Best DnD character builds 5e

These are the best D&D 5E character builds, and how to level them - for new TTRPG fans and veteran Dungeons and Dragons gamers alike.

Popular D&D character build the Sorlock

There’s a lot at stake when creating DnD character builds. Each must be enjoyable to roleplay, competent in combat, appropriate for the DM’s campaign – and, above all, internally consistent. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by choice during character creation. To save you the hassle of disappointment, we’ve constructed some ready-made DnD builds that can provide the template for your first (or next) 5e character.

There are a huge range of factors you’ll need to consider when fine-tuning your 5e character build. Luckily, we’ve got guides on pretty much all of them – we can help you choose the perfect DnD racesDnD classes5e feats, and 5e spells. We can even recommend a DnD character creator that does all the hard work for you.

So, crack out that DnD character sheet and let’s get building.

The best D&D 5e character builds are:

Rather than focusing on specific roleplaying or martial builds, we’ve opted for a more important factor in these builds: fun. They all have a central focus and will ensure your character is consistently effective as they go from DnD level up to level up. You won’t drop off the party radar, or become obsolete.

But we aren’t the tabletop roleplaying police, and there’s no need to stick entirely within our guidelines. Pick a Dungeons and Dragons character build that takes your fancy, and mess around with it, if it pleases you. Keep its central focus in mind, though, and you’ll be rewarded with a character that’s well-adjusted to a party dynamic, and can hold their own throughout a campaign.

DnD Character builds Aarakocra Warlock- an owl-faced birdman swoops

Aarakocra Warlock

Elemental master of the battlefield

Being a control caster is all about denying your enemies opportunities, making it difficult, painful, or impossible for them to bring their forces to bear in the way that they’d like to, while creating opportunities for your allies to engage on their own terms. An Aaracokra Warlock with a Fathomless patron is a great character if you want to set the terms of battle.

The Aarakocra has an innate ability to fly, always handy when you want a commanding position over the battlefield. From third level Aarakocra can cast the Gust of Wind spell once per long rest, in addition to their spell slots. Gust of Wind is a control classic that will force physically weak enemies back down corridors and yeet them off rooftops.

Warlock’s Eldritch Invocations give Warlocks easy access to similar control tricks, which will have your GM regularly checking the rules for fall damage and attacks of opportunity. Repelling Blast, Grasp of Hadar, and Lance of Lethargy allow the Warlock to push, pull, or slow an enemy hit by the Eldritch Blast cantrip respectively.

DnD character builds - Aaracokra Warlock, a hawk-headed man with wings spread, holding a glowing staff

The Fathomless Warlock patron, found in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, is a creature of the deep, and grants the Warlock elemental magic and the ability to summon a magic tentacle as a bonus action. That tentacle can hop around the battlefield, slapping enemies to inflict cold damage and a speed debuff. At higher levels it can also interpose itself to absorb enemy attacks.

The Fathomless’ pact spell list is a comprehensive control toolbox. The level two Gust of Wind requires Strength saves to resist, while Silence creates an area of effect within which spells with verbal components cannot be used. The level three Sleet Storm creates a zone of miserable weather that is heavily obscured, hindering ranged fighters, and requiring them to pass Dexterity saving throws to keep their feat.

Fathomless Warlocks can breathe underwater and have a 40’ swimming speed, which – while only situationally useful, depending on the campaign you’re playing – does mean that your Aaracokra has full freedom of movement in three dimensions in any location.

We think of this character as a kind of awful, magical seagull, ready to steal the fries of anyone careless enough to wander onto their stretch of beach.

DnD character builds, the Halfling Thief - a small humanoid in a black hooded cape and leather armor retrieves a gold ring from the finger of a dead adventurer - card illustration by Irina Nordsol from the MtG card Deadly Dispute

Halfling Thief

The master of shenanigans

The Halfling race and the Thief Rogue subclass go together like peanut butter and jelly, strawberries and cream, Dungeons and Dragons… they’re made for each other.

Lightfoot Halflings, who can Hide behind their taller party members (and therefore gain advantage on an attack roll), are particularly well suited to a life of burglary. The Sword Coast’s Ghostwise Halflings are also quite capable – their ability to communicate telepathically is a great way to relay information from a hidden position, or distract an enemy.

The Halfling’s “Nimble” ability and Small size means that they can travel through the space of Medium and larger creatures. Rogues get the Cunning Action ability at level two, which grants a free Disengage, Dash, or Hide action each round. It’s almost impossible for Halfling Rogues to be totally cornered – just run between the looming Orcs’ legs.

At level three, the Thief Roguish archetype further boosts your mobility by allowing you to climb at full speed and jump further. But the Fast Hands ability is the real core of this character. Fast Hands expands what you can do with a Cunning Action to include Sleight of Hand, thieves tools, or the ‘Use an object’ action.

DnD character builds, a Halfling thief crouches on a rooftop, their outline blurred by magic - illustration by Dave Greco for the MTG card Blur

Those might seem like strictly utility abilities – they’re not. If you can steal a Spellcaster’s component pouch or arcane focus before they draw it, they can’t use a good half of their spells. Tie a guard’s shoelaces together, steal their belt so their trousers drop, and there’s good odds they’ll trip and fall. Even better, steal a consumable item and use it yourself.

Just about every grenade-style weapon in DnD, and a few fun utility items like caltrops and bags of ball-bearings, don’t require you to take an Attack Action to use them. Instead, you take the ‘use an object’ action, which then allows you to make an attack. It’s an important distinction that, for most characters, stops them making additional attacks with this kind of item – but opens them up to the Thief’s Fast Hands.

With your Fast Hands and a few bags full of ball-bearings, alchemists fire, and so on, your character will typically spend their time running around the battlefield scattering trip-hazards and fire bombs like confetti.

Expect to be picked on by the enemy – at level four, consider taking the Second Chance feat to force enemies to reroll one successful hit per combat against you, or the Mobile feat for additional movement speed and the ability to Disengage from an enemy after you attack them.

DnD character builds 5e - Wizards of the Coast artwork showing a Half-Elf Bard from D&D 5E

Half-elf Lore Bard

The classic ‘face’ character build

The Half-elf Lore Bard is a solid build with no surprises. It’s not going to win any awards for creativity, and won’t have you pushing the boundaries of D&D 5e norms. But if you want to play a character that’s equally adept in roleplay and combat, you can’t go far wrong with a classic DnD Half-Elf Bard 5e, trained in the College of Lore.

Half-Elves’ +2 Cha feeds nicely into Bardic spellcasting, and their other two +1 ability score improvements should be spent on Str and Con. Pick a mix of damage-dealing and immobilizing cantrips and spells, such as Vicious Mockery 5e and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, and throw Detect Magic 5e into your spell list if no one else in the party bothers. At level three, the College of Lore allows you to use Bardic Inspiration on yourself, letting you redo an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll that didn’t go your way – especially useful for this low-AC, low-HP class.

But Bards really excel for their expansive applicability. You’ll gain proficiency in a whopping five DnD skills of your choice at first level, so think hard about your role in the party. Opt for skills such as Acrobatics, Perception, and Insight if you’ll be more actively adventuring; or Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception, and Performance, if the roleplaying side of the character is a better fit. Add to that three more skill proficiencies through the College of Lore, and you’re set up to be a true jack of all trades.

Beyond this, look to increase your Cha, or pick some flavorsome feats, if the campaign is increasingly descending into creative roleplay. Actor, letting you imitate the voice of others, opens up masses of possibilities, while Magic Initiate, granting you two DnD cantrips from another class, is useful for grabbing staple spells. There’s lots on offer here, which provides new players many opportunities for experimentation.

DnD character builds 5e - Wizards of the Coast artwork showing a Human Fighter from D&D 5E

Human polearm Fighter

A bangin’ melee damage dealer

For a build that specializes in straightforward, melee damage, get yourself a DnD Human Fighter 5e with a whole bunch of feats. As a Human polearm Fighter, you’ll be able to crush any enemy you encounter; slapping them about from a distance, and dealing plenty of damage in a single turn.

Heavy DnD weapons will be your best friend, so make sure Str is plenty high, and your Con closely follows (melee fighters have a habit of taking as much damage as they deal, after all). Pick any weapon with Reach to go alongside that, such as a halberd, and get yourself some heavy armor for extra protection.

But it’s your pick of race that makes all the difference. Opt for a Variant DnD Human, and put +1 into Str and Con, while choosing Polearm Master as your free feat. Its 1d4 bludgeoning damage will propel you into the top tier of your party from the outset. Plus, it grants an attack of opportunity whenever a creature enters your extended reach, so you’ll be dishing out hits pretty frequently.

Combine this with the Sentinel feat at level four, which stops all creatures in their tracks when you successfully land an attack of opportunity, and your fighter can simultaneously cleave through enemies and immobilize them. A powerful combo.

As for Fighting Style, choose Great Weapon Fighting if pumping up damage at every opportunity is the call of the day, or opt for Defense if you suspect your DM has some particularly pernicious enemies up their sleeve. Any subclass will pair well with this build, but the best are those that don’t require too much tactical movement, and let you sit comfortably 10 feet away from the enemy and exploit your feats, such as Cavalier or Champion.

DnD character builds 5e - Wizards of the Coast artwork showing a D&D Warforged robot wearing a cape

Warforged Cleric

The toughest DnD healer build around

The Cleric 5e class only fulfills the role of party healer, but also function as fantastic tanks – Warforged Clerics especially so. If you fancy soaking up any stray hit that comes your way, and living to tell the tale, you could do little better than building yourself a literal robot. DnD Warforged are the sentient robotic race of D&D, built for fighting in the dark, pulpy world of Eberron.

Although a uniquely versatile race, they pair incredibly well with Clerics for their toughness. Their +2 Con will prepare you for taking the hits, and an optional +1 to Wisdom will pump up Clerical spellcasting. Add to that +1 AC, since you’re made out of magical metal, heavy armor, and a shield, and you’ve already got an unrivaled AC for a level one character.

But we can go higher. Pick Forge Cleric 5e as your subclass, and you’ll be able to craft magical armor with +1 AC at level one. Combine that with elemental resistances as you level up, and you’ll be one of the toughest bipedal hunks of metal around.

If your campaign is in the Forgotten Realms, Warforged shouldn’t technically make an appearance. But this is a tabletop roleplaying game, so we’re sure you can use your imagination to think of some convincing backstory as to why they’re showing up.

DnD character builds 5e - Wizards of the Coast artwork showing an Aasimar Paladin from D&D 5E

Aasimar Redeemer Paladin

Support tank supreme

The Aasimar Redeemer Paladin is a cracking, multi-functional tank/support build. The Paladin 5e class can hold their own in a fight, but their potential as party support shouldn’t be overlooked. Rather than relying on simple restorative spells or buffs, the Oath of Redemption subclass plays out a little more innovatively, as you avoid fights and heap damage onto yourself to save squishy teammates. It’s an effective choice, especially if a Cleric is already serving as the party’s medic.

Aside from picking the Redemption subclass at level three, choose Aasimar as your D&D race. Their innate Healing Hands ability lets you restore HP equal to your level (so you can get at least a little restorative ability in). You’ll want heavy DnD armor and a DnD shield for their AC bonuses, and would be smart to take the Tough feat at level four, increasing your maximum HP by twice your current level.

Outside of this, keep pumping Con and AC when you can. The Oath of Redemption revolves around redirecting enemy attacks to yourself, so you’ll need a lot of HP when the blows eventually break through your armor.

But you won’t only be acting as a tank. Oath spells, such as Rebuke the Violent, let you mirror attacks, and Emissary of Peace grants +5 Persuasion, combining well with your already-high Cha to help you talk your way out of the stickiest situations.

DnD character builds 5e - Wizards of the Coast artwork showing a popular D&D character build, the Sorlock

Half-elf Sorlock

The best beginner DnD multiclass build

Man, we love a Half-elf Sorlock, we really do.

If you’re keen on DnD multiclassing, but are new to the world of chimeric creations, the Sorlock (i.e. Sorcerer 5e/Warlock 5e) is likely your best bet. Beloved by many, it combines the high damage-dealing of Warlocks, with the innate spellcasting buffs of Sorcerers for immense damage output. Cha’s the spellcasting ability of both classes, so you can leverage their magical abilities simultaneously, and play them against one another for even greater effect.

The basic idea is to combine the Warlock’s Hex spell, which adds 1d6 necrotic damage to a creature when it’s attacked, with their Eldritch Blast 5e cantrip, dealing 1d10 force damage. Alongside that, use the Sorcerer’s Quicken Metamagic ability, letting you cast a spell for one bonus action. Eldritch Blast becomes a rapid fire, incendiary machine gun, as you deal consistently high damage, turn after turn. Even the Barbarian 5e in the party will be jealous.

Similarly, each class makes up for the other’s deficiencies. Warlocks have very limited spell slots, while Sorcerers have plenty; Sorcerers are usually left wanting after a short rest, but Warlocks recover all spell slots.

When building a Sorlock, your starting class doesn’t matter hugely, but Sorcerer makes the most sense for its proficiency in Constitution saving throws. Cha should be your primary ability score for maximum damage, followed by Con. Choice of subclasses has little effect on the build’s multiclass focus, but Hexblade Warlocks provide much versatility that can be exploited by the Sorcerer’s side of things. As usual, Half-Elf or Tiefling 5e are obvious race options for their natural ability score bonuses.

DnD character builds, Lizardfolk Scout - a red lizardman surfs down the branches of a huge tree on a board - illustration by Andrew Mar for the Magic the Gathering card Viashino Branchrider

Lizardfolk Scout

The ultimate wilderness assassin

If your DM is planning a wilderness adventure and you want a character that is in its element outdoors, but don’t fancy a tree-hugging Druid or pet-carrying Ranger, this Rogue 5e variant should be just right. In fact, it’s basically the Predator.

The Lizardfolk has several traits that allow it to function as a very aggressive stealth killer. Its natural AC of 13 + Dex when unarmored allows it to go around totally unencumbered, while its ability to hold its breath for 15 minutes and swimming speed of 30ft allows it to set up lethal ambushes in any aquatic environment. A bite attack – which can even provide temporary hitpoints – provides nice insurance against enemy engagements.

While you should certainly make Dexterity your primary ability, you could choose a few other directions for your next best stat. Wisdom will let you compete with the Ranger for wilderness tracking, while Constitution will make you a smidge more durable if you want to mix it up in melee.

At level three, take the Scout Roguish archetype. This grants the Survival and Nature skills if you don’t already have them, and doubles the proficiency bonus they provide. The Skirmisher ability allows the Scout to disengage from combat as a reaction.

While this has obvious defensive uses, its real strength is in allowing you to reposition so you can use your Sneak Attack each and every round. If you’re focused on ranged combat, break the enemy’s line of sight, then use your Cunning Action to attempt to hide and make your next shot with advantage: if you’re more focused on melee, ensure that you’re attacking an enemy engaged with an ally.

Looking to get creative in Dungeons and Dragons? Here’s our guide to all things DnD homebrew. We can also keep you up-to-date with the newest DnD books with the DnD 2023 release schedule.