C h a p t e r 3: C l a s s e s

DVENTURERS ARE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE,

A Your class gives you a variety o f sp ecia l features, such
driven by a thirst for excitem ent into a as a fighter’s m astery o f w ea p on s and armor, and a
life that others w ou ld never dare lead. w iza rd ’s spells. At low levels, your class gives you only
T h ey are h eroes, com p elled to explore the tw o or three features, but as you advance in level you
dark p la ces o f the w orld and take on the gain m ore and your existing features often im prove.
challen ges that lesser w om en and m en Each class entry in this chapter includes a table
ca n ’t stand against. su m m arizin g the benefits you gain at every level, and
C lass is the prim ary definition o f w hat your character a detailed explanation o f each one.
can do. It’s m ore than a profession; it’s your character’s Adventurers som etim es advance in m ore than one
calling. C lass sh ap es the w ay you think about the class. A rogu e m ight sw itch direction in life and sw ear
w orld and interact with it and your relationship with the oath o f a paladin. A barbarian m ight d iscover latent
other p eop le and p ow ers in the m ultiverse. A fighter, m agical ability and dabble in the sorcerer class w hile
for exam ple, m ight view the w orld in pragm atic term s continuing to advance as a barbarian. Elves are kn ow n
o f strategy and m aneuvering, and see h erself as ju st a to com bin e m artial m astery w ith m agical training
paw n in a m uch larger gam e. A cleric, by contrast, might and advance as fighters and w izards sim ultaneously.
see h im self as a w illing servant in a g o d ’s u nfolding plan O ptional rules for com bin in g cla sses in this way, called
or a con flict brew in g a m on g various deities. W h ile the m ulticlassing, appear in chapter 6.
fighter has contacts in a m ercen a ry com pa n y or army, Twelve c la s se s—listed in the C la sses table—are found
the cleric m ight kn ow a num ber o f priests, paladins, and in alm ost every D & D w orld and define the sp ectru m o f
devotees w h o share his faith. typical adventurers.

C lasses
Hit Primary Saving Throw Armor and Weapon
Class Description Die Ability Proficiencies Proficiencies
Barbarian A fierce warrior of primitive background d12 Strength Strength & Light and medium armor, shields,
who can enter a battle rage Constitution simple and martial weapons
Bard An inspiring magician whose power d8 Charisma Dexterity & Light armor, simple weapons, hand
echoes the music of creation Charisma crossbows, longswords, rapiers,
shortswords
Cleric A priestly champion who wields divine d8 Wisdom Wisdom & Light and medium armor, shields,
magic in service of a higher power Charisma simple weapons
Druid A priest o f the Old Faith, wielding the d8 Wisdom Intelligence Light and medium armor (nonmetal),
powers of nature— moonlight and & Wisdom shields (nonmetal), clubs, daggers,
plant growth, fire and lightning— and darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs,
adopting animal forms scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Fighter A master o f martial combat, skilled with d10 Strength or Strength & All armor, shields, simple and martial
a variety o f weapons and armor Dexterity Constitution weapons
Monk An master of martial arts, harnessing d8 Dexterity & Strength & Simple weapons, shortswords
the power of the body in pursuit of Wisdom Dexterity
physical and spiritual perfection
Paladin A holy warrior bound to a sacred oath d10 Strength & Wisdom & All armor, shields, simple and martial
Charisma Charisma weapons
Ranger A warrior who uses martial prowess and d10 Dexterity & Strength & Light and medium armor, shields,
nature magic to combat threats on the Wisdom Dexterity simple and martial weapons
edges of civilization
Rogue A scoundrel who uses stealth and d8 Dexterity Dexterity & Light armor, simple weapons, hand
trickery to overcome obstacles and Intelligence crossbows, longswords, rapiers,
enemies shortswords
Sorcerer A spellcaster who draws on inherent d6 Charisma Constitution Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs,
magic from a gift or bloodline & Charisma light crossbows
Warlock A wielder of magic that is derived from d8 Charisma Wisdom & Light armor, simple weapons
a bargain with an extraplanar entity Charisma
Wizard A scholarly magic-user capable of d6 Intelligence Intelligence Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs,
manipulating the structures of reality & Wisdom light crossbows
Ranger
R ou gh and w ild looking,
a hum an stalks alone
through the sh ad ow s o f
trees, hunting the ores he
k n ow s are planning a raid
on a nearby farm. Clutching
a sh ortsw ord in each hand,
he b e c o m e s a w hirlw ind of
steel, cutting dow n on e enem y
after another.
After tum bling away from a c o n e o f
freezin g air, an elf finds her feet and draw s
ba ck her b o w to lo o s e an arrow at the white
dragon. S h ru g gin g o ff the w ave o f fear that em anates
from the dragon like the cold o f its breath, she sen ds
on e arrow after another to find the gaps betw een the
dragon ’s thick scales.
H olding his hand high, a half-elf w histles to the hawk
that circles high above him, calling the bird b a ck to his
side. W h isp erin g instructions in Elvish, he points to
the ow lbea r h e’s b een tracking and sen ds the haw k to
distract the creature w hile he readies his bow.
Far from the bustle o f cities and tow ns, past the
h ed ges that shelter the m ost distant farm s from the
terrors o f the w ild, am id the den se-pa ck ed trees o f
trackless forests and a cro ss w id e and em pty plains,
ran gers k eep their unending w atch.

