The Ultimate 2025 One D&D Subclass Tier List – February 2025 Update
Discover the top subclasses in the 2024 edition of D&D with full breakdowns and links to every build guide!
*Rows are read left to right with the higher rows being higher on the Tier List. Click on any image on the Tier List to go to its build guide (these links don’t naturally go to a new tab so be mindful of that)! For full explanations on all decisions, please consult the “Full Tier List Breakdown” section*
Tier List Rankings
S Tier – Problematic in some way, either in power level or some sort of game play facet is problematic (a lot of the time, it’s both). Generally, it’s one or two broken abilities that put classes in this category.
A Tier – The best of the best. These are the top dogs in terms of power without broaching into unfair territory like S Tier classes might. Nearly all or all of your abilities are going to be very powerful. These subclasses should feel powerful on any table.
B Tier – These will not be as inherently powerful as A Tier options, but are still quite strong in their own right. While most of your abilities are solid, you can range from having a few excellent abilities and a few weaker ones to all solid abilities. These subclasses should all feel strong on any table, just a bit less so than A tier.
C Tier – Decent subclasses where the majority of the tier list is going to fall. These are the classes that feel fine, they have a mix of solid and mediocre abilities or their kit is just ok across the board. These subclasses will feel reasonable at most tables, but potentially underpowered at higher optimization tables.
D Tier – While weaker than your average class, these classes can still function and be useful when utilized to their full potential. These may feel a bit underpowered at your average table and very underpowered at high optimization tables.
F Tier – Unfortunately just your weakest options. Even these classes can feel solid when piloted well or given proper support, but in terms of power level, they are definitely the weakest and will likely feel quite weak at the average table.
How The Subclasses Were Ranked
As a preliminary note (that’s explained more in the Full Tier List Section Breakdown below), the way these classes are ranked is I took the base class ranking as the starting point and added “points” for how good each subclass ability was. The Tier List Breakdown goes more into depth here if you want to see how each ability got ranked. Furthermore, earlier abilities were ranked higher as they have a greater impact on the game for a longer period of time and you can see the exact point values and modifiers I used on my Points Spreadsheet.
That said, subclasses can only do so much for a base class, even powerful subclasses, so mediocre to bad subclasses on powerful base classes are still going to be ranked higher on the Tier List than great subclasses on weaker base classes. To that end, weaker base classes (namely the martial classes) are going to mostly populate the lower tiers while the stronger base classes (the full casters like Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard) will dominate the top of the tiers even if they have weaker subclasses (like Scribes Wizard, pretty weak subclass, but Wizards are still so inherently powerful they have to be ranked highly).
As a note, these rankings are based solely on class abilities and no other factors that are undoubtedly going to be important when evaluating a class’ strength at your table like campaign type, access to magic items, and even feats. Furthermore, this assumes that you are not going to multiclass in any capacity and these rankings assume you will be playing these characters from level 1 to 20. While these rankings should remain accurate for the vast majority of campaigns, these can be inaccurate for campaigns that start at higher levels or end at lower levels so keep that in mind. Once again, the Tier List Breakdown can help you in these determinations as some classes get the bulk of their power up front and will feel disproportionately strong in campaigns that end in lower levels and there are classes that start slow and end up feeling much stronger as the campaign goes on.
Keep in mind that tier lists are inherently extremely subjective, and while I tried to put in a measure of objectivity by assigning modifiers and point values, this is still not going to be completely accurate as each adventure/table/campaign are different. Use this as a rough guide, not as gospel.
Tier List FAQs
How Did You Determine the Rankings For This Tier List?
I do explain above, but I assign point values to tiers, assign tiers to the abilities, then put in multipliers depending on what level you receive the ability. If you want to see how I ranked the abilities, here is the Tier List Breakdown. If you want to see how I scored the tiered abilities and the modifiers for each level, you can check out my spreadsheet. I do this evaluation to the base classes as well, add it to the score that the subclass got, and you have the total score which constitutes my ranking.
That said, I do not go strictly off the the point values when doing my rankings and may add or subtract points based on factors I believe are important (could be a pivotal feat, a common item, extra points to an S tier ability, etc.).
What Factors Contribute To A Subclass Being Ranked Higher Or Lower?
The thing I look for the most when evaluating an ability is how high of an impact that ability is going to have on the game. While many of these abilities focus on combat, I try to give proper rankings to non-combat abilities as well although those are harder to evaluate objectively. On top of that, I value you getting an ability earlier compared to later as the odds of you playing with an ability is much higher the lower the level is.
