Best low to mid level builds using only PHB per role?

[danzibr]

Hey all!

I played a lot of 3.5 but little 5e. I’ve done some googling and reading about good 5e builds, but many throw in non-PHB material. I was hoping to draw on my fellow Playgrounders’ expertise for gists of builds which excel at a certain thing at low to mid levels.

In particular, healing, buffing, damage (could be broken down further), disabling, skill monkey.

I’m not looking for “broken” builds, just options that work well together. I read about Bards using Goodberry, and Warlock/Sorcerer combos, for example.

[Zhorn]

For damage, any combination that yields additional attacks with +modifiers to damage are always good, and are especially strong if achievable before lv5.
example

Hand Crossbow + Crossbow Expert, or
Spear&Shield + Duelling Fighting Style + Polearm Master

While Fighters are my preference of the two, going Ranger for a low level campaign can be pretty neat with Hunter's Prey Horde Breaker for another attack again, netting 3 attacks per round with modifiers by level 4 (or by 3 if with variant human).

[Fable Wright]

Healing

Life Cleric 1/Shepherd Druid X

One casting of Goodberries creates 10 berries that restore 4 HP apiece. Healing Spirit heals 1d6+4 per round to everyone who can get tagged by it for a minute—up to 75 HP per party member average. Plus temporary HP buffers from Bear Totem, and Unicorn Totem to kick heals into overdrive.

Druid 1/Life Cleric X

Xanathar's Guide is what provides Healing Spirit and Shepherd Druid for the maximum temporary HP you can possibly get. Without access to Healing Spirit, Life Cleric pulls ahead as the best healer with access to Mass Healing Word and Mass Heal, but you're not the best without access to Life Cleric Goodberries.

Buffing

Divine Soul Sorcerer X

You have the entire Cleric and Sorcerer spell list and access to Twin spell. Twin Enlarge. Twin Haste. Twin Polymorph. Twin Death Ward. Extend Death Ward. Extend Aid. The impact is undeniable.

Core Only would put this at regular Dragon Sorcerer or Wild Magic Sorcerer. Twin Spell is still the best buffing tool in the game, with Twin Polymorph/Twin Haste/Twin Enlarge being the best damage boosters you can feasibly get.

Damage

At high levels, the answer is a Samurai Fighter with Elvish Accuracy and Archery fighting style. Full stop. The nova damage you can do is ridiculous. The regular damage you do is great. The build does become operational at 6-8th level and gets absurd damage regardless, though it's a bit out of range to be truly 'low level', but it's hard to go wrong with it.

The best range damage is Battlemaster Fighter X with Variant Human race for Sharpshooter at level 1. You hit hard. You have Action Surge to hit very hard. If someone gives you advantage, you leave a crater, and if not, you burn Superiority Dice to hit and leave a crater anyways.

The best melee damage at levels 2-4 is Moon Druid, with a brief resurgence in prominence at level 6. If you allow them to factor damage from Conjure Animals in, they're still pretty top of the pack.

Berserker Barbarian, for all its maligned Rage mechanics, is the non-spellcaster able to push max DPS when in a Frenzy until level 11, when the Fighter pulls ahead forever.

The best AoE blaster breaks down a bit depending on how you want to do it.

Dragon Sorcerers, particularly Red, get their Casting Mod To Damage boost first, at level 6.

Tempest Clerics, though they don't get the best blasting spells in the game, get Maximized Shatter at level 3 (which deals almost as much as a Fireball), Maximized Call Lightning at level 5 (not as much damage as a fireball, but consistent blasting over time afterwards), and Spirit Guardians for some AoE lockdown and great damage. Tempest Cleric 2/Blue Dragon Sorcerer 6 is extremely spicy, with a 4th level Lightning Bolt doing 58 damage in a line.

Still, I would go with Evoker for the best shot, just because he's not pidgeonholed into 1-2 damage types and Sculpt Spells is amazing. The other casters? They can do their maximized blasting in turn 1, if they win initiative, while the enemy is still far out & clustered. Otherwise, friendly fire will screw you up. The Evoker Wizard? They're the only ones who can keep dropping Fireballs after combat has devolved to a melee, and that ability pulls them to the far front of the pack, IMHO.

Disabler

Best disabler is probably Wild Magic Sorcerer or Diviner. Heighten spell and Bend Luck to lay down on Hypnotic Pattern is devastating though it will chew through Sorcery Points like no tomorrow. Diviners are also way up there with the ability to flat-out force opponents to fail saves with Portent and access to Wall of Force for no-save lockdown that gets through Legendary Resistance. That said, all the best non-save BFC spells (before Wall of Force, of course) is stuck on the Druid list, so YMMV.

Skill Monkey

Depends on how you want it. Knowledge Cleric can have any skill they want, but no Expertise.

Rogues and Bards are the only classes to get Expertise, and Rogues have the most skills, so they're the best by default, though their signature trick (Reliable Talent) doesn't come online until level 11.

Druids are in a weird spot here. With a background for Perception, Stealth, and Thieves Tools, they can make for a passable rogue. Access to Guidance actually outstrips Expertise before level 5, and it's still close to Expertise on all skills after that until level 9. Also, access to Pass Without Trace and stealthy wildshapes make them the king of stealth before level 11.

Of course, I will note that stacking those spells on top of the Rogue makes the rogue even better.