D&D 5E Dungeons and Dragons (5th Edition) Class Tier List – 2019

[Zardnaar]

So as I can always appreciate a good write-up, IME this "guide" has a lot of things wrong with it. First, Bards would never be top of the list IMO. For instance, Warlock are pretty weak in a lot of ways and playing one often means your character is super-specialized and doesn't shine in many instances.

Lore bards top tier.

 

[clearstream]

That being said, the list itself is wild.

Monks are bottom tier, huh?

Rogues are next to bottom?

Nope.

Our shadow monk player often felt overshadowed (ironically) by our battlemaster fighter. He didn't make the best use of his abilities though, so I wouldn't call that definitive.

I think a tier list that lays out its context for play (in my case, I'd be talking about a combat-encounter heavy game) and tiers by archetype (not just class) and feat assumptions, would be valid. Bearbarian with GWM? Decidedly not B tier!

 

[DND_Reborn]

Lore bards top tier.

LOL all I can say is experiences differ. Bards are a pretty weak class IME and would need some changes to make them really good. First, I would remove the bardic inspiration crap... what a colossal waste IMO. It is their primary feature really, and well just about useless.

 

[clearstream]

I would remove the bardic inspiration crap... what a colossal waste IMO. It is their primary feature really, and well just about useless.

Stated ironically, right?

 

[S'mon]

IME Bards and Barbarians are excellent, Fighter is not top tier - Eldritch Knight is very good, Battlemaster is decent, Champion is ok but lower half of the board. Monk umpteen stuns is very nice.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Stated ironically, right?

No. Completely seriously. For my next character I am thinking of a valor bard, and honestly the one thing I will probably never use is bardic inspiration... I find it very uninspiring.

 

[Blue]

This is from the same website that put out those gawd awful class guides. Everything I've seen from there is so off it's almost a troll if the creator didn't seem earnest. So I can't say "don't feed the trolls". But really, if we want to make this discussion more productive, maybe people should put up there own so we have more substantive things to discuss - if the tier system is even worthwhile with the tighter grouping of 5e. And don't leave out subclasses.

 

[Mort]

LOL all I can say is experiences differ. Bards are a pretty weak class IME and would need some changes to make them really good. First, I would remove the bardic inspiration crap... what a colossal waste IMO. It is their primary feature really, and well just about useless.

My experience is the same as @Zardnaar . Bards, particularly lore bards, are an amazing support class.

Very surprised you see bardic inspiration as useless. Every time I've seen a bard in play (both in AL and in the home game I DM) it's been extraordinarily useful.

 

[DND_Reborn]

My experience is the same as @Zardnaar . Bards, particularly lore bards, are an amazing support class.

Very surprised you see bardic inspiration as useless. Every time I've seen a bard in play (both in AL and in the home game I DM) it's been extraordinarily useful.

I'm sure it is more a preference of play-style. I don't mind support characters, but not when that is their primary function. Bardic inspiration is pretty much all about others and supporting them. No thanks. I like a lot of other things about bards such as Jack of all Trades and Expertise, spells and magical secrets. Remove all the stuff about inspiration and song/music, add other features instead, and the class would be great. I'd much rather see bards as weaker but more universal in their skills--think not as good at fighting as fighters, access to ALL spells, but not that many of them, versatile with skills but maybe not as good as the "skill monkey" rogue. Better yet, remove rogue as the skill monkey and give THAT to bards.

 

[Inchoroi]

One of my players has been playing a bard for going on three years, and Bardic Inspiration has saved the party's ass on many occasions. However, I will state that Valor bard is kind of suck. That's why there's the College of Swords now!