The more high impact abilities you get earlier, the stronger I rank the subclass. This style of ranking breaks down in campaigns that start at higher levels, but should remain pretty accurate for campaigns that start and end at lower levels.
Why Are Spellcasters Rated So Much Higher Than Martials Generally Speaking?
Spells are unfortunately very OP and solve problems in ways martials simply can’t. That isn’t to say martials can’t be valuable, feel strong, etc., but on average, casters are going to be stronger. Another perspective to look at is spells are super versatile and casters get more and better spells every single level, so compared to martials, you functionally always have a good level up where martials will not always get that.
Did You Consider Multiclassing In Your Rankings?
Unfortunately it becomes very difficult to properly rank classes if multiclassing is considered, so I assume only straight classing. Certain classes are going to see many more multiclass combinations, even if they aren’t ranked high on this tier list, so don’t take this tier list into too much consideration when thinking about multiclassing.
Are Lower Tier Subclasses Not Worth Playing?
Absolutely not! Any subclass you’re going to enjoy is worth playing. This tier list was designed to help you understand the relative power level of a subclass you may pick, not to say how valuable each class is to play. If how strong a subclass is matters to you, than this tier list is for you. If it doesn’t matter to you, then you should check out the Subclass List to see what calls out to you!
Will This Tier List Be Updated?
This tier list will receive updates as more play testing is done both by my play group and others and/or I update my scoring methodology so these rankings can definitely change with time and as new classes are added to the tier list. Plus I’m always interested in hearing thoughts from players which can definitely influence my rankings.
2024 Subclasses Only
Full Tier List Breakdown
*All classes with an asterisk (*) are in the 2024 PHB*
S Tier
Necromancy Wizard – Rather than playing like the traditional Wizard, Necromancy Wizards aim to raise an army of the dead that can solve all of their problems for them! This was placed in S Tier due to it’s problematic nature in game play and potential power level. With enough planning, you can make a larger and larger army of undead and get infinitely scaling health thanks to your 10th level ability, Inured to Undeath which will make you single-handedly unstoppable. At the average table that isn’t trying to break this class, Necromancers would be more around B to B+ tier as a fine subclass with a cool gimmick.
Chronurgy Wizard – Almost like an even more juiced up War Magic Wizard, Chronurgy Wizards just have five incredibly powerful abilities making them the top of A tier.
Twilight Cleric – Twilight Cleric is the lone class the gets its S Tier ranking for its power. The Channel Divinity makes your team nearly impossible to kill, especially in the early game, on top of having a bunch of other strong abilities making this class the true top dog.
Peace Cleric – While still a naturally powerful class, Peace Cleric earns its S Tier ranking because of Emboldening Bond and all its upgrades to it. Emboldening Bond and Protective Bond slow the game down massively and can have players constantly debating when to use them which can absolutely kill any momentum at the table. If your party can play with this quickly so it isn’t an issue, this would be an A+ tier class normally.
A Tier
Divination Wizard* – Just off the back of the incredibly powerful Portent ability, Divination Wizards are one of the strongest subclasses in the game.
Wild Magic Sorcerer* – From a fun, weaker class all the way to the top of the tier list, Wild Magic exchanged its chaotic style to mostly be a consistent value machine.
Divine Soul Sorcerer – A mix of Cleric and Sorcerer, not only do you get unfettered access to two spell lists, but most of your abilities are quite strong as well!
Illusion Wizard* – From one of the weakest Wizard subclasses to one of the best, being able to cast Minor Illusion as a bonus action is much stronger than most would anticipate!
Bladesinging Wizard – The classic spellsword, Bladesingers can be a menace from short range with a weapon or a distance with their entire spell list!
War Magic Wizard – With a slew of excellent abilities for combat, War Magic continues to be a dominant force.
Lore Bard* – Magical Secrets is the Bard’s best ability, so it stands to reason that getting it 4 levels sooner than you should is extremely powerful!
Abjuration Wizard* – Focusing on defense rather than offense, Abjuration Wizards have their iconic Arcane Ward in order to protect themselves and their allies!
Swords Bard – Despite not directly getting changed, all the changes around Bard has made Swords Bards much stronger than they used to be.
Enchantment Wizard – Emphasizing support and CC, Enchantment Wizards specialize in locking enemies down and letting their allies take care of them rather than getting their own hands dirty.
Eloquence Bard – The smoothest talker in all of D&D, Eloquence Bards are still the king of utility as they can functionally never fail a speech check!
Evocation Wizard* – The demolition experts of D&D, Evocation Wizards focus on dealing as much damage as possible with every spell slot they can!
