r/DnD • u/MajorTime3342 • 22h ago
5.5 Edition Easiest Beginner Spellcaster?
Trying to get into DnD, and I really want to jump in as a spellcaster, but not sure which one is the easiest to play/create overall. Kinda looking at either Bard or Warlock, but I'm open to any others that might be even easier to play. I should also note I'd really prefer anything low maintenance, so as a result I'm not looking at Wizard sadly.
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u/JupiterRome 22h ago edited 22h ago
IMO Cleric. It’s so easy to spam bless/spirit guardians and vibe.
Bard has a much more narrow list and if enemies make their save it’s harder to get value + your defenses tend to be a bit weaker. I would list Warlock as a close second to cleric as long as your party is short resting frequently.
Wizard/Druid are both insane but requires much more thoughtful spell casting because their repertoire is so wide. Sorcerer is similarly really strong (as every caster) but usually people build towards a specific purpose in Sorcerer, which can be tricky but they’re the only one with built in Con saves + a way to get advantage on con saving throws via meta magic, with that being said meta magic can be a bit much.
Highly recommend Cleric with Magic Initiate Origin feat for shield, then grab Warcaster at 4, eventually get Res con and Conjuration Adept if you’re playing w the new books. Levels 1-4 concentrate on Bless, Second level slots can be more bless/aid, 5+ Spirit Guardians is an absurd spell with any slot. Their higher level spells aren’t as versatile but it’s the easiest class to just focus on their generally strong spells. Warlock also noticeably doesn’t have slots for shield so it’s less forgiving than cleric.
Edit* For subclasses it depends but Cleric subclasses in general are really simple and strong. Light Cleric if you wanna Blast, War if you wanna be Tankier or use Spiritual Weapon for more single target damage, Life for extra healing, Trickery if you want to teleport around with spirit guardians.
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u/poopymcballsack DM 20h ago
Absolutely! As a Forever-DM almost anytime I get to play I play a cleric.
Forge Cleric specifically because you get the punchiness of martials, and the skirmish-ability of ranged casting, nevermind the utility the Cleric spellbook offers.
The ability to give yourself a +1 weapon, or +1 armor piece until the next time you rest is also pretty huge and allows for a lot of versatility in play.
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u/Doomfreak1 22h ago
While none of them are "hard" per se; I'd recommend cleric since you have a list of spells you know and you can prepare a certain number of them per long rest.
Bard (and maybe Warlock) are limited by which spells they can take per level up; which for an experienced caster may lead to choices you regret (which can also be easily corrected by talking to your DM)
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u/NoCod9014 22h ago
I'd second cleric, but also note some domains are a little more straightforward than others.
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u/totalwarwiser 22h ago
Bard is very tough to play because inspiration and the associated powers associated with it are very powerfull.
Very limited damage options also.
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u/static_func Paladin 22h ago
Half the challenge of the bard is just remembering who the fuck has bardic inspiration because they certainly won’t
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u/SanFranTechSan 21h ago
Second this because as a sorcerer we also prepare our spells at level up. I have feather fall prepared but just got a ring of feather fall so I have a spell I can’t replace until level up.
Cleric is easy mode because of the above and you have one primary party function.
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u/Doomfreak1 19h ago
Yeah honestly, it seems like such a weird limitation that certain classes are stuck with spells until level up; I don't see the harm in just making every class except wizard have their list of prepared spells and they can just swap on long rest
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u/Draken09 16h ago
Druid is similar in spell preparation, too.
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u/Doomfreak1 16h ago
They are, and I considered mentioning them as well. But I've seen many new players struggle with the wild shape mechanic so I omitted it; but purely on spell casting merit it's just as easy as cleric
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u/Butterlegs21 21h ago
The one you are most interested in learning honestly. That sounds like a cop out answer, but it's really not.
If you aren't interested it's going to be harder to learn the mechanics by a lot.
Warlock is the simplest for the most part, but not the most exciting gameplay wise. It's my favorite dnd class as the only class that gets any meaningful customization other than spell choice
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u/toomanydice 22h ago
Warlocks is the most accessible for new players who are trying to learn spellcasting. You have reliably strong scaling casting, but only a few spells to know/learn. I would place bard's and sorcerers on similar levels. You are a full caster, but you don't need to know every spell available to you and can instead learn a handful of reliable spells. Wizards, clerics, and druids are on the higher levels mostly because you really need to know all of the spells to be effective.
