D&D 5e: Goliath Race Guide

D&D 5e: Goliath Race Guide

Intro

    The solitary Goliaths dwell at the highest mountain summits, traversing a barren domain of stone, snow, and icy cold.  Their hearts are filled with the freezing land’s cold regard, making it up to each goliath to earn a position in the tribe or risk death. 

These Giants have a culture of being competitive but fair hence they are alien to the concept of social caste in other civilizations such as the gap between nobility and peasantry. Although, they do have an almost similar concept wherein they look down upon those frail & weak hence many Goliaths -especially those born with disability or old-that’re unable to hunt or fight, are isolated by their kin. Apart from that, they have no desire to be materialistic or gain more than required as it is seen to turn a being into a slacker in a world that requires tooth and nail in survival.

Epic – Definitely! Absolutely! Just YES!

Good – You can. It’s not perfect but it’ll be great too.

Meh – I guess you could but it won’t be as good.

Bad – You shouldn’t! You can but you’d waste a lot of potential.

Goliath Traits

-Straight out of the handbook list the attributes, racial features, etc.

  • ASI: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution

  • Description:

    • Age: Goliaths have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

    • Height: Medium (between 7 and 8 ft tall)

    • Walking speed: 30” ft

    • Appearance: They are described as humanoid giants (I know, strange since giants are already human-like). Their bodies look as if they are carved from mountain stone and give them great physical power. Apart from that, there’s no other specific detail.

    • Language: You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

Best Classes and Archetypes for Goliath

-List each published class/subclass from all official sources.

Artificer

  • The Artificer is a one-of-a-kind class because it is the only one that places a strong emphasis on objects. Magical Tinkering and Infuse Items are two elements of the class that can give ordinary items special abilities or effects. Unfortunately, it’s an Intelligence based class. 

  • Alchemist – The Alchemist enhances the Artificer’s healing and support abilities, but does not drastically change the basic class’s functionality. Although you won’t be able to rival the healing capabilities of a complete caster like a Cleric or Circle of the Moon Druid, your party will be grateful for the help.

  • Armorer – The Armorer is for you if you want a martially focused artificer like the Battle Smith but without the mess of a robot puppy following you around. The Armorer specializes in enhancing a set of magical armor to aid you in combat. This is without a doubt the Artificer’s most tanky option.

  • Artillerist – The Artillerist has the skill to summon a magical cannon that aids in battlefield domination- they have a knack for using magic to blow things up. Cannons may be used to attack foes as well as defend allies, and the Artillerist spell list introduces plenty of amazing new spells that fit the subclass’s ethos.

  • Battle Smith – The Battlesmith enables the Artificer to rely on Intelligence and Constitution rather than Strength or Dexterity, allowing you to excel in melee. Their spell list is mostly mediocre, with a few fundamental melee caster spells thrown in for good measure. The ability to attack using their INT modifier, as well as a Steel Defender, which can soak as well as deal damage, is unquestionably the highlight of this subclass.

Barbarian

  • Barbarians don’t have many skills, therefore they’re mostly used as beasts in battle, although they can also be used as a Defender or a Striker. They have a lot of hit points, are resistant to harm, and Rage provides them a great damage boost. Because of the Barbarian’s proclivity for conflict, you’ll typically invest the entirety of your Ability points in Strength and Constitution which a Goliath has.

  • Ancestral Guardian – These Barbarians can summon the spirits of their ancestors to help themselves and their companions defend in combat. They’re great at tanking and defending the group.

  • Battlerager – Dwarf Exclusive.

  • Beast – These Barbarians can exhibit teeth, claws, and a tail to rip your foes apart. One can use the bite to heal oneself. You can make a second claw attack when attacking with claws. Using the tail in certain scenarios may boost their AC against a single attack per round.

  • Berserker – This is the subclass for you if all you want to do is strike things and be normal. This build is simple and effective, despite the fact that none of the features are very new or unusual. In addition, the Subclass gives you the ability to go into a Frenzy while raged, making you far more lethal at the expense of Fatigue.

  • Depths – Barbarians who are able to endure the cold are either enchanted or afraid. They attack their opponents by preying on the sadness and anguish of those who have drowned or gone missing at sea. Unfortunately, it would be more appropriate for a pirate or water-themed campaign.

  • Juggernaut – Juggernauts are masters of field control. They’re fighters whose passion for combat drives them to dominate it. Battle beasts with great defense and offense, although it’s heavy-handed in practice may be challenging. 

  • Storm Herald – A Barbarian with a nature theme, with traits thematically related to your choice of “Environment,” which you may change each time you get a level. Unfortunately, you may not level up when it would be perfect, and you’re rarely aware of the perils that await you. It’s still mechanically intriguing and will keep things engaging while also being beneficial for whatever party you’re with.

  • Totem Warrior – Totem Warrior is more customisable than other barbarian subclasses, but it’s also more difficult to design because there are so many choices, and once you make a decision, you can’t modify it. Tanking, dealing damage, moving around, and assisting your party are all choices. Furthermore, the gameplay with this subclass is less straightforward and needs more thought.

  • Bear – any creature that is a danger to them, within 5 feet and see/hear/fears them, gets a disadvantage in attack rolls. Unfortunately-unless it was intended- this makes them the prime target of their enemy/ies but they do get resistance to ALL damage while raging except psychic.

