D&D 5E Worst Classes Level 1.

[Ashrym]

Druids- same slots. More cantrips. Same prepped spells More known spells. Med armor, Shields.

Same cantrips too. It's bardic inspiration and a bonus skill proficiency versus spell swapping and better armor proficiency.

 

[FrogReaver]

It's strange that wizards are rated so much better than sorcerers at level 1, and why? Because they can prepare 4 spells? But look at what's actually going on in probably most games:

• 4 prepared spells does not equal 4 cast spells
• both classes have 2 spell slots
• one of those slots is probably going to be used for something like mage armor, leaving 1
• spell slots regen on a long rest, so during an adventuring day, you're probably casting cantrips 10-20x more often than an actual level 1 spell.
• sorcerers get an extra cantrip

So in actual game play, for a typical adventuring day, you're getting much more flexibility out of that extra cantrip than you are out of the ability to prepare 2 extra types of spells. I.e, let's say you casts 15 cantrip spells and 2 spell slots an adventuring day. Having 4 options 15 times a day (cantrip) plus 2 options twice a day (spells known) is more than 3 options 15 times a day plus 4 options twice a day. 64 to 53 to be exact.

A wizard might get one damage cantrip and two utility cantrips like minor illusion and prestidigitation. And hope you're not fighting a creature that is resistant to your one damage cantrip. A sorcerer can do that, and get another damage cantrip for a different type, or add mage hand or message or mending on top of that--all things used more often the 2 spell slots.

I'm not saying the sorcerer is objectively better, I'm just saying it shouldn't be this big gap that some are presenting it as, and probably comes down to subjective personal preference.

At level 1 Wizards get arcane recovery which gives them more spells to cast in a day than other casters. They also have a familiar to help with exploration. They also get at least 1 other ritual they can cast as well as preparing 4 spells. They also typically have the best investigation - a skill that comes up pretty often in exploration in my experience.

 

[Ashrym]

At level 1 Wizards get arcane recovery which gives them more spells to cast in a day than other casters. They also have a familiar to help with exploration. They also get at least 1 other ritual they can cast as well as preparing 4 spells. They also typically have the best investigation - a skill that comes up pretty often in exploration in my experience.

IME the extra cantrip comes into play more often than the spell slot, and investigation on a wizard isn't more common than persuasion or deception on a sorcerer.

Rituals are nice. Unseen servants and familiars are useful. On a similar note, however, sorcs also get a bloodline at 1st level and better concentration checks.

Wizards have such a strong ritual list and mechanic it"s hard not to support their advantage. I just don't think sorcs are that far behind at that level.

Barbarians, monks, and rangers are the classes I think get the least out of 1st level. Monks and rangers get a little under valued in skills when both focus on WIS and DEX naturally but that has limited impact.

 

[FrogReaver]

IME the extra cantrip comes into play more often than the spell slot, and investigation on a wizard isn't more common than persuasion or deception on a sorcerer.

Rituals are nice. Unseen servants and familiars are useful. On a similar note, however, sorcs also get a bloodline at 1st level and better concentration checks.

Wizards have such a strong ritual list and mechanic it"s hard not to support their advantage. I just don't think sorcs are that far behind at that level.

Barbarians, monks, and rangers are the classes I think get the least out of 1st level. Monks and rangers get a little under valued in skills when both focus on WIS and DEX naturally but that has limited impact.

agreed. I wasn’t Trying to say wizard was better than sorc just that he’s Pretty much I n the same boat.

 

[Iry]

Barbarians, monks, and rangers are the classes I think get the least out of 1st level. Monks and rangers get a little under valued in skills when both focus on WIS and DEX naturally but that has limited impact.

Yeah, the impact is not huge but Dex and Wis have very nice skills to be proficient in. Barbarians have the coolest button in the game but how much does it actually help?

It turns 15 HP into 30 HP twice a day, but it has conditions. Only 1 minute each, not against elemental damage, it can fade early, and only gives damage to strength attacks.

Don't get me wrong, that's still really powerful and you get to roar at the table. But the fighter gets 32.5 HP without a time or elemental restriction, and that goes up if you have more than 2 short rests (not guaranteed). It's just not flashy.

Barbarians feel really cool, but they are one of the weakest at 1st level. Still a solid 2,0,0 using that other fellows rating, but just a little less useful than everyone else.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Yeah, the impact is not huge but Dex and Wis have very nice skills to be proficient in. Barbarians have the coolest button in the game but how much does it actually help?

