D&D 5E Zard's Post Tasha's Archetype Tier List

[Zardnaar]

Barbarian Battlerager

If you're a fan of the Drizzt books and Dwarves this archetype is for you. Your DM may allow non Dwarves to be Battleragers ymmv.

At level 3 you get spiked armor. Basically if you grapple you hurt your opponent and you get a bonus action 1d4+ str attack. If feats aren't used this is an ok ability, if feats are used there's argueably better things to do with your bonus action.

Reckless Abandon.

While raging you gain temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier.
The amount of hit points gained are very very minor to the point of being useless. It's something I suppose but so minor as to be irrelevant.

Battlerager Charge

While raging you get to use the dash action as a bonus action. Extra movement is always nice but it does clash with battlerager armor so it's going to be situational. Long time to wait for it as well.

Spiked Retribution.

At level 14 you deal piercing 3 damage with your armor if hit. A whopping 3 points non magical at level 14. Very underwhelming.

Probably fairly obvious here. While not outright bad the Battlerager is very underwhelming relative to most barbarians. It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick but overall I can only give this archetype a C.

 

[Ancalagon]

Battlerager

You can give your infusions away but then you're making yourself weaker.

And you're already marginal with 3/4 archetypes being weak to average.

The other support classes get extras and aren't making themselves weaker when they support their team. Eg bless spells, bard dice etc.

Our Battlesmith was doing that (giving away his infusions) but he was sucking in combat. Even he realised that and stopped doing it.

a support character may choose to buff someone else instead of themselves, therefore "making themselves weaker". It could be an infusion or a bless spell. I'm not sure your argument is solid...

 

[Zardnaar]

a support character may choose to buff someone else instead of themselves, therefore "making themselves weaker". It could be an infusion or a bless spell. I'm not sure your argument is solid...

They can target themselves with a bless spell.

Bards get bard dice but they generally can't use them in themselves anyway and they're still a primary caster.

Opportunity cost on primary caster buffing someone is low with spellslots. They can often buff themselves as part of it.

Artificer isn't a primary caster, doesn't get that many infusions until later in so the opportunity cost of giving them away us a lot higher espicially for mist if the subclasses who are designed to theoretically smack something around to some extent.

Alchemist might be an exception to that but I'm not the only one saying it's terrible.

Look at what artificer gives up.

Half caster, doesn't get a d10 hd like the others, doesn't get many spell slots (problem for alchemist) doesn't get that many infusions early on.

 

[Zardnaar]

Went through the character sheets to find out what everyone has.

Excluding common magic items as I do let PCs buy them as long as they don't go to crazy (50 cure potions pls).

Level 6 about to hit 7.

Divine Soul has gauntlets of ogre power

Sorcerer. Custom amulet casts enhance ability: eagles splendor 1/long rest. Also has wand of magic missiles.

Fighter has cloak of protection +1.

Paladin has bupkiss

Light cleric bupkiss

Artificer: Battlesmith has whatever's he's created (was sharing with fighter). Has armor, weapon, fire resistence.

Think he had a shield or something else. Player has his character sheet.

So around half the items handed out in LMoP and almost two levels higher (they would have leveled up tonight).

So around 6 magic items by level 6. Artificer has more than he can attune but some are basic +1 items not requiring attunement. I recalled that as he didn't realise and had to many items so helped him out.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The area temp hp of the turret is... quite weak compared to the twilight cleric's temp HP aura.

It has a much longer duration though - in practical terms, it's pretty much always on, whereas the Twilight cleric is one fight only. But if you happen to have a twilight cleric (glamour bard also competes with this) then you can always make a different kind of turret.

 

[Zardnaar]

It has a much longer duration though - in practical terms, it's pretty much always on, whereas the Twilight cleric is one fight only. But if you happen to have a twilight cleric (glamour bard also competes with this) then you can always make a different kind of turret.

Temp hp seems most efficient one if the others seems more fun.

What one I would use would depend on party composition or how much healing is available. Healer feat in the party I'm leaning towards fun.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you gave the homunculus "for free" to the alchemist as a buff, do you think that would be sufficient to balance the class?

I don't have an answer to that, since it doesn't bother me that one class is slightly weaker than another. You could also "balance the class" by throwing loads of enemies with paralyze and stun at the party.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You can give your infusions away but then you're making yourself weaker.

And making the party stronger. You never heard of the idea that "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts?" D&D is a co-op game.

 

[Zardnaar]

And making the party stronger. You never heard of the idea that "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts?" D&D is a co-op game.

I have but other classes can also do that without making themselves worse.

The artificer gives up a lot for those infusions and 3/4 the intent is probably they use them themselves.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Barbarian Battlerager

If you're a fan of the Drizzt books and Dwarves this archetype is for you. Your DM may allow non Dwarves to be Battleragers ymmv.

At level 3 you get spiked armor. Basically if you grapple you hurt your opponent and you get a bonus action 1d4+ str attack. If feats aren't used this is an ok ability, if feats are used there's argueably better things to do with your bonus action.

It's 1d4+STR+RAGE BONUS.

Reckless Abandon.

While raging you gain temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier.
The amount of hit points gained are very very minor to the point of being useless. It's something I suppose but so minor as to be irrelevant.

They are refreshed every round. So as long as you are doing your job and taking hits a substantial amount can be absorbed.

Battlerager Charge

While raging you get to use the dash action as a bonus action. Extra movement is always nice but it does clash with battlerager armor so it's going to be situational. Long time to wait for it as well.

Spiked Retribution.

At level 14 you deal piercing 3 damage with your armor if hit. A whopping 3 points non magical at level 14. Very underwhelming.

Probably fairly obvious here. While not outright bad the Battlerager is very underwhelming relative to most barbarians. It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick but overall I can only give this archetype a C.

The Battlerager does need a bit off help - but the DM can fix it by adding a greater variety and magical versions of spiked armour.