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As we’re just about a year into the life cycle for the 2024 rules revision, official subclass options are still relatively limited. That makes the addition of 8 new subclasses in the Forgotten Realms player companion a highlight for those eager to draft up their next character. But of course, some of the newly revised 2024 subclass options are more exciting than others, so I’m here to rank the 8 new subclass options. I’m taking into account how much fun they will be to play, along with how new/exciting their class options are, to get our final ranking. Of course, if you have a preferred go-to class, your mileage may vary.
8) Banneret (Fighter)
Coming in last place is this reskinned 2024 revision of the Purple Dragon Knight subclass for Fighters. This subclass is billed as a support martial character, bound by the rules of chivalry. But many of the perks of playing this class fall outside of combat utility, landing this class with skills suited to a “noble ambassador.” And while this could make for some fun roleplay, it does render the Banneret a bit underwhelming as a Fighter subclass.
The main appeal of the Banneret is its Group Recovery ability, which lets the Banneret heal the party when using Second Wind. The downside? You can only do this one per day, making it a relatively limited support ability. Similarly, the Team Tactics feat that gives players advantages only triggers when using Group Recovery, so this Fighter’s utility in battle will expire pretty quickly.
7) Winter Walker (Ranger)
This Ranger subclass is a brand-new entry for 2024, and it’s linked to the Icewind Dale region. Winter Walkers are built to survive the cold, with feats like Frigid Explorer helping them navigate cold climates. It also gets a series of icy cold spells like Cone of Cold and Ice Knife. While it’s certainly a fun way to lean into a theme for those wanting to play something akin to Iceman from the X-Men, it’s a bit niche to be widely useful.
The Winter Walker will be great for campaigns set in cold regions, where you know surviving icy climes will be key. That said, it’s likely that the enemies you come up against in such a campaign may not be especially vulnerable to its cold-based attacks. Thus, it’s going to be the most useful in only very specific situations, making it a bit less exciting than some of the other Forgotten Realms subclass options.
6) Knowledge Domain (Cleric)
This updated version of the Knowledge Domain Cleric sets the subclass apart from its somewhat Wizard wannabee vibes from the 2014 rules. For the campaign packed with lore and knowledge checks, this subclass will be useful for its ability to quickly acquire Expertise in various skills. You also get knowledge/mental-focused prepared spells as you level up, offering some solid offensive options like Mind Spike and Synaptic Static, along with helpful debuffs like Confusion and Banishment. Best of all, you can cast these spells without using a Spell Slot thanks to the new Mind Magic feat.
As far as new subclasses go, this is a fun way to play a cleric with near-psychic abilities. The spells and feats on offer are a good blend of roleplay and combat utility, making this class a fairly versatile powerhouse even at mid-tier levels. That said, it does still come with the squishiness of being a caster, and nothing about this subclass will automatically bolster your survivability in combat.
5) Bladesinger (Wizard)
This subclass was one of those featured in Baldur’s Gate 3, so many fans are familiar with its basic mechanics. The 2024 rules revision brings the subclass up to speed with the updated rules, with a few key tweaks. Weapon proficiency has been expanded slightly, letting you gain proficiency for any martial weapons so long as they aren’t two-handed or heavy. You also maintain the Song of Defense and Extra Attack abilities the class had in the prior ruleset, while gaining a few updated feats.
In all, the Bladesinger is a solid way to blend a bit of martial combat into your Wizard build. The 2024 rules revision buffs up the class a bit to fit within the rebalanced scope of the game, but doesn’t really reinvent the wheel compared to prior versions. As a Wizard with no armor proficiencies, this class can be squishy without the right preparation from spells like Mage Armor. But things like Bladesong and Song of Defense help balance this out, making it a pretty robust class – some might even say a bit too robust, depending on how you play it.
4) Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