  • Eagle – their flying speed is equal to their race’s walking speed. It Is pretty handy as it gives extra mobility. A flying humanoid lion is pretty terrifying.

  • Elk –  They can use a bonus action during their move to pass through the space of a Large or smaller creature. You get to do a knock back effect on enemies when you pass through.

  • Tiger – Jumping at least 20 feet towards a target right before making a melee weapon attack. 

  • Wolf – They can use a bonus action with their melee weapon attack on their turn to knock down.

  • Wild Magic – Wild Magic Barbarian is a good choice for those who like their games to be chaotic and unpredictable. Add in some random magic with earning a random benefit every time you rage, allowing you to perform incredible things like teleportation in battle.

  • Zealot – The Zealot is an excellent choice for daring players or those who perish frequently, as they are extremely tough to kill and may be revived from the dead without the use of pricey materials. Unfortunately, death would become a nuisance rather than a game-ending issue.

Bard

  • Musical and creative artisans that tap into magic with their craft. Bards are among the most formidable 5e classes, however they are one of the most challenging to play. The Bard’s spell list forces you to think creatively, and their high CHA modifier forces you to constantly engage with others. Something mechanically and charastically not for Goliaths.

  • Creation – These Bards provide extra advantages to Bardic Inspiration by singing objects to life or creating them out of nothing with the song of creation. Because Performance of Creation is related to half of the College of Creation’s class features, it’s critical that you and your DM be on the same page on how it functions. Because the result is less particular than spells like Creation or Fabricate, it can be unpredictable and exploitable.

  • Eloquence – The Bard’s Bardic Inspiration receives enormous bonuses from the College of Eloquence. Bards are already fantastic support casters, but this elevates them to new heights. While other bard colleges provide additional features to the Bard, College of Eloquence focuses on the Bard’s primary characteristics, particularly Bardic Inspiration and the Bard’s undisputed mastery of Charisma-based talents.

  • Glamour – This Subclass uses the Feywild’s powers to transform into stunning forms and enchant crowds. College of Glamour is a fantastic support caster with a mix of support and charm effects, but that doesn’t really bring any offense or defense.

  • Lore – Bards are still among the most flexible classes. College of Lore looks at the bard’s supposed ability to utilize weapons and finds that more talents, magic, and the ability to diss adversaries with Cutting Words are more important.

  • Maestro – Unlike the other subclasses, you utilize what you’ve been given to make any music you desire. You inflict more mental and emotional harm, repair, and manipulation than physical harm, repair, and deception. After all, atmosphere does play a role in social scenarios and battles as well.

  • Swords – As a Bard, College of Swords lets you engage in more martial offense. Regrettably, it consumes your Bardic Inspiration dice in exchange for weak and pathetic abilities and a minor damage bonus.

  • Valor – In many ways, it’s comparable to the College of Swords in that you’ll be doing a lot more melee fighting than other Colleges. Valor focuses on becoming a kickass battle mage rather than a swashbuckler.

  • Whispers – College of Whispers excels in guises and cunning, making it ideal for a campaign with a lot of diplomacy but little dungeon exploration and battle. It’s not the greatest in combat but amazing in situations requiring social prowess.

Blood Hunter 

  • Mages that practice the forbidden art of blood magic. Despite the “gruesome” theme of their magic they intend to use it to destroy evils near and far. It’s not exactly ideal for Goliaths. Although your ability score increase will be handy, the class does require high Intelligence and Dexterity.

  • Ghostslayer – The oldest and most traditional of Blood Hunters, with the objective of annihilating undeath wherever it may be found. They’re curse experts who can withstand necrotic damage.

  • Lycan – As they level, they have the ability to modify themselves beyond animal-like traits. Additional immunity and powers are available to these Blood Hunters, but they cannot be used by their party or other creatures.

  • Mutant – These Blood Hunters practice the banned art of mutagencraft, which can momentarily alter them beyond animal-like features as they level, in addition to the forbidden skill of blood magic. They have more immunity and powers, but they can’t use them on their party or other creatures (unless your DM says otherwise).

  • Profane Soul – Blood Hunters with a Warlock motif but no patron to choose from. They form alliances with lesser evils in order to improve their ability to combat the greater evils.

Cleric

  • They’re typically portrayed as the healer or the quiet member of the party that’s there to call upon their god/s to aid in battle. They can act as that but they can also be heavy armor wearing, weapon wielding, blasting, casting casters. 

  • Arcana – Arcana Domain Clerics have access to spells and cantrips from the Wizard spells list, expanding the party’s assistance options. Celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead are the best foes for this subclass.

  • Blood – A fun but gruesome subclass focused on manipulating the life streaming through most creatures’ veins: blood. This subclass can be used to aggravate wounds, alter bodies, and collect knowledge, among other things, however it is useless against non-blooded species.

  • Death – Instead of boosting and curing allies, the Death Domain concentrates on causing necrotic damage to your opponents. Because, unlike most Clerics, this subclass is designed to worship malevolent gods or deities. It’s high on offense and even adds martial weapons proficiency.

  • Forge – A strong spell list, a defined front-line combat position, and unique utility and support options. Forge Domain Clerics make strong Defenders, and their damage output is high enough that they can be a threat in combat even if they aren’t performing spells.

