which one to choose, as most newcomers don't want to be struggling with complicated rules and features for their first game. Thankfully, there are those that are a bit simpler to learn than others.

Dungeons--Dragons--12-Tips-For-First-Time-Players
Dungeons & Dragons: Tips For First-Time Players

D&D can look intimidating to newcomers. Worry not — with these tips and tricks, you'll be slaying dragons in no time.

13 Artificer

Introduced New Mechanics

Subclasses:

  • Alchemist
  • Armorer
  • Artillerist
  • Battle Smith

Though players won't find this class in the Player's Handbook, they can find it in other official books, such as Tasha's Cauldron of Everything or Eberron: Rising from the Last War. Artificers infuse a touch of steampunk into the world of Dungeons and Dragon s, as these crafty magical engineers are all about tinkering around to see what they can make next. One of the main components of this class is about infusions, which introduced a brand-new mechanic.

It can be a little tricky to get to grips with or even know how to use this mechanic effectively, even for those who have past D&D experience. As such, newcomers might be better off avoiding this class until they know more about the basics of play, and then they can dedicate themselves to learning more complex classes.

12 Bard

Fun, But Tough to Role-Play

Subclasses:

  • College of Creation
  • College of Dance
  • College of Eloquence
  • College of Glamour
  • College of Lore
  • College of Spirits
  • College of Swords
  • College of Valor
  • College of Whispers

Bards are, as the name suggests, the performers of the D&D world. Artists, musicians, and writers, these casters weave their imaginations and skills into their magic. This usually revolves around supporting the other members of the party, rather than devoting themselves to tanking, healing, or damaging. Though they could do the latter two, this is not normally their focus.

As they are magical creators, it can be a little difficult to role-play Bards, at least more so than the other classes. It can also be all too easy to default to the rambunctious bard, which can get a little tiring to play for long-haul campaigns. Combining that with the fact that the Bard's spells and features are more designed for utility, this class might be best revisited once players gain a little more experience playing D&D.

11 Ranger

One of the Weaker Vanilla Classes

Subclasses:

  • Beast Master
  • Fey Wanderer
  • Gloom Stalker
  • Horizon Walker
  • Hunter
  • Monster Slayer
  • Swarm Keeper
  • Drakewarden

Those that love animals and nature have two class options that meet these interests: druid and ranger. The ranger is more about roaming the land to either hunt or befriend animals. The Beast Master subclass even gives them a furry companion to share the road with, such as a wolf or a bear. Unfortunately, this class does fall a little behind the others in terms of usefulness.

Dungeons-&-Dragons-5e-Best-Ranger-Builds
Dungeons & Dragons 5e: Best Ranger Builds

Rangers aren't always as highly-regarded as other Dungeons & Dragons classes, but the truth is they're a formidable pick with the proper builds.

Though the 2024 revamp did buff the Ranger a little, it was already behind other classes that were also reworked. As such, newcomers might struggle to make their ranger an invaluable part of the team. As such, they might be better off playing a stronger class until they are a bit more experienced, and can work with the rangers' flaws effectively.

10 Paladin

Their Versatility Can Be Overwhelming

Subclasses:

  • Oath of the Ancients
  • Oath of Conquest
  • Oath of the Crown
  • Oath of Devotion
  • Oath of Glory
  • Oathbreaker
  • Oath of Redemption
  • Oath of Vengeance
  • Oath of the Watchers

One of the classes devoted to all things divine, most paladins are holy characters who undertake a solemn oath they must fulfill no matter what. This can already paint a bit of a picture of what the average paladin is like. It doesn't appeal to some players, but it can be powerful when played correctly, and can deal some incredible damage to enemies of an undead persuasion.

But playing a Paladin effectively isn't always easy. There are quite a few features and spells balance, which can make the Paladin one of the tougher classes to get to grips with. Not to mention, there's the added difficulty of role-playing accurately without irritating your fellow party members.

9 Sorcerer

More Resources to Manage than Wizards

Subclasses:

  • Aberrant Mind
  • Clockwork Soul
  • Divine Soul
  • Draconic Bloodline
  • Lunar Sorcery
  • Shadow Magic
  • Storm Sorcery
  • Wild Magic

Some might wonder about the difference between a sorcerer and a wizard, as the words can be used interchangeably in most media. But in Dungeons and Dragons, there are some distinctive differences. For one, they draw on different tables of spells, and the way their magic works is rather different. From a lore perspective, the main difference is that a Wizard's magic is learned, while a Sorcerer's is innate.

In terms of gameplay, rather than just monitoring how many spells they have left, Sorcerers also need to manage Sorcery Points, a resource they can use to regain a spell slot back or employ metamagic. While this does offer them a bit more versatility, it can be a little confusing for new players, as casters have a steeper learning curve already. For new players set on playing a caster, their best bet would be to go with the more straightforward Wizard.

