Let’s be honest here – you probably want to play DnD, more specifically 5e, in order to use the awesome magic the game offers its players, and the reason why you’re here, well, is to learn which class is best to choose for your spellcaster. In this text, we’re going to go over the best spellcasting classes but will also include some drawbacks for each class.
Before delving deeper into the topic, I’m going to give you a quick refresher on how spellcasting works in the fifth edition of Dungeons&Dragons. By design, the game gives you the opportunity to play as any class, even martial ones, and be able to use spells. This is achieved through specified sub-classes, but for the main martial classes, it’s an optional variance. You can absolutely go around smashing things without thinking about that silly magic thing.
However, if that silly magic thing is exactly what you expect from your Dungeons&Dragons experience, then you can choose a class that deals primarily with the arcana of magic and spells.
For your magic wielder to work, you’re going to need an origin for your magical abilities. D&D offers great explanations of how certain classes acquired their magic. A warlock would gain spellcasting capabilities by making a deal with a demon, and a sorcerer is someone who’s naturally inclined towards magic, a wizard is basically a bookworm, druid talks to plants, etc. The origin of your magic does influence what kind of spells is available to you, but the execution part relies on how you built your character stats-wise as well as your overall level.
Most of the time, you’ll be using either Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifiers, so you should pay attention to those when creating your character. Also, you have to keep in mind that a level one spellcaster will be less powerful than a level twenty spellcaster. That’s just a rule of the game and, dare I say, quite a reasonable one.
Although casting spells has different pre-requisites, like using your voice, somatic components, or material, as well as certain casting requirements, like having a spell prepared or making sure the target is within range, it’s important to know that some Dungeon Masters may not use all of these, or might even have their own unique specification. Thus, it’s key to have a brief talk with your DM regarding this before creating a spellcaster.
Seeing how there is a vast number of classes (and sub-classes) across the official and unofficial material, I’ll try to give you a list of the best classes for spellcasting, but I will stick to the official material seeing how that is more easily available. Another important detail is that I’ll refrain from using the multi-classing option as much as I can. The reason for this is that you can make an infinite number of combinations, and that’s just impossible to cover.
So, What’s the Best Spellcaster Class in DnD 5e?
I’ve given you a little hint earlier as to how each spellcaster class in DnD 5e differentiates from one another, but there is more to it.
Personally, I believe that when you’re choosing a class for your character, you’re not only looking at the mechanical capabilities of it but also what kind of role-play opportunities the class gives you. The former requirements can be easily defined, but the way you role-play a class is something that I prefer to leave entirely to you.
Because you might have different preferences as to how you want to play, I’ll give you some reasons why you may want to play or avoid a certain class. So, let’s get started.
Warlock – Selling Your Soul For a Few Invocations
Okay, okay, it isn’t that dramatic, but being a warlock does mean you’ve entered into a pact with a powerful patron and that they’re the ones giving you magical powers. Each patron gives you different abilities, but the coolest feature of warlock is, in my opinion, the ability to use Eldritch Invocations.
In short, these Invocations are additional spells that are unique to the Warlock class. You gain the ability to use this at level two, and they are quite a powerful tool, both inside and outside of combat encounters. Another cool thing is that you can swap out these Invocations when you gain a level and that their number also grows with leveling up.
Another cool thing about the Warlock class is that it opens up so many opportunities for role-playing. Due to the nature of the whole sell-your-soul-to-a-patron deal, you’re likely going to have to interact with them during gameplay, and that’s certainly a big plus for role-players.
A well-known downside of Warlock is that you are greatly limited by your spell slots, especially when compared to other classes. Sure, the number of spell slots increases with your level, but you’re also limited in choosing which spells you can put on your spell list.
Probably the biggest issue I have with Warlock is that it levels out quite quickly. I have the same issues with other classes, but with this one, it’s quite noticeable. Essentially, once you get around level ten, you stop getting meaningful improvements, and while yes, you are powerful at that point (some might argue you can easily be overpowered in the earliest levels), it doesn’t create an incentive to keep improving your character. In fact, if your DM allows it, I would suggest multi-classing when you reach level 10.
Wizard – a Magic Nerd
Just a quick note before diving deeper, a ‘nerd’ is not a bad word. Nowhere near me, at least, because I will argue about that until the cows come home. Moving on.
A Wizard in DnD 5e is someone who has spent a lifetime in a school, learning how to be a spellcaster and although there are many schools of magic, it’s hard to say which one is the best. Wizard’s key feature is his spellbook which you use to prepare spells. Although you only have a certain number of spell slots per level, you’re able to copy any number of spells into your spellbook. This means that you can practically use any spell that’s in the wizard spell list.
One thing about Wizard’s Schools of Magic is that they’re relatively nicely balanced in DnD 5e and that choosing one doesn’t limit you in any way, shape, or form. This balance, however, does mean that there isn’t much variety when it comes to branching out. Choosing your school of magic comes at level two, and unlike all other classes, there isn’t an additional customization option waiting for you at level three.
Something that always makes me wary of playing a wizard is the fact that they’re usually so fragile in combat, especially at early levels. It might also be the fact that when I first played wizard, I rolled a poor initiative and ended up getting one-shotted before I even got to make the first move.
Although the sheer amount of spells and schools of magic you have to learn when playing a Wizard might seem imposing, it’s still the easiest class to learn. This is also why I believe the Wizard class is the best and easiest option for a beginner DnD player.
Bard – a Magician with an Instrument and a Voice of Gold
I will be the first person to tell you how much I rolled my eyes when I first saw a dude playing a bard in my local gaming store. When I say playing, I literally mean playing. Like, he literally had a lute and would stum an accord and sing a little tune when he cast out a spell. Trust me, no matter how cool it may sound (if at all), it got old really fast.
