What are your preferences for class?

[Ed Reppert]

Which class(es) do you like most to play? Which classes do you like least to play? FWIW, here's my list, from most to least:

Magus
Ranger
Wizard
Investigator
Monk
Sorcerer
Champion
Rogue
Swashbuckler
Summoner
Alchemist
Druid
Barbarian
Fighter
Cleric
Bard
Oracle
Witch
Gunslinger
Inventor

[Themetricsystem]

I'm only going to list my top and bottom five as the rest are very much mid for me without serious priority or Classes I've not actually PLAYED in a game yet.

The list is very much just my personal preference and what "feels" good to play for me, but I'm happy to contribute:

Top -
Alchemist
Sorcerer
Rogue
Druid
Bard

Bottom -
Cleric
Witch
Investigator
Wizard
Fighter

[keftiu]

Ranger, Barbarian, Monk, Investigator, and Psychic at the top for me currently. All the other spellcasters (save for Sorcerer) are at the bottom for me, with Summoner at the rear with Alchemist.

Champion is in the bottom half, which breaks my heart.

[willfromamerica]

I spend 95% of my time GMing, but this is how I’d rank the classes I’ve played from most to least fun:

Bard
Ranger
Rogue
Druid
Witch
Alchemist

It’s tough to rank them though because I enjoyed all of them except for the alchemist.

The classes I most want to play but haven’t are Gunslinger, Monk, and Summoner.

The ones I have the least interest in are Champion and Cleric.

[breithauptclan]

I'm also not going to put the full list. The middle ground isn't too important.

Ranking them as far as how well I personally resonate with them rather than how powerful I think they are:

Top end:
Witch
Alchemist
Investigator
Magus
Swashbuckler

Honorable Mentions:
Druid
Oracle
Ranger
Monk
Gunslinger
Barbarian
Champion

Low end:
Sorcerer
Cleric
Bard

[Deriven Firelion]

I will probably play every class at some point as I like to try new concepts. So far I've played this class most often:

Sorcerer: Seems to have the most build options that interest me. I've made an elemental, undead, and shadow sorcerer so far. Genie still looks interesting to me as well.

The wizard has been the hardest to enjoy, but I think I have finally figured out how to build it in a powerful way. I did not understand the interaction of some feats with the wizard and now I know the high value spells and when and how to use them. So it's been a much better experience as a wizard.

[OrochiFuror]

From what I've played and seen played.
Summoner, fighter, barbarian, rogue and monk.
Least favorite is alchemist, wizard, sorcerer, witch, swashbuckler.

[Ed Reppert]

breithauptclan wrote:

Ranking them as far as how well I personally resonate with them rather than how powerful I think they are:

That's what I was shooting for, thanks!

Interesting to see the diversity. :-)

[WWHsmackdown]

Ranger, monk, summoner, magus, and inventor are my favorites.

My least favorite are fighter, wizard, alchemist, and witch (so close to being a fine class for me but not quite there).

[roquepo]

Just by personal enjoyment (not in order)

Best

Bard
Monk
Rogue
Sorcerer

Good

Fighter
Gunslinger
Magus
Ranger

Not for me

Investigator
Cleric
Summoner
Swashbuckler

The others are just ok

[keftiu]

Witch might be a contender for my least-favorite, come to think of it.

[breithauptclan]

keftiu wrote:

Witch might be a contender for my least-favorite, come to think of it.

It seems to be getting ranked rather low in general. I'm just mildly curious if that is because of the power and mechanical problems that it currently has or if it is actually because of the theme, lore, and core mechanics of the class.

[keftiu]

breithauptclan wrote:

keftiu wrote:

Witch might be a contender for my least-favorite, come to think of it.

It seems to be getting ranked rather low in general. I'm just mildly curious if that is because of the power and mechanical problems that it currently has or if it is actually because of the theme, lore, and core mechanics of the class.