D eadly H unters
W arriors o f the w ildern ess, rangers sp ecia lize in
hunting the m on sters that threaten the ed g es o f
civilization—hum anoid raiders, ram paging beasts and
m onstrosities, terrible giants, and deadly dragons. T h ey
learn to track their quarry as a predator d oes, m oving
stealthily through the w ild s and hiding them selves in
brush and rubble. R a n gers focu s their com bat training
on tech niques that are particularly useful against their
sp ecific favored foes.
Th an ks to their fam iliarity w ith the w ilds, rangers
acqu ire the ability to cast spells that h arness nature’s
pow er, m uch as a druid d oes. Th eir spells, like their
com bat abilities, em phasize speed, stealth, and the hunt.
A ranger’s talents and abilities are h oned w ith deadly
focu s on the grim task o f protecting the borderlands.

In d epen d en t A dven turers

T h ou gh a ranger m ight m ake a living as a hunter, a
guide, or a tracker, a ran ger’s true calling is to defend
the outskirts o f civilization from the ravages o f m onsters
and h um anoid h ordes that p ress in from the w ild. In
so m e places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join
forces w ith druidic circles. M any rangers, though, are
independent alm ost to a fault, k n ow in g that, w hen a
dragon or a band o f orc s attacks, a ranger m ight be the
first—and p ossib ly the last—line o f defense.
This fierce in depen den ce m akes rangers w ell suited
to adventuring, sin ce they are accu stom ed to life far
from the c om forts o f a dry bed and a hot bath. Faced
with city-bred adventurers w h o g rou se and w hine about
the hardships o f the w ild, rangers respon d w ith som e
 T he Ra n g e r

Proficiency Spells — Spell Slots per Spell Level—

Level Bonus Features Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer — — — — — —
2nd +2 Fighting Style, Spellcasting 2 2 — — — —
3rd +2 Ranger Archetype, Primeval Awareness 3 3 —
— — —
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 3 — — — —
5th +3 Extra Attack 4 4 2 — — —
6th +3 Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer improvements 4 4 2 — — —
7th +3 Ranger Archetype feature 5 4 3 — — —
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Land’s Stride 5 4 3 — — —
9th +4 — 6 4 3 2 — —
10th +4 Natural Explorer improvement, Hide in Plain Sight 6 4 3 2 — —

11th +4 Ranger Archetype feature 7 4 3 3 — —

12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 7 4 3 3 — —

13th +5 — 8 4 3 3 1 —

14th +5 Favored Enemy improvement, Vanish 8 4 3 3 1 —

15th +5 Ranger Archetype feature 9 4 3 3 2 —
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 9 4 3 3 2 —
17th +6 — 10 4 3 3 3 1
18th +6 Feral Senses 10 4 3 3 3 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 11 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 Foe Slayer 11 4 3 3 3 2

W hat m ade you join up with a band o f adventurers?