  • Grave -The Grave Domain is designed to ensure a balance between life and death. The Subclass achieves a unique blend of offensive and healing abilities. The majority of the abilities are decent, but there are a few mediocre abilities.

  • Knowledge – In campaigns where information is key, Knowledge Domain Clerics shine. Many of the spells and abilities may seem pointless if you won’t be doing much investigating. They don’t really shine in terms of offense and defense.

  • Life – Clerics from the Life Domain are ideal for players that want a healer in their group. This subclass is often regarded as the finest healer. Due to their access to heavy armor, the Life Cleric can also serve as a front-line Defender, allowing them to double as a Defender and a Healer. You’ll have to rely almost solely on spells or weapons to attack, but that’s not an issue given the Cleric’s plentiful and strong spells.

  • Light – The Light Cleric is a Striker and a Controller that specializes in dealing harm to single targets as well as areas. Clerics already have some of the greatest Radiant damage spells and adds some of the strongest fire damage to the attack.

  • Nature -Nature has a mediocre spell arsenal and a Channel Divinity ability that only works with a limited portion of the monster manual. Although the domain’s other skills are wonderful, it’s difficult to suggest this domain because spells and Channel Divinity are such important aspects of the Cleric’s skills.

  • Order – Order Domain Clerics aren’t great at delivering damage, but they’re great at buffing allies, crowd controlling, and dealing with circumstances that don’t involve battle. It’s a fantastic choice for clerics who want to lead or help their party. You’ll be alright in the front lines in heavy armor, and Voice of Authority adds a substantial force multiplier to anyone in your party who can deliver massive amounts of offense.

  • Peace – Peace Domain Clerics have effective protection spells, but it is their features that push this subclass into near-broken areas. They have the ability to make their squad resistant to any harm and deflect damage from whatever force, making this subclass well-known for being overpowered.

  • Tempest – Tempest is a versatile and offensive spell. It has a cool concept and provides some good AOE damage and control, though nothing explicitly buffs your allies in battle. Tempest’s skills and spells offer a variety of entertaining crowd management, area control, and area damage choices, allowing the Tempest Cleric to be a viable threat for both short and long ranges.

  • Trickery – Cloning, invisibility, dispel magic, mirroring, beguiling, and other abilities are available to Trickery Domain Clerics, making them feel like a cross between a Rogue and a Wizard. However, because they aren’t designed to tank, this renders them more vulnerable in battle.

  • Twilight – This Domain is a balanced subclass that thrives on the front lines, where they can efficiently defend their comrades while still posing a threat. Buffs, utilities, defensive options, and attack are the majority of their talents.

  • War – These Clerics are more concerned with melee combat than with spellcasting, yet without fixed extra attacks, they fall short. While this is a nice concept with a lot of interesting alternatives, it can be tough to combine the subclass’ abilities since many of them rely on Concentration or Bonus Actions.


Druid

  • Spellcasting and Wild Shape are two of a Druid’s strongest abilities. The Druid’s ability to morph into an animal which gives them a lot of utility both in and out of battle. The Druid generally serves as a Healer, Support, and Utility caster in the team, similar to the Cleric. The Druid can also function as an effective defense and striker in a variety of ways depending on subclasses. Unfortunately, it’s a Wisdom based class.

  • Dreams – These Druids heal others by channeling Feywild magic. While all Druids have some healing skills as well as some utility, this Circle is primarily focused on the craft.

  • Land – The Druid’s caster nature is the core of the Subclass. They have access to more cantrips, the ability to replenish spell slots after a brief rest, and a bigger spell list, which includes being immune to poison and disease in some situations.

  • Moon – Druids who go all out with their wild appearance. Even if they waver at the medium level, they can keep their composure and efficiently defend themselves against regular strikes at a high level. You can wild shape as a bonus action to boost the number of monsters you can change into with a higher challenge rating. This gives you faster access to more powerful monsters than in prior Druid circles.

  • Shepherd – The Druid’s options for supporting their group and summoning more strong beasts with Conjure Animals and Conjure Fey are excellent in Circle of the Shepherd. This is a fantastic option if you like summoning creatures and strengthening your teammates, as well as communing with forest spirits and calling them to assist you in combat.

  • Spores – Circle of Spores, paragons of life and death, discover art in decay and provide the druid with a slew of new offensive choices. They employ spores and fungi to increase your battle skills, poison your opponents, and take control of the bodies of the dead.

  • Stars – A Subclass that adds a lot of damage and healing, as well as a Cosmic Omen support mechanic. Starry Form is the class’s defining feature, and it works in a similar way to Circle of Spore’s Symbiotic Entity or the Barbarian’s Rage as a battle surge.  When it comes to attack, recuperation, or moving between the two, this is an extremely versatile subclass.

  • Wildfire –  A support fire-based sniper offensive! This subclass does not have a wild shape, but it does provide you with a companion (or servant, if you like to give it a humanoid form and traits). Aside from the fire-based skills, you have a ridiculous amount of teleportation, and fire blasting.

Fighter

  • In Dungeons & Dragons, fighters are supposed to be among the finest damage dealers. Fighters excel in combat despite having very low skill and tool proficiency. They are tough, have good armor, and can deal a lot of damage. It’s a class that comes natural to the Goliath. 