8 Rogue

Shines Outside of Combat

Subclasses:

  • Arcane Trickster
  • Assassin
  • Inquisitive
  • Mastermind
  • Phantom
  • Scout
  • Soulknife
  • Swashbuckler
  • Thief

As players can probably surmise from the class name and a few of the subclasses, rogues are all about being sneaky and dexterous. They usually prefer to stay in the shadows and strike out at their enemies' weak points, and maybe pilfer whatever they have in their pockets. While the sneak attack ability does offer some nice bonuses in combat, rogues only ever stray into the spotlight when it comes to non-combat situations.

Scouting the area ahead, stealing a needed item, disabling traps, and picking locks are the Rogue's specialty in D&D. As such, they might not be suited to newcomers to the series, as they might struggle to play their rogue effectively.

7 Monk

Relies Heavily on Ability Scores

Subclasses:

  • Way of the Astral Self
  • Way of the Ascendant Dragon
  • Way of the Drunken Master
  • Way of the Four Elements
  • Way of the Kensei
  • Way of the Long Death
  • Way of Mercy
  • Way of the Open Hand
  • Way of Shadow
  • Way of the Sun Soul

Monks are the martial artists in the D&D world, having perfected the art of hand-to-hand combat. They can even endow their fighting skills with additional powers, such as the ability to knock an opponent prone, or even lock them in place through a stunning strike. At early levels, they have the chance of being the most powerful character in the party. This might make them an attractive choice to new players, but the Monk class might not the easiest choice for them.

While Monks don't need to worry themselves with lengthy spell lists since they can punch their way through enemies, this class does place a heavy reliance on ability scores. If they don't acquire the numbers they need to be effective, new players won't know how to counteract that. On the other hand, veteran players might know techniques they can use, and how to better build their character with lackluster ability scores.

6 Cleric

Designed to be Designated Healers

Subclasses:

  • Arcana Domain
  • Death Domain
  • Forge Domain
  • Grave Domain
  • Knowledge Domain
  • Life Domain
  • Light Domain
  • Nature Domain
  • Order Domain
  • Peace Domain
  • Tempest Domain
  • Trickery Domain
  • Twilight Domain
  • War Domain

At first glance, the Cleric class can seem a little overwhelming from the sheer number of domains available across all the official books. But, players shouldn't be scared away from this class, as it is rather simple to learn once they get to grips with it.

Clerics are usually the designated healers in the party even if other player characters have some healing abilities, as clerics have the best healing spells. Certain domains, specifically Life, are designed around keeping allies alive. With that in mind, newcomers can easily take on the role of a cleric and focus on being a healer, a relatively simple and straightforward role for a new player to fulfill.

5 Druid

Can Always Fall Back On Wild Shape

Subclasses:

  • Circle of Dreams
  • Circle of the Land
  • Circle of the Moon
  • Circle of the Sea
  • Circle of the Shepherd
  • Circle of Spores
  • Circle of Stars
  • Circle of Wildfire

Another one for the animal lovers is the Druid class. Unlike Rangers, they can not only befriend animals, but actually transform into them, or even summon a herd of them with a certain spell. The Wild Shape ability is the main draw of this class, and will likely be the resource the players are most likely to use, as Druid spells can be rather hit-and-miss in terms of how useful they are.

While it may seem rather complicated at first, the Druid is only as hard as most other caster classes, which all take a little longer to master than non-caster classes. What makes the Druid so simple is that they can just turn into a bear for their turn in combat, so they don't even need to learn spells straight away. However, this is a limited resource. Players need to bear that in mind, as running out of it with a grisly fight approaching would be unbearable.

4 Wizard

The Epitome Of The Glass Cannon

Subclasses:

  • School of Abjuration
  • School of Conjuration
  • School of Divination
  • School of Enchantment
  • School of Evocation
  • School of Illusion
  • School of Necromancy
  • School of Transmutation
  • Bladesinging
  • Order of Scribes
  • Chronurgy Magic
  • Graviturgy Magic
  • War Magic

The quintessential caster class of D&D, Wizards are for players who want to spend the campaign far away from enemies, slinging spells that do hefty amounts of damage. With so many subclasses to choose from, this class does offer great versatility, but rarely does a Wizard ever want to be facing their foes directly.

That's because wizards are likely to be the most feeble characters in their party. With their spellcasting power, the class had to be balanced in some way. This was done by giving them a small hit die to contend with, so they are likely to have the lowest number of hit points out of the party. With these in mind, it might seem a little tricky for newcomers, but wizards are one of the the most accessible casting classes, as all they need to worry about is spells.