I can only speak for myself, but I’ll take a swing at it:

“Spellcaster empowered by their bond to a supernatural patron” is just about the coolest class premise on the planet - so much so that it’s been core in D&D for the last two editions, the Warlock. Comparisons between the two are inevitable, and unfortunately, they tend not to look all that flattering for the 2e Witch. The Witch has less playstyle diversity than a 5e Warlock, who can be built in more distinct ways than a Witch can (Blade, Chain, or Tome, plus a choice of Patron that will heavily shape your playstyle), whereas every Witch is a caster with a pet.

Patron Themes are less splashy and interesting than the Pacts their distant Warlock cousins have, but they’re also less evocative than equivalent class options even within PF2 - compare them to an Oracle Mystery or even a Sorcerer Bloodline and you’ll see what I mean. I’m not excited when I look at my options for a Witch.

Most of their unique features are either pretty underwhelming Hexes or funneled into their Familiar; the latter is a mechanic I’ve never once personally been interested in. Aside from those, the class is a pretty standard Int-based prepared caster - and if I was interested in playing that, Wizard is already in the corebook. The ability to pick a spell list isn’t all that exciting when Sorcerer already does it with twice the flavor.

Witch doesn’t hit the class fantasy that it pitches, IMO, and what it does have mechanically… isn’t all that interesting to me. It doesn’t feel like someone full of the eldritch secrets of a distant, terrible master, it feels like a worse version of other classes already in 2e. It kind of breaks my heart.

[PossibleCabbage]

Monk is my favorite class.

Other classes I like: Swashbuckler, Rogue, Barbarian, Summoner.

Classes I will defer to if needed for a party: Fighter, Ranger, Bard, Oracle, Champion.

Classes I can be persuaded to play: Druid, Investigator,

Classes I'm just not interested in: Witch, Wizard, Cleric, Alchemist.

I haven't seen enough of the Gunslinger or Inventor in the wild yet to have an opinion.

[Porridge]

Top 3:

Gunslinger
Swashbuckler
Magus

Bottom 3:

Alchemist
Witch
Oracle

I tend to like classes that require you to cleverly juggle your action economy, and which feel really effective when you do.

I tend dislike classes which seem to have brute drawbacks you can't cleverly work around, or classes which tend to seem like strict downgrades compared of other classes.

[Thaliak]

Of the five classes I've played, my ranking would be:
Monk
Fighter
Cleric
Druid
Investigator

Monk is my favorite class because I love unarmored combatants, maneuvers and action economy hacks. I enjoyed playing a Fighter in Malevolence, because Fighters hit hard and can take feats that combine damage with debuffs that help the rest of the party.

Cleric has been mixed for me. On the bright side:
1. Heal is extremely powerful and reliable.
2. I've enjoyed removing conditions with Channeled Succor, Restore Senses and Remove Poison.
3. The alignment-based damage spells occasionally let me blast without worrying about allies' positioning.
4. With decent hit points, the ability to upgrade successes on Will saves to Critical Successes, and access to healing, Clerics feel surprisingly durable.
5. As someone new to the game, I'm grateful that prepared casting and Clerics' spell access lets me experiment.

However, the Divine list rarely excites me. At Level 15, I've yet a cast a non-heightened spell higher than 5th level, and it took several levels for me to get to fifth with Blessing of Defiance. The Divine list has several ways to boost peoples' numbers, but that often feels redundant with Inspire Courage, comes through spells that require the Cleric to be close to the front lines and spend an action sustaining them, or requires foresight. I enjoy a few of the list's battlefield control spells, but some (e.g., Wall of Flesh) come with narratives I find repulsive and others (e.g., Command) only work on a failed save. I might be willing to play a Divine caster again with a character who has fewer thematic constraints, but I'm in no rush.

Playing a Druid was fine. I have trouble relating to the theme, but the Primal list is versatile and Druids seem sturdy. I like Charisma-based casters more than Wisdom-based ones, but Wisdom-based characters are rare, and Druids are more compelling to me than Sorcerers because Druids have to seek and earn their power rather than being born with it.

I should love Investigators because I enjoy skill monkeys and appreciate Devise a Stratagem's link between theme and mechanics, but because Devise a Stratagem requires an action every turn, my character felt sluggish. Pursuing leads would have mitigated that, but I rarely remembered to do it.