D o you find it challen ging to teach n ew allies the w ays
o f the w ild, or do you w elcom e the relief from solitude
that they offer?

Q u ic k B u il d
You can m ake a ranger quickly by follow in g these
m ixture o f am usem ent, frustration, and com pa ssion .
suggestion s. First, m ake D exterity your highest ability
But they quickly learn that other adventurers w h o can
score, follow ed by W isdom . (S o m e rangers w h o focu s
carry their ow n w eight in a fight against civilization’s
on tw o-w eapon fighting m ake Strength higher than
fo e s are w orth any extra burden. C odd led city folk might
Dexterity.) S econ d , c h o o s e the outlander background.
not k n ow h ow to feed them selves or find fresh w ater in
the w ild, but they m ake up for it in other ways.
C lass Featu r es
C r e a t in g a R anger A s a ranger, you gain the follow in g class features.
A s you create your ranger character, con sider the nature
H it P o in t s
o f the training that gave you your particular capabilities.
Hit Dice: 1d 10 per ranger level
D id you train with a single mentor, w an dering the w ilds
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution m odifier
together until you m astered the ran ger’s w ays? Did you
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d 10 (or 6) + your
leave your apprenticeship, or w a s your m entor slain—
C onstitution m odifier per ranger level after 1st
perhaps by the sam e kind o f m on ster that b e ca m e your
favored enem y? Or perhaps you learned your skills as P r o f ic ie n c ie s
part o f a band o f rangers affiliated with a druidic circle, Arm or: Light armor, m edium armor, shields
trained in m ystic paths as well as w ilderness lore. You
W eapons: S im ple w eapon s, m artial w eapon s
might b e self-taught, a recluse w ho learned com bat Tools: N one
skills, tracking, and even a m agical conn ection to nature
through the n ecessity o f surviving in the w ilds. Saving Throws: Strength, D exterity
W h at’s the sou rce o f your particular hatred o f a Skills: C h oose three from A nim al Handling,
certain kind o f enem y? D id a m on ster kill som eon e A thletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, P erception,
you loved or destroy your h om e village? Or did you see Stealth, and Survival
too m uch o f the destruction th ese m on sters cau se and
E q u ip m ent
com m it y ou rself to reining in their depredations? Is
You start w ith the follow in g equipm ent, in addition to
your adventuring career a continuation o f your w ork
the equipm ent granted by your background:
in protectin g the borderlands, or a significant change?
• (a) scale m ail or (b) leather arm or A rchery
• (a) tw o sh ortsw ords or (b) tw o sim ple m elee w eap on s You gain a +2 bon u s to attack rolls you m ake with
• (a) a du ng eon eer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack ranged w eapon s.
• A lon g b ow and a quiver o f 20 arrow s
D efense
Fa v o r e d E n e m y W h ile you are w earing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