However, there is a reason why I checked out the Bard class again. Not a good reason, mind you, but pure curiosity, and boy, was I in for a treat.
Bards usually serve as support in most aspects of D&D but let me tell you something – it’s because they’re absolutely amazing at it. Their spells allow for some really cool stuff both in and out of combat.
Their main feature is Bardic Inspiration which increases as you level and serves to provide your party members with better chances of succeeding in whatever crazy (or just dumb) thing they attempt to do. You also have Song of Rest (for healing) and Jack of All Trades (boost to skill checks). All of this is available to you fairly early, but the coolest feature of the Bard class comes at the tenth level when you get to choose spells from other classes. Where this can be used (or exploited, depending on your views) is when choosing a spell that’s really powerful for that class because they were made with the intention of being used by that class only.
It’s worth pointing out that Bards do get their specializations via Bard Colleges, but these aren’t as balanced. This might be a good thing, though, as it will allow you to choose a different College and get some extra customization options that will alter the way your bardic spellcaster exists within the world. Well, mechanically, at least, since you’re the one in charge of role-playing.
Cleric – “The Power of (insert God) Compels You!”
There isn’t much room for interpretation as to what a Cleric is, so I will simply call them servants of god. That’s how they see themselves anyway, so why not?
One of the first questions I had for my first DM when receiving an explanation of classes is what the difference is between a Cleric and a Paladin. To be honest, I’m not sure his explanation ever satisfied me (one is a priest, the other one’s a knight, and they both believe in God and smash things with a hammer), so later on, I searched for a better one.
The one sentence I found really interesting is – the Clerics were chosen by God, while Paladin chose God. It really doesn’t offer much, but it was good enough to make me think, as well as read up on both classes and explore on my own.
The Cleric is a very versatile class as it can, as my first DM so elegantly put it, “smash things with a hammer”, but it can also effectively serve as a support and even deal damage in other ways.
Probably the biggest reason why you might choose a Cleric is the domain spells. Regardless of the domain you’ve chosen, you get two spells per level and can use them at will. Even if they aren’t Cleric spells, you can still use them, and best of all, they don’t count towards the total amount of spells you know, and they’re always prepared. Pretty cool, right?
Due to the large number of domains you can choose for your Cleric, it is probably the most versatile class in DnD 5e. Although you will always essentially be a priest, you can have very different options from your chosen deity that will give interesting options when creating a new character.
This class doesn’t offer much in terms of gameplay variety outside of combat, and it’s going to be easy to become the stereotypical grumpy yet devoted priest who can’t shut up about his god. Because of this, I’m issuing a challenge to you (no, not a slap fight), and that is to play a Cleric completely against type. Be a drunk, serve a chaotic evil God, or justify stealing from beggars by intentionally misinterpreting your deity’s words.
Sorcerer – a Magical Prodigy
Playing a Sorcerer might just be the exact polar opposite of playing a Wizard. Sure, you can argue it’s Fighter or Barbarian, but in terms of spellcasting, it’s the Sorcerer.
More seasoned DnD players might say that the Sorcerer class is weak in 5e, but I’d argue that Metamagic makes up for it. Admittedly, you don’t know as many spells as a Sorcerer as with some other classes, and Metamagic is available only at level three and might need some time to really get going and show its usefulness.
Unlike a wizard, a Sorcerer is someone who gains magical abilities in a completely natural way. To me, this opens up so many potential openings for a cool backstory, and an enthusiastic DM might include it in their storytelling. I always enjoy having a Sorcerer at the table because they’re pretty much required to have a certain dose of creativity in order to get the most out of their character.
The Player’s Handbook does define some really cool Sorcerous Origins, which will add a great variety to your gameplay. However, there is a great deal of homebrew Sorcerous Origins online and in other sources. A skilled DM might be able to come up with their own idea of how you gained your magical abilities, especially if you’re playing within their own custom-made world.
What gives Sorcerers the option to get creative is Metamagic. It’s a feature unique to this class, and it allows for the editing of spells. Naturally, you can’t completely change the effects of a spell, but you can modify it nicely to get a closer result for what you want. As expected, this incredibly cool feature does come with certain limitations, and that is Sorcery Points.
Sorcery Points put limitations on how much you can use Metamagic, but you can also use them to open up additional spell slots, which would also cover the lack of known spells. Still, there is a significant contingent of D&D fans who believe that the flaws outweigh the benefits, so much so that there is a good deal of DMs who will either allocate additional Sorcery Points or make things cost less. However, this is a slippery slope to go down, as you need a lot of experience to create a truly well-balanced system.
Conclusion – Wait a Minute, Who’s the Best Spellcaster in DnD 5e Again?
Well, that is for you to decide. I’ve tried my best to give you the pros and cons of each spellcasting class, but ultimately, it will be your decision. You might decide to play a certain class based on the role-playing options it offers, or you might choose a class where you can get the most out of within the confines of the game.
Mechanically, my favorite is probably Cleric, although I do enjoy Sorcerer’s Metamagic a lot. Story-wise, I believe that all classes can find great inspiration, but my weakness is a good patron-haunted Warlock. Although this is my experience, I prefer to play Bards as comedic relief (yes, I overuse the horny Bard trope, and no, I will not stop). However, I did witness a dude play a Bard as a freestyle rapper (the dude had legit skills), so you can definitely play it in a more serious tone. A Wizard is something that the vast majority of D&D players will find themselves playing with ease, so that would be my safe option.
Whichever class you choose, I hope I was able to bring each class closer and allow you to make a better or at least more informed choice for your next spellcaster class.
