D&D has overhauled its core character classes in its new Player’s Handbook, but some classes certainly outshine others.

The 2024 tome features heavily revised versions of all 12 core Dungeons & Dragons classes, and almost all of them have gotten upgrades of some kind with many having more access to their core resources and abilities. However, there are a few classes that I’m more excited to see in action at my D&D table.

One of my recurring frustrations with the 2014 version of D&D 5th Edition despite it being arguably one of the best tabletop RPGs was that some classes felt too one-note and repetitive unless you picked a specific build. Several classes had an “illusion of choice” to them, one that forced the player to either pick the optimal subclass or deal with a character that couldn’t keep up at the table. As someone who almost exclusively runs games as the Dungeon Master, having certain classes at the table meant extra time planning combat sessions to ensure that these characters had something rewarding to do besides smack an enemy a few times and then wait for their next turn to start.

For instance, the 2014 Fighter is fantastic at dealing consistent damage at low levels, but it quickly became a boring class unless you picked a subclass that added either spellcasting or Battle Maneuvers to your character’s loadout. With the 2024 rules, all Fighters now have access to a robust Weapon Mastery system that lets players utilize different weapons to impose different effects on enemies. Not only does this mean that a player might want to choose a weapon that deals less damage on a turn, the Fighter is also a tactical expert in any situation thanks to their ability to utilize multiple Weapon Mastery options.