  • Arcane Archer – These are warriors who specialize in endowing their bow shots with magic. Arcane Archers have a smaller tank role than other Fighter subclasses because they are ranged attackers. Arcane Archers are typically created with this in mind, focusing on doing massive damage while avoiding being hit at any and all costs.

  • Battle Master – A Fighter Subclass that uses superiority dice to strategically affect the battlefield The Battle Master’s maneuvers allow you to get an advantage in strikes, intimidate opponents, counter attacks, hit adversaries when they miss, and a variety of other fighting strategies.

  • Cavalier – The Cavalier is a mounted warrior who excels at combat. Cavaliers are incredibly competent melee combatants with a wide range of battlefield management options even without a ride.

  • Champion – The layout is simple but effective. It’s a major deal for Fighters to hit targets with Crits more frequently. The Champion is the way to go if you just want an easy to play class with good numbers. This simplicity makes the Champion a fantastic character for novice players.

  • Echo Knight – The ability to manifest an “echo,” which allows you to battle in two places at once, is the Echo Knight’s main characteristic. Think of their echo as a second character that apart from attacking, allows you to teleport, heal, and much more.

  • Eldritch Knight – These Fighters gain access to spellcasting. Eldritch Knights are semi-caster classes, similar to Rangers and Paladins, but they only gain spell slots up to 4th level. They can only cast abjuration and evocation-based spells and are limited to the Wizard’s spell range.

  • Gunslinger – They can do a lot of damage, but it’s difficult to keep them consistent. Their pistols require reloading, which demands the use of gunpowder, which requires the creation of materials unless your DM is kind enough to let you keep some on hand.

  • Psi Warrior – Having a Starwars theme, these warriors use psychic prowess with their weapons. Its shield, bulwark, is focused more on defense than offense. By propelling their weapons, they can even make 30″ ft strikes.

  • Purple Dragon Knight – A great knight with the ability to extend their core Fighter abilities to other members of their party. The Purple Dragon Knight’s major flaw is that it takes a fighter who is almost entirely strong at fighting and tries to make them good at other things. While it’s a fun option in the proper group, Dungeons and Dragons is a game where specialization is rewarded and variety is made difficult. It requires a lot of Charisma as well.

  • Renegade – With the same problem as Gunslinger. What sets them apart is their ability to deal massive damage with a single shot (sniper) or to injure one or more creatures with a rapid shot (pistoleer). They can employ small explosives at a high enough level.

  • Rune Knight – Runes, the language of giants, are used by these fighters to imbue extraordinary abilities into their weapons and armor. Runes are ancient symbols with supernatural properties that were created by Giants in the past. Some of these benefits, like those of an Artificer, increase or supplement your own racial abilities or weapons.

  • Samurai – The Samurai is an offensively oriented Striker who focuses almost entirely on damage performance. Samurai are indestructible warriors with tremendous combat power. You’ll earn bonus proficiencies as well, just like the Cavalier. They can even use all three of their bonus action abilities in difficult conflicts to gain an advantage for three rounds of fighting.

Monk

  • Monks make excellent support characters since they can move during combat with reasonable ease, heading where the combat is most intense or escaping from dangerous situations. Despite being unarmed they make for excellent Defenders and Strikers with some of their subclasses allowing some magical blasting. Unfortunately, Monks don’t rely on Strength but Wisdom (Thematically and Mechanically). 

  • Ascendant Dragon – Way of the Ascendant Dragon excels at a variety of tasks. It transforms the Monk into a blaster, allowing them to deal with crowds in a way that no other monk subclass can. You eventually gain new skills like highly limited flight and a variant of Frightful Presence that allows you to keep adversaries terrified for the duration of an encounter.

  • Astral Self – Astral Self allows the Monk to place a greater focus on Wisdom without compromising the class’s martial qualities. It also addresses certain specific issues that most monks confront, such as struggling, reaching, and darkness. The class features are mechanically straightforward, and there’s almost little new tracking or micromanagement to do, making the entire subclass quite easy to play, which is welcome because the Monk’s fundamental features are relatively complex.

  • Cobalt Soul – When they use their flurry of strikes to designate them as examined, an intelligence monk strikes the information out of their foes and learns traits like Damage Vulnerabilities, Damage Resistances, and break their defense, among others.

  • Drunken Master – Despite its name, Way of the Drunken Master includes no alcohol in its mechanics. It encourages you to focus on the Monk’s function as a Striker by allowing you to use hit-and-run strategies to keep the monk alive and out of direct assault range. Strangely, Way of the Drunken Master excels at mobility, making it an excellent choice for those who enjoy moving around the battlefield.

  • Four Elements – The ability to cast spells makes this the most flexible and distinct Monastic Subclass. However, using the elemental disciplines costs a lot of ki points, so you’ll probably end up using Flurry of Blows most of the time.

  • Kensei – A monk who has been militarized and can make significant ranged weapon attacks. Their ability to parry provides them an armor class boost. While this provides a modest damage boost and access to reach via whips, the phrasing of Agile Parry invalidates the Kensei’s most prominent attribute (perhaps by accident).