It turns 15 HP into 30 HP twice a day, but it has conditions. Only 1 minute each, not against elemental damage, it can fade early, and only gives damage to strength attacks.

Don't get me wrong, that's still really powerful and you get to roar at the table. But the fighter gets 32.5 HP without a time or elemental restriction, and that goes up if you have more than 2 short rests (not guaranteed). It's just not flashy.

Barbarians feel really cool, but they are one of the weakest at 1st level. Still a solid 2,0,0 using that other fellows rating, but just a little less useful than everyone else.

I put them at 2,1,0, giving 1 for exploration due to their class skills and have CON saves, but you make good points about rage and its uses.

In terms of enjoyability, I have to admit when characters use Second Wind during a combat, the players joke and suck in deep breaths, etc. However, when someone rages, the shouting and chest thumping is more entertaining to me anyway.

EDIT: overall personally I would rate the fighter higher mechanically also because fighting styles are always "on".

 

[Iry]

In tnrms of enjoyability, I have to admit when characters use Second Wind during a combat, the players joke and suck in deep breaths, etc. However, when someone rages, the shouting and chest thumping is more entertaining to me anyway.

Yeah, flashy is usually great for morale. A raging barbarian gets the blood pumping even if you're not the barbarian.

But rangers? Even after level 1 they are an invisible class, where nothing interesting happens when the class succeeds.

I avoid this by describing what the ranger avoided. "Jane recognizes a sand trap just before someone walks into it." "Bob navigates the mountains with ease, even guiding you around a pair of camping Giants."

Granted, these are things a perception or stealth check could also do, but I narrate it like a knowledge check for the ranger.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Yeah, flashy is usually great for morale. A raging barbarian gets the blood pumping even if you're not the barbarian.

But rangers? Even after level 1 they are an invisible class, where nothing interesting happens when the class succeeds.

I avoid this by describing what the ranger avoided. "Jane recognizes a sand trap just before someone walks into it." "Bob navigates the mountains with ease, even guiding you around a pair of camping Giants."

Granted, these are things a perception or stealth check could also do, but I narrate it like a knowledge check for the ranger.

I get what you mean, but I still enjoy rangers. For instance, with an elf ranger I have six skills instead of only 4 that most characters will have. A lot of people might not rate two extra skills (one for the elf, though) as great, but I like it personally. Favored Enemy is weak compared to "Giant-Class Opponents" in 1E, but by level 2 they start to pick up a lot of steam for me. I like the spell selection as an add on and enjoy the subclasses and general flavor of the class. Tack on the fighting style and you can have some good fun with a ranger IMO.

But, at level 1, only the extra skill choice and skills geared towards typically high ability scores (DEX, WIS) makes them shine for exploration. They do suffer a bit in combat compared to Fighters and Barbarians, but I still rate them as good overall.

I like your narrative flare though and think it adds more to them then making a check.

EDIT: To add, we give Paladins and Rangers cantrips (Cleric and Druid, respectively), even at level 1. It really bothers me that EK and AT get cantrips, while the two "half-caster" classes don't get any. Makes no sense IMO.

 

[NotAYakk]

I am playing with giving all rangers the primal animal companion in the variants UA starting at level 1 (including bonus action attack). BM would just get more boosts.

It woukd give rangers a unifying identity and flavorful mechanics at level 1.

The BM ranger would be like the moon druid; would boost the companion more.

 

[Sacrosanct]

IME the extra cantrip comes into play more often than the spell slot, and investigation on a wizard isn't more common than persuasion or deception on a sorcerer.

Rituals are nice. Unseen servants and familiars are useful. On a similar note, however, sorcs also get a bloodline at 1st level and better concentration checks.

Wizards have such a strong ritual list and mechanic it"s hard not to support their advantage. I just don't think sorcs are that far behind at that level.

Barbarians, monks, and rangers are the classes I think get the least out of 1st level. Monks and rangers get a little under valued in skills when both focus on WIS and DEX naturally but that has limited impact.

AFAIC, the wizard has an advantage with ritual, but the sorcerer has advantage with extra cantrips. A person's favorite probably comes down to a matter of taste and playstyle. me? I use the flexibility of cantrips way more frequently than I cast actual spells (even ritual). So while I am not saying the sorcerer is better than the wizard, I am saying it's not nearly as bad as some are arguing, and certainly isn't nearly as big of a gap as many have listed.

Coincidentally, the PC I'm playing now is a sorcerer, and the my last PC was a wizard