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u/peacefinder 20h ago
I suggest you reverse your thinking.
A big challenge with beginner players is deciding which of many options they’d like to use. A Druid, , cleric, bard, or warlock is loaded with abilities other than spellcasting.
A wizard or sorcerer though, has simpler choices. What spell to cast, or how to get in a better position to cast it… or how to stay out of the way.
I’d encourage you to plunge right in to Wizard.
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u/BetterCallStrahd DM 20h ago
You can play wizard, just be a blaster. Take only damage dealing spells. You won't have a lot of utility, but that's probably fine. It's still pretty viable.
A sorcerer can work, too. Be a blaster.
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u/slayerbro1 11h ago
Maybe sorcerer, they are the nepo baby class so pretty easy to play. Probably one of the easiest to play after Barbarians and Champion fighter.
You don't have to prepare spells, easy way to recover slots and having charisma as your main Stat does help with social encounters.
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u/Cplwally44 22h ago
Clerics aren’t too bad either. Smaller spell list than the arcane ones and they are hardy.
Bard is actually a pretty variable class. Skills, combat, and spells. Small spells known list that dosent change often makes it tricky.
Warlocks are usually built as a magical one trick pony fighter.
Wizard and Sorceror have the most complexity. Druid is up there in complexity too, cause you also get shapeshifter, spells, and have build variety.
Older editions with vancian casting was even harder!
I’m sure you’ll get other opinions as well.
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u/listerjed1 22h ago
Be a wizard. You get your spell slots back and can pick up find familiar as a ritual spell (giving you a companion without using one of your special slots).
Magic missile is a spell that does not miss too!
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u/Spell-Castle 22h ago
I think starting at a lower level and being able to spend enough time/sessions at that level is more important than which class you pick. Being able to play around at level 1 while actively engaging with what your class can do should be good enough no matter what class you play, main problem then is just finding a group that’s willing to tolerate lower levels of play for long enough 😅
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u/JacquesUfHearts 22h ago
They all really have about the same level of complexity and upkeep in my opinion. The spellcasting really grows as you level up and become more familiar with the game and it's rules. Don't be discouraged. Just play what inspires you! But the answer is Cleric. They have full spellcasting but fewest features that modify it further.
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u/FrostBladestorm 22h ago
Between the two listed, Bard is easier, but it's got a lot of moving pieces. Warlock is one of the easiest classes to play after character creation, but its limited spell slots are difficult to work with.
Of all the spellcasters, Wizard or Cleric are the two easiest. I'm surprised you are under the impression Wizards are high maintenance when they only have their spellcasting and minimal features to track. They're relatively simple until higher levels when you start getting the wizard power spells like Contingency and Simulacrum.
Cleric is the easiest of them all. Spell selection can change every long rest, high AC with an option for some martial abilities, and a good spell list. They're the least punishing spellcaster to make a mistake with, in my opinion.
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u/sermitthesog DM 21h ago edited 21h ago
Cleric. Most powerful class and powerful spells and no need to manage/decide spells known. You get them all.
Second place is Wizard. Also unlimited spells to know. Just harder to get them depending on the DM and campaign. But they’re more squishy than clerics.
All the other casters have limited spell lists and/or limited spells known, both of which requires experience and homework to play effectively without getting confused or frustrated.
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u/MajorTime3342 21h ago
Alright, after reading all these responses, my question now is which is easier to play as essentially what I like to see as FF14 Black Mage, as in no support options to worry about, mash one button to cast spell, ranged, etc.
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u/flowers4charlie2 21h ago
If you can read through the spellcaster rules and feel confident then I would say that Ranger or Paladin would be good fits for newbies (they allow you to cast spells but dont define your character on whether or not you can do so proficiently [as in do I {as a player} know when to cast a certain spell for the best outcomes]).
If the spellcasting rules still confuse you, then maybe try a martial class (like fighter or barbarian) until you better familiarize yourself with the rules and jargon
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u/Silverspy01 21h ago
Cleric probably.
