In the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game, choosing a character class is one of the most fundamental questions for a player, arguably even more important than choosing race. This is one of the first decisions you will make as a player and will have a significant impact on how your character performs for the duration of its existence. With that importance in mind, each player should carefully consider the role that they would like to take in the party, because once a class is chosen, it is difficult to modify even given the relative ease of multi-classing in the current rules framework.
Rather than simply or randomly picking a class based on coldly or logically analyzing a list of abilities and characteristics for that class, the player should first decide what style of play they will enjoy in the coming weeks and months. After all Dungeons & Dragons is first and foremost a game and everyone involved should be having fun. The style of play can be roughly broken into three broad categories each of which will be discussed below: warriors, skillful characters, and spellcasters.
I WANT TO HIT THINGS HARD
Combat plays a central role to nearly every roleplaying game and Dungeons & Dragons is true to that form. With a few exceptions, nearly every gaming session will feature some type of fighting and an enjoyable choice in classes is one that excels in this role. There is something inherently visceral and imminently satisfying about playing a character that can stand toe-to-toe with a mighty dragon or ferocious giant and beat it into submission. This is the same character that strides alone into a horde of lesser creatures such as goblins and orcs and leaves a devastating swath of destruction in their wake.
Fighter
As far as the combative characters are concerned, the iconic image is that of the fighter. This is a seemingly simple character that lives or dies by the thickness of their armor and their skill with a sword (or axe or club or spiked chain for that matter.) However, the fighter is also one of the most customizable classes and can run the gamut from armored and mounted knight to lightly armored expert swordsman to deadly accurate archer.
You should select the fighter if you have a clear vision of what type of combative character you would like to play. The fighter also requires a bit of pre-planning in order to select the optimum combination of combat gear, abilities, and feats. Regardless of that combination your role in the party is going to be dealing and taking damage from enemy creatures on a steady and consistent basis while protecting the more soft-skinned character in the group while they apply their specialized skills.
Barbarian
Conan, Viking berserkers, Gaul tribesmen, reavers, savages these are the barbarians. They wear little or no armor, but pack serious weaponry and are not afraid to go a little crazy at times to destroy their foes. Disdaining personal safety, the barbarian is the first character to rush into melee combat and their class abilities are designed to improve their survivability in these situations.
Playing a barbarian means you are tough, in fact tougher than any other base character class. You have some skills to operate effectively in a wilderness environment, but truly shine when the initiative dice are rolled and combat ensues. More so than any of the other combative classes, the barbican is truly dedicated to hand-to-hand battle and is capable of dealing incredible amounts of damage. However, it does forego the heavy armor favored by the fighter and paladin and is therefore the most likely to take some equally serious wounds. Your inherent toughness mitigates this somewhat, but most barbarians simply do not care about the wounds they take, they are much more concerned with dealing death to the enemy. After all, for the barbarian the best defense is a truly devastating offense; they cannot hit you back when they are dead.
Paladin
While fighters have their combative diversity and specialization and barbarians are blood-soaked thugs leaving a wake of defeated enemies the paladin has his honor. This class has a long history in fantasy literature embodying the noble warrior whose personal code transcends their skill with armor and blade. The paladin operates under more restrictions than the other combative classes, but earns some unique abilities in return.
When you play a paladin, expect to be both restricted and ennobled by your code. The paladin's convictions place them on a high pedestal compared to other adventuring classes and many players and non-player character like nothing more than to knock a pretentious paladin from that precarious perch. However, your honor is also a shield and a tool, providing you with potent combat abilities and some unique talents useful outside of battle. Play the paladin if you are prepared to have a character that maintains their convictions in the face of temptations and is a terrible foe of evil. The knight in shining armor, yep that's you.
I AM A SNEAKY (OR SKILLFUL) BASTARD
Lacking both the pungency of fireballs in the morning and the brutal screech of sword on shield, the skillful characters are devoted to using their wits and training to overcome obstacles. These characters can take the role of "utility infielder" useful in a wide variety of situations or can become highly skilled specialists that truly shine when their particular abilities are called for. There are simply some encounters that cannot be overcome with fighting ability or spell casting and these situations are tailor-made for a skillful character.
Rogue
Much like the fighter, the rogue is the iconic class of skillful characters and offers the same level of customization. Rogues can range from the diplomatic and deceitful "face" of the party to astounding acrobats to stealthy masters of shadow that would put modern-day military commandoes to shame. As with the fighter, playing a rogue entails some planning to focus in on the skills that you would like to exhibit.
