Best class for a transitioning 3.5 player

[Falcii]

Basically what it says, what is the best class to really highlight what 5e does right over 3.5?
I have played psionic sandwiches and storm caster spirit shaman and anthro-sloth battle druids and had fun with all. Even had fun with a straight fighter in 3.5, which is no small feat.
that said I want a change in systems, so what class should I start with to help me feel what makes 5e great?

[2D8HP]

With the very big caveat that I never played 3.5 (only 0e and 1e), I'm very happy with a Half-elf Fighter/Rogue (Swashbuckler subclass from the SCAG), and I don't hesitate to recommend one

[smcmike]

Play a Paladin

5e does a much better job at making martials fun than core 3.5 did. Sure, you could build something interesting and useful with all the splatbooks and good system mastery, but the 3.5 paladin, out of the box, was not very strong and not very fun.

The 5e paladin is very strong and very fun, even without any customization with feats or multiclassing. Also, if you decide you need more than the base class at some point, Paladin plays well with a lot of other classes.

Fighter or monk are also good options for demonstrating places where 5e works and core 3.5 did not, but I think paladin gives you a bit more.

[Kobard]

I would say rogue or monk, which were both contenders for worst class of 3.5E but are both considered well-designed, solid classes in 5E.*

* Does not apply to the Way of the Four Elements Monk subclass.

[qube]

Basically what it says, what is the best class to really highlight what 5e does right over 3.5?level 1 wizard.

and you'll instantly forget that you used to be an crossbowman 95% of the time.

[Herobizkit]

Out of the 3e Core classes, Bard was pretty abysmal.

Half-Elf Bard is now top tier.

Go Bard. Can't fail. ^_^

5e isn't all about the wacky prestige class combination and (most of the) numbers-buffing. It sloughs off all the extraneous stuff 3.x offers and presents a clean, 2e-era character style and a focus on storytelling and the game world ("meta").

[hymer]

Even had fun with a straight fighter in 3.5, which is no small feat.

More like lots of regular-sized feats. :smallwink:

I agree with the ones above saying you can pick something that used to suck, and see how it doesn't any more. A fighter is actually pretty good at fighting with no need for optimizing, or sifting through endless splatbooks for the right build. Indeed, the martials here can be single-classed with average stats and not feel outclassed in fighting.
So if there was one class concept you liked, but decided against for mechanical reasons, it would probably be ideal here.

[Willie the Duck]

Basically what it says, what is the best class to really highlight what 5e does right over 3.5?
I have played psionic sandwiches and storm caster spirit shaman and anthro-sloth battle druids and had fun with all. Even had fun with a straight fighter in 3.5, which is no small feat.
that said I want a change in systems, so what class should I start with to help me feel what makes 5e great?

What would help you feel that 5e is great?
If you were dismayed by the class imbalances and "poor choice" classes, pick a bard or paladin and see them shine.
If you dislike the wizardly 'speed bump at 1st, godling by 7-10' aspect, pick a wizard (maybe a mountain dwarf abjurer, for a high-resilience, low special effects build, or just an evoker to show you that fireball is back in the top tier spells) and test how well they flattened that quadratic ascent.
If you want simple (I'd more suggest this for someone new to D&D, than just new to 5e, but you still might like it), pick a medium armored, dex- and str-having Champion Fighter (perhaps urchin background to pick up lots of useful skill and tool proficiencies, and variant human with Medium Armor Master as your first feat) with defensive fighting style. It is a less powerful option, but you can pick up any weapon and fight with it, can use skills, and even as a sub-par option, works just fine.
If you want mostly simple, but giving you a tour of the special stuff like short rest recharges, pick warlock or battle-master fighter.
If you want a tour of the action economy system, rangers and melee rogues are constantly trying to balance how to use their bonus actions. A str-based melee character with Polearm Master and Sentinel will be using their bonus and reaction actions each round.
If you want 'Hulk Smash' or 'Wolverine survival,' then barbarian or moon druid.

sorcerers, clerics, land druids, and monks are a little more nuanced, and you still have to slightly 'build' them out (frankly, the building process isn't really gone overall, things like lore Bards are highly defined by which Magic Secrets they choose at 6th level, as an example).

[lunaticfringe]

Since you coming from 3.5, Not A Fullcaster. 3.Xers tend to get frustrated with & forget about Concentration, espescially Sorcerer & Wizard Players. Rangers are kinda tedious with Bonus Actions & Concentration Spells.

Rogue (Assassin will Probably dissapoint, 99.9% of the game isn't a Suprise round. Be Aware)
Fighter (they are all lovely imho)
Paladin (no alignment restriction! Smite Anything!)
Monk (they Murder now, 4elements is Ki starved)
Warlock (a very forgiving class with an intro to spells and the ability to change stuff on level up)

[Bobkin]

Fighter
Barbarian
Paladin
Edit: And you really can't go wrong with Bard imo


Essentially, anything that got a noticeable power boost and has decent class features built in.


I certainly wouldn't recommend Warlock.

[djreynolds]

A 5th level rogue. As you have a reaction (AoO and uncanny dodge), action, and bonus action for disengage and dash. So you have all basics, but no cost or resources.