Dungeons and Dragons Level 12 Class Tier List

When making a Dungeons and Dragons character, few decisions are as important as the class. Furthermore, players must consider what level the campaign is reaching, as any given class is going to perform differently depending on which tier of play they are in. For example, a Paladin may feel like a less-versatile Fighter with a bit of healing and burst damage until they unlock Aura of Protection, and Rogues are made of tissue paper until they get Uncanny Dodge and Evasion. Some Dungeons and Dragons classes come online in earlier tiers of play, while others instead flourish in the endgame.

• Tier 1: Levels 1–4
• Tier 2: Levels 5–10
• Tier 3: Levels 11–16
• Tier 4: Levels 17–20

Most players end up considering Tier 1 and Tier 4 when they rank Dungeons and Dragons classes, as they are the most common starting and possible end points of a campaign. However, most campaigns actually end at the beginning of Tier 3, with 12 being the average max level for most official Dungeons and Dragons adventures. For example, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Rime of the Frostmaiden, Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, and Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos, all end at level 12, and even 2023’s Game of the Year winner Baldur’s Gate 3 featured level 12 as the cap. This is understandable because of the massive power jump from level 12 to level 13. Thus, it is important to measure the classes in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition 2024 against one another as they play at this critical juncture.

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S-Tier: Powerful Classes That Unlock Their Full Potential Early

• Cleric
• Paladin
• Sorcerer
• Warlock

While Clerics in Dungeons and Dragons may not be S-Tier at higher levels, they certainly are at level 12. This is because Clerics gain access to Divine Intervention, which allows them to cast any 5th-level Cleric spell as an action without any costly material components, once per day. While this ability is always useful, it is especially potent at this stage, as these spells are just shy of the most powerful magic they can access anyway. Being able to cast Raise Dead, Hallow, Greater Restoration, Planar Binding, Magic Circle, Scrying, or Glyph of Warding instantly for free can completely change the course of an encounter, if not an entire dungeon or arc.

With both Aura of Courage and Aura of Protection online by level 12, the Paladin in D&D 5e is already granting allies massive bonuses to saving throws and immunity to the Frightened condition, even before considering the extra damage from Radiant Strikes on all attacks. Everything that makes Paladin an S-Tier class at level 20 is already present by this point; the rest of their class features from that point onward are just icing on the cake.

The Sorcerer may have a more limited spell list than some of its spellcasting brethren, but access to Metamagic makes up for it and more. By level 12, a Sorcerer already has four of their eventual six Metamagic options to pick from, meaning they can increase their damage output with Quickened or Twinned Spell, protect their allies with Careful Spell, prevent counterspells with Subtle Spell, and more. Metamagic makes Sorcerers in 5th Edition D&D stand out from other casting classes, especially at this level.

As the most modular class in the game, Warlock is extremely customizable and effective, but tends to fall off at high levels once its spellcasting peers get access to Wish and extra 6th- and 7th-level spell slots. However, level 12 is the sweet spot for Warlocks. With three 5th-level spells every short rest, three Eldritch Blasts, and eight of their ten total Eldritch Invocations already known, most of the class’ best features are already available. Most Warlocks might consider multiclassing in D&D 5e after level 12, but until then, they are one of the most dangerous casters around.

• Artificer
• Bard
• Fighter
• Wizard

While an Artificer’s abundance of magic items and Flash of Genius would be enough to secure it a solid place on this list, what makes the new Dungeons and Dragons class printed in Eberron: Forge of the Artificer truly shine is Spell-Storing Item, granted at level 11. This feature allows anyone, including their own Homunculus Servant, to repeatedly throw out a powerful third-level spell like Dispel Magic, Fireball, or Haste, all of which can be game-changing. While this ability is always good, it doesn’t scale any higher in Tier 4, meaning it is especially potent at level 12.

Bards are incredibly versatile spellcasters who can choose nearly any spell in Dungeons and Dragons, all while still having solid skills checks, plus party utility in the form of Bardic Inspiration. While this secures them firmly in A-Tier, the lack of their 14th-level subclass feature – many of which are vital for their builds – along with Superior Inspiration, Words of Creation, and higher-level spells, means they find themselves slightly short of S-Tier.