  • Long Death – Way of the Long Death is extremely tanky, making the Monk extremely difficult to kill, but it lacks offensive and utility options. As a result, the Monk can act as a Defender. Even after a fatal blow, these monks can survive as long as they have a ki point. They have the ability to frighten and engender dread in others to the point where no one dares to question or oppose them.

  • Mercy – These Monks learn to use Ki to heal and hurt things, as well as master the Medicinal talent. Although they can’t compete with classes like the Cleric, this allows the Monk to add Healer to their core responsibilities as a Scout and Striker. They may also remove status problems and even raise the dead to incredible heights.

  • Open Hand – The classic approach to the Monk class. Open Hand provides several terrific, well-rounded alternatives that assist the Monk’s main powers to be as useful as possible. Their method can significantly boost the benefit of using one of your few Ki points to gain an extra attack.

  • Shadow – Way of Shadow enables the Monk to take on a more stealthy role, as the name suggests. Way of Shadow grants the monk near-magical skills, allowing him to perform feats far more amazing than simply hitting things incredibly quickly.

  • Sun Soul – This Subclass creates a link between a Monk’s melee and a Blaster or ranged Striker’s ranged capabilities and can be used in combination. The features are highly long-lasting because they don’t require Ki to operate, but their damage is weak if you don’t use Ki.

Paladin

  • The Paladin is a roleplaying class with heavy armor and a high damage output. Paladins are the game’s most resilient, durable, and self-reliant class. As a result, they’re both great solo characters and great additions to nearly any party, regardless of their abilities. They can act as a Defender, Face, and Striker in a party. Despite the Class requiring a lot of Charisma, Strength and Constitution are still valuable abilities to the class.

  • Ancients – Paladins of the Oath of the Ancients pledge themselves to safeguarding the Light against the darkness of the world, which is a very generic objective that allows for some flexibility. Rangers and Druids share a lot of their flair and options. This provides magical crowd control and area control tools that other paladins lack, as well as access to Misty Step so you can roam around effortlessly.

  • Conquest – It’s a good blend of crowd management and offensive choices, it boosts the Paladin’s damage output significantly, and it gives the Paladin numerous useful abilities for dealing with groups of enemies that other paladins find difficult.  In combat, their spells and channel divinity options are aimed at subjugating and dominating opponents.

  • Crown – These Paladins are excellent at diverting attention away from their most vulnerable teammates and toward themselves, making them an excellent Defender construct. Other abilities of the oath allow you to accept damage for your allies, lessening the need for your party to spend actions and resources in combat mending numerous characters.

  • Devotion – When most people think of “Paladin,” they generally think of the Oath of Devotion Paladin. Paladins who take the Oath of Devotion guard the weak and uphold the law of the land. If you’re unsure what to choose, or if you’re new to the game and want to learn the ropes, this is a good option with a great balance of skills.

  • Glory –  Through buffs and support class features, these Paladins assist those around them in accomplishing great feats. The spell selection is very dependent on Concentrating, and while the Channel Divinity alternatives are fantastic, their benefits will wear off quickly, forcing you to seek out other possibilities. The rest of the subclass’s features are either outstanding or situational, so you’ll use some of them frequently while using others practically rarely.

  • Oathbreaker – Oathbreakers twist the traditional Paladin formula on its own game by forcing them to betray their promise in order to serve themselves or an evil force. This gives them both a unique and tough roleplay, and they have several powerful skills to round out the class.

  • Open Sea – They are paladins with wanderlust, a thirst for adventure, and a passion for the sea. They have mastered the art of producing a fog that allows them and their allies to see. With Fury of the Tides, they can knock their opponents back a maximum of 10″ ft. At a higher level, this would be fantastic in a water/pirate-themed campaign. Overall, whether this category is efficient depends on the circumstances, especially given the campaign theme.

  • Redemption – The Oath of Redemption Paladin, unlike other Paladins, prioritizes nonviolent solutions. It’s suggested to put more emphasis on Charisma than Strength/Constitution, since they’ll rely on spells and special talents rather than brute force. In many aspects, it’s a strange long lasting caster. Even if you just want to hurt people, the spells here are extremely powerful and beneficial, giving you access to several of the best spells that Paladins typically lack.

  • Vengeance – The Paladin’s talents as a Striker are highlighted in Oath of Vengeance, with the goal of killing adversaries swiftly rather than relying on defensive techniques. The Paladin is a fantastic single character thanks to their innate endurance and Oath of Vengeance’s ability to kill stuff. The Oath of Vengeance is an excellent option for being the party’s primary damage dealer if your team already has sufficient support members.

  • Watchers – Paladins of the Oath of the Watchers specialize on combating extraplanar threats, hence their use is highly dependent on the type of campaign you’re playing. In many adventures, your paladin will go extended periods of time without encountering extraplanar opponents, rendering much of Oath of the Watcher’s features ineffective. Even with the capstone, it’s only useful if they’re dealing with an outsider rather than a fellow pilot. Mechanically, Watchers are perhaps one of the least specialized Oaths.

Ranger

  • A proficient hunter, tracker, and woodsman, most at home on the outskirts of society and the first to fight against threats in the wilderness, is the recurring concept around the Ranger in DnD. While they can be spell casters and provide healing and utility, the Ranger lacks the necessary magic to be a healer or a thorough caster.