Of the classes I've seen played but haven't played, the three I'm most interested in are Rogue, because I enjoy skill monkeys; Summoner, because it gets four actions every turn; and Magus, because I love the theme and the versatility spells provide. The only other classes I've played with are Champion, Gunslinger and Sorcerer. None are thematic or mechanical home runs for me, but I've enjoyed seeing how much they help the party and would play them.

[keftiu]

Cleric just doesn't feel like it has enough going on, and that hits doubly worse with one of their two subclass options (Warpriest) being pretty thoroughly unsatisfying.

I've blabbed about this ad nauseum elsewhere, but I'm fairly frustrated with divine class design in 2e so far.

[breithauptclan]

keftiu wrote:

breithauptclan wrote:

keftiu wrote:

Witch might be a contender for my least-favorite, come to think of it.

It seems to be getting ranked rather low in general. I'm just mildly curious if that is because of the power and mechanical problems that it currently has or if it is actually because of the theme, lore, and core mechanics of the class.

I can only speak for myself, but I’ll take a swing at it:

Thanks for posting that. I appreciate it.

Personally I like the open-ended patron themes more than the more specified Oracle mysteries. Sorcerer bloodlines are somewhere in the middle.

So, ultimately it is good that all of these different classes exist in the game.

[graystone]

Ed Reppert wrote:

Which class(es) do you like most to play? Which classes do you like least to play?

Investigator #

Rogue #
Ranger
Sorcerer
Bard
Inventor
Gunslinger
Monk
Fighter
Barbarian
Druid
Wizard
Cleric
Champion
Witch
Magus*
Swashbuckler
Summoner*
Alchemist
Oracle **
# I like skill monkeys. The only thing better than these classes separately is dual classing them together.
* These would be higher with Free Archetype allowing more spell casting as I'm not a fan of wave casting.
** I truly loathe the curse mechanic and how most feats feed into that. As such, it ranks this low if played as expected. It ranks much higher as a base to spend every class feat for archetypes and totally ignoring the curse by getting focus spells that aren't Revelation Spells.

[Squiggit]

I've been having a lot of fun with a twisting tree magus and an inventor recently. Those two definitely have to be up there right now.

I had a divine Summoner I really enjoyed a few months ago too in a short campaign. One of the few divine casters that's really clicked with me.

breithauptclan wrote:

keftiu wrote:

Witch might be a contender for my least-favorite, come to think of it.

It seems to be getting ranked rather low in general. I'm just mildly curious if that is because of the power and mechanical problems that it currently has or if it is actually because of the theme, lore, and core mechanics of the class.

Bit of both. Mechanically, I don't mind it too much, but I have to agree with keftiu that it just doesn't really seem to do much with its premise. The class feels too safe. It's a wizard that that trades some spell slots for different/better focus spells. It's a druid that gives up defensive options for ... something. Putting aside whether it's mechanically balanced, it just feels like it takes a really cool idea and doesn't do anything with it.

... FWIW I kind of have a similar problem with Clerics. It feels like your choice of god should be incredibly impactful (Because how similar should an Iomedan warpriest, a Kuthite torturer and a priest of Gozreh really be?) but it's surprisingly not.

[keftiu]

Squiggit wrote:

... FWIW I kind of have a similar problem with Clerics. It feels like your choice of god should be incredibly impactful (Because how similar should an Iomedan warpriest, a Kuthite torturer and a priest of Gozreh really be?) but it's surprisingly not.

I feel this with Clerics and Champions both. Your choice of god isn't giving all that much other than your Domain focus spells (which I've never been gaga for) and wrangling the Champion into an Alignment straightjacket. For the center of your devotion and source of your power, your deity sure feels secondary to everything else.

[The Raven Black]

keftiu wrote:

Squiggit wrote:

... FWIW I kind of have a similar problem with Clerics. It feels like your choice of god should be incredibly impactful (Because how similar should an Iomedan warpriest, a Kuthite torturer and a priest of Gozreh really be?) but it's surprisingly not.