Playing a rogue means that you favor natural ability and training over brawn or arcane ability. While you can certainly hold your own in combat, particularly when supported by a clumsy fighting character, you truly come into your own when the party has to negotiate with a devious enemy agent or slip unseen past a gauntlet of nefarious traps and guards. Expect that you will not be the star in every encounter, but will be indispensible when your skills are called for. Do not get dragged into stand up fights with the bad guys, but use your mobility and guile to turn the situation to your advantage.
Bard
The bard is a designated support character. They lack heavy combat abilities, lack advanced arcane spell casting ability, and lack the specialization of the other skillful characters. However, as a veteran player with over 20 years of gaming experience I am constantly astounded by how often die rolls fail by 1 or 2 points. This is where the bard comes into play; their abilities enhancing the other characters abilities by a bit here and a bit there and that bit often proving crucial to how an encounter resolves.
You should pick the bard when you are comfortable with enhancing the abilities of your fellow characters. Expect to encounter few situations where your abilities are perfect to solve the encounter, but also expect your abilities to consistently assist the other characters in almost every encounter. This can be a thankless job, but always remember to remind the fighter of the last 6 times he would have missed a hit if not for you or point out to the rogue the last 6 times that she would have miffed a skill check if you had not helped. You are also likely to be the public face of the party so except to interact with every non-player character who wants something from the party or who you want something from.
Ranger
While some would argue that the ranger belongs above in the combative classes section, its true home is here among the skillful characters. The ranger can be a strong presence on the battlefield, both with melee and ranged weapons, but their most definitive moments will be outside of combat where their specialized abilities are used. Much more so than the other skillful characters, the ranger is highly focused on a specific role, operating effectively in a wilderness environment or survival situation. While the barbarian dabbles in these skills, the ranger is the true subject matter expert.
Select the ranger if you want a character that is specialized in a particular skill set. There will be times, perhaps many times, when the ranger's focus on outdoor survival is simply not needed, however, there will also be times when those abilities are critical to accomplishing the party's goals. You will also be a solid warrior specialized in either melee or ranged combat and may be a front rank combatant depending on your party's composition. The ranger draws obvious inspiration from Robin Hood, frontiersmen, trappers, and survivalists and usually possesses a strong independent streak and indomitable will.
I WANT TO BLOW THINGS UP OR PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER AGAIN
The spellcasting characters offer more diversity than either of the other two categories, encompassing both arcane and divine specialists. These classes require the most organization and planning during play and can become highly complex at higher class levels with wide-ranging abilities adjudicated by dozens of rules. While swinging a sword or picking a lock typically require a single die roll, the descriptions of spells can run from a few lines to a few pages, often with multiple results based on extenuating circumstances. Playing a spellcaster gives you spectacular resources, but limited ones as you will have a finite number of spells that you can sling each day.
It should be noted that several other character classes such as the bard, ranger, and paladin have some spellcasting ability. However, their spellcasting is much more limited and constrained than the characters listed below and does not define their role in the party as does that of the cleric, sorcerer, and wizard.
Wizard
While the combative characters have the fighter and the skillful classes the rouge, the spellcasting classes are often epitomized by the wizard. Of the arcane classes, the wizard offers the most diversity as well as the ability to specialize in a single family of spells. They also require a high degree of Intelligence to operate and often accumulate knowledge in a number of obscure fields, making them something of a "walking dictionary" for the party.
Fantasy literature loves the wizard and who hasn't wanted to be Gandalf, Fizban, or Elminster at least once. Playing a wizard means you will be able to do things that no other character in the party is able to. The rogue can (somewhat ineffectually) swing a sword and the fighter can at least attempt to sneak past a sentry, but no other character is able to cast your spells. When faced with an obstacle, the party's usual response after exhausting other options is to look at the wizard and see if a spell can help out. You will occasionally be the decisive factor in combat with spells that can wreak more destruction than the barbarian's axe, but will also be a physically weak character that will need to stay away from enemy combatants as much as possible.
Cleric
If the wizard is the iconic arcane spellcaster, the cleric is clearly the opposite side of that coin, representing divine ability. Their foremost role in the party is that of a healer and support figure, casting spells that reverse damage and augment a character's abilities. However, the cleric's heavy armor, decent combat abilities, and toughness will place them at a fighting level just below that of the true front-line warriors. This if fortuitous because the front line is often where the cleric's abilities are needed the most.
