D&D 5E D&D Beyond Releases 2023 Character Creation Data

D&D Beyond released the 2023 Unrolled with data on the most popular character choices for D&D. The full article includes a wide variety of statistics for the beta test of Maps, charity donations, mobile app usage, and more. However, I’m just going to recap the big numbers.

The most common species chosen by players are Human, Elf, Dragonborn, Tiefling, and Half-Elf. This contrasts with the stats from Baldur’s Gate 3 released back in August 2023 where Half-Elves were the most popular with the rest of the top five also shuffling around.

Also, keep an eye on the scale of these charts as they’re not exactly even. It starts with just over 700,000 for Humans and 500,000 for Elf, but the next line down is 200,000 with the other three species taking up space in that range. This means the difference separating the highest line on the graph and the second highest is 200,000, then 300,000 between the next two, 100,000 between the next, and finally 10,000 separating all the others.

Top classes start off with the Fighter then move onto the Rogue, Barbarian, Wizard, and Paladin. The scale on this chart is just as uneven as the last, but the numbers are much closer with what appears to be about 350,000 Fighters at the top to just over 100,000 Monks in next-to-last with under 80,000 Artificers. This contrasts far more from the Baldur’s Gate 3 first weekend data as the top five classes for the game were Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Rogue, and Bard.

And the most important choices for new characters, the names. Bob is still the top choice for names with Link, Saraphina, and Lyra seeing the most growth and Bruno, Eddie, and Rando seeing the biggest declines from last year.

Putting that together, it means the most commonly created character on D&D Beyond is Bob the Human Fighter. A joke going as far back as I can remember in RPGs is, in fact, reality proven by hard statistics.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Yes WOTC said this, and the early Warlock UA (playtest 5?) was buffed and changed to a long rest mechanic. WOTC changed it back in playtest 7 making it much more like the current Warlock with a short rest mechanic and few buffs at all. Presumably they did this because people were not satisfied with the buffed Warlock and wanted a weaker version.

People were unhappy with the half-caster warlock because it was severely nerfed, among other things. It was by no means stronger than the short-rest warlock.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Berserker is not a class in 5E.

You claim that Monk, Fighter, Barbarian and Ranger were all classes needing work, please provide "confirmation" of that. You say it exists and you say that is not based on opinion.

I will accept Crawford's statment about Rangers without looking it up, while also saying it is likely biased by pre-Tasha's data (when I said I thought it was unsatisfying).

Now go ahead and provide the "confirmation" for the other three classes




You believe that, but I don't and you have no evidence to back up your claim. Further WOTC is buffing the Wizard in the 5.5E playtest.

I think it is an aggressive, vocal minority that thinks fighters are bad or need to be buffed and the playtest results so far would seem to support that with fighters getting smaller buffs than most other classes.

You also dodged the question - if it is a majority - is their satisfaction more important than balancing the classes?



And we got nothing about the Fighter or Barbarian classes.

If you had stated people were dissatisfied with the Berzerker or Champion or the Undying Warlock or the Valor Bard or the Storm Sorcerer I would agree with you, but that is not what you said.

You stated it was Barbarian and Fighter. Back up that claim!




They specifically changed it back to a short rest mechanic and made it less powerful.

A current Undead or Hexblade using the current rules is more powerful than anything they offered through playtest 7.

I would agree the theme is the priority, but I think it is in playing too and that is why I think most players like playing most martial classes.



Here are the significant changes Wizard had in playtest 5:

Scholar: Expertise in History, Arcana, Nature or Religion

Memorize spell: Change out a spell prepared to another spell in a minute of studying your spellbook

Modify spell/Create Spell/Scribe Spell: Allows you to chang a spell in your book, by altering one of the following: remove components, make it so damage can't break concentration, change damage type, increase range by 30 times wizard level, make it a ritual, make it only affect allies or enemies. At level 11 you can alter 2 of those things, at 13 3 of those things, 15 4 of these things ......

