At the heart of Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy of having power. For new players, attaining that power can be a bit difficult without guidance. Within the mechanics of D&D’s popular fifth edition, there are a lot of variables at play. Which stats do you focus on? Which feat do you take at 4th, 8th, and 12th level or do you just take ability score increases?
Navigating through these questions can be difficult when you're unaccustomed to the ins and outs of D&D. That's why I’ve listed below ten of my top builds that will make you feel like the powerhouse you’ve always wanted to be!
10) Chronurgy Wizard
Nothing speaks power like having control over time itself. The class feature Chronal Shift gained, at level 2, is the ultimate stopper. Forcing a creature that you can see to reroll either their attack, ability check, or saving throw at a crucial moment can easily turn the tide of any situation.
At level 10, you gain access to Arcane Abeyance, which transforms your spells into tiny beads for one hour. You can give this spell to a friend, allowing them to cast the spell themselves (even if they are a non-magic user!). Use your imagination and come up with some devastating combo attacks!
- Race: High Elf or Gnome is a strong choice.
- Stats: Prioritize Intelligence, followed by Dexterity and Constitution.
- Feats: War Caster
Play this build if:
- You want absolute control over time itself.
- You want to be feared from the backline.
- You like to plan and combine your spells for ultimate effect.
9) Sharpshooter Fighter
Dominate your DM’s action economy with Action Surge and attack from afar. You're going to want to wield a longbow for this one, take the Sharpshooter feat as soon as possible and prepare to dish out some massive, powerful damage all in a single round of combat.
Become a half-elf to gain access to the elven accuracy feat, which can easily change the tide of battle!
- Race: Wood Elf or Half-Elf
- Stats: Focus on Dexterity, then Constitution
- Feats: Sharpshooter (a must), Elven Accuracy
Play this build if:
- You want to watch your DM’s face melt every time it’s your turn.
- You want the thrill of the bow with the versatility as a fighter
- You want extra attacks at early levels with action surge.
8) Hexadin
This build is an absolute powerhouse, combining the best of both Hexblades and Paladins. Take Great Weapon Master and wield a two handed sword, or take the Polearm Master feat and wield a polearm instead. Cast Hex for added damage and debuffing your foe, while adding Smites to your attacks for some massive damage.
- Race: Half-Elf / Variant Human / Tiefling.
- Class: Warlock Hexblade: 5 | Paladin Oath of Vengence: X
- Stats: Focus on Charisma, then Constitution and Strength
- Feats: Great Weapon Master and Savage Attacker.
- Invocations: Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite (at level 5).
- Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade.
- Spells:
- Cantrips: Eldritch Blast & Green Flame Blade
- 1st Level Spells: Hex, Shield, Wrathful Smite
Play this build if:
- You want to be the face of the party. With your high charisma, speaking comes easy to you.
- You like high damage. Your smites will pump out some hefty damage.
- You crave versatility: When you're out of smite spell slots, time to dip into your magical nature as a warlock.
7) Gloom Stalker Ranger/Assassin Rogue
Become the ultimate hunter in the dark. Gloomstalker grants Dread Ambush for an extra attack on the first round of combat, perfectly complementing Assassinate.
Using the Ranger's mobility and combat spells to enhance your deadliness. With this build, your second highest stat after dexterity should be Wisdom! Add your wisdom bonus to your Dread Ambusher attack, which allows you to take an extra opening attack action at the start of combat.
- Race: Wood Elf or Variant Human.
- Stats: Prioritize Dexterity, then Wisdom and Constitution.
- Feats: Savage Attacker and Observant.
Play this build if:
- You want to cling to the shadows and remain unseen.
- You want that beefy extra sneak attack damage.
- You want to feel like a ninja!
6) Moon Druid
Embrace the wild with this druid Build! The Moon Druid gets their strength in multiple ways, making them incredibly versatile and powerful. Dropping down a moonbeam, for instance, is a great way to control the battlefield. But their fun truly comes in the many shapes that they can take.
Wild shape is the bread and butter for this build. Take the feats War Caster and Resilient to help with those Concentration checks and maintain your animal form. While in wild shape, if your hp tanks and hits 0 you are only cast out of the shape and back into your normal, humanoid one. Make sure that your concentration saves are high and you’ll be fine!
- Race: Variant Human or Hill Dwarf
- Stats: Focus on Wisdom, then Constitution
- Feats: War Caster and Resilient
Play this build if:
- You want to transform into a raging animal! Seriously, you are the ultimate badass when you can transform into anything you want.
- You want to speak to animals. Talking to animals is one of the best ways to interact with the world and I will die on this hill.
- You want to have extreme versatility in any situation.
