What Is D&D 5e 2014?
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, published in 2014, is the most widely played tabletop RPG in history. The Player's Handbook arrived in August 2014 and established the core framework: twelve character classes, a streamlined d20 system, advantage/disadvantage replacing situational modifiers, and a proficiency bonus that scales cleanly across twenty levels. Ten years of supplements, official adventures, and community resources have made it the best-documented and most broadly supported RPG system ever released.
The 2014 edition is the rules framework this guide series covers. It is the edition that virtually every published D&D adventure was written for, the edition that most players learned on, and the edition with the deepest pool of third-party content. A revised edition was published in 2024 with updated class designs and renamed mechanics. These guides cover 2014 rules only. If you are running the 2024 PHB, some features and terminology will differ.
Why optimize?
5e 2014 is generous enough that almost any character build will function at the table. But optimization is not just about maximum damage per round. It is about understanding your character deeply enough to make good decisions every session. A player who understands their class features, knows which spells to prepare, and has thought through their Ability Score Improvement plan will feel competent and confident from level 1. These guides exist to give you that foundation.
Understanding the Four Party Roles
D&D 5e 2014 does not enforce strict roles, but understanding the four core functions helps you see what your class contributes and where you overlap with or complement your party.
| Role | What It Does | Primary Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Striker | Maximum damage output, ends fights fast | Barbarian, Rogue, Ranger, Fighter |
| Controller | Limits enemy options, shapes the battlefield | Wizard, Druid, Bard, Sorcerer |
| Support | Heals, buffs allies, enables the party | Cleric, Bard, Paladin |
| Tank | Absorbs damage, holds enemy attention | Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin |
Most classes fill two or more roles simultaneously. A Paladin is simultaneously a Striker (Divine Smite), a Tank (high AC and HP), and Support (Aura of Protection). A Bard is simultaneously a Controller (concentration spells), a Support (Bardic Inspiration), and a Striker (Cutting Words reducing enemy attacks). Pick the class that excels in the role you want to play most.
Choosing Your Class
Artificer
The Artificer is D&D's magic-as-technology half-caster, built around Infuse Item (turning mundane gear into semi-permanent magic items) and Replicate Magic Item (crafting reusable copies of common and uncommon magic items outright). Three specialists split the class further: Alchemist (potion-based healing and utility), Artillerist (a ranged eldritch cannon and turret play), and Battle Smith (a Steel Defender companion fighting alongside you in melee). Introduced in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, the Artificer plays like no other class in the Player's Handbook.
Read the full D&D 5e Artificer Guide → | Best Artificer Feats → | Best Artificer Spells → | All Artificer Specialists →
Barbarian
The Barbarian is D&D's ultimate melee survivalist. Rage doubles your damage resistance to physical attacks, and Reckless Attack guarantees combat advantage when you need it most. The class has the highest hit point total in the game: d12 hit die with no armor requirement. If you want to run into the middle of every fight, take every hit, and still be standing at the end, the Barbarian is built for you.
Read the full D&D 5e Barbarian Guide → | Best Barbarian Feats → | All Barbarian Paths →
Bard
The Bard is the Swiss Army knife of D&D classes. Full spellcasting from the Charisma-based list, Bardic Inspiration that improves every ally's rolls, Expertise that doubles your proficiency on key skills, and a spell list that poaches from every other class via Magical Secrets at higher levels. The Bard is the best face character in the game and one of the strongest long-term spellcasters.
Read the full D&D 5e Bard Guide → | Best Bard Feats → | Best Bard Spells → | All Bard Subclasses →
Cleric
The Cleric is the most versatile full caster in the game. Divine magic covers healing, protection, crowd control, and damage. Heavy armor and weapon proficiency from several domains means the Cleric can hold the frontline while casting. Choose your Divine Domain at 1st level; that decision sets your entire identity, from a Grave Cleric who controls death to a Tempest Cleric who calls down lightning.
Read the full D&D 5e Cleric Guide → | Best Cleric Feats → | Best Cleric Spells → | All Cleric Domains →
Druid
The Druid is nature's full caster and the most mechanically unusual class in the game. Wild Shape lets you transform into beasts, turning combat into a resource-management puzzle, scouting into a trivial action, and certain subclasses into powerhouses of battlefield presence. The Druid spell list is one of the best in 5e, combining utility, healing, and powerful concentration spells.
Read the full D&D 5e Druid Guide → | Best Druid Feats → | Best Druid Spells → | All Druid Circles →
Fighter
The Fighter is the most customizable martial class in the game. More attacks per round at high levels than any other class, the broadest weapon and armor proficiency, and the most Ability Score Improvement slots to build toward feats. Fighting Style at 1st level establishes your combat identity before you even pick a subclass. The Fighter rewards players who think carefully about every build decision.
Read the full D&D 5e Fighter Guide → | Best Fighter Feats → | All Fighter Subclasses →
Monk
The Monk is D&D's martial arts specialist: unarmored, mobile, and powered by a renewable resource called Ki. Stunning Strike at 5th level is one of the most powerful combat abilities in the game. The Monk moves faster than any other class, can deflect missile attacks, and becomes immune to disease, poison, and eventually aging. A glass cannon in the best possible sense: devastating output, demanding play.
