Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition offers players a plethora of build options to suit any needs they may want to be fulfilled. However, not all classes are created equally, and some players will prefer to be the strongest at the table before anything else. Additionally, power scaling changes with each level, with massive improvements becoming apparent every five levels.
With all this in mind, level 10 marks a significant milestone in any character’s progression. This article will break down the best level 10 build focusing on a variety of utilities and potencies. You can use this as a template for building your own character starting at level 1, for joining a campaign midway in at level 10, or even for one-shots where all players are set to level 10 for the short story.
Selecting Your Class
As previously stated, level 10 is a powerful spike for your character’s capabilities. At this point, you are halfway to the level cap and can be regarded as a powerful figure in the world, good or evil. Some of the best class choices for an exceptional level 10 build are as follows:
Wizard
The Wizard brings immense arcane power to your table. At level 10, Wizards gain access to their 5th-level spell slot, unlocking powerful spells such as Cone of Cold and Teleportation Circle. Additionally, their Arcane Tradition subclass will greatly influence their playstyles, such as the evocation-focused War Magic or the control-oriented Divination.
At this point, Wizards have little need to worry about running out of ammo in their spellbooks unless going through a prolonged dungeon crawl, so players can start to stack their books with powerful spells that accomplish their goals both in combat and in adventure.
Fighter
The Fighter is a master of martial arts and weapon-based combat, excelling in both offense and defense. At level 10, they gain the powerful Extra Attack feature, allowing them to double their attacks in a single action.
The Fighter Archetypes allow for a wide variety of options so it is unlikely any two fighters will be the same when playing together. In any conversation regarding the best classes, Fighters should always be considered when discussing combat.
Cleric
The Cleric feels like an overlooked class despite being a classic to Dungeons and Dragons. These spellcasters serve as conduits for their deities’ powers, and at level 10, they gain access to their 5th-level spells similar to the Wizard. The Cleric can play a well-rounded build switching between support and healing to damage as needed.
The choice of Divine Domain, such as Domain of Life for enhanced healing capabilities or the Domain of the Tempest for devastating lightning spells, allows for the Cleric’s subclass to complement and elevate their playstyle greatly. This utility makes the Cleric a top contender for the best level 10 class in the game.
Ability Score Allocation for level 10 builds
Optimizing your character’s ability scores is crucial for maximizing their effectiveness. While you could say the Wizard is one of the best classes at level 10, maxing out on Strength is questionable at best since your spellcasting modifiers do not use Strength.
By level 10, some Ability Score Improvements (ASI) will have kicked in, plus any story-related bonuses your Dungeon Master has granted, meaning your character will be on their way to maximizing their potential.
Focus on Primary Abilities
Identify your character’s primary ability for driving your class. Wizards benefit from high Intelligence for spellcasting, while a Fighter can choose between a high Strength or a high Dexterity depending on their choices of weapons and fighting styles. Determining these is crucial to finding success and becoming the strongest.
Consider Secondary Abilities
While focusing on your primary abilities, do not forget about the secondary attributes your character is capable of supplying. Some players may find a high Constitution helpful as it increases your health, increasing your overall defenses.
Others will opt to boost Ability Scores tied to their skills such as Persuasion, Insight, or Stealth. For combat purposes, Constitution and Dexterity will always be valuable, but for the rest of the game’s interactions, you will want to think about what your character is capable of accomplishing and how they can increase their chances of success.
Utilize Feats and ASI
At level 10, player characters typically gain an ASI or a Feat of their choice. ASI is a simple decision as it gives a direct +1 to any Ability Score you choose, while the Feats can provide more skills and abilities to your character. If looking into a Feat, consider what aligns with your character’s concepts and combat prowess. Fighters especially should consider how Feats intermingle with each other since they gain multiple Feats throughout their levels not just at level 10.
The Power of Level 10
Level 10 provides a significant boost to any player character’s abilities. This milestone grants access to key abilities for the class as a whole and sometimes the subclass as well. Using our three recommended classes from before, we will explore some key features to showcase why level 10 is important for them.
Wizard (School of Evocation)
At the 10th level, Wizards gain an Arcane Tradition ability and an Ability Score Increase. School of Evocation Wizards can begin utilizing Empowered Evocation, which allows them to add their Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of any wizard evocation spell they cast.
Combined with maximizing Intelligence, this adds up to a straight 5 damage to any one damage roll, plus the newly accessible 5th-level spell slot will allow for incredibly high damage output when landing a good roll.
Fighter (Battle Master)
The Battle Master Fighter truly earns their title of “master” at level 10. The Archetype allows the player to utilize maneuvers, special actions that support combat in a variety of ways. By level 10, the Battle Master will know 7 maneuvers and will have 5 superiority die all of which will be d10s, nearly guaranteeing success when spent.
Combine these bonuses with the Fighter’s Extra Attack or Action Surge and the Battle Master will be capable of bringing down all but the strongest of opponents at their level. When picking maneuvers, take what fits your playstyle and party strategies; however, if you are in need of a quick reference, here are 7 of the best maneuvers: Precision Attack, Riposte, Trip Attack, Menacing Attack, Pushing Attack, Lunging Attack, and Parry.
Cleric (Domain of Light)
Clerics gain access to Divine Intervention at level 10. This ability allows Clerics to call upon their chosen deity and ask for support. After rolling a percentile die, if successful, the Cleric’s god will enter the Cleric’s presence and act based on your DMs decision as appropriate to the deity’s nature and the Cleric’s domain and spell choices.
This is where the Domain of Light becomes powerful – Light Domain spells deal with fire and all forms of light, but by nature, the Domain banishes evil and removes darkness.
Light deities can showcase their power and instantly eliminate all evil presences in an area when called upon by the Cleric. While the odds are not exactly favorable, level 10 for a Cleric means an underestimated class can become an overwhelming force when played properly.
Conclusion on best level 10 builds in 5e dnd
Reaching level 10 in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition opens up a world of possibilities for your character. Even if your preferred class was not listed here, by reaching level 10 your character can be considered a hero or is at least ready to earn a name for themselves at the national level.
Whether your build excels at roleplay, combat, utility, or a combination of all three, level 10 provides the proper tools for success. Take what you have learned from this article and apply it to the world your Dungeon Master creates for you and your party to play in, while still proving that you are the strongest of the group in your areas of expertise.