  • Beast Master – The Beast Master reinvents the ranger by providing them with a fantastic companion who fights alongside them in battle. You can equip their animal friend with weapons and employ them to attack and defend. When the ranger is away, this buddy gets a turn as well, which is preferable than having no turn at all when you’re stunned or unconscious.

  • Drakewarden – The Ranger is paired with a draconic spirit that can be summoned into physical state as a Drake Partner by the Drakewarden. The drake develops in size and develops the ability to fly and act as a mount over time, making it a tough fighting buddy with some modest support skills. The drake is a powerful and useful pet welcome in virtually any party, with the capacity to serve as a basically disposable frontline martial character.

  • Fey Wanderer – The Fey Wanderer is a fantastic subclass that has a lot to offer to people who know how to and when to use it properly. A category of psychic damage that provides resistance to charm and terror. Instead of concentrating on one enemy at a time, these Rangers can assault numerous opponents at once, using one of their powers to summon fey beings to help.

  • Gloom Stalker – Gloom Stalkers are Rangers who hunt in the shadows, in regions where most people would never venture. If they’re used in campaigns that frequently visit dungeons, caves, tunnels, the Underdark, or other dark locations, they’re far more powerful than other ranger archetypes. Unfortunately, if the campaign hardly contains darkness, using the capacity to be undetected in the dark can be difficult.

  • Horizon Walker – Horizon Walkers are Rangers who serve as guards of the sites that link the multiverse’s realms. They aren’t quite as stealthy as the Gloom Stalker, but it’s no less effective. The Horizon walker has a few skills that allow them to move between planes, but its main feature is teleporting around and in battle or hitting things.

  • Hunter – The Hunter is a simple yet powerful martial option because it is modest and lacks the flashy magic nonsense seen in many ranger subclasses. The Hunter also has the most choice points of any ranger subclass, allowing you to customize your build to your playstyle and party role. The hunter has the best sustained dps in the game against tightly grouped groups of foes. That’s a rare occurrence, so it’s hardly overpowered in the grand scheme of things.

  • Monster Slayer – The Monster Slayer is a simpler version of the Hunter in many aspects. It works in a similar way, but without the customisation choices and with less construction flexibility due to the subclass features. Despite this, it’s still a very useful and effective subclass, hitting a decent balance between damage performance and toughness without the added burden of more choice points. The Monster Slayer is an excellent choice if you’re searching for a straightforward ranger.

  • Swarmkeeper – If you want to incite everyone’s fear of insects, this is the subclass to use. They have the ability to summon swarms of creatures, including locusts, roaches, various insects, twig blights, birds, and fairies. With their capacity to move foes away from the backline or into melee with their frontliners as an archer, they’re essentially frontline crowd control.


Rogue

  •  Rogues are among the more technical melee classes to play because of their predisposition to be the party’s scout, along with the unique nature of their fighting abilities. Sneak Attack allows them to deal a large amount of damage in a single blow, and their skill set enables them to effortlessly deal with locks, traps, guards, and a variety of other obstacles. The bonus Constitution of the Goliath doesn’t really make up for the Rogue’s need to dodge and sneak which is Dexterity. 

  • Arcane Trickster – They gain the benefits of magic while progressing totally as an Arcane Trickster Rogue. Very adaptable and can regularly execute stealth assaults, even in less-than-ideal circumstances. It’s important to note that they  are not full casters and their spells are Intelligence-based.

  • Assassin – It is classified as a trap subclass because of its skill to construct fake identities, mimic voices, practically replace another person, and take over their life for a time, but they eventually find it difficult to do so since they have formed an emotional bond with them. The talents of assassins don’t always match well with the rest of the party, encouraging them to act more independent.

  • Inquisitive – They’re granted detective skills, such as analyzing an opponent’s methods and devising a counter. Unfortunately, aside from boosts in sneak assaults, this subclass limits you in investigation and lie-detecting aspects of a campaign unless you multiclass or have any extra talents.

  • Mastermind – Mastermind provides them a lot of infiltration and mimicking abilities, allowing them to pass themselves off as someone else practically flawlessly and learn knowledge that other characters couldn’t. Not to mention the added benefit of being able to assist. Everything else is situational and particularly useful in social circumstances; it is created as a utility class.

  • Phantom – It’s a time-consuming subclass to create. They can gain one skill or tool proficiency of their choosing whenever they finish a short or long rest, as a ghostly presence shares its wisdom with them. It’s quite nice to have floating skill competence and deal necrotic damage.

  • Scout – Scouts are adept in scouting (crazy right?) ahead of their comrades and surviving far from the city’s streets, allowing them to scout ahead of their partners during expeditions. This allows them to keep the group alive while traversing dangerous terrain, effectively making them a non-magical rogue.

  • Soulknife – The Subclass has a psychic ability that causes them to go crazy good at skill checks. This, along with knowledge and/or consistent talent, allows them to take any skill and be better at it on average than practically any other class, regardless of whether they have a corresponding mod boost. Their telepathy allows them to scout the party while still being able to discuss what is going on or what they see in real time and in secret. It also does not require the use of a common language to communicate.

  • Swashbuckler – The swashbuckler is an agile fighter-thief subclass. They can make attacks against the party more difficult and prevent chance attacks. During combat, the Swashbuckler performs many voluntary Acrobatics and Athletics movements and checks.

