D&D General Best Class per edition?

[Enrico Poli1]

MOST POWERFUL in any edition is Wizard;

MOST FUN, for me, is Fighter or variant (3.5 Crusader; Pathfinder 1e: Barbarian; 5e: Paladin)

 

[FrogReaver]

didn't really play 3e or anything before. but did play some video games based on it (i think).

4e - warlord
5e - wizard

 

[Voadam]

4e is real tough. It did a great job of balancing the power of classes and making them fun to play so that two striker classes felt really different.

I had a lot of fun as a twin-striking ranger. Best edition for rangers in my opinion.

I had a lot of fun as a warlord being a warrior but also buffing and healing allies with no magic.

I had a lot of fun as a wizard with bursting fire at will, throwing lightning bolts to hit multiple opponents, and having lots of utility spells and rituals.

I had a lot of fun as a swordmage in paragon and epic, feeling like a full on threatening defender magical tough guy.

Most everything I saw in play was strong and good at their role and looked fun to me.

4e I would have to say the rogue was standout in my experience though from seeing others excel at being a 4e striker, hitting hard, and feeling like fantasy James Bond. Best edition for them, and they just seem to edge out others. Seeing how thieves and rogues are bottom of the barrel in power in most editions (pre-3e particularly) this was nice to see.

 

[Voadam]

3e I'd go with Druid for most powerful once you got going. Full Caster. Healing. Spontaneous summoning to wreck action economy. Companion animals to wreck action economy. Wildshaping into a giant dire bear to grapple dominate solo humanoid enemies. Wildshaping into a sparrow to spy or travel. More hp and BAB than a wizard.

Wizards can be fantastically powerful, Clerics can be great, but I go with Druids as top.

 

[Voadam]

AD&D is a tough call.

Early it is Fighters, and for a long time there is a good argument that with decent THACO and multiple attacks higher level fighters are up there. But once you get some levels magic users/wizards really get going.

In 1e elven fighter/magic-users are really strong up until they hit their level limits. Full fighter, full wizard casting in armor. They are generally a level behind others because of splitting their xp, and they have a slightly lower hp per level than a straight fighter (gaining half from fighter, half from magic user), but they are really stand out strong. Straight single class I would go with Fighter subclass Rangers. Fighters plus (double starting HD, the level bonus to damage against giant class is huge as levels increase, eventual spell casting) who are restricted to being good, and only keeping what they can carry on their person.

In 2e fighter wizards lost a lot with not being able to cast in armor, they turned into wizards with some better hp (even after the xp level hit), better THACO, and able to use weapons. I might go with either a straight fighter or a specialist wizard for power. The 2e restriction on specialization to single class fighters. If non PH stuff is on the table however the specialist priests can take the 2e class power prize.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Assassin was maybe the worst class because of the terrible "Shroud" system it used.

The powers are what made the Assassin struggle to function, not Shrouds. Assassin’s Shroud is an excellent idea that was held back by overvaluing of nova damage, and really bad power damage.

And feat taxes that should have just been errata’d into how the feature worked.

But having played both an executioner with shrouds instead of the stock executioner damage mechanic, and a regular assassin with a couple of the shroud feats houserules in as automatic features, yeah it for sure was not shrouds that held the class back.

It still boggles my mind that they didn’t just errata the class. It was a digital only class.

Anyway, “best” isn’t about “power” IMO but rather how fun to play it is.

2e - Bard. Partly because it’s the only class I played in 2e for any significant time.

3/.5e - Rogue, Bard, Ranger.

4e - Warlock, Assassin, Avenger, Rogue, Swordmage, post-essentials Ranger (it wasn’t a ranger until it got magical utility powers), and Bard. Bard is so freaking excellent it isn’t funny in 4e. Oh, and Warden! Seekers are really cool but needed another design pass.

5e - Man…all except cleric?

Some of the most fun I’ve had has been with Rangers and Rogues. I surprisingly don’t really like the 5e Bard much.

 

[Zardnaar]

The powers are what made the Assassin struggle to function, not Shrouds. Assassin’s Shroud is an excellent idea that was held back by overvaluing of nova damage, and really bad power damage.

And feat taxes that should have just been errata’d into how the feature worked.

But having played both an executioner with shrouds instead of the stock executioner damage mechanic, and a regular assassin with a couple of the shroud feats houserules in as automatic features, yeah it for sure was not shrouds that held the class back.

It still boggles my mind that they didn’t just errata the class. It was a digital only class.

Anyway, “best” isn’t about “power” IMO but rather how fun to play it is.

2e - Bard. Partly because it’s the only class I played in 2e for any significant time.

3/.5e - Rogue, Bard, Ranger.

4e - Warlock, Assassin, Avenger, Rogue, Swordmage, post-essentials Ranger (it wasn’t a ranger until it got magical utility powers), and Bard. Bard is so freaking excellent it isn’t funny in 4e. Oh, and Warden! Seekers are really cool but needed another design pass.

5e - Man…all except cleric?

Some of the most fun I’ve had has been with Rangers and Rogues. I surprisingly don’t really like the 5e Bard much.

5E bard is a great class. Poor bard though.

 

[Ashrym]

Anyway, “best” isn’t about “power” IMO but rather how fun to play it is.

That's how I rate classes. I love the 5e bard too tho. I make them to fit the concept I want.

 

[Argyle King]

I'm not familiar enough with 2nd or earlier to have an opinion there.

•3E: Druid - you can do most of what a wizard can do, wildshape, and gain an animal companion which eventually grows strong enough to be better than some actual PC classes.

Depending on what PrCs and splats are used, this changes. Seeker of the Song can help make a bard pretty ridiculous.

•4E: Warlord (Cha) - you can heal nearly as good as a cleric; you amplify the capabilities of the party; and you have a good mix of abilities to help facilitate effective multiclassing. Some of the paladin paragon paths arguably work better for warlord than for paladin. Alternatively, you could also MC into Bard for extra healing, a free skill, and possibly cherry pick something later.

In late 4E, some of the hybrid options could be pretty OP.

•5E: Paladin tends to be pretty good.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

5E bard is a great class. Poor bard though.

Agreed.