The 2024 rules refresh for 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons was very good to Fighters, and while they can easily shine at any level now, the start of Tier 3 is when they truly stand out. Having recently unlocked three attacks a round, plus their final Second Wind use and fifth Weapon Mastery trait, Fighters have almost all the tools they will get to terrorize the battlefield by level 12, outside Studied Attacks and their subclass features.

Wizards are known for their large, flexible spell lists, scoring them a spot in A-Tier. However, they haven’t quite grown into the S-Tier rank they are destined for at level 20 for a simple reason: they don’t have much going for them at level 12. While their spellcasting is amazing, that’s pretty much all a Wizard gets before Spell Mastery at level 18, save their subclass features. Without their subclass capstone and the most powerful spells in Dungeons and Dragons, such as True Polymorph and Wish, the Wizard falls just shy of the top.

B-Tier: Solid Options With a Major Drawback

• Barbarian
• Druid
• Psion
• Monk

Barbarians are a strong Dungeons and Dragons class who, with Relentless Rage, are extremely hard to keep down. They have a lot of their most important abilities by level 12, making them especially dangerous in melee. However, poor ranged options and weakness to mental saving throws leave them especially vulnerable to flying foes, spellcasters, and psionic creatures like Illithids, which are all far from uncommon by this level. A Barbarian’s strength doesn’t do them much good if they can’t attack their enemies – or worse, if their prowess is turned against their allies through mind control or possession.

As spellcasters, Druids are a strong addition to any Dungeons and Dragons party. However, when compared to their Cleric and Wizard counterparts, Druids fall short in a few ways. Their limited spell lists are full of concentration spells, restricting their options in battle, and they lack important spells their peers have, including Raise Dead. While some subclasses, like Moon Druid, might swing into A-Tier, the class as a whole will often find itself outperformed by a Cleric at this level.

The Psion is a new Dungeons and Dragons class that hasn’t yet been officially printed, though it is expected to appear some time in 2026. As another full spellcasting class, the Psion is a boon to any team. That said, their unique spell list is more limited than the Wizard’s, and Psionic Discipline dice are not quite on par with the Sorcerer’s Metamagic. What’s more, their pool of Psionic Discipline dice grows bigger right after level 12, meaning a Psion might find themselves burning through resources quickly before then.

The Monk suffers from a similar issue. While the martial artists can throw out a whopping five attacks at this level with Flurry of Blows, those 12 focus points can quickly run out during a fight. While Uncanny Metabolism can help keep them going once in a later fight, lacking Perfect Focus can make long adventuring days tough without short rests. What’s more, Deflect Energy, Disciplined Survivor, and Superior Defense are all critical defensive options they don’t unlock until later levels, making a level 12 Monk feel a little squishier than players might otherwise hope without the right Dungeons and Dragons equipment.

C-Tier: Decent Classes That Must Sacrifice Performance For Utility

Ever since 5th Edition first came out in 2014, the Ranger has struggled. It is widely considered to be the worst class in this Dungeons and Dragons edition, and while the 2024 rules refresh helped, it couldn’t rid itself of this title. That said, by level 12, the Ranger is a more than passable addition to any party. Sadly, this is mostly because, with only 3rd-level spells available, not as many spells are competing with Hunter’s Mark for the Ranger’s concentration. What’s more, many of the class’s Hunter’s Mark buffs, like Relentless Hunter, Precise Hunter, and Foe Slayer, are learned after level 12, meaning a Ranger won’t feel like they are wasting as many class features by not using the spell. Unfortunately, the only thing keeping Ranger from being lower on this list is the fact that other classes haven’t left it behind yet, and that it hasn’t gotten certain features that encourage an overreliance on Hunter’s Mark.

Lastly, the Rogue. While a solid class, level 12 is a weird spot for the sneaky skill experts. They get an extra Ability Score Increase at level 10, but most of their best features are unlocked much earlier or later. Indeed, their level 11 ability, Improved Cunning Strike, encourages them to reduce their Sneak Attack damage in order to get an extra chance to debuff the enemy. Dungeons and Dragons Rogues may be great at ability checks and surprisingly sturdy with Evasion and Uncanny Dodge, but they may struggle to deal sustained damage early in Tier 3, especially when facing many enemies at once.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

1974

Designer

E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson