D&D Subclasses: All 48 Subclasses in the 2024 Player's Handbook
A subclass is the specialization you choose within your class, such as the Champion fighter or the Oath of Vengeance paladin. The 2024 Player's Handbook has 48 subclasses, four for each of the 12 classes, and every class picks its subclass at level 3. In the 2014 rules, clerics, sorcerers and warlocks chose at level 1.
What is a subclass in D&D?
Your class says what you are (a fighter, a wizard), and your subclass says what kind. Two fighters can play nothing alike: a Champion just crits more often, while a Battle Master trips, disarms and commands allies with maneuvers. Every class has subclasses, and each one adds features at a few fixed levels on top of the base class.
Each class calls them something different: a barbarian's Path, a bard's College, a cleric's Domain, a druid's Circle, a paladin's Oath, a warlock's Patron. The rules treat them all the same way.
When do you choose a subclass in 2024?
At level 3, for every class. This is one of the biggest structural changes in the 2024 Player's Handbook. In 2014 the timing varied:
| Class | 2014 subclass level | 2024 subclass level | 2024 subclass feature levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbarian | 3 | 3 | 3, 6, 10, 14 |
| Bard | 3 | 3 | 3, 6, 14 |
| Cleric | 1 | 3 | 3, 6, 17 |
| Druid | 2 | 3 | 3, 6, 10, 14 |
| Fighter | 3 | 3 | 3, 7, 10, 15, 18 |
| Monk | 3 | 3 | 3, 6, 11, 17 |
| Paladin | 3 | 3 | 3, 7, 15, 20 |
| Ranger | 3 | 3 | 3, 7, 11, 15 |
| Rogue | 3 | 3 | 3, 9, 13, 17 |
| Sorcerer | 1 | 3 | 3, 6, 14, 18 |
| Warlock | 1 | 3 | 3, 6, 10, 14 |
| Wizard | 2 | 3 | 3, 6, 10, 14 |
Why the change? It gives new players two levels to learn the base class before they specialize, and it makes level 1–2 multiclassing dips less about grabbing a subclass feature early. The trade-off is that a 2024 cleric's or warlock's backstory ("sworn to the Fiend") isn't backed by any rules until level 3. Most groups just describe it from the start anyway.
What are all the subclasses in the 2024 Player's Handbook?
There are 48: four per class. The subclass marked SRD is the one included in the free System Reference Document 5.2, so it's available to everyone without the book.
| Class | Subclasses (2024 PHB) |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | Path of the Berserker (SRD), Path of the Wild Heart, Path of the World Tree, Path of the Zealot |
| Bard | College of Dance, College of Glamour, College of Lore (SRD), College of Valor |
| Cleric | Life Domain (SRD), Light Domain, Trickery Domain, War Domain |
| Druid | Circle of the Land (SRD), Circle of the Moon, Circle of the Sea, Circle of the Stars |
| Fighter | Battle Master, Champion (SRD), Eldritch Knight, Psi Warrior |
| Monk | Warrior of Mercy, Warrior of Shadow, Warrior of the Elements, Warrior of the Open Hand (SRD) |
| Paladin | Oath of Devotion (SRD), Oath of Glory, Oath of the Ancients, Oath of Vengeance |
| Ranger | Beast Master, Fey Wanderer, Gloom Stalker, Hunter (SRD) |
| Rogue | Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Soulknife, Thief (SRD) |
| Sorcerer | Aberrant Sorcery, Clockwork Sorcery, Draconic Sorcery (SRD), Wild Magic Sorcery |
| Warlock | Archfey Patron, Celestial Patron, Fiend Patron (SRD), Great Old One Patron |
| Wizard | Abjurer, Diviner, Evoker (SRD), Illusionist |
What does each 2024 subclass do?
One line each, so you can shortlist before you read the full class guide.
- Barbarian: Berserker hits harder while raging; Wild Heart channels animal spirits for utility and defense; World Tree shields allies with temporary hit points and pulls the battlefield around; Zealot adds divine damage and is very hard to kill.
- Bard: Dance fights unarmored with quick, Dexterity-driven moves; Glamour charms and repositions allies; Lore gets extra skills and Cutting Words; Valor wears armor and gets Extra Attack.
- Cleric: Life makes every healing spell stronger; Light throws fire and radiant blasts and blinds attackers; Trickery deals in stealth and illusory duplicates; War adds extra weapon attacks and battlefield blessings.