B egin ning at 1st level, you have significant experience

D u e l in g
studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain
W h en you are w ielding a m elee w eap on in on e hand and
type o f enemy.
no other w eapon s, you gain a +2 bon u s to dam age rolls
C h oose a type o f favored enem y: aberrations,
w ith that w eapon.
beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elem entals, fey,
fiends, giants, m on strosities, ooze s , plants, or undead. Tw o -W eapon F ig h t in g
Alternatively, you can select tw o races o f hum anoid W h en you engage in tw o-w eapon fighting, you can add
(such as gnolls and orc s) as favored enem ies. your ability m odifier to the dam age o f the se co n d attack.
Y ou have advantage on W isd om (Survival) ch eck s to
track your favored en em ies, as w ell as on Intelligence Spellca stin g
ch eck s to recall inform ation about them.
By the tim e you reach 2nd level, you have learned to
W h en you gain this feature, you also learn one
u se the m agical e ss e n ce o f nature to cast spells, m uch
language o f your ch oice that is sp oken by your favored
as a druid d oes. S e e chapter 10 for the general rules o f
en em ies, if they sp eak on e at all.
sp ellcastin g and chapter 11 for the ranger spell list.
You c h o o s e on e additional favored enemy, as w ell as
an a ssocia ted language, at 6th and 14th level. A s you
Spell Slo ts
gain levels, your c h o ice s should reflect the types o f
T h e R anger table sh ow s h ow m any spell slots you have
m on sters you have en cou ntered on your adventures.
to cast your spells o f 1st level and higher. To cast one o f
th ese spells, you m ust expend a slot o f the sp ell’s level
N atural Explorer
or higher. You regain all expen ded spell slots w hen you
You are particularly fam iliar w ith one type o f natural finish a long rest.
environm ent and are adept at traveling and surviving in F or exam ple, if you kn ow the 1st-level spell animal
such regions. C h oo se on e type o f favored terrain: arctic, friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot
coast, desert, forest, grassland, m ountain, sw am p, available, you can cast animal friendship using either slot.
or the U nderdark. W h en you m ake an Intelligence or
W isd om ch eck related to your favored terrain, your Spe lls K now n of 1s t L evel and H ig h e r

proficiency bon u s is dou bled if you are using a skill that Y ou k n ow tw o 1st-level spells o f you r c h oice from the
you ’re proficient in. ranger spell list.
W h ile traveling for an hour or m ore in your favored T he S p ells K n ow n colu m n o f the R anger table sh ow s
terrain, you gain the follow in g benefits: w h en you learn m ore ranger sp ells o f your ch oice. Each
o f th ese sp ells m ust be o f a level for w hich you have
• Difficult terrain d oesn ’t slow your grou p’s travel.
• Your group can ’t b e c o m e lost except by m agical
m eans.
• Even w h en you are engaged in another activity w hile
traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking),
you rem ain alert to danger.
• If you are traveling alone, you can m ove stealthily at
a n orm al pace.
• W h en you forage, you find tw ice as m uch food as you
norm ally w ould.
• W h ile tracking other creatures, you also learn their
exact num ber, their sizes, and h ow lon g ago they
pa ssed through the area.

You c h o o s e additional favored terrain types at 6th

and 10th level.

F i g h t i n g St y l e
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style o f fighting as
your specialty. C h o ose on e o f the follow in g options.
Y ou ca n ’t take a Fighting Style option m ore than on ce,
even if you later get to c h o o s e again.
spell slots. F or instance, w hen you reach 5th level in this A b il it y Sco r e Im pr o v e m e n t
class, you can learn on e n ew sp ell o f 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, w hen you gain a level in this class, W h en you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th,
you can c h o o s e on e o f the ranger sp ells you kn ow and 19th level, you can in crease on e ability s c o r e o f your
and rep lace it w ith another spell from the ranger ch oice by 2, or you can in crease tw o ability s c o r e s o f
spell list, w hich also m ust be o f a level for w hich you your ch oice by 1. A s norm al, you ca n ’t in crease an ability
have spell slots. sc o r e above 20 using this feature.