Watchers Paladin – While the class is focused on fighting off extraplanar threats, players gravitate towards this class due to its very powerful Aura.
Genie Warlock – Functionally unchanged from 2014, Genie Warlocks can still absolutely eviscerate enemies by grinding them with Spike Growth.
B Tier
Clockwork Sorcerer* – While the abilities can be a bit weak and disjointed, Clockwork Sorcerers receive some excellent spells in their expanded spell list to make up for it.
Valor Bard* – The other melee focused Bard, Valor Bard got a few small buffs, but between those and the inherent changes to Bard make this a new powerhouse.
Vengeance Paladin* – The most damage focused Paladin subclass, Vengeance gets awesome spells and abilities to focus on obliterating anyone in their way.
Dance Bard* – One of the new classes to 2024, Dance Bards have all the power of a full caster, but with the mobility options of a nimble martial class!
Conquest Paladin – One of the two Paladins to share the mantle for best Paladin, Conquest focuses on fear to control their enemies.
Conjuration Wizard – While their abilities can be a bit all over the place, Conjuration Wizard lets you build it how you want by still offering the full power of D&D’s best class.
Glamour Bard* – With a mix of eclectic, but powerful abilities, Glamour Bards offer a lot of versatility and utility to their allies.
Shadow Magic Sorcerer – The masters of the dark, Shadow Magic Sorcerers have cool abilities that let them thrive in the dark or even stave off death.
Celestial Warlock* – A bit of a mix between Cleric and Warlock, where Celestial lacks in abilities they easily make up for with their first ability and their expanded spell list.
Draconic Sorcerer* – The master of elemental damage, Draconic Sorcerers get a bunch of spells and abilities that let them focus on one elements and make it as strong as possible.
Trickery Domain* – Hosting easily the best expanded spell list out of all the Clerics, Trickery Domain received a lot of love in the 2024 handbook and it very much shows.
Aberrant Sorcerer* – The psychic of the Sorcerer bunch, Aberrant Sorcerers focus on utilizing and manipulating the minds of friends and enemies alike!
Transmutation Wizard – Focusing on their Transmuter’s Stone, Transmutation Wizards emphasize utility over combat power.
Fiend Warlock* – While already strong, Fiend Warlock overall received buffs that help keep it at the top of the Warlock subclasses.
Creation Bard – With a super versatile set of abilities and a unique Bardic Inspiration, Creation Bards offer a huge amount of utility and diversity in play style.
Spirits Bard – Consulting the knowledge of the dead, Spirits Bards have a very fun rng component to their abilities that can make them extremely versatile.
Undead Warlock – With unique features and a lot of spells that Warlocks wouldn’t normally get, Undead Warlocks combine flavor and function into a satisfying package.
Light Cleric* – Masters of fire and radiant spells, Light Clerics are the premiere damage class for Clerics as you’re all about incinerating all of your enemies!
Echo Knight Fighter – Manifesting an echo of yourself to attack or scout, the Echo Knight Fighter has a powerful blend of excellent combat abilities and out of combat utility.
Land Druid* – With a complete emphasis on spellcasting, Land Druids don’t only have the access to the most spells out of all Druids, but they can cast more of them as well!
Rune Knight Fighter – Utilizing the strength of powerful runes, Rune Knights get a slew of passive and active effects that help them both in and out of combat!
Archfey Warlock* – Channeling the whimsy of the Fey, Archfey Warlocks specialize in CCing their enemies by assailing them with charms or wracking them with fear.
Eldritch Knight Fighter* – Now able to cast spells from any school of magic, Eldritch Knights are all the threat your standard Fighters are, but with spells to make them substantially more versatile.
Fathomless Warlock – The best friend of the Kraken, Fathomless Warlocks have unique, aquatic related abilities that give them a lot of utility normally absent in Warlocks.
Oathbreaker Paladin – For naughty Paladins who broke their Oath, you turn into a Paladin that focuses on becoming the master of undeath rather than the protector of life!
Scribes Wizard – While Scribes Wizards unfortunately lack really any meaningful ability, the base Wizard class is so strong that Scribes remains a good option anyway!
Hexblade Warlock – The former boogeyman of 5e, Hexblade remains strong in 2024, but without any buffs and your best abilities coming two levels later, its power has been reigned in a bit so it isn’t always the Warlock subclass of choice.
Devotion Paladin* – The iconic Paladin, Devotion Paladins are your archetypal good guys that protect the weak and smite evil.
Mercy Monk* – The best Monk around, Mercy Monk got a small nerf (as a subclass, Monks got much better in general) in 2024 and they are still excellent with healing options as well as extra damage options!