  • Thief – The subclass isn’t designed for fighting, but it excels at utility, support, and sneak. When used properly, their additional action allows them to use equipment is excellent. Healers kits, for example, can aid the group in a pinch while not jeopardizing their offense skills (when no healer is present). They can use Fast Hands as a bonus action to consume potions, utilize a medkit, throw acid, anchor oneself, set minor traps, apply poison, and so on.

Sorcerer

  • Sorcerers vary from Wizards include that their magic is inherited via their lineage rather than learned through study of the arcane arts. Sorcerers are difficult, yet they are also less complicated than most spellcasting classes. The Sorcerer’s spell repertoire allows them to play as a Blaster, Controller, Striker, and Utility Caster, and their skill list and reliance on Charisma allows them one of the simplest classes to play.

  • Aberrant Mind – An alien bestows psychic abilities upon this Sorcerer. Swapping out bonus spells for various ones if you don’t want or need one is a fantastic aspect of the aberrant mind sorcerer. Then they can cast any of their bonus spells as a subtle spell for almost nothing, and they get bonus action (which then means you can toss on a second meta magic to the spell).

  • Clockwork Soul – These Sorcerers get their strength from another plane or from Modron’s machinations. The subclass has spell possibilities inherited from the Cleric and Wizard, as well as tools to tackle various problems in a systematic manner. The Clockwork Soul, on the other hand, relies significantly on its spell list. They gain additional known spells that do not count against their spell limit. Restore Balance allows them to help their side by exploiting advantages and disadvantages that would otherwise harm or aid the opponents.

  • Divine Soul – Clerics who aren’t formally Clerics but have access to the Cleric’s spell list and skills derived from a divine entity. Divine Soul Sorcerers have a high level of durability due to their mastery of all armors and shields, as well as a plethora of defensive bonuses and healing. They can boost their resources in a variety of ways, such as improving hit probability, defense, healing, or adding extra weapon attacks. As fantastic as their skills sound, their spell list is restricted, and fighting without their team would be like “going commando” into battle (vulnerable/naked).

  • Draconic Bloodline – Their magic is inherited through their ancestors’ draconic blood or blessing. They gain the equal of Mage Armor and wings on a regular basis. The type of additional elemental damage they receive is determined by which Draconic Ancestor they have. The disadvantage is that they must expend a sorcery point to achieve a temporary damage resistance, and only after casting an elemental spell.

  • Rune Child – A sorcerer whose magic is based on magical runes, and whose body is capable of collecting and storing arcane energy. This subclass is significantly out of date. Runes are powerful symbols that can be used for a wide range of purposes. A Rune Child can charge a number of runes by simply expending sorcery points, or a Rune Child with no sorcery points and no charged runes can charge one rune as an action.

  • Shadow Sorcery – The Shadowfell is responsible for their innate magic. Abusing Darkness, dark vision, and teleporting from shadow to shadow is their fundamental strength. They have some nice tricks with Shadow sorcery, like as summoning the shadow dog; aside from the edgy vibe, it’s a practical subclass.

  • Storm Sorcery – Their magic is based on the elemental air’s power. If you wish to specialize in lightning and thunder and do extra damage to enemies within 10 feet, they’re a good flavor to try. Their talents are more suited to melee combat, but sorcerers lack a strong defense. Tempestuous Magic can help with this by giving them more movement and allowing them to withdraw while casting spells.

  • Wild Magic – Wild Magic is unpredictable, from its origins to its abilities, making it unreliable and hazardous. They gain abilities that allow them to bend and tame Wild Magic, such as regulating its surge, bending luck, lowering the threat, and adding a little more damage. The fundamental problem is that, in addition to being inefficient, the spell can also hurt the party or the goal. It shouldn’t deter anyone from taking this subclass because it may be exciting and entertaining, and preparations can be made by working with the DM.

Warlock

  • The concept and mechanics of your Warlock are heavily influenced by the Otherworldly Patron you choose. Warlocks gain their abilities by pledging their allegiance to an Eldritch Being. However, these casters rely on Charisma in the same way as the Sorcerer does.

  • Archfey – The Archfey Warlock concentrates on ensnaring adversaries’ senses using the fey’s glamor/illusion, trickery, enchantment, and magic. The Archfey is a fantastic choice for rather new players wishing to increase their understanding of spellcasting classes because the spellcasting expands your powers without introducing considerable complexity.

  • Celestial – These Warlocks transform the strength of an Upper Planes entity into heavenly healing energy. The Celestial is fine if you need healing but have to be a warlock for some reason. On top of the Warlock’s outstanding basic qualities, there’s a combination of decent healing and underwhelming blasting.

  • Fathomless – The Fathomless is a servant of an underwater creature/being, and the subclass’s attributes successfully reflect that theme. However, a large portion of the subcategory is devoted to working in and around water. If your patron sends you to do its bidding on dry land, you’ll quickly lose value.

  • Fiend – This Subclass invokes the Nine Hells’ might to smite your foes with a barrage of scorching dark energy. The Fiend mostly provides offensive options that enhance the Warlock’s ability to destroy things, but it also provides some incredibly powerful defensive abilities. Because the Fiend is primarily a blaster that relies significantly on fire damage, the Elemental Adept feat should be considered.