Sp e l l c a s t in g A b il it y Extra A ttack
W isd om is your sp ellcastin g ability for your ranger B egin n in g at 5th level, you ca n attack tw ice, instead o f
spells, sin ce your m a gic draw s on your attunem ent to on ce, w henever you take the A ttack action on your turn.
nature. You use your W isd om w henever a spell refers
to your sp ellcastin g ability. In addition, you u se your L a n d ’s S t r i d e
W isd om m odifier w hen setting the saving th row D C for
Starting at 8th level, m oving through n onm agical
a ranger spell you cast and w hen m akin g an attack roll
difficult terrain co sts you no extra m ovem ent. You can
with one.
also pass through n onm agical plants w ithout being
Spell save D C = 8 + your proficiency bonus + slow ed by them and without taking dam age from them if
your Wisdom modifier they have thorns, spines, or a sim ilar hazard.
In addition, you have advantage on saving throw s
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
against plants that are m agically created or m anipulated
your Wisdom modifier
to im pede m ovem ent, such th ose created by the
entangle spell.
R anger A rchetype
At 3rd level, you c h o o s e an archetype that you strive H id e in P l a i n S ig h t
to emulate: Hunter or B east Master, both detailed at Starting at 10th level, you can sp en d 1 m inute creating
the end o f the class description. Your ch oice grants cam ou flage for yourself. You m ust have a c c e s s to fresh
you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally o ccu rrin g
and 15th level. m aterials w ith w hich to create your cam ou flage.
O n ce you are cam ou fla ged in this way, you can try
P r im eval A wareness to hide by p ressin g y ou rself up against a solid surface,
B egin n in g at 3rd level, you can use your action and such as a tree or w all, that is at least as tall and w ide
expend on e ranger spell slot to focu s your aw areness on as you are. You gain a +10 bon u s to D exterity (Stealth)
the region around you. F or 1 m inute per level o f the spell ch eck s as long as you rem ain there without m oving or
slot you expend, you can sen se w hether the follow in g taking actions. O nce you m ove or take an action or a
types o f creatu res are present w ithin 1 m ile o f you (or reaction, you m ust cam ou flage y ou rself again to gain
w ithin up to 6 m iles if you are in your favored terrain): this benefit.
aberrations, celestials, dragons, elem entals, fey, fiends,
and undead. T h is feature d oesn ’t reveal the creatu res’ Va n ish
location or number. Starting at 14th level, you can u se the H ide action as a
bon u s action on your turn. A lso, you ca n ’t b e tracked by
n onm agical m eans, u n less you c h o o s e to leave a trail.

F e r a l Senses
At 18th level, you gain preternatural se n se s that help
you fight creatu res you ca n ’t see. W h en you attack a
creature you ca n ’t see, your inability to see it d oesn ’t
im p ose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
You are also aware o f the location o f any invisible
creature w ithin 30 feet o f you, provided that the
creature isn’t hidden from you and you aren’t
blinded or deafened.