5) Way of The Open Hand Monk
With this build, become a nimble martial artist who utilizes precise strikes to control the battlefield by debilitating enemies with powerful additions to Flurry of Blows. After a Flurry of Blows, either knock creatures prone, push them 15 feet away, or make them unable to take a reaction.
Couple this with the Mobile feat and you’ll be sprinting around the battlefield and cause all sorts of mayhem. The self-healing at later levels also adds to your survivability.
- Race: Hill Dwarf or Variant Human.
- Stats: Focus on Dexterity, then Wisdom and Constitution.
- Feats: Mobile and Sentinel.
Play this build if:
- You want to be a constant threat. Being highly mobile with the sentinel feat ensures that you can dash out, land blows, spend ki points for more chaos, then dive back to your friends.
- You Want more out of your monk than just a punching machine. This build adds a lot of versatility to an already impressive array.
- You Want to be a pacifist, until someone needs to meet your fist.
4) Tempest Domain Cleric
Clerics get their power from a god, and one of the strongest gods out there likes to ride the lightning, baby. Within the Tempest Domain, become a wrathful champion of the storm, wielding divine power over lightning itself.
I always recommend playing as an Air Genasi cleric. As a racial bonus, you get Levitate early. While it is similar to the flying you’ll get later, it allows for added versatility at those lower levels. The biggest advantage a Tempest Cleric has is Destructive Wrath – the tempest cleric’s channel divinity at level 2. This ability causes Lightning and Thunder damage to go straight to maximum.
- Race: Air Genasi.
- Stats: Wisdom is your primary stat, followed by Strength and Constitution.
- Feats: War Caster (to maintain concentration spells like Spirit Guardians) and Elemental Adept (Lightning).
Play this build if:
- You want to fly around the battlefield. Levitate and Fly spells are great for this, but you’ll naturally gain a flight speed at level 17 (which can be a while, hence the Levitate spell).
- You really like lightning. Combining this with storm sorcerer also adds some fun flavor to your character.
- You want to be an agent of lightning and deal lots of burst damage.
3) Path of the Beast Barbarian
Barbarians are always fun. You don’t have any pesky spells to worry about, just hit the thing in front of you and hit it hard. You are a beast; Embrace the Beast.
At level 3, gain access to your beast form and wreak some havoc on your foes with tooth, claw, and tail. Transform and unleash the fury! Make sure to take the Slasher feat which synergizes well with your new claws and Sentinel for increased battlefield control.
- Race: Half-Orc or Dwarf.
- Stats: Focus on Strength, followed by Constitution and Dexterity.
- Feats: Slasher and Sentinel.
Play this build if:
- You don’t want to be bogged down by spells and thinking. Let your claws do the talking for you!
- You want to exploit the grapple mechanic. Make sure your DM hates it every time you say those words and as you dominate your enemies, leaving them open to attacks from friends.
- Want to hit things, really, really, really hard.
2) Swashbuckling Rogue
The Swashbuckler is a rogue archetype that you have seen many times. They are the dueling daredevils with sharp wits and silver tongues. They are also very hard to kill due to their class features. Rakish Audacity is one of my favorite features that improves rogues: You can always use your sneak attack damage when in a one-on-one fight with another creature.
For defense, take the defensive duelist feat, which allows you to add your proficiency bonus to your AC. Play a Lizardfolk for Unarmored Defense and crank up that dexterity for incredibly high starting AC (think 17-18!). Add a buckler as your starting equipment and you're looking at 18-20 AC right out the gate.
- Race: LizardFolk or Variant Human
- Stats: Focus on Dexterity and try to get it to 20 by level 4, follow up with Charisma and Constitution
- Feats: Defensive Duelist, Piercer.
Play this build if:
- You want to be a cunning rogue like in the classic adventure stories.
- You want to use hit and run tactics. It’s great for annoying your DM.
- You want to have great utility inside and outside of combat.
1) Evocation Wizard
Become a master of elemental magic, raining down destruction on your foes with precise control to avoid harming your allies. While wizards are known for being glass cannons, they can pack an excellent punch when the time comes.
Increase the range of your spells with the Spell Sniper feat which also allows you to ignore partial cover when making ranged spell attacks. Round out the build with War Caster to help with concentration for various spells.
- Race: Variant Human or High Elf.
- Stats: Focus on Intelligence and Constitution.
- Feats: Spell Sniper and War Caster.
Play this build if:
- You want to be a terrifying spell caster that won’t harm your allies. The meme being a roomful of fireball kills everyone is a myth with sculpting spells.
- You want the wizard experience. You’ll get an extensive list of spells that range from high damage to high utility and make you a swiss army knife of possibilities.
- If you love fireball!
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