In every armed conflict the world has seen, at some point a soldier has screamed the period equivalent of, "Medic!" You should play the cleric if hearing that call gives you a quick jolt of adrenaline, knowing that a fellow party member is in dire straits and your abilities are the only ones that can save him. However, you are more than a walking box of bandages, being able to slug it out with most enemy combatants and having a diversity of other spells. Additionally, you should not forget that your character is a man or woman of faith and you should develop that side of your character, allowing it to shape their personality and how they function both inside of and out of combat.
Sorcerer
While the wizard is a carefully planned and choreographed symphony of magic, the sorcerer is more of a free-wheeling jam session. They do not require the meticulous daily preparation of the wizard and have a great deal more flexibility in the application of their spellcasting. However, this does come at a cost as the sorcerer lacks the raw power and sheer spellcasting ability of a wizard of the same level. Finally, they do have a bit more combative strength than the wizard, but are still relegated to the bottom tier of warriors.
One word often sums up the sorcerer's role on the battlefield: artillery. More than any other character, they are capable of laying down wide devastation again and again and again. Playing a sorcerer means that you lack some of the arcane diversity of the wizard, but are able to rule the battlefield with consistently and repeatedly deployed firepower. Your reliance on Charisma also means that you will excel in interpersonal interactions; while the wizard was locked away for years studying their musty tomes as a child, you were out chatting up attractive members of the opposite sex and practicing blowing things up.
I DON'T LIKE ANY OF THOSE OPTIONS (OR I LIKE SEVERAL OF THEM)
While the above characters are fairly easy to categorize, there are two classes that blur the boundaries between the classifications. These classes possess characteristics of two categories, but this does come at a cost. While the monk may be good at combat and may also be skillful, the character is not as good in combat as a straight-up fighter or as skillful as a true rogue. The same is true for the druid and their melding of combat and divine spellcasting. In a large party, this diversity may not be necessary or worth the relative cost, but in small groups having a single character that excels in several fields may very well be the difference between life and death.
Druid
Embodiment of nature, the druid is a strong fighter, is able to call upon divine power, and possesses a number of unique abilities specific to the class. They do share the ranger's focus on wilderness environments and may see some of their abilities potentially wasted if the party spends the majority of their time in urban settings. However, the druid's power to change shape into animal forms is an excellent ability regardless of the setting and has the flexibility to be useful in a wide variety of situations.
Choosing the druid means that you will be a frontline warrior, just below the fighter in ability and are also able to cast divine spells. While not as powerful or flexible a healer as the cleric, your spell list does include some specialized tricks that are unique to you. You also have the ability to change into a number of animal forms, which can make you the perfect scout, spy, combatant, or means of transportation depending on how used. Much like the cleric, the druid if a man or woman of faith and you should be prepared to incorporate their veneration of nature into their personality.
Monk
More than the other characters, the monk is a mysterious figure steeped in esoteric training and possessing a range of abilities that are not only unique to the class, but are different in design and focus than the abilities of any other class. The monk is a strong fighter, specialized in mobility, and has a good number of skills, putting them on a near equal footing to the rogue in that arena. Their disdain for armor and weapons means that they are always prepared for combat, even in situations where wearing full plate and packing a bastard sword is either impractical or impossible.
While the other classes are relatively generic in regards to background and historical context, the monk is clearly steeped in the mysteries of the Far East. If you have ever imagined yourself as Bruce Lee, David Carradine, or Chow Yun-Fat, the monk may be for you. Expect to have a great deal of mobility, a strong set of skills, and the ability to slug it out with most enemy creatures. Additionally, you will have the pride knowing that you performed these acts without the benefit of heavy armor, weapons, or arcane firepower.
SUMMARY
While many veteran players have reduced class selection into a coldly logical cost/benefit analysis of tabled figures, the most enjoyment can be derived from choosing a character whose abilities mesh with the style of play you are currently looking for. This does not mean that you cannot or even should not change your mind at some point, but rather that you should choose something that you will currently enjoy and save your next great concept for your next great character.
Remember that Dungeons & Dragons is a game and your primary goal should be to have fun playing it. Using the above categories and suggestions, you should be able to choose a character that syncs with what you will have the most fun playing and the concept you have put together.
Have fun storming the castle.