Playtest 7 removed modify spell which was way OP, but memorize spell is still a huge buff considering the limit on prepared spells was the primary thing stopping the Wizard from being able to be "the guy" for any situation. Giving a Wizard expertise, while also having spells to accell at or bypass checks walks all over the martial classes who need to get by with proficiency while also needing to devote more resources to combat abilities that are less useful in skill checks.

Through playtest 6 Wizards got the largest buff of any class. As of playtest 8 I think it is probably second or third, after Monks and roughly equal to Rogues. That is just in terms of how much they were improved, the Wizard also started and will remain the premier class in terms of power if the current playtest stands.

I already explicitly said subclasses as part of classes. If you're going to get that nitpicky, I'm not going to respond to you anymore.

 

[Minigiant]

Most of the fighters I see played lately take Archery, Superior Technique or Defense (and lately they have also been changing styles with ASIs).

Superior Tech and changing styles is in TCOE. And is one of the weakest.

One of my BIGGEST issues with D&D fighters is that they specialize into one path. Fighters should default two 2 fighting styles. Paladins and Rangers would get 1.
Races would give the ability to take a 2nd or 3rd based on their biology. Orcs and Half Orcs skeletons would be natural with great weapons. Elf vision makes you good at archery.

Also the save DCs on superior technique do scale, both with increases to strength/dex and increases to PB.

I am not sure what feat you are talking about that gives scaling. Do you mean Sharpshooter or GWM? Both of those affect multiple weapons and if you are taking that feat you are making a purposeful decision to specialize in those weapons

But the Superior Technique dice doesn't scale nor the number of dice.

Your archer doesn't give Green Arrow or Hawkeye bowshot trick like ricocheting arrows off walls.

Your GWF can smash the ground and spray debris on a cone of foes.

Your dual wielder never gets more than one off hard attack.

And lest not talk about skills. Wants a DC Animal Handing check? Half of DMs don't know. And those who do don't agree.

There are few ways to expand of level up your weapons or skills.

 

[Maxperson]

It is pretty close. non-casters, including Monk, are slightly over represented, but not by a lot.

Yeah. That was my ballpark(didn't care enough to figure out the numbers) impression as well. I just wish it wasn't DDB that gives us the data. Their data is skewed by people who go there to just screw around making PCs, make practice PCs, and so on, so we can't get a true sample out of their numbers.

 

[bedir than]

Yeah. That was my ballpark(didn't care enough to figure out the numbers) impression as well. I just wish it wasn't DDB that gives us the data. Their data is skewed by people who go there to just screw around making PCs, make practice PCs, and so on, so we can't get a true sample out of their numbers.

They've posted corrected data in the past, attempting to only share those characters who progress via rest usage and level advancement. There's not a significant difference when they do.

There's reason to think this version fro 2023 does this, as it's not significantly larger than their pre-purchased by WotC numbers even though there are significantly more signups

 

[ECMO3]

I already explicitly said subclasses as part of classes. If you're going to get that nitpicky, I'm not going to respond to you anymore.

Ok then. I agree with you that people are dissatisfied with Champion and Berzerker, but I also they like Barbarians and players in general love fighters.

To satisfy people, those two subclasses need a large redesign (and they are getting it), but the classes don't IMO and what I believe to be the opinion of the vast majority of players.

 

[ECMO3]

Yeah. That was my ballpark(didn't care enough to figure out the numbers) impression as well. I just wish it wasn't DDB that gives us the data. Their data is skewed by people who go there to just screw around making PCs, make practice PCs, and so on, so we can't get a true sample out of their numbers.

I don't know about that. Just because people are making practice PCs does not mean they are not playing PCs with those same classes.

What you allude to is possible, but it is equally as possible (and I would think more likely) that people who mess around creating Bards, also tend to play Bards.

 

[ECMO3]

Superior Tech and changing styles is in TCOE. And is one of the weakest.

It does exactly what you ask for - scales with level.