- Druid: Land gets terrain-themed spells and slot recovery; Moon turns Wild Shape into a real combat form; Sea wraps itself in a storm aura; Stars takes on a starry form for healing, archery or steady concentration.
- Fighter: Battle Master spends superiority dice on maneuvers; Champion scores critical hits on a 19 or 20; Eldritch Knight adds wizard spells; Psi Warrior uses psionic dice for shields, shoves and telekinesis.
- Monk: Mercy heals and harms with the same hands; Shadow teleports between shadows; Elements throws elemental strikes with extra reach; Open Hand knocks foes prone or away with Flurry of Blows.
- Paladin: Devotion is the classic knight with Sacred Weapon; Glory is the athletic hero who inspires allies; Ancients guards against spells; Vengeance hunts one target with advantage.
- Ranger: Beast Master fights beside a primal companion; Fey Wanderer adds psychic damage and charm; Gloom Stalker ambushes from the dark in the first round; Hunter picks between extra damage options.
- Rogue: Arcane Trickster casts wizard spells; Assassin wins the first round; Soulknife makes psychic blades and telepathy; Thief gets Fast Hands and climbing tricks.
- Sorcerer: Aberrant gets psionic spells and telepathy; Clockwork cancels luck in both directions; Draconic gets tougher and grows wings; Wild Magic risks a roll on the wild magic table.
- Warlock: Archfey teleports with fey steps; Celestial heals; Fiend gains temporary hit points from kills and blasts with fire; Great Old One reads minds and deals psychic damage.
- Wizard: Abjurer soaks damage with an Arcane Ward; Diviner swaps in pre-rolled Portent dice; Evoker shapes area spells around allies and hits harder with cantrips; Illusionist makes illusions partly real.
How did subclasses change from 2014 to 2024?
- Timing: all subclasses at level 3 (see the table above).
- Names: several were renamed. "Way of the Open Hand" is now Warrior of the Open Hand, "School of Evocation" is the Evoker, "Draconic Bloodline" is Draconic Sorcery and "The Fiend" is the Fiend Patron. The Path of the Totem Warrior was reworked as the Path of the Wild Heart.
- New to the core book: many 2024 subclasses first appeared in Xanathar's Guide to Everything (2017) or Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (2020), such as the Zealot, Gloom Stalker, Soulknife and Clockwork Sorcery. The Path of the World Tree, College of Dance and Circle of the Sea are brand new.
- Still usable: 2014 subclasses that weren't reprinted (Hexblade, Swashbuckler, Echo Knight and others) can still be used with 2024 classes if your DM allows it.
How do you choose a subclass?
Ask what you want to do on your turn, then pick the subclass that does it more. Some quick picks for a first character:
- Want simple and strong: Champion fighter, Berserker barbarian, Hunter ranger, Evoker wizard.
- Want to be the healer: Life Domain cleric or Circle of the Land druid.
- Want tactical choices every turn: Battle Master fighter or Lore bard.
- Want a dramatic theme: Oath of Vengeance paladin, Wild Magic sorcerer, Great Old One warlock.
Since the decision waits until level 3 in 2024, you can play two sessions first and see what the party is missing. If nobody can heal, a Life cleric or a Celestial warlock fills the gap. If nobody can take a hit, look at the Zealot or Ancients paladin. You can sketch a full character, subclass and all, with the character generator, and our character creation guide walks through every step.
FAQ
At what level do you get a subclass in 2024?
Level 3, for every class. In the 2014 rules clerics, sorcerers and warlocks chose at level 1, druids and wizards at level 2, and everyone else at level 3.
How many subclasses are in the 2024 Player's Handbook?
Forty-eight: four for each of the 12 classes. The free System Reference Document 5.2 includes one subclass per class, 12 in total.
Can you use 2014 subclasses with 2024 classes?
Usually yes, if your DM allows it. Many tables mix older subclasses such as the Hexblade or the Swashbuckler with the 2024 classes. Check with your DM, because some 2014 subclass features expect the older class rules.
Can you change your subclass in 5e?
Not by the rules as written. Many DMs let a player swap a subclass that is not working out, especially early in a campaign, and some tie the change to a story event.
What is the best subclass in 5e?
It depends on the party and the campaign. Strong, simple picks in 2024 include the Life Domain cleric, the Battle Master fighter, the Moon druid and the Oath of Vengeance paladin.
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Contains content from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.