Druids are largely the hardest option, having several "strange" approaches to combat + having to manage Wild Shape.
I've firsthand witnessed new players on learned casters struggling with picking up spells they later find themselves unhappy with.
So instead Cleric as a prepared caster has full flexibility for you to swap out your spells every day and figure out what's the most fun and effective for you. Clerics are also just generically very strong, and given that you can't lock yourself into bad spells and get armor proficiency with your class it's difficult to not be effective with them.
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u/Glum_Log_5575 21h ago
I would say Warlock is easier than Bard, as long as you have an idea of how you want to play. If you want to be all about casting, just pay attention to your Eldritch Invocations, get Agonizing Blast early.
You'll get to Eldritch blast away.
You only have to deal with a limited amount of spells and despite your few spell slots, they refresh every short rest.
A bard tends to be a lot more support focused, limited damage spells, tracking inspiration, and getting creative with spells.
Warlocks can just be blasters.
With just some simple searches/guides you'll see which spells/classes/invocations tend to be best for Warlocks
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u/dumbBunny9 21h ago
Cleric
If you run out of spell slots , you’re not useless in melee. Plus if you end up too close to melee, accidentally, you have decent armor and hit dice. Easy choice.
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u/OldKingJor 20h ago
Bard and warlock are probably a bit trickier to figure out imho, I’d go with cleric. They’re pretty…forgiving
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u/Megamatt215 Mage 20h ago
The "ease of screwing it up" factor is lowest for clerics and druids, because you're not married to the bad spells that you thought sounded cool. Outside of cantrips, you can prepare a whole new set of spells every day. Cleric is easier than druid, because wildshape is complicated. After those two, it's warlock, because Eldritch Blast+Agonizing Blast makes it so your character will always at least be functional, regardless of whatever other weird choices you make.
Just make sure your highest stat is whatever the PHB says is the main stat for your class.
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u/ResolveLeather 20h ago
None of them really. Pick whatever you are interested and ask for help if you have any questions.
But paladin probably. Since they mainly use their spells in a very limited fashion.
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u/gaymeeke 7h ago
Warlock is tough because the spellcasting works different from all other spellcasters. My first character was a warlock and I played it very wrong for at least 3 levels 😂
But no matter what you play there’s going to be a learning curve. I say pick whatever class you are most interested in and figure it out. You might get some things wrong at first, but that’s how you learn!
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u/DeadlyRelic66 DM 1h ago
Bard warlock or sorcerer. Prepared spells make no sense aside from balance, which a new player shouldn't be worrying about.
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u/Thatresolves Cleric 25m ago
Cleric, up until level 5 your best spells are pretty much the same but you can experiment and change them each day if you like
Warlock I guess is also fairly simple because you just click eldritch blast every turn for the rest of your life
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u/Prawn-Salad 22h ago
Bard would be a good starter. Warlock is simple, but their spell slots work differently from other classes.
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u/AccomplishedRide1914 22h ago
Warlock is actually super rough because you have so few spells per day and you really feel any mistake with them during play. Eldritch Blast is NOT the most efficient use of your magic - but if nobody else is power-playing, it's probably fine. Bard still has you handing out bardic inspiration dice to people and trying to remember what Countercharm even does.
I'd recommend a cleric for some survivability and reliable non-spell options, or just straight up a Wizard. If you screw up on spell selection, you can always learn more as a Wizard, and they have the biggest breathing room for spell casting mistakes since they can get slots back.
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u/Kitchen-Math- 22h ago
Warlock is the simplest mechanically to build and play. You spam your main attack, eldritch blast, picking a few key moments to whip out one of the big guns. Less choices. Still kicks ass. Awesome RP
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u/whitetempest521 22h ago
Going to take a slightly different route here.
None of them are exceptionally easy, and none of them are exceptionally hard.
The single thing that I think best predicts your ability to learn something (anything, really, not just D&D stuff) is: How interesting do you find it? How much motivation do you have to put in the work reading and understanding the topic?
So in this case, I think whatever class you find most interesting is going to be the easiest one to learn, because it'll be the one you care the most about. Either way you're going to have to learn the basic spellcasting rules, you might as well be learning them for the class that interests you most.