Stars Druid* – One of the most versatile Druids, Star Druids forego an expanded spell list for really powerful abilities that have a range of unique and powerful effects.
Redemption Paladin – A pacifist at heart, Redemption Paladin focuses on controlling the battlefield rather than outright attacking their enemies.
Shadow Monk* – Masters of fighting in the dark, Shadow Monk lays down cloaks of darkness on the battlefield and then absolutely wallops whoever is in them!
Wildfire Druid – A super interesting mix of damage and utility, Wildfire Druid boasts an impressive spell list to blast away at enemies, but with the Wildfire spirit, still provide a lot of assistance to your allies in combat.
C Tier
Sea Druid* – The newest Druid to the roster, Sea Druids surround themselves with an aqueous aura that can hurt and push enemies around really effectively!
Battle Master Fighter* – One of the most popular subclasses, Battle Master Fighters specialize in maneuvers which deal a bunch of damage and apply some nice CC in combat.
Elements Monk* – With the ability to wield the elements, Elements Monk can attack from a distance and use their strikes to push or pull enemies.
Gloom Stalker Ranger* – The previous best Ranger is still the best! Even when nerfed, Gloom Stalker remains a good option with really powerful abilities that let them effectively ambush enemies.
Knowledge Cleric – The nerds of their convents, Knowledge Clerics specialize in information and dealing with others rather than direct combat.
Glory Paladin* – While this has a bit less mechanical identity than the 2014 version, you still have solid abilities and spells to make a perfectly reasonable Paladin.
Forge Cleric – If you want a spellcasting tank, you pick Forge Cleric! With defensively oriented abilities and a powerful, yet diverse expanded spell list, Forge Clerics are excellent on the front lines to support as needed.
Ancients Paladin* – The guardian of nature, the Ancients Paladin takes a bit of inspiration from Druids to have a more diverse set of abilities.
Tempest Cleric – Wielders of thunder and lightning, Tempest Clerics are a blasting class that focus on the few thunder and lightning spells they get access to.
Moon Druid* – The former problem child, Moon Druid has been changed to make it a much more reasonable subclass that focuses on fighting in Wild Shape.
Whispers Bard – With a focus on messing with other people, Whispers Bards like to stay covert and deal with their problems through subterfuge rather than combat.
Nature Cleric – A mix of Druid and Cleric, the big draw of Nature Cleric is the Cleric spell list, but access to fun Druid utility spells and abilities as well as the excellent Spike Growth.
Open Hand Monk* – Hitting more than any other class in the game, Open Hand Monks are completely devoted to mastering techniques that beat people up.
Arcane Trickster Rogue* – The only magical rogue, Arcane Tricksters received a huge buff now that they can cast spells from any school of magic!
Arcane Archer Fighter – Imbuing their arrows with magic, Arcane Archers attack from a distance and utilize a slew of powerful magical effects to control the battlefield.
Great Old One Warlock* – As you’re BFFs with Cthulu, you get an interesting mix of mind bending abilities that can really mess with your enemies.
War Cleric* – The battle priest, War Cleric focuses on offense much like how a Paladin would approach things, but what you give up in martial capabilities, you make up for in spells!
Swarmkeeper Ranger – With a swarm that can assist you or hurt enemies, the Swarmkeeper has a really nice spread of combat and utility abilities.
Cavalier Fighter – While they work best when using a mount, Cavalier Fighters are surprisingly effective tanks that can dish out a lot of damage while keeping their friends out of trouble.
Psi Warrior Fighter* – Bolstering their combat abilities with psychic powers, Psi Warriors can enhance their physical abilities to deal damage or even protect allies.
Spores Druid – An extremely unique Druid, you get to be extremely tanky with your Symbiotic Entity ability which can help you wade into the frontlines if you so choose!
Arcana Cleric – An interesting blend of Cleric and Wizard (similar to Knowledge Cleric), the Arcana Cleric puts an emphasis on spell casting while having a mix of unique and interesting spells and abilities!
Dreams Druid – One of the most eclectic set of abilities in D&D, Dreams Druids are the ultimate support and utility casters with a lot of strong out of combat abilities.
Undying Warlock – With an emphasis on living forever, the Undying Warlock specializes in staving off death, so much so that you can even naturally repel undead like a Cleric!
Order Cleric – With a big emphasis on support, Order Clerics are great at making their allies shine through their ability to aid them and mess with their enemies.
Shepherd Druid – The truest summoner of D&D, while the Conjure spells changing does hurt this class, you still have an obvious bias for summoning friends to help you fight!
