Dungeons & Dragons allows players to build their own distinct characters, each with their unique strengths and utility. As much fun as it is to build characters with flexible applications, utility, and nuance, there's nothing quite like simply dealing absurd amounts of damage.
Whether it be through casting spells or just hitting things really hard with a good old-fashioned melee weapon, there are plenty of ways to deal massive sums of damage in D&D. Luckily for players who aim to deal as much damage as possible, there are several subclasses that allow characters to turn their DPS up to eleven. So today, we will examine the best DPS subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons.
Updated on March 17th, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: Between the healers and defenders, there are those players that just like to watch the world burn, freeze, blow up, or drown in its own blood. While some classes naturally gravitate more towards dealing high damage, a player's choice of subclass can boost their DPS output towards that build. Some subclasses provide additional utility, such as healing or the use of magical items; others provide a character with additional buffs to how much damage they can do or even provide new means of dealing damage altogether. This can include extra weapon skills or even a cantrip or two for non-spellcasters.
18 Battle Smith - Artificer
The Artificer is a relatively new class to the D&D universe, added with the Eberron campaign setting in 2004, and although it's designed as a DPS class, some interesting variations exist. The Battle Smith is flexible in this regard, but the right build dedicates the class to the role of melee damage and makes it even more brutally effective.
As early as the level 3, the Battle Smith gains proficiency with all martial weapons and can use their Intelligence modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity. At level 5, they get more than one attack per round, essentially doubling their damage output. The subclass also has some defense and even healing capabilities, so you can play as a combination class, depending on the specific build. Those looking for a similar experience but at a distance can look at the Artillerist subclass.
17 Battle Master - Fighter
The Fighter is one of the most straightforward and best DPS classes in D&D. Focusing on physical combat, Fighters can wield a wide range of weapon types to damage their foes. The Battle Master subclass provides Fighters with additional complexity, allowing a Fighter to learn Maneuvers, a series of attacks that they can utilize in combat.
Maneuvers give the Fighter extra accuracy and buff their damage output. While Manuevers provide additional flexibility, many also allow the Fighter to deal additional bonus damage to their targets.
16 Light Domain - Cleric
As some of the most flexible casters in all of D&D, while Clerics have a reputation for being some of the best support characters in the game, they have access to deceptively powerful damage options. The right build can make them some of the most powerful DPS classes in D&D.
The Clerics of the Light Domain are given access to many useful and damaging spells, such as the ability to impede foes' attacks through a blinding flare. However, one of the biggest appeals of the subclass is its spell list which provides access to great additional damage options like the ever-popular Fireball.
15 Order Of The Lycan - Blood Hunter
While not technically an official class, the Blood Hunter is a class created by Critical Role DM Matt Mercer and is available to use on D&D Beyond. While the class's signature Crimson Rites allow them to deal significant damage, the Order of the Lycan subclass further improves this damage output, making it one of the best DPS classes for D&D 5e.
With a hybrid lycanthrope transformation, these Blood Hunters gain additional bonus damage to their attacks that grows as they level up. This pairs well with the aforementioned Crimson Rites and fighting styles available to the class.
14 Way Of The Open Hand - Monk
Monks are a class that can make the most out of unarmed attacks, capable of stringing together several attacks in a single turn via their flurry of blows ability. While considered by some to be a vanilla option for the Monk class, Monks of the Way of the Open Hand can provide the already solid damage of a Monk with additional utility, allowing Flurry of Blows to be used to push foes and knock them prone.
While this doesn't exactly do extra damage, at level 17, the subclass gets an absurd ability in Quivering Palm. Upon being used, the target must succeed a Constitution saving throw, immediately dropping to zero HP on a failed save or taking 10d10 necrotic damage on a success.
13 Draconic Bloodline - Sorcerer
A Sorcerer is already near the top of every party list when it comes to damage output. For those looking to specialize in dealing massive amounts of damage of a specific type, Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer might be for you. Pairing in stellar fashion with the Elemental Adept feat, these Sorcerers choose a type of dragon and gain the benefits relating to that dragon's associated damage type.
While the Sorcerer also gains resistance to that damage type, they are also able to add their Charisma modifier to the damage of spells of that damage type. This pairs well with a Sorcerer's great offensive spell list.
12 Path Of The Berserker - Barbarian
While the Path of the Berserker subclass for Barbarians is incredibly adept at dealing damage, its high damage output comes at a cost. Capable of turning a Barbarian's rage into a frenzy, when this is done, that Barbarian gains the ability to make additional attacks as bonus actions, increasing the class's already high damage output.
Unfortunately, this comes at a cost. Once a Barbarian's frenzy is concluded, they gain a point of exhaustion, which can only be resolved by resting.
11 Circle of Spores - Druid
If you're interested in the slow but savage burn of damage-over-time spells, consider a Druid of the Circle of Spores. There's also a spell in this school of the same name of an AoE nature that's known for its damage, and it comes with related skills like Fungal Infestation and Spreading Spores.
As if that wasn't enough to make this Druid a DPS nightmare, this subclass also has a skill called Symbiotic Entity that can be cast on a weapon. This gives the Druid temporarily hit points that equal an extra four for each level, more than ample for any melee fighting class.