Based on what I have seen in play I think ST is one of the strongest fighting styles. The Frightened condition is extremely powerful as is the ability to throw a net as a bonus action. Both of those are gamechangers, especially on a fighter that has limited control options.

Certainly tables vary, but in combat I think Superior Technique with either Menacing Attack or Quick Toss once every other fight is going to be generally ahead of the +2 damage per attack you get from dueling and generally way better than anything else available except defense or archery-sharpshooter. That is if you use a standard day with 8 fights and 2 short rests. If you have fewer fights, like many tables do, its relative value goes up.

But the Superior Technique dice doesn't scale nor the number of dice.

The dice are irrelevant, the conditions - specifically frightened (from menacing attack) or restrained (from a net with quick toss) are what matters.

The DC on menacing attack does scale. The attack roll with a net using quick toss also scales.

Your archer doesn't give Green Arrow or Hawkeye bowshot trick like ricocheting arrows off walls.

You get that kind of thing in a subclass - Arcane Archer specifically at 7th level.

Your GWF can smash the ground and spray debris on a cone of foes.

No, but sweeping attack more or less does this. I don't think it is a very strong maneuver though and would not take it personally.

Your dual wielder never gets more than one off hard attack.

Not sure what this means, are you talking about the bonus action attack? Yes they get one of them every turn.

There are few ways to expand of level up your weapons or skills.

Prodigy and Squat nibleness are the exact sort of racial abilities you said you wanted earlier.

After those two there are skilled and skill expert in addition to a host of feats, including some racial feats, that build weapon damage in various ways.

This is all there and available .... just take it if you want it!

 

[Maxperson]

Scholar: Expertise in History, Arcana, Nature or Religion

Memorize spell: Change out a spell prepared to another spell in a minute of studying your spellbook

Modify spell/Create Spell/Scribe Spell: Allows you to chang a spell in your book, by altering one of the following: remove components, make it so damage can't break concentration, change damage type, increase range by 30 times wizard level, make it a ritual, make it only affect allies or enemies. At level 11 you can alter 2 of those things, at 13 3 of those things, 15 4 of these things ......

Playtest 7 removed modify spell which was way OP, but memorize spell is still a huge buff considering the limit on prepared spells was the primary thing stopping the Wizard from being able to be "the guy" for any situation. Giving a Wizard expertise, while also having spells to accell at or bypass checks walks all over the martial classes who need to get by with proficiency while also needing to devote more resources to combat abilities that are less useful in skill checks.

Through playtest 6 Wizards got the largest buff of any class. As of playtest 8 I think it is probably second or third, after Monks and roughly equal to Rogues. That is just in terms of how much they were improved, the Wizard also started and will remain the premier class in terms of power if the current playtest stands.

We don't know which of those, if any will make it into the 2024 book. Nor do we know if it will make it in unchanged. Modify spell was waaaaay too strong as we saw it. I doubt it will make it in as we saw it, if it even makes it in.

If I had to guess, we will see Scholar as is, and memorize spell in a different form. Maybe an hour of study or something.

 

[Minigiant]

If the survey data is that people are unsatisfied with a class (and the solve is mechanics) but people still play the class why are they doing that?

These unsatisfied with mechanics people are picking the class for something, almost certainly that something is story. Unless there's some kind of mystical inference that tens of thousands of D&D players are being forced to play unsatisfying mechanical classes for reasons

Maybe the class was forced upon them

• You are new, play a fighter
• Group needs a healer, play a cleric
• Group wants an archer, play a fighter or ranger

Maybe the class don't match the tropes

• Monk is last for a reason
• Druid is near last for a reason
• D&D Wizard doesn't play like any wizard in fantasy
• Fighter and Barbarian are narrow and not heroic at the tables of many DMs
• Few iconic Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, and Bard spells.

MAybe the class has baggage

1. Monk's Orientalism
2. Druid's magic holding their wildshape back
3. Ranger's weapons holding their beast back