Foe Sla ye r
At 20th level, you b e c o m e an unparalleled hunter o f your
enem ies. O n ce on each o f your turns, you can add your
W isd om m odifier to the attack roll or the dam age roll o f
an attack you m ake against one o f your favored en em ies.
You can c h o o s e to use this feature before or after the
roll, but b efore any effects o f the roll are applied.
 if you su cce e d on the saving throw, and only half
R an g er A rchetypes d am age if you fail.
The ideal o f the ranger has tw o classic expression s: the Stand Against the Tide. W h en a hostile creature
Hunter and the B east Master. m isses you with a m elee attack, you can u se your reaction
to force that creature to repeat the sam e attack against
H unter another creature (other than itself) o f your choice.
Em ulating the Hunter archetype m eans a cceptin g your Uncanny Dodge. W h en an attacker that you can see
place as a bulw ark b etw een civilization and the terrors hits you w ith an attack, you can use your reaction to
o f the w ildern ess. A s you w alk the H unter’s path, you halve the attack’s dam age against you.
learn sp ecia lized tech niques for fighting the threats
you face, from ram paging og res and h ord es o f orc s to B east M aster
tow ering giants and terrifying dragons. T h e B east M aster archetype em b od ies a friendship
betw een the civilized races and the beasts o f the w orld.
H u n t e r ’s Prey
United in focu s, beast and ranger w ork as on e to fight
At 3rd level, you gain on e o f the follow in g features
the m on strou s fo e s that threaten civilization and the
o f y ou r choice.
w ildern ess alike. Em ulating the B east M aster archetype
Colossus Slayer. Y our tenacity can w ear dow n
m eans com m itting y ou rself to this ideal, w ork in g in
the m ost potent foes. W h en you hit a creature w ith a
partnership w ith an anim al as its com p a n ion and friend.
w eap on attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 dam age
if it’s b elow its hit point m axim um . You can deal this R a n g e r ’s C o m p a n io n
extra dam age only o n ce per turn. At 3rd level, you gain a beast com p a n ion that
Giant Killer. W h en a Large or larger creature w ithin accom p a n ies you on your adventures and is trained to
5 feet o f you hits or m isses you w ith an attack, you can fight alongside you. C h oose a beast that is no larger than
u se your reaction to attack that creature im m ediately M edium and that has a challen ge rating o f 1/4 or low er
after its attack, provided that you can see the creature. (appendix D presen ts statistics for the hawk, mastiff,
Horde Breaker. O n ce on each o f your turns w hen you and panther as exam ples). A dd your proficiency bon u s
m ake a w eap on attack, you can m ake another attack to the bea st’s AC, attack rolls, and dam age rolls, as w ell
w ith the sam e w eap on against a different creature that as to any saving th row s and skills it is proficient in. Its
is w ithin 5 feet o f the original target and w ithin range hit point m axim u m equals its n orm al m axim u m or four
o f your w eapon . tim es your ranger level, w hich ever is higher.
The beast obeys your com m a n d s as best as it can. It
D e f e n s iv e T a c t ic s
takes its turn on your initiative, though it d oesn ’t take an
At 7th level, you gain on e o f the follow in g features
action u n less you com m a n d it to. O n your turn, you can
o f your ch oice.
verbally com m a n d the beast w h ere to m ove (no action
Escape the Horde. O pportunity attacks against you
requ ired by you). You can use your action to verbally
are m ade w ith disadvantage.
com m a n d it to take the Attack, Dash, D isengage, D odge,
Multiattack Defense. W h en a creature hits you
or Help action. O nce you have the Extra A ttack feature,
w ith an attack, you gain a +4 b on u s to AC against
you can m ake on e w eap on attack y ou rself w hen you
all subsequent attacks m ade by that creature for the
com m a n d the beast to take the A ttack action.
rest o f the turn.
W h ile traveling through your favored terrain w ith only
Steel Will. Y ou have advantage on saving throw s
the beast, you can m ove stealthily at a n orm al pace.
against bein g frightened.
If the beast dies, you can obtain another on e by
sp ending 8 hours m agically b on d in g w ith another beast
M u l t ia t t a c k
that isn’t hostile to you, either the sam e type o f beast as
At 11th level, you gain on e o f the follow in g features
b efore or a different one.
o f your ch oice.
Volley. You can u se your action to m ake a ranged E x c e p t io n a l T r a in in g
attack against any n um ber o f creatu res w ithin 10 feet
B egin ning at 7th level, on any o f your turns w hen
o f a point you can see w ithin your w ea p on ’s range. You
your beast com p a n ion d oesn ’t attack, you can use a
m ust have am m unition for each target, as norm al, and
bon u s action to com m a n d the beast to take the Dash,
you m ake a separate attack roll for each target.
D isengage, D odge, or Help action on its turn.
Whirlwind Attack. Y ou can u se your action to m ake a
m elee attack against any num ber o f creatu res w ithin 5 B e s t ia l F u r y
feet o f you, w ith a separate attack roll for each target. Starting at 11th level, your beast com p a n ion can
m ake tw o attacks w hen you com m a n d it to u se the
Su p e r i o r H u n t e r ’s D efense
A ttack action.
At 15th level, you gain on e o f the follow in g features
o f your choice. Sh a r e Spells
Evasion. You can nim bly d odge out o f the w ay o f B egin ning at 15th level, w hen you cast a spell targeting
certain area effects, su ch as a red dragon ’s fiery breath yourself, you can also affect your beast com p a n ion with
or a lightning bolt spell. W h en you are su bjected to an the spell if the beast is w ithin 30 feet o f you.
effect that allow s you to m ake a D exterity saving th row
to take only h alf dam age, you instead take no dam age