My favorite early-level class is the Fighter. My favorite mid-level class is the Rogue. I prefer playing in parties or DMing parties before they reach level 11, but maybe they reach level 11 before the last, final boss. If I were to start a class at level 10 or 11 (or know for sure that we are playing that far into a campaign), I love the Cleric. I think that Druids and Wizards are extremely-powerful, but I'd rather be in a party with those classes; they just aren't my style.
I don't like the Bard. Maybe if you multiclass Bard with at least one level of Wizard in there to get non-prepared rituals. I don't like multiclassing, which compounds that suggestion. I like to stick to doing one-thing well.
XGtE is making the Ranger better. I hope it also makes the Paladin and the Warlock better. I'm not convinced it has the oomph to make the Bard better, but I'm willing to give it a chance.
The Cleric of the Light Domain is amazing. I know that many do not agree, but I think the Forge Domain is amazing, too. Even Knowledge Domain is outstanding.
The standard/default Thief subclass is the most-interesting to me. The Swashbuckler and Assassin just seem like posers to me.
The Barbarian and the Sorcerer tend to be specialized to a single campaign. I do like them, but my spellcaster of choice will always be Cleric and my jump-around combat clown will likely be a Fighter or a Rogue.
My favorite is to match up factions and trinkets with character backgrounds and classes/subclasses. Consider:
1. Far-traveler Wood Elf Cleric Light Domain (Emerald Enclave, with a nature-related trinket)
2. Anthropologist Scourge Aasimar Storm Sorcerer (The Harpers, with an alabaster mask)
3. Archaeologist Human-variant Fighter Cavalier (The Zhentarim, with some city-related trinket)
4. Sailor Human-variant Cleric Forge Domain (Order of the Gauntlet, with the knucklebone skull dice)
5. Noble Human-variant Rogue Thief (Lords' Alliance, with some war-related trinket)
I don't like the Bard. Maybe if you multiclass Bard with at least one level of Wizard in there to get non-prepared rituals. I don't like multiclassing, which compounds that suggestion. I like to stick to doing one-thing well.
XGtE is making the Ranger better. I hope it also makes the Paladin and the Warlock better. I'm not convinced it has the oomph to make the Bard better, but I'm willing to give it a chance.
The Cleric of the Light Domain is amazing. I know that many do not agree, but I think the Forge Domain is amazing, too. Even Knowledge Domain is outstanding.
The standard/default Thief subclass is the most-interesting to me. The Swashbuckler and Assassin just seem like posers to me.
The Barbarian and the Sorcerer tend to be specialized to a single campaign. I do like them, but my spellcaster of choice will always be Cleric and my jump-around combat clown will likely be a Fighter or a Rogue.
My favorite is to match up factions and trinkets with character backgrounds and classes/subclasses. Consider:
1. Far-traveler Wood Elf Cleric Light Domain (Emerald Enclave, with a nature-related trinket)
2. Anthropologist Scourge Aasimar Storm Sorcerer (The Harpers, with an alabaster mask)
3. Archaeologist Human-variant Fighter Cavalier (The Zhentarim, with some city-related trinket)
4. Sailor Human-variant Cleric Forge Domain (Order of the Gauntlet, with the knucklebone skull dice)
5. Noble Human-variant Rogue Thief (Lords' Alliance, with some war-related trinket)