Level 15 in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition marks a significant power grab for players upon reaching the milestone. If your character has not already made a name for themselves in your campaign, this is the point where you will do it.
While not quite a god killer yet, a party of level 15 characters means you can topple governments and defeat kings or queens in battle. For good or for evil, the strongest level 15 characters are leaders on and off the battlefield. In this article, we will break down some of the best level 15 classes for use in main campaigns, one-shots, or backup characters.
The top Classes at Level 15
Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
The Arcane Trickster archetype for Rogues at level 15 combines cunning and arcane prowess, making them formidable in both stealth and magic. Key features of this build include the following abilities:
Versatile Trickster
Gain access to spells from the wizard’s spell list, enabling you to augment your stealthy tactics with magical abilities. Select spells such as Invisibility, Mirror Image, or Shadow Blade to enhance your mobility and combat prowess.
Magical Ambush
If you cast a spell on your turn and have advantage on the attack roll, the target of the spell has disadvantage on its saving throw against the spell. Exploit this feature to unleash devastating spells with increased effectiveness and ensure your enemies succumb to your magical onslaught.
Reliable Talent
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses your proficiency bonus. This exceptional skill allows you to excel in various non-combat situations, ensuring success in lock-picking, trap-disarming, and other rogue-related tasks.
Stroke of Luck
Once per short rest, you can turn a miss into a hit, or make a failed ability check into a success. This feature grants you unparalleled luck and the ability to seize crucial moments, whether it’s landing a critical strike or successfully evading a deadly trap.
Barbarian
Path of the Zealot
The Path of the Zealot for Barbarians at level 15 taps into a primal rage and divine favor, making them unyielding warriors on the battlefield. Key features of this build include the following abilities:
Divine Fury
Your melee weapon attacks deal additional radiant or necrotic damage equal to half your Barbarian level. This feature enhances your melee strikes, infusing them with divine or unholy energy, depending on your chosen path.
Warrior of the Gods
If you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can make a Constitution saving throw to instead be reduced to 1 hit point. This indomitable resilience reflects your connection to divine forces, allowing you to fight on despite mortal wounds.
Fanatical Focus
If you fail a saving throw while raging, you can reroll it and must use the new roll. This ability grants you unparalleled resilience against magic and other threats, making you a formidable force to reckon with on the battlefield.
Rage Beyond Death
When you are reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to instead drop to 1 hit point. This feature showcases your sheer determination and defiance of death, allowing you to continue fighting even when all seems lost.
Sorcerer
Shadow Magic
The Shadow Magic origin for Sorcerers at level 15 harnesses the mysterious powers of darkness and manipulation, granting them control over shadows and enigmatic spells. Key features of this build include the following abilities.
Hound of Ill Omen
As a bonus action, you can summon a hound of ill omen to target a creature. The hound provides an advantage on attack rolls against the target, weakening their defenses and making them vulnerable to your spells. This feature synergizes well with your spellcasting, ensuring your damaging spells hit with increased accuracy.
Shadow Walk
Gain the ability to travel through shadows, allowing you to teleport up to 120 feet as a bonus action. This extraordinary mobility provides unparalleled battlefield control, enabling you to position yourself strategically and surprise your enemies.
Umbral Form
You can transform into a shadowy form, gaining resistance to all damage except force damage and the ability to move through other creatures and objects. This feature grants you incredible survivability and the ability to bypass physical barriers, making you a formidable adversary.
Shadow Sorcery
When you cast a 1st-level or higher spell that deals damage, you can deal additional psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier to one target. This feature enhances your offensive capabilities, ensuring that your damaging spells pack an extra punch.
Ability Scores
Optimizing your character’s ability scores is crucial for maximizing their effectiveness. While you could say the Sorcerer is one of the best classes at level 15, maxing out on Strength is questionable at best since your spellcasting modifiers do not use Strength.
By level 15, most 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. Rogues benefit from a high Dexterity but focusing on your spellsaving and spellcasting stats are also recommended if taking the Arcane Trickster route. Barbarians appreciate a high Strength stat as they are all about dealing as much damage as possible with large weapons.
Rage also is based upon Strength and Constitution so consider both of these when optimizing your builds. Lastly, Sorcerers will want to focus on their Charisma for their primary Ability Score.
Given their inherent talent for spellcasting, Wisdom and Intelligence can be left for secondary investments while focusing on Charisma not only enhances your spells but also allows you to have control in conversational scenarios, especially if you take advantage in Persuasion or Intimidation for example.
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 is helpful as it increases your health, therefore, 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
By level 15, player characters typically gain several ASI boosts 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.
Consider what aligns with your character’s concepts and combat prowess if looking into a Feat. Additionally, consider the rest of your character’s progress for the remaining 5 player levels available. Ask yourself if you want to multiclass, are any Ability Scores maxed out yet, and what bonuses remain for your current class.
Some classes still have room to grow while others will reach their peak and can forgo the remaining 5 levels as the bonuses are arbitrary.
Conclusion on best level 15 characters
Over the course of this article, we covered what level 15 looks like for some of the best classes in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. We also went over the abilities tied to the power of level 15 as well as how to pick your Ability Scores for the most optimal builds.
The Rogue, Barbarian, and Sorcerer are all powerful choices for your main campaign, one-shots, or as a backup character should your current character die in battle before reaching level 15. Keep all this in mind as you embrace the essence of your chosen class, unleashing your character’s full potential.
Embark on an unforgettable quest and leave your mark on your game world so that people know to praise your or hide from you when in your presence.