Read the full D&D 5e Monk Guide → | Best Monk Feats → | Monk Subclasses →
Paladin
The Paladin is frequently cited as the strongest overall class in 5e 2014 optimization discussions. Divine Smite turns every melee hit into an optional burst damage event. Aura of Protection gives every ally in range a passive bonus to every saving throw, a feature so strong it warrants multiclassing Paladin just to get to level 6. Full martial proficiency plus half-caster spellcasting makes the Paladin a self-contained combat engine.
Read the full D&D 5e Paladin Guide → | Best Paladin Feats → | Best Paladin Spells → | Paladin Subclasses →
Ranger
The Ranger is D&D's martial specialist at range and in terrain. Hunter's Mark increases your damage output against a chosen target across multiple attacks. Several subclasses significantly elevate the class's power ceiling. The 2014 PHB Ranger has known weaknesses, but the Xanathar's Revised Ranger (offered as an optional replacement) and Tasha's optional class features address the major pain points. Our guide covers both the base and the improved versions.
Read the full D&D 5e Ranger Guide → | Best Ranger Feats → | Best Ranger Spells → | All Ranger Subclasses →
Rogue
The Rogue is the master of Sneak Attack, Expertise, and doing one thing per turn better than anyone else in the game. The Sneak Attack mechanic scales to extraordinary damage totals: a 20th-level Rogue deals 10d6 extra damage per Sneak Attack. Cunning Action gives you Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action every single turn, making the Rogue the most tactically mobile martial class in the game.
Read the full D&D 5e Rogue Guide → | Best Rogue Feats → | All Rogue Archetypes →
Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is the most direct damage caster in D&D, powered by Charisma, limited in spells known, and uniquely capable through Metamagic. Subtle Spell lets you cast without visible components. Quickened Spell lets you cast a bonus action spell in the same turn as a regular spell. Twinned Spell doubles a single-target spell onto two creatures. The Sorcerer rewards players who want to do fewer things much better than everyone else.
Read the full D&D 5e Sorcerer Guide → | Best Sorcerer Feats → | Best Sorcerer Spells → | All Sorcerer Origins →
Warlock
The Warlock is D&D's short-rest spellcaster, a small number of spell slots that recharge on short rests rather than long rests, pushing the class toward a high-intensity burst pattern. Eldritch Blast is the best cantrip in the game and scales automatically through Invocations. Pact of the Blade lets you create a magical weapon. Pact of the Tome expands your cantrip library beyond any other class. The Warlock customizes deeply through Invocations in a way no other class matches.
Read the full D&D 5e Warlock Guide → | Best Warlock Feats → | Best Warlock Spells → | Familiars Guide → | All Warlock Patrons →
Wizard
The Wizard is the most powerful spellcaster in D&D by the measure of raw spell variety. You learn more spells than any other class. Arcane Recovery lets you recoup slots mid-day, and your spellbook grows every time you find a new scroll or enemy spellbook. Intelligence-based, paper-thin on HP, and completely reliant on spells, the Wizard is the highest-ceiling class in the game in the hands of an experienced player.
Read the full D&D 5e Wizard Guide → | Best Wizard Feats → | Best Wizard Spells → | Familiars Guide → | All Wizard Subclasses →
Class Comparison at a Glance
| Class | Hit Die | Armor | Primary Ability | Spellcasting | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificer | d8 | Light/Med/Shields | INT | Half (INT) | Support/Controller |
| Barbarian | d12 | Light/Med (Unarmored) | STR | None | Striker/Tank |
| Bard | d8 | Light | CHA | Full (CHA) | Support/Controller |
| Cleric | d8 | Light/Med/Shields | WIS | Full (WIS) | Support/Controller |
| Druid | d8 | Light/Med/Shields | WIS | Full (WIS) | Controller/Support |
| Fighter | d10 | All | STR or DEX | None (EK: limited) | Striker/Tank |
| Monk | d8 | None (Unarmored) | DEX + WIS | None | Striker/Controller |
| Paladin | d10 | All | STR + CHA | Half (CHA) | Striker/Support/Tank |
| Ranger | d10 | Light/Med | DEX or STR + WIS | Half (WIS) | Striker |
| Rogue | d8 | Light | DEX | None (AT: limited) | Striker |
| Sorcerer | d6 | None | CHA | Full (CHA) | Striker/Controller |
| Warlock | d8 | Light | CHA | Special (CHA) | Striker |
| Wizard | d6 | None | INT | Full (INT) | Controller/Striker |
Build Your Dungeons & Dragons (5e, 2014) Character
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Start Building2014 vs. 2024: Key Differences
If you have seen D&D content discussing the 2024 Player's Handbook, be aware of these terminology and rules differences when using our guides:
- Race (2014) → Species (2024). Our guides use "Race" and "Subrace" per the 2014 PHB.
- Ability Score Improvement (2014) → Ability Score Improvement (same name, but 2024 grants feat access more freely at 1st level)
- Spell Levels (2014) → Same, but 2024 also uses the term "Spell Circle" in some contexts. We use "Spell Level."
- Feats (2014) → Many 2014 feats were reworked or renamed in 2024. Our guides cover only 2014 feats.
- Bonus Action spells had significant rule changes in 2024. In 2014, the rule is simpler: when you cast a bonus action spell, the only other spell you can cast that turn is a cantrip with your action.
- Several classes received significant overhauls in 2024 (Ranger and Druid in particular). The builds in our guides are for 2014 class features only.
If you are running a 2014 campaign, these guides are your reference. If you are using the 2024 PHB, cross-reference our guides with the updated class rules before applying any recommendation.
These guides cover D&D 5th Edition as published in the 2014 Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and related official 2014-era supplements.