I feel this with Clerics and Champions both. Your choice of god isn't giving all that much other than your Domain focus spells (which I've never been gaga for) and wrangling the Champion into an Alignment straightjacket. For the center of your devotion and source of your power, your deity sure feels secondary to everything else.

Maybe because breaking anathemas has strong mechanical impact, while pursuing the edicts is flavor only.

[Rude_]

Just from the few I got to play and more so what I've seen what my groups seem to enjoy

The Witch.
I agree the class needs work and really hoping errata and future products do that but I just dug them since Dragon #114 featured a version.

I got to play a playtest inventor which was great and look forward to playing in that campaign with the official build.

Probably play Magus in an upcoming game as I loved the 1E version though I miss the Black Blade.
Psychic and Thaumaturge look great. Loved playing a 1E occultist

Witch
Inventor
Magus

From what my players seem to dig

Monks
Druids
Ranger
Wizard

Champion got dumped in favor of rogue. Champion just didnt seem to deliver on any real level

[Deriven Firelion]

Rude_ wrote:

Just from the few I got to play and more so what I've seen what my groups seem to enjoy

The Witch.
I agree the class needs work and really hoping errata and future products do that but I just dug them since Dragon #114 featured a version.

I got to play a playtest inventor which was great and look forward to playing in that campaign with the official build.

Probably play Magus in an upcoming game as I loved the 1E version though I miss the Black Blade.
Psychic and Thaumaturge look great. Loved playing a 1E occultist

Witch
Inventor
Magus

From what my players seem to dig

Monks
Druids
Ranger
Wizard

Champion got dumped in favor of rogue. Champion just didnt seem to deliver on any real level

I am surprised. The Champion is one of the most powerful classes in the campaigns I've seen them in. On par with the fighter, but for defense.

[HumbleGamer]

Top Tier

Quote:

- Cleric

- Champion
- Fighter
- Gunslinger
- Inventor
- Magus
- Monk
- Oracle
- Rogue
- Summoner
- Swashbuckler

Bottom Tier

Quote:

- Barbarian
- Bard
- Druid
- Investigator
- Ranger
- Witch
- Sorcerer
- Wizard

Alchemist Tier

Quote:

- Alchemist

...

jk, the alchemist is top tier to me.

[Cylar Nann]

In general I find casters are still at the top of the list of characters I want to play. PF2E really did great strides to make both casters and martials feel good though.

My top tier casters are..

Oracle
Sorcerer
Druid
Witch

My top tier martials are..

Magus
Summoner
Swashbuckler
Rogue

My mid tier (characters I might want to play)

Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Inventor
Monk
Ranger
Wizard

My bottom tier

Alchemist
Investigator
Champion
Gunslinger
Fighter

Oddly the weird part for me when it comes to Pathfinder 2e even the classes I classify as "bottom tier" I would gladly play them. While in other systems I wouldn't even want to touch many classes.

[QuidEst]

Investigator. I dislike how much much failing happens in PF2, and it's a class with more skills, a flexible stacking bonus, and a pre-rolled attack.

[The-Magic-Sword]

I'm a sucker for the intelligence classes, Investigator, Witch, Wizard, Magus are what I've actually made an effort to try and play. I have my Wizard/Investigator Emrys from a dual class campaign (I only really used his wizard side in combat, besides being slightly tougher), I have my Witch Elyessa with Flexible Spellcasting and the Life Boost Hex, my Orc Magus Zaretchi died already so I need a new Magus, and I have an elf Investigator who uses guns waiting for me to hit the 'go' button.

One thing I like about these sorts of games though, is being able to look at a bunch of classes and finding a niche inside each I really like, like "Ok, when I get around to playing a Barbarian, it'll totally be a Spirit or Superstition Barbarian" or "Man, I love the idea of playing an Angel or Psychopomp Sorcerer" where it's about being able to touch on a lot of classes, and having an identity in each one.

[ottdmk]

I've only played four classes so far, and I've liked all of them.

Number one: Alchemist. I've played two so far, a Bomber to 9th and a Mutagenist to 6th, and love playing both of them.

The others, all fun: Wizard with Rogue Dedication, Warpriest, and Ranger (Flurry Edge.)