10 Hexblade - Warlock
Hexblades are a Warlock subclass that blends the traditional spellcasting of a Warlock with high melee damage output, and the combination is one of the game's most savage DPS subclasses. Hexblades are adept at dealing tons of damage to a single target rather than numerous smaller foes. Capable of cursing foes, if a cursed target is attacked by the Hexblade, that Hexblade can add additional damage to their damage rolls and treat rolls of a 19 as critical hits.
Hexblades can even continue to focus on a Warlock's traditionally high Charisma, as they can use their Charisma modifier in place of their strength when making melee attacks. When pairing curses with the Hex spell, Hexblades can deal overwhelming amounts of damage to their chosen target.
9 Circle Of Stars - Druid
Even though the Druid subclass is often regarded for its flexible abilities and spellcasting rather than its high damage output, the Circle of Stars subclass provides Druids with a significant boost to their damage output. Allowing a Druid to assume a Starry Form in place of their Wild Shape, these Druids choose a constellation from which to draw power.
The Archer constellation is incredible for dealing damage, allowing the druid to deal 1d8 radiant damage as a bonus action on top of whatever damage they deal as their action. While this ability would be impressive on its own, this damage is increased to 2d8 when the Druid reaches level 10.
8 Samurai - Fighter
Samurai is a solid subclass for a Fighter, able to consistently land their mark and deal heavy damage. Through their fighting spirit ability, they can give themselves an advantage on any attack up to three times per long rest.
To sweeten an already good deal, once these Fighters reach level 15, they gain the ability to trade in advantage on their attack rolls for additional attacks. When paired with the several attacks and action surges of fighters, the Samurai can deal incredible amounts of damage in a single turn.
7 Path Of The Beast - Barbarian
Introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Barbarians of the Path of the Beast can partially transform themselves with beast-like aspects such as fangs and claws to deal considerable damage. While the claws of a Barbarian of this subclass only deal 1d6, every attack action made with them allows the Barbarian to make a second claw attack, essentially dealing 2d6 per attack.
Once these Barbarians reach level 10, their damage output is kicked into overdrive, making them among the best DPS classes in D&D. They can cause a creature dealt damage by their natural weapons to succeed a Wisdom save or sustain 2d12 psychic damage, or force that foe to attack one of their allies.
6 Oathbreaker - Paladin
One of the most offensively focused Paladin subclasses, Oathbreaker Paladins have several tools at their disposal that allow them to deal considerable damage. First and foremost, Oathbreakers gain access to several spells that are capable of dealing high damage or augmenting an attacker's offense such as Inflict Wounds, Bestow Curse, and Contagion.
While these offensive spells are useful in their own right, these Paladins have access to the Aura of Hate ability, causing all of their melee weapon damage rolls to be improved by their Charisma modifier.
5 Champion - Fighter
Though Champion Fighters are among the most simplistic subclasses in all of D&D, you can't argue with their high DPS potential as a subclass in D&D 5e As Fighters, they already have access to several attacks and action surges, but the Champion subclass allows a Fighter to land critical hits more consistently.
While most classes can only land critical hits on rolls of 20, Champions can land crits on rolls of 19s when they reach level 3, and rolls of 18 and up when they reach level 15.
4 Tempest Domain - Cleric
While Clerics are often associated with support, they can deal considerable damage as well, and few Clerics can deal as much damage as quickly as those of the Tempest Domain. This is largely due to its stellar channel divinity ability that allows these Clerics to cause thunder or lightning damage they deal to deal maximum damage automatically, rather than rolling.
As this subclass gains access to spells like Call Lightning and Destructive Wave as well as their Divine Strike ability that deals additional thunder damage to foes hit by the Cleric's melee attacks, it's easy for Tempest Domain Clerics to deal serious damage quickly.
3 Bladesinging Wizard
With the base ability to cast a larger variety of spells and more quickly than other casting classes, the Wizard is always going to top the damage meters, and the Bladsinging Wizard is quickly rising as one of the most effective of the ranged DPS classes.
There have been attempts to combine Fighters with Wizards as long as multiclassing has been an option, and the hurdle, in that case, is that you need a smarter-than-average Fighter. Another option would be the Bladesinging Wizard, a subclass that gives a Wizard powers similar to a Warlock Hexblade an extra action per turn. Their signature ability, Bladesong, also gives them a higher-than-average AC and other spell-based defensive options for better melee fighting.
2 Echo Knight - Fighter
Another Fighter subclass, the Echo Knights subclass is built around fighting through a manifested echo of one's self. Once an Echo Knight reaches level 3, they gain access to the Unleash Incarnation ability, allowing their echo to make additional melee attacks whenever that fighter would attack.
While it can only do this several times equal to that character's Constitution modifier per long rest, this is effectively a second source of Action Surge, providing a Fighter with absurd damage potential on their turns.
1 Wizard - School Of Evocation
Wizards are often considered to be some of the biggest glass canons in D&D, lacking in the defense department, but able to deal excellent damage with their spells. As Evocation spells tend to be some of the highest damaging in the game, it's no surprise that the Wizard's School of Evocation is one of the best DPS subclasses in D&D, abling its adherents to deal massive amounts of damage quickly.
The two primary selling points of this subclass are its Empowered Evocation and Overchannel abilities. While Empowered Evocation allows a Wizard to add their intelligence modifier to the damage of their evocation spells, Overchannel allows a Wizard to force one of their spells of 5th level or lower to automatically deal its maximum potential damage.