Horizon Walker Ranger – The hunter of extraplanar threats, Horizon Walkers gets mediocre abilities, but excellent spells to work with to chase down and eliminate their enemies.
Grave Cleric – Sworn to put the undead back into the ground, Grave Clerics dance with the line between life and death to save their allies and put the undead to rest.
Fey Wanderer Ranger* – The ironic natural enemy of Fey, Fey Wanderer has anti-Fey abilities and a strong expanded spell list to make this a well rounded class.
Life Cleric* – The archetypal healer of D&D, while Life Clerics are obviously drawn towards healing, you still have plenty to offer when health bars are full with the powerful Cleric spell list.
Beast Master Ranger* – Rather than relying on Hunter’s Mark, Beast Master Ranger more or less forgoes the traditional Ranger formula to battle with their pet instead!
Champion Fighter* – Focusing on getting as many critical hits as possible, Champion Fighters prioritize big damage whenever possible!
Kensei Monk – The weapons master of Monks, while they don’t literally receive Weapon Mastery, they can utilize more diverse weapons than any other Monk.
World Tree Barbarian* – The newest Barbarian to the fold, World Tree Barbarians are unique in that all of their abilities don’t implicitly deal damage, yet all are still good!
Wild Heart Barbarian* – The classic tank, Wild Heart Barbarian still retains the features that players love from the old Totem Warrior while getting some fresh new upgrades!
D Tier
Monster Slayer Ranger – Laser focused on dealing with one enemy in combat, Monster Slayer Rangers specialize in slaying one enemy at a time with a slew of abilities that work against a single target.
Zealot Barbarian* – Receiving love from the new Player’s Handbook, Zealot Barbarians can equally deal a bunch of damage and heal themselves in combat!
Berserker Barbarian* – Hitting harder than other Berserkers, the new and improved Berserker are all about being mad and whacking baddies.
Samurai Fighter – With a way to grant themselves advantage, Samurais are consistent damage dealing machines by being the most accurate of the Fighters.
Phantom Rogue – Gallivanting with spirits, Phantom Rogue has a bunch of excellent abilities that let you deal more damage or get some solid out of combat utility.
Hunter Ranger* – With variable abilities that can change on rest, the Hunter Ranger allows you to approach the build exactly how you want with reasonable melee and ranged options.
Swashbuckler Rogue – The best Sneak Attackers around, Swashbuckler makes it easy to weave in and out of combat while hitting hard the whole time.
Astral Self Monk – Conjuring ethereal pieces of armor, Astral Self Monk gets a slew of new abilities culminating into a spiritual armor that makes you stronger in combat!
Soulknife Rogue* – Utilizing latent psychic abilities, Soulknifes use their iconic Psychic Blades as their weapons of choice that provide unique abilities on top of being inherently solid weapons.
Drunken Master Monk – In homage to the old trope, the Drunken Master specializes in unpredictable movement to assail their enemies from unexpected angles.
Assassin Rogue* – Focusing on ending the fight on turn one, Assassins love dealing massive damage turn one, and if that doesn’t work, poison their targets.
Ancestral Guardian Barbarian – While Wild Hearts are the traditional tank for Barbarians, Ancestral Guardian Barbarians are similarly good at keeping the attention on themselves!
Scout Rogue – A mix of Ranger and Rogue, Scout Rogues are a unique class that focus more on exploration than anything else.
Thief Rogue* – Single minded in what they want, Thief Rogues focus on stealing, making it easier for themselves to steal, and using their ill-gotten goods better than anyone else could!
Giant Barbarian – With the ability to grow in size, Giant Barbarians host two unique build patterns in which you can effectively use a polearm or you effectively use thrown weapons!
Wild Magic Barbarian – While their magic is less impactful than the Wild Magic Sorcerer, Wild Magic Barbarians get fewer magical effects, but all are positive rather than incurring the risk of something nasty.
Beast Barbarian – Utilizing nature in battle, Beast Barbarians let you manifest natural weapons to attack their enemies.
F Tier
Sun Soul Monk – I won’t lie, this is the absolute worst of the worst in terms of Monks, but Monks are good enough now that a weak subclass can’t hold them down too badly!
Inquisitive Rogue – The detectives of D&D, Inquisitive Rogues have a super unique play pattern where they try excel at finding easily missed details in tense scenarios.
Mastermind – Unparalleled liars, Mastermind Rogues are always conniving and looking for an edge.
Battlerager Barbarian – Specializing in spiked armor, Battlerager is easily one of the most unique subclasses in all of D&D as a lot of their kit revolves around wearing their unique armor.