  • Genie – They strike a bargain with a genie in order to get access to elemental skills as well as the genie’s notorious wish-granting abilities. Many of the spell possibilities and class features demand that you put in the effort to conceive of inventive ways to utilize them. This is a fantastic option for an experienced player, but if you don’t know the game well, you might have greater luck with other subclasses.

  • Great Old One – The Subclass is a diverse combination of possibilities that focuses on taking power from the unknown and being appropriately insane. Some of the abilities are extremely powerful, but many of them are situational and won’t be used very often. The spells provide a solid mix of possibilities, the features provide some wonderful tools for dealing with a variety of obstacles, and the whole creepy, cultish vibe of gaining power from an elder creature feels just appropriate for the Warlock.

  • Hexblade – Warlocks looking to engage in melee combat will struggle to find a better weapon than the Hexblade. They use a weapon summoned from the domain of shadows to channel your abilities. When all of the Hexblade’s features are combined, including its increased spell list, the Hexblade becomes a genuinely terrifying weapon threat, frequently matching or exceeding damage.

  • Undying – The Undying tries to keep the Warlock alive, but it doesn’t stand a chance than other patrons. The majority of the options are situational and reactive, leaving the Warlock with little alternatives for proactive issue solving. You do have a few choices for healing yourself and your friends, but they’re disappointing on their own and comically poor when compared to the Healing Light feature of the Celestial Warlock.

Wizard

  • Wizards learn a lot of spells and can pick from the most extensive spell list in the game. On top of that, they can add additional spells to their spellbook outside of level-ups. Sadly, this class relies on Intelligence for their spellcasting.

  • Abjuration – They have exceptional survivability, but that doesn’t mean they’re built to fight. They have characteristics that make them larger and more defensive than other Wizards.

  • Bladesinging – The subclass allows the Wizard to engage in melee combat while still being able to cast all of the Wizard’s spells. High armor, haste, misty steps, Contingency combinations, and so on can make it more interesting. They simply must play smart; else, a single hit will send them into the key danger zone of plummeting.

  • Chronurgist – This subclass comes with many free stun spells, the ability to subdue creatures from the sideline, and the ability to deprive opponents of a turn in combat dominated by action economy. They transform into a free spell-storage ring that can be carried about. Suddenly, everyone is given a familiar that can aid them in combat.

  • Conjuration – Wizards with the ability to summon creatures and objects, as well as teleport. It isn’t the most powerful subclass in terms of mechanics, but it is still a wizard. School of Conjuration gives you a taste of everything the Conjuration school of magic has to offer, but if you just want to play as a summoner, you won’t gain anything till 10th level to enable that concept.

  • Divination -These Wizards can use saving rolls to radically alter outcomes and even replace the adversary dice roll. Their capacity to see into the past, present, and future makes them highly sought after. They aren’t the most powerful in battle, but they strive to learn discernment, distant vision, supernatural knowledge, and foresight spells.

  • Enchantment – Wizards can alter and change people’s memories, enchant them, and make creatures obey their commands. The attribute boosts are ideal for what you’re trying to accomplish, especially because you’re multi-attribute dependent. You gain two abilities of your choice, allowing you to use skills like Deception that aren’t on the wizard’s list.

  • Evocation – A powerful elemental subclass that excels in adaptability and versatility. They have a short selection of go-to spells with extra damage to help them pack a punch. This makes them beginner-friendly while still being powerful in their own right.

  • Graviturgist – Wizards have the ability to manipulate gravity and the density of beings and objects. A Graviturgist can accomplish a lot, but just because they have gravitational powers doesn’t mean they can fight on the front lines. These Wizards are more of a support cast spellcaster than a front-line blaster.

  • Illusion – A subclass of illusionists who are masters of deception. Because this subclass necessitates rapid thought and ingenuity, they’re only as good as the player makes them. In short, their power and strength rely on a player’s ability in roleplay.

  • Necromancy – They animate the undead and raise an army of the undead capable of overwhelming their opponents. The sole disadvantage is that zombies are incapable of wearing armor or using weapons (unless the DM allows). They’d build a massive wall, but they wouldn’t be able to cause much harm. Skeletons aren’t invincible, and it won’t take much AoE to take them down, but a massive wave of the undead isn’t to be taken lightly.

  • Order of Scribes – Without having to carry a spellbook, this Wizard is the most bookish of all Wizards. It’s still debatable if this subclass allows you to pay anything or nothing at all, but it provides convenience while lacking some “wow” factor as a Wizard.

  • Transmutation –  With their power to alter materials at will and manipulate matter into whatever they see fit, these Wizards have an Artificer-like theme. Resistances, con save, speed boost, and darkvision are just a few of the bonuses they can acquire and provide. Despite this, they’re regarded for not having much going for them because certain desirable qualities take time to acquire.

  • War Magic – Because it isn’t flashy, this subclass appears to be underpowered on paper. If you have a minimum of 13 in Intelligence, War Magic is an excellent choice for multiclassing. It focuses on maintaining concentration, thus it’s a good choice if you’re thinking of battlefield control spells that demand concentration.

Racial Feats/Best Feats

  • Natural Athlete – You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

  • Stone’s Endurance – When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. In short, you can endure and shrug off an injury for a time

  • Powerful Build – You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

  • Mountain Born – You have resistance to cold damage. You’re also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.

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