D&D 5E The Most Popular D&D Classes & Subclasses

D&D Beyond posted these stats on the most popular D&D subclasses by class based on the "high thirties" in millions of characters on the platform. This is a revisit from last year, with updated data, and only includes single-classed characters.

Fighter is the most-played class (as has always been the case with these stats), followed by rogues, warlocks, clerics, and wizards.

The 'free' (SRD) subclasses are the most popular subclasses on D&D Beyond, which is no surprise.

 

[Minigiant]

Now it doesn’t sound as interesting to me, but who knows maybe it would be totally rad.

Well I was being funny.

A large fantasy barbarian tribe isn't all berserkers.
You'd have berserkers as the elite barbarian warriors used for warfare.
Other barbarians could be totem barbarians, storm hearalds, or ancestral guardians.
Some other tribesmen might be fighters, rogues, and rangers.
You might have a druid or cleric for religious matters.
Maybe a wild wizard or sorcerer among the tribe somewhere.

A "thaneborn" barbarian would represent the chief and their family. Barbarians meant to lead as well as rage.

Playing a chief's son or daughter sent out to find themselves or be a liason with the civilized world is a great PC idea. Unfortunately D&D plays up all barbarians being crazed berserkers or spiritual psuedo-shaman.

 

[Charlaquin]

Rohirrim is a bad example as they weren't that wild.

But a barbarian rider could work like ASOIAF's Dothraki, WHFB Marauder Horsemen, M&B's Khergit. "Barbaric" horseman is a common fantasy trope.

That’s a subclass I’d love to see. Lances and recurve bows everywhere.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That’s a subclass I’d love to see. Lances and recurve bows everywhere.

With strength to damage with bows!? I’m here for it!

 

[Charlaquin]

With strength to damage with bows!? I’m here for it!

Yeah, I would love that! I mean, I kinda feel like melee and ranged weapons should both add Dex to hit and Strength to damage, but that’s beyond the scope of this discussion. A horse archer barbarian who can use shortbows with Strength would be awesome.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yeah, I would love that! I mean, I kinda feel like melee and ranged weapons should both add Dex to hit and Strength to damage, but that’s beyond the scope of this discussion. A horse archer barbarian who can use shortbows with Strength would be awesome.

Hell yes.
My only complaint is that I really want a horse archer ranger subclass, and it’s hard to justify both classes getting one, but if the Barbarian version can be made to work, I can always get my ranger simply by allowing the BM to pick horses as their companion regardless of the normal size restriction.

 

[Minigiant]

Yeah, I would love that! I mean, I kinda feel like melee and ranged weapons should both add Dex to hit and Strength to damage, but that’s beyond the scope of this discussion. A horse archer barbarian who can use shortbows with Strength would be awesome.

I have a mock-up homebrew of how a barbarian rider would look. It's both ranged and melee. Many of the features work off the mount..

If it were in the PHB, I'd suspect a barbarian horseman being 12%+ of barbarians as it is a more popular recently than cavalier knights.

 

[Parmandur]

I prefer that concept as an intelligence fighter or a monk, but I’d be open to a Barbarian concept.

Already exists for both of those in XGtE: seems like a concept that could make some alternative uses of Rage (the point of Barbarian Subclasses as is) without recourse to Magic.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Already exists for both of those in XGtE: seems like a concept that could make some alternative uses of Rage (the point of Barbarian Subclasses as is) without recourse to Magic.

Wait, which subclasses are you referring to. I can't think of anything that could be interpreted that way.

 

[Parmandur]

Wait, which subclasses are you referring to. I can't think of anything that could be interpreted that way.

The Kensai for the Monk, and the Samurai for the Fighter? Really the Battlemaster is fine for the idea, too, though.

 

[Ashrym]

Anyone have a hypothesis why...

Interesting mechanics vs fighting abilities. People making weapon users make classes more focused on using weapons.

They aren't likely far behind with 23% left among the rest either.

I love this survey because a common post o. This and other forums is how the Champion Fighter is SO underpowered and unfun to play that the class should be erased. The champion fighter is the most popular subclass of the most popular class. Goes to show what forum posters know

Champions aren't even under-powered. A party working together instead of only running white room self buffing does better with crits by buffing the fighter compared to most fighter paths.

Battlemaster is front loaded and throws perspective off when it takes longer to blossom.

I have played champion for the second fighting style and survivor ability, but I usually find a battle master more appealing. Superiority dice and maneuvers are interesting, predictable, and don't require party hoops trying to compete for damage.

In both cases how I play is what makes it fun more than the mechanical difference, however.

The interesting thing is I've seem forum polls with plenty of sampling that disagree. Battlemaster wins those.